Blogs from Bulgaria, Europe - page 64

Europe » Bulgaria » Sofia City » Sofia August 1st 1975

I had not associated Sofia with the Romans. But I learned that the Roman city of Serdica formed the origins of Sofia. The Church of St. George, built in the 4th Century as a Roman basilica, is a vivd reminder of the Roman origins of Sofia. It's been a Roman public building, a Christian church, a mosque during the Ottoman period, and an active church into the present day. Other Roman ruins of Serdica were scattered about in the courtyard. A monument that did not last nearly as long was the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum. This was the resting place of Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1949), the first Communist leader of Bulgaria. An honor guard in dress uniform was stationed at the mausoleum when we saw it. (It was demolished in 1999 and Dimitov interred elsewhere.) One thing about ... read more

Gabrovo and the Etar Village Museum

Europe » Bulgaria » Gabrovo Province » Gabrovo July 30th 1975

Veliko Tarnovo

AndrewHL

From Bucharest, travel would by land through the Balkans all the way to Zagreb. The group's motorcoach crossed the Danube River over the long Friendship Bridge at Ruse, leaving Romania and entering Bulgaria. Thence on to Grabrovo via Vielke Tarnovo for overnight. Near Gabrovo is the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex. This is an open-air museum of preserved folk structures, in the manner of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia or Seurasaari in Helsinki. The museum was begun in 1964, with a nucleus of historic structures on the site. These were augmented by relocated structures as well as reconstructions. Traditional Bulgarian crafts and folk industries are demonstrated. The tour bus traveled through the scenic Valley of Roses en route to Sofia. The Valley of Roses is known for its rose-rowing industry producing close to half of the world's rose oil. ... read more

Getting an early taste of Communism before the real thing

Europe » Bulgaria May 19th 1974

Alexander Nevsky Memorial Church in Sofia

Nomad Old Farts

We had virtual non-stop rain all the way from Platamon to the Greece-Bulgaria border, which we reached at around 1.30pm. We had no real hassles on either side of the border except that changing money into Bulgarian leva took more than an hour. There was no time change, and nothing special to report at our first Communist border, except the pure excitement of my first ever visit behind the ‘Iron Curtain’, something I’d been looking forward to for years. The weather cleared for a while, and we got a good view of the Bulgarian countryside. It was very geared towards collective farming, with up to 100 people working in some fields. There was great variety in the size and shape of the trees, flowers and blossoms, with quaint houses made of stone with tiled rooves hidden ... read more

Why I wear a whistle

Europe » Bulgaria » West November 30th 1940

Peripatetic RPh

still don't know that i want to post this, especially considering that the last post was kind of negative.? oh what the hell, my camera won't connect so i am stuck with writing and this is a day in the life of clay! some of the locals have asked why i am wearing a whistle. my standard reply has been to mimic climbing a rock, and then pretending a fall. that is followed by twisting my body like i broke my leg and neck. they laugh and say good (i am amazed they get it but it was confirmed). today, however, i used it for a different reason. in the lovely setting ot tourist trap Nesebar, bulgaria, i went to change 50 US$ for a great rate, or so i thought. after i gave the 50, ... read more

Brief history of Bulgaria

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, b...more history

Forum Topics for Bulgaria

Trains out of BulgariaPosts: 3

Living in BulgariaPosts: 3

Trekking across the Bul...Posts: 2

Stag Party in Sofia?Posts: 2

Bulgarian roadsPosts: 9

Guide/ translator Bulg...Posts: 2

Travelling to BulgariaPosts: 2

Travelling to BulgariaPosts: 23

Tot: 0.071s; Tpl: 0.004s; cc: 7; qc: 38; dbt: 0.0296s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb