The highlights of the sixth day of the Great Balkan Ride.
The sixth day of 2017’s Great Balkan Ride was a chance to do some sightseeing, as the road from Durrës to Vlorë included perhaps Albania’s most attractive town: Berat. We’d been told that we should see the view from the top of Berat hill, but it was the hottest day of the event… would our participants brave the extreme heat?
Photos by Theodore Marković
Life’s a Beach
With temperatures in Durrës topping 40 degrees, teams spent the morning taking full advantage of hotel’s private beach.
Navigation Challenge
While the driving was easier than in previous days, that didn’t mean the navigation was always smooth. This particular junction was especially puzzling…
Road Improvements
Sadly for those of us on the Great Balkan Ride who like the adventure of dirt tracks, we came across a section of our route being improved. Not a great day to be standing outside with a flag…
Berat
With hardly any delay we reached Berat, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Its white stone houses are a symbol of Albania, and earned UNESCO world heritage status in 2008.
The Climb
Not content with merely taking photo from the road, we wanted the best view in town: from Berat castle, at the top of a hill. We, foolishly, parked right at the bottom, and the walk up in the heat was a challenge. The view was worth it though, and some of us even had enough energy to climb up the walls!
A… Boat Hotel?
After making our descent, and a hearty Albanian meal, it was an easy ride to Vlorë, where a seaside hotel, with private pool, awaited us. En route we passed this slightly unusual building, shaped like a (massive) boat, which apparently is also a hotel. Possible accommodation for next year?
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