Iron Wilma

October 27, 2024

"Iron Wilma" is the name my bike has earned. It won the title in a highly competitive naming contest among my friends. It’s a perfect match for my steel bike and the journey I’ve had with it so far.

While having my morning coffee in Vlora, I spot the Dutch couple on the tandem bike again. Unfortunately, they don't hear me. Challenge accepted: I try to catch up with them.

Just as the climb to the Llogara Pass begins - where I figure I have the best chance of catching them - I get my second flat tire of the trip.

A large nail is stuck right in the middle of the tire. Not even my Iron Wilma with its supposedly "puncture-proof" Schwalbe tires can help here.

Changing the inner tube takes a while. Eventually, I get it ready for pumping. I’ve had the necessary adapter since my last flat, but for some reason, I can’t get my pump to work.

Luckily, the flat happens right next to an auto repair shop, and they help me pump it up. The pass is quite strenuous.

It’s foggy.

The beautiful view I was expecting - especially the one on the other side, where I would see the sea - seems to be slipping farther and farther away, even though I’m getting closer to it.

Then the surprise: The other side is clear of fog. I spontaneously decide to spend the night at the pass and find an unfinished house to camp in. It’s just made of columns and floors, but it has a great view of the sea, of course.

With my drone, I capture two seas in one shot - fog and water.

Unfortunately, I don’t see the Dutch couple again during my journey, but later find out that I had just missed them at the pass. I learn this through social media and from two French cyclists with light luggage who caught up with me and the Dutch couple.

I have dinner at a restaurant on the pass, but on my way back to my tent, I feel a bit like a homeless person. Since I couldn’t ride as much as planned due to the flat, the next day I face the hardest leg of the entire trip, with the most elevation gain. But I’m determined to reach Sarandë. I had already booked accommodation there that morning - just before my flat tire.

Where there’s an Iron Wilma, there’s a way.

On the descent from the pass, I spot a camper van with a license plate from Bern. It feels as though Oskar and Anita were waiting just for me. They spontaneously prepare breakfast for me with coffee, bread, cheese, and mandarins. What a great start to the day! What amazing people!

Feeling energized, I make it to Sarandë just in time for sunset. Now, I’ve earned two rest days.

Banquet

Misunderstanding