This blog seems mostly to be my own notebook. Few have found it on the net even though I often have referred to it to my friends. Happy you!

Eventually, I reached my goal The Mediterranean in Greece. Not really the way I wished it to be reached. But given the circumstances I am very pleased with my final leg of walking because my son Johan went along, leaving his busy life in London. We flew both to Sofia. I came before him enjoying the city a couple of warm and sunny late October days strolling the downtown streets.

Upon Johan's arrival and a late meal in the busy Vitosha avenue, early the following morning we entered a small bus for four hours ride down to Gotse Deltjev close to the Greek border. That was what we had paid for but we wanted to go further, at least to the border but even more so to Nevrokopi. Now we needed to find some place to eat. Rather nice village with new houses and shops. And fancy cars. Probably young people work elsewhere in the EU or doing some cross-border business with Bulgaria. We had a pizza and soon after started our walking. Was it ever hot on the bitumen road.Some 5 k and we reach a small village, Ochiro. It turned out to be a (former?) center of the Greek defense line of Metaxas. The area was historically a mess of Ottomanian power and emerging Balkan states, Greek being the first in 1830 ending not until 1947. See map below.

Now, we had forgotten to buy food for the evening and also food for next day's breakfast but walked steady on and up into the chilling forest, literally on the defense construction. Finally, we stopped for the day at around 6 p.m. on the northen slopes with a lovely views, soon darkness except for some village light across the valley. Tent. Sleeping bags. Very tight. Good sleep. Early morning. No breakfast. Packing. Started walking before 8 a.m. To be cont'd.