Tryavna...

I got a message on my computer one night when I was out that said "Saturday night we are going to Tryavna. The train is at 4pm. You are going and we will be seeing Preslava." As you can tell from the message I didn't really have a choice. My friend Melody was going to drag me there if I liked it or not. But really, I was excited. I have been wanting to get to this town for 2 years now. AND...my good friend Eric lives there. He has made it out to Stara countless times, but I never managed to make it out that way. Well that day had finally come, 2 years later!

(A symbol of the Stara Planina-old mountains. This tower can be seen in postcards, paintings and drawings of the Old Mountains. Please note: The street sign is upside down. But what would it be for in the first place? I cant quite figure that out.)

Tryavna is a beautiful town tucked in the mountains. The whole town exudes an air of the National Revival period, with the old white houses and narrow streets. As we wandered around, we passed dozens of old craft shops. But the wood carving ones are to be especially noted. It is a town famous for the wood carvings. When you walk into a building or house, you should look up and notice the intricate detail of the richly designed carved ceilings. Truly amazing.

(Eric, Ethan, and Toni, a Bulgarian friend)

The quick trip was exactly what I needed after a week full of other celebrations. And Eric played the perfect host!

(As I was taking the train back to Stara the next afternoon, I thought... Wow, that was my last chance to go to Tryavna to see Eric! It is such a strange feeling, and I know I talk about it a lot, but everything is coming to an end. My close bunch of friends are all going their separate ways, moving on from Bulgaria, and taking that next step in life.... Wow, that is going to be me in a couple of months!)