Starting Back West

We broke the drive from Varna to Veliko Tarnovo at a couple of popular tourist spots. I’m afraid that the first, the Madara Horse Rock Cliff, wasn’t as impressive as I’d expected from the descriptions. Of course, producing a large sculpture half-way up a cliff is a difficult feat, but time has not dealt too kindly with the horse, rider and accompanying dog.

On the way up from the road to the view point we stopped to listen a local bag piper. I’m sure any Scots reading this will accuse me of heresy, but I really don’t care for bag pipes. I’m virtually tone deaf, and bag pipes – and for that matter violins – are just rather unpleasant noises to me. Some of the group seemed to enjoy the performance, but others appeared less interested.

Since we weren’t due at our next stop, Arbanassi, until 13:30 I had fixed a sandwich from the breakfast buffet which I ate on the bus, but when we arrived I immediately headed for the nearest cafe with one of the other singles. We had a very nice meal, with a very interesting view. Arbanassi is on tourist itineraries for its old churches and traditional houses, but clearly there’s been plenty of new building.

Once again, we weren’t allowed to take photos of the frescoes in the churches, but no such restriction was in force at the house we visited. Traditional Ottoman rooms, furnished with low built-in benches along the walls, are chiefly distinguished by their carpets and the carving on the ceilings. Getting to see the kitchen as well as the main rooms was a definite plus here.