Travel, life, loves and laughs.
Nestled in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria, Bachkovo Monastery stands as a beacon of Bulgarian spiritual heritage and historical significance.
We arrive on a sparkling Spring morning after the night in Plovdiv and a quick stop on the way at Asen’s Fortress.… Read the rest
We arrive at Asen’s Fortress in Asenovgrad shortly before it opens and there is not much to see from the car park. However, from the road, the approach to the Fortress reveals an imposing stronghold dating to Thracian times (around 500 – 300BC).… Read the rest
Have you ever dreamed of giving it all up and moving to the country? Well, that is exactly what Marina & Yulien of MY Village Life have done. Marina, a successful singer and (former) tour guide and Yulien, an actor and enthusiastic cook, dreamed of moving to the country.… Read the rest
The Kapana is Bulgaria’s first ever dedicated creative district. Tucked in behind the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis it is also known as ‘The Trap’. This is a direct translation and also a colloquialism. It refers to how one can easily become lost or trapped in the streets here.… Read the rest
Plovdiv is the modern site of the ancient city of Philipopolis. It is charming from the get go and given the range of things to see here, it is no wonder it was named Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2019.… Read the rest
Plovdiv has an Ancient Town within its Old Town and more layers of Old Town within this. Centered along ul. Saborna we walk up the steep cobbled street that crosses over Boulevard Tsar Boris III Obedinitel, one of the modern city’s main thoroughfares.… Read the rest
The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak is a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Bulgaria. But first, perhaps, it is worth putting this into context.
The Thracians were Indo-Eurpoean inhabitants of the Balkan Region from about the 10th Century BC through til the 1st Century AD.… Read the rest
Usually a fan of beautiful rather than bizarre, this Russian Soviet monument, looks more like something from Space Jam than from Bulgaria’s Communist past. Locally referred to as simply as the Socialism Monument, even ‘bizarre’ does not quite describe what stands before me.… Read the rest
The Shipka Memorial Church is a Bulgarian Orthodox Church located in the city of the same name. We are middle of Bulgaria both figuratively and literally, having just crossed the picturesque Balkan Mountains from north to south. We are on our way from Veliko Tărnovo and the Etar Ethnographic Outdoor Museum to the Kazinlak Tomb.… Read the rest
As we arrive at Etar Ethnographic Outdoor Museum, it seems like just a few old huts along a small, albeit picturesque stream. However, as we enter this busy little slice of history, it is clear that it is much more than it seems.… Read the rest