Plovdiv and Environs

Monday, May 19

Warm and sunny all day today -- no just-in-case-umbrellas or jackets!

We spent the morning exploring some of the sights in Plovdiv that we'd been introduced to by yesterday's guide.  We began at the Post Office, which is unchanged from the early days of Bulgaria's status as a Soviet satellite -- the 1960s.  At that time, residents had to come to the Post Office for to make phone calls, as home phones were unavailable; of course, this added another level of Big Brother's control.  Even this morning, we were subject to some scrutiny/questioning/suspicion by a guard who seemed especially intent on ensuring that Tom didn't take any photos.

We returned to the Roman odeon and forum (civic and cultural center), and visited the only remaining active mosque in Plovdiv, which is right on the square where the Roman stadium lies below street level. 

Then it was a climb up the hill (one of the city's seven) into the old town.  Our first stop there was the church of the Assumption where, in 1860, the local bishop first held a liturgy in the Bulgarian language, a flagrant violation of the Greek control of religious practice at that time.  

This is a landmark event here and makes this church the most important in Plovdiv.  (By my reckoning, that puts the Bulgarian Orthodox Church 100 years ahead of us Catholics in adopting the vernacular!) 

 We stopped at the Roman Theater so Tom could do his thing while Mary Ellen enjoyed the scene surrounding the amphitheater, which lies (appropriately) at the foot of the city's School of Fine Arts, Music and Dance.  Students filled the cafes between the school and the theater (Cafe culture is HUGE in Plovdiv; multiple cafes line every square and busy street.) and the sounds of piano-practicing students filled the air.  

 

Still in the old town, we stopped in the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helena, the oldest in the city, adjacent to the Eastern Gate of the Ottomans.

 

 

 

  Just around the corner, we had a great time exploring one of Plovdiv's several house museums.  This was largely devoted to the Bulgarian Revival period, and had exhibits devoted to the cultural, domestic, religious, economic, and political elements of the late 19th century.  The Bulgarians' war for independence from the Turks was an important focus of the museum's collection.  Every bit as interesting as the collection was the house itself; we had a great window into the life of a wealthy Plovdiv family in a classic symmetrical house typical of Plovdiv.

We had our lunch atop the Roman wall and Thracian ruins overlooking the city and its hills before walking back down through the old town to our apartment, where we picked our car for an afternoon excursion.  We drove about 30 km out of Plovdiv to see Bachkovo Monastery, Bulgaria's second largest. 

 Dating from the 11th century, Bachkovo has been important in the nation's literary, artistic, cultural and religious life throughout that time.  Of course, there were frescoes and murals galore, important icons, and a gilded iconostasis, as well as an idyllic setting in the mountains.

Near the monastery, on top of a high cliff, are the remaining fortifications of Asen's fortress.  Named for a Tsar, the fortress guarded the main route between Thrace (pre-Roman Empire) and the Aegean Sea.  It has, in turn, been held by the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Bulgarians, and Ottomans, each of whom prized its commanding location.  Perched on the cliff, within the fortress is the St. Bogoroditsa-Petrichka church.  Built in the 12th century, it is the best-preserved part of the fortress, with many areas of frescoes remaining.  It was an altogether impressive sight, from the valley floor, from the higher ramparts of the fortress, and from within.

Back in town, we were grateful to find a parking spot we could actually fit into on our VERY, had-to-pull-in-our-side-view-windows, narrow street.  Given the way we'd barely squeaked through previously, we both heaved a sigh of relief by the time Tom turned off the ignition.

Dinner tonight was traditional Bulgarian food in a neighborhood restaurant, a good finale to our time in lovely, lively Plovdiv.