There's good picking cherries / The day at the zoo

Day #56

Thursday, June 25th.

From Edessa to

Country: Greece

Everything has stayed dry, so I can continue packing a lightweight tent.

After breakfast, we head out, first I have to push again, the incline forces me to.

It's a great feeling to retrace the same path.

At least now, after leaving Edessa behind, I have a clear view of the surrounding mountains.

After the mentioned village, I pass through fruit orchards.

Especially the cherries look tempting and eventually I must give in to my craving and commit petty theft; a few fruits will be fine.

At the next opportunity, I ask a fruit farmer if I may pick some cherries, which he agrees to.

While I'm still plucking individual fruits, he comes over and becomes quite energetic about it, so I soon have both hands full and a problem with storing everything.

Fortunately, I have a bread bag that is now well filled.

As I pass through a village, I can fill my bottles at the well.

A group of boys and men is very interested in my bike and me.

Once again, it is helpful that I can show them a printed map of my approximate route.

One is very happy that I will soon be riding through Albania, as he comes from there.

Then it’s steeply uphill again, and along the way, I stop now and then to pick a few cherries from one of the many trees.

I've developed a taste for them.

First, Felix the rabbit runs past me so fast that I can only shout a greeting after him.

Shortly afterwards, I see a turtle crossing the road much more slowly.

In nature, it may have proven wise to hide one's head in the shell at signs of danger, but where cars drive, that’s a bad idea. So, she is briefly displaced and I set her down on the other side in the grass.

It continues through fruit orchards, and at a cherry tree by the roadside, I go in for a big harvest and fill a whole bag.

All day long, I've been marking my way with cherry pits.

The scenery alternates, bringing forests and mountains.

I'm already feeling exhausted from the inclines, which intensifies significantly when I see a bear.

I hear crashing in the underbrush, and when I look to the right, I catch a glimpse of him as he seeks to escape.

Fortunately, because usually accidents happen when animals are startled by humans.

As frightening as the situation was, it also has something good since it ended well.

On one hand, I know I’m back in bear territory, so I start ringing my bike bell every few meters.

Or I talk nonsense to myself, trying to generate some attention.

I keep hearing gunshots echoing from the mountain slopes.

I can only speculate that there is a connection.

As I continue to work my way up, the sky gets darker and there’s a downpour.

After some consideration, since the climb is exhausting, I decide to put on my rain gear.

It has definitely gotten cooler, and I will definitely stay drier this way.

After the climb comes the descent, which is delightfully winding.

As I pass a church, the rain has almost stopped, and I seize the opportunity to finally take a break.

It turns into a longer pause, during which I take care of my provisions and the reports from the last two days.

It also takes a bit longer because some places are too small and unknown to be accurately displayed on the map.

From then on, it’s a slight up and down, allowing me to cover a few more kilometers and to quickly approach the Bulgarian border.

While I'm happily pedaling down the road, a snake crosses my path.

It hisses at me once and then disappears into the underbrush.

Slowly, I feel like I'm in the zoo, and my need for wild animals is sufficiently satisfied.

The transition goes quite quickly and smoothly.

Then it occurs to me that I absolutely need a new eSim.

Since I'm near the border post, I can still use the Greek network when a bikepacking couple comes by and we chat.

It’s already early evening, and it’s time to look for a camping spot, so we decide to tackle it together.

Internet can wait; companionship is worth more.

Soon we find a nice spot in a meadow, and once everything is set up, it’s time to cook.

For me, it's the first time on the tour.

Pasta with broccoli sauce.

Lotti and Valle have been on the road since November, first through West Africa, then in Turkey, and now heading northeast. So we exchange experiences and stories.

It’s a very cozy gathering until it’s time for bed.

Fortunately, I quickly got a hotspot and can text Jenni that I'm doing well.

This is still important to me, and I can crawl into my sleeping bag with peace of mind.

Good night.

Song of the day:

Jason Bartsch - Son of Anarchy