The pair stayed with generous locals in the city of Prizren until June, when they restarted their adventure, keeping an eye on local restrictions as they went.
They took separate routes – Rosie running and Mike cycling – into Albania, then Macedonia and Bulgaria, before arriving in Varna on the Black Sea coast.
Rosie had run over 400km of the Kom Emine mountain trail, and Mike had cycled through the Rhodope mountains in the south of Bulgaria.
But the couple hit a roadblock at the Georgian border, which has not reopened since the start of the pandemic.
Now, after spending months in some of the most beautiful regions of Europe, Mike and Rosie are back in the UK and self-isolating. But the pair are already eager to get back on their journey as soon as possible.
Mike said: “We're likely to be in the UK at least until Spring next year as the borders are closed to Georgia and Azerbaijan which were our next planned stops.”
Rosie had run over 400km of the Kom Emine mountain trail, and Mike had cycled through the Rhodope mountains in the south of Bulgaria.
![Shkoder in North-West Albania is in the top ten cycling cities in Europe. The city has a strong cultural heritage of cycling.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRhOTAwYzZhLWJiMGQtNGVmNS1hNTk2LWU0ZjA5ZGYxYzYxZjoyNTg3MDczZS01ZTZmLTRlZWMtOTBkZS0yZjFjMzZmNGQzM2I=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
17. The city of Shkoder
Shkoder in North-West Albania is in the top ten cycling cities in Europe. The city has a strong cultural heritage of cycling. Photo: Mike Elm
![Mike models his sun protection outside Shkoder in North Albania.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmJmNWQxNmVmLTEyZDgtNDllYS1hNzVmLWNjZWQwMzE5N2FhYjoxNTI2ZTZkYy0xYTgxLTQ1OTEtYWEyOS1kMzY4NzQzMTk4Y2Q=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
18. Travelling in Style
Mike models his sun protection outside Shkoder in North Albania. Photo: Mike Elm
![Mike made some non-human friends during his adventure too.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmY4YzY5ZDU1LWU0ZDItNDQ0Ny1hN2Q2LWZlYmE5ZGIwZGMzNTplNDBmMzhhMS03OTQ1LTRhYjEtOWMyNC0wNjdkZGIwNjFlODg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
19. Feline friends
Mike made some non-human friends during his adventure too. Photo: Mike Elm
![Mike went hiking in the Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains, as the lockdown there began to lift.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjNlY2YyYTJmLTk1NWItNGM1MS04YTNkLTIyN2VmYjNkODY2MTo0NzUxZThmMi1mMDE2LTQ1ZDUtOWJiNi1iNWQ3Y2I4ZWY1YTA=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
20. The Accursed Mountains
Mike went hiking in the Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains, as the lockdown there began to lift. Photo: Mike Elm