John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Laughing in the face of danger.
28 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ☁️ 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.Leia mais
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Shower dodging.
27 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ☁️ 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.Leia mais
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Tall tales
26 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ⛅ 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.Leia mais
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
A bit of culture.
25 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ☁️ 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.Leia mais
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Titanic, Belfast
25 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ☁️ 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.Leia mais
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Northern Irish Explorer John Bickerstaff
Flagging badly.
24 de julho de 2025, Irlanda do Norte ⋅ ☀️ 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Piss up & brewery.
22 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Fake Niagara.
22 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Relax & hike.
21 de junho de 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...Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Quagmire.
20 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Hairpin hell at a flies pace.
19 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Looming mountains & storms.
18 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Froggy getting jiggy.
18 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Pot Crater Slalom.
17 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Peaceful Pedestrianisation.
17 de junho de 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 bikeLeia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Main road mania
16 de junho de 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.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Playing Chicken with a BMW
16 de junho de 2025, Macedônia do Norte ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Picnic breakfast in the park blemished only by a big dollop of donut jam ending up on my t-shirt. Not quite as bad being a Liverpool jersey. Proceeded to have a whistle stop tour of central Skopje. Tried to get down to the riverside cycle route but 3 flights of stairs & full panniers put paid to that. Passed the parliament building or at least that was my assumption based on the copious number of Macedonian flags outside - got to be going for a record. Getting into Skopje on a Sunday afternoon had proved fairly relaxed. Getting out during Monday rush hour less so. Satnav directed my up a no left turn. Decided to ignore the difficulties of crossing the road, the barrier & the fact that no-one was going up there. With good reason - wrong way up a one way. Had plenty- ish space to start off. But then self important BMW & Land Rover drivers were choosing go 2 abreast. With nowhere for me to go, it was a case of move in or run me over. Thankfully they weren't going fast & they chose the former. Bit hairy. Glad to get out of Skopje, not so keen on the looming mountains. Stumbled on the border crossing - again Satnav sent me down road with a queue of juggernauts. One driver poked his head & wagged his finger. Indicated to go back to the main road. Checked it was ok for bikes and ended up at the border. No queue for me - just some footie chat with the border guard. Had to nag for a stamp. Got across & it looked like there was a police reception for a gangland drug lord. Didn't help they were built like brick shithouses & all in black. Got my head down. Didn't want to get pulled over by these. 5 mins a huge convoy sped past. Hmmm. The next 10 or so miles were nice & rural. Passed the real Allianz Arena - none of your Bayern rubbish. Then downhill rather quickly - hit a big town - no sign to let me know. Mad busy main road, endless cat show rooms, scrap dealers, furniture showrooms and bizarrely the odd hotel. If it was going to be like this for the last 30 that wouldn't be good.Leia mais
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Another Balkan Bike Ride John Bickerstaff
Pick a gate, any gate.
15 de junho de 2025, Macedônia do Norte ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Yet another stupid o'clock start. Car dropped smoothly enough & so to the bike drop - no queue to check in. Security cleared & everything was going so smoothly. Then the delight that is thunderstorms over Frankfurt. Not the first time. 15 mins delay turned into 45, then 90. Ended up having to board, depart the gate & park up until Frankfurt gave the go ahead. At least the plane was only half full. Couldn't figure out why the email came through saying hand luggage could be checked in because the plane was full. Eventually made it off but the endless updates for connecting flights told a story of an airport in chaos. And so it proved. Endless people dashing for planes. There was a 3 hour layover for Skopje so that wasn't too bad. Just had to get to the gate. Frankfurt is so big they laid on a bus to get to the other side. Eventually made it only to find that it had been changed. Then again, and again and again. But each & every time you had walk to the gate to find it had been changed. 5 gate changes & the thunderstorms had wandered somewhere between Frankfurt and Skopje. Another 45 min delay on a plane full of toddlers and babies. Nice. And to top it off the steward trashed my water bottle moving it for some idiot that had bought multiple suitcases on board. This might have been why the email was sent. Not the best start to the trip. Hopefully it will get better. Hit Skopje Airport 1 hour late. Immigration wouldn't stamp my passport - 50th country & no stamp - how dare they. Pulled over in customs - thought they were going to want a full unpacking but took it at face value that it wasn't a new bike. Look at the packaging lad. The assembly went well enough & on the road just after 4. Roads seemed a bit sketchy and as for the bike lanes. The original aim had been to check in & then cycle up to the Mt Vodno cable car. According to Google they stopped at 8. Going to require a quick turnaround. Quick stop at the main square for cash - thankfully after I was accosted by an American YouTuber trying to get cash out of me. Lame video idea - do one. Was a bit more polite. Last mile was a bit of a climb. Warden suggested that the last cable car might a bit sooner. Dumped bags and off up the mountain. Urgh. Out of climbing practice. Didn't help the lack of water supplies. Could see at each switchback that the views would be good. Parked up & headed to the ticket office - to find no cable cars running & what looked a very closed ticket booth. Rats. Except it wasn't. Just needed to wait till 7 & they'd crank it for 30 mins. Just don't miss the last one. Got some recommendations for Montenegro from one of the people waiting. Quick dash around - lots of mountain bikers up here and a closed bike shop. No breaks being caught so far. Lazy snack tea & an early-ish night. Going to be a hard day tomorrow.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Accidental haggler.
13 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Out of the villa by 10 necessitated tidying and packing, though final bits and pieces could be put off till the car drop off at 8pm. Once sorted, keys handed over and thanks given it was off to the 'Capital' of the Konvale region where they hold a weekly folklore and culture day. Traditional Croatian dance, song and crafts. Not sure but there was substantial time to kill and it looked a pretty enough place when we drove through. Arrived to find numerous coaches and a car park pretty much full. Pulling in the punters in October - must be doing something right. Followed signs for our welcome drink which was a shot of wine liquor - bit early for that. Liz perused some of the local crafts. Apparently the performance started after mass at around 11.15 so settled on a central spec. The compere gave a welcome and narrated everything in 4 languages and in fairness it was very entertaining. The dancers were unfailingly smiley and very skilled at what they did. Must've been warm in the traditional costumes. The wife swapping dance was particularly funny - the blokes jumping and stealing the ladies when they could. Had a little mooch around the museum and church - apparently silk production and embroidery was big here and much of the historic artefacts had to be squirreled away during the war to protect from the Serbian invaders. Souvenirs bought, though little English was spoken - prices were written down. Liz ummed a little & it was taken as haggling - the price went down but not on what she was interested in. No matter - sorted & off to Cavtat to hit the 'beach' and get some swimming in. Soaked up lots of sun - banking it for the next few months. Walked both headlands and explored the backstreets of Cavtat. By 6 things were cooling down a little and fleeces were at the car but didn't really want to get to the airport too early as the flight was delayed. Ho hum - drop car off and hole up at the airport.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
The urge to scrump pomegranates.
12 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Headed over to the local beach to cool off. Supposedly Prapatno Beach was one of the few in the area that is sandy - I knew Trstenik further down the coast was sandy so it was plausible. Liked the idea of getting in the sea without falling over or gouging feet on stones. Wandering around Ston there were beach shoes available which seemed a good idea, just as they had done 7 years ago then as now it was towards the end of the holiday - no point. If only I'd thought on 7 years ago that I'd need them next time I was in Croatia. Anyway they weren't needed at Prapatno. The sea was warm, the beach had benches on and there was a supermarket to get ice cream. Except it was only open when the camp site was open - out of season - no ice cream. Had a little walk to take in the colour of the sea - so clear. The only time in the whole holiday when there wasn't an abundance of pomegranate trees & yet to be able to pick one that is ripe.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Ston or Mali Ston that is the question.
12 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Last full day - cast iron good forecast so explore a little further afield. Decided to try the Peljesac Peninsula - somewhere I'd been and was fairly sure would be quiet, though other than Dubrovnik everywhere had been. The road out was scenic, though plenty of Sunday drivers and not a chance of getting past. Admired if that is the right word the horror of the cruise liner sat in Dubrovnik and saw the consequences with the endless coaches out and about. Doubted that they'd make to our destination and so it proved. Opted to go with Ston first largely because the turn for Mali Ston had been and gone before awareness had set in. Half full car park and next to no-one about. Result. Decided to hit the walls before things got too hot. Wasn't worried about the levels of busy. Headed to entrance A - logic says the start would be A. Toilets and ticketing signs suggested we were in the right area but no-one at all to take money. Ah well do the walls and pay at the end. Doubts crept in when the few people walking the wall were all going the opposite direction - was it one way like Dubrovnik? Pushed to the back of mine and enjoyed the views. Tempted to walk the wall to Mali Ston but time wasn't on our side - a touch ambitious. Made it to entrance B where we found out that the ticket agent at A had been late and the ticketing system was down anyway so the only way to get tickets was to go online. Assured him I'd get onto it - he didn't seem too bothered so neither was I. Quick picnic lunch in the park while being glared down by a cat until he got scared off by a scrawnier cat - pussy. Back to the car and off to Mali Ston. Hit it just as a party of Japanese tourists were giving rounds of applause for getting off the coach safely (maybe) Ambled along the coast towards the 'beach' a loose term that didn't encourage swimming - left it to the confused ducks going round in circles. Couldn't find an ice cream so a quick look at the other side of the 'Great Wall of Europe' as they like to call it and the off to the beach.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Bite central.
11 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Lazy morning by the pool & other assorted bits and pieces. In fairness the forecast wasn't promising but both shitty forecasted days have yet to yield any rain so pinch of salt should maybe be considered. Anyway post lunch and a little more pool messing decided to hit a couple of local(ish) coastal sites. First was the Prevlaka peninsula - the closest we'd get to Montenegro. Supposedly some wild scenery and views. On the way it looked like things had gone awry with the navigation as the border crossing loomed - no passport so we wouldn't be crossing. Turned off and entered an episode of Abandoned Engineering - my Sunday morning geeky viewing of choice. Punta Ostro, the most southerly point in Croatia had various disused fortifications dotted around like the mossie bites on my leg. God knows when they were from but the ladder up the side of the main fort was hideously tempting. Just explored the various paths and acquired further bites - invest in bug spray urgently. Headed for safer territory - Popovici beach - supposedly one of the most scenic beaches in the Adriatic. In theory the 2km walk down numerous steps and it being off- season should ensure it wasn't too Dubrovnik like. And so it proved - nice walk, quiet beach and a gorgeous swim in crystal clear waters. The stony shore was a little harsh but the setting sun just topped it off.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Big Windy
10 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
Though things had been quiet so far in Croatia - gut feeling said Dubrovnik might not be. In fairness not just gut - cruise schedule had 2 beasts docked. That was better than Wednesday - 4 with around 7000 passengers. Long story short - early start to get the first water taxi from Cavtat. All being well hitting the big Dub for 9:15. There in lay the problem - got tickets & was told it would be going in 3 mins, except it wasn't there. In fairness it did arrive at 8:15, it just didn't have any fuel. Waited for them to fill up. Got going and about half way to Dubrovnik he turned back. They'd forgot a stop. Doubled back for 2 people that could easily have been picked up by the next ferry. Onwards to the next stop - mass pile in of kids. Eventually rocked up at 10- not the early arrival planned. Before we left we were told the last boat back would leave at 4 due to high winds. Looked and saw tour groups everywhere urgh. Thankfully the walls were pretty quiet. Did notice the winds were getting up. Admired the city from afar enjoying not being in the midst of the hoardes. Amazed at what they crammed in to nooks and crannys - allotments, basketball courts, restaurants perched in the most inopportune locations. Unfortunately noticed that the cable car to Mt Ord seemed to have stopped running so opted for a mooch around the alleyways of the old town before walking up to a city vista in the new town. Nice enough. Equally another ferry trip to Lokrum Island seemed to be pushing our luck. Decided to head back before the wind turned nasty. As it turned out that ship had sailed. When ours sailed boy was it choppy. For much of the journey it felt like little progress was being made - just being thrown around. Liz was not happy. A 45 min trip again took 75 mins and definitely a few shaky legs & queasy stomachs on arrival. An experience - maybe should've driven...Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Belly flop
9 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Had a little mooch around the base of the castle again marvelling at what it must have been like trying to attack. Then pushed on for the coast, not too hot and sweaty though. Again the road to Molunat was promisingly quiet & when we got there the sign pointing to the car parking pointed down to an empty plot of concrete with seaweed strewn across it and waves lapping at its edges. Seemed a bit dodgy. Parked on the road - there were spaces - Molunat was quiet. Had a wander, looking for suitable swim options. Bought and ice cream - the woman took pity on us and let us off the 5¢ we were short. Eventually settled on a spec with a slither of sand & proceeded to dodge submerged rocks and fail at diving off the protruding ones. Undignified belly flops. Headed back to enjoy the sunset from the edge of the pool. Nice.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Our own private castle (ish)
9 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Overnight torrential rain didn't bode well. Neither did the forecasts so a combination of that & Liz's need to do her hair led to a lazy morning. That said all the forecast rain for the morning didn't appear too likely. Scooted out to the local shop to re-stock & by lunch time all was well with the world - well the sun was out. Opted for a two pronged attack on the rest of the day. First tackle the local castle & then after getting hot & sweaty climbing up & down the ramparts, head to a quiet coastal village for a swim. The car park at the castle - Sokol Grad (which means Falcon Town) was virtually empty - a couple of cars - looking good. Almost managed to go in without paying. As we climbed 50% of the car owners were on their way out - taking their crying kids with them (well 1 was crying) Had the castle virtually to ourselves. Some great views of the valley from the castle walls. Liz almost broke one of the cannons & did some Roman numeral detective work. There were some well set out informative displays & you could see that they did recreations here at times - the forge & kitchens definitely looked used. By the time we were nearing the top the couple we'd been following had left. Literally our castle. Looking down you could see how impregnable this place would be.Leia mais
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Croatia Autumn 2024 John Bickerstaff
Another dose of Cavtat cherry goodness
8 de outubro de 2024, Croácia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Autumn in this neck of the woods is subtle & easily missed. 7am looking out over the valley & the gentle coating of mist & the slight chill suggested it wasn't far off. Pre-breakie swim was off the agenda but things did warm up once the sun was out from behind the mountains. A couple of breakfasts, some lazing by the pool & a little planning. Decided to explore Cavtat - the local town & the villa guestbook suggested that there might be free parking somewhere rather than the main option which was somewhat expensive. The owners shed some light & post swim we were good to go. Luckily enough there was a spot left & just the small matter of a 15 min walk downhill. Lots of quiet walks around the various headlands protecting the sheltered harbour. Opted to nosey at the luxury yacht first & then take in the headland with the most 'beach' areas. The term beach is used loosely - mainly concreted sunbathing areas with access to the sea. Little evidence of sand. Still most of these areas were nice enough, plenty of shade as well. Ambled round, enjoying the sun & lack of hustle & bustle - all very quiet though there were quite a few British accents. Eventually settled at the most beach like offering and managed a swim. Bizarrely the sea was significantly warmer than the pool. Back to Cavtat for some lunch - sarnies & the most amazing cherry studel. My last meal in Cavtat was a breakfast of some superb cherries - seems apt. Found a bench looking out over the harbour & proceeded to be eyeballed by some very brave sparrows, not that they had any success. Headed round the southern headland dominated by the monolithic soviet era hotel (probably) Signs warned that food was not to be consumed & that sun loungers could not be reserved with towels or other personal items. That said the path became quiet & rugged. You could almost forget the hotel was there. Still, the circular route went through the grounds so it would be rude not to have a nosey. There was a finance and accounting conference on - don't think we fit in. Looked a nice enough place but the seaward side was definitely of the concrete monstrosity variety. Back to the car & back up the mountain to mess around in the pool & the evening sun.Leia mais
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