Burgas, Bulgaria
Friday, September 29 – Had an early start this morning as the group headed east to the Black Sea. Started with a jog through pre-dawn Plovdiv. Streets were well lit and temperatures were perfect for an early morning run.
Had a nice breakfast with a couple of tourmates (oh, yeah, then Dan showed up 
) and then it was on the bus for a trip through the Valley of the Thracian Kings.
The Thracians were a tribal culture, made up of Indo-Europeans and Indigenous peoples primarily between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC in Bulgaria. Famous Thracians include Spartacus and Orpheus. They were known for their fighting prowess, but they were politically fragmented, so they eventually came under Roman rule.
While the Greeks and Roman’s considered them barbarians, they left behind gold, silver and bronze artifacts, as well as colorful frescoes in their myriad burial tombs.
We explored their culture and heritage via visits to the History Museum in Kazaniak and two of the tombs. Our knowledge was further enhanced by the fact that our guide Stefan comes from Kazanlak and had volunteered on some of the archeological digs (these were remarkably recent). Look at us go, learning stuff on vacation!
Had a bonus cultural experience leaving the valley and heading towards the sea. Local miners staged a strike and shut down a section of highway, leading us on “the road less traveled ” for more than an hour. Gotta just go with the flow when that happens and be glad I’m not the one driving!
Arrived at our hotel a little late, but got to the Black Sea. Love a nice sea breeze. Our hotel is on the water, so we had time for a walk along the marina before we had another group dinner. It is clear we are all a lot more comfortable with one another and discussions at dinner were both fun and interesting. Of course, once again, we had far too much food.
After dinner, Stefan invited those who were interested for a walk in the park, some rakia and a poetry reading. Only 6 of us went, but it was one of the best experiences yet (for me) of this tour. Not only did we get a unique opportunity to hear some poetry, but it gave us a chance to ask Stefan more personal questions about growing up in a culture struggling with the transition from communist to capitalist. Absolutely fascinating. These are the moments I realize how much I love travel.
Tomorrow, more time along the seaside.
18,726 steps, 9.5 miles
Hotel:
DAS Marina Burgas:
Clean hotel located on the marina on the Black Sea and across from a lovely public park area. Perfectly fine rooms, breakfast ranked low on the Chris-o-meter and also had terrible traffic flow.
Links to sights on tour listed under “Sights” — any fees included in tour price.
No free time sights today
Museum of Iskra Kazanlak:
https://kazanlakmuseum.com/en/?cid=3
Great little museum with an eclectic selection of galleries covering ancient artifacts, clothing, firearms and musical instruments as well as an art gallery. The focal point are the gold, silver and bronze articles discovered in the tombs of the Thracian temples.
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak:
https://www.muzei-kazanlak.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=87&lang=en
UNESCO World Heritage Sight dating back to the 4th century BC. Original tomb is sealed to protect it, tourists go through an exact replica.
Very tight quarters, the tomb showcases amazing burial murals.
Tomb of Seuthes III:
https://kazanlakmuseum.com/en/?cid=31
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/thracian-royal-tombs-bulgaria
Much more recently discovered (2004), essentially a burial mound. Much bigger, several “chambers”, this king was buried with many treasures. Stefan spent some time working on the dig, so he brought an interesting perspective on the importance of the site and the articles discovered inside.
Breakfast:
A perfectly fine breakfast at the hotel, I once again did not choose the eggs, so had no complaints!
Lunch:
https://www.magnolia-kazanlak.com
Nice group lunch in Kazanlak after visiting the first tomb. I enjoyed the local specialties, though the rose jam didn’t do a lot for me. Did not enjoy the squat toilet, especially after finding out there were standard ones available!
Dinner:
Very convivial group dinner, people seeming to really starting to feel comfortable together. More than enough food!
Another jam packed day. By the end, I had definitely had my fill of the Thracians — at a certain point, I am afraid to say, the kinds, their treasures and the art start to meld together in my mind. It is only after stepping back and reading a bit more, that I can realize the archaeological importance of what I observed.
In the same valley, we also passed close by Budluzdah, a 1970’s monument to the Communist party abandoned with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989. I guess it is pretty derelict, but might have been interesting and it would have provided a nice contrast from the ancient sights.
The workers’ strike and subsequent traffic jam and detour reinforced our opinion that in Bulgaria, we were much better off on a tour — that would have been a nightmare to navigate on our own. Glad to leave that to our driver!
I did get to dip my toes in the Black Sea (and slip on a very mossy boat launch while doing so). Enjoyed the group dinner, it was very convivial, but especially enjoyed the late night poetry/rakia in the park. With only a half dozen of us, it provided an opportunity to learn a much more personal perspective of the changes in Bulgaria from Stefan. Also learned we are among the hardiest of the tour group!