MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: Bulgaria

Showing posts with label Bulgaria. Show all posts

Monday, April 27, 2020

Tzvetana Rantcheva from Bulgaria and Chubritsa Spice

From several ISMS Congresses, Pieter got to know lots of international scientists.

It was always hardest for scientists from behind the iron curtain, from the communist countries that is... to travel internationally.

Pictured here is Tzvetana Rantcheva from Bulgaria, with Pieter to the left and to the right of her is Vitkov, who also visited us at the Mushroom farm of Fungi del Montello in Italy.

Here, Pieter is to the left and next to him is Stefan Lissitzov and Vitkov from Bulgaria.

Both photos are from August 29, 1989 and the Berlin Wall had not yet come down... marking the end of the Communist era for Eastern Europe.

Tzvetana Rantcheva was one of the scientists that lectured at the 1969 ISMS Congress in Hamburg and Pieter knows her for a long time.
International Society of Mushroom Science

Pieter did receive one of her 1971 publications, for adding to his library...

Dear Mr. Vedder
Many kind regards to all colleagues in your station. I hope this booklet will enrich your library.
Your Bulgarian friend and colleague,
Rantcheva

Due to Tzvetana Rantcheva's many restrictions for living and working in a Communist country as Bulgaria was, Pieter helped co-author her book...

She did mail it to us from Bulgaria, and we received it in June of 1986...

To Petter Vedder
with respect and gratitude
April, 1986 Rantcheva
Sofia, Bulgaria
(well, writing in cyrillic and managing the Roman alphabet as well, is quite challenging!)

Their paper quality was the poorest one...
Sadly so, but she meticulously gave credit to all of Pieter's photos!
Contrary to most others, regardless of all their privileges of living in the free and modern world, that only stole photos and big parts of text, without ever giving due credit.
They think that plagiarism went out of the window?!

Both of us felt humbled and touched by being able to help a scientist from Communist Bulgaria out...

While visiting us at work in Italy, Tvetana Rantcheva gifted us a hand made wooden box, filled with special mixed spices and herbs from Bulgaria.

Not very large but I've kept it all those years with lots of sentiment... empty for years now.
Finally last year we both got to visit her country, Bulgaria, even though not her city of Sofia.

Queen of Bulgarian spices: summer savoury (chubritsa) click link

It was special receiving her Bulgarian Christmas cards...
Sadly we lost contact since our life in Italy.

Day 9, Russe, Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi, Bulgaria | previous post by me
Day 8, Bulgarian Danube and Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress | previous post

The History of Bulgaria: Every Year 632-2021 | Impressive YouTube video

Friday, July 26, 2019

Day 9, Russe, Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi, Bulgaria

Here we are, on June 11, starting our day 9 and still in Bulgaria.
Both, husband Pieter and I had gotten rather ill from an acute bronchitis and having difficulty breathing.
The long Shore excursion starting at 9:00 till 17:30 meant for both of us a tough day!
But here we go...

Driving through the city of Rousse or Ruse, Russe, you encounter all kinds of architecture.
This is a lovely building on a street corner.

Those typical Communist era Apartment Blocks as ugly as they can be...

Ruse, Bulgaria St. Petka Church by architect S. Bobchev.

Hope for the crumbling temple "Sv. Petka" in Ruse just click on link

This St. Petka Church got built in the late 30s of last century near the only remaining gate of the old fortress city. But it was in terrible decay.
This article is from December 27, 2018 so I'm very happy to read that they will start to repair it and also got the funds through a European program!

With a little over an hour driving we pass here over the Yantra River and view this exceptional bridge built by genius Kolyu Ficheto! It is considered an achievement of Bulgarian Renaissance engineering construction and architectural art.
Would have loved to stop there for a closer look and more photos than just this from a riding bus!

Click here: Kolyu Ficheto's bridge over the Yantra River or Byala's bridge for more info.

Click here for great short video: 90 Kolyu Ficheto Bridge on Yantra River - town of Byala

the text reads: the Master Kolyu Ficheto, the most famous Renaissance master builder...

After almost two hours riding on the bus, we reach Veliko Tarnovo a fascinating medieval town, above the Yantra River. The old capital of Bulgaria!

You also see the Asen Dynasty Monument (obelisk with horses) to the right.

01 Veliko Tarnovo District, short aerial video

Veliko Tarnovo got built around Tsarevets Hill and its hilltop royal castle.

Veliko Tarnovo, royal castle...

We did have a very nice coffee break with some sweets at a hotel, before moving on.

Veliko Tarnovo with its Cathedral of the Birth of the Theotokos.

Veliko Tarnovo Cathedral, Bulgaria. Completed in 1844 and reconstructed in 1913.

For link click: Veliko Tarnovo.

Veliko Tarnovo where we did explore Samovodska Charshia, a tradional street teeming with handicrafts.

Funny kitten sleeping on the wood carved man's arm!

Husband Pieter found the bench for resting a bit after lots of walking, all still before lunch.

Arbanasi, Tarnovo around 13:00 we walk towards our lunch address.

Hotel IZVORA 2 is right across and we entered into Restaurant IZVORA, behind the tiled roof wall with large garden.

Arbanasi, IZVORA Restaurant, where we enjoyed a lunch that got served in rooms with sliding French doors and garden views.

In that garden, a local folklore group danced and came closer in front of the open doors around 13:45.

Click to see video: traditional dancers Arbanasi-Bulgaria at the very restaurant gardens where we had lunch + show!

Arbanasi, Nativity Church from 16th Century with incredible frescoes where we walked around 14:15

17th Century Merchants Home/Museum and 16th Century Church of the Nativity in Arbanasi Bulgaria 2016 click for very short video about this 17th Century Konstantsalieva House about how a wealthy merchant used to live.

Church of the Nativity ARBANASI in Veliko Tarnovo (click link for the best photos)

As we entered this 16th Century Church with our guide, the electricity went off so the above is my ONLY capture... Hence the link for more views!

Short Relive.cc video Bus ride from Russe to Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi.

Tarnovo, Bulgaria walk

Info with my iPhone photos is Tirnovo but on brochures etc. it is Tarnovo...

Short Relive.cc video from Arbanasi, Bulgaria walk

Very short Relive.cc video where our Viking Lif Longboat is Crossing the Danube to Romania...

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Day 8, Bulgarian Danube and Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress | previous post
Day 7, Serbian Danube with Golubac Fortress & Djerdap Gorge to Iron Gates | previous post
Day 6, Panoramic Belgrade, Serbia | previous post
Day 5, from Vukovar to Osijek, Croatia | previous post
Day 4, Kalocsa Baroque Cathedral with Organ Music and Puszta | previous post

Day 3 Departure from Budapest on Viking Lif | previous post

Day 2 Passage to Eastern Europe - Panoramic Budapest | previous post

My 3rd Trip with Husband Pieter to Hungary with stay at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest | previous post

The History of Bulgaria: Every Year 632-2021 | Impressive YouTube video

Monday, July 22, 2019

Day 8, Bulgarian Danube and Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress

On June 10, our Viking Cruise day 8 of PASSAGE TO EASTERN EUROPE, we went by bus into the countryside to visit Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress.
A very special visit to Bulgaria, roughly the same size as Tennessee and almost half the size of the UK.
Bulgaria is situated in the Balkan area of southeastern Europe. It borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west and Greece and Turkey both to the south.
The eastern border of 234 miles or 377 km is formed by the Black Sea.

Quite a sight for getting up close to Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress!
Even though, both of us did not climb the stairs for health reasons, they warned us for the unsafe railing as it often got removed for filming.
Pieter's heart cannot handle such a steep climb and I'm careful since my double, closed pelvic bone fracture...
But it sure was a marvel to be there!

This is close to 9:00 in the morning as we got off our Viking Lif for boarding the bus to visit Belogradchik.

Starting out from Port Vidin, Bulgaria...
And again a beautiful day!

Only half an hour out from Port Vidin, my attempt to capture this huge Stork's nest from our riding bus.
Storks breed a lot in these countries and you quite often can see their enormous nests.

In about an hour driving we were reaching Belogradchik in the Vidin Province.
Can you see the Rocks at the top left?

In fact a beautiful area and you see some large rocks here in mid picture.

One hour and 15 minutes travel time and here we are getting very close to the Belogradchik Rocks!

The bus made a stop for letting people use some restrooms in the town Belogradchik and that's where I captured this way of transport from the bus...
Bulgaria is the poorest country within the European Union and it was often painfully visible!