Towards the Black Sea
Dardha - Fusha-Arrez
20 July 2019
Rest stage this morning: 32km a little hilly but nothing compared to yesterday.
It goes up and down quite a bit anyway we go from 700 to 950m with at the end a passage to nearly 20% for the last 70m of the climb. Then comes the reward of a nice descent to Fushe-Arrez, on which you can’t let go too much anyway, it’s narrow and full of blind corners.
Gjakova - Dharda, Albania
19 July 2019
I knew that if there was a difficult stage, it would be here in Albania! I suffered a little on this stage. At the beginning everything was going well, with mostly descent once the Albanian border was crossed. But I arrive around noon and a half at the 50 km at the bottom of the descent to Fierze. It is hot and heavy: it will take me an hour and a half to reach the top of the first hill, you can’t say that I swallowed the 440 meters of altitude difference ^^ All along the road it climbs (…)
Prishtina - Gjakova
18 July 2019
Yesterday in Pristina, the first part of the visit was to try to understand why my memory card was no longer working on the camera... (The camera that doesn’t work anymore is like the end of the world). Then look for a new memory card. Once I found it, I was able to resume the visit calmly. And take some nice pictures too, because with the mobile it’s much worse ^^
The impression I had in Djilane is confirmed in Pristina and Djakova: there is a great freedom and a great cultural mix; in (…)
Vranje - Prishtina, Kosovo
16 July 2019
Yesterday, looking at my journey, I wondered - as I always do - if there could be a problem at the border. And while I thought it was quiet (the travel advice site of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs only mentions the 4 Serbian cities in the northwest of Pristina where you have to be careful) I discover that the border post where I will pass was attacked with machine guns by Albanian separatists 7 years ago!! In fact I pass through a valley where the population is Albanian and which (…)
Yarlovtsi - Vranje, Serbia again
15 July 2019
Border crossing around 9:00 this morning. There must have been a pot inside the Serbian police station because for a little while nothing was happening. A car had arrived before me and was waiting... Then a policeman came out and took everyone’s papers. Two minutes later I was passing by.
Then climbed to 1369 meters (I was already at 800) and once arrived at the top.... well, it was practically all downhill.
A refreshing break in Sudurlica where I stop at the Telenor shop to top up my (…)
Dragoman - Yarlovtsi
14 July 2019
Greyish day where I spent a moment driving in the rain.
I’m very happy to have only a short stage because driving in the rain is not pleasant and then it goes up a little bit anyway, I have to get used to it again!
My route is in Bulgaria but runs along the Serbian border. At a crossroads I see police officers. I stop to check the path and I have to turn left. The two Serbian border police officers take this opportunity to control me ^^
I have lunch in Tran and then I arrive in (…)
Sofia - Dragoman
13 July 2019
Very small stage today 52 km and tomorrow the same, in fact I wanted to avoid starting to climb with stages too long. So I didn’t realize it was going up a bit and I arrived early but left late ^^^
From Sofia, a beautiful cycle path to get out of the city, it avoids driving on the 4 lanes and passing through large interchanges. I see a taxi on the bike path... but no, the path is just finished and I have to change sides!
I arrive at Dragoman as the storm threatens. I’m going to go (…)
By train, Plovdiv - Sofia
11 July 2019
A much more modern train to Sofia. The train leaves 20 minutes late and in a few stops it has caught up, we will arrive right on time in Sofia.
Sofia is a capital with a rich past that has left many monuments to visit or admire.
The mosque is the most beautiful building I have found from the outside or its decoration with the lights of the stained glass windows inside. In addition, we have the right to take pictures, unlike all the churches I have been to.
There also many parks, water (…)
By train, Burgas - Plovdiv
9 July 2019
Trouble of the day : This morning’s train to Plovdiv cancelled. The next one was at 4:30pm!! My departure from the Black Sea is therefore a little postponed.... I try to see things I hadn’t seen: I go to Lake Burgas via the "Sea Park", a large park that runs along the entire length of the beach.
There is an observatory set up to study birds, mainly a species of seagull. I do a lot of shooting but only keep a few pictures.
Mechanical problem of the day: since the great descent when I (…)
Pomerie - Burgas
8 July 2019
Every day a new event: today I have, for the second time, a ghost airbnb accommodation! It spoils my farewell to the Black Sea a little....
So while I only drive 20km today, instead of going to the beach and visiting Burgas I spend my time with the airbnb support or rather waiting for answers. After a while I start to crack: if I understand that I had to wait until the official time of entry into the accommodation to cancel the initial resa it is done at 3pm.... But I have to wait to get a (…)