Despite being told that "it can't be done", I managed to walk through the
wild terrain that spans the over 100 mile distance from Nis to Sofia in record time of 4 days.
It was one of the toughest sections with several hours walking in the hot sun alongside the transit road from Europe to Asia, with very few shops and cafes.
The day's walk into Sofia was the longest yet. I walked 31 miles or 50 km, from Dragoman to the Capital of Bulgaria where I met mum and my sister, Sarah. So far impressions of Bulgaria are positive. We've been nearly cheated a few times in restaurants in Sofia (something that never happened in Serbia), but people are generally kind and very helpful.
My walk is on temporary pause while I gather energy on the Black Sea before returning to Sofia to complete the last fifth of my walk to Istanbul.
Serbia was a great country all in all. Some of the people are a little upset - understandably - about the NATO bombing in 1999 but that doesn't stop them from being welcomnig to Westerners. The city of Novi Sad has an unrivalled beautiful position on the banks of the Danube, and the countryside of southern Serbia is wild like a fantasy land, full of forests, mountains and hidden monastries.
I was interviewed twice in Serbia by the local media - the first time I've had a camera pointing in my face! I also met other walkers. One going from London to Persia - good luck Mohammed - and another walking from the Basque country to Alexandria via Jerusalem - keep going Jose!
Accessing external files seems to be almost impossible south of Alps. Sorry about lack of photos. I will keep trying.
Walk begins again on 1 September.
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