I meet them outside MacDonalds and we get on a bus. This my first time on public transport(The bus to Nesebar didn't really count), so it brings with it the fun of experiencing the bustle of public transport. This really gives you a feel for the people. Essentially it's like any bus anywhere, but it makes me feel like a traveller.
The bus is absolutely roasting. It is such a warm day, and the bus is baking us alive. The system costs 1 ticket no matter how long you stay on the bus for. SO the 20Km trip costs us about 50 Lev cents. We eventually reach the end of the line, and get off. It's a tiny little town which time forgot. There are people harvesting fields with scythes and a woman taking her goat for a morning walk:
We are hitch-hiking the 10 Km to the Aladzha monastery, so head out along the road. It climbs up along a hill and gives us a beautiful view over Varna. This is my last day in Bulgaria and it seems to be the hottest day yet. Walking along the road through the trees along curving winding roads reminds me of family trips to Arran.
The Bride is really excited about the little town and talks of memories of her grandmother's little village. As we are walking along the road, she says "I really hope we see an old tractor come along the road" In the true spirit of a country walk, Obi Wan pipes up, "I really hope we see a Taxi"
We are having no luck with the cars coming past, and the walk and the heat is starting to get to everybody. Eventually a woman stops. She's in a car with her daughter and we are taken along to the monastery. There are the usual tourist stalls selling crap, but other than that, the little steps up the monastery are subdued.
The ruins date back to the 13th and 14th century when, under the ottoman empire, churches were outlawed. The church was used by monks of the Hesychast order until the 18th century, but wasn't rediscovered until 1928.
There is a small visitor and information centre and a toilet, and then one path leading along to the catacombs, and one leading along to the monastery. When we round the corner, you get to see the monastery. It's a basically rooms carved into the side of a cliff face, but looks pretty cool:
We head up the stairs to the first level. We head along and see the various little rooms. They are tiny, and it's hard to believe that the little rooms were once populated, never mind able to hold ceremonies. People have left flowers and placed coins in indentations on the walls. At the end room there is even a little room with an icon in it.
We go up onto the second level. Its remarkable both for the monastery and also for the view over the Black sea coast.
We take some photos and then head on down. We have a little look around the visitor centre where the only interesting thing are some beautiful lithographs of icons. I'm starting to recognise specific saint's from the icon's. My lack of religious upbringing means that I don't really know many more saints than St. Nicholas - the patron saint of wrapping paper. Now I can recognise, the Archangel Michael - he's usually killing something, or standing with a spear.
We head along the path to the catacombs. It's about a mile's walk through the woods. It's a beautiful walk, and reminds me again of similar scenery in Scotland. There are various trees which are marked with little signs. I joke with Obi Wan that it's a got a real Lord of the Rings feel. We can imagine being Hobbits and setting off along the winding forrest path to leave the Shire on an adventure.
We eventually get to the Catacombs:
There are signs everywhere, telling us not to go in and how dangerous it is, so we can't get to see everything, but it's still pretty cool. They were used as a religious crypt and and for ceremonies during the 4th and 5th centuries by a Christian sect who placed a lot of importance in their dead. It's pretty spooky, and the dangerous falling rocks add to the atmosphere. The rocks are overgrown with vegetation. The Lord of the Rings similarities return. This is like the real version of Aragorn entering spooky caves to get the spirits of the dead to join his army.
We pose for a few photos - very quietly so as not to disturb the rocks.
It was definitely worth the walk, and we head through the woods to find our way back to Varna.
Back on the road with the tourist crap, we have the options of walking back the way we came, or walking on for about 2 hours to the next town where we can get a bus. We don't fancy walking, and eventually we find a guy who's willing to take us back into Varna for 10 Leva. It's not the friendly mother and child that we came across on the way, but it does save us some time and get us back to Varna.
Once back, I want to head off to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin. I've passed it all week, but I've never taken the time to take it in. It's one of the few Varna attractions that I've not yet experienced, and one of the best.
Inside the ikons and paintings are beautiful, but they are a little clean, and the parade of tourists around the walls take away from it. I much preferred the dirty cracked images in St Stephan's of Nesebar.
Once outside, I've thought of a good souvenir for myself from Bulgaria. There's icons on wood for sale, and while I'm not religious, I really like them. So I head out to one of the stalls and ask which icon is Andre - or St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland:
I head around town and pick up a few postcards and some purchases(Counterfeit Sunglasses - 5 Leva)
Once finished, its a few phone calls to find out where people are meeting. Yet again it's off to the Alba. This seems like as good a place as any to spend my last night. People arrive in dribs and drabs and the salad, rakia and beer is flowing in no time.
I'm very disappointed to be leaving this wonderful friendly atmosphere with it's salads. I even manage to adopt a kitten:
It's then off to bed for a good night's sleep before the long trip home.
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