Thursday 30 June. Day 14: Ohrid to Bitola

June 30, 2016

We woke early yet again to try and beat the heat we knew was coming. The hotel had offered us a packed lunch, which we ate as breakfast in the room - once again rolls with meat, cheese and salad, a bit of fruit, yoghurt. At 7am things were very quiet. A few people on their way to work and that was about it. Pretty amazing to see shops with outdoor tables of produce/stock left all night with just a bit of plastic draped over. You couldn't do that in Australia without it 'walking' overnight... Travelling past the houses on the outskirts of town we could see lots of orchards and vegetable gardens in people's yards.

Up into the hills north of Ohrid. Looking like another warm day on the way.

After about 17km we started another climb, reaching the pass after about 7km. Thankfully there was almost no traffic and the grades were not so bad. Over the top we encountered a beautiful new bit of road and went for a total hoon until we caught the construction zone towards the bottom and the route became much more 'undulating'. Past a rather large number of both christian and muslim cemeteries we found a newly built restaurant/function centre on the outskirts of Resen, where we enjoyed a few hours out of the sun at a shady outdoor table.

Enjoying lunch outside Resen. Inside the function centre, they were setting up for a wedding, including covering those circular bins with the ashtray on top with tulle. Noice!

Even here, in the back blocks of Macedonia, drinks in Mason jars with lids and straws. AAARGGHHHH! The food came on a plate not a breadboard. So that was something.

After a long lunch, we headed off on the secondary road to Bitola. This was the old road. Cobbled for the first 10kms and stretches also after that. The grasses and shrubs were starting to reclaim it, slowly narrowing the road. We had a great time. A few trees offered some shade as the afternoon progressed, only one or two cars passed, and once we covered ourselves with Aeroguard the nasty big flies stopped biting. So much.

Our lovely, quiet, often cobbled, crappy road. Absolutely gorgeous to cycle! Not sarcasm. Very pleasant afternoon. Except for the bees and flies which we couldn't outrun as mostly climbing slowy!

Little bits of lovely shade... still climbing our nice quiet old road.

At the top we swapped to the new road, rather than having to tiptoe down yet more cobbles. After another fast decent and then some nice gentle slower rolling sections, we came to a detour sign that was pointing everyone (including the trucks) onto the old narrow road with no shoulder. Yuck. Pausing to consider our lack of options and the information on google maps etc, we noticed a couple of cars and motorcycles coming out of the blocked road, from the direction we thought the proper highway was supposed to go. So around the barricades we went. Great choice! Kms of empty road where the highway was being widened, sometimes freshly minted, sometimes half the road still serrated, and at one point a section where the road was actually being laid with hot tar as we snuck by down the side.

At the end, where the other road block was, we found a service station where we stopped for gelato. Sitting at the next table drinking little cups of coffee were police in full battle fatigues including vests, helmets, assault kneepads, and giant scary guns. Odd? Especially as the final few kms into Bitola featured police standing on most corners. Visiting politician due to drive past??

Getting closer to Bitola. The lovely grasses gave my hayfever something to get very excited about...

We stayed at the lovely Hotel Theater and after getting out of our sweaty, insect-repellent infected clothes, we wandered clean into town to find a long pedestrian street, filled with young couples, babies in strollers and old folks watching it all go by. A lovely atmosphere. Unfortunately the pavements were pretty crap, and I fell twisting my ankle. DAMN!!!

Today's ride: 74 km (46 miles)
Total: 345 km (214 miles)

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