Pleven, Bulgaria

Our original plan was to take an all day tour but instead we decided that a half day alternative was better. We were already getting a bit tired out. The only problem with river cruising is that you are too tempted to do it all. There are tours available usually all day long. A little slower pace was needed. We still had quite a ways to go.

Our ship was docked in a little place called Nikopol, Bulgaria. That afternoon, we had a little drive to Pleven City where our excursion was to take place. The countryside is beautiful. Bulgaria sits just on the other side of the Danube river from Romania. Both sides are pretty with rolling hills and made more glorious with the sunshine that blessed us.

Pleven is the sight of a decisive battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The battle was fought for five months in the surrounding hills and is depicted in a panoramic work of art in a building atop a hill. It resembles our panoramic work in Gettysburg. It is circular and the museum objects on the floor blend into the picture as if it were all one. It truly makes you feel like you are a part of it.

The Ottoman forces were ultimately defeated and the victory was crucial for the liberation of Bulgaria and the establishment of Romania's independence. We would hear much about the Ottoman control and eventually the Communist control over the coming days.

Our next stop was in town at the Saint George the Victorious Chapel-Mausoleum. It was built between 1903 and 1907 to serve as a memorial for the Russian and Romanian soldiers who died during the 1877 siege of Pleven. The crypt holds the bones of the fallen soldiers.

We walked back toward the center of town and admired the beautiful fountain as it reflected the sun with a rainbow of color. Our guide joked that at times there was not enough pressure in their homes for a shower and people threatened to come to the park in the morning for their shower.

As we walked through the town to an Eastern Orthodox Church of which the English name escapes me but I'm guessing it is St. Nicholas. I felt bad when we entered and found a small family group celebrating a baptism. The children are usually about a year old or so when they baptized. The actual ceremony was finished and the little kids were happily chewing on large chunks of bread. I didn't quite catch all the symbolism but I did understand that the bread dipped into honey was to find a sweet life. No wonder the kids were loving the bread. It sure looked good. 

During our walk, we came across a celebration of Bulgarian independence day. There was a band playing and a troop of soldiers who made up a small parade. The date was September 22 when Bulgaria was officially free of Ottoman rule after 117 years.