Day 213 – EU – Bulgaria [Kresna to Blagoevgrad]

22/09/20

42km

  From Kresna (Bulgaria) to Blagoevrad (Bulgaria)

Europe

Crossing the Kresna Gorge on a winding narrow busy road – a very stressful start to an otherwise beautiful autumn day

I left Kresna at dawn and headed for the only road currently available to cross the Kresna Gorge. 20km of a sinuous and narrow road, wedged between the mountains and the Struma river. I was quite stressed. The road has a reputation for being dangerous, having loads of accidents. This is the only road available when crossing from Greece over to the Capital city of Bulgaria, Sofia. There is a current Motorway project underway which is subject to loads of criticism due to its impact on the environment and the local fauna.

The road certainly did not need my & BoB’s added presence to be dangerous. It was scary. I ran as fast as I could, taking no breaks. I was on high alert constantly. Watching ahead and listening to the traffic behind. I don’t need to see anymore, I know by sound what is coming up, as well as how close. I would stop and park with BoB the stroller away from the road everytime a truck was coming from behind. There was no shoulder on the road. I could see the environment was stunning and the autumn light was making it absolutely gorgeous. But there was no way I could focus on it or stop by for a picture.

I heaved a sigh of relief at km20 when I was finally out of the Gorge and able to run on a backcountry road. What a stressful start to the day. The rest of the morning went by fine, I enjoyed being able to look around, listen to the birds and see how nature is subtly changing hues on the 1st day of this new season.

Blagoevgrad is a pretty little town at the foot of the Rila mountains. I walked the streets of the pedestrian centre, it was very nice and very busy. Loads of cafes and restaurants, busy streets. It seems everyone is trying to catch the last of the sun’s rays before the cold season starts. Transition time

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: