Fulbright Greece/Bulgaria » The Trip

Final post from Bulgaria

bantonucci — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:09:15 +0000

This will probably be my last post from Bulgaria. We toured Plovdiv this week with its wide pedestrian malls and old town with its National Revival architecture. We ate dinner in a restaurant built over Roman ruins and bought pottery directly from a potter in her tiny pottery studio. The next morning there was a little mix-up with the bus. It looked too small to hold all of us and our luggage too, but the driver was able to cram everything in. He whisked us off to the Todoroff Wine Cellar which has been recently been expanded and remodeled. We received a lesson on how to evaluate wine and then we tasted three of their varieties. We were served an excellent lunch (and more wine). After cleaning out the wine store, we were back on the bus. The wine and that big lunch was the cause of some serious “busnosis” that swept the Fulbright crowd on the way back to Sofia. Most of us were sucking air on the way back (but not Mark). We really liked the cities and villages we visited on our tour, but it was good to be back to the familiar haunts of Sofia. Many of us thought it was like coming home.

Speaking of home, the Fulbright days are quickly running out. It seems like a long time since we were in cool, rainy Chicago for our orientation. Yesterday “the ladies” put together a Fulbright quiz and slide show during our wrap-up session that spanned our whole experience here and in Greece. We all got a little wistful watching that. Today was a free day for shopping, figuring out what to pack, doing the last laundry, and generally getting ready to go home. Tomorrow morning our last group activity will take us up to Vitosha Mountain via the gondola followed by lunch. Sunday evening we have a farewell dinner, and then the taxi will pick many of us up at 4:45 a.m. to begin the journey home. Wow! What a trip it’s been! I’ll be going through my notes and pictures for weeks. The memories and the frendships will last forever.

Bourgas

bantonucci — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:29:09 +0000

We arrived at the Black Sea port of Bourgas. On the way we drove through some of the hotel construction along the shore. Gorgeous hotels and souvenir shops are crowded next to each other. It was easy to see why the biggest industry in Bulgaria right now is construction. This area is booming! We also toured the coastal town of Nessebar with its unique architecture and numerous churches. We had lunch overlooking the sea. The teachers of the English Language High School of Bourgas met with us this morning. Despite poor funding, the school had an exciting program with a number of extra curricular activities and sports. We met several teachers and two student council officers. We had dinner on our own tonight and everyone seems to be thinking about the trip home. Tomorrow we leave for Plovdiv and head back toward Sofia.

On the beach

bantonucci — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:46 +0000

We’ve crossed most of the country since Saturday morning. A long bus trip took us to Etura for lunch and a tour of the Etura Ethnographic Complex, a sort of outdoor museum similar to Colonial Williamsburg. After we arrived at the ancient capital Veliko Turnovo, we hiked around town for amazing views of the hills and then up to the top of the fortress where the Bulgarian king lived. After working up a hiking sweat in the 90 degree heat, we got to meet the English lanugage department of Veliko Turnovo U. They didn’t seem to mind we were pretty disheveled. The landscape became less hilly, and farming seemed to be the main acitivity in that area. After stops in Arbanassi and Shumen, we arrived at the seaside city of Varna. Our hotel is across the street from the beach umbrellas and sand. It has a gorgeous view of the beach and the harbor.

Culture in Sofia

bantonucci — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:05:26 +0000

We’ve had a week of immersion in Bulgarian culture. Lectures by experts in art, literature, history, dance, the economy, and politics have been have been punctuated with an amazing folk music concert and terrific Bulgarian food. We visited two private high schools and had the chance to hear about the challenges in high school and college education. Bulgarian schools are just starting to deal with a high stakes state tests that rank schools nation wide. Some of the issues seem very similar to those in American high schools. This afternoon we walked to the Fulbright offices to compare notes about our curriculum projects that we’ll submit after we get home. Tomorrow we’ll be back on the road heading for Veliko Turnovo, Shumen, and Varna. (Check your Bulgaria maps.)

P.S. For additional cool info, click on the “Myra’s Blog” link to the right.

Bulgarian monuments

bantonucci — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:39:46 +0000

Just a quick post for today: We visited two of Bulgaria’s national monuments today, the Boyana Church and the Rila Monastary. Both date from the Middle Ages, and both had outstanding art work. We’re going out for pizza soon, so I’ll have to continue this post later.

We had a tour of the tiny, recently restored Boyana Church by a historian. He was animated and passionate about the church and its paintings. The Rila Monastary was off the beaten path to say the least. Its ornate murals were amazing. We met an artist who has photographed both churches in 360 degrees and posted the photos on the web. I’ll post the link here when I get it. We did not get to see any of the libraries in the monasteries either here or in Greece. They are pretty much off limits unless you are a monk or serious religious scholar. Yesterday was a day off, so we took a taxi to Vitosha National Park and climbed the fourth highest mountain in Bulgaria by gondola, chair lift and foot. What a view!

Where the buffalo roam

bantonucci — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:09:12 +0000

After a long bus ride north we found ourselves out in a rural area of trees and small scattered villages. We stopped in a small hotel near Lake Kerkini, a man-made lake supplied by a river from Bulgaria. Prof. Pyrovetsi narrated a boat ride across the lake to the bird sanctuary with thousands of birds. It was very impressive. We also stopped at a water buffalo ranch after off-roading along the river with Hays (our bus). It took a while to get there, and I don’t think Thanassi (our driver) was too crazy about driving a thirty passenger bus through a cow pasture The rancher told us about the trials of raising these animals with subsidies. He was very animated and excited about the whole thing. (Dimitri translated.)

Thursday a six hour bus ride through rural southern Bulgaria brought us to Sofia. First impression: Sofia is a little rough around the edges. We have met the Fulbright staff, and Dani will be our new guide in Bulgaria. But so far things haven’t run as smoothly as they did in Greece. The hotel is excellent though. The city looks a little more run-down, and no one mows the grass or trims shrubbery here. Today we had a lecture on ancient civilizations and a tour of the National History Museum with Dani and an archealogist narrating. But by the time we got to Boyana Church it was closing. Tonight we have a dressy reception here where we get to meet a group of invited guests.

Ruins, water, and the home of the gods

bantonucci — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:33:11 +0000

In this part of the trip we have had a chance to explore Northern Greece and some of the more out of the way places. We took a boat trip to Mt. Athos where a large number of monasteries are located. We stopped in tiny villages for rest breaks and lunches. Yesterday we toured Roman ruins at Dion and up a twisty road to the Mt. Olympus range, the home of the ancient gods. The ruins were different from what we’ve seen previously because they are located in an area with springs that have flooded the ruins after excavation. Marshy areas with frogs, fish, and dragonflies coexist with Corinthian columns and remains of marble temples. Then we got back on the bus for a spectacular ride up the twisties to Mt. Olympus National Park. It wasn’t what I expected either. The micro climate there allows deciduous trees to grow much higher up the mountain than on any other mountain in Europe. So you have snow capped peaks almost completely covered with trees. We had time to take pictues and hike in the woods. Cool!

We have only two days left in Greece. The time has gone fast. We’ll be in Bulgaria Thursday.

Thessaloniki

bantonucci — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:45:44 +0000

We’re here in the second largest city in Greece. It has more charm than Athens with more parks and wide streets (but fewer ancient ruins). The Byzantine influence was stronger here. We toured the Byzantine Museum and the Orthodox catherdral. Today we traveled to the American Farm School, an agricultural high school outside of town. It was very unique and interesting. It grants Greek high school diplomas but has courses in a variety of farming topics.

From the familiar to the obscure

bantonucci — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:57:03 +0000

We’ve headed north through Patras, on to Delphi, Arahova, and Meteora, site of six Orthodox monasteries. We made brief visits to two (actually a monastery and a nunnery). They are perched on top of rock outcroppings that overlook a broad valley. I wanted to post some pictures, but I forgot them upstairs in the room. I’ll have to post them later. The Amalia Hotels have been very nice with spacious rooms and pools. A swim has really felt great after a long bus ride or tramping around ruins all day. We’re in Thessaloniki now, the second largest city. The center city is very picturesque with cafes, broad streets, and a long water front. We heard a terrific lecture yesterday about the current state of the Balkans and got to meet the U.S. Consul General, Hoyt Yee. Today we’re touring a couple castles from the Byzanntine era and touring a museum.

Athens: where to start?

bantonucci — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:22:10 +0000

Since I haven’t been able to log on until now, I have a lot of catching up to do. I think today was probably the highlight so far. We went to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon today. It was spectacular! Even with all the scaffolding and cranes surrounding the Parthenon because of the restoration, it was amazing! We arrived fairly early, but it was still pretty crowded with tour groups. The weather was hot, but clear and breezy. Our guide pointed out the history, the visual tricks, and the significance of the temple to us. After the tour we walked back down the steep walk to the Agora, the marketplace and seat of government of ancient Athens. Seeing the Agora gave us a contrast. The Acropolis was the seat of relegious life; the Agora was the center of the every day, the markets, courts, and government. I even got an idea for my project while I was at the Parthenon.

I’m at an internet cafe, and I changed my password. So hopefully I’ll be able to keep you better informed from now on. Keep checking back. We leave Athens tomorrow morning.