My new microscope!
Taking ‘Adventures in Seeing’ to literally a new level. I purchased this microscope from Brunel Microscopes - a company started by a neighbour a long, long time ago (he’s 93 now).
I want to create art (whatever that is), so am starting with crystals from a variety of chemicals. You can see the results in my micro-minerals gallery. My studio space looks like a laboratory - reminds me of many years messing with test-tubes and nastier chemicals than I’m using here.
To date, the most successful have been copper sulphate, citric acid, vitamin C, urea and paracetamol crystallised either from water or ethanol. I’m planning on getting crystals of natural dyes next - watch this space!
Morcambe Bay
I’m reminded of the episode of Father Ted in which Ted tries to explain perspective to Dougal, “…these (model cows) are very small, but those outside aren’t small - they’re just faaar away.”
I’m reminded of the episode of Father Ted in which Ted tries to explain perspective to Dougal, “…these (model cows) are very small, but those outside aren’t small - they’re just faaar away.” I’ve just spent a week in Morcambe in the hope of getting some nice images of waders. But I didn’t realise just how small they were, and how infuriatingly far away they were. Morcambe Bay is HUGE. The sea goes out so far, you can’t see it - and that’s where many of the birds are. Yet another learning experience. Using my 600mm zoom on the XT5 I was able to get close enough, but the conditions were not right for anything artistic. My first experience really looking at these birds and seeing their behaiviour.
Learning from other photographers
“I’m just in love with making movies. I’m not very fond of movies; I don’t go to them much. I think it’s very harmful for movie makers to see movies because you either imitate them or worry about not imitating them. You should make movies innocently, the way Adam named the animals on the first day in the garden.
I lose my innocence; every time I see a film, I lose something, I don’t gain. I never understand what directors mean when they compliment me, young directors, and say they’ve learned from my films. I don’t believe in learning from other people’s films. You should learn from your own interior vision and discover, as I say, innocently, as though there had never been D.W. Griffith, Eisenstein, Ford, Renoir, or anybody…
Orson Wells
Might this apply to photographers too? Can you imagine being a photographer and not studying other photographers? Going out in the world and imagining that I’ve never seen another’s images - what do I photograph? And why?
True, Orson Wells and his contemporaries had far fewer films to give him inspiration, and these days creative people are often asked, “What, or who, inspires you?” I have a book, Free Play - Improvisation in Life and Art, by Stephen Nachmanovitch, which might shed more light on this. I’ll write a review when I’ve finished reading it.
Europe #24: A final adventure!
May 1 – A final adventure
Time to go home! I could have gone to the alps, but it would have been very expensive, and I’m getting rather sore in a few important places. So, what could be simpler than returning the same way that I came – Nice, Marseille, Paris, Caen, ferry to Portsmouth and train straight to Bristol. Here’s what happened.
The plan was to stay overnight in Marseille, then catch trains to Caen via Paris. I had a feeling that the place in Marseille might be a bit iffy, and I was right. The room was shared and I had to leave my bike on the street. So I walked away (yes, I had paid for it) and bought a kebab to aid my thinking. Downtown Marseille is very busy and a bit ‘edgy’. So I decided to spend the night just cycling around. When the train station closed at 12.30am, I cycled down to the port. I was expecting it to be rather dirty and uninteresting, but I was in for a surprise. The first area was very quiet; people were sitting by the water, some fishing, some smoking, some playing music. Really lovely! I stayed there for an hour or so and set off for a huge marina. It was surrounded by clubs, bars, people having fun. I wandered around there until about 3.30 when it quietened down. For another hour, I explored the northern docklands before going back to the station which opened at 4.30. The photos were taken on my phone as I wandered around. I chatted with a young Chinese guy, an engineer, for a while who, when I told him my age, looked concerned and told me that I must keep warm. Sweet. I caught my train at 7.30.
After changing at Lyon, I arrived in Paris 10 minutes late. I had to get across Paris to the other station to get my train to Caen and I thought I was just in time, but couldn’t find any evidence of my train. I eventually found that the station is divided in two, and my train was in the other half. I missed it by a few minutes. This was critical, as I had to reach the ferry outside Caen which left at 11.30pm. I was lucky to catch another train that got into Caen with enough time for me to belt along the cyclpath for the 16 km to the ferry port. They let me on. Phew! So now I could relax, I thought.
Ferries have a central atrium with stairs in the middle and all the corridors leading off. As I sat down with all my bags, the space was invaded by, so I was told, over 250 feral French teenagers. There didn’t seem to be anyone in charge. They ran around, apparently aimlessly, screaming and shouting, for the next two hours, and slightly less so until around 3pm. I should have taken videos; I did not sleep. I feel energy seeping away now just thinking about it.
The crossing took over eight hours and I cycled half awake to the station and my train to Bristol. I had to haul my bike down and up stairs because the lifts were not working, which resulted in a very sore elbow, which is going to take a while to heal. But all’s well that ends well, and it did end well. Nice to see the blue skies of Bedminster.
Europe #23: Palazzo Madama
April 17 – Palazzo Madama
The Palazzo Madama was the first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy, and takes its name from the embellishments it received under two queens (madama) of the House of Savoy.
Inside is the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art, which is really a large collection of paintings, statues, church ornaments, porcelain, and decorative art, mostly from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century.
There are a number of floors – the first contains information about the history of the palace. You walk on a glass floor with ruins underneath.
Then there are all the sculptures, artworks and decorated rooms.
For the video, click on the title at top left - Madama glass floor.
Europe #22: Turin motor museum
April 16 – Turin Auto Museum
Turin (Torino) is famed for manufacturing cars, including Fiat Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. The most common car on the road is the Fiat Panda. The Auto museum is enormous and includes the early steam-driven tricycles all the way to eco-cars and formula 1. This is what the blurb on the Museum’s website says:
“The MAUTO – Turin Automobile Museum boasts one of the rarest and most interesting collections of its kind, with over 200 original cars from 80 brands from all over the world. The oldest nucleus of the collection is linked to the story of its founder, Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, who gathered cars, chassis and engines with enthusiasm and determination.”
The collection is over three floors and is quite exhaustingly huge. Wonderfully curated. Click the green link above for my collection of photos.
Europe #21: Turin
April 10 – Turin at night
On the South East side of the river Po, there are hills from where iconic images of Turin, especially at night, are taken. So, up I went. The video was taken earlier in the day. After taking the iconic shot, with the Piazza Vittorio Veneto just across the river and the Alps in the background, I cycled slowly through the old town snapping the illuminated buildings. I love cities at night and Turin is spectacular.
April 13 – The colonnades
Wandering along the colonnades is one of the joys of being in Turin. They were designed to connect the royal residences and keep royalty dry in the rare wet weather. They tend to have themes – one (Via Po) is full of second-hand book stalls and antiquities as far as the eye can see. Others house cafes and chocolate shops and others very posh stores selling the latest fashions. No Marks and Sparks.
I asked Chat-GPT to give me a history of the colonnades, and this is what it came up with:
The colonnades in Turin, Italy are a defining feature of the city’s urban landscape. The history of the colonnades can be traced back to the 17th century, when the House of Savoy began to transform Turin into a grandiose capital city.
The House of Savoy, a noble family that ruled over the region of Piedmont in Italy, sought to create a city that reflected their power and wealth. To this end, they commissioned a number of architects to design public spaces and buildings that would be both grand and functional.
One of the most notable features of these designs was the use of colonnades, which were long, covered walkways that provided shelter from the elements and created an elegant, uniform appearance in the city’s streets.
The first colonnade in Turin was built in the mid-17th century on Via Po, a major thoroughfare in the city. This was followed by the construction of additional colonnades in the years that followed, including those on Via Roma and Piazza San Carlo.
Over time, the colonnades became an integral part of Turin’s urban identity, and they continue to be a popular feature of the city today. Many of the colonnades have been preserved or restored over the years, and they serve as a reminder of Turin’s rich history and architectural heritage.
Europe #20: First night in Turin
April 3 First night in Turin – in A&E
The first thing I wanted to do after checking in to the flat was to get some food. I was in luck! Lidl had just opened a superstore just across the road so I went for a look. It was astonishing – luxury foods as well as the usual Lidl layout. It was packed. I stocked up, including a large bottle of diet coke. I settled in and had some food and drank quite a lot of the coke. Shortly afterwards I felt a sharp pain in my gut – as if somethihng were blocked. The pain didn’t go away or change in any way for the next few hours, which was strange. I don’t like to take chances with my gut, and the pain was bad, so at around 1.30am I got up, crept out of the flat, and made my way to the nearest hospital – about fifteen minutes walk away.
During the next few hours I was given three different pain-reducing drips, a comprehensive blood analysis and a couple of X-rays. Evetually the results came back, confirming what I had thought – gas had got stuck in the colon, causing the pain. The fizz from the Coke must have gone down, rather than up. The doctor then printed out a four-page document describing in fine detail what had happened – the blood analysis results, drugs given, advice on what to do next and a timeline of who had attended me and what they had done. Quite amazing. They said “good night” and I walked home. The last dose of Tramadol had reduced the pain and I went to bed at around 6am. In the morning I took carbon tablets to absorb the remaining gas.
Europe #19: Naples to Turin via Pisa
April 2 – From Naples to Turin
It would have been a nice cycle, but at 600 miles, I decided to go by train, stopping off at Pisa on the way.
I thought I could stay at a cheap hotel in Pisa, as I had done before, but there were non available, so I had to go for an airbnb out in the country. Due to awkward connections I got to Pisa at around 8pm. Nice to watch the sun setting from the train though. As I rode through Pisa, I must have taken a wrong turning and, to my surprise, I passed the leaning tower. It was a bit surreal in the dark with just a few people wandering around. Then off into the countryside to my airbnb which was in what looked like a converted castle.
I left very early in the morning and detoured to the tower to see it before sunrise. I was on my own there.
My journey to Turin involved a transfer in Genoa with an eighty minute wait. But I didn’t realise that there are three stations in Genoa and I arrived at one and had to get to another for the train to Turin. Surely eighty minutes would be enough? Getting through Genoa centre was a nightmare; google maps sent me on impassable routes and locals couldn’t give me proper directions. In the end, I followed my nose and found the station. After hauling my bike up and down stairs I got to the platform two minutes late. Lukily, the train was two minutes late and I got on by the skin of my teeth. Very stressful. This was the only time out of the over twenty trains I’ve caught that one has been just a little bit late.
I had plenty of time in Turin before checking in to my airbnb with host Gianfranco. Basically I’m lodging there with my own room and bathroom, sharing the rest of the flat with him and his rediculously fat cat. He’s an advertising photographer and extremely helpful, so I’ll have a good time here.
Europe #18: Napoli!
March 25 – To Napoli
Easy ferry crossing took 7 hours to Brindisi. There I had a nice airbnb and in the morning four trains to Napoli (to make bike carrying easier than on the high-speed trains). I didn’t have accommodation booked, so I went to tourist information at the station and they found me a hotel nearby that they said was cheap and decent. 500 euros for 6 nights – yikes. Apparently it was the last room they had, and I wasn’t surprised. The furniture was broken or damaged, curtains falling off, not good. The manager was not around, so I went back to the information place and told them. They obviously called the hotel becuase in the morning, they moved me to a nicer room.
In the morning I went to the local church, which didn’t seem too impressive until I went inside. Photos should speak for themselves!
March 27 – Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Naples is ‘busy’, some say chaotic, but people know what they’re doing – they just do it faster and closer together. I’ll post some videos later to show what I mean. In the meantime, I went to the main cathedral, the Duoma, officially known as the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the seat of the Archbishop of Turin. Spectacular. The Turin Shroud is somewhere in there, but I didn’t see it. Like in many of the lesser churches, there are confessional booths which are often occupied. From what I’m learning about the local mafia, I’m not surprised.
March 28 – the narrow streets
Naples is famed for its narrow busy streets. Cars, scooters and bikes race up and down. There are usually no pavements, so it’s a bit of a free-for-all. Of course, there are main streets which look just like any other major city, but they are not as interesting.
In the part near where I stayed, with its narrow streets, and in the Spanish Quarter, the local mafia (Camorra) are more or less in charge. They are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, illegal gambling, and arms trafficking. It is said that around 20% of the local economy is controlled by them.
Napoli are close to clinching the Italian football championship, and the town, especially the old town with its narrow streets and chaos, is celebrating. There are shrines to Maradona, who played for Napoli for a while and helped them to their last championship. He died three years ago, but there are almost as many images of him on the streets as of the Virgin Mary.
March 30 – Naples National Archaeological Museum
There is not much in the way of museums or art galleries in Naples and I wasn’t expecting too much from visiting the Archaeological Museum. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. I’m not particularly interested in Archchaeology, but I could have spent a couple of days there.
There were hundreds of statues and other sculptures, fascinating information about the development of the Byzantine empire, fantastic mosaics and a really impressive section on Pompei. Rather incongruently, there was also a spectactular section comemorating the musician Lucio Dalla who had a very close connection with the city.
Brilliantly curated, annotated and organised. Worth dropping into Naples just to see it.
Europe #17: Leaving Saranda
March 24 – Leaving Saranda
The plan – cycle 65km to Greece and catch ferry to Italy. No steep hills this time! Had to cross a river on a wooden cable ferry, which was fun. On the other side I met a group of bikers from the Czech republic (I think) and we had a good chat about our respective plans and misadventures. Then I got attacked by a dog. There are loads of abandoned, basically wild, dogs in this part of the world and this raced across the road and hit the rear of the bike knocking one of my rear panniers off (they are well secured). It was an incredible impact. A local guy helped me while the dog disappeared. It may have been badly hurt, or worse. There’s a row of teeth marks in my paniers - an inch away from my leg. At the border with Greece I was warned about dogs.
I found my room in the town of Igoumenitsa and got ready for a couple of teaching sessions. Afterwords, I was told that there would be music and a parade. Apparently this was an annual celebration. At around 9pm there was a marching band made up of locals including young children.
Tomorrow – Italy!
Europe #16: Saranda
March 5 – Water and Electricity supplies
What are the electricity and water supplies like here? Well, power cuts are not uncommon – we had two in Durres and a two hour one here in Saranda last week, which is really long.
As for water, the water meters and the equivalent of our stop-cocks are located in the street, open for anyone to tamper with them – see this photo of the meters in our block of flats. Yesterday there was no water, nor this morning. I contacted the airbnb host and she said that kids sometimes fiddle with the taps – it seems like a common occurance that people just put up with. If there’s no water, you go out and turn it on again. So I did and it’s now fine. Just one of those Albanian things!
March 7 – a walk along the seafront.
Saranda has a long seafront, around half of it accessible to the public, so I had a wander. Here are a few snaps. All very typical of Albanian resorts.
March 11 – Museum of Tradition
Saranda has no theatre or cinema. You really have to go to the capital, Tirana, for that. There is one museum and art gallery squeezed into a tiny building on the Saranda seafront. The museum is devoted to Albanian history and tradition and the art is by local artists. It would be really interesting, but there are no descriptions or captions in English. Here are some photos that might give you a flavour.
March 13 – A view from Lëkursi Castle
Climbed up to Lëkursi Castle this morning – Saranda to the North, Mountains to the east and the Greek islands to the south and west. Intense blue sky, no wind.
The castle was built in 1537 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. It’s now a ruin containing a restaurant that gets very busy with people coming to see the sunsets. I would like to come back in the evening, but it’s so steep, and I’ve had enough of steep hills for the time being.
Europe #15: Aftermath
February 28 – aftermath
My journey from Vlore to Saranda was a bit of a challenge. Physically, I seem to have come out of it remarkably well, which is encouraging. But it left me wondering if I ever wanted to do another long bike journey. I’ve always identified myself as being a bike person, and I was thinking whether that would end. Now I’m clearer about my physical and mental limits and will make better decisions about what I take on. I may, or may not, go to the alps. I may decide to do something quite different, like visit the major art and photo galleries around Europe instead. I have three weeks here in Saranda to let those thoughts gel. Saranda seems to be a bit boring – I may even leave early. I do miss museums, art galleries and other cultural stuff – there’s almost nothing here. So, I’ll enjoy the good weather and cheap rent for a while before moving on. No photos this time – I’ll do a bit of exploring over the next few days.
Europe #14: Vlore to Saranda
February 24 – Vlore to Saranda – part 1
It was a lovely sunny day as I headed off from my luxury appartment in Vlore. Google showed three routes to Saranda and I chose the coastal route (see map in photos). The plan was to get to a little place called Dhermi where I would stay the night somewhere, then complete the journey the next day. 60 km a day didn’t seem unreasonable.
The first 20 km were nice and flat; then the road turned inland and started to rise continuously. I passed by a small park with youngsters dancing in a circle to music. Dancing in a circle seems like a common thing to do in Albania. Up ahead was a snow-capped mountain and the gradient got steeper and steeper. The road got more and more twisty and I finally had to admit defeat and get off and push. Pushing a heavy bike up very steep hills is quite painful. And this hill did not stop. It was getting late and I knew that I wouldn’t reach my goal for the day. After a few km of this I found an isolated place that offered food and I had some soup. They recommended a place to stay just up the road, so I booked in and sorted myself out. Apparently, I still had a way to go until the top of the ‘hill’. It looked like it would take me three days to get to Saranda.
February 25 – Vlore to Saranda part 2
I hoped that my legs were still working as I woke up, and to my surprise they were in reasonable shape. I had a really good omelet for breakfast (no charge) and set off. Immediately the gradients were too severe to cycle, so I was pushing again, and this went on for a few kilometres until finally I reached the top. Over the next few minutes I descended down the side of the mountain with snow-capped peaks one way and the sea view the other. It was by far the most extreme decent I’ve ever done and rivalled anything I know about in the Alps. You can pick out the zigzags in the distance on one of the photographs below. One problem for me was that being on the brakes all the time was quite painful. Of course, I was assuming that the brakes would keep functioning; its quite amazing that they coped in the circumstances. It was exhilarating and scary in equal measure. At the bottom, I called into a cafe that was shut, but they offered me soup. It was horrible. It was a sea of olive oil and I couldn’t see beneath it. I fished around and found beans in some tasteless liquid. Bland beans in olive oil.
Then it was back to the old routine of pushing up steep, seemingly endless hills, then diving down to a small village and then repeat, stopping off now and then for a coffee or a can of Coke. I passed through Dhermi, where I had originally planned to stay overnight and continued on to Himare, right down by the sea. I decided to find a place to stay there and, after eating some rather delicious meatballs, I started wandering around. The seafront was deserted. I could have found a regular half-star hotel, but for some reason I noticed a couple of women having a chat and asked them. One of them said that the other (not a word of English) had a room. She asked how much I would pay, and I gave the going rate (generous as I’d find out…). They walked me down to a ramshackle building, up some crumbling stairs and there was the room. It looked OK. They tested the toilet, which you had to flush by pulling a string in the cistern. I slept OK, not realising the challenges ahead.
February 26 – Vlore to Saranda part 3
I woke at 6am intending to give myself as much time as possible, in the light of past experience. Went to the loo, but the flush didn’t work – no water in the cistern. Taps didn’t work – no water anywhere. Switched on the light – no electricity. No worries, so I set off in similar vein to yesterday. But then it got worse. As I climbed, the wind got up and in a matter of minutes it was gale force, coming straignt at me from the south. I’ll swear that the gusts were around 60mph – I’ve never experienced wind like it. Of course, it was picking up grit from the road and sand blasting my face. This is why there are few photos from today, I didn’t want to damage the lense. There were times where I had to make an effort to cycle down hill. I was blown off the bike three times. Sometimes I had to stop pushing and just brace myself and the bike. I could see gusts approaching by their effect on trees ahead. Then I could brace. This went on for around 6 hours.
I stopped at a small restaurant, which was closed, but they did me an omelet. I asked about the buses that ran between Vlore and Saranda. Some take bikes. The next one was in 10 minutes. We flagged it down. No luck, they wouldn’t take me. Then it got worse. It started to rain. I looked at the weather forecast for Saranda – it was rain. So I dragged out all my water-proofs and put them on over everything else, said goodbye and thanks for the omelet, and rode off. The next couple of hours were not good, as you can imagine, but gradually the gradients got a little less severe and I was able to get on the saddle more. There were a couple more horrendous climbs and descents before the route took me inland a little and the weather improved. Saranda was now just around 15 km away and I arrived just before dark, had a nice chicken and chips (sorry, fries) before meeting up with Kiel and his mum who showed me to the flat. Keil (the English speaker) is a first year student in the capital Tirana, studying software engineering. Great to have someone to talk to. I’ll describe the flat and my thoughts about the journey there later.
Europe #13: Relocating to Saranda
February 19 – Lushnjë
The first of three stops on my way to Saranda. Cycling out of Durres was not good – basically along a motorway for ages. Stopping for a snack a couple of times I arrived in Lushnje in good time to find a cheap hotel and a quick look around the town centre. As usual, it was a mixture of old and new with the centre being mainly westernised. There was a large group of middle-aged men playing dominoes in the park, as there was in Durres.
February 21 – Vlore
After staying in Fier the previous night, I arrive in Vlore – a coastal port and beach destination, and the third largest city in Albania. The airbnb is on the 9th floor and is quite luxurious – packed with mod-cons. A balcony overlooks the sea, so I’ve done some washing and the clothes are hanging outside in the sun. Quite hot in the sun, but cool in the shade.
Europe #12: Durres street art and cigarettes
February 11
I was beckoned over by a chap drinking coffee while I walked down the street. We, with his friend, had a good chat. They offered me a cigarette. I declined. I asked them what they did for a living, and got the impression that they really didn’t want to tell me.
February 12 – Street Art.
One thing I’ve noticed for its absence is street art. Nothing at all – until I chanced upon a side street next to the amphitheatre. I was told that the main artist had some backing from the council, otherwise it wouldn’t have been done. There are plenty of old buildings that could do with some colour – maybe it needs an Albanian Banksy?
Europe #11: More on Durres
January 31
Seaside! Durres is the main port for Albania, so you’d expect lots happening on the seafront. But it’s not the most popular beach destination – there are better ones further south towards Greece. I’ve only been to the local beach area where there is no sand. I may get down to the sandy beach further along the coast sometime. For now, these photos show what’s on offer.
February 7
Not a lot to report – we’re having a cold snap at the moment – down to zero at night and up to 6 daytime. So I still haven’t touched my bike. It’ll be a bit warmer by next week and I must get more exercise as I’m putting on weight.
There are lots of stray dogs. It seems that people just chuck unwanted puppies out onto the streets, where they learn to fend for themselves. They are normally quite docile, but can get a bit rowdy at times. They don’t seem to care about the temperatures at night – sitting on cold stone slabs. So here are some photos of local dogs.
Durres has an ancient amphitheater that they are quite proud of, so I went to have a look. I must say that it wasn’t that impressive, but this is not Rome. There was a group of people making a Youtube video, so I had a good chat with them. They came from all over – London, USA, Malaysia. As you can tell, it was cold.
February 10 – Byzantine market square
The market square was the traditional centre of ancient Durres (then Dyrrah). It was a contemporary public building to emperor Justinian and Anastasios in the early 6th century A.D. There’s a well in the middle, but I don’t know if it still works. This site is about 100 yards from where I’m living now.
Europe #10: Durres impressions
Thursday January 26th.
I’ve been here over a week now, so I’ve had a chance to look around and take some more snaps.
Albania used to be communist, a sort of satellite soviet state, until the fall of the Soviet Union. It was very underdeveloped at the time but is now undergoing westernisation. This is clear when looking around the backstreets, which are full of old decaying buildings mixed with brand new developments. So it’s a mixture of very old and very new, as you can see from the photos. The main streets are full of modern shops and restaurants and are connected by old alleyways that show the old stuff. The front and back of main street buildings are quite different.
Internet connection is important for my tuition work, which has been going well up to now. The WiFi in the flat is very good, but there has been one problem which was solved fairly quickly. But there’s free WiFi everywhere. My favourite place is a coffee shop called Mon Cheri where you can get cheap coffee and use their hot desk. I know I can go there to work if necessary – it’s usually quiet in the early evening.
About food. No problem buying food, just getting used to Euros and Albanian Lek; both are accepted. Credit cards are generally not accepted except in the largest stores and the poshest restaurants.
I’ve eaten out a number of times – pizza, sea-food salad, burgers, kebabs, meat balls. Always good quality and large amounts – no nouvelle cuisine.
Europe #9: Albania!
January 19 – Arriving in Albania
No problems getting to the airbnb. In fact, the hosts were there cleaning up, so I was able to have a quick chat. Young couple, very nice. They make a thing about being into retro, and it showed in the flat, as you can see below.
Bought a few things from the mini-market next door and spent the rest of the day getting the internet working and finding my way around.
Photos show my front door, which leads to steps up to my flat on the second floor. Next door is a coffee shop and a mini-market which is very handy. Just up the road is a fruit and veg shop.
Europe #8: to Albania
January 15-18
Off on the trains again. So the plan was to get to Albania and catch the next ferry (they go every week) so I didn’t have time to spend anywhere on the way – maybe on the way back…
To Pisa, via Genoa and La Spezia. Stayed at a cheap hotel and off early to catch the train to Ancona via Florence and Faeza. Booked into another cheap hotel. All going according to plan. But not for long. Here is a timeline of the events as theu unfolded over the next few days.
Sunday 15 – booked in for two nights at cheap hotel ready for Ferry on Tuesday evening. 110 Euros.
Monday 16 – wandered around waiting for tomorrow.
Tuesday 17 – Got to the check-in early to be told that the ferry had been cancelled due to bad weather. The photo below shows the bad weather and I think the captain might have been right! I was asked it I’d like to go on the rearranged ship on Thursday, so I said yes. Where should I stay for the extra two nights? I made the really bad decision to try an airbnb on a yacht nearby. I paid cash – 80 Euros for the two nights. Getting on board coincided with the most extreme hailstone squall that I’ve ever encountered. I nearly lost the bike in the sea trying to get it on board using the rickety gangway. Totally soaked and very cold. In fact, on board, the only dry place was the ‘bedroom’. After about half an hour, I realised just how impossible it was going to be to stay there for two nights and days so, giving up the eighty quid, I packed up and, with difficulty, headed back to the old cheap hotel where I booked in for the next two nights.
Wednesday 18: with no need to get up early, I didn’t. Had a wander around until mid afternoon when I got a phone call from the Ferry company saying that the ferry was leaving today. I asked when? They said, NOW. I will not describe the difficulty I had getting to the ship via check-in and passport control, it would take too long, but I got there and tied the bike up along with what seemed like hundreds of huge trucks. In the space of three days I missed three lots of paid-for accommodation.
Of course, the ferry was late to leave and, due to bad weather, took longer to get across – eighteen hours in fact. Overnight. Coke Cola and mars bars for sustenance, along with a large piece of cheese I found in my rucksack, for which I was grateful.
