Lazarow World-Hike-About

Taking the gap. As we came over the ridge, the scene stunned us. We did not realize a lake existed as it had been under cloud and mist cover moments before. Clouds dissipate for a moment. ...and then return just as quickly at Sinanishko Lake. While walking down a steep slope in a forest on a wet day, having just put on our distinctive blue ponchos, I paused to think for a moment. Some might say: 'Nice change'. I suppose so. What were we doing mid-afternoon on an early winter afternoon, off-trail, slippery underfoot, about to be rained upon and straining to find a reasonable path which would take us home. I mentioned this to Jen, one of those no-nonsense types, who make life a lot easier for themselves. She does not concern herself with things she cannot change. She has other issues. For example: Me. Her reply was straight forward. "Are you enjoying yourself?" "I'm loving it," I replied. Bear in mind we were stuck in o...

Each pattern of weather brings its own perspective of nature. Jen returning down the second last ski slope having carelessly lost her skis. 'Haunting' in a sense but for us, special on the day. We feel so fortunate regarding the weather in Eastern Europe over the period of our visit, certainly the latter month. Because we changed our plans by reducing our stay in the southern hemisphere, it meant that most of November, including September and October, would be on this continent. The last fifty days were spent in Bulgaria, a country we only read of very briefly in our youth. In the latter years, because of the vast changes of the ‘nineties’, we took a keener interest although more focused on some of the larger neighboring countries. A funny thing is that a day before departing Poland for Ukraine, we decided to skip over that country knowing full well we’d learn all about it during the ‘impeachment hearings’. Naturally, we forego all hiking activities during the he...

I've made the comment from time-to-time: Who likes a showoff? Of course, if I'm the showman, then that's obviously different. Here I was preparing for a 3rd climb on the rungs, via ferrata, steadying myself and arguing internally with my cautious, negative id(iot)—Be a man, Jeffrey...well, at least try. Stop shaking and get on with it. I had a feeling, this being the 3rd time over the last ten days of undertaking the vertical climb (on our way home from a formal hike), maybe I'm pushing my luck. Then I had a better thought: 'Cut out the superstitious nonsense'. In fact, there is an old Jewish concept that when a person does something for a 3rd time, it becomes a habit. (Unfortunately, it works on negative behavior as well. Got a few of those, too.) Lo and behold, my photographer had not taken her position at the mound opposite the cliff. Instead, I found her climbing the rungs, upstaging me. Heck, what's the world coming to? Can't a fellah have a...

We've observed Snezhanka Tower, perched at the peak, from at least 8 different places, including our apartment and as far away as fifteen miles or so. Perspective i s a wonderful concept. It applies in many different contexts. Today, we gained physical perspective as we hiked to a viewpoint some 1,300 feet above our commencement, from the apartment, to the Three Mountains view. Actually, it really is ranges rather than single mountains. From the viewpoint, we saw the local Rhodopes close to us, relatively speaking, although we were actually on one of the peaks forming part of that range—Snezhanka. The other two ranges in the distance, recently snow-covered, are Rila and Perin. It was a wow. What was particularly special is that we had stood on at least four of the peaks a couple of weeks back and could now gain perspective of how the mountain system fits together. Add in the fact that having climbed 3,300 feet each for Vihren and Kutelo, it made us feel really good to see th...