John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Shut up legs
24. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Even as we were heading back to the hotel there were hints of brightness but a short break later and a confused exchange with one of the room staff - no soap left. Not a clue what that was in french and similarly for her in English. Might get a refill - we'll see. Off out again to enjoy the views from Mont Royale park. The name was something of a clue - going to be a bit of a climb. First things first, through town - stopped at the jumbo chess boards and watched a game - not sure how good they were. Suspect not great as checkmate came about fairly quickly. The uphill started a little after that. Turned of the road onto the grand staircase and that didn't bode well for fatigued legs. Reminded Liz of a favourite cyclist Jens Voigt who when he was in a breakaway and was knackered would shout repeatedly 'Shut up legs' Whether it helped him is debatable. Didn't help Liz. The prospect of cake at the cafe at the top did a little. To be fair the views of Montreal were stunning in the autumn sunshine - something that didn't seem possible this morning. Adjourned to the cafe to find it closed and the only snack option was ludicrously overpriced maple popcorn. And so the addiction was born. Up there with crack cocaine I reckon. God it was good. Took an alternative route down to take in a Montreal icon - a Schwartz deli sarnie. Never have I seen as much meat crammed into a sarnie as this.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Old things.
24. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
The luxury of a lie-in & being awake at 6. Looking grey outside didn't bode well. Today's footie chat was a friendly guy at the local supermarket - impressed by the Liverpool transfer window. Smart opinions and a cheap breakie - happy days and proper pain au chocolat. The forecast was that things would pick up in the afternoon so skyscrapers shrouded in low cloud suggested walking up to Mont Royale summit would be pretty pointless this morning. Old town Montreal and the historic port it was. Took in nearby Chinatown on the way. $16 to get in the cathedral was a hard pass. The pedestrianised cobbled alleys and lanes were great to explore and a world away from anywhere else in North America as far as I can see. Headed onwards to the old port and the trees along here were full on autumn as was the weather - no rain but the waterproof was keeping the wind off. Couldn't imagine any improvement in the weather. Took in the clock tower, looking out over the promenade designed to break up any icebergs incoming from the Gulf of St Lawrence. Apparently they can be upto 15m. The big wheel and zip-line were in the same pricey ball park as the cathedral - there's a sentence that is incongruous. Tried and failed to find a take-out creperie.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Un peu Francaise
23. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Another early start to make sure we hit the station for the 10.30 train to Montreal. A little concerned that it was rush hour but plenty of space on the subway. Union Station was a little more hectic. Grabbed some breakie, then found the queue for the train. Slick operation - boarding passes checked, bags weighed & boarding staggered. Thankfully we were early so boarded early - lots of baggage space. Later on people were trying to cram in the craziest of spaces - had to intervene as someone was trying to squeeze my rucksack into somewhere it wouldn't come close to fitting. That done, a nice relaxing 5 hour journey ensued. Interesting to see as we crept further north the trees became more golden & autumnal. Passed through Cornwall - not appropriately named. Curious how the French announcements suddenly took preference when the train crossed into Quebec. Late lunch at a very french style food court at the station. Confused the server - Feyenoord top & Liverpool hoodie. Explain please. A little more footie chat and some authentic Quebec poutine. Hotel was under a mile away & 5 hours sat down meant a walk wasn't the worst option. Checked in eventually and checked in on the reds. Sun came out so thought a little explore should be done. Subway strikes tomorrow so quick dash out to the Olympic Park. Unfortunately the highest inclined tower in the world was closed for renovation - opens 2027 - not even close. Nearby botanic gardens were charging $25 so that wasn't an option. Decided to hop over the river to St Helen's Island and have a little explore of the park. Just missed the ferry back so back on the subway.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Cruising on a budget.
22. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Back on firm earth opted to head to the lakeshore - a little more peaceful and maybe head over to the islands to get a better view of the city, depending on time, weather & costs. Ambled through the Toronto Railroad Museum - the contrast between the ultra modern skyscrapers & the old rail buildings was quite striking. At the quay noticed a harbour cruise which would be more expensive than the ferry but would be a little more relaxed ambled on pondering whether it was worth it. Eventually decided to go with the easy option but by the time we got back the cruise was just leaving. Ah well cheap ferry option it is with the added bonus of a quick mooch around one of the islands. Couldn't decide which to go with & the ticket agent couldn't care less - the tickets cost the same - pay & you decide. Obviously didn't say that but his face suggested it. Bagsied the right side of the boat for city views - all very relaxed. Decided to have 40 mins on the island to have a quick explore of the car free peace. Lots of geese though. Very pleasant.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Tower climb.
22. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
On arrival took the subway out to avoid another 2 mile hike. Nice and easy to pay with swiping cards but clueless as to how much we're paying. Needs must. A couple of wrong turns and then finally the blessed relief of getting rid of the backpack much to the amusement of the lobby staff. Yet more joy when an early check-in was offered. Very nice 1 bed suite. Would've liked to stay longer - ah well. Quick chill, freshen up & then off out for food and to explore Toronto - only chance we'd have and the persistent rain on the way in seemed to have subsided. Priority was food but the CN tower was an absolute must as well. Nearby food court had a Thai and that couldn't possibly include fries so that worked. Had a little mooch around Toronto taking in the City hall and Plaza. From there it seemed easy enough to get to the tower according to the map. However there was no evidence of any entrance. Can't find a half km tall building. Ended up following a tour bus. Queue wasn't horrendous and as it turned out what was there was down to security checks. Once in it was all relatively quiet - as always dreaded to think what it would be like in August. Glass elevator up offered a taste of the views. They weren't shy of exploiting the view with bars taking up half the window space. Still impressive views of the city and the islands. Out towards Niagara clouds seemed to be looming & shrouding the high rises, hopefully not coming our way. Took in the original glass floor experience so they say. There were plenty of other ways in which they'd devised to disposess you of your money - an extra 30 storeys of tower, premium experience, tower hang. All ludicrously more expensive so no deal. Back down to head towards the lakeshore.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
CN Tower? Nah a lamp post.
22. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Got down as soon as breakie was listed to begin to find a coach party had swallowed up all the seating. Eventually bagsied a spot & proceeded to try all the unhealthy options - had lots of orange juice though. Small matter of getting to the out of town park & ride where the coach departed. Since it was dry went for a walk to the falls where the shuttle bus headed out of town. Promenade was nice and quiet - couldn't decide if it was raining - it was spray. Relief to get the backpack off at the bus stop only to find out the buses didn't start till 10. Coach left at 10.30 so could wait for an hour & probably be ok or walk. Ticket office reckoned it was a 30 minute walk. Reasoned that that was a fat North American speed. We'd be faster but the luggage would balance it out. Passed a taxi & pondered but the die was cast. Would have been a nice walk along the upper rapids but for the backpack. Still made it in the half hour - no stress & coach all sorted to Toronto. On the approaches it was a case of trying to spot the CN Tower first - low clouds and rain didn't help. Not really a valid excuse for mistaking a lamp post for what was formerly the tallest building in the world. .Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Two soakings in one day.
21. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Onwards to the main event - a close call appointment with the falls and by all accounts something of a soaking. Tickets had been bought online so at least one potential for queuing had been eliminated. As it transpired a combination of a ruthless military operation and a relatively quiet day meant it was straight through to the boat but you could see how big the queues could be - snaking down to the quay was endless screens looping what was about to come. Ponchos were handed out - on a hot day, was it really needed. Pocketed it for the moment & that moment hit just as soon as we made it to the smaller American falls. As for the Horseshoe Falls - it was one heck of a soaking - good fun, nice and cooling. Good test of whether the phone is waterproof. And as for the photos - definitely pot-luck. Headed back to the hotel via the Rainbow Bridge - the bridge between Canada & the USA. Turns out, if you want to go on the bridge you need your passport & be prepared to leave Canada officially & the queue to re-enter was pretty massive. Opted to sample the 'joys' of Clifton Hill - all the charm & class of Blackpool or Vegas. From one of the most beautiful sights to one of the most tacky. Nice and dry by the time we got to the hotel - planned to relax & have a takeaway before heading back at night for the fireworks and lights. First sampling of Poutine - had to endure more stupidity at the takeaway - Poutine without the gravy - that's chips. On the way out noticed that there was a weather warning for thunderstorms in the next hour. Got outside to find that was out of date. Liz opted out. Smart. I did not. By the time I was at the promenade it was torrential. Got some photos of the lit up falls and called it a day. Wetter than the falls.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
What can be forgotten?
21. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Early coach booked to ensure plenty of time at the falls. Thus an early departure from the hotel. Jetlag ensured that, that early start was fairly easy - waking up at 2 but feeling 7. Free shuttle to the airport & the first of many Tim Hortons for breakie. Located the coach stop and on departure found that we'd be at the falls in 90 mins - "pretty darn good" apparently. Considering this is a local attraction to Toronto, that is a measure of how big Canada is. Badly chosen seats in front of a narky 2 year old & a lazy father. A promised cookie didn't help the grizzler when mum offered a banana. Wished the headphones hadn't been packed. The coach dumped at a park & ride out of town - just had to get to the falls now. It seemed without the water bottle - left on the coach. Dashed back in the hope the coach hadn't gone & the bottle was there. Lucked out for once - phew. Another free shuttle into town & another footie conversation, this time with a Celtic fan. At the visitor centre & just had to find a way to the hotel - either a funicular short cut or a dog leg walk. No choice. Still a bit of a hike. An ice machine at the hotel made up for not being able to check in. At least we could dump the bags. Now to the falls. The cruise was booked for 2.30 and it was a case of seeing what else was available. Plenty of views of the falls along the promenade. Stopped at the "Behind the falls" attraction & there was no queue so opted for that. Left tunnel dry, right tunnel wet. Right was the foot of the falls and it was indeed wet. Behind the falls was impressive if only to feel the power of the falls under your feet. Negotiated the endless gift shop & off to get royally soaked on a boat.Læs mere
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Cheeseburger but no cheese.
20. september 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Civilised flight times could catch on. Departing Manchester in the afternoon & arriving in Toronto in the afternoon courtesy of the time difference. The downside & it was a biggie - the derby was at the same time. Hmmm. Lee dropped us nice and early in the greyness of Manchester - weather and building itself. Queues to check-in even though online check-in had been negotiated earlier in the morning. Chilled with a second breakfast whilst keeping an eye on proceedings at Anfield. Boarding onto a plane with no wifi coincided with half time. Overheard suggestions that the reds were up by 2. So that was a nice way to start the flight. Couple of films - couldn't resist Blade Runner. Had a chat with a Canadian red who had been in Liverpool but got ill around the last game. Still didn't sound so good. First off the plane & smoothly through customs. Slick operation - very automated and quick. Baggage less so. Quick shuttle bus ride to the hotel to find it was in the midst of some sci-fi geek conference - very busy and noisy. Room on the top floor so that shouldn't be a problem. Initial thoughts of going into town were overtaken by fatigue - a 6pm tea time was actually 11 as far as body clocks were concerned. Ate and was utterly bemused by the concept of someone ordering a cheeseburger without the cheese - that's just a burger - had to be yanks. Glimpsed a far off view of the CN tower and made plans for Niagara.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Fly frenzy.
28. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Still had 5 hours before the car had to be dropped off & only 1 - 2 of those hours would be driving. Belfast airport is actually far closer to Antrim. Antrim is on the shores of Lough Neagh - the largest lake in the British Isles so it would be rude not to have a little explore - post drive walk to perk up the navigator. By now things were actually brightening up, unfortunately it seemed to have woken up great clouds of midges. Battled through those and tried to ignore some horrendous fashion disasters until the lakeside walk turned to a woodland walk. Headed back to try and find the MV Joyce a restored WW2 torpedo recovery vessel and enjoy a cookie. Decided against hitting the airport too early so headed to Belfast Castle - the grounds were on Cave Hill which supposedly offered great views of the city. Got to give it a go. Quick dash down the motorway & head to the highest car park. Spent a little time in the castle grounds enjoying the sun & being amused by a toddler's wonder at everything but particularly steps. Decided to try for higher ground and could pick out the Titanic museum - in fairness the huge neighbouring cranes helped to locate it. The main lookout however beat us - or time. Either way back to dump the car and head home.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Laughing in the face of danger.
28. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
What fate did the weather gods bestow on the final plans of the trip. Wetness called into question the wisdom of clambering over a rope bridge strung across a chasm. Fortunately & admittedly this feeling may be open to dispute, it was looking dry. Since the flight home was a late one there was a fair bit of time to kill or make the most of - the rope bridge was to be the first. Booked online which signs around the causeway & the rope bridge suggested was advised at least. Proved to be unnecessary but probably saved a few bob. National trust property so toilets & cafe were present - all bases covered. Nice downhill walk - stunning coastline - weather not so stunning but it was dry. The bridge was pretty much as sold, with a hint of heavy duty chain. Still it was high up and potentially bouncy if the wind or someone hideously immature chooses to make it so. The fact that it was one way, people were queueing & it was politely suggested that you don't stop for photos made messing around a non-starter. The fact that most people subtly ignored the photo edict didn't help patience. Was a fun little crossing and the island was also very little. The fact the fishermen lived on here & transported fish across such a rockery bridge was quite a thing. Return queue ended up quite substantial as 1 family didn't go with subtlety - stopping, starting, posing. Not hp. Popped into the cafe but the crowds discouraged. The National Trust has done well enough. Headed to Ballycastle, secure in the knowledge of finally knowing what Bally means. Lunch looking over the beach & the possibility of things brightening up. Someone's an optimist. Walked along the beach to a wrecked bridge warning of danger & that it was closed. Didn't help that someone had just climbed over the barrier so laughing in the face of danger is easier when your 2nd.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Shower dodging.
27. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Penny saving dash to the local Tesco for breakfast supplies. Dodgy forecast meant a city based day in Derry / Londonderry depending on your political / religious affiliation. Aside from walking the city walls, there were a number of undercover options to avoid the forecasted downpours. Dumped the car in a free car park or so it seemed - doubted this when someone chose to pay. Pondered but the next couple of people didn't so chanced it. Had a wander along the river to the peace bridge. Crossed it & I'm sure there's something on the other side but nothing to interest us so straight back. First shower so dashed into the guildhall - paid for by London apparently. Very grand. Some interesting exhibitions & a Nobel Peace Prize on display. Dryness so off to walk the wall. Lots of canons & roofed lookout posts - guards not happy with all the rain. Hmmm. Also a bit of culture - Murals dedicated to the Derry Girls & The Undertones. Mooched through town to take in the murals of the Bogside area of town - the epicentre of the troubles and Bloody Sunday. Took in the very interesting Free Derry Museum. The parallels between the way the British Government handled Bloody Sunday & Hillsborough is uncanny. Sombre place.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Tall tales
26. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Not the best night's sleep - every boy racer in Belfast seemed to be out & about. Oh for some double glazing in a quiet suburb. Breakfast & back out to the airport to pick up the car. Apparently had a worried look boarding the bus - just my resting frown face. Just can't help being miserable. Amazingly no hard sell & all defects were accepted. Tried to connect phone for Satnav purposes. Wasn't having it. Various balancing options weren't cutting it so pulled in on the shores of Lough Neagh. Turns out I hadn't turned on the head unit. So glad that hadn't been the car hire guys telling me that. Onwards to the Causeway - decided to just focus on that for the day & if there's time review other options. Queueing for the car park didn't bode well, nor did the looming grey clouds. Lunched first - some lava hot Cornish pasties. Braved the crowds armed with our audio guide - some great gags and plenty giant yarns. Liz was in her element. At one point she was invited to make up stories about the surroundings. I just enjoyed the existing ones - Giants pretending to be babies rather than fighting, wild grannies & the existence of size 97 boots. The causeway itself was wild - lots of clambering, some wild waves & far too many people. A little walk & a little more rain thinned the hoardes. Also got some great views of the coast & a different perspective of the causeway.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
A bit of culture.
25. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
A little investigation led Liz to discover the presence of C S Lewis square - a park / plaza with sculptures from his Narnia books. Apparently he lived in the East of Belfast at some point. The closest we'd get to this would be after the Titanic Museum so a shortish hike through an industrial estate, past the Harland and Wolff shipyard & then through some distinctly nationalist estates. We'd just missed the marching season but the flag happy remnants were still prevalent. On arrival, the square looked like it had been cordoned off for a festival - was this going to be a wild goose chase. Yes the Eastside Arts Festival was being set up but you could still access the park & the visitor centre. Walked back to town - lots of political murals & while these may have been historic the excessive flags were not. Suspect there is still residual tension even though the peace seems to be lasting. By now my phone was dying - forgot charging cable so headed back to the Dome shopping centre. Sorted a cable or more accurately get done for a cable & headed up the Dome for a panoramic view of the city.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Titanic, Belfast
25. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The primary focus for Belfast was taking in the Titanic Museum. To that end early tickets had been booked - quieter (in theory) and cheaper. Nice walk through town. Stopped off at the 'Big Fish' and Seamus the Seal. On - off light drizzle and breeze meant waterproof & fleece juggling. No such worries inside the museum - very warm & surprisingly busy for just after 9. Very impressive coverage of the entire story. Why Belfast? The shipbuilding process. The individual stories. The sinking. The rediscovery. All done with respect & very interactive. Particularly liked the immersive ride through the shipyard and the virtual tour of the ship. Very well thought through - the movie photo op on the bow at the end was a bit cheesy though. Quick cake stop and then off to explore the shipyard area along the river - the Samson & Goliath cranes dominating their industrial surroundings. The ticket included entry to the SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Liner. Essentially it was used in Cherbourg to ferry passengers out to the anchored liner in the bay. Interesting - liked the way they used projections of actors explaining key features. You could tell this was used as the school trip base - dressing up opps - we didn't - surprise surprise.Læs mere
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Flagging badly.
24. juli 2025, Nordirland ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The deal that existed, at least in my head was do an extra couple of hours work during the week, take an early dart on Thursday & make an afternoon flight. The Boss's narkiness & the possibility of not making targets meant a little concern. Went in super early - bikes done & scarpered. As it happened, had plenty of time to the point where we were too early for the car park entry time. The nation's favourite airport was suitably relaxed as was I when the backpack hit the scales - the longer it was carried the heavier it felt. Found a quiet spot & settled down to watch the Tour. Just knew that it was going to kick off just as boarding commenced. Juggling between boarding passes & the live coverage was interesting. Quick up & down 30 mins flight. Said goodbye to the sun as we descended to the greenness of Northern Ireland. Rattly bus into town & a short hike to the hostel. YHA card got a little discount which was a bonus. Quick bite to eat & the early start caught up - sleep beckons.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Piss up & brewery.
22. juni 2025, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Glancing at the beaches in Budva, things looked busy - the traffic certainly backed that up. The Kotor cable car could go one of two ways - because it's the holidays / Sunday it's rammed or that everyone is at the beach so it's quiet. Negotiated yet more roadworks and the car park seemed fairly quiet - the road leading to it was rammed - clearly people avoiding paying for parking - 1€ an hour to avoid a hike - I'll go with easy and sweat free. No queue for tickets and got a car to myself. Some very steep climbs and great views of the bay. Not sure where everyone is because there were 4 cruise liners in Kotor. God knows how unbearable it would be there - Dubrovnik is bad enough - Kotor is so much smaller. Anyway it would seem they're not at the cable car. It was a really long ride - passed over the serpentine and in fairness it did look a bit hairy. Would've loved it on a bike. They've clearly spent a lot of money on this - some well, some not so well. There are some great waymarked paths and some well thought through refreshment locations. Not sure about the Alpine Coaster. The viewpoint for Kotor was spot on. The one for Budva was stretching it a bit - extreme outskirts at best. But for the most part it was nice and peaceful. Depositing the car loomed - had about 90 mins left - didn't seem worth trying to get to Tivat - for one thing it looks way bigger than I remember so probably not better. Also wanted to get the car hire stuff out of the way - missing hub cap was concerning me as was how the deposit would be refunded. On both things she was a little vague yesterday. Ended up having to park round the back - no space. Didn't hang about - the car hire guy was with me in a flash. Seemed impressed with how clean it was - only had it for a day - what was he expecting? Had to lug all my stuff to the office for the refund but otherwise all good. Now to getting to the airport - bit sweaty & half way there the car hire guy zipped past querying whether I should've filled it up. Did as I was told to - half full. Turned round and by the time he was back they'd checked & was ok. Quick enough to hassle me but wasn't going to help get the bags to the airport. Greeted with chaos - hoardes of people outside queueing for God knows what. Dumped stuff & had a little look - no Lufthansa listed so must be the other terminal. Phew. Except it was no better there. Managed to get a trolley, quick wash & settle down to wait for the inevitable scrum to check in, if you could get there through the crowds. In fairness check-in was the easy bit, partly because I jumped on the business class lane & pleaded ignorance. Then had to get across the entire terminal to the outsize bags drop off & there was literally no space. Somehow managed to get escorted over there, which was nice. The customs queue was not nice. Epic. There were 6 flights leaving within 30 mins & they had 1 person checking boarding passes and 1 scanner running. Bearing in mind I arrived at the airport around 3 hours before departure it's an indictment that I got to the gate just as boarding started. Utter chaos. But then that has kind of been the theme really.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Fake Niagara.
22. juni 2025, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Managed to get sorted and packed pretty smoothly. All being well, a Sunday morning on the Podgorica roads would be calm and free of stress. First port of call while exploiting having a car for the day would be Nijagara Falls - the J is doing a lot of heavy lifting. While visiting a waterfall in June is unlikely to be the most epic what transpired really did let down the name. It was a pleasant enough spot but no falls to speak of. Not a resounding success but not a major detour either. There were 2 other possibles on the list - the Njegos Mausoleum recommended to me on day 1. The other was the Kotor cable car. Doing both required, according to Google, negotiating the Serpentine Road down to Kotor - supposedly the 2nd most dangerous road in Europe. The way things have gone this holiday that felt like tempting providence. So the plan was head towards Njegos instead of taking the short Google route just double back & head through Budva. Bit longer but plenty of time to kill. The road upto Njegos smacked heavily of a serpentine itself - lots of hairpins. But thankfully it didn't seem so busy or at least not much was being met coming the other way. Had to stop to pay the National Park entry fee which caused a little panic - where's the money. He wasn't arsed. Got to the suggested car park and bizarrely there weren't any cars there. Had followed a car all the way up - they pulled in but were clearly just as confused. The roads being so narrow I couldn't get past. They pushed onwards, as did I & further up was where the cars were - just dumped on the road. Checked that it was ok with someone who'd already parked. All good. And so to the steps - lots of them and a fair few people who were likely to struggle. Not sure of the significance of the guy buried here but I'm guessing significant and probably pre-communism. They picked a belting spot for him. Apparently on a good day Italy is visible - think it was a bit too hazy for that. Still a nice spot. Back down to see what chaos was ensuing. It was getting busier & on the way down far more cars were met. Probably picked a good time. Strategically filled the car with petrol - reckoned I would be doing around 80-90 miles which probably equates to about 8-9 litres. Put in 10 & should be ok. What wasn't so ok was the traffic on the main road. Stopped at a zipline just outside Budva to get some photos & must have waited 15 mins to get out. And as for going through Budva - pondered whether taking on the 2nd most dangerous road would have been preferable.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Relax & hike.
21. juni 2025, Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
What with illness issues still causing some concern a relatively easy going day was called for. That said at some point, there would have to be a hike to the other side of the city to pick up the car. Google reckoned around 2 hours. Had the bargain hostel breakie & aside from the pointlessness of the cucumber it wasn't half bad - certainly for €4 oh and a pot spicy sauce with the omelette for someone with an iffy stomach. Regroup & explore - not the fastest of paces into town & tried to take in all the shade that was possible. A lot of trees lined the streets so that helped. Quick mooch around the national stadium & then off to the millennium bridge. There was supposed to be a boardwalk along the cliff / river but true to the theme of this week - roadworks. Walked along the other side - the sprinklers were very nice & took in the monument to the Russian Elvis. Apparently he was a bit more political than the real one. A few more bridges and parks including the most beautiful of all Podgorica's parks - just happens to be in front of the Mayor's residence. Too hot so back to cool off. The plan to get the car was to go into town which was half way. Have a late lunch while cooling down again - then push on via the oldest bridge in the city. All that went to plan but by the time I got there it hadn't made a scrap of difference. Chilled water helped & ultimately a car with Aircon would also help. Car was a sedan which caused a momentary concern but once the boot was opened and the seats pushed down there was plenty of bike space. Car was a little worse for wear but the key question is would it get me to the airport. That was all that mattered. Took a little jaunt up to a Yugoslav war memorial which has great views of the city. Back to pack the bike...Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Quagmire.
20. juni 2025, Montenegro ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
Apparently the mountains round here are known as The Accursed Mountains. Hmmm. Woke to the sound of rain - the irony. UK has a heatwave & here it's rainy and Mancunian. Stomach felt a bit iffy - brushed it off as overeating from last night's meal - being challenged to eat as much as possible. Hmmm. Starting with a 10 mile climb right from the get go so cool & damp wasn't the worst. What was the worst was getting 8 of the 10 relatively smoothly only to discover the last 2 miles had no road surface to speak of - just hardcore. Not going to puncture - pushed the last 2 & towards the top we were talking mud frenzy. Once back on tarmac there sounded like a little rubbing. Looked down to see both brakes caked in mud. Poor bike. Looked as bad as the rider felt - saddle sores had been mitigated somewhat with Compeed & as for the stomach - could be a challenging 40 miles. Downhills were very technical and the road surfaces didn't allow great speed. All very jiggly. Thank god for isolated restaurants and petrol stations. By the time the final climb had been completed, the descent into Podgorica cycling was being done on instinct. And really instinctively cycling shouldn't be happening in 35° heat. Found the hostel - room had Aircon which was good. Need to figure out how to get to the airport when stomach & arse not playing ball. In hindsight probably shouldn't have drank from the spring on that first epic climb yesterday but it was hot & wanted to preserve water supplies. Ah well not as tough as the rest.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Hairpin hell at a flies pace.
19. juni 2025, Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Always going to be a challenging day but little did I know... Quick breakie mitigated the relative late start. Liked the pancakes. Pretty much from the kick off it was uphill. A mammoth 12 mile drag with 1350m of climbing to a 1800m pass. Needed to be split into chunks and got through the first half ok, though that was the easier half, something which a similarly sadistic Swiss couple confirmed when chatting to them. They were intrigued by Skopje but they weren't keen on cities so probably not a great option for them. Said good lucks and pushed onwards & upwards. All of a sudden it was if the road designers had got bored & thought sod these hairpins - let's just go up. It was at this point the clouds of flies began to congregate & it became clear that my top speed was fly speed. The best that could be done was get your head down & try to ignore. I have newfound sympathy for cows. That said I managed to take out 5 of them. I was reliably informed that the downhill was a belter & so it proved. 30 done by 12.30 - not to shabby & the worst was over. Called for a choc ice break. The little girl filling in for her mum tried to charge 52€. She understood my quizzical look & I understood firstly her panicky cry for help, then the embarrassed look. Even so I was aware that there were other climbs but how bad could they be? It was getting hot & clearly I looked it. On the summit of the next climb I was having a quick photo break - a car stopped & the passenger poked his head out & insisted I have the offered can of Coke. Tried to decline but they insisted - nice touch. Clearly looked like shit. The next climb was a main road so should be more gentle & in some senses it was. The summit loomed but all that could be seen was a tunnel. Sign at the entrance said 1200m - just shy of a mile underground. No option but god it was scary. Thankfully only 1 car passed on my side but even the stuff coming in the opposite direction, was both horrendously noisy & made it really hard to see. On the way down yet more tunnels though nowhere near as long. That's got to be as bad as it gets. Pushed on & ended up on quiet country lanes which were nice until they sort of dried up. Bit of gravel lane turned into much longer ended up in a huge expense of hardcore. Had to guess a route based on the Satnav. The gravel tracks just kept on coming. A minor miracle if there isn't a puncture. And so it proved - just 50m from a proper surfaced road - could've cried. Forced break. Repaired puncture & scouted the route - needed to get across the river to the main road. Never has a mundane concrete bridge been so beautiful. Eventually made it to the hotel - what a relief. Room didn't have Aircon or a fan & 9 hours in 30° heat needs cooling facilities. Was assured that it gets cold at night. The problem is that I was overheating now. Decided to upgrade to the only Aircon room. Lucky it was available.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Looming mountains & storms.
18. juni 2025, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
As usual first priority was cool down, then clean up. Fair bit of both to do. Early arrival left a window in the schedule. The nearby Rugova Canyon was a mere 3 miles of uphill away. Worth a go. Rather do that than run around trying to find a bike shop. In fairness the peddle without the toe clip is more comfortable - less efficient though. Quick look at the weather forecast to see the coolest time to go led to a re-evaluation - thunderstorms were likely. Best get going & took the waterproof just in case. Not the hardest of runs and the gorge was very striking. Passed a few swimming spots but figured it'd be cold. On the way back as Peja loomed into sight there was a riverside promenade which made the route back all the more pleasant. Back just before the heavens opened. Some epic thunder & lightning. Glad I booked in for the hotel restaurant.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Froggy getting jiggy.
18. juni 2025, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Breakfast bits had been left out for me & in between eating, frantic attempts were made to get the Satnav to locate accurately, all to no avail. Chucked it on the bike & went up to sort bags, hoping things would change when I returned. It did not. Have to go old school(ish) that is get the map on the Satnav & follow it looking out for key features along the way. All the time hoping for it to connect. Thankfully after about 15 mins it did. Even more thankfully as a dual carriageway loomed so did a cycle path. Again not the greatest but away from maniac Kosovan drivers. Hopeful that fairly soon in the route would become more rural and so it proved - just beyond a commuter town's school rush and peace descended. You could hear birds and little else. Along the way there were cuckoos, soaring eagles and frogs getting frisky. Noisy buggers. Also there was an endless supply of war graves. Couldn't help wondering over caved in and abandoned houses. Passed a stony faced woman and daughter coming out of cemetery. Don't know but you wonder. Much of the route ran parallel with a train track - not too much up. This all went smoothly till the last 16 miles. Hit the main road - not the busiest but there were roadworks - diverted traffic on a gravel route & to keep the dust down there were wagons going up & down spraying water. So ended up with all the bike and me covered in a dust slurry. Just after the end there was a get out route - marginally longer and flatter. Tried it to be rewarded with a gravel track. Just got off 1 - not doing another. Back up the hill and grin and bear the main road to Peja. God knows what the receptionist made of the sweaty, mud caked man in front of her. Hid it well. Allowed to check in 3 hours early - didn't want me hanging around.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Pot Crater Slalom.
17. juni 2025, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
So as predicted boredom took over. A short 2 mile gentle climb to the outskirts forest park couldn't hurt especially when a good chunk of that is through another park. Things were still hot but the aforementioned park offered some level of shade. Then hit millionaires row or gang lords row whichever stereotype you like. Very showy whoever they were. Forest park was pretty & quiet. The tentative plan of taking a dip at the pool was kicked into touch by the extensive renovation being undertaken. Ah well. Back down to cool off & get bored again. And so it proved. This time a 4 miler to the Northern fringes and an monument that you could climb & get views. Things didn't start well. Satnav started to play up badly - wouldn't register an accurate location. Not good. Headed back to have a sit down and play around. Eventually got it responding so good to go. Off we went up the hill avoiding what can only be termed pot craters - hit one these on the way down it would be a buckled wheel at the very least. More than a few open manhole covers as well - not the safest. Pretty hilly route but eventually made it to the turnoff and while I was aware it was going to be a rough track up to the monument I wasn't prepared for a barbed wire fence blocking the way. Not happening. Turned round & suddenly noticed the toe clip flapping around - the bolts holding it in were no more. Not great for a new pair of peddles. At least the peddle itself was working. Back to the bike shop. Except on arrival found that they didn't have any tools (or couldn't be arsed) only option they suggested was a new pair of cleated peddles. No use. Back to the hotel to regroup. Found a Shimano service centre - they must have tools. Now however the Satnav really threw a wobbler. Seized up & wouldn't respond in any way. Technology eh! This had to be sorted - the peddle could be tolerated. Spent the next few hours messing with settings, deleting stuff & doing factory resets. The only guaranteed outcome was a banging headache. Will it work in the morning - God knows. Hoped that with enough soft resets it would behave eventually. We'll see. Not the best of afternoons.Læs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Peaceful Pedestrianisation.
17. juni 2025, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Some superb banana pancakes for breakie boded well for a positive day of exploring Pristina. No desperate urgency but out & about by 9.30 Made a beeline for the pedestrianised centre of town & what a difference it made. Treelined, shady & peaceful. Took in a range of monuments to significant Kosovans. Somehow Mother Theresa appeared here as well. Both Macedonia & Kosovo seem to be laying claim to an Albanian - curious. Liked the sitting down man - apparently in honour of the struggle & peaceful protest against the Serbian occupation. Made it to the cathedral & unsurprisingly a tower climb had been located, except it wasn't open till 10, which came & went without any change. Wandered down to the newborn monument in honour of Europe's newest country - only 17 years old. Had a mooch round the stadium - no cheeky ways in. Back to the tower & a lift up which helped the temperature control. Great views of the library and the city in general. Back down & through the park to the library - very communist era inside & barely a book to be seen though there was an American corner - bizarrely. Took in the abandoned Serbian Orthodox cathedral which allegedly is guarded by vicious stray dogs. Guessing they were sleeping or another dig at Serbia. Back to cool off & avoid the worst of the heat, that is unless I get bored & head out on the bikeLæs mere
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Main road mania
16. juni 2025, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Unfortunately it became apparent that the route into Pristina was going to be an endless busy main road. Thankfully when route planning I'd spied an intriguing cave complex nearby - very good reviews & not too far out of the way. That now had become a blessing. Quiet roads Ahhh. Wasn't sure what to expect but didn't expect to get there & get on a tour straight away. 2€ was a bit of a bargain & a perfect way to cool off. Again a little football talk but the main event was the epic formations & some of the bizarre things they were likened to - an elephant's foot to an Albanian eagle. The guide had to get some Serbian bashing in - apparently there was a stalagmite that looked like 2 fingers denoting peace. When the Serbians came they sawed 1 off because they didn't want peace. An invaluable and interesting half hour cooling off & then back out into the heat. By now, the outskirts of Pristina were looming and roundabouts were a particular source of confusion - no idea. Don't think they had either. Weariness was setting in but with 10 to go it was a case of grin and bear it. Caught another rush hour or more accurately gridlock hour. Relieved to see a bike lane, no matter how shit. Still had to endure endless pedestrians ambling in & out, standing in it because it was shady, parked cars... Hot & very bothered by the hotel - couldn't even work the shower. Once cooled & clean managed to get a new bottle from a nearby bike store & took in a positively reviewed pizza place. Chilled & very good.Læs mere
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