Bulgaria has a fascinating history. The Greek St Cyril is said to have given the Cyrillic alphabet to the Bulgarians – after which, in modified form, it was adopted in Russia and elsewhere. Bulgaria is said to be the oldest wine producing area in the world. It has been occupied by the Ottoman empire, which was eventually ousted by Russia at considerable human cost, giving rise to strong bond between these countries. In the Second World War, the Bulgarians would not fight against Russia, but they were occupied, of course. More recently the Soviet system has been and gone. In 2007 it came into the EU. It is country finding its feet again after a turbulent time.
It has a unique language and heritage – it is the only country in the world where nodding and shaking of the head have the opposite meanings that the rest of us are used to! If locals think you are foreign, they may reverse this, adding to the fun! So it pays to learn da (yes) and ne (no) quickly! Easy to remember is mersi (thank you, like the French merci), and also useful are kac si (pronounced to rhyme with taxi – a sort of all purpose hello/how are you) and nazdrave! (naz-drah-vay – cheers!).
It produces outstanding agricultural produce, which is turned into excellent cuisine. Bulgaria always produced some good wine, though in general it had a name for being boring and “samey” (and sales in the UK have dropped considerably). A few years ago, floods wiped out as many as 60% of vines – as this industry recovers, it is also moving away from the “industrial” practices of the past, and is producing excellent wine.
It has an edge to it – yes it is hard to read the signposts; and people are not overly friendly on first meeting (though once you get to know them you find that they are amongst the best of people with a very strong sense of community and mutual support). A lot of things don’t work to “western standards” yet – but EU money is pouring in (the skiing infrastructure, for example, is developing rapidly). It is a little different; it is fun; it is surprisingly cheap, and very good value for money. Open your mind and take a chance…
