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Another endemic somehow thriving in the alpine zone of the Pirin Mountains. Ferdinand's Saxifrage (Saxifraga ferdinandi-coburgi), on the Five Mountains Trail (E4) near the summit of Banski Suhodol (2884m), Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria.
After a decent stretch with lows around or below freezing, today we hit 60°F for the first time this year. I walked down to snake heaven to see if the snakes noticed and found a half dozen or so that had slithered out--about two weeks earlier than last year--from wherever they were hibernating to enjoy the sunshine. Most of them were quite small, like this one, which was about pencil thick. Puget Sound garter snake, Olympia, Washington.
We must have seen a couple of hundred chamois in the Rila and Pirin sections of the E4. Usually they kept their distance, but around Banski Suhodol, Kutelo and Vihren they were right up close, or at least close enough for photos. Balkan chamois on the shoulder of Kutelo (2908m), on the Five Mountains Trail (E4), Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria.
Senbazuru is the Japanese tradition of folding a thousand cranes to symbolize good health and happiness.
Like Sanahin, Hagphat dates to the tenth century and has many interesting buildings, including a belfry (above), churches, gavits, a refectory, a chapter house and library. The buildlings are in remarkable condition, and I'd say it was the most interesting of the several monasteries we visited in Armenia. Unfortunately, a full cloud cover had set in by the time we arrived, putting something of a damper on exterior photos. Hagphat Monastery, Armenia.