Ivan of Rila needed time to himself back in the middle of the tenth century, so he became a hermit in a mountain cave near Rila. That attracted acolytes and soon the cave became a little crowded so they founded a monastery nearby. In the 19th century this grew into a huge complex with a…

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second-largest city after Sofia, two hours by bus and three by train. Depending on whom you believe, it’s been settled 4000 or 8000 years ago. The Thrakians were here, the Romans (who left two amphitheaters of course), the Ottomans and apparently everyone in between. It’s very green with many beautiful and lush…

First time in Bulgaria! I am on a mission to see all EU member countries and two were missing on my list. The capital, Sofia, is quite impressive. Very green, with beautiful side streets shadowed by huge old trees and churches and sculptures everywhere. Not so much the spotless gentrified buildings that you find in…