The Laughing Wolf – Commentary, Punditry, and More

Pilgrimage: St. John In Sofia

In my previous post, I mentioned that St. John of Rila (St. Ivan Rilski) had spent some time in the area outside of what is now Sofia, which was known before that as Serdika. I also mentioned in this post that the nice young lady who did my second cooking lesson had a relative who was an abbot at a monastery just outside Sofia.

On my way back from Rila, she contacted me and let me know that she had spoken with him, and that while he does not speak English others who attend church at the monastery did, and that I was welcome to attend. One thing I didn’t mention is that the monastery is the German Monastery of Saint John of Rila. It is in fact on the site (or very near) where Saint John had his hut before he fled to Rila. Again, this seems to be an emerging theme of this trip.

So, Sunday morning I went to attend church at the monastery. There was one misadventure getting there (my fault), but get there I did and I really enjoyed the service. Afterwards, I was invited to join the members for the post-Liturgy meal, got to meet several of them, and they also got to know me.

It was a wonderful time, with much laughter and joking. I was told that since I had stayed in Bulgaria more than a week I was not allowed to leave. One person even offered me the contact info for his real estate person. I was then offered a ride to the closest subway station, given food to take home with me, and was on my way.

This week, I’ve already gotten a couple of calls and the short version is that I will be picked up at the subway station so I can join them again. I am very much looking forward to it, and my thought is that I will make this my regular Sunday church here. Still plan to attend weekday liturgies at a couple of churches close to me, but know where I will be spending my Sundays.

Onwards.

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Pilgrimage: Rila

Late last week, I wasn’t nudged or guided nearly as much as I was told that I needed to go to Rila and the Monastery of St. John of Rila (St. Ivan Rilski) on Saturday. In fact, it was rather emphatic. So, I found a tour that would take me there that offered two things I needed: to do my own thing for an extended time at the monastery, and to visit the cave where St. John lived and died.

A bit of background for you. St. John was a hermit who for a time lived outside of modern Sofia in a hut, said hut being in the area referred to as the mini-holy mountain. In what I suspect was his dismay, his piety and prayers became highly regarded and people began seeking him out. This eventually included people like the Tsar, who wanted to meet him. Agents of any crown are not necessarily noted for subtlety or taking no for an answer, so he literally had to evade them. In turn, this fueled his decision to flee to the area outside of Rila, where he hoped to regain his solitude. Eventually, those who wanted to be his students found him, built a small church in front of his cave, and shielded him from most visitors. Eventually, a full monastery was established nearby. There’s a lot more and it is worth your time to read up on him as this really doesn’t do him or his story justice.

Now, St. John of Rila has an icon in our Church, but it is in some ways secondary to some other saints. He is also not one of those saints who speaks to me, at least not in a way I recognize as such. That said, I did ask him more than once to guide me on this pilgrimage, particularly on my journey to his monastery and to visit him. I do think I got what I asked for.

After a stop at a museum here in Sofia, we started the hour-plus (two hour?) journey to Rila. I was prepared, but I will say that when the tour guide emphasizes several times that bathrooms will be limited on a trip you should pay attention.

When you first leave the valley and start into the foothills, some of the terrain reminds me very much of NE Georgia. So much so it actually makes me a bit homesick for it. Then you get just a bit further, and I am far more reminded of the Rockies. From what (little) I have seen of it so far, Bulgaria is a beautiful country and I would love to explore it further.

Now, I have heard it said that the insides of Orthodox churches are effectively graphic novels of the life of Christ. In this case, these photos are all of the exterior of the church at the center of the complex. The fresco’s are amazing, and you get not only the life of Christ, but also a bit of the Old Testament precursor stories. You can spend an hour or two just looking at these details.

I want to share these with you because I did not take photos inside the church. They ask you not to, but even though you can get some of the gorgeous interior from outside, it just isn’t right to share such in my opinion. Especially given what was to come.

Inside, I did my usual of lighting candles, as I pray for several members of our Church everywhere I go. I also pray for guidance for me on this pilgrimage and my spiritual journey. On this trip, some additional things happened that I did not plan or anticipate.

I won’t go into all the details, but I was given the opportunity to venerate relics of St. John of Rila directly. They are kept in a small casket that was opened by a priest so a few of us could venerate them.

After that, I was blessed by the priest and had the opportunity to take a cotton applicator that had been blessed while on the relics. This will go home to my priest so it can be used to anoint members of my Church.

A few minutes after that, I was anointed by that same priest. None of this was planned. It was not something expected or that I had asked to have happen. However, even as dense as I am, I figured out this was part of the reason I had been told to get there. Some more time was spent in prayer, then it was time to return to the bus so that those of us who had opted to go up to the cave could do so.

Now, the photo above does not give you a good idea of how steep, long, and narrow (and rough) the path up to the cave is. In fact, it makes it look rather sedate and easy, with the shadows suggesting steps that are not there. Of course, just after our guide told us to be careful and I passed that sign, I managed to fall flat on my face.

The nice young Italian couple that made sure I didn’t take the fast way down, with us standing near the church built at the entrance to
St. John’s cave.

This is something the physical therapist worked with me on last summer, when I finally got the physical therapy I should have had four years earlier. A lot of what is going on is reminding the brain that it has done this before, and can do it again. I used to run up and down hills that were as steep or steeper for years. The more I did, the more the brain began to remember. It was not pleasant in some respects, as my balance is no where near what it used to be. I also thought I was going to get in trouble, as it was up the trail a ways that I admitted to the guide that I had been hit by lightning. Some people apparently seem to think you should mention that when the tour booking and then the tour guide ask about medical conditions. Huh. Go figure.

Not sure if she was resigned about things at that point, or just a good sport, but I wasn’t in trouble. I did, however, have a nice young Italian couple from the tour stay with me and make sure I got up and down the hill without falling off. That, too, seems to becoming a theme for this trip, nice young couples being very nice to the old man. I am not old, I am still a teenager (in my mind).. Quit laughing. The tour guide got this shot of me coming out the upper exit of the cave, called the narrow way. Supposedly, only the pure may pass through and/or all sins are scraped off. It is interesting, as at one point your legs are sorta hanging out in space inside the cave while you pull yourself through a very tight opening.

For me, the problem wasn’t my gut, but my shoulders. The only way to get out was to put one arm and shoulder out, while reaching for my toes with the other arm. Once I got far enough, a partial roll and a twist let me work the other shoulder then arm out. The photo earlier was taken just after I had gotten my feet under me. And, yes, I did wear my fedora through the cave along with my Scott-E-Vest. And, yes, you also have to do some ducking, twisting, and almost crawling getting in as well.

As I said earlier, still processing what happened in the monastery church. This trip has brought several such moments already, but that one really hit home for me. In some ways I’ve got even more questions than before; but, I am also more sure I will be guided to that which is right.

Onwards.

Pilgrimage: Second Bulgarian Cooking Lesson

A week after my first lesson, I had my second lesson last Friday evening at the home of Yana, my hostess. I had found her class on the Air B&B site, and we had “talked” by e-mail as she wanted to customize the class for me. She had also asked about allergies and related, which was very much appreciated. It is done in her home, which is in one of the newer parts of Sofia, which also allowed me to see more of the city as I made my way there.

I don’t have a lot of photos as she took photos of me so I could see and remember what I did during the lesson. We are still in the process of sending such as we have gotten tied up on some other things. More on that in a minute.

Again, we did banitsa; but, this time we did the dough from scratch. It isn’t hard, but does take a bit of time to make your own filo dough. Worth it though! We started with the banitsa first as it would take the longest time to cook.

Our second bit of cooking revolves around a stew cooked in a special clay pot. There are a multitude of variations, and you can cheat a bit if you want to. We did a little bit of a “cheat” to keep the cooking time reasonable. We cooked the chicken, vegetables, and some of the spices on the stove top rather than doing the several hours at low temps normally done. Along the way, I was given a host of suggestions and advice, especially as I now have an individual sized pot that I can practice with here in the apartment.

We also cooked up some of the Bulgarian version of polenta. The stew I mentioned can be served straight out of the clay pot, or, it can also be served over the polenta. Now the polenta does cook quickly, and it is finished by melting butter and roasting some smoked paprika in it to release the oils and flavors. That really did make that dish!

Yana knows her cooking, and her food history. I learned about where and when certain foods show up in Bulgarian history, and how they have changed over the centuries. For example, the rice used in the rice and meat mixture for stuffing peppers and cabbage leaves is a fairly recent thing. It used to be that bulgar wheat and raisins were the prime ingredients in the stuffing as they were inexpensive and easy to find.

Salads are another recent introduction to Bulgarian cuisine, having become popular about a century ago. Today, there are about three “main” salads, with a host of variants, that are a key element of a traditional meal. The one you see above is an Easter variant, and a little closer to Pascha you would see several decorated eggs as a part of it. The pink items are home-pickled radishes that give a bit of color. The dressings are usually lite, mainly oil and vinegar.

Again, I can’t recommend Yana and her “class” highly enough. She knows her food, she’s been cooking at home all her life, and she knows the history of her food. She’s also a charming young lady who is happy to share the techniques and food she learned from her grandmothers and mother. More than that, she is kind enough to open her home to her guests and make them feel at home. Highly, highly recommended.

Now, non-cooking, it turns out both she and her boyfriend know a fair bit about, and are very interested in, space exploration and science. We ended up having some far ranging and long conversations, examining everything from personalities (Elon as one example) to types of research and the “why” behind doing some things. I’m afraid we stayed up very late (especially by my standards).

One conversation also turned into something a bit more that I will likely discuss more later. Short version for now, she mentioned that a relative on her mother’s side was a monk who had spent time on Mount Athos, and was now in charge of a monastery just outside Sofia. Would I be interested in visiting? Yes. The rest of the tale comes soon. 🙂

Again, I can’t recommend this cooking event highly enough. I can’t believe more don’t do this, and urge you to take it if you come to Sofia. You will not be sorry.

Pilgrimage: First Bulgarian Cooking Lesson

I’ve mentioned it, but it is time to share more about my first Bulgarian cooking lesson. I actually started working on this lesson about six months ago, after seeing an ad for it on Tripadvisor and contacting the hostess with some questions. I got back in touch with her a few weeks ago, and discovered she was heading out of town on extended business.

However, it turns out she is Orthodox and since I was coming on a pilgrimage, she offered to do a solo class for me before she left. She also made a number of introductions and suggestions to me in regards my pilgrimage.

Mariela is a neat lady, and no that name is not a traditional Bulgarian name. One of her grandfathers was Bulgarian, who among other things left her with some very good recipes. Her other grandfather was named Batista, and was overthrown by Fidel Castro. She’s lived at different times in Cuba (still has family there), in Bulgaria, and in a few other places along the way. Today, she also has a television show here in Sofia (we were stopped more than once by fans) where she cooks with the people she’s interviewing.

We actually met in front of the Presidential Palace/Residence, where we walked through a vehicle entrance so she could show me a church inside the area. We then toured the Roman ruins of ancient Serdika and got me to start downloading some software that displays what the area used to look like 2000 years ago. More on that in another post soon.

Our next stop was the old Central Market (these days a Kaufland grocery store) to get a few things, then on to the Women’s Market for a few more and introductions to some of the vendors. Once we were done shopping, we caught the Metro (subway) to her home and began cooking. And cooking, and cooking, and yet more cooking. She told me about the food, showed me how she did some of the prep work, and shared about some previous classes as she has had everyone from celebrities on to just regular people take them over the years.

Then, I was made to sit and the feast began. We started with an appetizer that used one of her Bulgarian grandfather’s recipes. I know I said it once before, but that is not catsup on there, but a Bulgarian condiment made from paprika peppers (and I think is much, much tastier than catsup/ketchup). That’s some nice Bulgarian cheese in between for nibbling.

The next step was a cucumber and yogurt soup. Bulgarian yogurt can be from cow milk, sheep milk, or goat milk. So far, it’s all been good. Know there is a goat’s milk yogurt I can get at home that I may use for this.

Then we moved on to stuffed paprika peppers and cabbage rolls stuffed with a rice and meat mixture

And finished with a cheese pie (banitsa) that we made.

In addition to the link above, you can also catch Mariela on Facebook. We had a great time, and I highly recommend her to you.

By the way, the meal was so good the local mob boss wanted a share. 🙂 Just so you know, he’s elderly, quite deaf, and very sweet. Hard to blame him for wanting to take part.

Pilgrimage: Bulgarian Wine Tasting

As you get into this, I ask you to remember that I promised to try to do some videos. I never said a thing about doing good videos. What I will say is that you can tell this is the first I’ve done in a decade or so. There were issues on-site as I learned how to operate the new equipment, so there are some gaps but the core information is there.

The tasting of Bulgarian wine and cheese was fantastic, and I highly recommend Alexander to those of you lucky enough to travel to Sofia. You can get information and sign up through Air B&B or go directly to the website for his shop, Coupage Wine & Cheese. The man is personable, professional, and knowledgeable — and it shows both in the video and even more in person. Spending time at one of his tastings, be it wine or other, is time well spent and at a price that is a steal.

I’m going to let him speak for himself in the video, but will note that we tried two whites and three red wines. The wine and the cheese that accompanied the wines were all from Bulgaria. I’m beginning to seriously question why Bulgaria is not more of a food destination, as I’ve found the cuisine to be robustly complex and the quality of the ingredients to be high indeed. The cheeses in particular hold their own, and there is a wide variety from which to choose. The local wines and spirits do so as well, and I’m reminded of both Australia and South Africa when they were new to the world when I deal with Bulgarian wines.

Again, I’m going to let his comments speak to the individual wines we tried, but will share the following. The white wines we tried were solid, and I would cheerfully have them again and pair them with a variety of foods. That said, it wasn’t a particular wine that moved me; rather, it was two variety of grapes unique to Bulgaria that rocked me.

Wines from the Rubin variety of grapes are solid, rich, and complex. They should pair incredibly well with everything from Italian dishes to ham and other strong dishes. The color is dark indeed, and both the nose and the taste feature a complex array of spice, tobacco, leather with a depth that would put a lot of cabs to shame.

The second variety of grape is Mavrud. The color reminds me of dark garnet or ruby. In the nose and taste, I caught blueberry for a delightful moment, then black currant, blackberry, and similar notes. It is unusual in that it is a dry wine, but incredibly fruity. In some ways it reminds me of an old vine zinfandel, but kicked up a couple of orders of magnitude. It is an incredibly complex flavor, with a solid mouthfeel where tannins come out on the sides of the tongue even as leather and tobacco take center stage on the palette. It is quite good with beef and I’ve found it to work well with a variety of foods.

The Melnik/Melnik 55 wines are quite good as well, and I suspect will more than hold their own on the world stage. That said, I think anyone who gets wines from the Rubin and Mavrud varieties onto U.S. menus and palettes is going to make bank. Add in some of the Melnik wines as a base tier, keep all of them as limited editions/non-bulk, and it should be a slam dunk.

Yes, there are some junk Bulgarian wines. I’m sure there is a version of ‘no wine before it’s time which was five minutes ago’ wine out there. By sticking to these grapes and avoiding the standard varietals (Syrah, cab, etc.) I’ve had some very good wines at a very good price. Again, think of Bulgarian wines as you would have Australian wines 20-30 years ago, or South African wines a decade ago. The better Bulgarian wines are a solid addition to any cellar.

Largest problem you are going to have with that is that very little is exported overseas for now. There are some efforts underway to get Bulgarian wines into the U.S. market, but those are hampered by the fact they are not mass-produced, which limits interest from the big importers. Which is why I think a smaller operation will make bank on them by keeping it small and good, and going for quality rather than quantity.

More to come, as I also did a Rakia tasting with Alexander. Oh, and if you are wondering about why he (we both, actually) kept looking away, it was because of things going on outside his store or when customers came in. It is a working store with a small footprint, and made for a relaxed experience. I would go so far as to say that it added a special charm to things you won’t get in a more sanitized and isolated corporate event.

One of the things I’ve very much enjoyed on the Pilgrimage is that things can be a bit more relaxed here. It is nice to pull up a table outside, have a nice hot or cold libation (the weather has been interesting, with days in the 40s or in the 70s and nights staying in the 30s), and just watch the people and critters. Being able to sit back and be relaxed with Alexander meant a much deeper and rewarding experience, as he was able to digress into discussions of regions, varietals, and other topics that were of interest but seem never to get covered in more formal events.

So, if you get the chance to visit Alexander and take part in one of his tastings, do so! They are also a great opportunity for a small group event (5-7 people). Highly recommended, especially if it is your first visit to Bulgaria as you can learn a lot about the country and it’s wine.

Please Stand By

I’ve made my first video in at least a decade (and boy does it show!) if not longer. What is taking even longer right now is uploading it. Two-plus hours and we are not even to twenty percent yet. However, lot of solid info from a very knowledgeable host on Bulgarian wines. I want to be on record that anyone who gets Bulgarian wines based off the Rubin and Marvud varieties into the American market and palette is going to be set for life. Forget increasing output, keep they niche and limited quantity and I think you can get prices in the $30-$50 range per bottle. They are that different and that good. Going to try to get a couple of bottles home to share.

Pilgrimage: Quick SITREP

Sorry, didn’t mean to go dark this long, but things went in some very unexpected and wonderful ways. This will be a quick overview, and more detailed posts on food, wine, rakia, and other topics are on the way.

Friday, in addition to needing to do some shopping, I had my second Bulgarian cooking lesson. Am going to be doing detailed reports on both, and will highly recommend both to anyone coming to Sofia. It turns out both of the ladies who did the courses are Orthodox, and both have provided some very interesting introductions. The nice young lady on Friday said a relative of her mother’s was at a monastery here on the outskirts of Sofia, and asked if I would like to visit? Of course, and it turns out he’s the Abbot. More on this is just a bit.

After a very late night (the young lady, her boyfriend, and I ended up talking space, science, and more until quite late), I got up early and caught a tour bus to Rila to visit the monastery of St. John of Rila (St. Ivan Rilski). The tour was primarily for a group of Italian tourists, though about four Spaniards and myself helped round things out a bit. I remembered more Italian from when I was 12 than I thought I did, and thankfully the tour guide (fantastic lady) also shared key things in English. At the monastery, I — very unexpectedly — had the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. John, was blessed, and then anointed. Then, I made the climb up a mountain to the cave where he lived (and died) and even made it out through the “narrow way” that only the pure can pass/scrapes off all sins (and some skin if not careful). I only fell once on the climb, right at the start, and had a wonderful young Italian couple keep an eye on me the rest of the journey. No, my balance has not been good since the lightning strike.

As we were on the way back to Sofia, got a message from the Friday cooking lesson lady, who had talked to her relative. He didn’t speak English, others did, come on out to visit was the basic message. So, Sunday morning bright and early, I got a taxi and went to what I thought was the right location. It wasn’t. My fault. Took a while to get another taxi, but did eventually get to the right location and had an amazing visit at the German Monastery of St. John of Rila. Are you catching a theme here? After the service, I was invited to join the members for a meal, and had a great time. I was also told that since I had stayed in Bulgaria more than a week already, I was not allowed to leave but had to stay. One gentleman even offered to give me the number for his real estate person so I could buy an apartment. Given what I’ve seen on anti-social media in the aftermath of the latest assassination attempt, I’m thinking St. John had a good idea and am wondering what a gently used cave might run…

Yesterday, I finished up all the coursework for my theology course. All that is left is the final, and given how the midterm went (I passed, but not like I should have given all) I am not looking forward to it. I don’t see myself being able to do regular schooling again. Doing remote learning works a lot better, but even that has been a challenge. We will see what happens.

This morning, while working on this, got contacted on WhatsApp by some of the people I met Sunday. Short version is that they are making arrangements to pick me up for Church this Sunday.

So, it has been busy and a bit overwhelming. There are still elements of Saturday that I’m processing. I did the tour just to get down there, and because I could in effect leave the tour and do my own thing (mostly prayer) while there. I had no expectation of anything more, though I had asked St. John to guide my visit to him and his monastery before I left the U.S. Never expected it would be literally to him. Then to find out my Sunday service was at the German Monastery of St. John of Rila (had just heard/been told it was the German monastery, named for the nearby town of German) and built at/on the site of St. John’s hut where he lived before fleeing to Rila to escape the constant visits/people.

That’s the quick version, more detailed posts are on the way later today and tomorrow. Sorry to be dark so long, but it has been very interesting and almost completely in good ways. I’m exhausted, but happy. In fact, that’s probably a bit of an understatement. Need to do some housecleaning, get caught up a bit, but will get caught up here as quickly as I can!

Pilgrimage: Thursday Shopping

The center of the market is a long stretch of different vendors offering fresh foods of all types.

Yesterday morning dawning bright and sunny, if a bit chilly, I decided to go get my shopping done for most of next week. Friday was already filling up fast, including another cooking lesson, and Saturday will (hopefully) see me on a day tour to Rila. So, it was time to do shopping and I went to see if two of the vendors that had been recommended to me were there.

Literally almost directly across the river from me

The Women’s Market is not more than a couple of hundred yards (if that) across the river from the end of my street. For all that the street doesn’t connect to the “new” road, the sidewalks do and if there were a way across I could be there in about a minute. The Women’s Market is really the local farmer’s market with stores along the route hosting various butchers, fish mongers, and other stores selling various specialty goods.

One of several fish mongers along the route

Both were there, and I made out like a bandit at one of them. I fear the second one got the better of me, especially if I understood a comment made by an older lady watching the exchange correctly. Bad enough I won’t go back, and frankly won’t need to given all I can get at the other. More on that in a bit.

Repair/Renovations being done to the exterior of the historic synagogue.

I took my gains home and got them in the refrigerator, then had to go get more cash for round two. As long as I was at it, I also stopped at a bakery I’ve wanted to try and got some bread, and then I went and toured the local synagogue on my way back to the upper end of the Women’s Market.

Hoping you can read the English portion of the sign.

It’s not just any synagogue as the photo above tells the story. It is, in fact, the largest Sephardic synagogue in Europe. It was built after Bulgaria won it’s freedom from the Turks and has survived WWII and communism as well. Two things I will share real quick.

There is security, obvious and less-than obvious. Unlike here, I told them before trying to come in that I had a pocket knife. Gave it to them, told basically that it was nice and they would hold it for me while I was inside; but, be sure to get it back before I left. Here, security would probably have to change their underwear at merely being asked and I would never have seen it again had I tried to enter. Second, security was good enough that for the first time ever the plates in my chest were detected. I showed my card to them, explained I had to be put back together a bit after being hit by lightning and was allowed to go on in. They were shaking their heads at everything that came out of my Scot-E vest and my 5.11 shirt with the hidden pockets. Yes, I am a packrat.

The chandelier is one of the largest and heaviest in Europe apparently.

Second, inside, once you bought your tour ticket, they have a wifi set-up that brings up a guided tour in your language. Things are numbered, and you can pull that “station” up and either read it or listen to it. It was a great system that I wish more places would consider using.

I was glad I went, as I can’t remember the last time I was in a synagogue of any type. It may have been when I was in high school working on my God and Country award for Boy Scouts. Really don’t remember, so treating this as the first time in some respects.

I have the Fuzzy Slippers, I have the power!

Then I walked a couple of blocks and hit the Women’s Market at the upper end and started working my way down. The shoe shop I was looking for, having bought a pair of bath slippers from them my second day here, was open and I now have my fuzzy slippers! It started as a bit of a joke in conversations with others, and then became a mini-quest. A needed one IMO since we’ve dropped down into the 30s at night the last few nights. Not the model I was after, but finding them in my size was a challenge. Thank goodness this isn’t Japan as I would be out of luck.

Along the way, I visited the church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. I can see it almost from my apartment, but this time it was open when I went by so I went in to pray for a bit. Found out they do an early Liturgy every morning, and am planning to attend at least one next week. Want to ask an Orthodox friend of mine here about the church and get their take on it.

At any rate, I am now stocked up with farm-fresh whole raw milk, raw milk yogurt, fresh butter, various cheeses, fresh eggs, lunch meat, sausages, and more from my first run. I got most of the above from one vendor for about 20 euro. The big wheel of cheese and the dry sausages I got from the other vendor, and I’m not telling. Like I said, think I got taken. Smile. Oh, and no idea what is in the small bottle with red liquid, one of the vendors tossed it in my bag as a freebie. Oh, and from the good vendor you can also get fresh goat and sheep’s milk, yogurt, and cheeses. The feta you see is made from the sheep’s milk.

Oh, that wheel of fresh homemade cheese is delicious.

The second run netted me fresh strawberries, bread, a snack, and a local pottery dish used to make a special stew. This one is for me to practice with here. For the meal I plan to cook for my church after I get back, am going to order three large (5 or 6 liter) ones from the source so I can get them shipped. Got a matching mug as well because I have a thing for mugs/cups when I travel. Before I forget, the little dry sausages have a good flavor (this being Bulgaria there is paprika in them) and remind me a bit of the German Jaeger sausages. Thinking I will pick up some cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs to make a salad out of the mozzarella-type balls. Add some olive oil and a bit of balsamic, should be good.

Not planning on sharing any of the dairy with this fine fellow though. One of the many feral cats that haunts the area around me. I see a number of them up on the roof of the old garage. Some run as soon as I come out; some glare at me; some ignore me; and a couple just sort of nod. Not too worried about rodents and other pests in the area.

Onwards!

Pilgrimage: Basilica of Saint Sophia

I just realized I never did get this posted the other day, so, time to make up for lost time. The basilica may well be the oldest church in what is now Sofia, in that the original church was built pretty much when Christianity became legal.

Then, Sofia was a Roman town known as Serdika (Serdica according to some), and it was a town without a founding mythos: it simply was regarded as having always been there. The Romans made it their hub in the region because of the hot springs that were used for the baths. If I haven’t already posted such, I will post a picture or three of some of the many Roman ruins here. In the heart of the old city, I don’t think you can dig down more than ten feet without hitting Roman ruins.

The original “basilica” was a simple, small, church built over the site of the necropolis (city of the dead, aka the town cemetery). Later, a larger church was built on the same site, and finally the current basilica was built. You can still see portions of the walls of the original church and the second under the current church.

And, yes, I said under. Extensive archeological excavations and preservation were carried out starting in the early 1900s and today you can go into the basement, pay a fee, and tour the tombs and other things unearthed in the process. Being a history geek, I found it well worth doing and probably spent an hour (or more) happily going along the walkways and paths. The signage is quite good, and the English portion is very well done.

You can see down into parts of the excavations from the floor of the current basilica. It was also quite neat to look up from down below and watch what was going on upstairs as well. For anyone interested, I paid the fee to be able to take photos, worth it.

The current basilica was only reconsecrated and made a working church again fairly recently. At least in archeological terms. Sadly, pretty much all the original decoration is long gone but what is left is beautiful in it’s own way. To me at least.

For those not familiar with Saint Sophia, it really is the Basilica of Saints Sophia, Faith (12), Hope (10), and Love (9) as the latter three were the young daughters of Saint Sophia, who was a widow. During the reign of Hadrian, they all openly lived and professed their faith during a time of grave persecution. They were denounced directly to the emperor by a (minor) official, and the emperor had them brought to Rome to stand before him.

He tried individually to get each girl to renounce their faith (no go), then brought them together as a family to try. Again, they refused. So, Hadrian did the worst thing he could think of to try and get them to renounce Christ: he had the girls tortured in front of their mother, who was made to watch their sufferings as they were burned on grates, hit or dunked into boiling tar, etc. The youngest girl, Love, was bound to a wheel and beaten. I don’t recommend looking up what those tortures, especially the wheel, actually entailed unless you have a strong stomach. Eventually, all three girls were beheaded in front of their mother.

During all of it, none of them renounced their faith. It’s one of the reasons they beheaded the girls, and tradition says they willingly bent their necks to the swords. Again, Hadrian thought the worst thing he could do would be to send Sophia out with the bodies of her girls, so she got a cart and caskets, and took them out beyond the walls of the city and buried them on a hillside with honor. Then, she sat down beside their graves and three days later died. Local Christians then buried her beside her children. Their relics are currently housed in a Roman Catholic church.

There is a huge statue of “Sophia” here in Sofia, and while I have a photo of it I choose not to share it. Frankly, the statue is pagan at best, and poorly done on several levels in my opinion. It looks more like a witch-queen with her in black (white is the gown of a martyr), and an owl on her arm to help emphasize that Sophia is supposed to have great wisdom. The local Christian community raised a stink about the statue, but nothing was done. The reason why is why I might should be more careful with my words here, as it turns out the mayor’s wife was apparently the model for the face of the statue, and the mayor is the one who said that even though most don’t like it, it stays as is. Smile. Some aspects of politics are universal.

Pilgrimage: Rainy And Cold Wednesday

Yesterday proved to be a good day to concentrate on my seminary class as it was cold, overcast, and a bit wet. The sun did peak out for a little bit midday, but it really was another wee gra da.

A good day to stay inside for the most part, which worked out well as the lecture turned out to be four hours instead of two. I was not entirely thrilled with that, but it is what it is. Taking the class is an experiment on and for me.

After the lightning strike, I had some short- and long-term memory issues. One of the therapists explained the long-term issues as being from my root directory getting trashed, and the brain having to figure out where everything was stored again. Most was good, but there were some odd gaps and I still occasionally “find” a memory that was misfiled.

The short-term memory issues we spent a lot of time dealing with via coping mechanisms. I still use a number of them, and live by lists to this day. If I don’t have a list, things often don’t get done. I have gotten to where I will, often, remember those things but it can be a while. As in days or weeks, not hours.

According to the latest round of cognitive testing I did last year, the neurologists say my memory is fine. Unofficially, the doc who oversaw the testing had a talk with me about the fact that it’s not that I can’t remember things; rather, it is that the conditions to form new long-term memories are not always present. In fact, they may not be present a good bit of the time.

Yes, the testing can be gamed and yes I have gamed the tests (I still do good at pattern recognition). Not long after I got struck, insurance and others (who stood to make a lot of money off it courtesy of federal funding) pushed home care and assisted living — hard. I wasn’t interested in that at all, and like being independent. So, I played the game with the tests even though there were downsides (including financial).

I’ve been trying to do some of the things that can provide the right conditions for long-term memory development with the class. It’s not natural for me and frankly I’m absent minded and as a result don’t always do what I should. It is one reason I make extensive notes, as the process of writing can help with retention as does repetition. Give me a few thousand times and I will eventually memorize the Trisagion Prayers. A few thousand times is not always an option for a class.

One thing with doing this class and doing the open-book tests with this class is that it helps me to determine how well I could do in a traditional class. Sad thing is, I’m not sure I would do well in a traditional class. In fact, right now, I’m pretty sure I would not. Got to do some serious thinking about such, and give the issue up to God. Meantime, I want to pass the class and if possible, do well at it. I can be a touch competitive on occasion, and this time it is in part with myself and what I used to be capable of doing. I don’t want to just pass, I want to ace it. Probably not going to happen, but…

Meantime, working the logistics for Mount Athos hard. Plan to go out in a bit and see if I can find out when a church near me is having services, and also check on a couple of others. Meantime, I’ve booked a day trip to go visit Rila on Saturday, and have my second cooking class tomorrow. Need to hit the Women’s market today or tomorrow morning to shop for fresh goods (milk, eggs, cheese, fresh veggies, etc. Also, see if the shoe guy is open again so I can get my fuzzy slippers. With temps dropping back down into the 30s at night, want them. Life is too short not to have fuzzy slippers.

Also, am amused at watching trucks and other vehicles back down the street out front. Since it doesn’t connect on one end, most traffic has to back down. Watching the garbage truck back down each day is entertaining.

Onwards!