We set off riding south along the coast, hoping in this way to go round the end of the mountain ridge to our east rather than over it. In the event, going round the end still involved a climb of some 550 metres. Quite hard - but on a good road surface with little traffic and through striking mountain landscapes. Before beginning the ascent, we drop in on the coastal fortress of Porto Palermo. Built in the early 19thC by the regional strongman Ali Pasha (or rather, built at his command - and designed by French engineers who, so legend tells, he put to death after the fortress was completed). Three quarters of the way up the ascent, we come across a string of Deux Cheveux cars revving up by the side of the road. Then, one by one, they attempt to tear up a rocky track leading up the mountain - rattling, clattering and roaring as they career over boulders and fissures. One can't believe they don't break into pieces within a few metres - but these are evidently hardier vehicles than they look, as are their French drivers - having a marvellous time encouraging each other, communicating enthusiastically by walkie talkies, and fiddling confidently under the bonnets of their valiant little 2CVs before attempting the rocky climb. Over the next few kms, we see more 2CVs (perhaps thirty all in all) and a couple of support vehicles. They are doing a 2CV rally - RAID Terra des Aigles - from Croatia through Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania to Greece. Having gained altitude early - our tired legs and plaintive knees were grateful for a largely gentle downhill 60km to the outskirts of the port city of Vlore. The RidewithGPS route led us up an unkind 130m climb (it seemed much more) to turning onto a dirt track that tumbled towards Vlore. We baulked at the dirt track, turned and flew down the 130m we'd just laboured up - and found a paved route into Vlore. The Vlore traffic won our prize for the least bike-friendly in Albania - but we somehow managed to skirt round several attempts on our lives to the deservedly unstarred Hotel Rossi. Vlore an unlovely collection of cheaply built five storey apartment & office blocks (some so shoddily constructed it looked as though a heavy storm would topple them). Shops ranged from luxury chandeliers to second-hand footwear in the same block. Cars likewise from gleaming Porsches, Mercedes & Range Rovers to rusty Ladas. Andrew went off in search of bubble wrap to pack his bike. I hunted down a well-reviewed bike repair shop in the hope of getting my gears tuned. I found the place - but the young man showed no interest in understanding what I was looking for. At shops, cafés & the restaurant at which we supped - the attention paid to us stretched from surly to indifferent.