On my last (and only) bike trip, we traveled from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey to the Atlantic coast of Portugal. One area we did not cycle through was the Balkans, which was on the verge of war and thus we decided to take a ferry from Greece to Ancona, Italy instead. Since then, I have wanted to ‘complete’ that missing section from the 1990 trip.
Another reason for picking this area of Europe stems from my college days. I studied abroad for a semester in Vienna, Austria in a program that focused on southeastern Europe and included a three-week tour through the area. This was back in 1985 and a great part of our tour took place either behind the Iron Curtain or through the former Yugoslavia. One country we could not visit was Albania as it was a firmly closed country and the best we could do was a wave from afar. Since then, Albania has always fascinated me and I am very excited to finally get the chance to explore the country.
Along with Albania, I will also explore the coastline of Croatia, take a quick detour into Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro and finish my trip in Greece and the upper Adriatic coastline of Turkey.
The beginning of my trip has fluctuated but I have settled on Bari, Italy in the Puglia region (known as the ‘heel’ of Italy) for many reasons. One, because of the weather. Spring should be sprung and as I head north, the warm air will follow. In theory, anyway. Two, because of the ease of biking from the airport. The Bari airport is small and just a few miles to my first night’s accommodation so biking straight from the airport is possible. Three, the Puglia region of Italy is generally flat and I will have a few days to get my biking legs back in working order before I hit the inevitable hills and mountains of Italy and beyond. And finally, well, because it’s Italy.
I have my first two nights of accommodation planned, and a general idea of the route I want to take, but for the most part, where I ride will be a daily decision. Many factors come into play when planning my day. Weather, how I feel, sights I want to see, options for my next accommodation, local recommendations, and even geopolitical factors (Ukraine I see you).
So, while picking a destination is a must, for me, the day-to-day specifics cannot be planned, especially for a long-term trip, with no set end date. For a week or two trips with a set end date and a tighter schedule, I may be more inclined to book every night accommodation ahead of time to stay on schedule. But it is the serendipity that happens along the journey that is the magic dust that makes a trip extra memorable. The less planning the better.