“ – A PIECE OF on the country’s cultural again the king aligned the HEAVEN” heritage. All these multiple country closely with cultures appear in the Germany. He hoped he country’s arts, in its ancient could recover Bulgaria’s lost ruins and architecture. It is a territory stronghold of Slavic Much to the credit of traditions and language. It is King Boris, Bulgaria did a blend of the oldest and not persecute the Jews. newest periods. The Bulgarian people UNESCO lists SEVEN blocked the streets to the landmarks in the country train stations thus preventing on its World Cultural refugee Jews from entering Heritage list. UNESCO and trains to the death camps.

GREETINGS: the European Union pour During the Cold War we money into renovating often referred to Bulgaria th Emerson once said: “He historic sites crumbling under as the 16 state of the had several lives to live, years of neglect. They Soviet Union. Bulgaria has and this is the only one.” consider these locations to been slower to lift the Iron I was “Born to Travel” and in be of outstanding cultural Curtain’s grim and stogy this “the only” life to live, and national heritage. Eastern Block reputation traveling to foreign countries Listed as Heritage sites than the Czech Republic or and absorbing their history, are the Thracian Kazan Slovenia. However, in 1990 culture and famous sights Tomb, the Sveshtart Tomb, they adopted a multi-party has been a rewarding the Madeira Horseman, system experience for me. and the Ivanova Rock. Bulgarians awoke on Now, after years of travel Others preserved ruins and January 1, 2007 as citizens to Communist countries I archaeological sites include of the European Union begin “second reruns” to one of the oldest towns in after a night of fireworks Eastern Europe. These Europe, Old Nessebur and and parties. “We are home!” countries, when I visited the Streburn Monastery set the Bulgarian newspaper them were formerly under on Rila Mountain. Trued proclaimed in a the yoke of the Soviet Union. special New Year’s day To me, one of the thrilling edition. moments of the fall of Communism is roaming through lands that once were tightly controlled by the Russians. Bulgaria seldom popped up as an ideal holiday Bulgaria’s location as a destination in 1999 when I crossroad in Europe has first visited the country. made it the center of many We end our tour in Now Bulgaria is the place to struggles for power. In by bus and cross go. In many ways Bulgaria is recent history, Bulgaria into Bulgaria by way of the one of the success stories of had the misfortune of Friendship Bridge, high the Balkans. being on the losing side in over the swirling water of Why travel to Bulgaria? both World Wars; she the Danube. Ancient Thracian, Greek, aligned herself with The towns in Bulgaria Roman, and Byzantine Germany. In World War II are sleepy and European, civilizations left their marks 1 filled with horse-driven frescoes, preserved Monks in black robes carts squeaking through Bulgarian culture, traditions and hats and worshippers narrow cobblestone and the spiritual heritage of roam in and out of the streets. Men and women the Bulgarian Orthodox monastery’s church. They tend their gardens and rake Church during the five bow and pray and light in the hay. A very strange centuries of Ottoman rule. candles before the well-worn clash appears – one of new The Rila Monastery, icons and altars. The and old together. Old Baba’s another UNESCO sight, is grounds are lovely with well- and Dyad’s (grandparents) definitely worth visiting. tended flowers and trees. walk the street with their We look around the beautiful goats and then there are building with its red, white young women in designer and black designs, exterior jeans! Most Bulgarians, in frescoes are stunning amid a rural Bulgaria, live in big backdrop of pine and beech houses. For example, if the covered mountains. We house is a 3- story house, marvel at the details of the the grandparents stay at the Rafael's Cross carved with bottom; their grown children a needle over a period of live on the second floor. twelve years. The monk who We leave the city of carved this masterpiece lost Rousse for the rock-cut his vision after finishing the monasteries of “St. Cross. The Rila is the Michael the Archangel” – country’s most holy place for on the UNESCO Cultural Bulgarians. Stepping into Heritage list. This is where this wooden church the first hermits dug out their transports us back into the cells and churches in the 12th early Bulgarian history of the Another wonder of century. At one time the 10th century. Bulgaria is the Boyana cluster of churches included 40 churches. More than 300 monks inhabited the site. The 14th-century murals testify to the exceptional skill of the artists. Medieval churches and monasteries have always The Bachkova Monastery Church built and painted played a great role in is about 20 miles south of between 11th and 14th preserving Bulgaria’s where it nestles centuries. The exquisite culture and traditions. peacefully amid the forest frescoes are considered an The monks hills. It reminds me of our artistic precursor of the took it upon own Pacific Northwest. I Italian Renaissance period themselves would love to see after a two centuries later. to preserve snowstorm. The complex An authentic Bulgarian the beautiful adorned inside and out with meal prepared by real icons, frescoes, graphically depicts “grannies” dressed in frescoes, the torments awaiting native costumes took and ancient sinners. One show a skeletal place at sunset in a quaint manuscripts. Monasteries Death figure armed with his little home. such as Rila and Bachkova, long black scythe. each covered with glorious

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seen a long succession of invaders, traders, settlers Our bus bumped along the and travelers who have left road through the little their gold vessels in the royal village of Sveshtari and tombs of the . into the Sboryabavi Treasures also include Historical Archaeological painted vases, bronze Reserve. The land is flat, sculptures or fragments of but here and there beehive murals. Under everything, mounds dot this part of The women greeted us with everywhere there are deep Bulgaria – some rising warm kisses on both cheeks layers of history. Every city, several stories high. Partially and huge smiles. For our every town in Bulgaria hosts covered by small trees and pleasure, the women then a museum filled with artifacts bushes, we wonder what sang many of their native found right there, not they were. Were they songs in clear beautiful imported from elsewhere. leftover residues from voices. We, in turn, sang Some remain in their original volcanoes? Did ants or some American tunes. gravesites; others rest safely moles build them? Bulgarian women do not in museums. No! These mysterious play musical instruments. mounds are the tombs of They usually perform the kings. They contain the vocal parts. They often archaeological Thracian practice singing while treasures dating back from weaving and doing about 7000 year ago, household chores. Bulgarian through the Bronze and iron women’s local singing ages. This amazing trove of consists of many voices and treasures is much more many melodies. We also ancient than the gold of the listened to women’s choir in The Varna Museum of Incas and smaller in size but a lovely little church as they Archaeology is home to as old as the Egyptian rehearsed hymns for the the oldest hand crafted pyramids. next day’s service. gold treasure in the world, But, it’s not the mounds dating back to the 5th that are astonishing – it’s Millennium BC. what they cover! Inside We admire the exceptional what looks like futuristic rings, earrings and bracelets. glass concrete entrances lay We pay special attention to vast troves of buried an unique set of a young treasure. Thracian woman consisting Built of smooth-cut soft of a necklace with a bull’s limestone blocks, the tomb head pendant and two consists of a passage and In Bulgaria’s gold rush earrings –tiny statuettes of three square chambers – a the race is on to uncover the goddess of victory Nike. narthex, a side room and a the golden splendors of its These date from the end of burial chamber. A semi- Thracian past. th the 4 century or the early cylindrical vault covers the Archaeologists consider rd 3 . tomb. The glass opens to a Bulgaria as El Dorado – a code and we enter between vast trove of buried treasure pillars decorated with freezes where some graves of ox heads, rosettes and contained gold since at least garland. The bulls represent 4000 BC. The country has the male beginning.

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Ten 1.2-m high caryatids their kind in the former created during the rule of (sculptured female figures Thracian lands. Bulgar Khan Tervel. It that serve as a support supports the thesis that it is a instead of a pillar or column) portrayal of the Khan with raised arms support the himself. walls. They wear long finely We drive through a plain plaited sleeveless garments, when suddenly there with a belt under the breasts. appears a steep wall, which viewed from the west, resembles a petrified waterfall. At a height of 23 meters above the ground Returning to our hotel, we stands the Madara meet a group of young Horseman carved on an field workers coming home almost vertical-meter-high from a day’s work in the cliff. The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into The shape of a flower lavender fields. Never missing a “photo op” we a lion lying at his horse’s represents the skirt. Curly feet. An eagle is flying in hair falls over their shoulders invite the whole group to accompany us back to the front of the horseman and a and on the crown sits a dog is running after him. The basket called calathos field. We laugh with them as we try to communicate them. scene symbolically depicts a (made of thirty sheets of gold military triumph. with rosettes and relief’s.) The girls and boys readily Traces of dark brown paint start picking the plants and tinge the hair, faces and we happily snap our pictures. clothes. No one really knows It is always fun to meet for certain what the figures young folks. mean. Perhaps they depict On other occasions, I see Mother Goddesses who the perfect photo op. I catch someone’s eye and represents the continuation In a closer look at the of life, revival and bountiful ask permission to take a photo. The person slowly horseman, the dog and the harvests. lion, the cropped and There is a wonderful shakes her head from side to side. Then I remember – critical objects appear sequel to this adventure. separately on the right- Unknown to us at this time, head gestures in Bulgaria are the reverse of ours. Their hand side of the horse as our guide Lyuba had a shown in this picture by surprise for us - a meeting yes is a swivel from left to right. A motion like swatting Nikola Gruev. Also three later in Sophia with Dr. Diana partially preserved texts in Gergova. She is a worldwide a fly means she agrees with you. A nod or a shake of the Medieval Greek surround the author and archaeologist. Dr. image of the rider. These Gergova is a specialist in the head is a refusal. Even Bulgarians can’t explain the inscriptions reflect the field of Thracian culture and military and political power of the head of excavations in origin of these mannerisms. Now I want to show you the First . Sboryanova where she led a This symbol of Bulgarian team of students from all the monument of a majestic horseman that statesmanship is the only over the world. . She said one of its kind in Europe. that the ten figures and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since It’s no surprise to us that decorations in the vault of globalization has appeared the tomb are the only ones of 1979. This relief, dated back to 710 AD, means it was in Bulgaria, Donkey carts

4 still roll in downtown , some a thousand years old. The garden goes down to but looking further, we see These paintings are usually the shore, inside a small gulf the 23/7 McDonald’s, made of wood and highly on the beach.. The area is Levi’s, Calvin Klein and stylized. The dark colors are famous for its mild climate, other specialty shops. vibrant. the fascinating rock Today television is We travel from Sofia to formations and warm westernized. Bulgarians Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s seawater. view their own version of “second city.” We visit Old Marie found the palace a “Who Wants To Be A Town first. It is beautiful, with refuge for solitude and Millionaire. No wonder narrow, winding cobblestone contemplation and named since the average monthly streets and colorful 19th- her home “The Quiet Nest.” income is $200.00 a month. century houses with intricate The queen transformed the It is possible to turn in CCN woodwork. The whole district rural landscape into a and BBC in larger hotels in is small enough to explore playground for the elite Sofia. on foot. Roman society. It is common On a beautiful Sunday 2000-year old Roman knowledge that 60-year-old we visit the massive, awe- ruins lie around the area. Marie entertained her 20- inspiring Alexander Nevski Old Town has been under year-old Turkish lover in her Memorial Church, built the protection of the mansion. The palace between 1882 and 1912 and government since 1956. The became the most-visited dedicated to the 200,000 city is one of the most resort for painters, artists soldiers who died for unusual in Europe. Thracian, and writers. Bulgaria’s independence Greek, Macedonian, Roman, during the Russian-Turkish Slavic, Gypsy, Armenian, War. Turkish and Bulgarian The marble entrance with cultures have all made the mosaics above the town a mixture of doorway leads into an architectural styles. interior heavy with the What could be more sounds of chanting and pleasant that taking a tour candelabras afire with of Queen Maria’s palace blazing lights. Worshippers and her garden with such The sight from the cliff is perform the devotional for colorful flowers? King amazing - the Black Sea the living and the dead. Ferdinand of Romania built spread out in front us and I Young people in jeans and the villa for his queen in could see forever and ever. old women purchase candles 1924-26. From every window in the that they light according to palace I could see not only ancient custom. They take the sea but also stairways candles from the floor in going up and down that led memory of the dead; they to springs, flower beds, reach eye-high to statues, cascades of water, commemorate the living. thrones and much more. Visible only from the sea, As we look skyward we th see gold-covered domes at the 19 century former the heights of more than palace is really quite 150 feet. They shine on an A granddaughter of modest. One does not see a intricate display of arches Queen Victoria, she spent change of guards or any and windows. In the church summers in her palace pomp. An enormous on display are over 300 high on cliffs overlooking chandelier gilded with gold Orthodox iconic paintings – the then Romanian lilies and a royal crown and northern Black Sea coast. 5 gold lily hangs from the collection of large-sized dinner and say goodbye to ceiling. The Turkish-style cactus in the “Garden of the our new and old friends. bathroom with its sunken Gods.” Some us have traveled bath and multicolored The gardens are a together for some twenty windows is a delight. The combination of French and years and have remained palace houses a wine cellar English design. The good friends. We dine in the covering two floors collection of exotic mimosas, Arbanassi Palace, formerly underground. Today it still magnolias, roses, and lilies the Bulgarian president’s produces 12 varieties of top arranged in floral compo- home. A traditional-style quality wines and 7 brands of sitions is a masterpiece. The mehana (tavern) the roof brandy. (I know it is Garden of Roses contains garden restaurant gives us a excellent!) 80 species of hybrid roses. spectacular view of the city. Queen Marie, a follower Water plays an important of the Baha'i teaching, place in the palace believed in the unity of all gardens as several of the world’s religions fountains; ponds and and civilizations living canals cool the gardens. A altogether. At the same brook passes through it, time both should be in going down several harmony with nature. (The waterfalls to the Bridge of Have I mentioned the palace and Sophia are the Sighs. One of the most special quality of yogurt? only place where Christians inspiring and touching Bulgaria is the home of and Muslims live in peace.) Christian symbols is the yogurt is so thick that if one Nearby a Roman-Arab silver well with a medallion sticks a fork in it, the fork bathhouse, a minaret of a with the Virgin Mary and the stands up by itself. Other small mosque, Bulgarian infant Jesus cut out. If you local dishes are: kebabches, verandas, a Moorish see your reflection in its clear grilled minced rolls made of courtyard and a marble water and drop a coin, be veal and spiced with black throne from Florence grace a assured your wishes will pepper, paprika and onions; part of the garden. A come true! tatator, a cold soup made majolica -an earthenware In another part of the from cucumbers, ground tile- of Our Lady with the garden are six formal walnuts, sour milk and garlic; infant Jesus stands in a garden terraces. Each imambayalda a mixed corner. represents one of the vegetable dish, to name a When I first entered the Queen’s children. few. garden, I saw huge trees, Queen Marie loved her Desserts are rich and at least a century old. castle. After her death, delicious. The most popular according to her will, Queen are: halva, a mulled cereal, Marie’s heart rested in a jar oils and nuts; lokum, a soft for two years in the chapel of sticky sweet rolled in sugar; her house of dreams. A day and baklava, a very sweet after Bulgaria restored its pastry with sugar and walnut control over the area the filling of Turkish and Arabian heart returned to Romania. origin. The food is too tasty We can understand why she to miss! lost her heart there; we did, A talented dance group Bathing in sunlight most of too. performs some Bulgarian the year, the garden is home Too soon it becomes folk dances. to more than 2000 plant time to hold our farewell species including the large The group dances are either in a circle or in a line twisting 6 usually to the right. We now see Bulgarians A famous legend about Characterized by a variety of resuming their place in the Bulgaria says that when movements, steps, twists, democratic culture of God gave land to all the and rhythm, the dances Europe. Bulgaria actively nations, He forgot about leave a strong impression on takes part in peacekeeping the Bulgarians. So, not us. in the Balkans. Bulgaria knowing what to do, He quickly offered the USA the broke a piece of Heaven use of her air force base on and gave it to them! the Black Sea on September 9th. The wonderful archaeol- ogical discoveries made during the last few years have shown so many of the roots of European "Vseli Praznitzi" Most often the steps and civilization can be found in movements of Bulgarian what now is Bulgaria. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! folk dances are imitations of the movements people have observed in nature or Health, Happiness, Love in everyday events. and, most of all... Peace!

Jo Weiss 8801 58th Street W. University Place, Archaeologists found the world’s oldest gold WA 98467 treasurers as well as the 253-564-1598 famous Thracian gold [email protected] treasures. Nine out of the These steps are unique, 690 UNESCO cultural sites jumps or postures of different exist in Bulgaria. animals. The names of The main cities have dances include The Bear’s shrugged off their weary December 2009 horo, The Rabbit game, the Communist image; now cat’s horo or the Bug on a they are vibrant and blade of grass. attractive. The world admires I love the Bulgarian spirit; Bulgaria for its survival hospitality, the folklore under the most trying traditions, the rich gold times in its history. treasures and the beautiful Bulgaria survived five scenery. They are the jewels centuries of Ottomans. The of Bulgaria. people defied the Nazis; then they endured a long period as a satellite of Russia behind the Iron Curtain. 7