Off to Europe again. This time we’ll visit my Bulgarian friends, Hungary where my grandfather used to live and along the way Austria, Slovakia and The Netherlands. Stay tunned.
Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa & Balchik
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
Concluding our “Bulgaria with Alex” storyline with journeys through a few more cities we visited over the years. Continue reading “Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa & Balchik”
Pirin sings
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
The title of this post is after festival held in the Razlog area of the Pirin mountains every summer “Pirin pee” (pronounced pe-e). Continue reading “Pirin sings”
A hike to the highest peak in the Balkans
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
They say the feeling of time is subjective. For us in these Covid days, it is well obvious with the pace of some events changing fast and then others dragging on for ever. Continue reading “A hike to the highest peak in the Balkans”
Rila Monastery & Melnik
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
It is a strange combination for a one-day visit, but that’s exactly what we did in June 2018, accompanied by Alex’s sister and brother-in-law. Continue reading “Rila Monastery & Melnik”
Sofia – Part 2
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
Everyone is soaked to the bones. A lady gets in the bus and asks “Do you know where this bus goes? I just got on to shelter from the rain.” Continue reading “Sofia – Part 2”
Sofia – Part 1
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
It is 39°C in the mountains and hotter in the city. Some occasional clouds ease our hike and make it tolerable. Continue reading “Sofia – Part 1”
Veliko Tarnovo
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
We dance to the rhythm of the English song a Bulgarian restaurant entertainer sings. It is almost dark and the beauty of this city is on full display with the flickering lights of its houses perched over the steep hills chiselled by the river Yantra. Continue reading “Veliko Tarnovo”
The village
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
We left Milan’s apartment and Lyulin, the Sofia suburb where he lives, the day after our landing (still 7 hours jetlagged), for a semi-deserted village with about 10 inhabited houses mainly by retirees from the nearby cities. Continue reading “The village”
Bulgaria – Alex’s first impression
Storyline: Bulgaria with Alex
Although born in England and brought by his parents to Canada at the age of 14, Alex’s first time crossing the Ocean back to Europe wasn’t to his homeland, but to mine. Continue reading “Bulgaria – Alex’s first impression”
Alex and I have been traveling regularly to Bulgaria, my homeland, since 2004. It was on our 2020 summer itinerary again (there are a few trains yet to be taken), but a tiny invisible virus had other ideas. Continue reading “Bulgaria with Alex”
Gods, Giants, Dwarfs, Valkyries
For opera lovers, we’d like to share a 15 minutes video version of our two hour tour of the Magura Cave accompanied by excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle”, a production of Sofia Opera. Continue reading “Gods, Giants, Dwarfs, Valkyries”
Sunset in Ruse and the dark side of politics
Storyline: Vidin to Ruse Bulgaria via Romania by train Jul – Aug, 2017
While waiting in a filthy bus station in Bucharest Alex said – I want to be in Favorit (this is our go-to hotel in Sofia). Continue reading “Sunset in Ruse and the dark side of politics”
Back to Bulgaria by bus after all
Storyline: Vidin to Ruse Bulgaria via Romania by train Jul – Aug, 2017
We should have taken the train. The day after we arrived in Bucharest, we walked to the major international bus station, Filaret. Continue reading “Back to Bulgaria by bus after all”
Prelude: Wagner in Magura Cave, Verdi in Belogradchik Fortress
Storyline: Vidin to Ruse Bulgaria via Romania by train Jul – Aug, 2017
We started our trip indulging in some cultural events in Bulgaria. The times we have spent there in summer are often seasoned with a variety of outdoor concerts and festivals. Continue reading “Prelude: Wagner in Magura Cave, Verdi in Belogradchik Fortress”
