A River, Roses & Religion
Castle on the Danube River in Serbia.
Once again I found myself headed into unknown territory, to a country I had no clue about. I know I heard the name “Bulgaria” in a European history class at some time. Although I love geography, I could not have told you exactly where Bulgaria was located. Fortunately, I have corrected my ignorance.
Cliff carving of a warrior along the Danube.
Cruising the Danube from Serbia to Bulgaria was a historical, religious and scenic adventure. The Danube river has played an important role throughout history. It is the second longest river in Europe and runs through ten countries. It has been a trade route for thousands of years and formerly the Northeastern boundary of the Roman Empire. This was evident as we cruised our way towards the East. We passed by castles, Roman road signs and small towns, all while heading towards the Iron Gates and locks.
Danube river from Belgrade to Bucharest, highlighting Donji Milanovic, the Iron Gates, Rousse & Veliko Tarnovo.
Our first stop was still in Serbia and totally unplanned. It was an invitation to discover the unexpected. The port at the town of Donji Milanovac (pop. 2400) was very small. The ship was early for it’s scheduled time to pass through the locks on the Danube, so we needed a place to hang out for awhile. This totally laid back, authentic slice of life was perfect! Sunday morning was quiet. A craft market, a small grocery and a pizza joint were the only things open. As we meandered down the main street we heard the heavenly sounds of chanting, drifting from a small church. The service was in session, we thought, so we didn’t interfere. Eventually our fearless leader, Mark Edward Harris, decided to check it out. The beautiful sound was a recording. Services had finished. The Serbian Orthodox priest invited us in. Thus began several days of religious exploration.
Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Donji Milanovic.
Priest at Church of St. Nicholas
He was proud to show us his church and educate us about the religion. The fact that he had lived in Texas for a time and spoke perfect English helped too! We took great photos of beautiful iconography, learned about incense and bought chant CD’s. It was an inspiring way to spend a Sunday morning.
The locks at the Iron Gates were very large. The Iron Gates is a series of gorges on the Danube that mark the boundary between Serbia and Romania. In the 1970’s and 80’s two dams and hydroelectric plants were built there which raised the Danube by 90 feet and greatly improved safe navigation.
A Bulgarian rose refresher.
Once we got through the locks we headed to Vidin and then on to Rousse, Bulgaria. Rousse is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria at 147,000 people. Although there is evidence of Neolithic settlements, Rousse was developed by the Roman military (of course). It seemed like a fascinating place as we drove down a large boulevard on our way to Veliko Tarnovo. I wish I’d had more time to explore Rousse, but Veliko Tarnovo and it’s neighbor, Arbanassi were amazing!
Ceiling of the Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi..
Veliko Tarnovo was twice the capital of Bulgaria, a very important town in the Middle Ages. The cobblestoned shopping streets had many local wares for sale, among which was everything imaginable made of roses🌹. It seems that Bulgaria is the leading rose oil producer in the world, with specific areas of the country specified for rose growing. We tasted rose candy, drank rose drinks, tried lotions, and perfumes and sniffed potpourris.
Choir concert at Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel Church in Arbanassi.
After that heady experience it was off to a very old residence in the Turkish style and then on to Arbanassi and several Bulgarian Orthodox Churches. The Nativity Church, a UNESCO designated site, was our first stop. Like many of these churches it flourished in the 1600’s and is filled with religious icons. At the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel Church we were treated to heavenly voices singing in the orthodox style. I can understand how people were mesmerized by the sights and sounds of this religion.
An idyllic setting for lunch in Bulgaria
That left a little time for a great Bulgarian lunch at a restaurant tucked away in the woods. Dessert consisted of yogurt and honey, yum! Bulgaria is the birthplace of yogurt and the style is very creamy. Some shopping, a refreshing rose soft drink and we were onto the bus back to the ship. I would love to go back to Bulgaria. I think this was the most interesting and surprising country we visited on this trip, but Bucharest and Vlad the Impaler are calling me.
