“Just call me Daisy,” she said. “You know, like in the movie Driving Miss Daisy.” Her name is actually Desislava Natzkova but, as she later explained to me, her Bulgarian name is difficult for most Americans to remember or wrap their tongues around. “So I just make it easy for them.” I met Desi in … Read more
The ancient Roman Amphitheater in Plovdiv is one of the most stunning sites in Bulgaria. Records show evidence of occupation in Plovdiv as far back as 6,000 BC, during the Neolithic Age, making it one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. In the Bronze Age it became a Thracian settlement named Eumolpias, and in 342 … Read more
The weird and fabulously formed rocks of Belogradchik, Bulgaria, turn fiery red at sunset. Composed of sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate, the formations resulted when ancient seas that covered the area millions of years ago receded. Over time, the sediments that had lain at the bottom of the sea were eroded by wind and water. Legends … Read more
Woman wears traditional costume of shepherdess in the small village of Yasna Polyana, Bulgaria
Local woman in Yasna Polyana, Bulgaria, rolls out a 50-gallon drum in preparation for making Rakia, a potent alcohol produced from local grapes
