Mt. Vitosha

Here is our backyard (more or less).


This shot is from our back stairwell of Mt. Vitosha. It dominates the city as it rises about 8,000 feet into the sky. The locals call it the "lungs of the city" which is an absolute necessity since Bulgarians smoke non-stop and need a few extra lungs around just in case.


Another shot for some perspective.


Vitosha received its first little topping of snow last weekend. I've never lived anywhere where it snows, so this was a momentous occasion for me.


Another shot of the snow.


Here is a shot of Vitosha from campus. From here it is a ten minute walk to the Gondola where a 45 minute ride will take you to the top. You can hike in the summer and ski in the winter. Downhill and cross-country sking and snowboarding are very popular and, in winter, I've heard it is quite crowded with the city dwellers taking a break and hitting the slopes. There are hundreds of trails for the summertime hikers too.