Bulgaria (from an ancient word meaning 'the disturbers'!) is a great country to visit.  The 'simple life' in this country is to be commended and should be copied more often in Western countries.  The Bulgarian's have some strange habits - they shake their heads for yes and nod for no; they invented the Cyrillic alphabet; and they produce most of the world's roses.  

 

We started in Sophia, the capital.  Sophia is a beautiful city to stroll around and we enjoyed the gluhwien and sausages in the Christmas markets. Then drove east to Veliko Tarnovo a small town strategically situated right on the bend of the Yantra river.  An amazing place with spectacular views of the houses precariously perched on the banks of the Yantra.  We then visited Plovdiv the cultural centre of Bulgaria.  It dates back to the 6th millennium BC and is considered as one of the oldest cities in the world.  There is a full Roman amphitheater in the middle of town, which is still used today for events.  Our favorite stay in Bulgaria was in a small traditional village called Kosobo in the Rhodope Mountains.  The houses here are built completely from stone (including the roof).  Thankfully, many of the ram-shackled ones are slowly being restored.  We loved the walks in the nearby mountains, the Orthodox Christmas lunch, and the alpine skiing.