Today has become the hottest day for 2006 with temperatures reaching a sizzling 42 degrees, the hottest areas of Bulgaria today are Sandanski, Petrich, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora. The city of Plovdiv broke it's own records today as temperature topped 39 degrees which is an all time high for the second largest city in Bulgaria.
The hottest temperature since records began in Bulgaria was 45.2 degrees and this was in 1916.
I was in Plovdiv only 2 months ago when the temperature then reached 36 degrees, most people do not realise how warm Bulgaria can get during the summer months with August being the hottest month.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Bulgarian National Anthem
The Bulgarian national anthem was written in 1885 by Tsvetan Radoslavov, a Bulgarian student who was just about to leave for the Serbo - Bulgarian war. The Bulgarian national anthem is called Mila Rodino which translates as Dear Motherland.
Below is the Bulgarian national anthem translated into English
Stately old mountain,
next to it the Danube blue,
shining upon Trakiya,
the sun burns over Pirin. (area of the Rhodope mountains)
Chorus-
Dear motherland,
you are paradise on earth,
your beauty and your charm,
ah, they have no bounds.
Countless fighters gave their lives for our beloved people.
Mother, give us manly strength to carry on their course.
To listen to the Bulgarian National Anthem Click Here (Download is from BBC.co.uk and opens in Real Player)
Below is the Bulgarian national anthem translated into English
Stately old mountain,
next to it the Danube blue,
shining upon Trakiya,
the sun burns over Pirin. (area of the Rhodope mountains)
Chorus-
Dear motherland,
you are paradise on earth,
your beauty and your charm,
ah, they have no bounds.
Countless fighters gave their lives for our beloved people.
Mother, give us manly strength to carry on their course.
To listen to the Bulgarian National Anthem Click Here (Download is from BBC.co.uk and opens in Real Player)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Montana in Bulgaria
Montana is a small town in north west Bulgaria and is situated on the river Ogosta.
Montana is an old town dating back to what is believed to be Thracian times although first real records show it was a Roman town which the Romans gave great importance for the region. The Romans at the time buit a fortress above the town on top of a hill for protection.
Since 1878, the year of Bulgaria's liberation the town of Montana has increased dramatically in population, in 1878 the population were only 750 inhabitants (of which 600 were Turkish), today Montana has a population of roughly 50,000.
Montana is a recent name for the town, the town became known as Montana in 1993 after a presidential decree.
Montana has changed names many times through out history as can be seen below
Municipio Montanensium - Romans (BC)
Kutlovitsa - Slavs
Ferdinand - 1890 Bulgarians upon liberation
Hristo Mihaylov - 1945 Communists, after a Red party activist
Mihaylovgrad - 1946
Montana - 1993 till today
Montana is an old town dating back to what is believed to be Thracian times although first real records show it was a Roman town which the Romans gave great importance for the region. The Romans at the time buit a fortress above the town on top of a hill for protection.
Since 1878, the year of Bulgaria's liberation the town of Montana has increased dramatically in population, in 1878 the population were only 750 inhabitants (of which 600 were Turkish), today Montana has a population of roughly 50,000.
Montana is a recent name for the town, the town became known as Montana in 1993 after a presidential decree.
Montana has changed names many times through out history as can be seen below
Municipio Montanensium - Romans (BC)
Kutlovitsa - Slavs
Ferdinand - 1890 Bulgarians upon liberation
Hristo Mihaylov - 1945 Communists, after a Red party activist
Mihaylovgrad - 1946
Montana - 1993 till today
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Bulgarian mobile telephone networks
There were only 2 mobile phone operators in Bulgaria but a recent third addition has been added.
The 3 mobile phone operators in Bulgaria are
Mtel
Globul
Vivatel
Mtel is owned by Telekom Austria and has 3.6 million users which makes it the largest telephone operator in Bulgaria
The second largest is Globul who have 2.5 million users and is owned by OTE (the national telephone operator of Greece)
The third largest and the newest addition to the mobile telephone operators in Bulgaria is Vivatel and they have 300,000 users and are owned by Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC)
The 3 mobile phone operators in Bulgaria are
Mtel
Globul
Vivatel
Mtel is owned by Telekom Austria and has 3.6 million users which makes it the largest telephone operator in Bulgaria
The second largest is Globul who have 2.5 million users and is owned by OTE (the national telephone operator of Greece)
The third largest and the newest addition to the mobile telephone operators in Bulgaria is Vivatel and they have 300,000 users and are owned by Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC)
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Bulgarian Weather
Bulgaria has the best of both worlds when it comes to tourism due to it's weather, in the summer it can reach upto 45 degrees while in the winter it can be as cold as -20 degrees. Because of these extremes Bulgaria has a wonderful hot summer and also a cold, snowy winter which makes for great skiing. Bulgaria is such a diverse land full of wonder and the weather adds to this too, I have been in Bulgaria when snow is REALLY deep and other times when the sun is scorching, this is what has made Bulgaria such an up and coming place for tourism.
Bulgaria is such a wonderful country and I love it so much
Bulgaria is such a wonderful country and I love it so much
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Shopska Salata
Shopska is a traditional Bulgarian salad , it's name originates from the word Shopi that is the name for peasants who live in the Sofia region of Bulgaria.
Shopska salad is another tasty Bulgarian dish that is quite easy to make and is also very good for you.
To make Shopska you need the following ingredients
3-4 Tomatoes, Cucumber, 4-5 peppers, an onion and 150 grams of Sirene, a brined cheese (you can only get Sirene in Bulgaria so you can change this for Feta cheese), parsley, sunflower oil, vinegar and salt.
Bake then peel the peppers, cutting them into small pieces, dice the cucumber, onion and tomatoes, mix in a bowl with salt, oil and vinegar then serve with finely chopped parsley and grated cheese on top.
Shopska salad is another tasty Bulgarian dish that is quite easy to make and is also very good for you.
To make Shopska you need the following ingredients
3-4 Tomatoes, Cucumber, 4-5 peppers, an onion and 150 grams of Sirene, a brined cheese (you can only get Sirene in Bulgaria so you can change this for Feta cheese), parsley, sunflower oil, vinegar and salt.
Bake then peel the peppers, cutting them into small pieces, dice the cucumber, onion and tomatoes, mix in a bowl with salt, oil and vinegar then serve with finely chopped parsley and grated cheese on top.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Bulgarian Cuisine
I LOVE Bulgarian food, it tastes great and some of it is so simple to make and it is good for you too.
For the next few days I will post different Bulgarian recipes that are easy to make and taste great, this way you can have a little piece of Bulgaria in your home and maybe surprise your family and friends with your culinary skills.
The first recipe is for Tarator, Tarator is on the EU list of national dishes for Bulgaria.
Tarator
Tarator is a cold dish that Bulgarians drink in the summer time as it's a great dish to have while sitting out in the sun. Tarator is eaten like a soup but you would class it more as a salad.
Ingredients for Tarator - Feeds 4 or more
One cucumber, pot of natural yoghurt (500 ml), garlic cloves or fennel leaves, walnuts, salt, vegetabel oil and vinegar.
Making Tarator
Grate the cucumber
Dilute the Yoghurt with water (2 parts water to 3 parts yoghurt) - You can adjust to your own taste
If you have chosen garlic then grate the garlic cloves / if you chose fennel leaves cut them into small lengths of about one centimetre
Crush your walnuts into small pieces (not too small)
Mix all your ingredients together in the bowl and add the salt, vinegar and oil to your taste.
Now you have made Tarator, serve as a starter to a main meal or as a salad.
My favourite way of making Tarator is using fennel leaves instead of garlic and I tend not to use oil and only add a pinch of salt and drop of vinegar.
For the next few days I will post different Bulgarian recipes that are easy to make and taste great, this way you can have a little piece of Bulgaria in your home and maybe surprise your family and friends with your culinary skills.
The first recipe is for Tarator, Tarator is on the EU list of national dishes for Bulgaria.
Tarator
Tarator is a cold dish that Bulgarians drink in the summer time as it's a great dish to have while sitting out in the sun. Tarator is eaten like a soup but you would class it more as a salad.
Ingredients for Tarator - Feeds 4 or more
One cucumber, pot of natural yoghurt (500 ml), garlic cloves or fennel leaves, walnuts, salt, vegetabel oil and vinegar.
Making Tarator
Grate the cucumber
Dilute the Yoghurt with water (2 parts water to 3 parts yoghurt) - You can adjust to your own taste
If you have chosen garlic then grate the garlic cloves / if you chose fennel leaves cut them into small lengths of about one centimetre
Crush your walnuts into small pieces (not too small)
Mix all your ingredients together in the bowl and add the salt, vinegar and oil to your taste.
Now you have made Tarator, serve as a starter to a main meal or as a salad.
My favourite way of making Tarator is using fennel leaves instead of garlic and I tend not to use oil and only add a pinch of salt and drop of vinegar.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
News on the grapevine
Guess what.....from September the 1st 2006 it is reported that UK citizens will not require a visa to enter Bulgaria. Currently UK citizens can only enter Bulgaria for 30 days every 6 months, from the 1st September British nationals will be able to stay in Bulgaria visa free for 90 days in every 6 months.
These regulations are to bring Bulgaria a step closer to meeting EU standards. I had to shout this from the roof tops as this affects me greatly due to my constant travels to Bulgaria with my wife, although now we are married I may be able to get a more permanent visa.
These regulations are to bring Bulgaria a step closer to meeting EU standards. I had to shout this from the roof tops as this affects me greatly due to my constant travels to Bulgaria with my wife, although now we are married I may be able to get a more permanent visa.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
The capital of Bulgaria.... Sofia
Sofia is situated in the west of Bulgaria and has a population of 1.25 million and is the main economic region in Bulgaria. As the financial hub of Bulgaria, Sofia is the home of the Bulgarian National Bank, Bulgarian stock exchange and the Bulgarian parliament.
Sofia has a history dating back to the 7th century BC, the first settlers were the Thracian Serdi tribe who named the city Serdica. Today, like most of Bulgaria, Sofia is full of archeological sites that make a historians wet dream.
Sofia has many sites of architectural interest, from Thracian and Roman buildings to more modern day Russian...where ever you go in Sofia you are sure to see buildings that catch your eye for the beauty and structure. There are many wonderful churches, universities, The old royal printing office, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and many other amazing buildings.
If you visit Bulgaria, you will probably land at the airport in Sofia, if this is the case try and spend a day or two in the Capital and I can guarantee you will not regret it.
Sofia has a history dating back to the 7th century BC, the first settlers were the Thracian Serdi tribe who named the city Serdica. Today, like most of Bulgaria, Sofia is full of archeological sites that make a historians wet dream.
Sofia has many sites of architectural interest, from Thracian and Roman buildings to more modern day Russian...where ever you go in Sofia you are sure to see buildings that catch your eye for the beauty and structure. There are many wonderful churches, universities, The old royal printing office, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and many other amazing buildings.
If you visit Bulgaria, you will probably land at the airport in Sofia, if this is the case try and spend a day or two in the Capital and I can guarantee you will not regret it.
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