Post 51: Macedonia

In Macedonia there exists a motorway unlike any other, the 75/1/75 from Skopje running south to the Greek border. It begins like any other major road, passing through towns where congestion and pollution remind you constantly of home. It is in parts blighted by seemingly endless roadworks and maniac drivers, .... but I will let Alan tell you about the Rover 75 that almost brought Poor Circulation to an untimely end. You then approach a toll gate where you pay 40 Denar and the smiling begins. An alternate road exists where no toll is payable and the locals must use this road as this part of the motorway is almost devoid of traffic, .... let the fun begin.

The road parts and the North and South carriageways skirt around opposite sides of a range of hills, ... two lanes of bumpy yet usable tarmac twisting like a pained serpent and stretching as far as the eye can see. We pick up the pace, using the torque of the Tigers to lift the bikes out of the corners and gunning for the next vanishing point, never using the centre of the tyres, always on the edge, ..... hunting the apexes and aiming for the perfect clipping points, ... for a motorway, this road is absolute heaven. We arrive at the next toll gate, ... hand over 80 Denar and with huge grins inform the attendant that we each want two goes, .. what an experience.

As for the rest of Macedonia I could not tell you, .. we passed through at an alarming speed but enjoyed the 75/1/75 so much that it has left us with a warm feeling for the country and a new confidence in the ability of a fully laden Tiger to hold a perfect racing line at well over 100mph, .... don't try that at home folks.

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