A day in Bulgaria

Bulgaria was named following a tribe of Brigands being invited to defend seven Slavic families who were farming land along the Danube. These families defied Roman when it demanded taxes and were then threatened by Roman soldiers. The Brigands defeated the Romans and claimed the land as the home of Bulgaria.

Setting off from the ship, we passed through farmlands planted with various crops. Farmers live in villages and travel to the farms. They live where there is better access to water. One bridge we passed near was built in the early 1600’s. It is so strong that the Soviets took one of the supports apart to see why it was such a strong bridge. Surprisingly it was designed by someone without any formal education.

Not far from the bridge is the town of Veliko Tarnovo,try saying that fast. It was settled in the Byzantine period(1100’s). Here the majority of the houses are perched precariously on the hillside. Earthquakes in the region ,have seen many of these house slide down the hill.

A rebellion started by 3 brothers and their cousin, resulted in the establishment of a period of prosperity for Bulgaria. The brothers built a fortress,on Tsarevets Hill to protect the region. Under their rule, Bulgaria became a powerful nation and the home of traders and artists. 

One town in the region became extremely wealthy.This is the town of Arbanassi. We visited a medieval church here, the Church of the Nativity. Outside the church is quite plain but inside the walls and ceilings were covered in painted icons representing stories from the bible. The choir in the tiny church entertained us with a Cappella. The acoustics in the church were amazing. The stone walls of this area were built with strips of wood enclosed within the walls. This allowed for movement during earthquakes .

Back in the Port of Rousse, we tried to lose a few pounds and walked around the town. Everyone was out enjoying the sun in the cafes. Children were playing in the fountains. No big children were allowed to play,sorry. The town itself has wide tree lined streets extending radially from the centre. There were plenty of clothing and shoe shops……did not buy anything. I showed amazing restraint. We are off the ship tomorrow and exploring Bucharest so be ready.