I have done a crazy amount of traveling around Bulgaria lately! I will try to get all of it up in the next few days if I have time!
March 3 is Bulgarian Independence Day! It commemorates the end of the rule of the Ottoman Empire in Bulgaria with the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano. To celebrate, my friend Hillary and I went to visit Shipka, a mountain pass where the Bulgarian and Russian soldiers fought together against the Ottoman soldiers. We were unable to make it to the Shipka Monument because it was snowing heavily, and there was no easily identifiable way to get from the town to the monument. But we did see the Memorial Church and wandered the town. Then, we spent the night in Kazanluk, a nearby town, where we were able to (finally!) see the Thracian tomb artifacts. All in all, it was an excellent way to spend two days.
Gorgeous building in the snow. So much snow!
Memorial Church
Me by a really cool statue of a kneeling woman.
Graffiti drawing of the Shipka Monument
Entrance to the Thracian tomb exhibit!
I made it!
Golden burial mask
Golden burial wreath. I would like one of these when I die, please. :)
Well, Mitch wants to have a funeral pyre when he dies, so I'll see what I can do. Seems to me a golden burial wreath is a bit easier than explaining to the authorities why you've burned your husband's body.
ReplyDeleteJust don't go throwing yourself onto the pyre in an attempt to follow Mitch into the afterlife or anything. It's not as glamorous as it looks in the movies.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I read Kazanluk I think Khazad-dum and it makes your trip seem that much cooler.
ReplyDeleteI would have wet my pants if the drums of Khazad-dum started drumming while I was in the tomb, and the orcs started piling up out of the darkness shooting arrows at us. I'm no Gandalf. I'm more of a Pippin. I would be hiding behind the funeral wreath, trying to look inconspicuous.
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