The Republic of Bulgaria is Europe's 14th largest country with 7.4 million Bulgarians. The capital is Sophia. The country's current political dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in 1991.
Good ol' Tsar Boris ruled by authoritarian dictatorship from 1918-1943, then like the other Eastern countries of Europe, they went to a single-party people's republic- part of the Soviet sphere of influence of Dimitorv- who laid the foundations for a rapidly industrialising Stalinist state. You know the drill... highly repressive with thousands of dissidents executed. And like the other Eastern Bloc countries in 1989, they embarked on a transition to a parliamentary democracy. And true to fashion, disaster for the first 10 years, then with revised laws, conditions improved greatly. They joined the European Union in 2007. Then the stuff hit the fan-the government resigned in Feb 2013 after nationwide protests caused by high costs off utilities, low living standards and the failure of the democratic system. The protest wave included self-immolation's! I thought they only did that in Tibet these days. The Parliament was dissolved and a new provisional government was set up by the President...yikes!
We stop off in Ruse...oh my. A sad looking little town. Throughout the country more than 20% are employed on a min. wage of 1 Euro per hour. Ouch. In fact, they did not adopt the Euro for their currency...still using the lev. And yet again, corruption remains another obstacle to economic growth. Bulgaria ranks 75th in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Must be some of that weak law enforcement and overall all capacity of civil service that makes for this winning recipe
Does anybody know what maintenance means? And the good ol'European graffiti adds to the mix.
Have you heard about "Round Up" to kill those weed growing between your pavers?
72.5% live in urban areas....but what about these folks? Not much sign of prosperity? Very depressing to see- Ruse is the 5th largest city in Bulgaria- 26,000. It is the most significant Bulgarian River port. Hard to believe it is a "big industrial center". Did I miss something? The country has had a negative population growth since the early 1990's, when the economic collapse caused a long-lasting emigration wave. There goes the brain drain and young people...Pleep enjoyed seeing cars parked helter skelter...some like to parallel park and others say to hell with it. Oy.
Orthodoxy is designated as Romania's traditional religion with over 2,000 priests. We head over to the Rock Hewn Churches of Ivanovo. Way up there on the side of the mountain Boca...start walking. Where are your sneakers?
During medieval times, this giant monastic ensemble was known by the name of "St. Archangel Michael" but today called by the village it is close to...Ivanovo.
A whole lotta speechless contemplation going on in these parts....
This is where the first hermits had dug out their cells and churches during the 12th century, Come on down Boca, you'll like the findings.
The murals testify to the exceptional skill of the artists belonging to the Tarmovo School of painting. The frescoes of the Ivanovo churches reveal an exceptional artistry for 14th century painting and medieval art. The artists were monks, hermits and hesycasts-who have taken a solemn pledge of silence. Remember when Boca attended a weekend of silence retreat? OMG. These fella's had retreated voluntarily from life. Pass the berries please and don't forget the roots. Quite the middle age feat. About those canonized expressions...
Very expressive, said Pleep. Not very Byzantine- quite a departure indeed.
What do you think Bub? Quite the magnificent and natural environment. Up my alley. Where is that dang monkey?
There you are, getting in touch with your spiritual side. Good boy! Nah Pops, I was thinking more like a rock star!
Pleep had a great visit wearing his Serbian ensemble, rock climbing and hanging and hopping from tree to tree. He liked that the church was cut into the natural rock- hey how stable are they? Bubs said there's obviously no OSHA in these parts. A tricky and slippery walk up...and my fellow passengers whizzed by Boca...any remarks about age are null and void Boca. And yes this is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Originally, there were 40 churches, most of which are not preserved today. How does one preserve a church in a rock?
Rock on!
Pleep behaved so nicely that Hilly picked up a gift for him...Bulgaria's answer to tequila? Or all the mosquito bites?? By the time we crawled down the mountain we called it Bugaria!
Iconography demonstration/lecture on board...ah Boca's most favorite religious picture? Prayer tool? The Bulgarian described his work as more art and less icon, which turned Boca off. She spoke to him and his assistant/interpreter and received no satisfaction as to the "belief" of the "artist". You will not find an "artist's" name on an icon. Why? Because it is the hand of God doing the work through the individual "artist". It was sad to see that my fellow Taucktorians on the boat didn't get a great lecture about iconography and it's long and rich history. This fellow dwelled on his painting technique and his catalogue...bummer. Will have to wait till Serbia to go Icon shopping but the lecture gave her impetus to dig a little on iconography....to be discussed soon.
An odd stop on the tour? Good luck you Bulgarians!
fyi: service has improved but no 5 star dining to go with 5 star price, don't even ask Bubs about the wine list or lack thereof.
