In February 2005 I returned to Bulgaria as the guest of the two guides I had met the previous August, during a walking holiday organised by Ramblers Holidays.
Click on the miniatures to see a larger version.
The first week was spent at the home of Varban Todorov in Kyustendil, 60 miles south west of the capital Sofia.
Varban with his son Toma, aged 7 |
He took me into the Osogovo mountains just half an hours' drive - and visible - from his flat:
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SS Peter & Paul church |
Icicles! |
Ski run |
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Osogovo mountain hut |
Vitosha and Konyavo |
Rila mountains from Osogovo |
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Pirin mountains from Osogovo |
Osogovo from Kyustendil |
Town square, Kyustendil |
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Scenes in Kjustendil | |||
For the second week I was the guest of Krasimir Ivanov and his girlfriend Yana in Sofia. Krasi took me into the Rila and Vitosha mountain ranges, to a wine festival and to the city of Pleven:
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First glimpse, Rila mountains |
In the forest |
On Vitosha mountain |
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Rila mountains from Cherni Vruh |
Cherni Vruh (7513ft) |
Sofia and Stara Planina |
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Frozen family! |
Looking back, Vitosha |
Restaurant Tsarevets, Vladaya |
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Wine festival, Brestovitsa |
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Hamam, Pleven |
Shopping street, Pleven |
Town park, Pleven |
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Evening over Vitosha |
Sofia by night |
Nibbles, Brestovitsa |
Mausoleum, Pleven |
This holiday had enabled me to see the real Bulgaria.