"Bulgaria - The land of sunflowers and wine" Bulgaria by elgin99

Some years ago, but it is as if just it was yesterday. A travel together with my son to the region of Targovishte. We stayed 3 weeks.

Here is a map of Northeast of Bulgaria, with that region we visited.

It´s no region by tourism. We visited German and Bulgarian friends there.
So we took part at the "normal" and everyday life. This provided an insight and we got the chance to know country and people.

It´s a poor country with very high unemployment. Many gypsies living there today.
Esp. the agriculture collapsed after socialism broken down.
Wide sunflower fields, wine, paprika and sweet corn are cultivated.

My memories include very impressive sunsets, with a dark red never I have seen.

Herdsman

We got a heartful welcome everywhere. People had really few money, but we got so many invitations, nevertheless. And when we arrived or met someone, every time we had a nice talk. Mostly with the help "of hands and feets", of course. :))

I like to remember for the warm nights on the terrace of small house in Momino. High above the town whose lights glittered in the ascending hot air. Listened for the voices of the cicadas or the howl of jackals. We visited Bulgaria during a long-durable dryness. The grass was brown and totally dry. Summer always are hot there, winter are very cold with much snow.

All together it was a wonderful time, with much fun, due to people and the special romantic charm of landscape.

Another memories? Good food (late because of the heat), poorness, mass of savaged dogs everywhere, tourism regions at Black Sea (not my thing), very bad streets, many burning fields and nice orthodox churches. Different....

Nearby Targovishte there is also a famous region of hunting because of it´s strong stags there (Veliki Presslav).

church in Targovishte

Orthodox churches in Bulgaria are very impressive. We visited some of them along the whole East.

Once we attended an othodox divine service in this church. because of rare strangers there people asked for our participation. We have done, and it was a heartful rite, indeed surprisingly. People told us what we have to do, and at last they gave us all flowers of the church as present and for memory. In which country would this likable moment happen, too? Not in Germany, I´m sure.

I´m sorry, my pictures are not the best, shot with analog camera.

• Pros:All above
• Cons:bad streets, uncleanliness towns