Lazarow World-Hike-About

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...

From on high, we take a peek into the town of Smolyan, one of the larger regions of the middle Rhodopes. When we came across this set of 'via ferrata', I got excited and my charming wife read me the 'riot act'. After a frank and fruitful discussion which included a number of issues including her asking for the car keys, we reached an agreement and I was permitted to climb to the top of the first of 2 sections. We returned a few days later and I had her blessing for the full climb and return. She stated she would not watch but wanted to take photographs. It had me fooled but at that stage all I wanted to do was climb, whether she watched or took photographs or neither. Terrific. After I returned, I was walking up toward a viewpoint and something made me turn. There she was, beginning a climb on the rungs. What happened to all the protesting of the previous week? Ascending somewhere in a beautiful land, Iceland. Summer in Iceland. We did not think to pa...