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The Adventures of RoadKapje in Albania:

July 2019 - We are now driving in Italy and we are making plans how and what we will do when we are back in Wijk bij Duurstede, in the Netherlands! Little by little we get closer and it feels double; On the one hand, traveling gives so much sense of freedom and tranquility. Being together all day and night and experiencing and seeing things. The nice encounters, the beautiful nature and cultures. It is a shame that we will no longer experience this in this way.



On the other hand, coming back gives each of us peace and freedom from each other and we can experience things ourselves. 24/7 together is sometimes quite tough. We will have to monitor the peace in the Netherlands and we will share the adventures we experience separately from each other at other times. The adventures we have experienced together, we will make time to process them and share more with our dear family and friends.



We are therefore looking for new living space where we can receive friends, family and travelers. Work also of course and that will be a whole new adventure in itself. We are open to suggestions. Thanks in advance! As we have said, we are in Italy and have experienced a lot in Greece and Albania and we would like to share that with you ...



In the middle and high of the mountains we pass the border between Bulgaria and Greece via a small customs post near Zlatograd. We practice the unknown Greek alphabet. The border crossing is a beautiful, very narrow, steep road in the mountains.



After Roadkapje in Bulgaria has experienced that it functions better with fresh brake fluid, it is also ready for fresh motor oil. At the top of the mountains, with a beautiful view over the green mountains with here and there a village with a white minaret, the occasional cow shuffling past and lots of diverse birdsong, we renew the oil. We also top up the coolant. After some quiet days in this beautiful green area, we drive through the mountains to the coast. Fortunately, but also a little unfortunately, we see no bears on the road! From the height we have a nice view of the plain at Xanthi. On this side the mountains are overgrown with olive trees, welcome to Greece. On the beach on the Thracian Sea, we prepare our food on a fire and enjoy the beautiful sunset, overlooking the green island of Thassos. The beach contains, in zones, a diversity of size in grains of sand: from large rocks, to boulders to very fine grains of sand.



At a beautiful sunrise we also have breakfast on the beach and of course we take a refreshing dip. The line of seas in which we have been swimming is getting longer and longer. We also see dolphins in this sea!



Nearby are the natural thermal baths of Eleftheron. It was a state-run spa resort that has now expired. It's crazy to walk around in this place. The dilapidated large buildings of hotels have new residents. Squatters use a few hotels as shelter and furthermore the swallows fly back and forth to feed their offspring, in the nests hanging from the ceiling. Street dogs are walking on the street. Then suddenly a stray bath guest walks around, taking a bath in the warm water baths that are nicely colored by various minerals and smell like rotten eggs (sulfur). The water is around 36 degrees.



In the forest next to it we see, while walking, a snake and an owl in the tree and various land turtles swim in the thermal springs. At Thessaloniki, in the Greek province of Macedonia, on the bay, we enjoy the landing and take-off of the planes, waders, shelducks, terns and plovers. Among the many green seaweed, we find a 40 cm large mussel shell. In the morning we wake up quietly with the roller shutter open, giving us a beautiful view of the water and, in the distance, the snowy peaks of the Olympus and Ossa.





For us, this is the southernmost point in Greece for the time being, which we drive with Roadkapje. We have made an appointment in southern Italy and therefore drive back to the north-east of Greece to the mountains. In the mountains we also see some peaks with snow and a ski area. At the village of Limnochori, with a non-stop frog, karrakite and reed singer orchestra in the background, we enjoy a beautiful sunset on Lake Zazari. We also hear church bells, magpies and cuckoo cakes. In the night the owls and crickets do not stop making noise .... delicious.



The sunrise in the calm still shows us a super view, with clear reflections in the water. Especially when pelicans, small cormorants and grebes land on the lake. We adhere strictly to the paths, because the black snakes with diamond shapes on their back also enjoy the warm sun. These species of snakes are poisonous !!!! The warning signs for bears are also located in this area. The local population confirms the presence of these animals. They inform us of the Dutch win at the Eurovision Song Contest and invite us, after a chat, to their village. Unfortunately, we think we should refuse this offer because the time is running out to get to the ferry in Albania on time. This means that we have mainly been able to enjoy the beautiful nature and some culinary delights of Greece and unfortunately have not been able to meet the locals. This feels very strange and a disappointment, as we have experienced local encounters in this journey and therefore have a look into the local culture. We move even more into the mountains towards Albania.



We also wish the people, animals and nature of Greece a sustainable future!










 

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