Stephanie Knapp-Thursday, June 26

Thursday June 26, 2008
Submitted by Stephanie Knapp
Today we continue to put layers on our Bulgarian cake. However we are not ready for the whipped frosting. The Macedonian Empire from 400-300 B.C. and the Roman Empire from 44-476 A.D. are the two layers we added. As each of these cultures came to this area a topographical continuity took place. Four major needs were met in all the big cities in Europe when they developed; climate, water, fertile soil and minerals (natural resources). This also holds true for Bulgaria. As each settlement swept over the land it left a layer over the ones beneath. Each culture inherited certain aspects of the previous culture such as, roads, skills, resources, etc. Thus with the blending of the two cultures a new one came to be.

In the afternoon we began our journey to Plovdiv and began adding more layers to our collegial cake. Lunch took us to our own version of Northern Exposure in the town of Bansko. A panicked restaurant owner greeted us and set us off to the four corners of a small mountain town that was no bigger than one block. With only one cook at each establishment this was the only was he could accommodate us. Pamela wowed one owner with her Bulgarian causing him to shout, “That’s PERFECT!”

Ann, Heather and Julie almost got their baby trout dinner free. But lost when faced with the evidence (hip boots and enormous fishing pole) that the owner of Sunny's really caught their fish.
Meanwhile Kristin and Andrea waited patiently for their undercooked meatball. Kristin made the waitress leap for joy by unsuspectingly ordering sheep milk yogurt complete with a straw!
We continued down the curving roads with our ever present misty mountains accompanying us. We were rewarded with many topographical delights, such as, deep fertile valleys, soaring forests, storks with nests, sunflowers, mules and carts, and ladies with babushkas tending to their crops. Oh by the way Julie, did you catch a glimpse of that one young hunk carrying a sickle from the Iron Age?

As we neared Plovdiv the familiar sound of those old cobblestone streets greeted us. They were not a comforting sound for Heather. She had a movement of her own which caused some anxiety. It wasn’t until she threatened to create another river to Plovdiv that we knew she was serious. “The canon’s going to explode!”, she shouted.

Finding our hotel when we reached Plovdiv proved to be a challenge for our patient, experienced driver. Armed with maps and frequent pedestrian map quests he and Pamela navigated the narrow streets. We sat in eager anticipation awed by the unfolding architecture….then our HOTEL! What a treasure for us! It was adjacent to a town square complete with a fountain. Flowing from that was a wide pedestrian walkway flanked with beautifully restored buildings with shops that seemed to go on and on. Soon we found ourselves observing a multination parade and performance complete with music and dancing. Ann Marie and I decided to join the Hora around the fountain. As we danced and watched, our Shirley’s pen flew over pages as she skillfully sketched various dances and performances. She entranced the Bulgarians around her with drawings and she received many compliments. She captivated them and we in turn were captivated with Plovdiv.