Ka Pai Kiwis

Another lovely day -  another very nice breakfast. Sorry to say goodbye to this spot but needs must. A lovely drive along the coast on motorcycle friendly roads. Wonderful views and the roads fairly quiet. Arrived for coffee in the seaside resort town of Sarande, lovely little harbour town with a couple of visiting super yachts moored in the bay. From here we rode through a national park until a river blocked our path, for 300 Lek we were transported to the other side on a wooden barge.  From here we had about 20k to navigate over rough and narrow country lanes until finally emerging back on the highway. Quick stop for gas then the border which was quick and straightforward. We have loved our time in Albania and could have spent more time exploring this hospitable country. But we’re on a mission...... So into Greece, followed the coast for a while then inland through fairly uninspiring country but as we moved south the lush valleys appeared and also what must b...

As requested by avid followers of this blog I will periodically update the mileage reading.

Beautiful day today and began with breakfast served to us in the garden by our very nice host Niko. We set off about 9 once again through mainly agricultural areas. The farms look to me to be on a fairly small scale by our standards, I’m guessing that they would be mainly family affairs. We saw families in the fields - mum and dad working and children playing around the donkey and cart. Passed through a massive farmers market which was obviously a weekly occurrence. The farmland disappeared as we neared the coast and we stopped for morning tea in Vlore which is a large seaside town full of beachside restaurants and apartments a bit like the gold coast in Aussie. From here along the coast it was all tourist hotels and apartments but we are very early in the season so not too many people about. The road then turned inland and up and over a very large hilly section, very windy and rough in places. Spectacular views down the coast from the top and a very popular spot for motorcyc...

Well that was an intersting ferry ride. Was supposed to sail at 10 but didn’t leave till after 12. We were tucked up in bed by then. It rattled and banged the whole way and had more vibrations than an Australian hired Harley.  Getting into Albania could not have been easier, customs similar to an airport and picked up 3rd party insurance from a kiosk just before exiting the port. Rode into Durres which is nice enough for a port city. Found an ATM and a nice cafe overlooking the sea for coffee then set off for a leisurely 100km ride to Berat. The city apartment blocks slowly gave way to farmland and very pretty countryside. We arrived at our accommodation for the night which is a bed and breakfast type place with a very friendly host. Sent on my way sightseeing with a large helping of Raki and a toast to Albania. This is very picturesque town with an old castle come settlement on the top of a big hill. The town is at valley level and is possibly the nicest and most fertile pla...

A very short day on the bike today. Up the coast. Passed some lovely little villages and inlets along the bay with scenes of colourful fishing boats set against a backdrop of historic churches and monasteries. Spent most of the afternoon wandering the tourist city of Bari which is a very picturesque city and very clean compared to some of the smaller places where litter is unfortunately a feature. Spot the prettiest flower.  Had a wander around the press photography awards exhibition. Wonderful photography but the things some people must endure in their lives is just so wrong. We are now waiting for the ferry to Albania which leaves at 10 tonight, check in latest is 6! I didn't realise how long it can take to leave a country. Polizzia at customs took our passports and bike docs away and was gone for ages. Passports checked at check in, then customs, then before we left the vehicle deck and at reception they have kept mine! Arivederci Itallia it has been a blas...

Leisurely start to the day with croissant and coffee in the local piazza. Then a wander around this absolutely brilliant town. Fascinating old buildings and churches. Pictures speak for themselves. Our room was on the ground floor of the tall building in the photo above. We hung around Gravina till lunchtime taking in as many of the sights as we could. Then an absolutely delightful ride to Alberobella where we saw the uniquely designed Trulli houses, The design originated in the 14th century and they were originally constructed without mortar so they could be easily dismantled when the tax man came calling. Tax evasion is nothing new apparently.  A nice lunch followed by a short ride to Monopoli a seaside town and our stop for the night Easy riding today after yesterday’s marathon. The countryside is beautiful around here with stone walls, poppy's and wild flowers in abundance in among the fields of crops.. Found our accommodation with only a small amount of ...

We arrived in Naples about 10am and headed straight to Pompeii Decided to let the satnav take us an interesting route. Through the back streets of Naples on wet and very uneven cobblestones and the world record for most manholes per square metre. End to end traffic jams had us in Pompei by lunchtime. He’s ‘armless really.  Had a nice wander around the ruins marveling at what once was and what has been excavated and continues to be. Truly a devastating event for them. Our first encounter with cruise boat tourists, quite a contrast, us two clodhoppers in our bike gear and the beautifully coiffured! Decided to continue on with letting the satnav guide us which kept us in endless traffic and continuous built up area. At 4:30 we’d had enough and dialed up the Auto Strada. All was well until an exit led to a 2nd grade and very muddy goat track. A bit of re navigation found a slightly better option and after questioning the parenthood of Tomtom it proved he was correct after a...