After two weeks in Romania I crossed the Danube into БЬЛГаРИЯ at РУСЕ.

I can’t read a sign.

The Bulgarians invented the Cyrillic alphabet, and like the Greeks, their neighbors to the south, they insist on maintaining their ancient culture.

I had lunch at the Happy Bar and Grill where all the attractive waitresses wore short, I mean short mini-skirts. So much for ancient culture.

I hired a driver to take me south to Veliko Târnovo. This “city of tsars” sits on several hillsides overlooking a beautiful river gorge. It's what you come to Europe to see. Ancient ruins, narrow streets with artisans selling their wares, medieval churches and monasteries. I spent two days just wandering and relaxing and climbing the hills of the Tsarevets Citadel.

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