Day 43: Himarë to Camping Elena’s beach, near Playaria, August 13th.

Up early. I heated up the second French ration and ate it. It was decent. Lots of rice. I left around 9.

I stopped for snacks in town and bought 3 pastries which I ate on the beach. Then I was off in the sweat inducing early morning heat. Even my hands became moist and slick. All day the coastal roads undulated up and down – mostly up. I passed some spectacular southern Albanian countryside in this way. Today shouts of encouragement from passing cars far outstripped shouts of hello from passing children, probably because I was on main roads most of the day.

I stopped in a town for water and later, near the border, a small boy (Dmitri) called me in to his family café to shelter from a little rain. I acquiesced and bought a coke for 2 euros. I also gave Dmitri 2 of my last 3 sweets which I had bought in Croatia, and a Euro. From there it was only 6km to the border. I arrived around half 3 Albanian time, which is half four in Greek.

Country 12: Greece. Cycle 1.

 

I was quickly waved out of Albania but spent ages in a huge car line on the way into Greece. Eventually I went around it and found they had a lunatic system of checking the passports of pedestrians then sending them back to their cars. I was stamped in and off. Greece at last! I did it!

I played kung fu panda music as I freewheeled down the road and laughed out loud for joy. I now had no snacks at all as I had eaten my last Italian sweet in the border line. I cycled another 43km into Greece, appreciating the lack of brutalist architecture and passing through Igoumenitsa. Around 6km on from the town I found a campsite which was full and wouldn’t let me in. The second let me in to what was essentially a parking space rather than a pitch. Ah well, it will do. I put up my tent, showered, ate some fried cheese and stewed lamb at the camp restaurant and wrote this.

***

I sat by the sea for a while eating a croissant I had bought from the shop, then went to bed. It was hot.

Video of this day