Tuesday, departure day

We woke up at 3am, Sofia time, to get to the airport at 4am. After a questionable exchange with a taxi driver (lessons learned!), we arrived at the airport, ready for our flights:

  1. Sofia to Vienna with a 4 hour layover
  2. Vienna to Chicago with a 4 hour layover
  3. Chicago to Portland!

Arriving in Vienna, we found the airport to be less than spectacular: dirty bathrooms and terse staff. I will make sure we don’t go through Vienna in the future.

While waiting for our Chicago flight, I came across this man:

Why did I take a photo of this man? Because it was Tuesday, after a Saturday night football game back home. He was decked out in Ohio State gear…shirt, hat, even a fanny pack. I so desperately wanted to chat with him about the game, since we had “watched” it via ESPN Gamecast. *For those of you NOT in the know: Oregon beat #3 Ohio State, at Ohio State. An UNEXPECTED. win*

This Ohio State fan was very tired and looked rather depressed, when he did look up.

I left him as is.

  • Sue with a mask.
  • Yet another amazing sunset in Chicagoland.

We had noticed an earlier flight to PDX but decided against it – for fear our luggage wouldn’t make it with us.

As we arrived in Portland at 10:30pm on Tuesday, we received a message that our luggage had in fact taken the earlier flight…so it was waiting for us when we hit baggage claim. Oh well, we made it, as did our luggage.

Bob, my sweet cousin, picked us up at the airport and drove us home.

Jan and I want to thank Bob for staying at our house, taking care of Autzen and Aspen and the house. It was relieving to know everything was safe at home. Love you, Bob.

We also want to thank Patrick for yet another awesome adventure.

Maybe, in 2023, we can visit Albania? That’s my idea.

And we’re hoping in 2024, when Emily graduates from AUBG, we can work with Patrick to have family and friends tour some of Bulgaria besides attending her graduation.

On to Sofia and our last days in BG

After a great breakfast at the Family Hotel at Renaissance Square, we packed up for our drive to Sofia.

Arriving in Sofia, we met up with Emily, who took a bus 1.5 hours from Blagoevgrad to spend a couple of days with us before we left for home.

Our time with Patrick was wrapping up. We said our “goodbyes” before Patrick left us. We hope to see you, Patrick, in October 2022, for a visit to the states this time!

  • Our lunch location before bidding adieu to Patrick.
  • While Emily was in class on Monday, Jan and I sat on Vitosha, watching people and drinking lemonades.

On Monday afternoon, Emily took the bus back to Blago. THAT was difficult – saying “goodbye” until December break.

Plovdiv!

We spent Saturday touring Plovdiv. Jan and I have come to find Plovdiv to be an amazing place – one we would like to visit – for extended stays – in our future.

We spent our morning in the Old Town section of Plovdiv (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town_(Plovdiv)).

  • Revival architecture.
  • Not a place to wear heels.
  • Ruins are EVERYWHERE.
  • Dervish Monastery for the Mehlevi
  • A bar beside a restored ruin.
  • Patrick found a June bug – reminded me of an Oregon Ducks helmet!

Patrick suggested we next visit the Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town_(Plovdiv)). I was very impressed by this museum, located in a beautiful house originally built by a merchant in 1847.

  • Beautiful jewelry.
  • Women’s belts, traditional clothing.
  • A safe!
  • Beautiful home.
  • An impressive museum.
  • Traditional rugs and blankets.
  • LOVE these designs.

Plovdiv is comprised of seven hills. The Old Town sits on three of the seven. Here are some photos from a viewpoint.

  • An opera performance being prepped.
  • People watching at Mayriges Restaurant – awesome Lebanese.
  • A coffee shop outside the mosque.

We visited the newest UNESCO site in Bulgaria – the Bishop’s Basilica (https://www.plovdivmosaics.org/) next. What a place…I could visit many more times to take in the art.

  • Elevated glass walkways let us walk on top of the art.
  • A shot straight down below.
  • For perspective.
  • Someone decided the first layer of mosaic didn’t work…so they added another new one.
  • Looking out at Revival Period building.
  • Patrick and Jan reviewing info @ the Bishop’s Basicila.
  • Here’s the Greek for the Secret Society of Dionysus.

A Change in Direction – to Plovdiv

On Friday morning, we woke up to a mildly miserable day – drizzle, wind, basically, a fall day in Oregon. We had planned to spend the day kayaking on the Veleka River, but the weather was really not cooperating.

Because Patrick is such an awesome, thoughtful travel companion, he suggested a change in our plan – drive early to Plovdiv, the next place on our itinerary but scheduled for a Saturday afternoon arrival. Jan and I thought about it and agreed – so on to Plovdiv!

Along the way, we made our first – and only stop – at a McDonald’s. Except for the lack of ice in our soda, everything else was pretty much the same. We were surprised, however, that the prices were much higher than here in the states.

We had visited Plovdiv during our 2019 tour with Patrick and stayed again at the Family Hotel at Renaissance Square (https://en.atrenaissancesq.com/). Mitko, the proprietor, runs a beautiful, well maintained small inn, perfectly located for seeing the sights.

  • A view from our room.
  • There is a small bar attached.
  • Our room!
  • The other side of our room – with a balcony.
  • Ruins .verywhere,
  • A Roman road.
  • Ruins in the center of the pedestrian mall.
  • We walked on the Roman road.
  • Mid-19th century revival architecture, common in Plovdiv.
  • The Pedestrian Mall, Plovdiv…complete with a Subway!
  • Dzhumaya Mosque.
  • The minaret at dusk.
  • An amphitheater.
  • Walking in the Kapana area.
  • Having a drink at Central Perk – yes, from Friends!
  • A wall of heads…kinda creepy, had to share.

The South Bulgarian Coast

Patrick suggested a walk along the shoreline today – between Sinemorets and Silistar Beach.

We learned, after the fact, that this was a 6 mile hike. The path was VERY narrow at times and rocky. I was so happy the wind was blowing onshore a few times when we were up high above the rocks on a very narrow path.

It so reminded me of the Oregon Coast. Take a look – let me know what you think!

  • Oregon Coast, right?
  • Small oaks as groundcover.
  • What a view!
  • Our walk continued around the cape.
  • A wooded area on the path.
  • Patrick found a seahorse! He put it back into water, where it swam off.
  • There were shells EVERYWHERE. Unfortunately, they are an invasive species that decimated the native mussel population.
  • Oaks everywhere.

After our hike, we headed south to Resovo – the southern most town on the Bulgarian Coast. We took some photos onsite, showing the Turkish flag across the river – the border with Turkey.

For lunch, we headed into the small town of Ahtopol. The same group that toured the Strandzha Mountains met up for lunch at a local restaurant. There are usually cats around town – but in this restaurant, we found a very small kitten. The owners of the restaurant were clearly caring for it.

  • The kitten in Marie’s arms.
  • A Russian Lada!
  • A view of Ahtopol.

After lunch, Patrick took us to a very special place – the Museum of Anchor. Patrick knows its director well – the Professor. We took a closed tour of the museum. Here are some photos from that visit.

  • A very old anchor.

After a long hike, lunch, and a tour of the museum, we returned to the guesthouse to rest before heading out for an amazing dinner at the Trastikite. If you are ever in Sinemorets, I’d strongly suggest this restaurant!

A Day in the Strandzha Mountains

Patrick arranged for us to take a full day tour with the Captain in the Strandzha Mountains – a vast, forested area that covers southeast Bulgaria and northern Turkey.

Patrick’s friend, the Captain, led the tour of two cars with nine among us, including an Israeli woman who has been in Bulgaria since August 9.

  • A right hand drive car! We happened to be driving on an old Roman road – if you zoom in, you might see it.
  • First stop: Bulgari. A small town known for the women who walk on coals (Nestinarstvo)
  • We were escorted into the church by an old man whose grandfather helped build it.
  • “Eko-taxi” was written on the side.
  • The Captain stopped to chat with a man he knows…I liked the puppy *no surprise there.*
  • A logging operation.
  • The logs. Smaller, oaks and pines. Cut into very managable lengths then moved by hand onto the trucks.
  • The old Iron Curtain. Apparently some AUBG students question the truth of an actual fence. Yes, there is a fence. It blocked exit into Turkey.
  • Here is the NEW border wall. It blocks entry into Bulgaria from Turkey. It’s about 1 km from the actual border.

The first stop was at a revered cave of St. Marina (https://travelbulgaria.news/cave-st-marina/). The water is said to help with curing illnesses. St. Marina is the protector of the pregnant as well as snakes.

  • The cave – with offerings inside.
  • Women who want to get pregnant climb out of this opening.
  • An example.
  • March 1 is Baba Marta Day, characterized by red and white bracelets. You take the bracelet off and tie it to a tree, making a wish. I found a tree full of martinitsas at the St. Marina cave.
rev

Before visiting the next cave, the Captain stopped for a small BBQ. We had a great lunch of grilled meats, bread, and lutenitsa. It was a perfect setting for an early fall lunch.

  • A sacred cave – helping cure eyesight issues.
  • Cairns were stacked everywhere.
  • Some of the offerings,
  • The dynamic duo – Legendata and Patrick.
  • Stairs down to the cave.

We then travelled to the Holy Trinity Chapel, which is built on top of an ancient Thracian sanctuary. Lots of examples of reduce/reuse/recycle here! The current building was completed around 1875.

One of the icons included a picture of St George and some Arabic. I ended up translating it. A couple of thoughts about that: who would think that I would use my university degree in the wilds of the Bulgarian forest to help everyone understand the icon. And secondly, I think I kinda freaked out our Israeli guest when I did this – because she turned to me with eyes wide open and asked “how do you know Arabic?”

For photos of the cave, check out this blog: https://www.myfreshes.eu/holy-trinity-chapel-strandzha-mountain/

I did not have the lighting to do it justice.

All three of these locations – the two caves and the chapel – had amazing energy – like the hair on my arms was standing up.

  • The Captain taking a photo of the 550 yr old oak tree.
  • A mere 400 yr old oak.
  • Jan and I have never seen oaks like these before. Many points on the leaves.
  • A flower in the forest.

After visiting the chapel, we all drove back “to town” and stopped at a small village to grab some coffee out of a vending machine. Oddly enough, these machines (Lavazza) make AMAZING coffees. I took some photos from the village.

  • I liked how the trees had grown together overhead.
  • Some area photos.
  • Not sure who this is, but the artist should be proud!

Arriving back in Sinemorets, we stopped at a small brew pub and enjoyed a nice cold drink to end the adventure.

After cleaning up, Jan, Patrick and I headed out for a nice dinner. Here are some photos of the rest of the evening.

  • A fruit and vegetable stand.
  • Inside the Friends Room at the Captain’s Place. Grilled meats from here are tasty!
  • The larger table in the Friends Room.

I will try to get more/better photos of the Friends Room. It is very Bulgarian in its decoration, with the fireplace, the big pillows, and lots of wood.

On to Sinemorets

We travelled from mountains (Rhodope) to the sea (Sinemorets) on Tuesday. Here are some photos along the way.

This is the Arda River. In 2019, Jan, Emily, and I came here with Patrick to stay at the Vulture Center and see this magnificent place. We saw in the curve of the river. Such an awesome memory – thinking about the vultures high in the rocks anove us.

Patrick then took us to the Deaf Stones – a Thracian sanctuary. https://bulgariatravel.org/the-deaf-stones-thracian-sanctuary-haskovo-region/

Again, amazing views.

  • Lots of Thracian niches.
  • An AWESOME beetle. Looks kinda like an elaborate mask.
  • The view of the Arda River valley.
  • A special sanctuary – with offerings inside today.
  • Little did I know that I would end up beside the flag…
  • Patrick and I braved the “stairs” hewn into the rock to check out the cistern on the top.
  • That’s Jan. Who chose to stay on the ground – wisely.
  • There is a petroglyth in the cave opening – oddly it looks like Mr Crabs from SpongeBob…thanks, Emily…

After visiting the Deaf Stones, we headed east to have some lunch in a mountain restaurant before hitting lower land. We stopped at the site of a dolman next.

  • A special burial site. The rocks are amazing.
  • There was most likely another rock placed to cover this opening, once a body was placed inside. Tomb raiders moved it.
  • The small door for offerings.
  • A small site area for other rituals,
  • A vineyard was next to the doman. I’ve never seen grapes grown so low to the ground before (and this is where wine originated!).

We made it to Sinemorets before dinner time. Jan and I rested a bit before Patrick took us to a beachside bar. For my Oregon friends: THIS IS OREGON. The waves, the rocks, everything screams home to me. Except the sun sets on the mountain side…

  • Our room, at Patrick’s friend’s place (The Captain)
  • The Captain built all of the furniture. It’s pretty amazing.
  • The view from our room.
  • The view from the beachside bar.
  • Yes, Emily, HORSES! on the beach!!
  • Sunset. With my back to the water.

We changed up our plans for dinner. The Captain invited Patrick, Jan, and I to have dinner with him and his family. He has built a beautiful 14 room complex here, with a small kitchen/bar, and a special room for friends. I’ll try to get a photo of that room because it screams Oregon to me. It has a fireplace that is raised – at almost waist level – so they can grill meats directly in the fire.

We had Shopska salad, some nice soup, and tons of grilled meats. Someone had made creamy pesto which went so well with the meats. Quince rakia and white wine helped wash it all down. Maria, another of Patrick’s friends, made homemade yogurt ice cream with figs. LOTS of figs here now and they are ripe. Lovely.

Wednesday, Patrick has arranged for us to take an all day tour with the Captain of the Strandzha Mountains – which is on the border with Turkey. I will have lots of photos to share!

Perpera

Patrick took all over the area! We saw so many different, cool things!

We began our day visiting some deserted villages. Here are some pix from the first one.

  • Quite the view!
  • I’ve never seen snails move to the end of grass stalks…had to share.

We moved on to another large settlement that had been abandoned up in the hills. People use the area for grazing their sheep, cows, and goats, however.

  • A water source.
  • Living space above a stable.
  • Decoration – carving in the wood.
  • Roof building.
  • Patrick found an old bottle, complete with a corn cob as the cork.
  • Such beautiful rock work.
  • More decoration. People loved these homes at one time.
  • Horses grazing. The brown one was very curious about us.
  • Oregon friends: are these blueberries? My PlantSnap didn’t work on the top of the mountain, so I wasn’t sure.

We left the hill and moved down toward the valley. Along the way, we passed through a beautiful pine forest.

Jan wanted his beard cleaned up…so we stopped at a barber shop in Momchilgrad. I’m pretty sure he’s the first American who has stopped in. I stayed inside a bit, but felt I should leave. This is a Turkish (Muslim) area and I doubt women hand out in the shop.

After lunch, we traveled to Tatul – a special monolith. A rather amazing place.

  • Original. No glue.
  • A tomb.
  • A tomb at the very top.
  • Apparently, on spring equinox, the sun rises, hits the gap in the wall, then hits the rock wall opposite. You can see some work almost resembling a stained glass window.
  • The new shave, Turkish style!
  • The dynamic duo.
  • What a view.
  • This river reminds me of the Umpqua, west of I-5.
  • Sometimes bridges are removed.

We travelled back to the Perpera Complex and spent the night, ready for Tuesday and a day of travel.

Greece, back to Bulgaria

Sunday, we left Greece and moved back to Bulgaria. I’ve captured some random shots along the way I thought I would share.

  • Driving through small towns in Greece to reach the border.
  • I thought of my risk averse friends at home here…NOTHING to stop you from falling in.
  • When we stopped for gas and LPG, the man running the station was sitting out front, having a tea.
  • Near Xanthi, before we headed north to Bulgaria.

We spent about one hour in line waiting to cross the border. There was interest in us Americans, but nothing stopped us from getting through.

Patrick took us to a very interesting place – Complex Perpera. It’s an area of archaeological interest. Here are some photos from the grounds near our bungalow.

  • A big grasshopper!
  • You can see small niches cut into the stone. These may have been done as a right of passage for men, with symbolic items put in the niche.
  • This is VERY HIGH UP. They most likely used rope and dropped down the cliffside.

We had dinner at the onsite restaurant, which also happened to be hosting a conference of women. We saw them doing yoga, but at dinner time, the restaurant cranked up the Bulgarian folk music and we had some authentic dancing!

Boating on the Aegean, Day 2

We had so much fun on Friday, we decided to rent the boat again on Saturday.

  • The marina – for the summer, 150 Euros (less than $175) rent includes power and water. Bob…
  • Proof we were IN the Aegean.
  • Some amazing sandstone sculptures.
  • I wouldn’t mind hanging out at this small house on a very small island.
  • Yet another beautiful Greek day – with some sailors.
  • Captain Jan and Patrick.

We wrapped up our day at the best local restaurant – beachside. So much fresh seafood!

Here are some final evening photos from our room at the Theoxenia Apartments.