Traipsing Through Bulgaria

Red Clogs here, reporting in from Belgrade, Serbia, en route to my beloved Vienna. But today’s featured destination is actually a lesser-known place 250 miles east of here….Bulgaria – where I just spent a memorable 8 days.

Bulgaria had been on my radar since the 1980’s when I penned my master’s thesis on the political climate there as Eastern Europe was on the brink of radical change.  The long-awaited  trips I had scheduled for 2020 and 2021 were thwarted by Covid. So it was with excitement that I deplaned in Sofia last week, greeted by a massive sign that proclaimed “Happy Bulgaria.” This was going to be interesting.

Discovering the country with an informative Bulgarian guide and 2 dear travel buddies (while my husband successfully ascended Mt Kilimanjaro), we covered a fair amount of ground and topography; Sofia, Melnick, Bansko, Plovdiv, and Veliko Turnovo (aka my nicknamed Leaky Turnover).

After only a day or two, we could reliably utter Blagodarya (thank you), tikho (be quiet) and  yazh (eat!) On this last point, we did not need to be encouraged. The food was absolutely delicious with plentiful servings.

We even started mastering some Cyrillic letters because yes, the Bulgarians actually invented the Cyrillic alphabet. Another little known fact – the oldest settlement in Europe (nearly 7000 years ago) was on Bulgarian soil.

Highlights of Bulgaria

The monasteries – wondrous buildings with unique architecture, ornate, gilded interiors, glorious icons and painted frescoes – these are tucked in remote and tranquil locations. Monks still reside in several of these enclaves and baptisms (we witnessed a few) occur regularly.

The food – inasmuch as we laughed about the plethora of cheese (white cheese, yellow cheese, fried cheese, cheese under the hood, French fries with cheese, cheese pasty pepper, cheese up Shopp’s style, cheese with cheese), it was fresh, tasty, and the perfect component in the ubiquitous Shopska salad. Shopska salad, which reflects the red, green and white colors of the Bulgarian flag, consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and shredded white cheese. We also consumed a lot of grilled meats and piping hot grilled breads which were addictive. Other delicious finds included Lutenitsa – a chutney of peppers, eggplants, carrots, garlic, and tomatoes and Kyopolou –  eggplant and red pepper dip. Desserts reflected the proximity to and influence of Turkey with sweet offerings like baklava and kuneifeh.

Kukeri –   originating from Thracia, these folkloric creatures with impressive masks and bells dance away evil and protect the community from harm. I regret not having acquired one to accompany me on my travels – perhaps he would have prevented my lost luggage situation!

The reverence in churches – I love to observe and soak up the vibe in local places of worship throughout the world. Bulgaria provided rich examples, both in monasteries but also in churches and the stunning Sofia synagogue. Our timing to visit the neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevsky Cathedral couldn’t have been better – a Deacon was just being ordained. The richly embroidered outfits, the mesmerizing melodies, the swaying Eastern Orthodox crowd of young and old in this opulent house of worship will remain in my memory for a long time.

The love of books and literature – Bulgarians love to read. It seemed that every block featured yet another shop rich in literary works. Our arrival In Sofia coincided with a huge book street fair which took over the main pedestrian thoroughfare.  This week-long event attracted throngs of eager readers. Given the proliferation of Kindle and on-line library check-outs in our world (I’m that old-fashioned person who still needs to physically turn a page), it felt like we had returned to “the good old days.“

Matter of fact, that was my favorite aspect of visiting Bulgaria. It’s real. It is a place where one can go back in time. There are precious few tourists, so we could really enjoy ourselves without a stampede of travelers. And the Bulgarians were hospitable and grateful for our visit.

The one oddity was travelling in a land which has varying opinions about the Soviet Union. Many from the older generation look to Russia as their savior and liberator. Others feel differently. In the current political climate, it’s a bit unsettling to come across Soviet mementos and paraphernalia openly displayed. We never felt unsafe. But it did challenge our thinking.

When friends heard I was planning a trip to Bulgaria, they struggled to understand the appeal. As in, “Why would you want to go THERE?.” I get it. It lacks the sizzle of other locations. If you wanted to see ancient ruins from previous civilizations you would likely travel to Italy or Greece, both bursting at the seams with visitors and beginning to impose restrictions. Or you could avoid the crowds and go to Bulgaria where entire Roman settlements and amphitheaters have been unearthed and displayed in city centers. And where 12^th century fortresses testify to long lost kingdoms.

If like me, you also prefer to travel far away from the maddening crowd, then Bulgaria might be just the ticket!