20110901 Bucharest to Nikopol, Bulgaria

Well, it started out with a problem. We were advised that the boat couldn't get downstream to Ruse, where we were to embark and from there go to the Black Sea.

So we began the day as we would have with a city tour by bus (the bus that would take us to the boat), including a stop at an upscale shopping mall.

There, Bing & Saidia, and D & I were met going up the escalator to the food court by the rest of our group of ten, who had arrived at the mall a bit before we did. They held up signs about I (hate) NY for Bing & Saidia, who had spent so much time trying to get to Romania and still missed the Transylvania trip.

After lunch, we piled onto the bus and headed for Nikipol, well upstream of Ruse. We stopped at one gas station for a pit stop; I bought a couple of bottles of wine for the boat. We got to the ferry boat (really a barge pushed by a tugboat) but it took a while to get past the Romanian border people (they want to stamp your passport for leaving the country).

Then two trucks backed into the barge, then all four of our tour buses backed in. We were pushed across the Danube to a ramp on the other side and went up to the border people shack.

It was decided that they would take our passports and process them overnight and return them to the ship (which they ultimately did). We went another couple of hundred yards and pulled up next to the MS Adagio and went in.

While we had drinks and then ate, the crew put our luggage into the cabin. We came back from several drinks and a wine-filled dinner and put our luggage away into the closet and drawers and shelves. The beds were already turned down, so we hopped in and went to sleep.

So here we are in Bulgaria, in the metropolis of Nikopol (pop about 20). A full day is planned for tomorrow, so we’re outta here.

Owen Photos    Dolores Photos  

20110902  Nikopol, Bulgaria

Up at 0630 for breakfast so we could make a 0800 departure by bus for Velika Turnovo, the center of the second kingdom of Bulgaria. We were given so much data for the various kings and kingdoms that I rather got lost. I suggest you get it off Wiki if you want it.

But Turnovo (this is City of Thorn) (these folks use the Cyrillic alphabet, which makes everything a guess) is quite a place. A river runs through it in a deep canyon. The town is terraced with houses on top of each other but set back a foot or two wherever they can cling to the wall of the canyon. There are churches all over the place, mainly on the tops of hills.

We went to a hotel in Turnovo (2.5 hours on some terrible roads) for “refreshment” (coffee, pastries, toilets), then out for photos of the local fortress and the three historic hills in town (the original fortress/palace, another one to the west, and the patriarcal hill to the south), all from one spot. The photos will show all this; one day I'll find a tool to annotate the photos better than the one I have now.

Back to the hotel for lunch, very nice salad and a chicken-mushroom-onion-peppers concoction in a deep bowl, and baklava (which they admit they stole from the Turks).

Out then for more photos. We stopped at a local old wealthy person's house to see the architecture when under Turkish rule and the town used Turkish customs. Interesting that the beds are huge, but that's because the entire family slept together. Then up the hill to Arbanasi on top of a ridge across from Turnovo and a visit to a 1600 orthodox church. Very interesting artwork. After a thorough briefing and description of the church, four local men in robes performed several chants. As we left, they had CD's available and we bought one along with making our contribution.

We did a pit stop at a former palace on the edge of the hill. Then we buses back to Nikopol over the same terrible roads. On reflection, we saw lot of abandoned houses and poor infrastructure. I turns out that Bulgaria has had a terrible time converting from communism to capitalism, and then running into the current recession. They have a huge population outflow and are afraid that all the best-and-brightest are leaving. But most are enthusiastic that they’ll come out of it better, one day.

I didn’t get any pictures of the horse-and-cart transportation still abundant here.

At the Adagio, we stumbled into the captain at the brow. I convinced him to fly our submariner pennant while we are aboard; he sent an officer up to run it up.

We had a couple of Bitberger beers with the group to cut the dust, then listened to the mandatory safety lecture. We exchange stories and backgrounds with each of them (I'll keep them private). Then the three retired submariners posed for photographs in the Three Monkeys pose – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. We'll redo it up at the pennant later for better effect.

Dinner was very nice – we grouped again and talked all through it. D went off to the cabin while I went with Bing, Tom, Gerry, Peggy and Tom to the lounge for post-dinner conversation. Finally, I pooped out and returned to the cabin for a shower and these notes.

Tomorrow will be easier, since we cruise starting at midnight until noon tomorrow, then hit the buses again.

Owen Photos   Dolores Photos  

20110903 en route Vidin, Bulgaria

We started a little later since we're on the river and feel lazy. Breakfast buffet, but I stuck with the lighter things and skipped the eggs and sausage today.

The submariner dolphin pennant is still flying from the foremast. Took a couple of pictures.

Afterward, there was a presentation on the optional tours available in Hungary.

 1. Visit to Kalocsa cathedral and a horse show, 2. A Jewish Heritage tour. 3. A Medieval Hungary tour. 4. A tour of Parliament and Statue Park.

Our group is split between the horseys and the medieval tours, but we don't make our final choices until later tonight, and we'll each do what we want to do.

Then there was a bloody mary cocktail hour which we all particpated in, since Gerry bought them. Following that there was a Cyrillic alphabet demo and we learned how to print our names in Cyrillic.

Now, we're approaching Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria and there'll be more doings this afternoon.

Later:

We hopped onto the buses to look at the “Fortresses of Bulgaria”. First, Belogranchik, which is a terrible-to-attack old stone place in the hills begun by the Romans, enhanced by the Bulgarians and finished by the early Turkish rule. The photos will help explain how this place was impregnable in the days of bows and arrows. I climbed as far as I wanted to go, but others went even farther up the cliffs.

Then, after pit stops, we returned to the vicinity of Vidin to the Baba Vida fort on the Danube. Again, a miserable place to attack in the the old days, but useless against modern weapons. But it has a nice view of the beach on the Danube.

We quit playing mountain goat and returned to the ship. Beer. Then the port talk for tomorrow came along followed by dinner. We returned to the lounge afterward for talk and nightcap, and to watch the Bulgarian band and dancers. They were good, but not our style. Then to bed.

We gain an hour tonight, so we can stay up a little later or get up early. Tomorrow is all day on the river. No climbing.

Owen Photos     Dolores Photos