Postcards from abroad
There’s a lot we’ve noticed but not yet had a chance to write about but we need to convey some aspects of Bulgaria to our blog readers. First, we’ve noticed little dolls like the one in the opening photo and red cotton bracelets tied to trees at monasteries and other religious places. These are usually… Continue reading Aspects of Bulgarian life
As in so many other countries, Jews in Bulgaria had something of a challenging time over the years. They are believed to have settled in the region after the Roman conquest in 46 CE, with another lot escaping Byzantine persecution and settling in the First Bulgarian empire (after 681). They were Romaniote (speaking Yevanic, a… Continue reading Jewish Bulgaria for those who really want to know
This is our sixth UNESCO site (one more to go) and we can say with authority that we saved the most outstanding site in Bulgaria until now, knowing that everything else paled into insignificance by comparison. After squeezing the car into an even smaller space than usual, made more nerve-wracking by the tour buses coming… Continue reading Rila Monastery
We had read a couple of versions about Vanga, a woman blinded in childhood who became internationally renowned as a prophetess. Born in Northern Macedonia (like Mother Teresa you’ll remember from the Albanian blog), she lived in the area we’re currently in. Our guidebook doesn’t go into it, but another book I’ve just read said… Continue reading A visit to Vanga, lunch in Greece and a quick homage to Spartacus!
We drove into the mountains yesterday along an absolutely gorgeous road, despite the rain. We found this beautiful mosque along the way: We were heading for a place near Bansko, a full-on ski resort in the winter, and play-place in the summer. But we were between seasons, and were advised strongly not to go up… Continue reading Our trip into the mountains