Erwin and a wonderful view at Corinth

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It’s the end of April 2022 and for the first time in months, I’m getting close to a bigger settlement. After visiting Monemvasia, I got the feeling that visiting human-made sightseeing sites is not my favorite thing to do, but still, I thought that passing Corinth without visiting its famous sites, would be kind of stupid.

Half an hour before it closes down, I entered the ancient site of Corinth. I’m walking in between the old stones and especially the temple of Apollo impresses me. I’m enjoying visiting this place but I’m not sad that I have not much time left to check out all the ruins of this place. In my head, I notice something like a sense of duty. It’s weird. Like I have to be here. But of course, I know that I don’t. At one point I’m noticing that the mountain of Corinth with the ancient fortress of Corint on top of it, fascinates me the most. More than the ruins and by far more than the tourist restaurants and shops right next to the ancient site.

Before I have to leave the ancient site, I leave it and start driving Rosinante up the mountain. I take some offroad tracks and try different directions and in the end, I find an awesome spot to stay. After just a few minutes a young, cute stray dog approaches my little home area. He’s shy but looks very interested in what I’m doing. He looks hungry and so I’m taking a bit of the dog food I’m having with me and after a few minutes, he’s convinced that I’m a friend and I call him Erwin. From this moment on he stays at my little camp and follows me everywhere I go. When I’m sitting outside, Erwin lays beside me. We play around and take a walk. In the evening Erwin chooses a place under Rosinante as his sleeping spot. The next morning we take a morning run together and it turns out, that Erwin is a very good climber.

I’m thinking about what it would be like to have a permanent dog friend and travel companion with me.

Sand pyramids in Melnik, Bulgaria

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After I had left Greece, I headed for one of the mountain areas in Bulgaria. I found a nice, calm, and cool spot next to a small chapel in Melnik.

Melnik is famous for the sand pyramids that stick out of the woods around that place. The hiking there was super easy and felt somehow unexcited. But not in a negative way. Just easily flowing. Through a dry river bed, up the hills, down the hills. Shadow, sun. I enjoyed it very much and had a good time there. My mind was pretty calm and I enjoyed that as well.

Especially the combination of green and ‘sand-yellow/ochre’ I liked a lot. It was such a nice contrast.

At my temporary home, I installed the spare parts for Rosinante’s electronics. Thanks again, Tino.

After some days I headed towards the bigger mountains. And these Bulgarian mountains… They are magical. And super beautiful. You’ll see…