Addio Grecia.

Yesterday morning I started in bright sunshine and 24 degrees. We quickly went into the mountains where it was a bit cooler. Greece is really worth a visit, as I wrote in previous posts, very nice people and great landscapes.

My navigation system once again calculated nonsense, wanted to get me off this really great road, lead me through a village, and then back onto this road. I noticed it a little too late, got off to realize that it's easier to stay on the old route. After an underpass, I turned around, I had seen the water on the road, it came from a spring, the water flowed from the shoulder onto the road. This is not unusual in the countries I have traveled to. What I had not seen, however, was that there was a thin layer of slippery slime where the road was wet. Berta didn't like that at all. I didn't realize what had happened so quickly, I just heard the typical sound of scraping metal on asphalt, Berta and I were lying on the road against the direction of travel. I think she just didn't want to turn around. But that's not how it goes either.

First I checked if everything was still there or if there were any misalignments of limbs, thankfully not. Berta was also fine, I just haven't found out yet which metal kissed the road, nothing to find except for a worn plastic cap on the suitcase (Mathias' work!!). Well, first off with the helmet, off with the jacket. I tested the puddle, it was really just as bad as ice. Then first attempt to lift Berta again, didn't work. I sat down and waited, eventually someone has to come by. But nobody came, ok, unload the luggage, remove the suitcase, then it went, then it was easy to get Berta back on the wheels.

I hadn't fully extended the side stand yet when a car came, while I was rearranging my luggage, 5 more cars came. Oh man.😬

Well, the journey could continue, soon the North Macedonian border was reached, crossing the border was completely problem-free and only took a few minutes. After the border, I still had about 50 km to Lake Ohrid, where I stayed in the city of the same name for two nights.

Today was shopping, sightseeing and taking care of the motorcycle.

Ohrid has a very nice old town, if you move away from the tourist crowds. The pedestrian zone itself is paved with souvenir, shoe, and silver jewelry shops. Ideal for shopping queens, for men there were plenty of ice cream parlors and street cafes.

In the city center there were some mighty trees to admire, partly already split open, the trunk only remaining in fragments, supported with steel so that it could still hold the mighty crown.

After I was back at my accommodation, I took care of Berta a little bit more. The road contact case was temporarily made rainproof with duct tape and a little spray oil here and there. I hope that Berta is satisfied now and won't throw me off again.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Albania, I actually wanted to go through Kosovo, but due to the ongoing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and a travel warning from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I'd rather not.

Addendum. I have already seen many run-over snakes on the roads. However, the reptile in the photo is not a snake, but a lizard, similar to our slow worm, which according to Google can grow up to 1.4m long. Turtles and lizards are also common.