Tripping With Toby: Vidin

Horowitz Travel- May 3, 2017- Vidin

We crossed the Balkan Mts. which used to divide the civilized world (South) from the Barbarians (North). Now the world looks at the division from East to West, with the West (Europe) seeing itself as more advanced than the East (Asia).

Spring is evident here. Trees are blooming and stands selling honey and yogurt dot the roadside. We had a 3-4 hour drive past red rock chimney-like formations soaring to the clear blue sky. Each pile of rocks was doing its unique balancing act.

We stopped at the Magura Caves for a walk on the pre-historic side. Dating from 10,000 BCE, they would have been unremarkable except for the extensive petroglyphs drawn using bat guano. They haven't been retouched and have survived these many centuries. The path into the cave was paved with slippery stones so we used flashlights and clung to the handrails as we descended. It was well worth the nail-biting descent to see the ancient depiction of animals and humans. It seemed as if the men were either hunting with bows, arrows, & spears, or pointing erect penises at dancing women. One of the more elaborate drawings was a lunar calendar which, despite an explanation, looks like a picture Picasso might have done as a 5-year old.

We stopped at a restaurant Patrick had never been to before. The food was good (shopska,omelette 'mish mash', & burger with cheese inside) but Patrick thought the waitress was rude and unappreciative of our generous "American" tip. We've worked out a system where he gives us money for his part of the bill and we split the remainder in thirds for Judi & us.

Our hotel, Old Town, is across the street from the Istanbul Gate in the old part of Vidin. The gate marked the start of the road leading to Istanbul in Ottoman times. Patrick, always aware to give us options, suggested a walk along the Danube River. Yes, it's the same one that comes from Western Europe. It's a popular route for riverboat cruises that are docked near our hotel. The Old Town was a large house until converted into a most charming six room hotel. Each room is unique and has updated bathrooms. We were shown the breakfast room and we may get lost tomorrow morning wending our way down the twisting hallways. The place is decorated to the hilt with historic and family memorabilia. The downside was that Patrick's room had been given away to tourists. Evidently it was no problem, and he's staying down the street at a hotel he frequents and where we'll have dinner.

So, the walk took us along tree shaded streets and past a small mosque and library built by a former Jannisary soldier of the Ottoman Empire. It was explained that children were given to the army by their impoverished Christian parents in hopes that they'd have a better life. They were converted to Islam and raised to be warriors loyal to the Sultans. They were paid but couldn't marry or leave the corps. As the Ottoman clout waned, they were "downsized" and unemployed. Several set up their own fiefdoms as did the man who built the Vidin mosque. Although the Sultans tried to defeat him, he was not deposed. The top of the minaret is one of a kind. Instead of a crescent, it has an upside-down heart, the symbol of the Jannisary warriors.

Down the street was the synagogue abandoned for 70 years. It's a ruin and barely standing, just a shell of a building. Trees and weeds grow wild almost obscuring what used to be the Ark where the Torah scrolls were kept.

We continued to the fort built along the Danube by the Romans. It was expanded multiple times by the Ottomans and stands as a reminder of the vulnerability of the location. Just across the river is Romania, a former enemy. We entered what had been the prison of the fort and Patrick pointed out the rows of holes in the stone walls indicating how the prisoners counted the days of their incarceration.

As we turned to go through the Istanbul Gate to our hotel, we noticed a monument with a menorah on it. The inscription said it was donated in 1998, by the Jews of Vidin now living in Israel. It is a reminder of the Jews who fled the Inquisition and settled here and a thank you to the people of Vidin for saving them during WWII.

Dinner was at the hotel where Patrick stayed. Once again, we had fish. It was tasty but I'm giving up on fish here. Too many bones for me.

Tomorrow we have a long morning drive to Troyan and stay the night at Pleven.

Toby