Seems there's more than a casual link between the countries I've chosen for visits this year. Won't question the why, but monasteries are emerging as a strong motif. Bulgaria's run through with fantastic ones, well preserved and still active atop mountain perches (the better to hide from the Turks). And, Sikkim's are remote bastions of an earlier time.
Sikkim's monasteries slightly edging out Bulgaria's monk-wise. Bulgaria's monks = severe older gentlemen with long, whispy beards, souffle-hat to frock-covered toe in black.
Sikkims monks = largely smiling gentlemen in bright crimsons and yellows. And, NOVICE monks. (Haven't yet seen any cute black-robed lads here).
This one's the spectacular Rila Monastery, 2 hours via sporadically good roads from Sofia - past shepherds (have the Chilov family on high-alert spotting them), clusters of gypsies (now called Roma - PC), red roof-ed villages. Pretty as a Bulgarian picture postcard.
Too easy to fall back on tattered-touristic metaphor of the old co-existing beside the new but, really, that's what we've got going on here.
I'm on WiFi, drinking tiny espresso, Barry White soothing brunch crowd puffing away around me. On the steps of the Alexander Nevsky Church a block away, the stooped and kerchiefed Roma ladies arrive by horse cart to sell flowers.
Bulgaria's going for it. Don't be the last on your block to visit.
C
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