Wednesday 29th Albania to Greece

Got away after a visit to Duress to find some Roman ruins withoiut success, but did my new trick, go to the Bank get them to direct me to an Insurance Company and get the Green card that I didn't get at the border.
Durress however was crowded and dirty. I was away down the road feeling pretty confident of a good ride. Then as I turned into the hills to go over the range to Greece it got very black so as the rain sport started I stopped to tog up. I was there dressing and up to the gate behind me came what might be described as a crone. She was short, dressed in black totally just a little wrinkly face waving me away from her gate. I stayed. So she watched, and after a short time a flicker of a smile then a serious pointing at the black clouds and shaking her head. Finally she left with a cheery wave and some words that I took as complimentary at least wishing me well.
Shortly however her warnings became real. High winds, belting rain and some of the most challenging roads that I have ever ridden. It was fatastic. Stretches of new blacktop two full lanes wide, then roadwors where ther road was hard to find in the mud, then broken seal metal flat stones that I suspect may have had more to do with Romans than Albanians. All the time the snatches of mountain views and coastline were just awesome, and the old guy with the donkey just visible under a huge load, and he walking ahead with a big hat and a coat that only Joseph Stalin would have thought looked good just added reality to this erie scene.
If any place is crying out for adventure riding (on a road) its here.
So finally in the fast disappearing light I found a border crossing, that was easy, and I was down the road in the darkness toward I hoped, Ioaniana. It was and I found a hotel.
What a day. 320k of sheer excitement.
nzl04