Follow the Mountains : Day 123: A relaxed hiking day

Monday, September 20, 2021

Day 123: A relaxed hiking day

I had a very relaxed day today. Nothing spectacular, just nice hiking in beech forests and open areas. Only the deer louse flies were bugging me a bit and exactly when I had my lunch breeak and could have put my solar module in the sun, there was not the tiniest bit of sun. Today was anyways mostly overcast but dry. I set up camp very early in a beech forest instead of continuing past some roads. From here I have just a bit over 60 km to go to Kotel, my next resupply place on trail. Since in 2 days, on Wednesday, it is Bulgarians National Day, I'm not sure if stores are open. So I rather want to be there on Thursday, which means I have very relaxed and short days the next two days :)

Today I even passed a restaurant and they were having sausages on the BBQ outside. But there were lots of people and the road passing by was so insanely load, that I didn't even stop there but just rushed up the next mountain to get the hell out of there... Seems like I am not used to that anymore. And thanks to the masses of blackberries I had eaten all.morning, I obviously wasn't starving. Although I regret a little not having stopped at the restaurant. But my food should be enough until Kotel, despite the crappy last resupply.

It is also good, that I have more time tonight with daylight. Days are getting short and even though I never walk too long into the evening, I barely manage to set up camp, write diary, blog and eat before it gets dark. Tonight my feet need some attention. Unbelievable, but I developed blisters on my toes within the last days. I ignored them so far, but today my feet hurt a lot, whenever I started hiking after a short break. I guess its because I didn't wash my socks every day, as I didn't have problems with the shoes before!

Sounds like it might get wet tonight. Good that my tent is already set up :)