Varna

Horowitz Travel- May 7, 2017- Varna

I'm thinking that there's so much consumption of eggs and dairy here that cholesterol issues and lactose intolerance must have been bred out of the population. Meatless main courses are common and everything is topped with cheese except the fatty lamb and beef.

Our aim is to please Patrick and we did. He said we chose wisely today. But our choice made it tedious for Patrick and ourselves. He'd asked if we wanted to see a Romanian Queen's summer palace near Varna or an ancient Thracian tomb. We chose the tomb. The drive was 2 1/2 hours out of our way then 2 1/2 hours to Varna, our stop for the night. Luckily, LPG needs a fill up every 120 miles so bathroom stops were frequent.

Sveshtari is the village nearest the tomb. Actually, there are about 50,000 of these burial mounds in Bulgaria. Most are unexcavated. This is Patrick's favorite as it has unusual features. Remember, he's quite knowledgeable about Thracian history and artifacts. It's his hobby to discover them and dig them up. He was nervous about large crowds and a long wait since it's Sunday and a holiday weekend. He isn't allowed to act as a guide inside the tomb, but he wangled a way for us to join a group of ten Bulgarians. We didn't understand a word the guide said, but Patrick gave us a rundown afterwards and answered our questions. 

Briefly, 5,000 BCE, the Black Sea was a lake. Varna was home to a civilization of the same name until a natural disaster (probably earthquake and tsunami) caused the Mediterranean Sea to overflow and join the lake. Some think it might have been the Great Flood mentioned in the Old Testament. 

Five thousand years ago, Thracians were a disparate group of warring tribes with similar traditions living in the area now known as Bulgaria. Historians said that if they had ever been able to unite, they'd still be undefeated. They co-existed in time with Egyptian dynasty's, Greeks, ancient Hebrews, and Romans. The Roman Empire was their downfall.

We saw remnants of their gold and silver work in the museum in Sofia. They were prolific builders. But none of this was documented in their history due to lack of an alphabet. Written records of their existence are due to Greeks and Romans. 

Greatness is exhibited in the tomb we saw today. Buried under a mound of dirt and grass since 300 BCE, the beehive burial chamber is reinforced by an interior concrete dome built after its discovery in order to preserve its structural integrity. Thracians used keystones and arch construction very efficiently. This tomb is exceptional because it is the only one to have an extra room for offerings to be placed. The king was buried with many belongings, his dogs, gold, and even his horse. Aside from normal jewelry, skeletons were found and photographed with gold penis coverings in place. That's living...or dying. This tomb is best known for the caryatids on the walls of the interior room. They are half woman, half lotus and it's thought that each individual face resembles one of the king's wives or goddesses.

The two sarcophagi are for the king and queen. We don't know if she had to be dead already or killed when he died in order to be buried with him. They believed when the king died he became a god.

We needed nasal spray and cough drops so got to visit a pharmacy at a three-tiered modern mall on the way into Varna. The mall is where Patrick's wife works, & she assured him it would be open on a Sunday. She's in charge of special shows and exhibits there.

We dropped our bags at Hotel Hi, another charmer, and took a walking tour to see old Varna. Greek and Roman influence is everywhere you dig. A scant amount of ruins can be seen because they're underground and new buildings are everywhere. The old Ashkenazic synagogue is the most intact because it has been rehabbed into an office building. The Sephardic synagogue is as decrepit as the one in Vidin. It's a shell with a forest of trees growing inside. Our walk ended at a huge pedestrian area of shops and cafes. There were trees and flowers down the center of the promenades with crowds strolling & skateboarding. At one end, there was a large open area where circles of dancers formed as they stepped in time to traditional music. The old dances are learned in school and all ages were enjoying the lovely weather and holiday. Once again, the weather had held for us.

This is Patrick's home town. He'll be staying with his wife and little boy tonight. He gave us choices of restaurants and made a reservation for us. At first, he insisted we'd have to take a taxi. After reconsideration, he allowed us to walk. He gave us directions, reviewed them, and quizzed us before turning us loose. 

With all our preparation, it began to rain, so we took a cab to dinner. Captain Cook's was at the end of a pier overlooking the Black Sea. It was the first time we laid our eyes on that body of water. The evening was grey and the sky foreboding but we enjoyed our view of the coastline and expanse of rippled water. Patrick recommended ordering sea bass encrusted in salt, but it would take an hour to prepare. Instead, we ordered individual wild sea bass bbq style. That meant grilled over a fire. The fish was sweet, delicate, and boneless. When we finished, we asked the maitre d' to call a cab. He told us to look for a taxi from the Hippo Cab Co. I couldn't believe my luck! I waited for the cab to arrive, and, like a crazy lady, I jumped in front of it and took a picture. Then I took one of the side door. There was no way David could explain what was happening to the driver. When we got back to the hotel I was so excited I showed the photo to the woman at the desk. She went on line and showed me a site for Hippoland. It's a huge children's store with several branches. In looking at their site I realized it was a department store not a hippo specialty shop. If all else fails and I can't find an actual hippo for Rylee, I'll print and frame the photo of the cab.

Tomorrow we end up in Jeravna.

Toby 

Thracian Caryatids

Ashkenazic Synagogues

Great cab company

Dancers on mall