Aspects of Bulgarian life

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 on sale too, near the monasteries. These are martenitsa – the tradition is to give one to friends and family on 1 March to bring them good health, good fortune and a good harvest. They are tied to a blossoming tree when a sign of spring appears – a stork, for example.

Speaking of storks: after our rather desultory experience earlier on, they turn out to be everywhere in the south west of the country. Today, for example, we had lunch in a small village and saw these:

Clearly, they are a feature of life in the country. But next on to less positive things. Smoking is a serious problem: everyone appears to smoke – old, young, men, women … and all the time. Restaurants dedicate their best space at the front of the buildings to smokers while non-smokers are assigned dark corners at the back of the restaurant or made to sit outside. Last night was typical: it was cold and here we are:

And here are the smokers:

There’s also a serious problem with gambling we think: all along the roads, particularly in the poorest areas, we see signs for Efbet and other gambling opportunities. Every town has its casinos and betting parlours:

Despite this, people are absolutely charming, especially the young people who have served us in cafes and restaurants: warm, friendly and helpful, and often curious about where we’ve come from. Generally, people seem courteous, even on the roads.

The roads can be great fun to drive, with beautiful curves on the mountains and not too many cars. The countryside is glorious – but the towns are very varied, with some feeling very run down. However, they all have significant pedestrianised areas and public spaces, making the centres traffic-free and good play areas for kids.

Shops are, for the most part, uninspiring. Material goods are obviously expensive for Bulgarians and clothing, for example, is often made of poor quality fabric – despite Bulgaria making clothes for the rest of Europe in, for example, organic cotton.

And everywhere there are sculptures of varying quality and size:

Summing up our experiences tonight, we decided that our top likes were: the friendly people; the food (particularly Shopska salad) and wine (particularly the Mavrud grape); the public spaces – parks, squares, pedestrianised streets – where people can and do meet; the vistas; the driving; the excellent bathrooms; the value for money; and most of all, the sense of Bulgaria having its own identity and pride.