Tourism Expo, Sofia

21 February

A B25 volunteer (B25s arrived in  ’09) organized a tourism development conference for PCVs. Held at the American Corner of the Sofia Library, guest speakers shared experiences of working for state run tour promoters, private tour operators, environmental NGOs, etc. They discussed topics relevant for PCVs and answered our questions on trail marking, government programs, and marketing. The conference was concluded by a meet and greet networking session. There were even snacks and name tags! I was super impressed, it was all very professional. Another B26 and I volunteered to organize the next session. I hope бонбони and leftover Christmas candy will be okay… The conference also coincided with a giant tourism and spa expo at the National Palace of Culture.

Since then, I’ve finished making 80 % of a tourism map using Inkscape and have been working on a wikitravel page. If you feel inspired to assist the spread of world peace and friendship feel free to fix the pixel size of .png map (?) and figure out something to do with the .svg version-I’ll get back to the maps and tourism after next week, but the past few weeks and next several days have been/are set to be crazy.

Besides work, it was really nice to have a few days in Sofia with other PCVs. I caught up with friends, went out for sushi and Moroccan food, and saw a movie in a theatre. I haven’t seen Charity, Grant, and Ben from Kravoder forever (December/Christmas)! I even went running!!! So exciting! I haven’t been able to run at all in Chiprovtsi this winter-too much snow, too short of days, too cold-so this felt great. Plus, the anonymity was nice.

Dad and I are planning on running the Athens marathon together in November and I don’t want to die during it. Dad will be fine-he won his age group in the Galveston Mardi Gras Half Marathon in February.

With the brilliant students and their teacher. Evropa School, Vratsa

On my way back from Sofia, I stopped in Vratsa and spent the day at the Evropa School, helping the students prep for the Cambridge Exams. They are such good kids and it’s nice to see the director, my host mom’s sister. Finally, late bus home. 

2nd half February/1st half March

Had a bus ride to catch up on posts. So here they are! Beginning with some random things from the last month. 

The past month has had the coldest and snowiest days all winter as well as days in the 60s.

Improvised waterproofing during a day of snowmen and sledding.

I received a care package with alligator meat for my counterpart. Despite pictures and stories, she didn't  believe people in Louisiana actually eat such food. 

Trifon Zarezan Day

The singing, eating, and drinking this weekend were in celebration of Trifon Zarezan Day. St. Trifon Zarezan Day used to be celebrated on February 1st, but is now officially celebrated on the 14th along with St. Valentine’s Day. It is also, of course, the name day for anyone with a name derived from Trifon (or Valentine).

Trifon is the patron saint of wine makers, vine growers, and tavern owners. On this day people with vineyards prune the vines, then celebrate with wine, food, and dancing. It is also the name day for anyone sharing St. Trifon’s name. Trifon was born in 225 in the Roman Empire. When he was 17 he healed the sick daughter of the emperor. Christians were still persecuted for their faith and he later died a martyr.

This is a good article that explains a bit of background on the patron saint days of wine and love and they're celebrated in Bulgaria: http://sofiaecho.com/2006/02/13/643178_trifon-zarezan-day

Singing for Tourists

On Saturday, I went with Didi, Yulka, and the rest of the Folk Singing Group to a vineyard outside of town. Dressed in traditional costume with flowers pinned in our hair, we greeted a busload of tourists from Sofia with pitka (bread) dipped in salt, sang traditional songs (no worries, I didn't sing), danced horo, and passed around a buklitza full of wine (a traditional jug type thing). One of the men made a ceremonial cutting of the vines and pouring of wine on the earth. Then the tourists drank more wine from the women’s’ vineyards and ate banitsa. 

Pitka

Drinking tea and rakia before the tourists arrive 

 Participating in this experience was great. I borrowed a traditional dress, apron, and jumper from Didi and posed with tourists for pictures in between songs and after (I didn’t sing). It was sort of surprising, the ten singers, three men on instruments, and I were the only people from Chiprovtsi-the rest were tourists on a weekend excursion to the northwest. This was just a stop on the side of the road. Literally, it pulled off on the shoulder, tourists got out, drank and ate a little, danced some horo, and, after a few hours, re-boarded the bus and departed.

I chatted with some of the tourists and tour operators during pauses between songs. One of the tourists is part of an English language club in Sofia taught by a  Peace Corps volunteer who had attended on of the carpet weaving weekends at Yulka’s. Such a small world. I made introductions and boasted about Chiprovtsi’s history and culture. Hopefully, the tourism website I’m working on will be launched soon, then I’ll be able to send links instead of having to write super involved emails whenever I promise more details. Even so, I love sharing information about Chiprovtsi. I wish everyone would visit.

After the tourists left, we changed into our regular clothes and laid a table in the small trailer adjacent to the vineyard with banitsa, turshiya salad, karnachi, pumpkin seeds, cherries soaked in rakia, and of course wine. The next five hours I spent eating, drinking, and listening to ten women sing, tell stories, and make jokes.

Most of the women in the group are pensioners, and listening to them recount each others escapades as children before most people had telephones, it was amazing to think of all that they had seen. It was also hilarious to hear them bicker over the correct tunes for songs, sing funny songs, and wear ridiculous hats found on an old shelf.  As the sun was setting, we gathered our bags and walked to town singing, led by one of the women on drums. A  great ending to a lovely day.

Happy Valentine's Day

Office Decorations

Sheep and Goat Babies

Sheep and goats are the animals to have in Chiprovtsi. The area is too mountainous for the water buffalo of Kravoder and I haven't really seen cows either. Sheep and goats, however, are plentiful. Didi, my friend at the Tourist Information Center has several both and often shares homemade cheeses with me. The animals are having babies now, when I stopped by her house recently, four had been born during the previous 24 hours. The one I'm holding above had been born at 4 am that morning.

More letters...

Decorated envelopes from the last group of letters sent from Chiprovtsi

The pen pal letter writing was one of the easiest things I’ve set up, but it makes me so happy. Another girl Chiprovtsi came up to me over the weekend to ask if she could write letters to a pen pal in America. It’s rewarding to feel that you helped start something that engages the kids, that they enjoy doing, and that attracts more participants. 

Lom

Danube River, Lom

Train Station, Brusartsi

A few weeks ago, I went to Lom for a package held up in customs. Because of train schedules, I had a few hours to walk around the city. It was super cold and few people were outside. The customs building is along the Danube River which forms the northern border between Bulgaria and Romania.