Where winding roads, rusty rails, iffy health and lean budget meet the calm
We dance to the rhythm of the English song a Bulgarian restaurant entertainer sings. It is almost dark and the beauty of this city is on full display with the flickering lights of its houses perched over the steep hills chiselled by the river Yantra. Continue reading “Veliko Tarnovo”
We left Milan’s apartment and Lyulin, the Sofia suburb where he lives, the day after our landing (still 7 hours jetlagged), for a semi-deserted village with about 10 inhabited houses mainly by retirees from the nearby cities. Continue reading “The village”
Although born in England and brought by his parents to Canada at the age of 14, Alex’s first time crossing the Ocean back to Europe wasn’t to his homeland, but to mine. Continue reading “Bulgaria – Alex’s first impression”
Bureaucracy exists in each and every country. In some, one can talk to people and sometimes run into a helpful person. Continue reading “In Covid times Kafka is still laughing”
There are so many things that are not in one’s sight when younger and even less when one is running on the survival treadmill. Retirement is one of them. Continue reading “Kafka is laughing in his grave”
Once upon a time there were countries and people living under communism. Travel then wasn’t freely allowed. Continue reading “Sojourn in Prague, fall 1990”
For opera lovers, we’d like to share a 15 minutes video version of our two hour tour of the Magura Cave accompanied by excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle”, a production of Sofia Opera. Continue reading “Gods, Giants, Dwarfs, Valkyries”
Before moving back to our travel organising and preparation, here’s one last post related to the holiday season that just vanished into the new year. Continue reading “Holiday season past and present”
It could have been my imagination and sensitivity as a child, but there was always some sort of competition between my grannies. Continue reading “Capitalism, socialism, my grannies, and… a Cow!”
While waiting in a filthy bus station in Bucharest Alex said – I want to be in Favorit (this is our go-to hotel in Sofia). Continue reading “Sunset in Ruse and the dark side of politics”
We should have taken the train. The day after we arrived in Bucharest, we walked to the major international bus station, Filaret. Continue reading “Back to Bulgaria by bus after all”
We like food and we like to indulge once in a while. We like exploring local cuisines and trying new things. Continue reading “Food in Romania”
We started our trip indulging in some cultural events in Bulgaria. The times we have spent there in summer are often seasoned with a variety of outdoor concerts and festivals. Continue reading “Prelude: Wagner in Magura Cave, Verdi in Belogradchik Fortress”
My childhood memory lane goes through my tummy. Continue reading “Homecoming to my childhood”
August this year marked 20 years since my best childhood friend left this world. I wrote the verses below in 1998, shortly after I learned about her tragic departure. As far as I know, it was a surgical error that should have never happened. At that time I had been in Canada for about three years. Writing, especially poetry, in a language learned in adult life can never be the same as writing in one’s mother tongue. But poetry was part of my learning process, and also the best way to express my feelings. Continue reading “Dora”
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