It was with some trepidation we crossed from Greece, an EU country, into Albania. Maiken and I grew up with news of war, civil unrest, ethnic cleansing, mafia and trouble in the Balkans, and Albania was frequently mentioned.
What met us was the most kind and friendly people! We were genuinely greeted and warmly welcomed to Albania. When we stopped to check our navigation, people would approach us to help us in a lovely way. In Tirana, a kind local woman walked with us around town to find out where Maiken's panier bags could be fixed when a bolt broke. We ended up at a shoe repair shop, and the gentleman only wanted 3€ for the overnight repair.
Maiken and I realised that distance is a matter of perspective. For Maiken the distance back to her family was very far - especially when travelling by bicycle. For me, that road sign had a city (Berlin) that is actually close to my final destination. I still remember seeing a road sign saying Cairns in Australia was 1,222 kilometres and wondering, if I was ever going to make it to Cairns... let alone Denmark.
Total distance cycled: 161km
Number of flat tyres: 0
Number of rainy days: 0
Longest day: 98km
Highest temperature: 26°c
Lowest temperature: 16°c