The first project I assigned to my class this year was to design an advertising scheme for a place in Bulgaria. The class then voted on a winner, and they liked the material for the Rhodope mountains the best. No wonder. The Rhodopes certainly lend themselves well to an aesthetically based assignment. This past weekend, I took my class's advice and set off for the Rhodopes, hopeful that the forecast for rain would be wrong. It was right, and my trip was cut short, but not before I caught the Rhodopes looking stunning, even draped in clouds. Though not the highest or most dramatic mountains in Bulgaria, they are the oldest, and much like the Appalachians, have a certain magical reputation. This is the home of the only substantial Islamic population in Bulgaria, it is the home of age-old agricultural practices and elaborate cave systems, and occasionally rainbows. It felt much like the Blue Ridge to me, soaked in history and tradition.
After finding shelter in Yagodina cave, surviving a salamander scare, and finally being greeted by snow in May, it seemed like the signs were pointing home. It rained/snowed for four straight days after I left. I'll be back...
1 comment:
Dear Brett,
Your words and pictures have mesmerized me, again. I'd like to live in that quietness and vastness for 4 days, and the rain would only enhance the experience for me. As always, thank you, dear. JM
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