Transylvania: Bran Castle, Vlad the Impaler, and the Dracula Legends

August 2010
What do Transylvania's Bran Castle, Vlad Tepes (Tepes means Impaler), and  vampire legends have in common?  Actually, very little, but I will try a brief explanation of their connecting points.  Vlad III was born in Translyvania (then part of the kingdom of Hungary) in 1431.  His father was Vlad II who had been inducted into the prestigious Order of the Dragon in Nuremberg.  But the name of this chivalric order did not translate well into Romanian:  Dracul not only meant "dragon," but also "devil."  The son of Vlad II,  Dracul, would be called Vlad III, Dracula.

It was an era of political unrest and cruelty. When Vlad II was dethroned by locals, he formed alliance with the hated Ottomans who put him back on the throne.  But as surety of his loyalty, he had to send two of his sons to Edrine (Istanbul--photo at right). Radu, the younger son, converted to Islam, became an Ottoman officer, and ultimately led Ottomans against his brother.  Vlad III was rebellious in Istanbul and grew in his hatred for the Ottomans.  Vlad III also distrusted his family, but returned to Wallachia (the area around today's Bucharest--see RO Bucharest post) when released by the Ottomans.  His bitterness increased when the Boyars, in alliance with the Hungarians, killed his father and had his older brother blinded and buried alive.

Three times Vlad III ruled the kingdom of Wallachia.  While most of the world shudder when they hear of Vlad Tepes, Romanians remember him as a great national leader.  He brought his court to an outpost which grew to be Bucharest,  fought back the Ottomans and others who tried to conquer Wallachia, expanded their territory, re-established trade, helped the peasants, and restored order.  True, they admit, he was ruthless--but mostly against their enemies.  Those were brutal times, but his brutality stood out above all else.  Vlad III trusted few and fought most everyone.  Those he conquered or invaded (men, women, and children)  he had impaled-- a thick wooden stick run through their bodies and left to rot.  When one of his servants complained of the stench of rotting bodies, Vlad had him impaled.

However, some of the later Saxon and Russian tales of Vlad Dracula exaggerated his deeds and the numbers (no evidence he roasted and ate the victims).  Still, some estimate he may have impaled 40,000-100,000.  At one time he sought alliance with Hungary, but they tricked and imprisoned him in Visegard ( photo at right--see HU Szentendre and the Danube Bend post).  In 1476,  he was finally killed in battle against the Ottomans.  Reportedly, his body was buried near Bucharest and his head was buried in Istanbul.  However, in the early 1900s when Vlad was to be exhumed for "research," they found his supposed grave empty.  Hum.........

I confess I have never read Bram Stoker's Dracula or been very interested in Dracula or vampire movies.  My nephew suggested that I take The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova to read during my Danube Cruise.  I downloaded an audio copy and found myself  immersed in this excellent novel that weaves together the history of Vlad Tepes and the Dracula legends into a suspenseful mystery with a twist at the end.  Like the speaker in the book, I found that I had been pulled unknowingly deeper and deeper into the Dracula tales in my travels.  I had previously traveled to  Istanbul.  Stoker's Dracula  starts in Budapest (see HU Budapest's Glory Days post), Dracula leaves from the port of Varna, Bulgaria, (see BU Varna post), and  is shipwrecked on the cliff's of Whitby, England, where  Bram Stoker wrote his story in 1897. (see UK Whitby posts).  Now I was traveling through the very areas where the real Vlad Tepes had lived.

The Romanians had ancient superstitions about strigoi---the "undead."  There were a variety of kinds and ways one could become undead--such as a child who was marked by the devil because its careless mother might have gone out with her head uncovered.  Those who died before they could marry were considered vulnerable to being undead--so should  be wed to another unmarried dead person of the same age.  Ways of protecting you from the undead included garlic, stakes in the heart, holly, and burying them with a bottle of whisky so they couldn't find their way back.  Some strigoi had magical powers to transform into animals or disappear and gained strength through the blood of victims.  In the nineteenth century, interest increased about Eastern Europe, and legends of strigoi  and stories of Vlad Tepes were circulated.  Although these had never been connected before, Bram Stoker had the genius in  1897 to turn the bloody Vlad into a blood-sucking, undead vampire.  Misty, little-known Transylvania was the perfect setting, and Dracula (dragon, devil) was the perfect name.


So why is the medieval Bran Castle in Transylvania now called Dracula's Castle?  It was a mountain fortress mentioned in 1377 in defense against the Ottomans.  Vlad III besieged it in retaliation against the Saxons at one time.  But it never was Vlad's castle, nor is it even mentioned by Stoker.  The Bran Castle mostly served as a customs post and then as a home to local rulers.  Royalty did not live there until after WWI when Transylvania was transferred from Hungary to Romania.  Queen Marie (granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II), unhappily married at age 17 to an older duke who later became king, made Bran Castle her home.  She served as a Red Cross nurse in WWI, helped negotiate the peace, and adopted Romanian ways.  Most rooms in the castle reflect the furnishings of her time.  The communists confiscated the castle when they came to power, but it was returned to the royal descendants  when communism fell.

Then in some unknown way, people heard of this remote medieval

castle with a secret passage that reminded them of Stoker's description, and Bran Castle started being called "Dracula's Castle."  The Romanians need tourist attractions, and they welcome, with some amusement, the countless visitors that flock  to the site of "Dracula's Castle."  They have dedicated an upstairs room to the tales of Vlad and Dracula to appease the masses.  The castle is interesting, and the drive through  Transylvania is beautiful.  We arrived on a cloudy, rainy day which added even more to the atmosphere.  However, I had come to the castle hoping to find those difficult "guy gifts," like a Vlad pen or Dracula pencil that are good to show around the office.   There were some nice Romanian craft items, but things related to Dracula were too big, heavy, or tacky.  But if you look around, you might just happen to see a bearded werewolf or a wide-eyed strigoi, disguised in human forms, following you.....

Click link below for slideshow:
Bran Castle and the Dracula Legend
Music:  Overture, Dracula, the Musical

More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_the_Impaler
http://www.bran-castle.com/en/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigoi

Romania: Ceausescu and the People's Palace

August 2010

In case you are looking for something to add to your conversation someday, you might just ask,"Do you know the largest building in the world?"  I was told, it's not the People's Palace in Bucharest, but the Pentagon in Washington, DC. (I'm not sure if it's the biggest of all categories) However, The Palace of Parliament (as it is officially called), is the second largest, and I'm told it is cited in the  Guinness  Book of Records as the largest civilian administrative building; the most expensive administrative building; and the heaviest building.

 It has 1,100 rooms; is 12 stories above ground with at least 4 underground; used 700 architects; cost over $10 billion to build; and has 480 chandeliers.  The marble, crystals, carpets and most of the building materials came from Romania and were beautifully crafted by their people.   But rather than being the pride of Romania, today it stands mostly empty and still controversial.

The Palace was conceived by Nicolae Ceausescu, who had worked his way up through the Communist party in Romania to become the Secretary General in 1965 and President in 1974.  At first, he reached out to form stronger relationships with the West, but after visits to North Korea and Mao's China, he began more repressive measures, formed an erratic personality cult, and titled himself "The Genius of the Capathians."   Under his party leadership, Ceausescu sought to increase the population with policies that outlawed abortion and provided more benefits to families with 5 or more children.  Mothers with 10 or more children were called "heroine mothers."  Although the population increased, child abandonment also increased as the economy faltered, and many were left in overcrowded orphanages.

After a severe earthquake hit Bucharest in 1977, Ceausescu seized the moment to create his masterpiece: the grandest administrative building in the world that would contain all the branches of the Romanian government--executive, judicial, and parliamentary.  I have heard varying reports as to whether he intended to live in a presidential suite there, but it was not built primarily as his home.  He displaced 30,000 people and demolished a beloved monastery on top of the hill, much of the historic district (which had once been called Little Paris--see Bucharest post), needed hospitals, schools, homes, 19 Orthodox churches, and 6 synagogues in order to create his palace, a boulevard wider and longer than the Champs D'Elysee, and numerous museums and government buildings.

There were reported 29,000 workers (many of the army) working in shifts for 24 hours a day.  As the Romanian economy was struggling, his government borrowed abroad, then tried to pay off the foreign debt by exporting their grain and natural resources.  People were starving; the population was growing; children were abandoned; the economy  was in shambles; gas was rationed (despite their oil fields); electrical blackouts were ordered; and the country became isolated from the world.  Yet, Ceausescu with his wife kept building the palace.

The Palace was almost finished in December 1989 when a protest was crushed in a city in Moldavia, followed by an outbreak in Timisoara, and then a demonstration that turned into riots in Bucharest.   Over several days, about 1,000 citizens were killed.  On December 21 in what is now called Revolutionary Square,  Ceausescu addressed the crowds from the balcony of the Central Committee Building in what was supposed to be a "support mass meeting."  He seemed surprised by the fury of the crowd, as rioters broke open the doors.   Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu fled to the roof where they were rescued by helicopter.  Within days, they were captured by police, given a two-hour trial by an ad hoc military court, found guilty, and executed on Christmas Day, 1989.  Statues in Revolutionary Square honor those who rose up against tyranny to end the hated regime.  A classic building that had been partly destroyed was preserved to remember that moment, but repaired with a modern top.

I remember the outreach to Romania after Ceausescu.  Many orphans were adopted abroad.  I was a counselor in our LDS (Mormon ) Stake Relief Society (women's area organization) when we collected and made items for the orphanages.  Ever since, I have felt I had a very tiny piece in the history of Romania.

But what to do with the People's Palace?  The Romanian Parliament now occupies part of the building.  They hope for tourists to  come to pay some of its expenses.  One can rent  palatial rooms for weddings or banquets--but it's a bit far and too expensive for most.  The paradox:  The People's Palace contains exquisite Romanian craftsmanship and materials, yet its very existence is a bitter reminder of a hated era.  The expenses of heating, electricity, and security for such a massive structure pull needed money away from their economy.  Ceausescu never had the chance to speak to the crowds from the grand balcony.  I understand the first to do so was Michael Jackson in his 1992 Dangerous Tour Concert,  who said he loved "Budapest"  instead of  "Bucharest."  One more (unintentional) insult to the dreams of a dictator.

Click link below for slideshow:
Bucharest: People's Palace
Music:  George  Enestu, String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 22
More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceaușescu
National Geographic Traveler:  Romania

Romania: Port Giurgiu to Bucharest

August 2010

It was at the Romanian port of Giurgiu that I finally parted ways with the Danube River (see Danube Cruise on side bar to see my 13 day cruise).  The Danube would wander its lazy way into the Danube Delta wildlife preserve  and divide before it finally entered the Black Sea through Romania and the Ukraine.  I, and my fellow travelers, would board a bus to move inland to the capital Bucharest in the region of Wallachia.  The port was filled with cranes and barges to move industrial materials along the river.  We passed through small towns with lovely churches and an occasional minaret as well as fields of grains and sunflowers.  There were street side markets and city malls and even a large Marriott as we entered the city.

My photos for this post were mostly taken from a bus window as we moved through the countryside and city---so please bear with the reflections of dirty glass.  I should also have liked to remove the ever present power lines strung along the streets.  But then it would be a place that doesn't really exist.  I will show Bucharest as I saw it.

It was Vlad III, Dracula, Prince of Wallachia, who decided to move his court to this small, but fortified, settlement, which later became the capital of Wallachia and then of all Romania.  There is much history between then and now.  Wallachia  was finally subdued by the Turks who maintained control until it became an independent nation in 1859.  Transylvania was not added to Romania until the end of World War I  when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was defeated.  The Romanian language is Latin based, and, although the people connect with  the Orthodox church, they also feel ties to the people of Western Europe.

Emerging in the mid 1800s, Bucharest turned its eye on Paris as it entered its "Belle Epoque."  Soon Bucharest was known as the "Petit Paris" with its boulevards,  cafes, fashionable houses, concert halls, and neo-classical buildings.  According to our guide, Bucharest was the first European city to install gas street lamps.  It was a fashionable, exotic city, filled with rumors and spies, as World War I began.

The arts flourished.  George Enescu, a famous Romanian violinist and composer, who was admitted to the Vienna Conservatory at age 7, lived and wrote in Bucharest, the USA, and Paris, finally settling in Paris when WWII began.  His music often reflected his Romanian roots.  Although Romania actually grew as a result of the WWI  peace treaty, it struggled in the "between war period" and sided with the Nazis in WWII.  The Allies heavily bombed the oil fields of Romania to prevent their oil from being used by the Nazis.  However, near the end of the war, Romania was negotiating with the Allies, but was put under Soviet control at the Conference of Yalta.

Communist leaders in Romania were brutal.  The Romanians at first felt hope as Nicolae Ceauescu took control in 1965, only to find themselves trapped in an increasingly oppressive dictatorship.  Since Ceausescu  was overthrown in 1989, the country has struggled, but now belongs to the EU and NATO, and a hopeful, young generation is working to create a better future.  We stayed at the modern and elegant Raddison Blu hotel with internet that actually worked.  Our last reception as a group was in a room that Madonna had turned into her gym when she stayed there for a Bucharest concert.  Times have changed.

I did think of Paris when I was there.  It wasn't just the Arc de Triomphe on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, parks, and buildings, but also the narrow, winding streets with charming shops and cafes.   At La Mama, we sat outside and enjoyed  delicious Romanian specialties on a hot evening before wandering back to our hotel for a tasty gelato.   I liked Bucharest.

The next posts will focus on Ceauescu and his "People's Palace" and Transylvania and the Dracula Legend, so I did not include those photos in this post.
Click link below for slideshow:
Bucharest
Music:  George Enescu, Romanian  Rhapsody #1 
More Information: http://www.romaniatourism.com/bucharest.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucharest

Cruising the Danube

August 2010

After two weeks together on the Uniworld River Princess, it was time to say goodbye--not to each other, but to our ship and crew.  We boarded buses to take us to Bucharest for three more days in Romania (including "Dracula's" Bran Castle in Transylvania)  before our tour group would head for home or on their further travels.  Some went on the extension to Istanbul.  I said good-bye to my new friends to go visit longtime (not old) friends who were living in Kyiv, Ukraine.

This is my second cruise on Uniworld, and I have been pleased with both.  In 2006, I enjoyed a 9 day voyage up the Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg and then by land to Prague for 3 days.  This time on the Eastern European Explorer, it was 13 days from Vienna, Austria to Giurgui, Romania and by land to Bucharest for 3 days.  I knew in advance more about what I would see going up the Danube, as I had visited many of those areas years before.  When people asked why I was taking the trip down the river, I didn't have a simple answer, as I wasn't sure what I would discover.  For a better summary of places I saw on the Danube River go to my post "On the Blue(?)  Danube" under Danube Cruise on the sidebar.


 I loved exploring and finding new places and friendly people that expanded my understanding of our complex and beautiful world.  There were so many little- known delights to enjoy along the way (such as this group of Serbian children).  It is a journey I will not forget and would highly recommend.







At the beginning of the trip, I posted "A Small World," as I was finding connections with the other passengers. (See Danube Cruise  older posts on sidebar)  Today's post is a look back at my new friends and the places we visited.  I don't know why I didn't take more photos of my fellow travelers.  I enjoyed our diverse group.  Likewise, I did not take many photos of our accommodations on the cruise ship.  They were pleasant.  Every room had windows through which you could watch the shore.  Rooms were compact (to keep the boat size small), but nice with comfortable beds and good cabin service.

The food was great with a variety to choose from and local specialties.   Casual clothes were the standard (except for this farewell dinner), and there was open seating for meals.  It was a good way to meet the other  70+ passengers. The only glitch was trouble we had with internet access.

Many evenings and afternoons, we enjoyed local lecturers and entertainers, and most shore excursions were included in the cost of the trip.  (Click video clip: Serbian dancers on board)  The cruise staff were friendly and helpful, and the local guides interesting.  I enjoyed discussions with Markus, our knowledgeable and enthusiastic cruise manager.  A few mornings, I even got up early for an energizing exercise/ stretching class on the top deck, as we watched sleepy towns begin to stir.  I very much enjoyed a couple of  relaxing massages.  Riverboats do not have swimming pools or lots of flashy shows, but we were so often on shore, they weren't missed.

In the slideshow, you will first see a few photos of the River Empress from my first trip, then the River Princess and group photos from my recent trip.  I've also included a few short video clips in this post.   It seems most cruises end the Captain's Farewell Dinner with Baked Alaska for dessert and the song Andrea Bocelli made popular, Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye).  (Video clip: Farewell Dinner)


I hope you won't say good-bye, but will return next week for a look at Bucharest, Romania.  To see other places visited on this cruise, go to Danube Cruise on the sidebar.


Slideshow Link:   Time to Say Goodbye
Music: Andrea Bocelli, Con Te Partiro, Romanza


More Information:  http://www.UniworldCruiseLine.com/

http://www.danube-river.com/

Arbanasi's Angels and Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria

August 2011
It was the 13th  day of my Uniworld Riverboat Cruise and the last day we would call the River Princess home  (though we still had a couple of days in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest before the trip ended).  We had had several long, hot days of intense traveling.  While many of our group chose to spend the day resting or visiting Rousse,  I chose an optional all-day trip to two delightful hilly towns in north central Bulgaria:  Veliko Turnovo and Arbanasi.  We exchanged the hot, humid air of the river for pleasant mountain breezes.  They say Arbanasi has the purest air in Bulgaria.

Veliko Turnovo is considered one of Bulgaria's most beautiful cities as tall, narrow houses rise up the cliffs above the meandering Yantra River.  It was the proud capital of the mighty Second Bulgarian Kingdom ( 1185-1393 ).   Today it is a charming city on the top of the hills with a university, museums, churches, and an active nightlife.  It was a quiet town, though, when we visited and wandered the medieval Samovodene Market Street, filled with interesting artisan craft shops.  This was once the market  area of  the busy medieval capital.

The most dominant feature of the town is the restored walls of the Fortress of Tsarevets (City of Tsars).  The cliff, almost surrounded by the Yantra River,  was used as a natural defense since the 4th millennium BC (that's a long time ago).  Tsar Petur started the wall when he made this city his capital.  The fortress once contained 400+ structures, including the Royal Palace, houses for aristocrats, several churches,  the tower Patriarchate, and the defenses.



The walls include the outreaching, square-like Tower of Baldwin where the Latin Emperor Boudouin I of Constantinople died in prison after being defeated by the Bulgarian King Kaloyan.  (The defeated Emperor's name sounded familiar, and I discovered he was a very distant relative to my family.)  The buildings of  Tsarevets were destroyed during the Ottoman conquest of 1393 (some have been recently rebuilt).  Appropriately, after 480 years of Ottoman rule, the newly liberated Bulgaria held  its first National Assembly here in 1879.  Another nearby hill has the remains of 17 medieval churches.

The nearby town of Arbanasi, with its views of the valley, fresh air, and charm, has become a favorite place for Bulgaria's well-to-do citizens.  It was granted relative autonomy and special economic privileges by the Ottomans, as it protected the pass to the stronghold Veliko Turnovo.  There are still buildings from the Ottoman era--such as the 17th century

Konstantsliev House with its indoor toilet (a closet with a hole in the floor near the kitchen that went to the pig sty underneath--I don't even want to think about the mix of smells).  There was also an interesting "maternity room" where the woman and her babe would stay for several weeks? or months? (I didn't put it in my notes) isolated from the rest of the family.  There were double doors to the room so the servant could leave the meals, laundry, etc. in between and the mother could retrieve them without contact.  It was part of a religious tradition, but was also supposed to protect the mother and babe from diseases and give them time to bond.  I will let current moms comment on those pros and cons.

It was here that I became acquainted with the exquisite Bulgarian rose oil (Julia always said they had the first and best of most everything-- see Vidin post).  It is not far from here that some of the most fragrant roses in the world are grown and handpicked at 3 am, when the dew is still on the petals, to be turned into an oil that, by weight, is more precious than gold.  Bulgarian rose oil is used as an ingredient in some of the most expensive perfumes.  And, of course, in the town's shops, one could buy rose soaps, lotions, lip gloss, perfumes, etc.   They did have a lovely fragrance.


But one of the highlights of my entire trip was to be found in the small chapel of the Saint Archangel Michael and Gabriel Church.  There were seven Orthodox Christian churches that were allowed to be built in Arbanasi during the Ottoman era.  Those that remain have unimpressive and low exteriors.  The Ottomans didn't seem to care what they put inside, but they were not allowed steeples or prominent domes.  So the Christians dug them deep and hid the domes under ordinary roofs.  The interiors were completely covered in beautiful religious paintings.  After we had entered the small Michael and Gabriel church, two women and a man entered in their robes and gave a 20 minute concert.  It was a moment I shall never forget:  the intimate acoustics, angelic voices, and inspirational paintings combined to create a richly spiritual moment.

We then visited the Bishopric Nativity Church whose  countless frescos likewise  brought the spirit of adoration.  I had not anticipated such a deep spiritual experience on a hill top in Bulgaria.


At the Payak Mehana  Restaurant, we enjoyed lovely gardens and country artifacts (yes, Julia also claimed the Bulgarians invented the bagpipe, though my Scottish ancestors would probably disagree).  We were each greeted by the host with the traditional bread breaking and had a fabulous meal with entertainment by local folk dancers. (see video clips for Vidin).  What a magnificent final day in Bulgaria!  I was so glad I made the journey and returned refreshed  for the Captain's Dinner.

Neither the CD from the church singers (appropriately called: Angelic Voices) nor the scanned interior postcards do justice to the music or art work, but they will hopefully will give you a glimmer of the beauty I experienced.

Click link below for the slideshow:
Arbanasi and Veliko Turnovo
Music:  Angelic Voices, Pokayaniya  

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