Odyssey Day 14 Niksic to Foca

Montenegro reminds us of Wales. Wet, green and hilly. Wales doesn’t have the tunnels they have here though. A spectacular ride along a lakeside with tunnels through the rock face. Pity they are dark, bumpy and narrow. Adrenaline levels climb a tad.

Into Bosnia. What’s been made clear is don’t stay from the the established road surface. Full stop. Landmines from the 1990s are not cleared throughout the country. Dogs return admist the Alpine landscape.

The common thread in all the countries? Frogs croacking and snails crossing the road. Dogs. People smiling.

Odyssey Day 13 Shkodra to Nicsic 74miles 1400m

Leaving Albania and it’s northern regional capital via a reasonably quiet highway, shepherds were replaced by single men looking after their cattle, well cow.

Border crossed, the rain caught up with us. Driving seemed to improve but that was soon dispelled by the car crashes. The almost immediate appearance of fences to mark off land was in stark contrast to Albania’s relative open land. Montenegro feels a little more prosperous though. Vineyards appear (and later prove that Montenegro wine is not that bad!)

After lunch we ascend, then ascend some more, weaving with a railway track. The numerous monuments and crosses dotted around hint at turbulent pasts. Nicsic feels ok: smoking still very common place.

The return of snappy dogs: Albania’s win out so far for the best behaviour.