I start tonights missive on the rooftop terrace of my hotel in Veliko Tarnovo overlooking the massive fortress of the town called Tsarevets Fortress for those of you who have been here.
In answer to your first question…yes I did make it to V.T. Against all odds…the ticket (little bit of paper) got me onto an ancient, rickety old mini-bus affair with another dour Bulgarian bus driver who didn’t acknowledge me at all. I just hoped I was on the right bus.
Even more worrying, when I got to V.T I went to get my next bus ticket to Burgas while I was at the station. Talk about hilarious. ‘Do you speak any English??’, ‘NO’, with that we just look at each other, not a word spoken. So I take a deep breath and start again writing a date down etc. Well I got a piece of paper and I paid some money but to be honest I have little idea if I have the right ticket. I’m going to have to ask the hotel to look at it for me.
It was a lovely bus ride through the mountains..Sunflowers harvested, fresh apples being sold on the roadside, snow in the mountains (I’m told very unusually early).
Arrived in V.T. and got in a taxi, again no words spoken, very glum really but I have discovered that a tip works wonders, a couple of Lv and there is a marked increase in helpfulness.
This hotel is much, much nicer and the staff really sweet. But again I’m early and have to leave my case and trot off to start seeing the town. Only staying here 2 nights, as in Plovdiv, I can’t waste the half day I have when I arrive. So I trotted into the old town…gorgeous really. I like this town even more than Plovdiv, it is friendlier. I had a nice lunch somewhere in town and then I headed back for check in. My room is on the 3rd floor and there is no lift!! A young girl and I had to get my massive cases up which we did!! I’ll be glad not to have to take the big case everywhere again which will happen once I reach Bucharest(which is a complication in itself…how to get there).
So a minutes rest and then I figure if I’m going to be efficient I have to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Tsarevets Fortress. So off I set. It is amazing and i did enjoy walking around it and right up to the top with the massive Cathedral. I’m a bit bushed now but food will probably get me going again. Amongst all of this I did manage to get my wine. Now I’m sitting on the roof looking over the fortress and writing this.
Two night here and then on to Burgas (if that’s where I’ve got a ticket to) but there is a complication in that I can’t easily get from Burgas to Bucharest and will probably have to spend a night elsewhere like Rose to get myself up into Romania. Still, I guess it will all be managed in the long run.
This is really quite adventurous travel…just wish I was 40 years younger but still am coping well for an old girl. My knees are playing their part in a manner that is little short of miraculous!!