The Black Sea and Varna's Gold

August 2010

I started blogging my Eastern European excursion a few months ago with the question: Is the Blue Danube blue? (see Danube River on sidebar)  Now I must grapple with: Is the Black Sea black?  From my view in Varna, Bulgaria, the sea had a gray-green tinge.  I understand that Bulgaria's 235 miles (378 km) of Black Sea coast have some of the most beautiful beaches in the area with rich turquoise waters.

Yet, the Turks called it the Black Sea, and that name may be even more ancient.  It certainly is a sea dark with mystery.  It connects to the Mediterranean through the Turkish straits of the  Dandanelles, Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus, but the oxygenated upper waters of the Sea do not mix with the lower strata, and 90% of the Black Sea is dark and anoxic--without oxygen.  Very little can live in such conditions, but it has an extraordinary ability to preserve whatever rests on the shelves or bottom.  Even though it is hard to find things in its dark waters, ancient ships that have been recovered are in remarkably good condition.  Legends connect the Black Sea with Noah's flood, and some claim that the remnant of the Ark rests across the Sea on Mt. Ararat in Turkey.  So, yes, under the surface, it is a black sea.

Today, Varna is the largest sea port city in Bulgaria.  Evidence of civilization goes back to the Neolithic age at about 5500 BC.  In 1972, there was an amazing find in the outskirts of Varna of 281 grave sites from about 5000-45000 BC, with the earliest evidence of worked gold in Euroasia.

The Archaeological Museum has the golden rings, bulls, and other ornaments displayed as they were found in the graves along with axes, dishes, obsidian from Hungary, and prized shells from the Mediterranean.  Because few shelled creatures can live in the Black Sea, Mediterranean shells appeared to be more valuable to them than the gold which was brought from other parts of Bulgaria.  In fact, items in the graves of this unknown civilization came from an area of more than 1,543 miles.  The Museum held other fascinating displays of  intricate Thracian  jewelry (from 1,000 BC) and statues and tombs through the Greek and Roman eras.  Varna was then known as  Odessos.

It is hard to separate my memories of Varna from the humidity and heat we experienced (100' F; 38' C).  We left our boat at the Danube port of Rousse and enjoyed an air-conditioned bus for a couple of hours to Varna (with a petrol/snack stop midway).  After visiting the amazing Archealogical Museum, we wandered  shady, wide pedestrian boulevards, peeking into a neighborhood church to seek relief from the heat.   Instead of walking to the end of the boulevard to the famous Sea Gardens as I intended, I stopped at a great gelato stand and sat in a shaded park, listening to the unexpected sounds of Native American instruments by some local street performers.

Varna seemed to be a fast food town.  If you didn't want to eat at one of the numerous McDonald's, you could try Godzilla's BBQ, Turkish kebabs, or Grandma's home cooking.  Instead, passing by Roma gypsy shanties with modern satellite disks, we were taken to Mr. Baba's Pirate Ship restaurant on the beach.  Although the "pirate ship" looked like a fun place to eat,  I was seated in an area with poor air circulation and was disappointed by  slow service and mediocre food.  We then had a few moments to walk on the beach and dip our feet into the Black Sea.   The beach was not very crowded, but was littered.   Despite being hot and tired, I  was still excited that I was finally at the Black Sea-- that mysterious body of water I had barely glimpsed on a river excursion on the Bosphorus years ago in Turkey.  Varna was worth the journey.

Though Varna is a modern and happening city, I ended up choosing Rimsky-Korsokov's "Scheherazade" with its touch of the mysterious  for the slideshow.

Click link below for slideshow:
The Black Sea and Varna

Music: Nikolai Remsky-Korsakov, Sheherazade: The Young Prince and the Young Princess,  The Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Ormandy

Grandma's Fortress in Vidin, Bulgaria

July 2010

Vidin is the first Bulgarian port city on the Danube where we docked.  After climbing the rocks of Belogradchik in the morning, we returned to explore this ancient town.  Its story starts  much like other Danube cities:  the Celts showed up in the 3rd century BC, followed by the Romans, then the Byzantines, the Hungarians and the Ottoman Turks.  But, Vidin also had an important role in the independent First (681-1014) and Second (1185-1396) Bulgarian Kingdoms.  At one time, the Bulgarian Kingdom stretched from the Black Sea to Budapest and the Dneiper River (Ukraine) to the Adriatic.

Along the Danube River in Vidin, there rises a striking fortress that was built over the ruins of a Roman tower  in the 10th century.  Legend says that the king had three daughters:  Vida, Kula, and Gamza.  Nearing death, he gave each daughter a third of the kingdom.  Kula and Gamza married warlike, drunkard, and  no-good nobles, whereas Vida, the eldest and wisest,  never married.   Instead, she built this wonderful fort for her city. The people called it Baba Vida.  Its name made me think of intrigues and conquests like those out of the Tales of Arabian Knights.  Alas, I found out that "baba" means "grandmother."  So the fearsome fort that defended kingdoms for over 700 years was really just "Granny Vida's place."

We moved through the fortress quickly to a stage inside the walls where a youth folk dance troupe performed Bulgarian dances.  It reminded me of my youthful experience in a folk dance group.  The day had gotten even hotter, but they gave a spirited performance in their layers of brightly-colored costumes.Instead of my usual slideshow, I have attached  short video clips of their dancing as well as dancing we saw a few days later in the Payak Mehana Restaurant in Arbanasi, Bulgaria.

Christianity came early to Bulgaria in 864, and, Bulgarians proudly point out, it was Bulgarian priests who invented the Cyrillic  alphabet which was later adopted by the Slavic nations.   Vidin reflects a history of varied religious backgrounds with a cathedral, other Christian churches, a mosque and synagogue.


Near the port was a Memorial to the Victims of Communism.  It reminded me of my friend Julia's story, the Bulgarian young adult I met while studying in France.  Julia grew up with her parents and younger brother in Sophia. Her father was a dental technician, and, like many, could not support his family decently on the state salary or provide patients with the quality of care he thought they should have.  He began secretly and illegally to see patients in his home.  Julia remembered the fear of being discovered by the secret police whenever there was an unexpected knock at the door.

An opportunity came for ten dental technicians from all of Bulgaria to go to Algeria for 2 years.  His cooperative had one slot.   They decided to draw lots.  Her father got the slip that said "yes".  The others thought is unfair because he had joined the lab only a few months before. They decided to draw again.  He got it again.   They drew 6 times, and he got "yes" every time.  The last time , he was the last to choose and he still got "yes."  Though it was an atheistic state, they all agree it was a miracle.  At last they had to agreed to let him go, and his family joined him a few months later.

Bulgaria allowed half the family to return via France, but the rest had to return directly to Bulgaria to keep the family from defecting.   Julia's family got the documents "altered" and they all escaped to France.  Julia's family always felt that God had watching over them and leading them to freedom.

Julia stayed with my family several summers to work for Voice of America.  Eventually, her family immigrated.  They taught me so much about freedom.  In 1991, after the communist government had fallen, Julia's parents returned to Bulgaria as the first LDS (Mormon) Mission President for Bulgaria.  They had not expected to see such freedom in Bulgaria in their lives.

And now I was in Bulgaria, the land they had loved. If you get there--take your time.  There's really no reason to rush.
Next post:  The Black Sea and Varna's Gold

Click below for video clips:
Bulgarian Dances
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bulgaria