Morning started at 7:30 with a wonderful traditional Bulgarian breakfast. . . yogurt with strawberries, and honey on top! It was wonderful . . . . After this we started our walking tour of Old Town Plovdiv. We visited a lot of the "old homes," which have been converted into museums. I bought some things for my parents and brother back home, and I actually got to meet the people who made them! It was quite exciting to meet the artists behind the pieces . . . The tour lasted about 2 hours and ended back at the Roman Amphitheater . . . and then we walked over to the hill which overlooks the entire city. There, one could see the entire stretch of the newer part of town, and it was simply breath taking. Literally, you're walking up a mountain only to be at the top where the air is quite thin. . . haha!
After this little trip, we found lunch . . . and then we all slip off and went our own ways for the day. A group of us went and explored the city, and we found the river which flows all throughout the Balkan Peninsula, some more memorial places, and some good food. Around 4:30ish, we all went back to the hotel . . . and I took a nap. Lets just say walking up mountains will make you quite tired, and I slept till 6.
At 6:30, Kevin and I went to dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Let me go ahead and warn you . . . Europe is NOT like America. The people eat dinner later, and the workers know how to entertain you while you eat. We actually were the first customers to walk in for the night, and we surprised them. Our hostess was quite lovely. She spoke very good English, and was able to communicate whenever she didn't understand a word - at which we learned a couple of expressions, as well. Dinner was simply delicious, but it was what went on after dinner that was even better. Towards the end of our meal our professors actually came in, and they were so surprised to see us there. They thought that most of the college students would go out and try to experience the American night clubs, which some have, but Kevin and I are on this study abroad for greater things.
After the professors came in, we got to exchange casual conversation with them . . . and then our desserts came out. I got the pancake (or crepe) with figs, and Kevin got the pancake (crepe) with honey - and they simply brought pure joy to the evening . . . . . and then the night really began. We actually got live music during dinner . . . two older women, one played the piano while the other play the violin! It was a complete surprise . . . and Kevin and I knew that we had finally found what we were searching for: European culture at its best!
We took about ten minutes to eat this simple desserts, and wanted more . . . not more food, but more music. So, we started to decide on ordering a bottle of wine . . . at which we asked our professors which would be a good choice, and we got just that. We ordered a wine that is actually made just a few miles outside of Plovdiv in a town called Asenovgrad . . it was the most delicious red wine ever. I didn't know that red wine could be good, but this local wine was great. It was from 2004, but tasted much older than that.
So, we started eating dinner at 6:30 and we didn't leave the restaurant till after 10:00. It was great, but then we started hearing jazz music . . . or at least I did, and I had to find it. Come to find out, it was just a building away - and then we were at a jazz club. It was great hearing jazz fusion in Europe . . . it made me feel at home again.
We stayed there for a little bit, and then Kevin wanted to go and sit at the Roman Amphitheater one last time. I'm glad we did, because we got to experience something a lot of people will never get to. Plovdiv - 11:30 p.m. - Roman Amphitheater - cold night - and just looking out over Plovdiv, thinking what it must have felt like to be in complete power for so long, only to fall.
Oh well, Plovdiv was great.
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