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Epic Mediterranean Odyssey
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Epic Mediterranean Odyssey

Chasing the dream waters of the Med and beyond. En savoir plus
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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 35 - Two Flights after a rough night

    20 septembre, Italie

    Had another sleepless night. It’s 5:45am and I’m at Alghero airport after catching a bus from the old town in Alghero. I’ve spent the last 12 hours wondering and taking in the sights.
    Today I say goodbye to the sea and the Mediterranean. I’m headed west and south to another continent. Yes I’m bound for Fez in Morocco. The desert beckons me where I will be doing some travels by another form of ship - that is by camel - the ship of the desert. I’ve got the next 10 days travelling around Morocco and doing some fun things along the way. Also really excited about the change in scenery - blue to yellow - wet to dry.
    So my last day in Sardinia started really well with a beaut included breakfast at my digs in Castelsardo. It’s a very pretty place and the harbour town had a great vibe. I found the nearest car wash and spoiled Octavia with lots of detailing. She was ready for return in a much better state than when we met. The drive to Alghero airport was a very pleasant 70km trip. Said my last farewell to Octavia (I’m certain she flashed an indicator to me before I handed her back). All great with condition report so will receive a full bond refund. All up we travelled just over 1100km.
    Next I got my head around the bus service between the airport and Alghero. Purchased a return ticket and I was off to the old town centre of Alghero to kill 12 hours. So I just wondered and wondered around - had a meal and wondered some more. The festival of the Giants was quant and a bit of interest for everyone.
    Later on around 11ish I went into a quiet little bar to charge my phone and ended up staying there till 2:30am when it closed. Met an Irish couple and chatted to them while drinking Ginger Beer.
    My bus to the airport didn’t leave Alghero till 5am so had another few hours wondering and keeping awake.
    It was a long night - but it’s over and I’m now on my first flight about to land in Milan. Had a little sleep - but feeling ok.
    I’ve got a short stopover in Milan then fly directly to Fez. Not sure how long the flight is - hopefully I’ll get some more sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 34 - Sight Seeing & Driving West

    18 septembre, Italie

    So today is an easy day - taking my time and sightseeing my way west towards Alghero. I wanted to stop off at some quiet beaches along the way. There’s so many little beaches “spiaggia” as the road hugs the northern coastline of Sardinia. I’ve booked tonight at a beach town called Castelsardo - about 70km away from Alghero.
    Firstly though I wanted to explore the rocky headland at Santa Teresa called Capo Testa. It has absolutely amazing rock formations. I walked into the Valle Della Luna - man it was really incredible. I just love big rock formations - this place was like being on another planet ( well moon). Massive granite formations and incredibly weathered. It’s a very special place.
    Octavia and I had some serious conversations about our relationship coming to an end - so I had to treat her kindly with respect and appreciation. She got it - so we’re both OK. Our last drive along the coast was wonderful for us both. The sun was high in a blue sky and the beach stops weren’t far away.
    I swam at two beaches. Had some drama on the first - it’s a quiet beach - bit of a walk in - I’ve had my swim - drying myself off and notice smoke coming from an area just behind a couple who were sunbathing adjacent the beach and the grassy dunes. I walk over and indicate the smoke - they jump up and next thing we’re all in there trying to put out a grass fire that they had started by throwing a cigarette butt away. It was windy and the vegetation very dry. It took us quite a while with others assisting - but kept it from breaking away.
    I had two more stops - didn’t swim the last - but went for a nice beach walk to a small castle. Had a great view from the top.
    Then we drove on to Castelsardo for our final sleep over. Tomorrow we say goodbye at Alghero airport.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 33 - La Maddalena Archipelago Boat Cruise

    17 septembre, Italie

    Another cruise island hopping the archipelago waters between the north east of Sardinia and Corsica to the north.
    It’s 7am and I’m about to have my accommodation included breakfast. The weather is unfortunately looking a bit off - quite a breeze already and forecast to strengthen. No rain and still quite warm. Hopefully we’ll be able to find some wind protected beaches.

    So I’m now back from the cruise. It was not quite up to my expectations unfortunately. The wind was quite strong - and the beaches were just way too busy. I’d hate to see it in peak season.

    The big thing for me today is that I’m now half way through my odyssey. Time is flying by and I have so many happy experiences of the Mediterranean area. I’m not sure I’ve had that one absolute magic location that I still pine for - but I’ve certainly had so many wonderful memories. I’m reminiscing a bit about the Mediterranean as in a couple of days I leave the sea behind for a while.

    But I’ve still got two days left in Sardinia. Tomorrow is local sightseeing and beaches and a couple of hours with Octavia. We’re heading west again in the direction of Alghero where I fly out from early Sunday morning.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 32 - Flussio to Santa Teresa Gallura

    16 septembre, Italie

    Drive baby drive. Today Octavia and I really bonded. When I first picked her up I thought Octavia - that’s got to mean 8 pistons (V8 perhaps?). Haha. Then I thought perhaps drive her at 8000 RPM (she yelled and screamed many octaves above a soprano) so had to back off -haha.
    All sillyness aside - Octavia has been fun to drive. We cruised today listening to our latest song list from WRC. It was fun. I’m still figuring out which song belongs to who.
    I’ve arrived in Santa Teresa - man what a gorgeous place. It’s busy though - so with Octavia - finding a park was impossible. I’ve got parking at my digs - but can’t check in until 5pm. So I’ve found a nice quiet beach and had a quick swim.
    Tomorrow I’m off on another all day island hopping cruise. Should be awesome. There’s some incredible islands in this archipelago region (north east corner of Sardinia).
    I’ve included on this page some images from Flussio mostly taken this morning before our road trip.

    PS. I recon I figured out whose song was who’s!!    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 31 - Mari Ermi Beach - West Coast Sardinia

    15 septembre, Italie

    After my eventful night sleeping in the car - I’ve found and booked a delightful little villa in Flussio - it’s a little bit inland again - but looks great and the price is right. I’ve spent the last two hours this morning on a beautiful beach at Mari Ermi. It’s really lovely. Massively long and low key set up. It’s very quiet and family friendly.
    Had my best swim. Just swam parallel to the beach and cruised past all the sun lovers scattered along the length of the beach. The water is incredibly clear and I recon a little cooler compared to yesterday. But the beach is amazing - fine grained quartz - white and pinkish. It feels amazing to walk in - like having a foot massage.
    I’ve not yet had a chance to check whether any of my IPhoneX videos turned out from yesterday. Had all sorts of problems. It would have been great to get footage of today’s swimming as the water is so clear and there’s some smallish fish about. When you stop swimming they come and nibble you - it’s a bit weird at first and not very comfortable - but I did try to relax as I was informed- they are completely harmless.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 30 - Arbatax Boat Cruise

    15 septembre, Italie

    Today is all about the sea. It’s actually the Tyrrhenian Sea on the east coast of Sardinia. 9 hours out on a boat heading north from Arbatax Harbour to a number of swim and beach stops that are only accessible by boat. It’s a rugged coastline featuring massive limestone cliff faces. Along the way there are absolutely stunning natural beaches. We also did a limestone grotto tour. Massive open cavities set in the mountains - stalactites and stalagmites and all sorts of incredible lime formations. The grottoes were huge inside.
    On my return from the cruise I had decided it was time to head west across to the other side of Sardinia. Unfortunately the Octavia decided to protest and started indicating a fault with the oil. Being highly skilled in these matters I immediately stopped and checked the oil. All good. Water - all good. But still an alert icon indicating on the dashboard. So my next responsible response was to check the manual. Off course it’s in Italian. So next I chased down a garage - got the attendant to take a look - he came to the conclusion - the indicator could mean low oil pressure. This is highly unlikely on a car that had only travelled 112000km. The engine was running fine, no noises, vibrations - all normal. By this time it’s after 7. I’m so hangry I could eat horse - in the end after trying to get a mechanic out - I was able to finally speak to someone who could speak English from the rental company. We talked through the issue and I convinced him it was more likely an indicator or sensor problem - not a mechanical issue. I took photos of everything and sent them to him. In the end after him trying to get me to drive the car to their nearest office to have it replaced. We agreed I could keep driving. Thank ..ck!
    And drive I did - heading for Oristante. And do know - the warning light went off!! Bloody hell - two hours lost.
    So now I’m back on track. Spent my first night in the car - I was pretty tired - so got a good few hours sleep.
    Another eventful day on my Odyssey!!    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 29 Villaputzu to wherever I fancy

    13 septembre, Italie

    I’ve ended up in a mountain village called Osini.
    Well what a day getting to Osini! It’s been such a day, filled with many beautiful events / experiences that have popped out of nowhere - but for the decisions I’ve made just to go with the flow and let happenstance thrive. Too many things to talk about. All I can say is that some one out there is looking after me. I’ve been thinking that my time in Sardinia will be - as in the book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance “ it’s all about the journey - not the destination! That’s how this trip is for me. It’s about the things that happen along the way. It’s my motorcycle road trip - but not on my Ducati 750 Sport - but in a Skoda Octavia. Driving around this part of Sardinia has been incredibly beautiful - the scenery of rugged mountains, lush green, the Mediterranean never far away.
    I’ve also had my most difficult driving conditions - almost getting the Octavia jammed between buildings in laneways that I should not have been on - but once you start - you can’t go back. Lost in Osini village was very challenging - but I kept my cool and let the car do its thing with the collision control systems.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 28 - Cagliari Sardinia

    12 septembre, Italie

    Had the best overnight crossing. This ship has everything. Lots of different areas for hanging out and finding privacy. Again I paid for an aircraft style seat - but because there’s so few passengers - there’s heaps of spare place to make a temporary bed. I found a very comfortable lounge style seat that I could fully lay down on- so I had a great sleep. Just love the slight movement and vibrations - that sense of drifting…..
    My big challenge today is to get myself from the port to the airport to pick up the car. That’s the easy bit. Driving out from the airport and getting out of the traffic will test my driving skills - I’m so thankful I got a good sleep. Need to be focused and sharp. Left hand driving is something I’ve not had much experience.
    Picking up car proved a little stressful - seems the insurance I paid to the booking company was not forwarded onto the rental company. They wanted me to pay again - I told them to stick it. I’ve got proof of insurance payment - so left without technically insured by the car rental company. I’ve contacted the booking company - so hopefully it can be sorted.
    The driving has gone pretty well. I just headed straight out of the airport to my first stop. It’s a place on the southern east coast called Costa Rei. Very pretty- the wind was quite strong on shore so not very encouraging for a swim. Beautiful mountainous backdrop to the very small town. I decided to find a place to stay after almost getting a parking fine. Ended up being told by a very friendly hotel manager that this town is expensive - he recommended a nearby place for half the price - so I’ve now got lovely digs in a place called Villaputzu. Turns out they’re having a wine & food & music festival in the town centre. It’s very cute. It’s only just kicking off. 20€ for 3 wines, local foods (they look fantastic) and a live band + who knows what?? I think it will be fun. I’m starving hangry - so ready to eat. It’s a beautiful evening - not too hot or humid.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 27 - Naples hop on - hop off

    11 septembre, Italie

    Last day in Naples. Booked a day tour hop on hop off open top bus loops around the old town (that’s where I stayed) and the outer parts of the city.
    It’s my first of this type of touristy things to do - so another milestone activity.
    Tonight I’m setting off for Sardinia!
    How cool. It’s another overnight ferry (just love em!). Arrive in Cagliari early tomorrow morning. And guess what - I’m hiring a car for the entire time on the island. Pickup in Cagliari- drop off at Alghero. This part of my odyssey is very central to my Mediterranean inspired adventure. I intend to swim both sides of the island and compare or contrast their differences or similarities. Who knows - but with the car I can go wherever I choose. How good is that!!
    I’ll add to this tonight.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 26 - Naples

    10 septembre, Italie

    Arrived at my digs around 10pm. Feeling very relieved about navigating my way using the rail network. It wasn’t easy and so many things could have gone wrong but thankfully didn’t. Needed help - but worked out fine and didn’t miss my trains.
    What I did do unfortunately is leave my Wise credit card in the drinks vending machine on the train. Dada oh ..ck!! It was the first time for me using such a machine and in the excitement of getting my drink from the dispenser - I must have just left my card in it. Wise is good for easily freezing or canceling cards - so no money lost. I’ve an electronic Wise card and two more Commonwealth Bank cards - so ok - but maybe tricky or more expensive to get cash. I will take some time out today to sort options.
    Today I’ll spend chasing art (and banking). Nothing yet planned - but will hopefully find my way to a gallery or museum or two.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 25 - Bari to Naples

    9 septembre, Italie

    Woke this morning to another cracking day. Had a great catch up sleep - so feeling like myself again - any better and I’d be dangerous! I’m now taking in the sites of Bari CBD. It’s a lively place - has narrow streets etc similar - but not the same as the old town. Visited the best camera shop to see if they could look at the GoPro - but it was beyond their capabilities. Damn!
    Went to the local BAART Gallery - it was more of a small retail shop than a gallery - nothing much that got me excited.
    Having a coffee break - cafes are great - so many sweet treats and pastries - yum. And quite reasonably priced.
    I’m now on my first train trip (inter city) of my Odyssey - so ticking off another milestone. It’s really comfy and quite fast - peaks out at 159kph - so not bad.
    So far the countryside is quite flat - lots of fruit and vegetables and grapes and wind turbines everywhere.
    There’s actually a few clouds about - so perhaps a change in weather for me???
    Update on train trip. The country side is now more rolling hills a few tunnels. What is great to see is all the major infrastructure projects being undertaken. Road tunnels, water reticulation pipelines, new rail tracks. Heaps being done - that I can see adjacent the train line. It looks very prosperous and modern infrastructure. But I am in Italy after all. Home of the best motorcycle and sports cars manufacturers in the world.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 24 - Old Town Bari

    8 septembre, Italie

    Arrived in the port about 8:30am. The Rigel VII was big and fast. Not many on board- so pretty quiet. I booked a seat a bit like you get in an airplane. Wasn’t very comfortable and the A/C was cold. Tried a few options to get comfortable and actually sleep. Not that successful. But that’s OK I kept myself busy.
    I met a young guy and had a good conversation with him - turns out he’s an engineer working for the company that owns Bolle - product launch manager for smart glasses - rather controversial at the moment in Australia. Omar was originally from Morocco but now lives in Paris. Speaks 4 languages - his English was excellent. He gave me a few tips about Morocco and Paris. We chatted for a couple of hours - so that was great. Even exchanged numbers.
    My digs in Bari are fabulous - in terms of location (right in the heart of old town) and comfort and cleanliness.
    Had an easy day trying to catch up on sleep (not very successfully) and just doing my usual getting lost then navigating back to base. Works a treat I reckon. You just don’t know what’s round that next corner.
    Tomorrow’s another long day with trains to Naples late afternoon. Looking forward to seeing some of the Puglia region.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 23 - Sarande-Corfu-Bari

    7 septembre, Grèce

    Another transit day. But first, guess what? Day 23 makes for a milestone day. I’m now one third through my 69 day odyssey. And what a day I’ve had so far. Beautiful crossing on the ferry between Sarande and Corfu. Every day so far has been full sun, hot and generally quite humid. Incredible run of weather. Wonder when that will change??
    Corfu old town is very beautiful. Has this lovely warm vibe to it. A bit like Dubrovnik. So I had a wonder about just letting the laneways lead me on. I only had about 5 hours to sightsee - so I didn’t really stop anywhere - the one place I wanted to visit was a gallery - but it closed at 3pm so bad luck Nicko.
    Not to be perturbed - I just pressed on and visited the old fortress which is a major landmark immediately adjacent the old town.
    Next destination was a restaurant for food and water and beer. All thoroughly enjoyed and consumed with an appreciative appetite. Then it was time to put my walking shoes back on and wonder back down to the international departure terminal at the port. Interesting observation was how massive the port infrastructure was. Seemed like a big port for a relatively small island. But again, there’s a lot of naval history related to Corfu.
    I’m now onboard the Regis VII bound for Bari on the east coast of Italy. We arrive approximately 9am tomorrow. Another exciting destination.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
    1Foam Moves

    Day 22 - Sarande - Vikingen Cruise

    6 septembre, Albanie

    So it’s my last full day here in Sarande - chose to do another beach / bay cruise at a slower pace. The Vikingen was huge compared to ten in a speedboat. However due the season slowing down the boat was quite empty.
    Again the weather was absolutely stunning hot. The water was almost glassy calm - but a slight swell. Main stop was at the same beach as Friday’s - but at the other end.
    Had lots of swimming time which I took advantage of and finally did some decent swimming. Played more with my IPhoneX - finally got some recognisable images. Took a few beach photos and it was time to board for return to port.
    On the way home there was some crazy foam and load music action on the deck. I wasn’t too sure where it was all heading - but certainly got the crowd going. All up a great day out on the water swimming in the south Ionion Sea. And another body of water ticked off my Mediterranean Odyssey list.
    Tomorrow morning I’m catching a ferry to Corfu then later another ferry overnight to Bari in Italy. My Odyssey is slowly but steadfastly moving west to new waters. How lucky am I??!!!    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 21 - Sarande - Lost then Lookout

    5 septembre, Albanie

    Had till 3pm free time to get lost (not really - it’s actually pretty easy navigating around Sarande). Visited 2 local museums - unfortunately not much chop. Then walked up the backstreets and older districts. The place is pretty run down and neglected. I’ve no roaming data here on my Holafly eSIM. I can understand now why that is so. Take a look at the local street power and communication cabling works - seems as though you just run your own cables. A real buggers muddle.
    This afternoon I went on a bus tour about 20 kms inland to a place known as The Blue Eye. Its attraction is the crystal clear water that surfaces from a connected natural aquifer 100kms away.
    Amazingly clear and supposedly 10C. Lots went in including me. It was bloody cold - but a pleasant retreat from the heat. Afterwards we went to a great lookout overlooking Sarande and Corfu. There’s remains of a 15th century castle built by the famous Sultan Sulieman of the Ottoman Empire. The place was crazy jammed packed with people waiting for the sun to set into Ionian Sea.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
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    Day 20 - Sarande Speedboat Spectacular

    4 septembre, Albanie

    Had an awesome day on the water and beach / bay hopping for swims. Turquoise waters in some beaches. The water is really warm (warmest so far I reckon). Not as clear as other beaches - but beautiful to swim in. NoPro videos unfortunately. I did try my second phone as a camera sealed in a Temu clear plastic case thats meant to be waterproof. Had trouble with the water pressure turning the video on & off.En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 19 - Dubrovnik to Sarande Albania

    3 septembre, Albanie

    Overnight bus trip - just over 500km.
    Went pretty well all things considered. Feels like a bit of a blur now that I’m settled into my new digs in Sarande. As hoped for my room is great. Very central (perhaps too) clean and well appointed. The only downside is that while I’ve a Queen bed - there’s not a lot else apart from the bedroom. But perfect. There’s a roof top courtyard where I get breakfast included. Four nights for 180€. Best value so far.

    First impressions of Sarande - a bit rough and grotty compared to Dubrovnik. Lots of rubbish alongside the roads and footpaths. It’s another city right on a steep hillside overlooking a lovely bay. Sarande is marketed as the riviera of Albania. The Greek Island of Corfu is easily visible offshore.

    Tomorrow I’ve got a cruise organised with swims and dives - so looking forward to that. The big disappointment for me is that my GoPro is now NoPro. It’s under warranty still - but there’s no way I’ll be able to arrange a replacement while on the run like I am. Damn - should have brought my cheap GoPro copy camera with me. I may consider buying another camera if I can make time to investigate.

    Big news is I’ve finally succumbed to getting a haircut. The mop was just getting way too messy and too hot. So I’ve got the Albanian fade cut. He did a very thorough job including a wash after the cut. I was charged 2000 Lek. I didn’t have enough of the local currency - instead he accepted 20€. Bargain??    En savoir plus

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    Day 18 Dubrovnik - Island Hopping & Swimming Crui

    2 septembre, Croatie

    Massive day planned. First off I’ve checked out of Hostel 365 (left my pack there) and have now boarded the Emili for a full day cruise of the Elaphiti Islands. I’ll fill some details as the day progresses. My GoPro has stopped working - not sure whether it’s the battery or something else. So unfortunately no water video today.
    Tonight is another overnight transit - busing it all the way down to Sarande in Albania. Depart 11pm - arrive tomorrow 4pm. Have to go through Montenegro - boarder crossings can be tricky and time consuming.
    After the cruise and before my bus - I’ve got a few hours to do some more wondering. Perhaps a sunset photo from the hill overlooking the town.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur

    Day 17 Dubrovnik - wondering

    1 septembre, Croatie

    So today is my free day in Dub. So I’m keeping it pretty loose - but making sure I include some art! My first planned stop is MOMAD - Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik. According to Google it’s about 2.2Km from my digs at 365 Hostel for U.
    Dub is steep (more so than Wellington I recon) so walking is Ok if you’re fit and I’m pretty central so no problem. I wouldn’t want to be riding a bike here. Just too busy.
    On my way to MOMAD I discovered a local swimming spot I couldn’t go past. Beautiful setting and fantastic water to cool down. Again it’s bloody hot and humid (more humid by the sea compared to yesterday when the heat was drier).
    The gallery was in a beautiful building and setting. Not expansive - quite small - but just a lovely cool atmosphere and soft light. A local artist was having an exhibition - his work was just right along my style - contemporary abstract large and predominantly landscape styles (see video). Loved it!!
    I’m now back in the Grad getting lost. Found a little cafe/bar off the track a bit and have just finished teriyaki chicken with sticky rice, coleslaw and avocado with a locally made iced mint and ginger tea. Hit the spot nicely 15€.
    Just a few metres away from my lunch spot there’s a doorway through the external wall and leading from that is access to an amazing swimming spot. Check the video.
    After all that it time to walk back to my digs. Recharge the phone and my GoPro (which is playing up a bit - not sure what’s going on yet). Hostel 365 has great A/C in our dorm - so after a cold shower and shave it was time to do my editing and updating on FindPenguins. It’s my artistic expression time - I’m glad I didn’t bring my watercolours - that would not have worked for me. So my phone and camera is where I find some creativity.    En savoir plus

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    31Kravica Waterfalls and Mostar

    Day 16 Dubrovnik

    31 août, Bosnie Herzégovine

    On an all day bus tour to Kravica and Moster in Bosnia.
    Had a wonderful day. Very comfortable bus. Border crossings in and out of Bosnia was an experience. Much protocol and discipline required to be managed very well by the tour operator.
    I’ll let my photos and videos do the talking and imagery.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
    Feeling a bit sleep deprived
    Feeling a bit sleep deprived11Pulse of Promise1

    Day 15 Dubrovnik Croatia

    30 août, Croatie

    Touchdown Dubrovnik. Caught my pre-paid shuttle bus into the city and have walked about 1km to my hostel gig for the next 3 nights.
    First impressions of Dubrovnik - very pretty setting - especially the old town part where the magnificent walled enclosure appears to resemble a fortress type environment. I’ll definitely be looking inside there.
    It’s hot and humid- similar to Greece.
    This looks like a fun place.
    Tomorrow I have a 12 hour bus tour heading for the Kravica Waterfalls in Mostar. 7am start - so early night as I didn’t get too much sleep at Athens airport last night.
    Well my first sightseeing visit was of course to the old town. Wow wow wow! Just such an amazing and awesome place. So I know many of you have been there - and you know that firsthand feeling the place invokes. You just can’t help but be taken back to that wonderful period when places like these prospered. Just beautiful construction, architecture and atmosphere. Those Game of Thrones fans will know that many of the scenes were filmed here.
    My hostel accommodation at first impression was pretty good. The room last night had 4 others (a young Sydney couple, a Ukrainian and a Paraguayan).
    I had good conversations with all. So that was fun. The downside is that there is a definite plumbing problem coming from one of the men’s bathrooms. That aside all good. I had a great sleep.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
    Roadside cafe recharging the bodyShadow Rider

    Day 14 Greece near Kavala Airport

    29 août, Grèce

    Here I am paying a small penalty for missing a pre-booked night’s accommodation. I remember during my early stages of planning, I intended to have some slack in my itinerary. However as I delved more into key destinations and activities, I found myself wanting to pre-book accommodation. In the end I pretty much booked everything. Well so I thought. Missed this little transit stop overnight. Managed a fix and now back on track. Where I am now is out in the burbs - but reasonably close to the airport. Because the airport is quite small and 28km from Kavala - it’s relatively expensive by taxi. So my strategy was not to return to Kavala - but to stay close to the airport - spend most of the day relaxing - or walking in readiness to get to the airport tonight for my 9:45pm flight to Athens. Then I catch another later flight (sleeping rough at Athens airport) to arrive in Dubrovnik early Sunday morning.

    I’ve just caught up on the news about Nepal. Wow that’s so bad. Incredibly distressing seeing the damage that so much water falling at such a velocity can cause. Massive losses. Very sad for everyone.    En savoir plus

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  • SaltyNickoEpic Mediterranean OdysseyVoyageur
    This shows my Lemnos bike travels

    Day 13 Myrina Port on board Diagoras

    28 août, Grèce

    Today I leave Greece. I feel really happy about my time here - it’s been everything I wanted (and some!!). I’m glad I’ve chosen to use this little app as it has allowed me to record my travels both visually (mostly) but also with some words. While most of my memories are recorded here visually - I can add some words to complement those images. I think because I haven’t been able to enter conversations and dialogue with people so far - I’m using this app to somehow fill that space. I think that may change as I now travel to Dubrovnik in Croatia. And I’ve got 3 nights in Hostel 365 for U - my first bunk style accommodation. I’ve just been reviewing my itinerary over the next few days. Wow I’m going to be busy!!
    Back to today. The bike ride went well. Tail wind assisted - but there was one hill climb I walked for about 1km just as I came into Myrina. Dropped the bike off - walked for 10 min or so - had time for a cold drink - then boarded my old favourite ferry the Diagoras again. Like clockwork. I’m good!!
    Wouldn’t ya know it - spoke too soon about my planning. Arrived in Kavala as per schedule - didn’t have a lot of time to get to airport so caught a taxi 40€ (public transport not great). This is where things went a little astray. My flights aren’t until tomorrow! I stuffed up. But not too big a problem to recover from - especially compared to if I had missed the flight. All my following bookings are still fine thank goodness. I was going to sleep rough again - but the airport actually closes overnight. Managed to quickly book a cheap 112€ place 11km away - so another taxi 25€. Digs are OK for the night - plenty of room, dbl bed, AC, mosquito screens everywhere (they’re bad here - even inside the airport I was getting bitten).
    So a bit of a stuff up - but easily recovered.    En savoir plus

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    Day 12 Moudros on Lemnos

    27 août, Grèce

    Quietish start to the day today. Biked from Kallithea to Moudros (15km). Body feeling a bit lacking in energy. Seems yesterday took it out of me. And given I’ve got a big ride carrying my pack on my back tomorrow to Myrina (14km) including some reasonable hills - I’m taking it slowly today. Heat really does take its toll. I’m sick of drinking water - but know I must.
    So I’m parked up in the shade at a little cafe overlooking the harbour here in Moudros.
    Here’s some trivia - Lemnos was a significant staging post for the Gallipoli campaign by the ANZAC forces.
    The Greek military have an air base here - so often hear jets and planes coming and going. Signs everywhere warning not to take photos. I sneaked one in though.
    Have decided to ride another 4km to a popular local beach called Faranaki. It will push my ride today in total to over 40km. It’s all black top and pretty much flat - so should be manageable. Just have to pace myself and include hydration breaks. The bike didn’t come with a bottle holder - so I really can only stop to have a drink. Works out OK.
    Tomorrow will bring my time in Greece to an end. It’s been everything I’ve imagined about Greek islands . But my odyssey has only just begun. It’s time to leave the Aegean and head for the Adriatic. New waters to swim. Let’s see what adventures I may stumble upon……….    En savoir plus

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    Day 11 Lemnos Island North Aegean Sea

    26 août, Grèce

    Settled into my new digs late yesterday afternoon. Ride from Myrina was tough. A lot of uphill - as we bikers know - where ever we go up there’s downhill to follow. That part is always fun.
    Finding my appartment was a bit challenging - turns out the GPS coordinates were out by about 100m. Where I’m staying in Kallithea is in what is really a very quiet little village on the southern coast and near the middle of the island. It’s handy for my rides as I can make it a central hub to go to different parts of the small island. Today I’m heading northwards - so right through the middle to the northern beach of Gomati. And there’s sand dunes to explore!!
    I better finish my breakfast and get cycling!!
    Just checked on Google maps the ride is 20km each way.    En savoir plus

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