Thanks to those requesting more about the aspects of Bulgaria we’ve been experiencing but not writing about so much, You’re right – we need to give more of a sense of how lovely Bulgaria is to travel around in.
First – the people. We have had lovely experiences with charming people who have been warm and helpful. Sometimes, language has been an issue, but we have been able to overcome this in the usual way:
We’ve had very good food and wine. We tend to share a couple of dishes as they’re all quite large, so it hasn’t been expensive for us. We’ve had at least one shopska salad (tomatoes, cucumber and grated white cheese) at each meal (they all look the same, so one photo will do), with bread which is often home-made and delicious:
Beer – bottled and draft – is plentiful, although the various Bulgarian lagers all taste more or less the same except for some excellent craft beer:
Wine is excellent – we’ve been drinking a Bulgarian grape, Mavrud:
Coffee is also very good – sometimes excellent as well.
Hotels are also terrific – amazing value for money. For example, tonight we’re staying in a little place in the mountains for £60 a room, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the thermal jacuzzi and pool with hot spring water, as well as luxuriating in the hotel’s sauna and steam room. We can’t really decide on our favourite.
And we ought to mention the car: it’s a bit of a monster, but it takes our luggage and gets us around, so it’s fine. The main problem is that it panics if I cross a white line, or another car overtakes us. I keep apologising to it, but Sue and Nikhil say I don’t have to.
So good to get the indoors experience, and to hear about all the warm folk – were you surprised? The ale, coffee, food and even wine look very palatable! I was somehow getting an impression of rather more dreary fare.
We were slightly anxious that Bulgaria would be a bit Rumanian – chilly, lots of staring, the occasional pick fork in rural areas destroyed by Ceausescu ( no idea of the spelling – Communist bad man). Not so! And wine delicious. Probably best to stick with salads and avoid crispy pigs ears but really who knows?
The short video certainly shows that you all having fun. Big smiles all round. Salad and bread look delicious.
The salads and bread are delicious, Nicky! The video doesn’t capture M’s chicken impersonation – few people have witnessed that but I always find it inspiring – not sure the woman in the restaurant quite got it either …
Well, it looks like you had a great time! Or rather, are having it! The food looks pretty good if rather a lot… hope the rest of your days there continue to be fun!
Gx
Gabriele Griffin
Professor of Gender Research
Director of Graduate Studies
Uppsala University
email: gabriele.griffin@gender.uu.se
Coordinator: Nordic Centre of Excellence ‘Beyond the Gender Paradox’ http://www.gender.uu.se/nordwit (2017-2022)
Extraordinary Professor, Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, University of the Free State, South Africa
Recent publications
Our new book, Gender Inequalities in Tech-driven Research and Innovation: Living the Contradictionhttps://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/gender-inequalities-in-tech-driven-research-and-innovation is now out and available Open Access from Bristol University Press. https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/women-in-supramolecular-chemistry
Griffin, G. (2022) ‘The “Work-Work Balance” in higher education: between over-work, falling short and the pleasures of multiplicity’, Studies in Higher Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.2020750.
Griffin, G. (2021) ‘Feminizing innovation: challenges in science and technology studies (STS)’, Feminist Encounters 5(2): 24. ISSN: 2468-4414. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/11161.
We eat so frugally compared to Bulgarians ! Tip generously to compensate for our modest appetites…
Food looks delicious – you lucky things. I have a sense I recognise the fabric of the top Sue is wearing – I have something very similar! Great taste obviously!
And wine excellent too! You’re right of course about the sweatshirt – not sure it’s identical fabric but definitely same seamstress!
I am interested in the attempt at discipline being asserted by the car. Assuming it doesn’t speak in Bulgarian, or you would have told us, in addition to warning sounds and attempts to take over the steering, is it giving you instructional diagrams? For example on roundabouts? Are you driving on the right? So many possibilities…
Sadly no instructional diagrams or brusque Bulgarian commands – just the brooding presence of a car that clearly knows better…