During our travel in the Rhodope mountains we stayed in a beautiful house with very friendly and hospitable hosts in Shiroka Laka. The village is an architectural and folklore reserve, famous for its remarkably preserved Bulgarian National Revival houses, featuring white stone facades, wooden overhangs, and heavy slate roofs.
Today was probably the hottest day in the summer we've had so far in Sofia - 34C, and half of Sofia, us including, was on Vitosha, in search of fresh and colder air.
We chose a favourite, though a bit long circuit trail, that we hike almost every year - from Zlatnite mostove to peak Kamen del and then through the plateau and through the northern side of Kamen del back to Zlatnite mostove along the mid-altitude Vitosha circuit.
Though the temperatures in the forest were much more comfortable than in the city, it was still quite hot, even on the peak.
The big advantage of this round trail, apart from its indisputable beauty, is that it runs for the bigger part through the higher forests and the shadow of the trees was really appreciated on a day like today.
Hike info:
The plateau
Peak Ushite, where we climbed in June
Its twin brother - peak Kamen Del
We climbed the peak, had a quick fresh fruit snack here, with a view to the entire city from above, and then continued along the plateau
Me-made items, worn on this hike:
Peak Cherni vruh in the far distance
Along the northern slopes of peak Kamen del
We had our obligatory tortillas and beers on a beautiful spot, overlooking the city. After a well deserved break, which included picking of some wild blueberries - there were SOO many, but we only picked a few handfuls for a homemade pie, we continued down to the mid-altitude circuit.
Along the mid-altitude circuit, on our way back to Zlatnite mostove
Imagine that - it’s been 2000 days, or about five and a half years, since I started learning languages on Duolingo, and I haven't missed a single day!
To my greatest joy, Duolingo finally updated the German course. I’m no longer spinning my wheels with repetitive revision exercises or struggling to learn through English and DeepL. Now, there are actual structured units and vocabulary nests; working with the app finally makes sense and yields real progress.
So much so, that I now listen to German podcasts every day and feel comfortable enough to understand most of what is said - with the caveat, of course, that it depends on the topic, vocabulary, and speed of speech. I also read simpler books, like chick lit, almost without a dictionary. I've been listening to audiobooks too, though the frustration there is higher; my comprehension level is lower, and I still need to acquire a lot more word stock to feel comfortable, especially with authors who have an extensive vocabulary.
However, I have to admit that, as with any foreign language, the abyss between my passive and active knowledge is enormous - and only growing. Without active usage, my speaking skills lag significantly behind, and an app like Duolingo can do little to help with that.
To counter this, I’ve introduced something new to my routine lately: I’ve started writing down all of the exercises and using the stories as dictation practice. I also record myself reading the exercises on my phone, then test myself by translating the sentences or new words. It takes much longer to finish a unit this way, but the goal isn't to rush ahead or collect points. I am actively ignoring the gamification part of the app, focusing instead on vocabulary and the few grammatical structures the app provides. I'm not stressing too much about grammar, since I covered the basics years ago; now, I just need to build my vocabulary and polish how I apply those grammar rules in actual speech.
Where do I stand on getting certified? I still haven't gotten around to it, but I am considering taking a B1 level exam once I feel comfortable enough. For now, I'm just enjoying my morning coffee and homemade cake alongside my daily dose of Duolingo. One little step at a time - on a long journey that is already well underway.
After the three days journey in the Rhodope mountains, we decided to take it easy and chose a fairly short circuit trail near home. We "designed" the trail for us a couple of years ago and since then it is gradually becoming one of our staples.
The trail starts from Tihia Kut (the Quiet place), a motel and restaurant facility on the road from Boyana to Zlatnite mostove.
Me-made items, worn on this hike:
Our picnic place, where we enjoyed the obligatory tortillas and cold beers, with some tasty home-made muffins and coffee for dessert. A table for two, please :)
