Day 83 - August 3rd: Mile High
Bilisht to Florina (-12k): 29.75 miles / 2,372 total
We stayed at Hotel Egnatia, in sight of the Greek border, in a newly built structure fronting a gas station. Across the street was a 24/7 mini-market diner. At 3,000 feet elevation, it was cool enough to sleep without A/C, but opening the windows meant we heard trucks, border traffic, and barking dogs all night. Still, it was a roof over our heads—and “It’s only for one night” is our motto so it was fine.
Dinner options were limited to either the 24/7 mini-mart or a restaurant several kilometers away. We opted for the restaurant and were surprised by how good it was: fresh arugula and tomato salad with shaved Parmesan, followed by fresh cut fries and excellent kebabs. We were the only customers—I’m not sure how places like this stay open, but I’m glad they do.
Christina dropped me 6 km away from the border where I left off at 6am. Jax got the nod today since traffic was light and the shoulder wide. An hour in, we returned to the gas station café for coffee and a cheese pastry.
Our hotel for the day was in the city of Florina which was 60k from where I started which meant I would need to be picked up. The first day in a country is always tricky as we need to figure out how towns are structured, i.e. for tourists, markets, restaurants, roads, drivers and cell coverage are all variables. The recon also showed that it would be a remote 60k through the mountains. As I left Christina, we had plans and back up plans for support.
I said goodbye and I hit the first checkpoint—Albania let me go, and a few hundred meters later, Greece welcomed me in. When the Greek officer handed back my passport, I swear he smiled knowingly. Second to last country. This journey is almost coming to an end. I felt a surge of emotion as I ran into Greece.
Immediately, everything changed: pristine roads, no trash, and the mountain range opened up before me.
I reached Vatochori just after 9 AM, a stunning stone village nestled at 3,600 feet. The local church, a classic Greek Orthodox white structure, sat at the highest point. I stepped inside—it was Sunday and mass was underway. The place was full, everyone in black or navy, singing. I walked out spiritually full.
From there, it was a gentle 1,000-foot descent through dense forests—a stark contrast to Albania’s scrubby terrain. The road traced the valley of the Sakoulevas River, a tributary of the Crna and part of the larger Axios system, which once guided ancient travelers along the Via Egnatia. That road, first laid by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, connected the Adriatic to Byzantium.
Christina cleared the border without even needing Jax’s passport, and met me with supplies as planned at 10:30am. She went ahead to recon the next 40k and to check in. She confirmed only one restaurant existed ahead, in Kotas.
There, a grandmotherly figure offered me either a hamburger or pork chop. I asked for something lighter—she delivered a simple Greek salad with bread and it was perfect. I left re-energized.
From Kotas, the climb began in earnest. A sign read 10% grade, and I could see the wind turbines at the summit—my target.
Along the way I passed the abandoned mountain villages of Prasino and Trigono—ghost towns left behind by rural depopulation and war. Even so and in these remote areas, I came upon numerous busts and chapels along the road.
The forested peaks here are habitat for deer and bears, though I saw neither. I did spot a ski resort in the distance. Across from the slopes was Pisoderi, quiet today but likely bustling in winter. At 5,200 feet, I finally crested the pass at Vigla and stood atop a range separating me from Florina in the distance and numerous other little villages in the foothils.
The descent was steep, forested, and beautiful—but punishing at 40+ kilometers in. When I regained cell service, I coordinated pickup with Christina to leave the hotel at 4:30pm and come towards me. She found me at 48k and it couldn’t have come sooner. She made my day when she told me that she had booked a physiotherapy massage at 5:30 PM back in at our hotel.
Thank you for following along and the support.
Cheers,
David.
