Bulgaria 04

Eastern Europe to the Black Sea

Grand Circle Travel

16 Day Tour/River Cruise 2004

September 12 to September 27, 2004

Under TRAVELS, click under CRUISES, Danube River 04, and Croatia 04, Hungary 04, Romania 04 and Serbia 04 for other parts of this vacation.

To speed up downloading time I have used small pictures in place of larger ones.  However, please "Click" on any small one and a larger picture will appear.  Click the "Back" button to return to this story.  

Our ship made a port call at the town of Ruse (Rousse,) fourth largest city in Bulgaria.  It is an important port with about 180,000 population.  The streets were tree lined but trash and the block apartment buildings were fitting reminders of the serious economic challenges facing the country.  Demographic information for Bulgaria is available by clicking on the pictures below.

We and our fellow travelers boarded a very nice bus to begin our drive south.  One of the first and most impressive sights were these houses.  Imagine living in one of them!  There's not much evidence of automobile traffic jams there!  Take a look at the larger pictures.

This beautiful hotel was the site of a "rest" stop.  Dotty and I are in the center picture with our expert Bulgarian guide, Stefka Ralcheva.

Our next stop was at the nativity Church in the village of Arbanasi.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside which was completely covered with frescoes, painted between 1632 and 1649.  Over 3,500 figures are included in the nearly 200 scenes.  Read more included with the larger pictures. 

After the church we visited the Hadzhi Ilyeva House, typical of those belonging to wealthy merchants of the 17th century.  We entered through an outside gate and I imagine this high heeled lady was the gate keeper as she stood there while until all of us had entered.  

More pictures of the house and gift shop.

Dotty is at the walled entrance to the house where we enjoyed a hosted lunch.  We are still in the Arbanasi area.

In the distance is the Tsarevets Mediaeval Citadel strategically placed to overlook the city of Veliko Tarnovo.   It was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1187-1393) and is rich in cultural and historical heritage.

Next was a visit to the old part of the city where shops full of local crafts flourished.  The monument at left is one of many in the immediate vicinity.

This view of the mountain in the distance was along our route about half way from Ruse.  Against the side is a Nunnery which at one time had been a Monastery.  Take a closer look by clicking on the pictures below.

Though our visit to Bulgaria was brief we left with an appreciation of the country and its people, thanks to our guide Stefi and our experiences in the country.  Bulgaria is now a member of NATO and is a candidate country for membership in the European Union.  The economy has been slow to grow since 1989 when communism was brushed aside and farms reverted to private ownership.  We wish these Slavic people the best and thank them for making us feel welcome in their country. 

Posted on the Internet on 11/13/04, revised 11/16/04