I woke up at some ungodly hour again and feeling the after effects of the night before. It was a great evening with some of Ralitsa's friends. We drove to a nextdoor village to a hunter's lodge restaurant. I let Ralitsa choose some traditional bulgarian far which was some sort of mixed meat platter with garlic and dill saute potatoes but it was delicious and some of the better Bulgarian food I have had. The meal was punctuated with numerous toasts to the sound of "Nasdravee" and a mass clinking of glasses. I couldn't work out why we were toasting but it seemed as though anybody who wanted to drink just offered a toast so as not to be the only one drinking at that time. Needless to say it helped the beer go down.

It was a real pity to have to leave Bansko as I had grown fond of the place despite staying there less than 48 hours. The weather was gorgeous and the mountains around, which had been obscured by cloud ever since I got there, were now shining in all their glory. The bus route cut through stunning narrow gorges on the way to Plovdiv and 4 hours later we arrived into the city. It was actually very warm and determined to save a few pence  by walking I trekked into town to the aptly named "Hikers' Hostel". I arrived sweating profusely but the warm welcome made up for it.

I spent most of the afternoon walking round Plovdiv and just taking in the amazing atmnosphere here. The old town is full of cobbled streets lined with trees. Plovdiv has been a settlement for thousands of years since the Thracians. It was another city that has been at the cross-roads of trade over the centuries and there are numerous Roman ruins left to decay further, scattered amongst mosques, churches and synagogues. It is a truly remarkable city and the old town is truly unique. The people too are obviously from varying different ethinc origins and it is a real gem to find that the city has prospered with the different ethnicities living more or less peacefully together.

I returned to the hostel after a quick supper of Bulgarian "Shopska" salad - basically cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and peppers mixed with feta cheese and olives and some form of meat saussage that I coudln't understand what the waiter had said about it. The Arsenal match was on so of course this required that I watch it and spent the rest of the evening talking until the small hours with the various guests staying.