Snapshots from Bulgaria

 

We stayed in Bulgaria for twelve days, and for ten of these we were hosted by members of Servas (a hospitality organisation). This experience gave us an insiders' look at the nation and its rich history.  Without wishing to trivialise the complexity of its history, key periods and events were:

The Neolithic period (several thousand years BC). We visited a museum where the remains of a very early Neolithic village were displayed, but no photos were allowed.

 

 

A rich Thracian culture developed in the fertile valleys and numerous remains are still being found. The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting a large area in Central and Southeastern Europe around the fifth century BC.

 

At a Thracian temple. .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Settlement by the Romans (200 BC to 500 AD)

 

 

Excavation of Roman sites are still being carried out. Here a backhoe is removing soil around the perimeter of the ruins. (Carefully, we hope)



In the town of Plovdiv, Roman ruins are used as a venue for concerts and performances

 

 

Occupation by the Turks for 500 years, finally being liberated with the support of Russia in 1878. Many towns have impressive monuments dedicated to those who fought in the various wars. We were very impressed with the historical knowledge of all whom we met.

 

 

 

An oath taken by freedom fighters in the 1870's

 

 

 

 

Bulgaria was on the losing side in both World Wars,  and was then under Communist government until 1989. One of our guides described Bulgaria as still being in a state of transition after communism. Much evidence of these years is evident in the shabby-looking infrastructure of the country. We were also surprised to see people still employed at laborious manual tasks,e.g. using a person to sell tickets on the trams (a ticketing machine?), or to water public lawns with a hand held hose (a sprinkler?).

 

There are many dull, grey and unattractive housing blocks in the cities, a legacy of the communist years.  We stayed with a family who lived in these sorts of apartments. The interior was most comfortable.

 

We saw more broad-scale agriculture here than in the other countries we crossed. Under communism, prior small-scale holdings had been amalgamated. After communism, the land was offered back to the original owners, but by then many had moved away.  The large areas are now operated by companies.

As we moved further south in Bulgaria large areas of sunflowers were drying off......unfortunately we missed the best of their golden faces

 

This was the first dry pastures we had seen in Europe since arriving in March.

 

Bulgaria is now part of NATO and EU, but is one of the poorer countries. External funding is coming into the country and many infrastructure projects (particularly road-works) carry signs indicating EU support. Incidentally, Bulgaria can still provide twelve months’ maternity leave at existing salary, and a second twelve months at the minimum wage.

 

The main religion is Eastern Orthodox, although there is also a small percentage of Muslims and Protestant Christians.

The Orthodox churches have their unique architecture and style of worship. One of the most famous churches (at Shipka, pictured) is dedicated to the Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian soldiers who died for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian - Turkish war.

 

Rituals and symbolism that is impressive, but which we don't understand
 

 

Inside a typical Eastern Orthodox church

 

Orthodox cathedral in the capital, Sofia

There are a number of historic monasteries.  One at Rila was founded in the 10th century and is one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments.

 

 

 

 

An Orthodox priest who was willing to pose for a photo

 

Detailed paintings adorn all of the walls and ceilings

 

 

 

We were fascinated by rock monasteries carved into cliffs. Dating back to the 14th century, these kept the orthodox religion alive during the Turkish occupation.

 

 

After climbing 132 stairs, one enters a small cave decorated with paintings from the 14th century, still bright and clearly discernable



Candles lit in memory of loved ones

 

 

Along a country road

 

Through the generosity of one of our hosts we stayed four nights in the small village of Koprivstitsa where they have a weekend house. Koprivstitsa is a  village in Bulgaria noted  for its traditional architecture and the many museum houses within it.

The house where we stayed

Note the wood stacked up, ready for winter. We were pleased we were here in summer!

Village scenes. Notice the rough cobbled street and the hobbled, tethered horse 

 

Honey for sale......along with jams and many other tourist attractive items

Being at Koprivstitsa was like stepping back in time. Many of the local people still use horses and carts on a daily basis for their transport and farm work. Some small hayfields were being cut with scythes with the hay then loaded onto the wagons for stacking. The wrinkled faces of the older men and women with walking sticks and headscarves hint of a life beyond our experience.

 

We really enjoyed seeing men with their horses going to work each day. One morning Bob saw them loading a single furrow iron plough into the wagon 

Through a village doorway

Hay may be cut with scythes and gathered by hand-rake Of course, it is not all done like this and Bulgaria had much broad scale agriculture as well

 

 

 

 

Country roads were narrow and often in poor condition with potholes, and with vegetation growing right up to and encroaching over the roadside.  However, in many ways we felt safer there than on the busier roads, where we seemed to be the only ones obeying the road rules.

 

Drive carefully on these roads, with potholes (above) and vegetation right to the edge of the roadside (below)  

And remember to watch out for horses and carts (above) and tight corners (below)





An image from our GPS, showing the road ahead

When driving on the back roads one sees many villages that are falling into neglect, along with rural land that seems to be overgrown or abandoned. This is typical of the drift to urban centres that is happening in many countries.

 

Overgrown villages and abandoned buildings

 

 

A visit to a working museum took us back even further in time. Here we were particularly interested in the technology made available through the use of water.

 

 

Water wheels provided power for milling, sawing, washing, binding.

Wooden baby walkers from centuries ago (left) and a wooden single furrow plough (right)

A sled for use at weddings (and by someone at Christmas-time)

 

Traditional dress with elaborate embroidery

 

 

Food and drink

 

The food in Bulgaria is among the best we have experienced, with abundant fresh salads and a variety of meat and pastry dishes.  An interesting aspect of restaurant menus is that, besides having the name and brief description of each item, portion size is also listed (its weight in grams). Even vendors on the streets sell scoops of their ice-cream by the cone's weight.  Homemade fruit brandies are also common (it is traditional to have a small brandy with salad – which is always served as a separate dish at the start of a meal), and the local wines are smooth and very drinkable.

Pigs liver with onions, and cheese on top. Delicious

We wanted a few pieces of cheese to nibble with our drinks but didn't take note of its generous serving size. It was a lot of cheese!
 

 

 

Enjoying a meal at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant with our hosts, Tania and John

 

 

 

 

 

Sincere thanks to all of our hosts for opening their homes to us and giving us a rich experience of their wonderful country. We take many fond memories with us.  

And some final, miscellaneous photographs. We now head to Romania where we will spend the next three weeks, two of which will be spend on a self guided driving/hiking tour  We will update the blog after that.  

 

 

 

 

 

Market scenes

 



On the road

 

 

 

Lady begging for money and selling fly swats. There is much less begging here than in other countries we have been in

Chess in the parklands (above and below)

 

 

 

Even if you don't recognize the face, you may recognise the shirt! (Photo taken on a free walking tour. We really enjoy these tours as they are led by young people who are passionate about their country and its history)