Monday, October 24, 2016

Bulgaria



I spent a night on the Bulgarian beaches of the Black Sea when I was 19. It was the year before the Euro was born, and 8 years before Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. The visa was so ridiculously expensive for a single day pass through, I was determined to make it memorable. I have long hair now. I had long hair then. Back then long-haired Trev was brave enough with some duty free Vodka to hop over beach fires with my Anzac Contiki bus-mates exploring 17 countries over 45 days in tents. 

Beaches to Mountains
Intents Europe

Bulgar tribes started to form Kingdoms in around 680 CE. They were variously harassed by competing Hungarian, Byzantine and Mongol empire builders, eventually coming under control of the Ottoman Empire for 5 centuries. Part of the Balkan Wars of independence, it shed Ottoman dominance to later shift between the Axis Powers and Allied Powers and eventually came under Soviet influence until the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989. 

Identity is a single day pass through. Make it memorable if you like, but it won't last.


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