Karen Lee-Shirley Hazlett-Saturday, July 5

Our weekend in Melnik was full of adventure, new lessons, old traditions and personal connections that can only be told through two sides of the story. The left brain traditionally records events in sequence and the right brain fills in the emotions and creativity of the story. We thought we would tell you our story through a whole-brain approach.

Left Brain- By Karen Lee
Right Brain- By Shirley Hazlett

The left brain side of things…..
Saturday, July 6th- Melnik

The day began with decisions- should I wake up early and go on a pilgrimage hike that would result in walking up the dirt road to the beautiful Rozhen Monastery or hit the snooze button and grab the bus that left an hour later and ride to in the same beautiful location. Being the logically minded person that I am- I hit snooze and wished my roommate good luck on the hike. From the smiling faces that met us “bus goers” at the Monastery, the hike provided personal reflection time and the overcoming of obstacles. Led by the angelic dog, fondly called Gabriel, our hikers were delivered safely to the join the group and share stories of personal triumphs from the hike.

The Rozhen Monastery, also known as the Birth of the Virgin Mary Monastery, was originally built in 1217. It was later destroyed by the Turks and rebuilt 1732. The Revival Revolutionary Yane Sandanski’s grave is located on the grounds of the Monastery and overlooks the beautiful Pirin Mountains. It was a morning that allowed for a slower pace and reflection on the things we are learning and thinking about. After viewing the inside of the Monastery and looking at the incredible icons inside, a monk sat down with us to explain the difference between Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religions. We all walked away from the morning with many ideas to wrestle with.

After a quick bite to eat, the weavers headed to our first workshop with Yane and Elena. We started out with learning how to prepare the loom by dying our wool with natural colors from the trees and flowers that grow in the Pirin Mountains. We each took our turn preparing the warp and learning the intricate details involved in authentic weaving on our own looms. I walked away with a new appreciation of the work and love that goes into clothing and woven fabrics. I looked at the shop across the creak bed (where our group generously supported the Melnik economy) and wondered why the prices were so low for such hard work. My left brain and I walked on with a heavy heart as the music folks moved into get their workshop started and exercise the creativity flowing out the right side of their brains.

The next stop was the Kordopulov Revival House. After some very big hills and cobblestone roads that left each of us a little breathless at the top (Margaret even more so since she ran up and down the hills like a sheep herder making sure that all her little sheep made it to the correct destination) we all entered the house in good spirits and looked around imagining life in 1754 when it was built. After the tour we headed down and out of the building to discover the beautiful wine cellar that was tucked under the house in the hillside. We wandered through the tunnels and passageways to discover a shining wall of coins. We each added our coins and good wishes for good weather and good crops- defining what crops we were hoping for in our own lives.

The evening ended with a lovely stroll down the road and into many different delicious restaurants that lined the hillside. There was much laughter in the air and smiles on everyone’s face. Goes to show that a day in the mountains is always good for the soul (spoken from the Idaho girl on the trip).