![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/bulgaria-customs.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAll right, a day and a half, plus an evening.\nBecause we arrived in Bulgaria at dinner time, which, by the way, I had…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You’ll laugh at me when I tell you what a\nrevelation I had, during this trip: I’ve been to Tibet, to Greenland, to America,\nChina, Iceland and you’ll be surprised in how many other places, but I realized\nthat I’ve never been to a vacation here, two steps away from home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bulgaria has always been a transit country for\nme: sometimes to Istanbul, sometimes to Greece. So now, on this day and a half,\nI decided to do a lot, see a lot and enjoy the \u043f\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0432\u043d\u0438 \u0434\u043d\u0438 J as they say…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BALCHIK<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nOUR LANGUAGE IS A TREASURE…<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nWhen I was getting ready to brag about the 2-3\nwords I know in Bulgarian \u2013 from the time of the “Bulgarian antenna”\n(who is part of at least my generation, understands…), so before I managed to\nsay anything, I hear them talking Romanian around me. Romanian tourists \u2013 I\ntell myself. But what do you know, no!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are Bulgarian sellers explaining to\nRomanians about the goods on the shelves. In a simple but clear Romanian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems so bizarre to me, that I can’t say what\nI want in Romanian, so I say it in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/magnets-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn the magnets it is written in Romanian. On the\nshelf filled with mugs, I find Ceausescu… The booklets about Balchik <\/strong>and other places to visit are\nalso in Romanian.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt might already be something normal for the\nRomanians who spend their holidays here every year, but for me this is\nsomething new!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I buy souvenirs, I buy all kinds of things with\nroses \u2013 their pride, I pay with my card and then I leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/antique-store-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn a cool shop with antiques (some Chinese, for sure J), what book that has already passed through several hands of readers do you think ennobles the decor? “Descult”, by Zaharia Stancu. In Romanian. Suitable for a read on the beach, I’d say…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
QUEEN MARY’S BALCHIK CASTLE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nEven if I stay for just a day and a half, I don’t want to miss the Castle of Queen Mary, about which I have read, heard and talked with those who have already seen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/castelul-din-balcic-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAt the ticket office, while\ntalking with my friends about how much it costs, how to pay, I hear the\nBulgarian cashier from the booth saying in Romanian: in lei it will cost you\nthis much. She also adds some information about the access. In Romanian!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pay with lei, although I\nhad come prepared with change in euros plus the card for this escapade. In\nvain, because the Romanian Leu is very good, and the exchange rate is only a\nlittle higher than the official one. And yes, the also take coins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic_6-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic_1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>vila Printul Nicolae<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI’m not surprised that these people learned Romanian: in the gardens, in the greenhouse, at the houses in the complex, I meet many Romanian tourists. Very few of the visitors speak another language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/crucea_balcic_regina-maria-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI visit the\n“castle” from my imagination, because it is more precisely Vila Cuibul Linistit (The Quiet Nest Villa)\n<\/strong>\u2013 a villa with one floor and a minaret with a decorative role, as far as I\nunderstand. Beautiful, tastefully done, with 3 rooms upstairs \u2013 the Queen’s\nrooms \u2013 and 3 rooms downstairs, planned to be for King Ferdinand I<\/strong>, who, however, never got to enjoy them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI climb the narrow stone\nsteps and I keep going up (the complex being built on different levels) and\nrefrain from cursing in Romanian, when I breathe heavily. There, this is a\ndisadvantage of having so many Romanians around. When felt like spilling all my\ninternal organs while on the Great Wall in China, I could at least express\nmyself without worry…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The view is wonderful! I\nstop for a bit at the cross that towers above the sea, I read the story of the\nqueen’s heart and the entire route it took \u2013 Balchik \u2013 Bran Castle \u2013 Peles\nCastle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic_3-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic_4-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nNear the Queen’s favorite place \u2013 the Nimpheum Water Temple <\/strong>\u2013 a Bulgarian man plays an international hit on the keyboards. He stops for a bit to help two disoriented young women and points them in the right direction, giving them explanations in a Romanian that sounds really ok!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/balcic_5-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI read on a plaque with\ninformation (in Romanian, in addition to Bulgarian, English and Russian), that\nI have arrived at the Sacred Spring.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAccording to legends, the\nwater of this spring purifies thoughts and banishes fatigue. I’m going towards\nit on the double, as you can imagine… Can I take it home with me?J<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the whole area of the\nCastle, all the gardeners, guides, sellers or street singers, all these\nBulgarians who speak Romanian trying to sell their goods, makes me very\nexcited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I never stop admiring the\nambition of these people to win the Romanian client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the dogs understand\nthe Romanian language in this area of Bulgaria! I tested them hihi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CAPE KALIAKRA <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cap-kaliakra_1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cap-kaliakra_me_4-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cap-kaliakra_me_2-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n“I have a lot of\nRomanian money, but I’ve never been to Romania” \u2013 tells me a souvenir\nseller at Cape Kaliakra, a place with a wonderful view!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without any problems, she\naccepts lei for the goods. So does the lady who sells candles in the little\nchapel on the rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They both try to say this\nin Romanian and they really succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/menu-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo that you get the full\nimage: at the first restaurant that we come across, there aren’t several boards\nwith menus in different languages. There aren’t. They only exist in Romanian!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we stop at another one,\nwhere we try some English when we ask for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the local singer\nspeaks both Bulgarian and Romanian to make happy the Bulgarian clients, as well\nas the Romanian ones in the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SWIMMING IN THE SEA IN SEPTEMBER<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/black-sea_bulgaria-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe short Bulgarian\nadventure featuring a Romanian dialogue could not end without a swim in the\nBlack Sea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me tell you straight:\nit never occurred to me that I would swim in the sea close to the end of\nSeptember! And in Bulgaria! And this to be the first swim this year!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God, one could thing I\nescaped from the nuts house, I was so happy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/bulgaria_black-sea-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n26 degrees Celsius outside,\n23.6 degrees Celsius in the sea water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could have stayed there\nforever! I swam for all the vacation days I did not have in 2022…<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/photo-shoot_black-sea_bulgaria-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
When I was getting ready to brag about the 2-3\nwords I know in Bulgarian \u2013 from the time of the “Bulgarian antenna”\n(who is part of at least my generation, understands…), so before I managed to\nsay anything, I hear them talking Romanian around me. Romanian tourists \u2013 I\ntell myself. But what do you know, no!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are Bulgarian sellers explaining to\nRomanians about the goods on the shelves. In a simple but clear Romanian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems so bizarre to me, that I can’t say what\nI want in Romanian, so I say it in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the magnets it is written in Romanian. On the\nshelf filled with mugs, I find Ceausescu… The booklets about Balchik <\/strong>and other places to visit are\nalso in Romanian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might already be something normal for the\nRomanians who spend their holidays here every year, but for me this is\nsomething new!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I buy souvenirs, I buy all kinds of things with\nroses \u2013 their pride, I pay with my card and then I leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a cool shop with antiques (some Chinese, for sure J), what book that has already passed through several hands of readers do you think ennobles the decor? “Descult”, by Zaharia Stancu. In Romanian. Suitable for a read on the beach, I’d say…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if I stay for just a day and a half, I don’t want to miss the Castle of Queen Mary, about which I have read, heard and talked with those who have already seen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the ticket office, while\ntalking with my friends about how much it costs, how to pay, I hear the\nBulgarian cashier from the booth saying in Romanian: in lei it will cost you\nthis much. She also adds some information about the access. In Romanian!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I pay with lei, although I\nhad come prepared with change in euros plus the card for this escapade. In\nvain, because the Romanian Leu is very good, and the exchange rate is only a\nlittle higher than the official one. And yes, the also take coins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m not surprised that these people learned Romanian: in the gardens, in the greenhouse, at the houses in the complex, I meet many Romanian tourists. Very few of the visitors speak another language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I visit the\n“castle” from my imagination, because it is more precisely Vila Cuibul Linistit (The Quiet Nest Villa)\n<\/strong>\u2013 a villa with one floor and a minaret with a decorative role, as far as I\nunderstand. Beautiful, tastefully done, with 3 rooms upstairs \u2013 the Queen’s\nrooms \u2013 and 3 rooms downstairs, planned to be for King Ferdinand I<\/strong>, who, however, never got to enjoy them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I climb the narrow stone\nsteps and I keep going up (the complex being built on different levels) and\nrefrain from cursing in Romanian, when I breathe heavily. There, this is a\ndisadvantage of having so many Romanians around. When felt like spilling all my\ninternal organs while on the Great Wall in China, I could at least express\nmyself without worry…<\/p>\n\n\n\n The view is wonderful! I\nstop for a bit at the cross that towers above the sea, I read the story of the\nqueen’s heart and the entire route it took \u2013 Balchik \u2013 Bran Castle \u2013 Peles\nCastle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the Queen’s favorite place \u2013 the Nimpheum Water Temple <\/strong>\u2013 a Bulgarian man plays an international hit on the keyboards. He stops for a bit to help two disoriented young women and points them in the right direction, giving them explanations in a Romanian that sounds really ok!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read on a plaque with\ninformation (in Romanian, in addition to Bulgarian, English and Russian), that\nI have arrived at the Sacred Spring.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to legends, the\nwater of this spring purifies thoughts and banishes fatigue. I’m going towards\nit on the double, as you can imagine… Can I take it home with me?J<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the whole area of the\nCastle, all the gardeners, guides, sellers or street singers, all these\nBulgarians who speak Romanian trying to sell their goods, makes me very\nexcited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never stop admiring the\nambition of these people to win the Romanian client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the dogs understand\nthe Romanian language in this area of Bulgaria! I tested them hihi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I have a lot of\nRomanian money, but I’ve never been to Romania” \u2013 tells me a souvenir\nseller at Cape Kaliakra, a place with a wonderful view!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without any problems, she\naccepts lei for the goods. So does the lady who sells candles in the little\nchapel on the rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They both try to say this\nin Romanian and they really succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that you get the full\nimage: at the first restaurant that we come across, there aren’t several boards\nwith menus in different languages. There aren’t. They only exist in Romanian!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But we stop at another one,\nwhere we try some English when we ask for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the local singer\nspeaks both Bulgarian and Romanian to make happy the Bulgarian clients, as well\nas the Romanian ones in the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short Bulgarian\nadventure featuring a Romanian dialogue could not end without a swim in the\nBlack Sea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me tell you straight:\nit never occurred to me that I would swim in the sea close to the end of\nSeptember! And in Bulgaria! And this to be the first swim this year!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God, one could thing I\nescaped from the nuts house, I was so happy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 26 degrees Celsius outside,\n23.6 degrees Celsius in the sea water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could have stayed there\nforever! I swam for all the vacation days I did not have in 2022…<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nQUEEN MARY’S BALCHIK CASTLE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCAPE KALIAKRA <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSWIMMING IN THE SEA IN SEPTEMBER<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n