Passage to Eastern Europe: Arbanasi, Bulgaria II (8/19/2021)

Thursday, August 18, 2021 (continued)

Continuing our walk around the hilltop village of Arbanasi:

Street vendor for souvenirs and antiques

Street scene with dry masonry walls
and wooden "frame housing"

It seemed that the Viking guests were the only foreign tourists in this town.

Chimneys

Коконска Чешма/Dames’ Fountain,
Ottoman community water source

Arbanasi appears to have its beginnings during the
 Ottoman Empire, and they used a form of Perso-Arabic script

Our guide, Theodor, offers samples of
rose liqueur and rose brandy

Kent samples the rose brandy

Bulgaria is the world's greatest producer of rose oil, and manufactures all manner of products from roses: the Rosa × damascena/Damask Rose.

Музей Констанцалиевата къща/
Konstantsaliev House Museum features the
unique 17C architectural style in Arbanasi

The ground floor is built with stone and was
used to house animals and for storage; the
upper floor was the living space; the shape
of the doorway shows the Turkish influence

Summer drawing room with raised platforms covered with
Turkish-style rugs and pillows for sitting and lounging,
was used for entertaining guests

Handcrafted ceiling indicates the wealth of the homeowners

A dining room with its own raised platform

Kitchen with baking ovens

This family was really well-to-do if they had an indoor
bathroom, and apparently many Bulgarians still
have this type of bathroom, called "Turkish-style"!
(Well, the hole is actually now surrounded by ceramic)

The nursery was also used as the winter room
because it had a large wood-fired heater

Women's room or living room

Every house in town was surrounded by a stone wall, so
each must have had its own well

We returned to the Izvora resort for lunch

Snail fountain

Rustic flatscreen frame

Шопска Салата/Shopska salad features grated sirene,
a Bulgarian white cheese

Пиринско Пиво/Pirin beer is licensed
by Carlsberg Beer and tastes like it

Vegetarian soup, maybe боб чорба по манастирски/
Monastery-style soup, with Bulgarian flatbread

миш-маш/Mish-mash, prepared with chopped tomatoes
and peppers, thickened with egg and cheese, with
any other leftover veggies, plus spices 

КИСЕЛО МЛЯКО/Bulgarian yogurt with honey
and chopped walnuts

Traditional Bulgarian dance show

The wooden spoons tucked at the waist were
used like castanets by clicking the bowls together

Next: Veliko Tarnovo.