Day 26: From Radhimë to Himarë (58 km, 1500 vm)

After I had a nice sea food dinner at the beach with a beautiful sunset yesterday I went to bed and slept like a baby. I woke up at around 6 and really had trouble getting out of bed. Yesterday I checked the route for today and found out that I had to start the day with a 1000 metre climb.

Shortly after I left the hotel the climb already started. The first 200 metres quite moderately and then extremely steep. The road was going inland through a national reserve on the peninsula which is running parallel to the main land. Within the first kilometres the landscape changed drastically. The road was going straight towards the high mountains and once I got to the the it got really steep. Very often I passed signs saying that the upcoming road would be 10 % steep. Most of the time it was a lot steeper. I came to the conclusion that in Albania they only have 10 % ascent and descent signs.

The climb to the top of the pass at 1050 metres took me about 3 hours and it was painful. If any of you road bike you know what a 15 – 17 % road feels like. Even on a mountainbike that is not pleasant. With my 45 kilo bike and luggage it was torture. Every now and then I took short breaks to catch my breath again.

At the top of the pass I was rewarded with one of the most stunning views of this ride. It seemed that the Sea was 1000 metres right below me. Blue as far as the eye can see. Just some islands and in the distance, Corfu. My destination. At the top there was a restaurant with a beautiful panoramic terrace were I enjoyed a coffee and ate some of the sandwiches I prepared the night before. It was so beautiful up there that is was hard to leave and cycle down again.

The downhill was almost as steep as the uphill. In four 1-kilometre serpentines I lost about 500 vertical metres. On the way I stopped a lot to take pictures. An incredible contrast between with soft blue of the sea and the rough mountains every time I made a turn. If you like biking, go cycle this pass! Just prepare for some pain on the way.

At around 250 metres above sea level I got to the village Dhermi, a beautiful old village. The first village in Albania that I saw without the typical 70ies concrete buildings or abandanoned houses. This area here definitely showed a very different side of Albania. From Dhermi the road ascended and descended 50 to 100 metres, both ascents and descents always very steep again. I was very optimistic to think I could go all the way to the Greek border today. My legs were already spent and I was checking on google maps where the next town at a beach front would be. To do so I took a break in a small village at little kiosk with outside seating. After I ordered a coke, another bike traveller came. We greeted, he sat at my table and we exchanged travel stories and plans. His name was Nils, from Berlin and he travelled from Austria to Ancona in Italy to the ferry to Igoumensita and is now cycling to Dubrovnik. We ordered a beer – coke gets boring after a while – and kept taking. About 4 beers later we both agreed that there will not be much more cycling possible today. Sometimes you just have to live the moment.

We payed, Nils went down towards Dhermi and I, after one more short ascent, rolled down to Himare where I found a nice place to stay close to the beach front.

So Greece is in viewing distance now. Since it is so close I will take it easy tomorrow. The south coast of Albania is so beautiful that I will probably spend one more night before the border to Greece. So if everything goes according to plan there are 2 days of cycling left. Writing this puts a smile on my face.