While not very scenic, today was an easy walk on forest tracks through the wooded hills where the Pirin mountains peter out.
After passing houses belonging to the village of Popovi Livadi, the first section of forest track was not too pretty. The dirt track was being widened and upgraded, and looked like a great gash through the forest. Last night the hut keeper had proudly showed me on Facebook how he had painted waymarks and put up lots of trail signs in the area. I fear that the track widening has destroyed many of them. Passing a steam roller flattening the new road, the driver asked where I was going and if I had a map. Then there was a digger digging a drainage trench beside the road and later two big JCB's getting ready to dig up tree stumps beside the old track. The trees themselves had been chopped down sometime before. Eventually I reached the old narrow track where nature had long since dressed the rocks with lichen and softened the track's outline with grasses and flowers. Just before I did so I stopped at the spring by a shelter called Dalgia Chuchur where the guidebook said the water was especially "tasty". I found it cool and fresh.
After the excitement of road construction it was an uneventful walk along the vehicle track up and down hills. As there was only one cowherd to distract me today I was soon lost in my day dreams, as I walked through the mist caused by low clouds passing through. So occupied in thought was I that I missed the turn off to the only tourist site of the day, the Sveti Petar Chapel. Or maybe there was a second opportunity for visitors, a sign pointed to an Interpretive Trail and camp ground, but I had not spotted where they were located, maybe along some new yellow waymarks?
Arriving at the Slavyanka hut just after two I was impressed with the modern facilities. I have a room with an en-suite bathroom and hot water. Luxury! There was a curious sign on the wall outside showing the German advance into Greece in the WWII, they must have passed near here. There was also a watchtower, presumably dating from when the building housed border guards, before its refurbishment.
I arrived before the forecast rain and as I lay on my bed thunder was rolling around the hills.
While eating a dinner of pork and shopska salad I watched on old film on the TV. In Bulgarian but looked like rebels out foxing the Turks, all the men had impressive moustaches.
After passing houses belonging to the village of Popovi Livadi, the first section of forest track was not too pretty. The dirt track was being widened and upgraded, and looked like a great gash through the forest. Last night the hut keeper had proudly showed me on Facebook how he had painted waymarks and put up lots of trail signs in the area. I fear that the track widening has destroyed many of them. Passing a steam roller flattening the new road, the driver asked where I was going and if I had a map. Then there was a digger digging a drainage trench beside the road and later two big JCB's getting ready to dig up tree stumps beside the old track. The trees themselves had been chopped down sometime before. Eventually I reached the old narrow track where nature had long since dressed the rocks with lichen and softened the track's outline with grasses and flowers. Just before I did so I stopped at the spring by a shelter called Dalgia Chuchur where the guidebook said the water was especially "tasty". I found it cool and fresh.
After the excitement of road construction it was an uneventful walk along the vehicle track up and down hills. As there was only one cowherd to distract me today I was soon lost in my day dreams, as I walked through the mist caused by low clouds passing through. So occupied in thought was I that I missed the turn off to the only tourist site of the day, the Sveti Petar Chapel. Or maybe there was a second opportunity for visitors, a sign pointed to an Interpretive Trail and camp ground, but I had not spotted where they were located, maybe along some new yellow waymarks?
Arriving at the Slavyanka hut just after two I was impressed with the modern facilities. I have a room with an en-suite bathroom and hot water. Luxury! There was a curious sign on the wall outside showing the German advance into Greece in the WWII, they must have passed near here. There was also a watchtower, presumably dating from when the building housed border guards, before its refurbishment.
I arrived before the forecast rain and as I lay on my bed thunder was rolling around the hills.
While eating a dinner of pork and shopska salad I watched on old film on the TV. In Bulgarian but looked like rebels out foxing the Turks, all the men had impressive moustaches.
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| Track out of Popovi Livadi |
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| Walking through the trees in the mist |
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