Heraklion - North to the Balkans - CycleBlaze

May 12, 2018

Heraklion

(In development, and may not be completed for a few days.  When it is, I’ll drop a note in the current day’s entry to remind you to look back here.)

Last riding day in Crete!  We head back to Heraklion today, and catch the ferry tomorrow morning for Naxos.

Stay tuned.

(Well, stay tuned a bit longer.  Surprisingly, our hotel in Heraklion, the biggest city in Crete, has the worst WiFi.  I’ll catch up later.)

It’s just gone eight, and the first swimmers are already in the bay.
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There’s a bit of rain in the region this morning, but it looks like we should stay dry for the day.
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It looks like the old road from Agios Nikolaos to the northern coast is a regular bike route. It’s well marked with navigation arrows the whole way.
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Ron SuchanekAre those Arkel paniers?
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6 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Ron SuchanekNope -Lone Peak. We’ve been riding these (but replaced with newer ones) for almost 30 years.
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6 years ago
Ron SuchanekTo Scott AndersonJen's front panniers are Lone Peak- they are great.
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6 years ago
Our road follows this large trench through a string of villages, climbing gradually to a low summit.
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Not the most exotic species, but the ones here seem especially beautiful.
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Slow living in Limnes
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One last tangled road before leaving Crete. We’re climbing here to the saddle between the interior and the coast. The new road, a few hundred feet below, passes through a tunnel instead.
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The coastline from Malia to Chersonisou is completely blanketed with resorts, but still quite beautiful.
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Risking it all for the perfect shot
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Beyond Chersonisou we follow the old road to Iraklion the rest of the way. Not a pleasant ride. For a few miles at least, there is a minor frontage road to separate you from the constant traffic.
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Ron SuchanekThat looks harrowing.
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6 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Ron SuchanekLike they say though - better than the best day in the office.
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6 years ago
Ron SuchanekTo Scott AndersonYou got that right.
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6 years ago
The last few miles were just a bit tense - fast traffic, minimal shoulder, strong and erratic crosswinds.
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As is our style lately, we chose to find an exotic entrance to the city.
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Ride stats today: 42 miles, 2,600’

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