BCA6 Ohrid, North Macedonia to Pogradec, Albania - Balkans Cycle Adventure

Balkans Cycling Adventure - BCA. Cycle Day 6: Ohrid, North Macedonia to Pogradec, Albania. 38 km 396 vm. Connal Tours European Cycling Tour 2024. Connal Kit for all your cycle touring clothing.
Promenade cycle along the lake for a distance before going onto the only road we could take today. A shorter distance but with 3 mean hills to negotiate. A number of fishing villages then a stop at the Museum of Water – Bay of Bones 1200-600BC pile dwellers living on the water. Entertained in the carpark by a local beekeeper from the mountains with his bootload of honey, pollen & some potent honey grappa. A sip of this liquor must have helped get up the first hill. Stopped at the last roadside store before the final climb. Bananas & fruit drink helped get us over this one. This part of the road was in the process of being prepared for a new laying of bitumen - machine had gone over it roughing the surface up. Roadworks were retarring the long downhill we were due to take. Steep downhill on freshly tarred road - took it easy. Then a flattening of the road back to lakeside level. Took a detour to visit Svet Naum Monastery – large complex well positioned for quiet contemplation overlooking the lake. Several smaller chapels over the springs. Then only a short distance to the border crossing. First, a farewell to North Macedonia, then about a kilometre of no man's land before arriving at the Albanian entry point. About 8 more km and we were at our destination of Pogradec. Old bunkers evident every 200m along the waterfront. Great to see a team of workers raking & heaping rubbish from the water’s edge. Our hostess Klara & her husband welcomed us to our 8th floor apartment with views over the lake. Supermarket at ground level being very handy.
Cycle Day 6 of 45 over 10 weeks cycle touring covering over 2400km in a loop circuit of the West Balkans in Europe through 8 countries. Connal Kit for all your cycling touring clothing. Connal Tours European Cycling Tour 2024. connalkit.com.au 8May2024.