Category Archives: Diary

First official run–10 k, Berlin Airport Run

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It’s been already some time, but I’m not exactly the most regular, so:

2012 04 22 11.26.45 thumb First official run–10 k, Berlin Airport Run

The 6th Berlin Airport Run – 22 April, 2012. Official Half-marathon but with a 10k option. Option which I chose for the first ever event like that for me.

It was nice to prepare with a goal. You know you have to do 10k, no more, no less. 10 kilometers and you only have to beat yourself. I did it, at least – 1:02:13 race time. So far, so good. What I didn’t think is that there are going to be so many people – I don’t really know how many thousands there were. You run on the track and you really hear the multiple drums that other’s shoes and the track were improvising. Very nice. You finish and by some accident your finish is matching with the one of the fastest half-marathoners. People applaud them, but you feel proud. You run faster. wlEmoticon smile First official run–10 k, Berlin Airport Run 

I finished and even forgot to stop my watch – had to kiss my girl first. She was there, right after the finish line waiting for me.

Let’s see what is next

Running with Runkeeper

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Geeky? I don’t think so. I just like gadgets and having a smartphone is just a pre-text to put on of these – run tracking apps. I chose Runkeeper – not a bad app. But if I have the needed finances one day – I will fully go for a GPS watch. At least from what I see – Runkeeper makes my runs ‘curly’. In the end I wonder if I really did like that.

Runkeeper thumb Running with Runkeeper

As from what I read over the Internet – GPS receivers of smartphones might not be that good as of the dedicated GPS watches. I hope it’s true. Some day I will do the next step of gadget-ness wlEmoticon smile Running with Runkeeper

What was 2011 for Alex–and what should 2012 be?

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Well, I don’t want to make full year analysis. But, honestly, so many things happened the last year.

  • We traveled so much – two big trips around Bulgaria, many small ones too, one trip to Turkey (Istanbul), some trips in Romania, one big trip Bulgaria-Germany, a trip weekend in France….
  • We moved to Germany – at some time we decided that it would be a good thing to continue living together in Germany… so it was done
  • I found a new job in Berlin – again Software Quality Assurance. A very good company, great team, wonderful colleagues. So far, so good. I am very happy with this luck
  • We found a great apartment in Berlin – honestly, this is a hell rental-market here. For one apartment so many people apply with documents. And in the center the prices are extremely high, but the noise… well.
  • Mü got accepted to study what she wanted on first place.
  • I finally started doing something about myself – a bit of running, conscious eating, etc. So far I’m down 10 kg. Not too much – I got a long way to be back in the shape I was. But at least it’s a start.

 

What do I want in 2012 (Alex)?

  • Lose at least 10 more kg – nothing more to say here.
  • Get running seriously – hopefully I will be able to attend a couple of run events… nothing much 5k, 10k maybe. A thing to give some adrenaline, some belief in myself.
  • Do some hiking – that’s a funny thing to say in flat Berlin. But if situation allows – travel is OK
  • As I said travel – in the TODO list should be at least some new countries and people. I don’t yet know what – Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Czech republic… all countries I haven’t seen yet. Hope Mü wants to do these with me wlEmoticon smile What was 2011 for Alex–and what should 2012 be?
  • Mountains – I’m afraid to make big plans here. And small mountains are included in the hiking. But I still dream about high peaks, crampons in the summer, fresh, thin air. No words here, just wishes. Alps are nearby, that is a good thing.

Life in Germany

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Well, dear friends, I haven’t been around in the last months. Mostly because of relocation. Yeah, no longer in Bulgaria. Travelling starts from Germany from now on. Berlin is my new home.

Here I am in Frankfurt, actually.

IMG 0747 thumb Life in Germany

So, I hope soon I’ll have things and travels to share from this country and the surrounding ones. Hold on Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, France…. etc.

Greetings from Berlin,

Alex

3 April, 2011–Boyana church, Rilski monastery, Rupite, Melnik

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Let’s see what happened on the second day of our trip around Bulgaria

Sunday, early morning in Dragalevtsi, Sofia. Only one crazy person is walking around, looking at the houses, going to a 24/7 store to buy a newspaper and Pepsi. Yeah, that’s me – I like to wake up in the mornings wlEmoticon smile 3 April, 2011–Boyana church, Rilski monastery, Rupite, Melnik

A little bit after that the group is ready and we all go to Boyana church (Боянска църква) – one of the Bulgarian UNESCO World Heritage objects. The orthodox church is famous for the paintings (frescos or whatever they are called) from 13th century – absolutely preserved. A bad fact is that you can only enter for 10 minutes and no more than 8 people at a time – after all it’s relatively small church. The park around the church, however is absolutely great. Many trees, paths, some preserved gravestones. Next to the church is the grave of Queen Eleonora – the wife of the Bulgarian king Ferdinand I.

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2 April, 2011–Krushuna, Devetaki, Kykrina, Lovech

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Ok, this time I’ll try to add a little bit more for each object we visited (me, Muh, her mother and father). These will be seven articles – one for each day of the trip around Bulgaria.

On Saturday we started very early – I knew there’s a lot of driving this day.

Krushuna waterfalls (Крушунски водопади in Bulgarian) were the first one of our sights. They form an eco-trail from many waterfalls, each bigger and bigger than the previous. Each waterfall lays on a karst terrace, thus has an interesting color of the water.

IMG 9240 thumb 2 April, 2011–Krushuna, Devetaki, Kykrina, Lovech

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4-9 March 2011–Auto trip around Bulgaria

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IMG 0748 Kopie 4 9 March 2011–Auto trip around Bulgaria

Well, let’s see – 6 day autotrip with about 2000 km. around Bulgaria

The route was something like that

  1. Day 1 – Ruse, Sofia, Rila monastery, Sandanski (where we slept because Melnik was fully reserved for the night)
  2. Day 2 – Sandanski, Petrich (Rupite), Samuilova fortress, Melnik, Rozhen monastery, Pazardzhik (where we slept in an awful hotel, named with the great name Elbrus)
  3. Day 3 – Pazardzhik, via a small curvy road with some dams, Trigrad gorge and the two caves nearby (Yagodinska cave, Dyavolsko gyrlo cave), Shiroka lyka (where we almost got to see the  traditional Bulgarian kukeri festival – something like westerners Helloween wlEmoticon smile 4 9 March 2011–Auto trip around Bulgaria ), Bachkovo monastery
  4. Day 4 – Bachkovo monastery, Asenova fortress (which was closed due to the snowstorm that started previous night), Plovdiv (the old city and the Amphitheater), Panagyurishte (where we initially intended to sleep, but didn’t find appealing), Strelcha (where we stumbled on a Thracian tomb and took a look at), Koprivshtitsa
  5. Day 5 – Koprivshtitsa, Klisura, Sopot, Karlovo, Kalofer, Koprivshtitsa – all revival Bulgarian cities. And we decided to stay in Koprivshtitsa because the hotel we were staying was so great, and the city itself is lovely.
  6. Day 6 (Final) – Koprivshtitsa, Kazanlyk (where we saw the Unesco thracian tomb), The ‘Hainboaz’ mountain pass (due to Shipka pass being closed from sliding trucks and snow), Veliko Tyrnovo, Ruse

In other words – 6 great days with all kinds of weather, but mostly funny. I’ll allow myself to post a link to the Picasa Web Galleries again…. ~HERE~

 

Edit: I’m uploading a map of the trip:

Untitled 283x300 4 9 March 2011–Auto trip around Bulgaria