What a change today! When I leave at the lake in Batak, surrounded by pine trees, it is a lovely 20 degrees. Half an hour later I drive through a valley that still resembles the Belgian Ardennes and it is a cool 15 degrees. Another half hour later I drive over hills yellowed by the sun with only dry bushes and it is 32 degrees. And it stays that way for the rest of the route.
A route that takes me to the 1595 meter high Troyan pass with the icing on the cake The Arch of Freedom. This monument, which is very well known among travelers, is high on my list and I am even a bit nervous. The 35-meter-high concrete monument is a tribute to all freedom fighters, but especially to Bulgarian and Russian soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom of these countries.
The last stretch of the road to it is almost dizzying. Fantastic views on all sides, the cloudy weather can't detract from that. My drone provides beautiful material for the relevant YouTube episode and it feels almost epic for me to finally be here myself, like many other travelers.
But I have to move on. The gray clouds are gathering and in the distance the first rain showers are already coming. I don't have a final goal for today so I just enter the data of the next place I want to visit and then stop somewhere on the way there if I'm tired or come across a place to stay.
Along the way I regularly have to drive on wet roads and through puddles, but I haven't really had to drive through rain since I left home. When I stop to eat something at the end of the afternoon, it starts to rain and I search Google for a place to stay. No tent tonight.
Coincidentally, a few blocks away is a house that rents out rooms. There is a telephone number on the front door and I am told in poor English that I can take the key from a cupboard using a numerical code and whether I would like to leave the 45 LEV (€23) on the bedside table when I leave. It remains rainy for the rest of the evening, but I am dry.
