Bulgaria -- Veliko Turnovo

Thursday, October 22
Finally got a good night’s sleep last night. So good that we slept in this morning and missed breakfast. We barely made it in time to join our group. Ruse is Bulgaria’s chief fort on the Danube. The Romans were here in the 2nd century BC and called it the "port of 60 ships". We rode the bus today to the historic city of Veliko Turnovo, built along a gorge with fortresses, monasteries, and houses perched right on the edges of cliffs.

We visited the village of Arbanassi with its narrow winding streets full of merchants and craftsmen. Finally, a chance for some retail therapy! We met at a restaurant at the end of the street, happily toting our purchases. We were joined at lunch by some local students, who all spoke English beautifully. The young lady at our table, Elena, wasn’t a student anymore, she actually worked at the hotel. But there was a shortage of students, so she was recruited. I think she really enjoyed it.

We visited one of the 7 churches in the area and were treated to a performance by a choir of four men from the village who were excellent singers. Then it’s back on the bus for the long trip back to the ship. More napping.

After a short rest, we were entertained by a local Bulgarian childrens’ dance group. They were very sweet and charming.