My clever boy Sausage helped me discover an amazing trail a couple of days ago. Today was the first chance I had to get back up there with a camera!

We headed straight up the mountain.

This is a very steep like slope, with foot holds cut in. You can barely see them in this picture.

Here’s my feet in two of them. They turn the slope into a staircase.

Metchka and Sausage ahead of me just before the tough bit.

I don’t know why, but this final bit up is still a challenge.

Here’s my village, Malak Izvor (Little Spring). Population of about 300.

I used to stop here and then go down another path. But Sausage was keen for me to know there’s more through here.

This is a logging road. I know because I saw a logging truck go down it.

I followed them up the logging road.

Sausage then veered off to show me this footpath.

That goes to this trail that parallels the logging road.

Amazing views from that path when the trees clear!

Metchka’s waiting for me, Sausage is sniffing around.

I got to the end of this trail at least three times before I realised that Sausage was trying to tell me that there’s more beyond it!

Some pictures of my Bulgarian Shangri-La.

Max is here for the weekend and arrived with a present. I’d reported that the 10-year-old cooktop had developed a leak, so he brought me this gorgeous shiny thing to cook on!