Great to be home!  After testing negative I packed up the bike and set about spending my remaining lek on food, a museum and some things to bring back.   I'll miss delicious byreks! It'd be nice if we had more public art around in the US... A very effective series of posters... My first flight to London got it late and look who I met on the midnight walk to my hostel near Hyde Park: In the morning I enjoyed a 3-hour walk and seeing some classic sights for the first time. 25 pound entrance fee to Westminster Abbey!  Almost as expensive as the 35 euros to walk Dubrovnik's walls... Three main themes of the many monuments and statues seem to be imperial glory, war memorials and great leaders:   And there are beautiful parks and gardens to enjoy. A smooth trip back to Heathrow completed the 17-hour layover was followed by a direct flight to Denver see the welcome faces of Noel and Esteban.  Time to unpack and trim the beard. A big thanks to Noel for holding down the home front,

I get to go home 😊 

I'm back where I started 2 months ago after a most excellent Western Balkans circuit of more than 2000 km.  Before getting back to logistics (packing bike) and admin (securing negative covid test required by US) tasks, here's an update on the past few days in Albania.  My base for the trip to Theth was Shkoder, a very pleasant city with an excellent hostel.  On the way into town I had the first surprise rain of the trip and ducked under a car wash roof. Quite bike-friendly. I took two days to ride to Tirana with a trip to a coastal nature preserve.  These were the hottest days of the trip, but I've crossed paths with many touring cyclists who have long ways to go.  The navigation software gave me a low traffic route! I guess the south leans Democrat (remember Hillary statue? ) and the north Republican. Friendly coffee break in the shade. Huge abandoned communist-era fertilizer plant. Skanderberg, from 15th century, is the national hero. Dominique and I enjoyed comparing not

 Starting from our guesthouse in Theth We start climbing  And the view opens up Halfway up there's a bar/Cafe if you're thirsty  Steepish, but not crazy Hardly any snow left Almost there (Valbone Pass) After an hour alone it's time to head back  To dinner! A glorious afternoon in the mountains! 7 km, 1000 m up, and a trip high point literally (1820 m/6000') and figuratively. 

My original plan after Bryan and I split off was to hike in the Albanian Alps, but there's still too much snow up high.  I considered two mountainous routes for this last week, but both involved some hard riding to get back to Tirana on time.  So I'm taking it easy 😎.  Ulcinj is 80% Albanian so the call to prayer punctuates the days again. Birding was good yesterday, but the planned beach afternoon was too windy.  I went this morning and experienced my first nudist beach.  If I'd had an umbrella I'd have stayed much longer - not many people (and not all naked) and very relaxing.  I checked out the small old city in the afternoon.  I've been eating well before (bakery around the corner has excellent burek), between and after outings.  Tomorrow I'll work a bit off riding to Shkoder in Albania.