Great Journey 🏍 Day 242
Melnik. Bulgaria's smallest town and the Pirin Mountains are our first destination. We drive into a small and well-dressed town. The restaurants put out the tablecloth-covered tables, people just sit there, chatting, eating and drinking.
We stop immediately, get off our steed and stop at the first café. It's the first time in 6 months that we sit in a restaurant, without any hassle, with other people at the next table. Just like that.
We order a drink in anticipation and only now realise that we don't have any Bulgarian currency in our pockets. No matter, we have to use our last euros or our credit card. While Gerd tries (unfortunately unsuccessfully) to get cash from the only ATM, I look for a nice room. A matter of 5 minutes.
We move in, throw on our hiking gear and off we go, a short hike to Roschen Monastery. A short hike (I thought), but it's a real challenge, both visually and in terms of fitness! A dream area, a bit like Bryce Canyon (why do we always have to compare?) and we hike completely alone, exclusively uphill. At almost 30° Celsius. And I complain a bit, as usual. Gerd carries the backpack. Also as always.
Once at the top, we visit (with many other excursionists - you can also come here by car, we now learn) the medieval and very well preserved monastery, which is quite enchanting. We fill up our water bottle and treat ourselves to an ice cream.
Now only the way back, I don't like to go down the steep track anymore. So we decide to take the road. A very stupid idea! Asphalt, still 30 degrees and "mimimi". And then: a car stops, a man calls out of the window "Melnik?", we both chorus "Da!" (Our Bulgarian is already great!). And there we are, sitting in the car, being driven the 6 kilometres of asphalt road home. Today it's on again!
#melnik #roschen #pirin
