60.31 Bulgaria: Beden (village) and above: The beginning of the end of growth: We have waited for you, Autumn...impatiently.

                                                                   AM YISRAEL CHAI (a beacon of hope/light in a harsh/dark world.) 

And you are always worth waiting for...and this is only the beginning.
Jen showing off her speed but we all know she is on a decline...
  Many sayings exist that sound glib or even brilliant. Our hats go off to those with such insight. Nevertheless, as insightful as these thoughts expressed to wider audiences are, it takes implementation for there to be a potential effect, to have significance or meaning. We have much time on our hands to consider many things in our lives as well as opportunity to do something about those thoughts and ideas—ideally to bring them to fruition. We’ve realized without action, they are merely cute ideas, nothing more. 

  Today, we were thinking of one of many of these concepts. We’re currently in Devin, a town we enjoy much that’s surrounded by many large mountains. We love that except there aren’t many trails and if there are, the Bulgarians are not too keen on sharing such information. We have always liked to explore mountains with intention of seeking ways to find trails to peaks. It’s very convenient when existing trails abound but less so when a scramble is called for. The idea is to seek ways of achieving the greater purpose using some basic sense (short supply) coupled with imagination. 

  It was one such day when we were able to find a combination of roads, trails and paths to reach a peak way above a town a few miles from Devin. By researching from the road the day before while returning from Yogadina, and experimenting today, we had without exaggerating, a spectacular day of hiking. Adding in the first glimpse of autumn colors made the experience even more memorable. 

  What's the ‘saying’ we referred to earlier: 'If a person thinks she cannot succeed, then she’s right. If that person thinks she can succeed, she is also right.' It works but of course, that doesn't necessarily make it easy just having the right attitude. In fact, most tasks and challenges that are easy are usually meaningless. The good life is a struggle but invariably, filled with rewards along the journey. 

The road into the village from the gorge. It's a pretty good road relatively speaking. We began our hike much lower down.
After forty minutes, we face part of the village, nestled ideally on the side of the mountain.
We pass the village and look back...it looks even nicer. What we'd do for a cup of coffee/tea now...
Going higher.
Let's continue...
We've noticed the colors becoming more striking each day.
Flora is varied and most attractive.
There's a power to the forests in this country...the trees abound.
In the previous blog we pointed out the views of Snezhanka Tower from a multitude of sites. This is the furthest position for us.
On our way down into the gorge, another gorgeous place.
Cheers, 

Jenni and Jeffrey

Talking of coffee earlier, another thing I love about the country are the vending machines, as we return from the peak and walk through the village.