When I tell Muharrem the hotel I’m thinking of staying, he picks up his phone and makes a call. “You will stay in a traditional hotel, not a modern hotel.” But the hotel he called was booked. He makes another call and books me a room at Hotel Muzaca, a hotel in a traditional stone […]
I face more Sarande traffic madness to get out of town; I find myself more bold and aggressive, which isn’t always a good thing when riding a motorcycle on foreign soil. But I make it out of Sarande and head down to the valley through the same mountain pass I arrived two days earlier. To […]
I take nearly three hours to ride from Gjirokastлr to Cobo winery, just outside the village of Berat. I still fight with Google Maps, and once inside the town of Fier, I pull over at a roundabout to look at my phone to make sure I don’t miss a turn. Two men drinking coffee at […]
Just about 10 miles south of Sarande is Butrint, some of the most incredible ancient ruins in Albania and the Balkans. So with most of my gear unpacked and safe in my hotel room, I follow the coast south to Butrint. I’m told that to explore and experience the ancient site, I’d need to plan […]
I wander the promenade after sunset, catch a group of local musicians, and then settle in at a nice restaurant for my first Albanian meal. Mare Nostrum has a large covered patio and tonight is teeming with lots of people. The buzz in the air is a mix of languages, some Greek, Italian, and various […]
The road from Kalpaki to the Albanian border winds through plains and crests hills, clouds turn dark and soon it’s pouring rain. “Great,” I wonder, will this last? I see patches of blue sky and take the risk to just ride on. My jacket is soaked when I arrive at the border bathed in sunlight. […]
Thanks to a great — and late—evening with new friends at Dryoino, I could not get up early. It’s noon when I am packed and ready to go. Within 10 minutes riding, my shirt is sweaty and sticking to my back, the tips of my fingers stick to the inside of my gloves. Another hot day […]
Ioannina is relaxed, comfortable, and easy. With my bike parked safely inside the old city, I walk around and then outside the walls along the lake. I join other locals who are chatting, drinking coffee and juices and smoking cigarettes under umbrellas and tall trees that line the lake. So what I thought would be […]
I can feel beads of sweat drip down my back as I ride out of Lefkada. There is only one way off this island. And everyone leaving must take the same road and cross the same bridge. So the traffic is crazy. I take advantage of the small profile of my motorcycle and edge along […]
I stay an extra night in Lefkada. I want to ride the island one more time. Take comfort and revel in awe at these beautiful beaches. I also share a sunset and meal with Adonis, the owner of the villa, Thea Resort, my brother Jonathan and his friends rented a few years ago. Full of […]
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