Gravely Xdz 152 M Zero Turn Mower

Day 18 Day 12

After the last post in mind with all the curiosity for the country we are going to esplolare. Now it 's almost a week through the street in the Albanian mountains to the sea by passing to the chaotic city and timeless villages. And even if we begin to understand something, the questions are many and the desire to discover is only increasing. We have a boundless

Pogrodec, always on the Ohrid lake, and immediately the difference between the two countries was evident. From the Customs, the border policemen, with those Macedonians who advises us not to do the insurance for the bike-in Albania, that is enough to pay the cops if they are stories. Instead, those Albanians simply do not have it controlled insurance. And our insistence on an official has admitted that it had modules to make it, that maybe will help us in the nearby town '. Then we begin to drive on rough road and overlooking the lake is not insured.

The city is' actually a paesinao by 12,000 inhabitants, however, Mueve constantly in the car with the radio loud and screaming in the streets, seem 10 times as many. We thought that everyone here speak Italian, thanks to the TV, but it is not true. Only a few are able to understand and just talk a lot simple. I am not able to give directions like left / right. And this will be a constant: only the exiles who live in Italy speak Italian, and this', however, the only language in which you can build a rudimentary dialogue. We meet once

Ezio (and who knows how to name it?), Who emigrated to commit to a leather shop in Florence, which here acts as boss of the country, one that money and he does see them, returned for the funeral of grandmother, who offers us coffee, providing us with valuable information. For example, warns us, mingling himself, which some here still use the old course of the currency, equal to new but multiplied by 10: and now, to buy a road map we see the delirious situation in which even the Albanians are wrong. After a little 'eye on prices and we will not confuse us more. We strongly advise against doing the mountain road we had planned: it says that and, ugly, unsafe, with work in progress and that even the locals do. We think about a bit 'and we take the same spot, where appropriate, to retrace our steps.

And our choice is a winner. The road and 'rough, all humps, bumps and whether ministries, but with patience we face at low speed. The average travel over the next two days will be less than 30km / h, according to the onboard computer. We are rewarded with amazing scenery, boundless and bare hills and mountains dotted with bunkers (Spiegheremo. ..) donkeys and cows that keep us company, treaquilli villages.

cross the mountains sleeping in the only inn within tens of kilometers and approdiamoa Gjirokastra.

Then we drive to the blue sea of \u200b\u200bcsota north of Saranda, where between baths, sun, reading, and grilled fish spend two full days.

And now we have arrived at Berat, a striking beauty, even more characteristic of Gjirokastra, all of white stone wood edition. It seems to be in a ltra era.

If you do not get out of here within 10 seconds the Leo bites me from hunger. So the next time!

ENRICO

From Pale And Brunette To Tan And Blonde

Berati, Ohrid

Alarm Belgrade

Alarm in Mavrovo


Woodpecker

Uhhhh, that effort!

We arrived in Ohrid, Macedonia on town-namesake lake on the border with Albania-. With all the NL Nederlands, that only a small town 'Macedonian tourist can have (do you remember, right?). To get here we had a series of discrete events, but I would say that so far we have had only small mistakes (a sleepless night in Belgrade, some problems of digestion, muddy roads or dirt roads, the risk to remain dry. ..) We were prepared for much bigger problem! Now we will stop for

riodinare few days to rest and the memories that last few days have been a bit 'overlapping in the head. In hindsight it would have taken at least one week for each of the states we passed through. It 's not that we are running, only that we are tasting a lot of nice places, and we seem to always leave a little-too soon. And each time with a nostalgic and probably frustrated about going back in the future.

The fact 'that the trip should have the same running time of the trip by bicycle: the fact that it could move quickly and not' necessarily an advantage if the distance increases proportionally with the speed '. However, we became fast to attach and remove the tent, we make regular checks to our means (we have everything you need, including a liter of oil) and handle the bike like a scooter in the penetrations of the chaotic city 'Balkan.

Among the-other, here the majority of cars have Italian plate. Indeed, the Veneto. What everyone seems to have some piece of Italian family in the north east, and now they are all back for the holidays. This allowed us to chat with local characters. 'Cause if you do not speak Italian, here and' absolutely impossible to understand and be understood, it verbally, in writing it: even the Cyrillic alphabet, with its fake-affinity with the Roman alphabet and the enormous differences between letters uppercase and lowercase letters, and 'still a puzzle for us!

Pero 'too involved to create the feeling of being in places remote and exotic, beautiful and to explore. The choice of route, and 'was happy in this sense: Slovenia, Austria Balkans, clean, orderly, where many speak Italian, rapidly moving to Croatia, a little' more 'rude, but still related to the customs of Europe, through Serbia, the first real taste of the spirit of the Balkans, and then in Macedonia, first in the north, in the capital Skopje, big city 'from the ancient heart, that gently wakes you up at 5 am with the phrases sung by the mosques (unforgettable atmosphere), and now in the south, bitter and burnt by the sun, ready to jump into l-Albania.

Who knows 'how will'?
ENRICO

Semi Permanent Goldwell Color

Day 5, Ljubljana Things


Dobrodošli to you all!

Here and just wound up the tension of waiting for the documents of the bike. Yes, because we started equipped at all points, having also different style check list to check you do not leave anything at home. In fact, the documents of the bike - all - stayed at home ... So a big thanks to Marti and Co that are activated quickly and efficiently to organize an international expedition to the limits of physics: Cazzago SM - Ljubljana net in 48 hours!

Now there remains only to recall the route mileage that we have left behind spouses from Grana ... I take this opportunity to appeal Journal: You may kindly send us the stages with the miles to my mail?

Fixed all these little problems we are now ready to start in earnest. Of course, we just found ... I know that back in September, and shorts on one wheel. For even if Leo is a little more 'trusted me, it is little appreciable difference.

quickly a couple of information about the trip so far. Three days on Lake Bohinj: nice, very quiet, but a bit 'too touristy. Attractions in low season, amgari in autumn, when the fog underlie the surrounding mountains, and housing in one of the houses with flowers dsui balconies, as in Austria. The water of an incredible blue, perhaps because at the bottom of white limestone.

Then, to move this far, we have chosen to avoid the highway. Even the main roads. And even the secondary roads. In fact we covered about 20 km on a dirt trail ... ok, ok, was not expected: on the map that we showed a better road in the mountains. I was a bit 'worried about the slick tires and the fact it felt like driving on ice, but everything went well. We took that as a test case for Albanians in the streets.

Then, arriving at the capital with the bike in perfect working order and without further disruption. Accommodation in the hostel housed in a prison (scenic, and then sleep in a cell!). Afternoon and evening around the town 'looking for, in the few hours available, to immerse ourselves in its atmosphere. And not at all picturesque tourist center of the lanes. Panoramic Castle, but revised with cement and iron structures questionable. Nap in the Tivoli park with a lovely breeze that caresses the grass and us. Dinner at a restaurant where Karst parlucchiano also Italian. Leo, as usual, she gets caught by the feeding frenzy-bevereccia. Results if? We eat like pigs and we still have room in a bag with the meat grilled advanced. Do not tell you the aroma of our room this morning ... garlic and meat ... and not even slept alone!

Now load the bike (1 hour rated) and departure to Zagreb.

Hello, hello,

ENRICO
and
LEO

Is Denise Milani Italian

You again! This is the official excuse by which I decide to take some time updating the blog. Where? Read more below ... first two rows on the past.

What has happened in recent months (ie from days spent in San Francisco)? Everything, of course. Things that made me happy and things that made me think. As periodically happens to me I stuck nell'asfissiante rotuine and empty daily. Funny how in my head to the concept of routine is not associated with the idea of \u200b\u200bboredom and repetition, but rather the idea of \u200b\u200bparoxysmal activity and always different, which leaves breath. For me it always has been. However, I left with the means that I have learned to use. Cause and outcome of this situation was also the search of the house, which ended a few days with the definition of the date of the deed: September 11 at 11. It will be prophetic?

The purchase of the house. An important step. As someone told me: "put a brick in the most in my life." A risk. A necessity. An investment. Bah. To me none of this.

positive feelings: it is my home. I really struggled to find it, it is hidden, but I have unearthed. And I own choice. And 'that I had in mind. Absolutely no doubt, from the beginning. And every extra minute that passes I only have confirmation. Last night, after having finished cleaning the floors to the 1: 30 I was just going to sleep. So, on the floor without mattress. I gave up because I had the car in no parking. It 's a fixed point, a reference. After exactly one year since I left my last house I have a great need. And the need has increased in recent months since the idea of \u200b\u200bwhere to stop and build something more lasting I am not so remote.

The only negative feeling I had to get off to a compromise with my freedom to choose how to organize life in the near future. In short, if you decide to move to South America, probably the bank does not take a very positive ... I try to convince me that there is still nothing definitive, nothing binding, but in reality I feel that is not true.

However everything is still too new, I need to metabolize the event. It would take just three weeks of vacation ...

And indeed we leave Friday, August 7. The plural. Who childbirth this time? They should see the photo up here, enlarge it: you see it in my right eye (which pictured at left). In the other eye sees the bike ... the other traveling companion.

Destination: Vicenza! The first night. To tap the hospitality of the wives Stefano and Federica. A meeting will be a new discovery, after they have changed a bit 'of things for everyone. We will discuss a road trip, those facts, especially of those to be done next fall. Amarone that I've got around in my head for too long!

And then? Balkans. From Slovenia, through the Julian Alps, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Novi Sad, Belgrade, and then down through Kosovo to Macedonia, Skopje, to trespass Finally in Albania, where it reaches the climax of the trip with the pristine beaches of the south, near Saranda. In

tent.

Many unknowns. I know well that tension generated by the awareness of the difficulties we are going against. But everything is calcoltato, the stages are defined, we have organized. And everything is open to modification, afterthought, stages, times and destinations. It 'exactly what I seek: the satisfaction of a strong curiosity, to be implemented through a powerful experience, to feel on the skin, even at the cost of bringing home a scar.

I heard this morning a radio deejay say that the journey by motorbike is the initiatory journey par excellence. I do not know if I agree. Even the bicycle trip I think that aspires to the title. It is certainly more physically demanding and requires a special dedication, attention to themselves by the moments that take your mind that you are experiencing. But the trip is even (especially?) self-seeking.

At the same time we know that the Balkans will submerge all kinds of stimuli, more than what could happen on the dry Andean atypical. So much is not to be too focused on diet and altitude sickness. And finally, this time, rather than the pursuit of "self", there will be a search for "us" ...

I hope to update the blog every now and then, to send home live thoughts and images as fresh fruit, freshly picked. And will wait anxiously every comment or greeting from home, in the hope (delusion?) To share some scrap this journey with you all you read.

A hug,

ENRICO