Kazanluk Rose Festival

This weekend I was able to take a day trip over to the city of Kazanluk, a nice town in the middle of the country, to take in the annual Festival of the Roses. Kazanluk is located in what is called the Valley of the Roses, so called because of the vast swaths of roses grown there. This tiny region of the country accounts for about 60% of the world's production of rose oil, which is then used to make products such as perfume and other things sold for their aroma. As such, the rose has become something of a national symbol for Bulgaria.

The area is also known as the Valley of the Thracian Kings, being home to several dozen ancient Thracian tombs, including one preserved as a UNESCO heritage site. Another site, the ancient city of Sevtopolis, was completely covered in water when the communist government brilliantly built a dam right next to it. There are plans in the works to resurface the ruins of the ancient city, but those are just theoretical right now. Other attractions in the area include Shipka and it's amazing golden domed cathedral, the place in which Bulgarians repelled the Turks with Russian help, and Buzludja, the strange UFO shaped building that used to house the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

On this day, however, we just stayed in Kazanluk for a bit and enjoyed the festivities. The day opened at the rose fields outside of town, where plenty of people dressed in traditional costumes invited us to go out into the muddy fields and pick roses for ourselves.


The view from the valley below is incredible, and the blooming roses fill the whole area with their fragrance. It's a bit overpowering at first, but makes for a very unique experience.


Later, we watched as traditional musicians and dancers put on a presentation near the fields. This performance was attended by the President of Bulgaria, as well as tons of ambassadors (as well as their amazing cars with their national flags on them). After that it was picture time for the tourists. There were people from pretty much everywhere in attendance, all being showered with rose petals by little children in traditional costumes. Meanwhile the old men continued playing their music...


Walking back from the fields, we stopped at the national Rose Museum, located at the Institute of Roses and Other Aromatic Plants. I had no idea there was such an institute previously, but here it was - containing specimens of basically every color rose possible, as well as specimens of lavender, lilac, and other flowers. The garden was all very picturesque, though the museum was anything but interesting.


Before catching the bus at 3, there was another dance session at the square, which today was lined with all sorts of vendors selling traditional pottery and various rose-containing products. It seemed like much of the town had converged on the square as live horo music blasted away. All the people came from a huge parade featuring what seemed to be every single group in the city and surrounding area. This made for a huge party-like atmosphere, bringing together all the different groups in one big festive dance.


I had to get back to my town, so the visit was cut a bit short, but overall I really enjoyed this festival. I think with that, I've attended almost every major festival in Bulgaria (this one is one of the big ones). There's one last one in August that takes place only every 5 years, and so it will be a treat to go experience that. The Rose Festival was a great time though, and a good taste of Bulgarian culture for everyone involved.

Wien

Several years ago with my family, I went on a trip to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria that lives on in my memory as one of the best trips I have ever taken. That trip stoked my wanderlust into a frenzy and is probably one of the main reasons I love traveling so much today.

During that trip we made just a quick jaunt into Austria. Salzburg was, as I recall, a very beautiful town. Even then, it seemed that Austria was a very elegant place filled with castles, old impossibly detailed architecture, and of course a lot of Mozart. At the end of the trip, my grandfather remarked that he wished we could have gone to Vienna, but it was too far away, and we were off again to some other incredible destinations in the area.

On my latest trip, I finally got around to seeing Vienna - a place that people have talked up so much in my life I had doubts that it was even a real place at all. Finally I would be able to experience this magical place. My experience in Vienna was somewhat bittersweet. We arrived to the city at a time in which, apparently, everything was being renovated. Almost every beautiful old building and gigantic landmark was wrapped in scaffolds, undergoing either cleaning or else some other restoration work.

This was most evident in St. Stephen's Square, home of the massive and amazing St. Stephen's Cathedral. Though the amazing tile-patterned roof and the gigantic spire were visible, much of the lower portions of the cathedral were shrouded in scaffolds and a protective covering that oddly enough had massive pictures of the place that stood behind it. I thought this was funny because so often we go see a place in person because the pictures don't do it justice, and here stood the structure - itself basically a huge picture. Still, visiting there gave some sense of the scale, and the visible portions of the spire and walls gave a fleeting idea of the amount of detail present on the surface. It also made me shudder at how hard it must be to clean it all. The top half of the cathedral has been cleaned and restored, a beautiful white stone masterpiece, while the bottom half is covered in soot and ash. I am sure that when all the restoration is done it will blow people away.


One place that wasn't covered in scaffolding was the beautiful Belvedere Palace, now housing a massive art museum and home to some of the world's most expensive paintings (such as a collection of original Klimt masterworks, such as his famous "the Kiss"). The gardens outside are immaculate and the paintings lining the inside of the building aren't so bad themselves. Funnily enough, the lobby of the building was being restored, though all of the paintings were available for viewing.


Mostly, we wandered the streets of Vienna, gawking at the beauty and luxury of it all. In Bulgaria, many of the structures are visibly worn and falling apart, or else very utilitarian and gray. It was a great pleasure therefore, to just walk around in a city in which most of the streets look like this:


One exception is this oddity by Friedrich Hundertwasser - the HundertwasserHaus and Kunst Haus Wien. Hundertwasser was an architect who believed that the current course of modern architecture was sucking the soul and creativity out of city dwellers. He sought to change that by creating buildings that are vibrant and green. The interiors of the buildings all feature uneven floors made of different materials because he believed that architecture isn't just about the look and function of a building, but a complete sensory experience. The block of apartments is covered in plants, some of which grow freely out of the windows (apparently in order to clean the air around the building), and the exterior is made to be as visually stimulating as possible.


It seems the city of Vienna has always shared Hundertwasser's view that the city's landscape should be as stimulating as possible. The old town area contains hundreds of ornate and historic buildings, concentrated in an area you can cover in just a few hours. But doing that defeats the point. Vienna is a place in which people are made to slow down and enjoy their surrounding, and indeed life itself. Life has always been good here, and the mood of the people and the atmosphere around town reflect that.


Vienna really is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I didn't get that view from just the architecture and the landmarks, since many of them were hidden at the time. Even though much of the city was being renovated when I went there, the whole feel of the place was something that really touched me. The renovations themselves show how much pride the Austrians have in their most important city. More important though was the whole vibe of the place. It attracts visitors from all over the world, but still retains a sophisticated yet laid back charm. I'll defintiely be back in the future. Maybe then, when the renovations are complete, the city will surprise me all over again.

Buda Pest

We left Bratislava very early on our second day, so early that many people were still coming back from the bars on our way to the train station, even though the sun was coming up. This made for an interesting few interactions. At any rate, we hopped on a train just in time and were on our way to Budapest.

This city was pretty highly hyped before I came, being billed as one of the most beautiful cities anywhere. Naturally I was skeptical, and arriving at the train station my skepticism was initially proven correct. The area around the station reminded me much of Romania with its old Gothic buildings. However, when we came up on the other side of the metro, closer to where our hotel was located, my views started to change. Already without even venturing into the main part of the city I had seen a wide variety of architecture, and green spaces were everywhere.

We checked into the hotel and changed our money. My wallet was stocked with around 40,000 Hungarian Forints or some ridiculously super-inflated number like that, which really isn't a lot, but it went a long way and I still had some left after leaving.

Our hotel was located on the Buda side of the Danube River, the more residential side of a city that was originally 2 different towns - Buda and Pest. Buda is a bit less dense, and the main attractions on its banks are the Fisherman's Bastion and Buda Castle. We made our way to the Fisherman's Bastion, and stayed only for a short time since it was super touristy. The whole place seemed like something out of the Magic Kingdom without the rides and with just as many tourists. I think the place itself was built just recently in order to serve as a viewpoint across the Danube. There is a beautiful cathedral located here, and a pretty nice old town area, but overall much nicer from a distance.


The Pest side quickly salvaged things, already living up to its billing as one of the most beautiful cities even as we were crossing the bridge over the Danube. From the middle of the Danube, the scope of the city was made evident, and magnificent buildings line each side of the river. King of all these was the Hungarian Parliament, topped with what seems like hundreds of little spires. Buda Castle gracefully looks down from the other side, looking more like a stately library or museum (which it now is) rather than a castle.



After walking around Pest for a while, seeing the giant St. Peter's Basilica in the center, and walking up and down some of the main roads, we settled in for a tour of the Jewish Quarter. Tours aren't something I usually enjoy doing, but this one was really well done by local volunteers, and really may have been necessary to navigate the tiny winding streets of the area.

Around the time of WWII, the Jewish Quarter was walled off from the rest of the city, and the people inside left to starve in this makeshift prison. Today, the quarter has been declared a World Heritage Site, and has become a somewhat eclectic neighborhood of collapsing buildings and monumental synagogues (including the largest in Europe). Tons of restaurants and cafes lurk inside many of the buildings, making for a truly unique atmosphere.




On our second day in Hungary, we took off on a day trip to Esztergom - home of the largest church in Hungary. We arrived after riding by commuter train and bus for about and hour and a half. The journey was well worth it, as the Basilica is a gigantic work of art. The sheer size is impressive enough, but even more so is the interior of blue marble, creating a beautiful space more than fitting to be the seat of religion in Hungary. We climbed to the top of the dome at the Basilica, which gives an incredible view of the area, including the town and across the Danube into Slovakia.


The rest of the day was spent bumming around in the charming center of Esztergom and then returning to Budapest where we took a stroll along the Danube for a bit. There we came across one of the most moving memorials in the world. A collection of bronzed shoes lines a section of the Danube near the Parliament, marking the location where Nazi soldiers regularly shot residents of the Jewish Quarter into the water. Most were never seen again or given a proper burial. As such, the shoes are filled with candles, flowers, and other mementos to keep their memory alive and to ensure that nothing so brutal ever happens again.


Our final day in Hungary continued the pattern of walking a ridiculous distance every day, this time deeper inside Pest, where we saw Vajdahunyad Castle, where a local fair was taking place. After stuffing our faces with marzipan and various meats, we watched some local kids doing a performance of some Medieval tradition, followed inevitably by some hip hop. The castle was enough of an attraction. I swear I've seen some parts of this thing in Fantasy Land at the Magic Kingdom. The thing that set this place apart and on a different level from the Fisherman's Bastion, however, was the authenticity of the place. From what I could gather, most of the visitors were locals, and the place just had a nice vibe about it, rather than the rushed and overpriced nature of the Bastion.


Our day, and our time in Hungary, came to a close at the top of Gellert Hill. The highest point in the city, the hill is covered with a massive park and is topped by an old fortress and a Communist era statue. From the fortress, the whole scope of the city unfolds before your eyes, making the climb a worthwhile experience. Bisected by the Danube, the dual nature of the city is made clear - each side trying to outdo the other in terms of grandeur. It's a lot to take in.


Overall, I think that Budapest's reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world is truly deserved. I think that's because its very nature sets it apart from other places. It's one unified place competing against itself, giving it the motivation to keep itself beautiful and to keep pushing the envelope to keep it ahead of... itself. Yet the city is a paradox in other ways as well - wonderfully classic and fashionably modern, touristic and yet with a nice local vibe, gigantic and yet liveable and eminently walkable. All of these things make Budapest a place that cannot just fade into the depths of your memory. Like the shoes that line Pest's promenade, the city remains in your mind as a place that reminds the visitor what life was once like and yet also what it could be.