Destination: Uncategorized

We’re holed up in Veliko Tarnovo, waiting for the persistent rain to let up. This was a capital of Bulgaria back in the 13th century when “little” Bulgaria was actually a big deal — its empire included all of the Balkan Peninsula and stretched from Greece all the way to Ukraine. I show this clip for two reasons. First, to address the concerns from our viewers that it never seems to rain in our TV shows. (It does. We just do everything we can not to film when it’s raining.) And, second, to look at that ugly communist-era hotel, built to greedily take the view, mindlessly obliterating the view of almost everyone else in town.

This is Day 51 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

When filming in Europe, if the light’s good, we’re rolling. The weather report is horrible for the next couple of days in Bulgaria, so we’re shooting like there’s no tomorrow — covering as much of our script as we can before the sun sets. And here, just 15 minutes before the sun dipped behind the Balkan Mountains, we nailed one of my favorite “on cameras” of the year. We are so excited about our new episode on Bulgaria — airing with our new season of 10 episodes on public television this fall. (And you can bet a close-up of these poppies will make the final cut.) Sharing this clip, I’m a mix of exhausted, exhilarated, and thankful: thankful to be collaborating with such a great crew (Simon Griffith, Karel Bauer, and our Slavic Europe expert, Cameron Hewitt); thankful to be able to share all we’re experiencing with our public television viewers; and thankful for work that we hope helps America feel less threatened and more open to people from far away who embrace life a little differently than we do. My cultural flavor of the day? Bulgaria!

This is Day 50 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

Hooray for Кириллица (Cyrillic)! There’s nothing like a parade to celebrate the use of your particular brand of alphabet. In Bulgaria, a day comes in late May when there’s no school. All the generations gather for dances, laying bouquets on memorials, and a grand parade to celebrate their Cyrillic alphabet (which is also a celebration of their language and their culture). We’re in the city of Kazanlak, and today it’s all about those medieval missionary monks (Methodius and Cyril) who promoted Christianity to the Bulgarians and gave that corner of the world its alphabet — named not for Methodius … but for Cyril. Enjoy the scene as this humble town in the poorest country in the EU is filled with the simple joy of being Bulgarian. It’s fun, as an American, to be reminded that people across our globe treasure their heritage every bit as much as we do.

This is Day 49 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

This clip captures the simple joy of just being out on a Sunday afternoon in Bulgaria. I love the fact that there are songs that mean absolutely nothing to an American like me that get the local crowd, both young and old, jumping onto the dance floor. This one was a real favorite. Enjoying this scene in Sofia, it occurred to me, I didn’t need no stinkin’ folk show on some tourist stage. This was the real thing. Scenes like this demonstrate that, even in the poorest country in the EU, there’s an abundance of joy. And sharing in that joy is one of the beauties of travel.

(Notice also the joyful woman — who I just had to dance with — for whom dancing is clearly a fountain of youth.)

This is Day 48 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.

Plovdiv is to Bulgaria what Krakow is to Poland: It’s the historic capital and the most enjoyable city (even though the capital city — Sofia or Warsaw — is much bigger and more consequential). Plovdiv has ankle-breaker cobbles, a fun little foodie/hipster zone, and a great paseo vibe on its long pedestrian boulevard. Like cities are doing across Europe, it has artfully incorporated its archaeological sites into its modern, people-friendly layout. The layers are fun to ponder: Under the happy 2016 ambience is a stern Communist shell; an Ottoman-era mosque; and finally a racecourse where, 2,000 years ago, chariots careened around this corner. Whenever I’m here, I find myself wondering why most Americans don’t give Bulgaria a second thought. Sure, it’s got the alphabet and the religion and the Slavic blood of “Mother Russia.” But the dreams and the aspirations are facing West — a reason to encourage us to travel East.

This is Day 47 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and beyond. Find more at blog.ricksteves.com.