My Walk Around the Neighborhood - Part IV from Belogradchik, Bulgaria
Today, I bring to you Part IV of my series on Belogradchik. Last fall, @brentssanders and I traveled the western half of Bulgaria and this was our first stop! So far, I have shared a monochromatic prelude to this series plus looks at the natural beauty and the ancient fortress. (You can find links to all of those posts below.) This post will take you on a walking tour of the neighborhood around our guest house. Obviously, the stunning rock formations and the fortress are what draws the tourists here but I always like to snoop around and get the feel for the town itself and the people who live there.
Are you ready? Let's go see what's going on around here!
We arrived just after dark and it seemed like everyone was already in bed. This was the building right next to our guest house. There was a dim light in the upper window and smoke coming from the chimney. It seemed mysterious to me.
Good morning, Belogradchik! But where are the people? Maybe there were all at work already...no idea. Here, you can see a little bit of the mosque plus the rocks that are part of the fortress that situated right above the town.
I saw quite a few houses or buildings under construction or being repaired. If you look closely at the photo on the right, you can see a man in that side window. They were sending supplies up that pulley and he was giving them to the workers on the roof. I waved and went on my way.
I found it amusing how the rock looked like a funky chimney on this building. Gives it a bit of a Seussian feel, don't you think?
FYI, there are a couple of bonus dudes sitting on the left corner of the roof. I hadn't even noticed them until this very second!
The sculpture was in front of the History Museum and the building is the Art Museum. Neither were open when I walked by...something to check out next time I'm in the area.
In the street, in front of the History Museum, I found this handsome fella. We had met the day before...he had joined us for lunch. I tried to resist his charm but ended up sharing a bit of my chicken with him. When I first saw him this fine morning, he was a ways down the block so I called out saying, "is that you?" He wagged his tail and ran over to me. I wanted to adopt him right then and there! We could have written our own version of Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley." What a sweet face! 💓
Here are a couple #distictivedoors for @tattoodjay. In the photo on the left, someone living there had lost a loved one and they were posting their obituary on the door. That is the custom in Bulgaria so throughout the rest of our travels, I would see those postings on door, window, gates, etc.
At last...PEOPLE! What a sweet shot this is...two babas, arm in arm, enjoying each other's company. It made me smile.
Here's a splash of beauty and color for you. I wonder if these flowers belonged to one of those babas?
What a great window! Does anyone know what kind of bird that is? To me, it screams stylized peacock with all of those diagonal lines representing the feathers. What do you think?
This town a textural wonderland! I took so many pictures of scenes like this...they sing to me!!!
These are the steps that lead up to the fortress and I guess this little guy is the gatekeeper. He lived at the house in the photo on the right and he snuck under the fence to come and greet me. I could totally see him wearing a monocle and if he talked, it would be with a British accent. (Pardon my over-active imagination.) 😊
On our way out of town, we saw this building sporting a Communist-style mural. Little did I know how many more I would see in the days ahead.
Belogradchik is a small town of just over 5,000 people located in the beautiful foothills of the Balkan Mountains and is a stone's throw (if you have a good arm) from the Serbian border. As you can see, there is a rustic charm to this place. If you are ever in the neighborhood I recommend you take some time to do some exploring...you'll be glad you did!
Check out my previous posts from in and around Belogradchik:
The Prelude
The Series Begins
Part II
Part III
Exploring the Back Roads of Northwest Bulgaria
!steemitworldmap 43.625922 lat 22.683132 long The Town of Belogradchik d3scr
Hey @samanthajbarnes, I am a curator of the Whaleshares Curation Team. I have selected your post to be presented in a live curation discussion on Monday 16th March. Your post will be awarded a 100 Whaleshares vote on the night. I do hope you can come along and spectate. The event will be held in The Curation Lounge on the Whaleshares server. Here is a link to a post explaining things: https://steemit.com/steemit/@nikflossus/the-22nd-whalseshares-curation-show
You are so kind! Thank you @nikflossus!!! For a second, I thought you wanted both my posts...my head was getting too big for my britches. LOL! I will tune in, for sure.
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Thanks for the tour of this interesting place, shame ot see so much looking pretty run down
Tip!
You're very welcome...my pleasure! I hope you noticed the #distinctivedoors shout out. I thought of you so many times on this trip. You will surely see more doors as I go. Thanks for the tip!!!!
I did indeed and thats why I send the tip :)
Looking forward to seeing more from this trip
Oh, ok. I have never understood how "the tip" works but thank you nonetheless!
More will be on the way soon!
😎👍😎
Also, thank you so much for the resteem...you're the best! I wish Steemit would notify us of such things so we don't have to discover it by chance.
Your welcome
Have you tried Gina Bot, I use that to track a lot of things
I have not. Where do I find this Gina Bot?
Such a pleasant walk, and with so many interesting and different things o observe! Loved to walk with you, dear Samantha, and thanks for the flowers, they are beautiful! Xoxo!
Hello, Isabel! I was thinking of you the other day and intended to pay you a visit and now here you are! Thanks for coming along and for your wonderful comment. The flowers were a nice burst of color on that gray day. Hugs!
I was missing you, my dear! I've been out of Steemit because I was traveling with my kids and have been (and still am) sick. But I'm back, hope for good or at least for a good while, with no interruptions! Xoxo, dear Samantha!
I find the connections I have made on Steemit so intriguing. It is as if we are detecting the true essence of each other through our posts and I rarely sense that on other social media sites.
My postings here have been spotty lately...my focus has been elsewhere but there have been people that I have missed, you being one. I wish your health will be restored soon and I will enjoy looking at photos from your travels.
Indeed they are, but in a wonderful way. Because here on Steemit, at least for many of us, we don't need to be worried about privacy invasion, I guess. I don't share much and less open myself on the other social networks. No way. Here I feel like home. I can be myself with people I call friends because they are not judgmental. That's a great feeling.
I hope it will be like that always. Thanks for your wishes, wishing you all back the best, sweetie!
Have a great day!
You got a lot of great shots in this post, евала! I particularly like the "Seussian" composition, to which the mirror and sign lend perfect balance. The dog photo, though, is one of the best animal portraits I've seen. Hope you posted it to IG as well.
Thanks for all of your kind words, Dude! I can't believe how many more shots I have from Belogradchik!
I went back to check the "perfect balance" ;) of the "Seussian" shot and only now noticed two guys sitting on the roof. Did you see them? I think the building also looks like a face with the rock being a crazy hairdo. :D
That dog stole my heart. I think of him quite often, actually. I hope the winter was kind. I will post that pic on IG today.
Actually, I didn't. There is a heck of a lot going on in that pic :)
And here I was wondering where all the people were and they were hiding in plain sight! It's like Where's Waldo, Bulgarian-style..Къде е Кпеми! (Is that correct?) :D
Клеми? I don't know, actually.
I was attempting to be clever by carrying the alliteration of Where's Waldo into Bulgarian. Клеми was the only name I could think of that started with a К. Oh well, looks like I need to keep trying. :D
Klemi isn't a name I've heard. Kolyo sounds good :)
I originally said, Къде е Кпеми but I meant Креми. Then you read it as Клеми and I copied and pasted what you said, not paying any attention. Oy vey!
Kolyo is a fantastic choice! Thank you for helping in my endeavor to be clever. :D
Well done! Nice post and pictures!
Thanks, Georgi!
I love the way you guide us and the photo of the two babas is so charming. :-)
Thank you so much! I write that way to help myself remember how I was feeling and what I was thinking at the time. I am happy you enjoy it. Yes, those babas...priceless!
Previously in my life I was a tourist guide. Your posts remind me about that time. Mind you, that was long time ago. Feel a bit nostalgic.
<3
It makes me feel nostalgic too.
oh what a handsome doggie I wish you had adopted him too, my favorite picture in this little tour is the one before the two ladies walking, there something neglected about it but it reminds me to a place I often dream of :) which is in part abandoned. It invites to follow.
You do like your abandoned places. :) I am glad you can appreciate their beauty, mystery and intrigue.
Thanks, as always, for your wonderful and thoughtful comment.
I do, I do. You are welcome, thanks for the walk around 🌿
beautiful pictures , <3 and nice weather ..
Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving such kind words.
Wow! What a fabulous place and what great pics! Thanks for the tour @samanthajbarnes. I love the 2 babas arm in arm!
I'm going to be in Pasadena today on a semi-impromptu trip to the Norton Simon. While I am there, I will call your name and see if I can find you. :D
Oh wow! LoI, I will keep my ears perked up! Love the Norton Simon. Have a wonderful time Samantha :)
Did you hear me? :D I had a wonderful time, indeed. I am still processing all I saw yesterday...AMAZING!!!
Haha! Oh, that was you! Good to know it was you and I wasn't just hearing random voices shouting my name thru the foothills, right?! ;) So happy to hear you loved it. I love that museum as well.
It really is a fabulous place. I hope to make it back there one day...see if I can find that sweet pup. Those babas warmed my heart.
Thank you for your kind words and you are very welcome for the tour...you're invited to join me anytime!