Photos - Spring 2013

A shady spot on a hot spring day.

Easter Sunday was a wonderful day exploring the hills above Dzhulyunitsa - this time increasing our range with a vehicle.  We went to an area called Romani.  30 years and more ago, it was the site of a 3-week summer camp for kids in the village; they woke to the revelry of a bugle and had to run to the top of the hill before breakfast.  There is a field that was cleared for playing soccer (football).  While I didn't understand all of the conversation, I could tell there were lots of fond memories of that time.  Below is a "chishma."  During the era of communism there were a lot of public projects.  Thousands of wells were dug and made fresh water available all over the countryside of Bulgaria.

Below are the remnants of one of the buildings which has seen better days.  But I liked the contrast between the  history of the building and the fresh life in the form of blossoms on the "shipka" (rosehips) plant next to it.  Life goes on.

 

These are linden blossoms.  Like honeysuckle, the stamens taste very sweet.  First time I tried them.  Mmmmm.

The view was amazing.  This is looking south (southwest?) toward the Stara Planina  (Old Mountains).  This view made me feel like "the world is my oyster."

I zoomed in below because there is a village at the base of the hills - Zlataritsa.  It's about 17 km away by road - shorter as the crow (or stork) flies.  There is another PC volunteer who lives there, but I haven't visited her village, because the bus route to get there is rather incovenient.  I have to go to a larger town to the north wait, then get another bus to her village, and then grab a bus back to the town to the north and wait again for the return bus to my village.  This whole process would take about 7 hours and I would be in her village for about 3 of those.  Crazy huh!  If I had a car, and I could drive, it would be a piece of cake.  Alas, that is not the life of a PC volunteer.

The Bulgarian word for picnic is пикник  (also picnic).  We had  a leisurely lunch which included hard-boiled (and colored) eggs, of course, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and a sweet bread which is only for the Easter holiday season.  I brought hummus to share.  A few tastes were enjoyed, but it was not a big hit.  :>)

It was so awesome to be on these verdant roads, surround by the new life of spring.  I loved this excursion and the leisurely hours in nature very much!!!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
I loved this snail (it was huge) and this heart rock!

Takuda Hospital is one of the best in Sofia.  The cherry trees were in blossom - so beautiful.
They are Japanese  "Sakura" trees.

The parks in Sofia are coming alive with color and people spending time outside in the warm weather.  I enjoyed an excellent lunch with Felicia, John and Patricia H.  John's husband is the Peace Corps Country Director and they are headed to their next assignment in China this summer.  Patricia H. served 2 years in Nicaragua, Bulgaria for 1 year and is now looking for her next assignment.  Felicia and I are headed back to the US.

When I arrived to the Kindergarten on this morning the builders of this castle were very proud!  For English we reviewed the alphabet, numbers, colors and verbs like swim, jump and read.

Congratulations to Borislav and Gergana who were contestants in the Veliko Turnovo Regionals of the Bulgarian National English Spelling Bee!

March 26, 2013 - my Certificate of Service in the Peace Corps 2011-2013.  Our Close of Service conference takes place several months before most volunteers leave.  It gives us time to complete all the necessary logistics as well as come to completion with our villages cities and our friends.

When I saw this I had did a double take.  Actually the white dog is  not standing on the brown dog.

Above and below - 2 of my neighbors.  Well, the stork arrived right on schedule in March.  But there was only  one stork - no mate this year.  I only saw it for a week or so, now the nest is abandoned.  I don't know why - but maybe it united with a new mate at a new nest, or.....

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Another sign of spring - wood drying and waiting to be sawed and split  in preparation for next winter.

March 20th was phase 1 of the Bulgarian National English Spelling Bee.  The first competition takes place at individual schools in villages, towns and cities.  Congratulations to Gergana for First Place and Borislav for Second Place.  Next Saturday they will be competing at the Regional level.  The winners from this contest will go to Sofia in May for the National level Competition.

Yeah!  Spring!

Above is an early spring view of Dzhulyunitsa.
Below, the kindergarteners are planting 6  baby trees which were given to the schoo.

 

The weekend of March 2nd I traveled to Silistra in northern Bulgaria, on the  banks of the Danutbe  River.  I joined other Peace Corps volunteers, other native English speakers and Bulgarian English teachers.  We read hundreds of English Creative Writing Contest Entries by Bulgarian students.  Winners will be announced at the end of this month.

On the balcony at the bottom of the photo, someone has hung several stuffed animals on the clothesline to dry.

March 1st - Baba Marta Day (Grandmother March).

This is one of my favorite days in Bulgaria.  Watching for the signs of spring officially begins.  First by wearing red and white yarn bracelets given to you by friends and family.  And tying them to trees.  This tree in the park in the center of Dzhulyunitsa was a gift from Japan.  Everyone asks Baba Marta for a mild March.  Once you've seen the two signs of spring - storks and flowers on a fruit tree - you can remove a bracelet from your wrist and tie to the tree for good luck.

Baba Marta also visits the school.

The weekend of February 22nd, I visited my friend and colleague, Joan, in her village near Plovdiv.  We did a  walking sight-seeing tour around Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria.

Plovdiv has a very nice central pedestrian mall.

 This is a statue of a former resident - Milyo the crazy.

Joan took me to a restaurant called "Sombrero."  Yup - Mexican food.  She had quesadillas and I had frajitas.  It was pretty tasty and especially fun because it's Mexican food in Bulgaria!

February 14th is not only St. Valentine's Day in Bulgaria but also St. Trifon's Day  Bulgarians celebrate Trifon Zarezan with folkloric rituals in vineyard villages throughout the country. The men set out to prune the vines while the women bake festive bread loaves and prepare roast chicken stuffed with rice. Each vine-grower leaves for the vineyard with the bread and the chicken in a new, colorful woven bag and with a vessel (buklitsa) filled with red wine. Before the pruning begins, men turn to the sun and make the sign of the cross three times. After the first three twigs are cut, they wash them with the red wine, holy water and wood ashes that they had kept since Christmas Eve. At the end of the day, everyone gathers together to eat, drink wine, sing and dance. The man who harvested most grapes in the year is appointed "King". He and his subjects must traditionally get drunk to ensure a good harvest the following year..

  Below, they are judging the wines and rakia made in the village.

This and the 4 photos below are from the "Love of Sports" holiday which was revived in Dzulyunitsa  just a few years ago.  It was well organized this year and included demonstrations of wrestling, spinning wool and dancing by school girls and adults.

One Saturday in February after our Saturday morning English class, the ladies and I went to the village gym.  It is most often used by young, virile men in the village, but on this Saturday morning it was just us ladies.  Notice the coats -  there was no heating.  

"Na Gosti" with my friend Penka in Dragizhevo.