It feels like it has been a long time since I wrote my last entry in Kotor but I think that may have more to do with the dramatic change of locations and crazy encounters that Jade and I have had over the last few days than anything else. In Kotor, I felt like I had nothing to write and that really this was turning out to be an unplanned relaxation holiday... oh yes, famous last words.
After I finished writing, Jade and I went home (like a couple of nanas)and made our dinner - on a whim we decided to get a little dressed up (comparative to the rest of Kotor) and see if we could watch the fashion show, which we had seen being set up earlier in the day. Not only did we see it, we managed to get a table at a cafe pretty close to the runway. We then decided to go and find one of the funky little cafe/bars we had seen on Saturday and settled down at one playing some pretty good house music. After a misunderstanding over which bar we were actually sitting in, the manager came over and asked us to come stand with him. (I maintain that this was because he quite liked Jade.) This was the started of a pretty cheap night, as everything was on the house! (Good one Jade!) He did then ruin all his hard work by asking us if there was something wrong with us... something about being 28 and 27 but not being married - the icing on the cake was when he asked us if we had seen a shrink... apparently they are pretty cheap in Montenegro. While we stood there, trying to make polite conversation, (which got a bit harder after his inferences about our mental health), we heard some people talking English. It was a group (Aussie, Saffa, Israeli and Englishman) who were working on one of the massive super-yachts moored in the fjord. We ended up going to Maximus (apparently the best night club in this part of Europe) and danced the night away to Yugolslav pop. Very funny night - photos are up on Facebook.
The next day we were planning to travel down the coast to Ulcinj, which is a holiday resort full of people from Albania and Kosovo. We had packed up and went to say goodbye to the old lady, who we were staying with, when she demanded to know who we were staying with; we had planned to just find someone at the bus station. She insisted that she write down the name of a sea captain, who she used to teach, stating that everyone in Ulcinj knew him... needless to say Jade and I were a bit dubious about this. The trip to Ulcinj was very pretty. We drove along the coast, between steep mountains and pretty, sandy beaches (and a few ugly built up resorts).
When we got Ulcinj we decided to try and find captain - when we showed the piece of paper to the ticket lady, she laughed and gave us an address (so far so good). The taxi took us to the address (a school) and then the driver asked a random person on the street... who knew which house. (So everyone does know this person.) We knocked, he looked at the paper and instantly knew we had come from Kotor... but he didn't have any rooms (by which point Jade and I began to doubt if he did actually rent rooms out in his house), so he sent his son to ask all his neighbours (which was just embarrassing). After his wife had given us some juice, his son offered to take us to find a room... which he did... and then we got taken to a great beach (called Ibiza), with the offer of a day on a boat and a night out. It was one of the most bizarre things to have happened to me (and to us)... I guess we were pretty lucky to have a) stayed where we did in Kotor and b) to have accepted that piece of paper.
Ulcinj, to be honest, was a bit tacky - lots of souvenirs made out of shell. (I hope nobody wanted a shell lap-shade.) The main beach was jammed with umbrellas and a lot of sunburnt people. Jade and I went to the old town on both nights we were there and it was pretty neat to see so many people out but we were quite glad that the place we were staying (while a bit odd - it used to be a weather station!) was further out. We spent our one day in Ulcinj at a very pretty private beach (yip, we went back to Ibiza)... turns out Jade is a tan-orexic. (I got bored in the end, because I was trying to avoid a repeat of my previously mentioned mega-burn, and went into town to sort out a few things... like how the heck we were meant to get to Albania!)
The 'bus' to Albania (well, its actually a mini-van) leaves from a carpark above the old town, at 6(ish)am. I spent quite a bit of time trying to nail down an exact time, place and cost... pre-purchase of a ticket was asking WAY too much. So we woke up this morning at 5am, the taxi picked us up at 5:30am and we waited around at 'the old bus station', as it is widely known. A guy came over and showed us where to go... but it turned out you had to book in advance, (thanks tourism centers!). We were then approached by a taxi driver offering to take us to Skohdra (just over the boarder for 30 Euros) - there was another girl there who looked less than impressed by this and we got the distinct feeling this was a bit of a rip-off. Another guy came along so in the end we all chipped in for the fare.
The taxi turned out to be another piece of good luck - after a very near death experience, involving an overtaking manoeuvre on a blind corner, Jade hiding her head and me squealing (and swearing) at the same time, we started to talk to the other girl. She was from Albania and was going home to see her parents for the day - she offered to help us find a money changer and to talk to the bus driver so that we didn't get ripped off paying for our ticket to Tirana. (Also, the taxi driver seemed to have friends who worked at boarder control, so not only did we get to jump the queue, we didn't have to pay the 10 Euro that Lonely Planet had talked about. Ah, corruption!)
So Albania... turns out that it is pretty ghetto. The countryside is lovely and seems to be full of opportunities to take photos of donkeys and carts and other equally rustic scenes. The towns and cities seem to be pretty nothing.. except insanely crazy. Tirana is very flat, with only few buildings taller than five or six floors. Added to this is the fact that the roads are full of potholes and the people drive like mentalists... and the main rule for crossing the road is just to walk out... yes well, it is pretty fun. We are staying at a new hostel, close to the centre of town and so, after a nana nap (Hey! We got up at 5am!), we walking into the centre, stopping for an amazing traditional Albanian meal (more about this later - but it was huge and only 4 pounds each!), and then had a look around the History Museum. It was pretty interesting because there have been so many layers of culture and civilisation in this area for such a long time. (I did, however, notice they had mis-labelled a Julio-Claudian bust as 3rd century BC rather than 1st century BC/AD - geek, I know, but really!) There were only a few labels in English (which was a bit disappointing) but it may have given me enough scope to start a new obsession - insurrection leaders of the Balkans!? Karageorge and Skanderbeg?
So a quick note on food... I am getting pretty sick of eating carbs, carbs and more carbs and am now at the point where I will never look at tomato, cucumber or any variety of pasta in the same way again. I am having a great trip but, at the same time, I really just want to get home and eat some chickpeas!!! Like I said, we did go out for an amazing Albanian lunch today. I think I may enjoy eating in Albania a bit more - they cook a lot of vegetarian food here and you order the meat separately... so no more funny looks (hopefully).
We are hoping to go to Kruja tomorrow for a little day trip, (hopefully with out the drama of my trip to Novi Sad), to look at some Ottoman houses. We are planning to spend the day after 'exploring' Tirana - but who really knows... we may leave, stay, or get run over.
Will keep you up to date... but probably not before we get to Macedonia on the weekend.
Rose x
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
Fun (at a slower pace) in Montenegro
It seems as if the pace of my trip has suddenly slowed and as a result, not only have I been feeling like sleeping a lot in the afternoon, I really feel as if I don't have very much to write about.
After my eventful trip to (or rather return journey from) Novi Sad, I really didn't feel like another evening of dancing on the Sava and so opted for dinner in the Old Town and then bed. It was a really nice way to spend my last evening in Belgrade and gave me a chance to have one last walk around the city and take a few last minute snaps.
My plan, for the next evening, was to catch the overnight train from Belgrade to Podgorica in Montenegro (and you'll be pleased to know that this plan came off without any hitches or alterations). I packed my stuff in the morning and then went to buy my train ticket, and then pretty much did nothing for the rest of the day - a bit of internet 'research' and then I went to see Harry Potter. Luckily, almost all the English movies shown in Serbia aren't dubbed and just have sub-titles down the bottom. (FYI - I really enjoyed it but there were a few parts that should have been in and weren't. Also, who knew that the Dursleys lived near Surbiton - I play hockey near there!)
Anyway, it was a good way to waste away a few hours and even then I still had to wait another three hours until my train left at 11:10pm. I had bought another book, 'The Bridge on the Drina' (written by a Bosnian Serb, Ivo Andric, in the 1940s, who had won the Nobel Prize for Literature) so I spent my evening and some of the time on the train reading that. I wasn't too sure about the train and, after meeting people who had been robbed on the train (whilst asleep) I was extra carefully - I really didn't want to have to repeat my fun with the Bulgarian Police (in Montenegro). I did manage to sleep but what with the noise of the train, the boiling temperature and getting woken at four in the morning by the Serbian Police and Boarder Control, it wasn't as restful as it could have been. Needless to say, I didn't get robbed and, after a short wait at the Podgorica bus station, managed to get on a bus to Kotor.
Kotor is right up the coast near the Croatian boarder and sits on the edge of the deepest fjord in Southern Europe. I found a little apartment, underneath an old ladies house - own bathroom and kitchen AND 2 mins from the bus station and old town. Kotor is a really pretty town with amazing fortifications... although, as it is built into the side of a cliff, I can't really figure out why the fortifications needed to be so extensive! There are very few tourists here but a lot of super-yachts! Jade and I went for a walk through the town on Saturday evening, after she got here from Croatia, and we felt a little bit under-dressed and... well poor! I guess, though, Kotor is what you hope an old town will be like; narrow, cobbled streets, shuttered windows, big open square with cafes and bars, and pretty empty of people, (which means more photo taking opportunities).
Yesterday, Jade and I went to the beach for the day. It was brilliant to not be too crowded (very different to Varna) and the water was beautiful - clear and warm. Unfortunately, a year and a half in the UK has made me a little bit less careful about the sun and, as a result of the clear, sunny day and the tyrannical beach hire men, who wouldn't hire me an umbrella, I am now walking around on two very pink legs. (I have invested in some after-sun but keep forgetting about how burnt they are and accidentally slap them... often while I'm laughing.)
Today we headed up the fjord a little way, to a town called Perast. For the last 550 years the inhabitants have been building islands out in the fjord - once a year they sail out into the fjord and drop rocks in the same place. The result has been 2 islands; one which has a monastery on it (which you can't visit) and one which has a church on it 'Our Lady of the Rock'. Again, this is a gorgeous little town and we were pretty much the only tourists there. After having lunch by the water and having a little walk around, we caught the boat out to the island, took some pictures and headed back to Kotor. (See! I told you the pace of my trip was slowing down... Jade and I both felt like going to sleep on the bus back to town too!)
So that is pretty much it - the last few days of very relaxed sightseeing and, well, relaxing. We are going to head down the coast for more beach time (well a little less sun time for me) at a place called Ulcinj. Then, from there, the plan is to go to Tirana and explore Albania for a bit.
Will write soon... I'm sure we can muster up a little bit more drama before then!
Rose x
After my eventful trip to (or rather return journey from) Novi Sad, I really didn't feel like another evening of dancing on the Sava and so opted for dinner in the Old Town and then bed. It was a really nice way to spend my last evening in Belgrade and gave me a chance to have one last walk around the city and take a few last minute snaps.
My plan, for the next evening, was to catch the overnight train from Belgrade to Podgorica in Montenegro (and you'll be pleased to know that this plan came off without any hitches or alterations). I packed my stuff in the morning and then went to buy my train ticket, and then pretty much did nothing for the rest of the day - a bit of internet 'research' and then I went to see Harry Potter. Luckily, almost all the English movies shown in Serbia aren't dubbed and just have sub-titles down the bottom. (FYI - I really enjoyed it but there were a few parts that should have been in and weren't. Also, who knew that the Dursleys lived near Surbiton - I play hockey near there!)
Anyway, it was a good way to waste away a few hours and even then I still had to wait another three hours until my train left at 11:10pm. I had bought another book, 'The Bridge on the Drina' (written by a Bosnian Serb, Ivo Andric, in the 1940s, who had won the Nobel Prize for Literature) so I spent my evening and some of the time on the train reading that. I wasn't too sure about the train and, after meeting people who had been robbed on the train (whilst asleep) I was extra carefully - I really didn't want to have to repeat my fun with the Bulgarian Police (in Montenegro). I did manage to sleep but what with the noise of the train, the boiling temperature and getting woken at four in the morning by the Serbian Police and Boarder Control, it wasn't as restful as it could have been. Needless to say, I didn't get robbed and, after a short wait at the Podgorica bus station, managed to get on a bus to Kotor.
Kotor is right up the coast near the Croatian boarder and sits on the edge of the deepest fjord in Southern Europe. I found a little apartment, underneath an old ladies house - own bathroom and kitchen AND 2 mins from the bus station and old town. Kotor is a really pretty town with amazing fortifications... although, as it is built into the side of a cliff, I can't really figure out why the fortifications needed to be so extensive! There are very few tourists here but a lot of super-yachts! Jade and I went for a walk through the town on Saturday evening, after she got here from Croatia, and we felt a little bit under-dressed and... well poor! I guess, though, Kotor is what you hope an old town will be like; narrow, cobbled streets, shuttered windows, big open square with cafes and bars, and pretty empty of people, (which means more photo taking opportunities).
Yesterday, Jade and I went to the beach for the day. It was brilliant to not be too crowded (very different to Varna) and the water was beautiful - clear and warm. Unfortunately, a year and a half in the UK has made me a little bit less careful about the sun and, as a result of the clear, sunny day and the tyrannical beach hire men, who wouldn't hire me an umbrella, I am now walking around on two very pink legs. (I have invested in some after-sun but keep forgetting about how burnt they are and accidentally slap them... often while I'm laughing.)
Today we headed up the fjord a little way, to a town called Perast. For the last 550 years the inhabitants have been building islands out in the fjord - once a year they sail out into the fjord and drop rocks in the same place. The result has been 2 islands; one which has a monastery on it (which you can't visit) and one which has a church on it 'Our Lady of the Rock'. Again, this is a gorgeous little town and we were pretty much the only tourists there. After having lunch by the water and having a little walk around, we caught the boat out to the island, took some pictures and headed back to Kotor. (See! I told you the pace of my trip was slowing down... Jade and I both felt like going to sleep on the bus back to town too!)
So that is pretty much it - the last few days of very relaxed sightseeing and, well, relaxing. We are going to head down the coast for more beach time (well a little less sun time for me) at a place called Ulcinj. Then, from there, the plan is to go to Tirana and explore Albania for a bit.
Will write soon... I'm sure we can muster up a little bit more drama before then!
Rose x
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Novi Sad and a date with Tito.
I have been trying very hard to fight to geek within but, with the temperature in Belgrade reaching 37 degrees today, I had to give in and I may have started a love affair with a communist leader...
...ok so he is dead and therefore will not be returning my affections but, as of today, you should all look forward to hearing a lot more about Tito as I, not only visited his grave today, but also bought a book about him. (Don't worry, as an historian, you can rest easy in the knowledge that my comments will be as balanced as possible.)
After a very nice, first Serbian day strolling the streets of central Belgrade, basking in the glory of vegan shopping opportunities, I decided to take a day trip to Novi Sad, (Serbia's second city and the capital of the Vojvodina region). The Lonely Planet says that it is about a 2 hour train ride and I thought it would be nice to see not only the Petrovaradin Citadel but also to spend a few hours looking at the scenery. (The Vojvodina region is the major food production area of Serbia - essentially it is a vast, fertile plain that stretches north to the Hungarian boarder.)
So off I trotted, down to the train station early, with no idea of when the trains to Novi Sad leave or how frequently - it seemed I was in luck, as one was leaving in the next ten minutes... well, the train hadn't actually arrived yet and no one knew where it was leaving from but that was the plan. In the end the trip to Novi Sad took three hours; enough time for some more reading on Montenegro and Macedonia, and some scenery watching. (Leaving Belgrade itself was very interesting, especially going through New Belgrade and past the Roma slums beside the railway lines - I guess this
is the unattractive side of the city that the LP was talking about.)
By the time I had got to Novi Sad, and had, once again, made a poor judgement call and walked into town, I wasn't really in the mood to visit may of the major sites (not that there are that many). It seems that, since the few days of rain in Veliko Tarnovo, the temperature in this part of Europe has steadily risen and risen - in other words, it was hot weather to be walking in. (And it was 37 degrees today in Belgrade!) So I walked the 2.5km into the city centre and then the further 1.5km to the citadel AND managed to get up to the top... at which point all I wanted was something to eat and drink. The views of the city and the Danube where pretty great and having the 'Gibraltar of the Danube' as the setting for my little picnic made it even nicer... although dread of the walk back did hang over the whole thing. So in the end I pretty much spent 3 hours on the train there, walked 4km in the boiling sun, ate some lunch and went back to the train station. The ride home was punctuated by a sudden stop at a random place called Indija, where we were told to get off the train and then had to wait for an hour for another train... a pretty spectacular summation of the poor Eastern European train system. So all in all the day was little more than a glorified picnic and train ride - it did (strangely) make me want to come back for the Exit Fest next year though. (A big music festival, held every summer inside the citadel - there were heaps of posters up around the city, advertising the acts for this year's festival, that was on a few weeks ago.)
I got back to the hostel boiling hot and really tired but the promise of some dancing on at a floating club made me wake up pretty quickly. Firstly, a few of us from the hostel went to a party being held by the hostel owner to celebrate the opening of his second hostel, in the middle of town. So we spent a couple of hours there, chatting and waxing lyrical about how great the new place was and then we headed down to the Sava River, where there are a number of clubs on barges. Some of these places are pretty amazing; not only good music but the 'interior' and lights were pretty great too, with open sides so the place stays cool and you can see the city. (V - you would be so proud of how out of control some of my moves were.) We went to one bar that was relatively empty but was playing really good music... so we stayed there til it closed, which did mean that the sun was coming up and, by the time we walked home, it was seven by the time I got to bed. (And I was starting to feel a bit old! Pah!) It was a really good night but it did mean that, due to my sleep in this morning, I had much less time to peruse the Historical Museum of Yugoslavia.
I have been getting more and more disillusioned with the Lonely Planet (especially after it said that Belgrade was ugly... and it actually isn't) but one thing I really wanted to see, (that I wouldn't have known about without the LP), was Tito's grave. Now, as a you know, I have been trying hard to avoid any more historical obsessions and I have also never been overly enamoured with 20th century History nor anything about the rise of communism in the mid 20th century... until today. The Historical Museum of Yugoslavia (or the Museum of the 25th May, as it used to be called) was orginally a way of showcasing Tito's idea of brotherhood amoungst the southern Slavic people but now (apart from being mostly empty) it is used to display some the pretty amazing things that were given to Tito by foreign representatives, during his time as leader. One thing that really stood out was not only how much he was loved by the Yugoslav people but also how much respect he commanded from foreign leaders - Apollo 11 even took to Yugoslav flag to the moon because of the good relationship Tito had developed between Yugoslavia and the USA! So yes - it seems that I have developed a little bit of a crush on a communist leader who has been dead for 25 years... have even bought a boook about him for light reading on the way to Montenegro. (It was well worth the 45min walk through 37 degree heat to see his grave - sigh!)
I also went and had a look inside the Sveti Sava (the 'Temple' of Saint Sava), which they started to build in 1935 but had to stop twice; once due to Hitler and once due to a cash crisis. The thing is massive - it is meant to be the largest orthodox church in the world and I wouldn't doubt it for a second. It is pretty much complete on the outside (copper domes and white marble tiles) but inside there is scaffolding and safety fences everywhere. It is interesting to see all the tools and the structures being used and to think that for centuries amazing churches were built without any of this (albeit, generally, on a smaller scale).
So tomorrow is my last day in Belgrade (there should be enough time to do a couple more museums) and then I am catching the overnight train to Montenegro, where I am going to meet my friend Jade.
Will write from Montengro in a few days.
Rose x
...ok so he is dead and therefore will not be returning my affections but, as of today, you should all look forward to hearing a lot more about Tito as I, not only visited his grave today, but also bought a book about him. (Don't worry, as an historian, you can rest easy in the knowledge that my comments will be as balanced as possible.)
After a very nice, first Serbian day strolling the streets of central Belgrade, basking in the glory of vegan shopping opportunities, I decided to take a day trip to Novi Sad, (Serbia's second city and the capital of the Vojvodina region). The Lonely Planet says that it is about a 2 hour train ride and I thought it would be nice to see not only the Petrovaradin Citadel but also to spend a few hours looking at the scenery. (The Vojvodina region is the major food production area of Serbia - essentially it is a vast, fertile plain that stretches north to the Hungarian boarder.)
So off I trotted, down to the train station early, with no idea of when the trains to Novi Sad leave or how frequently - it seemed I was in luck, as one was leaving in the next ten minutes... well, the train hadn't actually arrived yet and no one knew where it was leaving from but that was the plan. In the end the trip to Novi Sad took three hours; enough time for some more reading on Montenegro and Macedonia, and some scenery watching. (Leaving Belgrade itself was very interesting, especially going through New Belgrade and past the Roma slums beside the railway lines - I guess this
is the unattractive side of the city that the LP was talking about.)
By the time I had got to Novi Sad, and had, once again, made a poor judgement call and walked into town, I wasn't really in the mood to visit may of the major sites (not that there are that many). It seems that, since the few days of rain in Veliko Tarnovo, the temperature in this part of Europe has steadily risen and risen - in other words, it was hot weather to be walking in. (And it was 37 degrees today in Belgrade!) So I walked the 2.5km into the city centre and then the further 1.5km to the citadel AND managed to get up to the top... at which point all I wanted was something to eat and drink. The views of the city and the Danube where pretty great and having the 'Gibraltar of the Danube' as the setting for my little picnic made it even nicer... although dread of the walk back did hang over the whole thing. So in the end I pretty much spent 3 hours on the train there, walked 4km in the boiling sun, ate some lunch and went back to the train station. The ride home was punctuated by a sudden stop at a random place called Indija, where we were told to get off the train and then had to wait for an hour for another train... a pretty spectacular summation of the poor Eastern European train system. So all in all the day was little more than a glorified picnic and train ride - it did (strangely) make me want to come back for the Exit Fest next year though. (A big music festival, held every summer inside the citadel - there were heaps of posters up around the city, advertising the acts for this year's festival, that was on a few weeks ago.)
I got back to the hostel boiling hot and really tired but the promise of some dancing on at a floating club made me wake up pretty quickly. Firstly, a few of us from the hostel went to a party being held by the hostel owner to celebrate the opening of his second hostel, in the middle of town. So we spent a couple of hours there, chatting and waxing lyrical about how great the new place was and then we headed down to the Sava River, where there are a number of clubs on barges. Some of these places are pretty amazing; not only good music but the 'interior' and lights were pretty great too, with open sides so the place stays cool and you can see the city. (V - you would be so proud of how out of control some of my moves were.) We went to one bar that was relatively empty but was playing really good music... so we stayed there til it closed, which did mean that the sun was coming up and, by the time we walked home, it was seven by the time I got to bed. (And I was starting to feel a bit old! Pah!) It was a really good night but it did mean that, due to my sleep in this morning, I had much less time to peruse the Historical Museum of Yugoslavia.
I have been getting more and more disillusioned with the Lonely Planet (especially after it said that Belgrade was ugly... and it actually isn't) but one thing I really wanted to see, (that I wouldn't have known about without the LP), was Tito's grave. Now, as a you know, I have been trying hard to avoid any more historical obsessions and I have also never been overly enamoured with 20th century History nor anything about the rise of communism in the mid 20th century... until today. The Historical Museum of Yugoslavia (or the Museum of the 25th May, as it used to be called) was orginally a way of showcasing Tito's idea of brotherhood amoungst the southern Slavic people but now (apart from being mostly empty) it is used to display some the pretty amazing things that were given to Tito by foreign representatives, during his time as leader. One thing that really stood out was not only how much he was loved by the Yugoslav people but also how much respect he commanded from foreign leaders - Apollo 11 even took to Yugoslav flag to the moon because of the good relationship Tito had developed between Yugoslavia and the USA! So yes - it seems that I have developed a little bit of a crush on a communist leader who has been dead for 25 years... have even bought a boook about him for light reading on the way to Montenegro. (It was well worth the 45min walk through 37 degree heat to see his grave - sigh!)
I also went and had a look inside the Sveti Sava (the 'Temple' of Saint Sava), which they started to build in 1935 but had to stop twice; once due to Hitler and once due to a cash crisis. The thing is massive - it is meant to be the largest orthodox church in the world and I wouldn't doubt it for a second. It is pretty much complete on the outside (copper domes and white marble tiles) but inside there is scaffolding and safety fences everywhere. It is interesting to see all the tools and the structures being used and to think that for centuries amazing churches were built without any of this (albeit, generally, on a smaller scale).
So tomorrow is my last day in Belgrade (there should be enough time to do a couple more museums) and then I am catching the overnight train to Montenegro, where I am going to meet my friend Jade.
Will write from Montengro in a few days.
Rose x
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Belgrade and the end of Varna
The Former Yugoslavia - Four countries down, One to go.
(Ok, let's not talk about the Kosovo issue - I'm going to try and get down there so any comments about my opening statement can be saved for a few weeks, thank you!)
As always seems to be the case whenever I'm traveling on my own, as soon as I finished my last entry my plans changed and my train journey through Bulgaria and Serbia with new friends, became a night bus to Sofia and a 9 hour train to Belgrade... on my own with only strange old men to keep me company. The night bus left Varna at quarter to one in the morning and I had planned to sleep on the way to Sofia - the incessant rattling of some bus part and the fact that, it turns out, that the back seat of the bus is not cool... it is blimmin hot!!!, meant that I had a grand total of an hours sleep.
The main flaw, in my plan to get to Belgrade, was going to be the connection between the bus and the train - Bulgaria's use of the internet to display travel information is not exactly user friendly. Luckily the train to Belgrade wasn't leaving until midday so I had a few hours to go and re-take some of the photos that were lost in the Great Varna Camera Heist of '09. (AND they had even turned on the lights in the cathedral so I could actually see the frescoes.) The weather in Sofia was really nice as well so, although Sofia still remains to dullest capital in Europe, I did get to revisit it in a better light.
I was really worried stepping on to the train to Belgrade - it was exactly the same inside as the horror train from Sarajevo to Budapest last year and all I could think about was the possibility of getting bitten by more seat bugs. Ew!! Luckily, the day wasn't as hot as it was on the day of the aforementioned horror trip and the whole journey (although interspersed with bored) was generally really pleasant.
Serbia, like most countries in Eastern Europe, has some stunning scenery and the train track weaves through some really pretty valleys - sheer, rocky cliffs that descend into lush, green valleys, meandering rivers and tumble down houses... very rustic and sweet. I spent huge periods of time standing in the corridor looking out the windows trying to get the perfect picture - hopefully a few turned out ok! As well as beautiful scenery and a little boredom, I had some old men to keep me company - they knew I didn't speak ANY Serbian but still insisted on talking to me and so, I'm ashamed to say, I reverted to the tried and true smile and agree... still don't have a clue. The other highlight of the trip was the Bulgaria-Serbia boarder crossing where everybody in my compartment got kicked off the train (hence there being room for the old men to sit)!!! One guys for only having an EU ID card and no passport and the other two for illegally importing goods. (From what I could see it was electrical wire - ?)
So finally, at 8pm, I got to Belgrade, made the stupid decision of walking to the hostel (up a hill with 15kg pack), got lost and discovered that Belgrade has a mosquito problem... I did get to the hostel in the end after asking for directions and helping three small children practice their English - just a bit of 'Hello. My name is...' The hostel is about 15mins walk from the center of town, on the same hill where they're are building a MASSIVE (!!!!) new 'temple' (aka. church) - marble tile, domes, stain glass windows and all.
As part of my month of being a 'yes person', (I figure I can sleep for the month after I get back), after nearly 24hrs of traveling I agreed to go out - well, Belgrade is known WAY more for what happens there at night than during the day. I'm glad I did because it meant I made a major discovery in my quest to travel in Eastern Europe as a vegan - not only is there a vegan shop across the road from the hostel, there is a 24hour supermarket on the main road that sells vegan food too... I LOVE BELGRADE ALREADY!!!
This morning I slept - I know exciting... but it is also one of the best things about traveling on your own; do what you want when you want to, change the plan or do nothing at all. (I didn't sleep all the way from Varna and did get home at 4am so I do feel the sleep in was justified.) My plan for Belgrade is to stay for four nights and then catch a night train down to Montenegro. I'm thinking of spending a couple of days exploring the city and then use it as a base to go on a few day trips to some other towns and a couple of monasteries.
This afternoon I did my first explore of Belgrade. The city sits beside the meeting of the Danube and Sava Rivers and so, as with most raised, riverside land, has been fought over again and again for centuries - 115 battles in the last 2300 years, razed 44 times! So I went up and had a look around the Kalemegdan Citadel, which covers a really large area, most of which is just a nice park. Most of the current fortress was built in 18th century, although many of the gates are older. (And there was a park bench shaped like a water melon!)
It was a really lovely walk down the hill from the hostel to the fortress; large parts of the 'old' town are pedestrianised and there are lots of street side cafes - it generally makes for a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere. The old town isn't really that old - most of the buildings are from the 18th and 19th century (good old Habsburgs) but it is pretty impressive that so many of them survived to communist cull of beautiful buildings that happened throughout the rest of Eastern Europe. There is also a lot of art around the city and in a few of the squares there are mini exhibitions of clay sculpture - odd but pretty cool too.
As well as generally walking about having a look and taking photos, I went to the Ethnographic Museum for more ethnic costumes and fun information on the traditional methods of Serbian textile production! (There were also mock-up interiors of different houses in different areas... completed with different table displays - Christmas, Easter, Saint's Day, etc.) All quite cool (and in English) and appealing to my openly geeky self.
Am hoping to see the National Museum and make a trip to Tito's grave tomorrow - don't worry I'm still trying my hardest not to get obsessed with communist history of the former Yugoslavia (although I did buy a Yugoslavia pin for my collection today)!
Will write again soon!
Rose x
(Ok, let's not talk about the Kosovo issue - I'm going to try and get down there so any comments about my opening statement can be saved for a few weeks, thank you!)
As always seems to be the case whenever I'm traveling on my own, as soon as I finished my last entry my plans changed and my train journey through Bulgaria and Serbia with new friends, became a night bus to Sofia and a 9 hour train to Belgrade... on my own with only strange old men to keep me company. The night bus left Varna at quarter to one in the morning and I had planned to sleep on the way to Sofia - the incessant rattling of some bus part and the fact that, it turns out, that the back seat of the bus is not cool... it is blimmin hot!!!, meant that I had a grand total of an hours sleep.
The main flaw, in my plan to get to Belgrade, was going to be the connection between the bus and the train - Bulgaria's use of the internet to display travel information is not exactly user friendly. Luckily the train to Belgrade wasn't leaving until midday so I had a few hours to go and re-take some of the photos that were lost in the Great Varna Camera Heist of '09. (AND they had even turned on the lights in the cathedral so I could actually see the frescoes.) The weather in Sofia was really nice as well so, although Sofia still remains to dullest capital in Europe, I did get to revisit it in a better light.
I was really worried stepping on to the train to Belgrade - it was exactly the same inside as the horror train from Sarajevo to Budapest last year and all I could think about was the possibility of getting bitten by more seat bugs. Ew!! Luckily, the day wasn't as hot as it was on the day of the aforementioned horror trip and the whole journey (although interspersed with bored) was generally really pleasant.
Serbia, like most countries in Eastern Europe, has some stunning scenery and the train track weaves through some really pretty valleys - sheer, rocky cliffs that descend into lush, green valleys, meandering rivers and tumble down houses... very rustic and sweet. I spent huge periods of time standing in the corridor looking out the windows trying to get the perfect picture - hopefully a few turned out ok! As well as beautiful scenery and a little boredom, I had some old men to keep me company - they knew I didn't speak ANY Serbian but still insisted on talking to me and so, I'm ashamed to say, I reverted to the tried and true smile and agree... still don't have a clue. The other highlight of the trip was the Bulgaria-Serbia boarder crossing where everybody in my compartment got kicked off the train (hence there being room for the old men to sit)!!! One guys for only having an EU ID card and no passport and the other two for illegally importing goods. (From what I could see it was electrical wire - ?)
So finally, at 8pm, I got to Belgrade, made the stupid decision of walking to the hostel (up a hill with 15kg pack), got lost and discovered that Belgrade has a mosquito problem... I did get to the hostel in the end after asking for directions and helping three small children practice their English - just a bit of 'Hello. My name is...' The hostel is about 15mins walk from the center of town, on the same hill where they're are building a MASSIVE (!!!!) new 'temple' (aka. church) - marble tile, domes, stain glass windows and all.
As part of my month of being a 'yes person', (I figure I can sleep for the month after I get back), after nearly 24hrs of traveling I agreed to go out - well, Belgrade is known WAY more for what happens there at night than during the day. I'm glad I did because it meant I made a major discovery in my quest to travel in Eastern Europe as a vegan - not only is there a vegan shop across the road from the hostel, there is a 24hour supermarket on the main road that sells vegan food too... I LOVE BELGRADE ALREADY!!!
This morning I slept - I know exciting... but it is also one of the best things about traveling on your own; do what you want when you want to, change the plan or do nothing at all. (I didn't sleep all the way from Varna and did get home at 4am so I do feel the sleep in was justified.) My plan for Belgrade is to stay for four nights and then catch a night train down to Montenegro. I'm thinking of spending a couple of days exploring the city and then use it as a base to go on a few day trips to some other towns and a couple of monasteries.
This afternoon I did my first explore of Belgrade. The city sits beside the meeting of the Danube and Sava Rivers and so, as with most raised, riverside land, has been fought over again and again for centuries - 115 battles in the last 2300 years, razed 44 times! So I went up and had a look around the Kalemegdan Citadel, which covers a really large area, most of which is just a nice park. Most of the current fortress was built in 18th century, although many of the gates are older. (And there was a park bench shaped like a water melon!)
It was a really lovely walk down the hill from the hostel to the fortress; large parts of the 'old' town are pedestrianised and there are lots of street side cafes - it generally makes for a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere. The old town isn't really that old - most of the buildings are from the 18th and 19th century (good old Habsburgs) but it is pretty impressive that so many of them survived to communist cull of beautiful buildings that happened throughout the rest of Eastern Europe. There is also a lot of art around the city and in a few of the squares there are mini exhibitions of clay sculpture - odd but pretty cool too.
As well as generally walking about having a look and taking photos, I went to the Ethnographic Museum for more ethnic costumes and fun information on the traditional methods of Serbian textile production! (There were also mock-up interiors of different houses in different areas... completed with different table displays - Christmas, Easter, Saint's Day, etc.) All quite cool (and in English) and appealing to my openly geeky self.
Am hoping to see the National Museum and make a trip to Tito's grave tomorrow - don't worry I'm still trying my hardest not to get obsessed with communist history of the former Yugoslavia (although I did buy a Yugoslavia pin for my collection today)!
Will write again soon!
Rose x
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Varna - The Blog is back.
The last few days, since I left Plovdiv, have swung wildly from the most fun I have had in years to some of the most annoying incidents I have ever encountered. So, as a result, I will just quickly apologise for not writing anything for a few days and also for forgetting which day of the trip I am on...
So let's go back in time to where I left you in Plovdiv and my plans to go to Varna. Not long after finishing my last blog, I decided impulsively to go to Varna that day rather than on an overnight train or bus. I really did like Plovdiv but the thought of spending another day walking around, not really doing anything made me want to go and sit on the beach. I had a couple of obstacles to overcome in order to carry out my plan to catch the 1:20pm train - firstly, my laundry hadn't come back from being done and I didn't want to go to Varna with only half my stuff, and secondly, when I got to the train station (at 1pm) the woman wouldn't sell me a ticket so, on the advice of the hostel guy, I ran all over the station (with pack on) looking for platform 3... phew made it just in time (sweating like a pig).
The train ride to Varna, while long and hot (6 1/2 hours with windows that only stayed open when they wanted to), was very beautiful - fields of wheat waiting to be harvested, sunflowers in full flower, falling down villages with terracotta tiled roofs. The ride was made entertaining by the general insistence of the Bulgarians, in my cabin, to try and have a conversation with me... even though I spoke no Bulgarian and they spoke no English. I think I was asked how much it was to fly from London to Sofia, whether I was married and how old I was (apparently I look 18 - well that was the interpretation I came up with); just a snippet of the excellent chat.
Varna is the big beach resort in Bulgaria, right on the Black Sea coast - I was expecting an Ibiza-esque vibe but it was nothing like it and the four nights I have spent here (and the days!) have been such fun. When I finally arrived in Varna, I met Dave (the crazy, British hostel owner), outside the old hostel building - he was having trouble with the mafia, who owned the building, and so had had to find a new premise very quickly but all the information in the Lonely Planet, hostelworld, etc all state the old location. The Flag Hostel is right in the center of Varna, where there is a lot of shops and restaurants, as well as a great pedestrianised area - in a lot of ways it does exude resort town. Dave is a complete nutter - many people spent long periods of their stay trying to avoid being given a hug. He never listens to what you say so his answers to various questions can be very random. He is ultra disorganised (to the point where it is hard to believe he actually runs a business) and he often has very little understanding of 'social graces' - having said this, he has a great hostel, with amazing staff who often 'take one for the team' and escort hostel guests to the best bars and dance clubs.
On my first night in Varna, most of the hostel went down to the beach for a drink in a bar, which has been set up under a giant permanent marque - it is one of the best things to sit on a deck chair (or lie on a giant bean bag), on the sand and just relax. The hostel group included 3 of the most unfortunate Irish men (one was mugged twice in one night and another was beaten up by some women), several Aussies, English uni students, a Scottish/Irish couple, some Americans who worked at the hostel and me - a recipe for some hilarious dancing and interesting conversation.
Day one proper, in Varna, consisted of an abortive attempt at finding somewhere to watch the Ashes. Turns out that, even if you have Sky sport in Bulgaria, it's near impossible to find any cricket - the whole situation wasn't helped, however, by the fact that James (the Aussie) had forgotten the directions to the pub! We ended up just cutting our losses, having a beer and heading to the beach.
As many of you know, I don't really like the beach (owing to the abundance of sand and salt) but I have really enjoyed just lying on the sand and dipping in and out of the amazingly warm Black Sea. (Being able to say I swam in the Black Sea is pretty neat - all I can think of is Jason and Argonauts sailing through it and Greek trading ships stopping to load up with Thracian silver.)
As I am now well over a week into my trip, I feel that this a good point to have a little vegan update. I knew before I went away that it was going to be hard and, while it hasn't been impossible, I do feel like these 33 days in Eastern Europe may put me off tomato and cucumber for life. (I have been eating a lot of 'Shopska' salad - essentially tomato, cucumber and onion.) I have had a number of funny looks when asking for no cheese - apparently it is taken as a personal insult. You may think the tomato/cucumber diet would a be a recipe for me coming back as an ultra skinny bitch but unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. Last night, I did manage to find a place that had ratatouille on the menu - that was possibly the best meal I've had all trip.
That night Sam, Sian and Ed, who I met and had an awesome time with in Sofia, got to Varna so I spent an eventful (not in a completely good way) with them. After a drink at another cool beach-side bar, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat. I had taken my camera out for the evening, as I really had been a bit hit and miss in terms of the quantity (and quality) of my photos. The camera was on the table, I went to the toilet and, when I came back, we decided to leave. It was literally a case of 5 seconds and the camera was gone - the other 3 couldn't remember seeing it on the table when we left, however, so it may already have been quickly whipped away before we left. The staff insisted that there had been no camera and even my bribe of 200 leva (100 pounds) couldn't entice them to hand over the camera (or memory stick). Needless to say I was so annoyed at myself but, in the world of the new and improved Rose, you just need to get over it - this is why you have travel insurance and also (although painful) how you learn to never do something again. We did end up having a good night dancing to cheesy 90s Euro-dance and then joining the other hostel people on the beach later so all was not lost. BUT I now have no photos from my first week and will have to do a real scrape around to get photos off all the people I have shared those memories with - gutted.
So day two in Varna was spent walking, (not in a good tourist way but in a 'why doesn't anybody in this country understand what I am asking them for (loss report form) and why isn't there a central (easy to find) police station' way). I told crazy Dave what had happened and, rather than saying 'Oh they don't so those here. Ring your insurance and tell them I will confirm the theft', he just said 'Good luck with that' - the fact that he said the former AFTER I had spent from 10am to 5pm trying to get one of the non-existent forms made the whole experience even worse. So there was much backwards and forwards (trying to FIND the police station), a couple of interrogation type situations, a little bit of heat stroke, a conversation about the Bulgarian prosecution authority deciding not to proceed with a criminal case (EH!!??!!) and finally a few tears - but in the end I did get a letter (in Cyrillic) stating that I had reported the loss to the police. And then of course I had the annoyance of - 'Oh I could have just emailed for you'. GRRRRR!!!
So then, after all that carry on, I had to go out and buy another camera...and there is no Tesco so (even though I will get some of it back) I ended up spending an unplanned for 200 pounds on the new version of my old camera. Again, new and improved Rose didn't let the annoyance keep her down - there is nothing that a good dance to some Ace of Base can't fix. Haha!
(I know this is a very long entry but remember it is to cover 4 days - don't give up just yet... the geeky bit is yet to come but I'll make it short-ish.)
And finally on to my last whole day in Varna - a really good day, mixing the best of touristy/sightseeing with beach laziness.
Varna has been inhabited, like Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, since about 5000BC - it is not only right beside the sea but also close to some inland lakes and within ease reach of the Thracian silver deposits (and so a desirable location). The Greek city of Odessos was founded by colonists from Miletos, in Asia Minor, in about the 7th century BC, on the site of much earlier habitation. The city flourished because it was right on a trade route and later because of its tactical location between the Eastern and Western halves of the Roman Empire - even today Varna has a busy port.
So why all these geeky facts relevant? - well because yesterday Ed and I went to the Varna Archaeological Museum (home to over 100,000 artifacts, don't you know)! YAY MUSEUMS!!! I got to have a good look at some very exciting stone tools, Thracian burial goods, Greek pots, Roman armour and coins, and (although I was pretty museumed out by then) a huge collection of religious icons. Before that we had also been to look inside the cathedral (The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin) - although, I refused to pay 5 leva for the pleasure of taking photos - there was a christening going on so we had the pleasure of screaming child whilst we admired scenes from the Old Testament and the Life of Christ. (Yes there were relics - but they were labeled in Bulgarian and the light was too poor to make any of them out well.) The Orthodox churches in Bulgarian have been so beautiful (even if some were really dark) - beautiful, detailed frescoes, gilt icons and (often) a chandelier or two! The rest of the day was spent literally lying on the beach, in temperatures close to 30, moving every now and again so as to stay in the shade - ah this is the life!
So where to next? Well, later today I will be getting on a train to Sofia, with a couple I met here in Varna, and from there we will be training (overnight) to Belgrade. I'm planning to spend 4 or 5 days there, exploring the city and going on a few day trip (and possibly down to Kosovo, the world's newest country). Will update you soon.
Rose x
So let's go back in time to where I left you in Plovdiv and my plans to go to Varna. Not long after finishing my last blog, I decided impulsively to go to Varna that day rather than on an overnight train or bus. I really did like Plovdiv but the thought of spending another day walking around, not really doing anything made me want to go and sit on the beach. I had a couple of obstacles to overcome in order to carry out my plan to catch the 1:20pm train - firstly, my laundry hadn't come back from being done and I didn't want to go to Varna with only half my stuff, and secondly, when I got to the train station (at 1pm) the woman wouldn't sell me a ticket so, on the advice of the hostel guy, I ran all over the station (with pack on) looking for platform 3... phew made it just in time (sweating like a pig).
The train ride to Varna, while long and hot (6 1/2 hours with windows that only stayed open when they wanted to), was very beautiful - fields of wheat waiting to be harvested, sunflowers in full flower, falling down villages with terracotta tiled roofs. The ride was made entertaining by the general insistence of the Bulgarians, in my cabin, to try and have a conversation with me... even though I spoke no Bulgarian and they spoke no English. I think I was asked how much it was to fly from London to Sofia, whether I was married and how old I was (apparently I look 18 - well that was the interpretation I came up with); just a snippet of the excellent chat.
Varna is the big beach resort in Bulgaria, right on the Black Sea coast - I was expecting an Ibiza-esque vibe but it was nothing like it and the four nights I have spent here (and the days!) have been such fun. When I finally arrived in Varna, I met Dave (the crazy, British hostel owner), outside the old hostel building - he was having trouble with the mafia, who owned the building, and so had had to find a new premise very quickly but all the information in the Lonely Planet, hostelworld, etc all state the old location. The Flag Hostel is right in the center of Varna, where there is a lot of shops and restaurants, as well as a great pedestrianised area - in a lot of ways it does exude resort town. Dave is a complete nutter - many people spent long periods of their stay trying to avoid being given a hug. He never listens to what you say so his answers to various questions can be very random. He is ultra disorganised (to the point where it is hard to believe he actually runs a business) and he often has very little understanding of 'social graces' - having said this, he has a great hostel, with amazing staff who often 'take one for the team' and escort hostel guests to the best bars and dance clubs.
On my first night in Varna, most of the hostel went down to the beach for a drink in a bar, which has been set up under a giant permanent marque - it is one of the best things to sit on a deck chair (or lie on a giant bean bag), on the sand and just relax. The hostel group included 3 of the most unfortunate Irish men (one was mugged twice in one night and another was beaten up by some women), several Aussies, English uni students, a Scottish/Irish couple, some Americans who worked at the hostel and me - a recipe for some hilarious dancing and interesting conversation.
Day one proper, in Varna, consisted of an abortive attempt at finding somewhere to watch the Ashes. Turns out that, even if you have Sky sport in Bulgaria, it's near impossible to find any cricket - the whole situation wasn't helped, however, by the fact that James (the Aussie) had forgotten the directions to the pub! We ended up just cutting our losses, having a beer and heading to the beach.
As many of you know, I don't really like the beach (owing to the abundance of sand and salt) but I have really enjoyed just lying on the sand and dipping in and out of the amazingly warm Black Sea. (Being able to say I swam in the Black Sea is pretty neat - all I can think of is Jason and Argonauts sailing through it and Greek trading ships stopping to load up with Thracian silver.)
As I am now well over a week into my trip, I feel that this a good point to have a little vegan update. I knew before I went away that it was going to be hard and, while it hasn't been impossible, I do feel like these 33 days in Eastern Europe may put me off tomato and cucumber for life. (I have been eating a lot of 'Shopska' salad - essentially tomato, cucumber and onion.) I have had a number of funny looks when asking for no cheese - apparently it is taken as a personal insult. You may think the tomato/cucumber diet would a be a recipe for me coming back as an ultra skinny bitch but unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. Last night, I did manage to find a place that had ratatouille on the menu - that was possibly the best meal I've had all trip.
That night Sam, Sian and Ed, who I met and had an awesome time with in Sofia, got to Varna so I spent an eventful (not in a completely good way) with them. After a drink at another cool beach-side bar, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat. I had taken my camera out for the evening, as I really had been a bit hit and miss in terms of the quantity (and quality) of my photos. The camera was on the table, I went to the toilet and, when I came back, we decided to leave. It was literally a case of 5 seconds and the camera was gone - the other 3 couldn't remember seeing it on the table when we left, however, so it may already have been quickly whipped away before we left. The staff insisted that there had been no camera and even my bribe of 200 leva (100 pounds) couldn't entice them to hand over the camera (or memory stick). Needless to say I was so annoyed at myself but, in the world of the new and improved Rose, you just need to get over it - this is why you have travel insurance and also (although painful) how you learn to never do something again. We did end up having a good night dancing to cheesy 90s Euro-dance and then joining the other hostel people on the beach later so all was not lost. BUT I now have no photos from my first week and will have to do a real scrape around to get photos off all the people I have shared those memories with - gutted.
So day two in Varna was spent walking, (not in a good tourist way but in a 'why doesn't anybody in this country understand what I am asking them for (loss report form) and why isn't there a central (easy to find) police station' way). I told crazy Dave what had happened and, rather than saying 'Oh they don't so those here. Ring your insurance and tell them I will confirm the theft', he just said 'Good luck with that' - the fact that he said the former AFTER I had spent from 10am to 5pm trying to get one of the non-existent forms made the whole experience even worse. So there was much backwards and forwards (trying to FIND the police station), a couple of interrogation type situations, a little bit of heat stroke, a conversation about the Bulgarian prosecution authority deciding not to proceed with a criminal case (EH!!??!!) and finally a few tears - but in the end I did get a letter (in Cyrillic) stating that I had reported the loss to the police. And then of course I had the annoyance of - 'Oh I could have just emailed for you'. GRRRRR!!!
So then, after all that carry on, I had to go out and buy another camera...and there is no Tesco so (even though I will get some of it back) I ended up spending an unplanned for 200 pounds on the new version of my old camera. Again, new and improved Rose didn't let the annoyance keep her down - there is nothing that a good dance to some Ace of Base can't fix. Haha!
(I know this is a very long entry but remember it is to cover 4 days - don't give up just yet... the geeky bit is yet to come but I'll make it short-ish.)
And finally on to my last whole day in Varna - a really good day, mixing the best of touristy/sightseeing with beach laziness.
Varna has been inhabited, like Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, since about 5000BC - it is not only right beside the sea but also close to some inland lakes and within ease reach of the Thracian silver deposits (and so a desirable location). The Greek city of Odessos was founded by colonists from Miletos, in Asia Minor, in about the 7th century BC, on the site of much earlier habitation. The city flourished because it was right on a trade route and later because of its tactical location between the Eastern and Western halves of the Roman Empire - even today Varna has a busy port.
So why all these geeky facts relevant? - well because yesterday Ed and I went to the Varna Archaeological Museum (home to over 100,000 artifacts, don't you know)! YAY MUSEUMS!!! I got to have a good look at some very exciting stone tools, Thracian burial goods, Greek pots, Roman armour and coins, and (although I was pretty museumed out by then) a huge collection of religious icons. Before that we had also been to look inside the cathedral (The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin) - although, I refused to pay 5 leva for the pleasure of taking photos - there was a christening going on so we had the pleasure of screaming child whilst we admired scenes from the Old Testament and the Life of Christ. (Yes there were relics - but they were labeled in Bulgarian and the light was too poor to make any of them out well.) The Orthodox churches in Bulgarian have been so beautiful (even if some were really dark) - beautiful, detailed frescoes, gilt icons and (often) a chandelier or two! The rest of the day was spent literally lying on the beach, in temperatures close to 30, moving every now and again so as to stay in the shade - ah this is the life!
So where to next? Well, later today I will be getting on a train to Sofia, with a couple I met here in Varna, and from there we will be training (overnight) to Belgrade. I'm planning to spend 4 or 5 days there, exploring the city and going on a few day trip (and possibly down to Kosovo, the world's newest country). Will update you soon.
Rose x
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Day Five and Six - a day late
After the bad weather and slightly ramshackle nature of VT, Plovdiv has been a welcome change. As Bulgaria's 'second largest' city, it really has all the good bits of being a larger center without all the added hassle of being the major commercial and tourism hub - in fact for such a beautiful and historical city I have been surprised by the lack of tourists.
I left VT on Sunday with the weather clearing and not being sure if I should stay for an extra day, go to Varna straight away or go to Plovdiv. I am pleased to say the choice to go to Plovdiv was the right one and so far this city has been my favourite place in Bulgaria. Plovdiv is Bulgaria's oldest city and as a result has some amazing ruins, which (owing to the previously mentioned lack of health and safety) you can climb all over and really explore.
The bus from VT was less of a bus and more a van - I was a bit dubious about it to begin with but once I had seen/experienced the roads of the Shipska Pass I was quite glad to be in a van. Essentially there is a spine of mountains which run east to west through the middle of Bulgaria and these, combined with the poor quality of the roads here, made the trip from VT to Plovdiv slow, beautiful and hair-raising. (At one point, three large haulage trucks drove past us in the opposite direction - I wondered how a) they were fitting on the road, b) they were managing to get round the tight corners and c) who would be crazy enough to drive a truck like that on these roads.) At the top of the pass, continuing in the great Bulgarian tradition of large, austere, communist themed statues, was a massive statue of two fists holding a flame torch each (a bit like the one the statue of liberty holds) AND, as if this in the middle of nowhere wasn't enough, higher up on the hill was some type of flying-saucer design look-out, complete with star emblazoned tower - all a little weird. The view of the Thracian Plain was amazing from the top and once back down on the flat the bus drove past field after field of sunflowers and the odd donkey drawn cart.
So Plovdiv (after the agony of walking from the bus to the hostel with my bag) is great. I said before it is Bulgaria's second largest city but, due to the fact that there isn't really a census and there are about four ways that the data is collected, nobody really knows which city is the second largest - typical! Being such a old city there are a number of different layers of history, from the Roman stadium and theatre to the 17th and 18th century houses to the Thracian fortress ruins near the hostel. Added to this history is the much more relaxed and dare I say fashion conscious attitude of the people here - the main shopping area is pedestrianised and lined with outdoor cafes and designer shops (something that you don't really see in Sofia).
I spent my first evening in the city having a little wander and having salad (again) for dinner - am still trying to find a place that does the world famous Bulgarian bean soup... it seems beans are generally out of season? Later I just sat and chatted with the people in the hostel - I am staying (until I check out in a few minutes) in the most relaxed hostel right in the heart of the old town... it is excellent except for the worst shower set up I have ever seen in my life... Two toilet cubicles and one just has a tap adaptor and a shower head one the wall - you just stand in the toilet cubicle and shower!!!!! Bizarre! Anyway the views are amazing and it is so close to everything I don't think it is really worth dwelling on this one thing too long.
Yesterday was really the start of my 'tourist' activity - Plovdiv is known as a museum city not only because it is so old but also because of all the museums. I had a look in the Ethnographic museum, which is housed in a beautiful 18th century painted house - lots of ethnic costumes and pre-industrialised machinery. (All the information was in Bulgarian so I can regale you with all the great facts I picked up!) The rest of the day was spent wandering the old town (lots of steps!!), climbing over the ruins and writing postcards (watch this space - I sent them non-priority which may mean they will never get to you. Sorry!)
Just to reassure that I am keeping my promise regarding running - I just got back from not just 'climbing' the Hill of the Liberators (a whole hill given over to Russian love - it commemorates the liberating of the city by the Russians in the 1870s) but running up the hill and then running back down (after I had recovered from feeling like I was about to die). I got some funny looks from the staff at the hostel when I said I was going to do it - I think they were quite impressed when I got back.
Tonight I am going to catch the overnight bus/train to Varna for a bit of reflectivity on the beach - the bad weather has meant any chance of any colour (I know - don't laugh) has gone. Will write soon with details of lying on the beach and dancing into the wee small hours!
Rose x
I left VT on Sunday with the weather clearing and not being sure if I should stay for an extra day, go to Varna straight away or go to Plovdiv. I am pleased to say the choice to go to Plovdiv was the right one and so far this city has been my favourite place in Bulgaria. Plovdiv is Bulgaria's oldest city and as a result has some amazing ruins, which (owing to the previously mentioned lack of health and safety) you can climb all over and really explore.
The bus from VT was less of a bus and more a van - I was a bit dubious about it to begin with but once I had seen/experienced the roads of the Shipska Pass I was quite glad to be in a van. Essentially there is a spine of mountains which run east to west through the middle of Bulgaria and these, combined with the poor quality of the roads here, made the trip from VT to Plovdiv slow, beautiful and hair-raising. (At one point, three large haulage trucks drove past us in the opposite direction - I wondered how a) they were fitting on the road, b) they were managing to get round the tight corners and c) who would be crazy enough to drive a truck like that on these roads.) At the top of the pass, continuing in the great Bulgarian tradition of large, austere, communist themed statues, was a massive statue of two fists holding a flame torch each (a bit like the one the statue of liberty holds) AND, as if this in the middle of nowhere wasn't enough, higher up on the hill was some type of flying-saucer design look-out, complete with star emblazoned tower - all a little weird. The view of the Thracian Plain was amazing from the top and once back down on the flat the bus drove past field after field of sunflowers and the odd donkey drawn cart.
So Plovdiv (after the agony of walking from the bus to the hostel with my bag) is great. I said before it is Bulgaria's second largest city but, due to the fact that there isn't really a census and there are about four ways that the data is collected, nobody really knows which city is the second largest - typical! Being such a old city there are a number of different layers of history, from the Roman stadium and theatre to the 17th and 18th century houses to the Thracian fortress ruins near the hostel. Added to this history is the much more relaxed and dare I say fashion conscious attitude of the people here - the main shopping area is pedestrianised and lined with outdoor cafes and designer shops (something that you don't really see in Sofia).
I spent my first evening in the city having a little wander and having salad (again) for dinner - am still trying to find a place that does the world famous Bulgarian bean soup... it seems beans are generally out of season? Later I just sat and chatted with the people in the hostel - I am staying (until I check out in a few minutes) in the most relaxed hostel right in the heart of the old town... it is excellent except for the worst shower set up I have ever seen in my life... Two toilet cubicles and one just has a tap adaptor and a shower head one the wall - you just stand in the toilet cubicle and shower!!!!! Bizarre! Anyway the views are amazing and it is so close to everything I don't think it is really worth dwelling on this one thing too long.
Yesterday was really the start of my 'tourist' activity - Plovdiv is known as a museum city not only because it is so old but also because of all the museums. I had a look in the Ethnographic museum, which is housed in a beautiful 18th century painted house - lots of ethnic costumes and pre-industrialised machinery. (All the information was in Bulgarian so I can regale you with all the great facts I picked up!) The rest of the day was spent wandering the old town (lots of steps!!), climbing over the ruins and writing postcards (watch this space - I sent them non-priority which may mean they will never get to you. Sorry!)
Just to reassure that I am keeping my promise regarding running - I just got back from not just 'climbing' the Hill of the Liberators (a whole hill given over to Russian love - it commemorates the liberating of the city by the Russians in the 1870s) but running up the hill and then running back down (after I had recovered from feeling like I was about to die). I got some funny looks from the staff at the hostel when I said I was going to do it - I think they were quite impressed when I got back.
Tonight I am going to catch the overnight bus/train to Varna for a bit of reflectivity on the beach - the bad weather has meant any chance of any colour (I know - don't laugh) has gone. Will write soon with details of lying on the beach and dancing into the wee small hours!
Rose x
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Day three and four
After two late nights in a row, I've left Sofia for the more sedate pace of Veliko Tarnovo, which not only has a good university but was also the capital during the Second Bulgarian Empire.
(I felt like you all got off rather lightly in terms of historical geekiness in my first post! It hasn't reached the obsessive level of interest that I had about the former Yugoslavia and I'm not that fussed about the whole communist thing but prior to that is fascinating - Thracians and Romans and rebellions against Byzantium and the Turks... Oh my!!)
Anyway...
Yesterday morning I visited the cathedral in Sofia with Ed and Sian from the hostel. The churches here are really beautiful but they are so dark!! The Sveta Nedelya Cathedral is all domes and gold from the outside but is like going into a tomb... you can only see patches of what must be amazing frescoes and icons. (Yay - more icons and relics!!)
The weather in Sofia (and Bulgaria in general) has been wet and humid so, as well as being rained on on the way home from the cathedral, the view from the bus up to Veliko Tarnovo (while still beautiful) was a bit bleak at times. (I keep taking photos and wishing that it was sunny!) The bus trip went through some beautiful gorges and sunflower fields - apparently Bulgaria is Europe's largest sunflower producer.
VT, like Sofia, is a bit of a mix (and they do love a bronze communist statue here!) - the outer town is really bleak and run down with a huge motorway running through it, whereas the area by the fortress (while not beautiful) has a quaint, slightly ramshackle feel about it, with winding streets and little churches tucked away. I got here at about five and so really just spent the evening hanging out in the hostel - having a nana night in as a change from 'party animal' ways! It was so good to wake up after a decent amount of sleep. (And I still had a nap this afternoon!!) I'm staying in a hostel run by the same people as the one in Sofia and so have been continuing to enjoy free breakfasts and dinners... and this one comes with a New Zealander on staff - He's from Danevirke, which explains why he has chosen to live in the middle of Bulgaria.
Now for a bit of History geek. VT has been inhabited since about 5000BC (good old Neolithic people) and has been used as an important strategic position (almost) ever since. The most impressive example of the towns importance as a fortress in on the Tsarevets Hill (home of the first Thracians to settle the area) - the massive fortress was started by the Romans and has been built on by sucessive invaders. Across the river from the Tsarevets, you can see where there is on going archaeological excavation of the old royal residences - it is possible to climb up this hill but as it was raining, muddy and I hate getting wet, unless I'm swimming or showering, I just admired it from afar. To get to the fortress there is a narrow causeway and huge gate and then there are just ruins - I'm sure you can imagine my excitement!! As well as walking past the ruins of a myriad of churches and a monastery (they love them here too), I got saw the spot where they used to throw traitors to there deaths - nice. The most impressive thing about the whole sight is the reconstructed (in a very sympathetic way) patriarch complex - it's a church now and the inside has been decorated with the most amazing modern wall paintings, showing events from Bulgaria's past. Above the altar was the most beautiful painting of the virgin and child (one part renaissance, two parts modernist and just stunning).
After a stroll down to the river I also had a look inside the church of St Peter and Paul, which has frescoes dating from the 11th, 14th and 17th centuries - and was staffed by the most enthusiastic Bulgarian woman. (She almost cried with excitement when I said 'thank you' in Bulgarian!!) Oh and they had a chest full of bones!!! (I have no idea whose but that one currently sit top of the relics chart!)
After a stroll down to the river I also had a look inside the church of St Peter and Paul, which has frescoes dating from the 11th, 14th and 17th centuries - and was staffed by the most enthusiastic Bulgarian woman. (She almost cried with excitement when I said 'thank you' in Bulgarian!!) Oh and they had a chest full of bones!!! (I have no idea whose but that one currently sit top of the relics chart!)
I haven't managed to get into a museum yet (expect at Rila) - please no one fall over with shock - but I have got a number lined up for the next few days... so you can look forward to updates on both the museums of Velike Tarnovo and Plovdiv (my next stop) in my next entry. I've got one more night in VT and then it's off to see some Roman ruins in Plovdiv!!! I'm also hoping for a bit of folk-dance action in the near future - fingers crossed!
Will write again soon!
Rose xx
SPECIAL - PETER HARDIE EXTRA!!
I think you would really like it here - there is such a contrast between the Bulgarian pride in there history and the countries ability to improve itself. The country's history is full of uprising and invasion - both military and religious - and as a result all aspects of life here are, on some level, in conflict.
If you do plan a trip make sure you don't just stay in Sofia - although it is nice enough, it's the countryside (both the landscape and the quaint way of life) that are most appealing. I haven't had a chance to eat any of the local food yet, but have been told there is a particularly good bean soup on offer at the hostel for dinner tonight! After I leave VT, I won't have the luxury of free food so will be going out and trying out some more local stuff - it will all be veggie so will have to ask for feedback from who ever I'm eating with, regarding more meat-based food.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Day One and Two
Well, I managed to arrive safely in Sofia and, despite Tam's best efforts to make me think ill of the place, I think this is a city that I could spend a bit of time in.
My big adventure started at half eleven on Wednesday when, in order to avoid the problems associated with last trains, I headed to Gatwick super early and slept on the floor of the airport with a number of Faro and Malaga bound people. As you can imagine I was pretty shattered after only getting an hour's sleep total and spend most of the way to Sofia thinking about a nice afternoon nap. There's nothing much to say about the flight, except how old I felt talking to the lovely young man who had just finished his first year of uni and was off to teach English to the Bulgarians... ah bless.
Having been to India, Italy and more recently Bosnia I feel I am pretty resilient when it comes to being shocked by bad driving... I was picked up from the airport and driven through the back streets of Sofia by a slightly odd man from the Hostel - it was slightly nerve raking but did give me a chance to size up the city. (But nothing compared to the drive to Rila today!!)
Sofia is an odd mix... it has a little bit of the Athens-es about it, with a pinch of Ottoman Turk and a slight hint of Austo-Hungarian thrown in. It isn't the biggest captial (1.1 million) and as a result there isn't really the feeling of pace and hussle that get in other capitals. I'm definately looking forward to exploring it more when I come back at the end of the month with Jade. (Woot! Woot! Walking tour!)
In terms of the hostel, I need to state that I have never found such a great deal nor met more enthusiastic staff. Free internet, breakfast, dinner and evening beer - all served up inside a 19th century inn. (Anyone coming here needs to stay at Mostel hostel.) After my afternoon nap I spent the later afternoon chatting with some of the other guests. This is what I love the most about travelling alone and staying hostels - you are forced to talk to other people and step out of your comfort zone. In return you meet amazing people who, simply because of a shared situation/outlook on life/etc, you develop an instant friendship with.
After a meal of spag and sauce, my first evening away was spent playing cards and later dancing... having found a bar called 'mojito' we were all expecting a minimalist bar, playing house music. What we got was hip hop and rap (V - Both old skool and new stuff) - usually one might feel a bit out of place but in this bar even the guys with afros were white. So we ended busting moves left, right and centre into the wee small hours of Friday with the only dissapointment being that there wasn't a place to buy some chips on our way home!!
I had decided that, as I had been so good going to the gym of late, that I would continue my fitness regime in Europe - as I found out this morning, it turns out that the eastern europeans don't really go in for exercising outside and I was the only person in the whole of Sofia who was out for a run... meh, I'm leaving tomorrow so who cares!! I am thinking of using the blog not only as an every-two-days update but also as a means to amking sure I keep up the running - feel free to bug me via Facebook.
I spent today at the Rila monastry - Bulgarian's largest and most revered. Rila is two hours south of Sofia so I was treated to another display of horrific driving. Luckily I was still tired from a) that Gatwick experience and b) dancing at 'mojitos' so I may not have been conscious for the worst of it. The monastry is located above a winding gorge - one fo the most peacful and beautiful I have seen. It was started by St Ivan, who for a time lived in cave above where the monastry is now located... yes I did go to the cave and even had to squeeze through a tiny hole to get out of the place!!! From the outside the monastry looks like a fortress but after going through a frescoed gate you enter a beautiful, balconied courtyard - all dark wood, white wash and pretty leaf frescoes. The place could hold up to 450 monks but only 8 live there at the moment - all orthodox and black wearing. I got to have an upclose look at some great doom paintings (lots of fire and monsters eating doomed souls) and, much to my delight, got to indulge in some religious icon shopping and relic admiring. (Inside the church was a case with 30 odd individual parts - each with bone fragments from a different monk/saint - excellent!)
I'm off to Veliko Tarnovo tomorrow (home of Bulgaria's most prestigious university) - will write again soon!!
Rose xx
My big adventure started at half eleven on Wednesday when, in order to avoid the problems associated with last trains, I headed to Gatwick super early and slept on the floor of the airport with a number of Faro and Malaga bound people. As you can imagine I was pretty shattered after only getting an hour's sleep total and spend most of the way to Sofia thinking about a nice afternoon nap. There's nothing much to say about the flight, except how old I felt talking to the lovely young man who had just finished his first year of uni and was off to teach English to the Bulgarians... ah bless.
Having been to India, Italy and more recently Bosnia I feel I am pretty resilient when it comes to being shocked by bad driving... I was picked up from the airport and driven through the back streets of Sofia by a slightly odd man from the Hostel - it was slightly nerve raking but did give me a chance to size up the city. (But nothing compared to the drive to Rila today!!)
Sofia is an odd mix... it has a little bit of the Athens-es about it, with a pinch of Ottoman Turk and a slight hint of Austo-Hungarian thrown in. It isn't the biggest captial (1.1 million) and as a result there isn't really the feeling of pace and hussle that get in other capitals. I'm definately looking forward to exploring it more when I come back at the end of the month with Jade. (Woot! Woot! Walking tour!)
In terms of the hostel, I need to state that I have never found such a great deal nor met more enthusiastic staff. Free internet, breakfast, dinner and evening beer - all served up inside a 19th century inn. (Anyone coming here needs to stay at Mostel hostel.) After my afternoon nap I spent the later afternoon chatting with some of the other guests. This is what I love the most about travelling alone and staying hostels - you are forced to talk to other people and step out of your comfort zone. In return you meet amazing people who, simply because of a shared situation/outlook on life/etc, you develop an instant friendship with.
After a meal of spag and sauce, my first evening away was spent playing cards and later dancing... having found a bar called 'mojito' we were all expecting a minimalist bar, playing house music. What we got was hip hop and rap (V - Both old skool and new stuff) - usually one might feel a bit out of place but in this bar even the guys with afros were white. So we ended busting moves left, right and centre into the wee small hours of Friday with the only dissapointment being that there wasn't a place to buy some chips on our way home!!
I had decided that, as I had been so good going to the gym of late, that I would continue my fitness regime in Europe - as I found out this morning, it turns out that the eastern europeans don't really go in for exercising outside and I was the only person in the whole of Sofia who was out for a run... meh, I'm leaving tomorrow so who cares!! I am thinking of using the blog not only as an every-two-days update but also as a means to amking sure I keep up the running - feel free to bug me via Facebook.
I spent today at the Rila monastry - Bulgarian's largest and most revered. Rila is two hours south of Sofia so I was treated to another display of horrific driving. Luckily I was still tired from a) that Gatwick experience and b) dancing at 'mojitos' so I may not have been conscious for the worst of it. The monastry is located above a winding gorge - one fo the most peacful and beautiful I have seen. It was started by St Ivan, who for a time lived in cave above where the monastry is now located... yes I did go to the cave and even had to squeeze through a tiny hole to get out of the place!!! From the outside the monastry looks like a fortress but after going through a frescoed gate you enter a beautiful, balconied courtyard - all dark wood, white wash and pretty leaf frescoes. The place could hold up to 450 monks but only 8 live there at the moment - all orthodox and black wearing. I got to have an upclose look at some great doom paintings (lots of fire and monsters eating doomed souls) and, much to my delight, got to indulge in some religious icon shopping and relic admiring. (Inside the church was a case with 30 odd individual parts - each with bone fragments from a different monk/saint - excellent!)
I'm off to Veliko Tarnovo tomorrow (home of Bulgaria's most prestigious university) - will write again soon!!
Rose xx
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