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The Most Precious Gift You Can GiveApril 29, 2025 - 7:15 am
A Love Letter. A Heist. And a Reckoning in Rome.April 22, 2025 - 4:50 pm
How’s 2025 So Far? Happy? Unforgettable?April 9, 2025 - 4:56 pm
Pickleball: Peace, Paddles, and PerseveranceJanuary 20, 2025 - 12:28 pm
A Rain-Soaked Journey from Monforte de Lemos to León: Discovering the CaminoOctober 21, 2024 - 4:24 am
Are You Deep or Superficial? Thoughts From A 9th Century Benedictine Monastery In SpainOctober 19, 2024 - 4:45 pm
Sofia Spontaneity & Wild Nights
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanNo itinerary. Mostly, it’s how I travel. I also thought “No Itinerary” would work great as the name of our television show. Allowing for spontaneity traveling with a loose schedule leaves room for possibilities and lets you take advantage of opportunities that you may discover. In fact, there’s no reason I need to leave Sofia […]
In Sofia Walking With Wine & Dining With Fire: Cosmos Restaurant & Sophia Wine Walk
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanSofia is vibrant, colorful, and ever-evolving. Though it was just two-and-a-half years ago I was here, I don’t recognize the city save its mosaic mix of architectural styles. Influences and styles span from Neoclassical and Neo-Byzantine to Modernist Soviet and Stalinist. While the architecture and the buildings haven’t changed, I sense the energy and feel […]
Riding To Sweet Sofia: Roaming Streets With Wine In Hand & Solving Bad Bike Vibrations
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanAfter navigating a herd of sheep in a village near Melnik, my ride to Sofia over a busy two-lane twisty road winds along the Struma River and through vast fields of colorful sunflowers. After an hour the road turns into a divided highway. The bike is running well, but in my feet, I sense a […]
The Struma River Valley — Home To Bulgaria’s Big Red Wines & So Much More
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanI take the opportunity to taste and learn more about the wines of Melnik and the Struma River Valley and stay one more night here. I join Will who reluctantly takes the wheel of his Romanian-built Dacia rental car. He’s from the UK, and this car is for driving on the right side of the road—as […]
More Melnik Meandering: Rozhen Monastery, Villa Melnik, Classic MZ Moto & Organic Orbelus Winery
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanLast night Melnik experienced a rare summer thunderstorm. This morning it is misty, and a thick layer of clouds and fog hug the Melnik Sand Pyramids. We hope the weather clears as we want to visit the nearby Rozhen Monastery and hike the surrounding area for views of Melnik and its famous pyramids. The Welsh […]
Villa Melnik Winery—Where Happiness Comes From A Family Working Together & Preserving Bulgarian Heritage
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanPutting Bulgarian Wine & Melnik On The Map—Literally After I pull off the main road, I wind my way through small villages on a narrow road, passing through Vranya, Spanchevo, and Harsavo. I see a few elderly men sitting on a curb. A dog sprints across the street, and a few cats scurry about. As […]
Welcome To Bulgaria
/0 Comments/in Bulgaria, Europe, Travelogue /by allanIt took just about twenty minutes to venture through the line at the border between Greece and Bulgaria and another ten minutes to clear customs and immigrations with another stamp in my passport. I last was in Bulgaria in September 2016, so this crossing doesn’t add another country to my growing list. What it represents, […]