More Graffiti, Bratislava

Along the pedestrian walkway, New Bridge.


Graffiti, Bratislava

A locale's graffiti is part social commentary, though not mainstream. It is youthful angst, rebellion -- or clues to what is now, perhaps hip, on the fringe. Or cheap art, the expression of a young mind hoping to influence, or grab attention -- realizing its longevity is measured by the approaching fresh coat of paint.

I have been watching Bratislava's graffiti for awhile now and beyond the scribbles and street-style tags, most has been accomplished with rudimentary stencil and spray, small in scale. Occasionally, there is a work of determined complexity -- free hand or stencil -- street art announcing potential. Has it arrived here?

Bratislava's graffiti-street art subculture may not be as grand or robust as other cities, for a variety of reasons -- but it is still interesting, nonetheless.

Street Art, Zaragoza

Bulgaria's National Revival

Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is one of my favorite European cities. Allegedly founded by Phillip II (Alexander the Great's father), it exhibits various Thracian, Roman and Byzantine influences. For the first time American tourist, expecting perhaps a Soviet or Warsaw Pact influence, it is readily apparent Plovdiv -- and Bulgaria as a whole -- has managed to remain relatively intact and preserved its unique culture throughout the ebb and flow of Europe's power struggles.

Uniquely, Plovdiv is a showcase for Bulgaria's National Revival, also referred to as the Bulgarian Renaissance, a period of socioeconomic development and national integration while the Bulgarians persevered under Ottoman rule. During this period, Bulgarian literature fueled Bulgaria's struggle for independence, an autonomous Christian church and an armed uprising in April 1876. The revival also found expression in a unique architectural style which can still be observed in Plovdiv and several other Bulgarian towns -- Koprivshtitsa, Veliko Tarnovo.

The national revival is generally accepted to have started with a historical book, written by a Bulgarian monk in 1762, and it culminated with the Liberation of Bulgaria as a result of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. The Paris Peace Treaty, concluded at the end of the Crimean War (1853-56), had obliged the Ottoman Empire to grant Christians equal rights with Muslims. Over time, as insurrections mounted, the continuing oppression of Christians in the Ottoman Empire captured European public attention. So there is a remnant of Russian influence -- it was the Russians who reacted with military force at a key moment in this country's history, enabling Bulgarian freedom from Ottoman domination. In this case, thanks for your assistance, Tsar Nicholas II.

As often is the case, the rise of Bulgarian nationalism erased most of the visible traces of Ottoman occupation. A solitary mosque survived demolition in Sofia, though a mosque and a Turkish bathhouse still accent old town Plovdiv. Soviet domination never was an occupation -- Bulgaria was simply part of an allied buffer against capitalist Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Although the Soviets extracted wealth over time from its alliance partners, Bulgaria, and cities such as Plovdiv, never lost their true cultural identities -- or democratic tradition.

Sir Pálffy, I Presume

An anonymous knight, most likely connected to the Pálffy family (former Pálffy mansion nearby, at which a very young Mozart performed, now the Austrian embassy) immortalized outside an old church wall in Bratislava's Staré Město (old town) -- headless.

Well, you're still looking, um -- spiffy.

Midnight in Bratislava

Arriving, Bratislava

The Sign

Signs are obviously everywhere. In Europe, there is a critical category of sign -- those which identify the nearest toilet, or the loo. (The origination of the term "loo" is quite an entire different and interesting discussion. Really.) And the public latrines are often not equiped to our standards; and often one must pay to use or buy sheets of toilet paper. If such paper is even available.

We do tend to take for granted the availability of rest room facilities in this country. Outside the US, a constant awareness of the nearest available water closet, and its state of cleanliness, can be crucial. Given the sudden change in diet and exposure to new strains of bacteria, which often accompanies foreign travel, such knowledge can save the intrepid traveler from quite the predicament.

Trust me, I know.

Bulgarian Sling Shot

I could not have predicted what I witnessed on my first visit to the Black Sea. This is a former Warsaw Pact country? To the side preconceived notions. Thanks propaganda.

Slanchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) is a resort area just south of Varna, north of Bourgas, on the Black Sea. Bulgaria. It is a natural harbor area where Roman Legionaries retired after their 20-year term of service during the first century AD. History there reaches back in time. Pushes forward. Thracian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Bulgarian Renaissance impressions everywhere. Communist influence fleeting, gone. No trace. Anomaly.

Sunny Beach is now a resort with over a hundred hotels. Western Europeans flock there due to the excellent climate and holiday environment. It is also very inexpensive.

So I'll start here. A giant sling shot. Also known as a reverse bungee. I watched countless tourists pay to get strapped in and catapulted into the sky. Unsuspecting. The removal of shoes, jewelry, the emptying of pockets should have been preparatory clues. Launch and blood curdling screams. Were they not paying attention? I was. The horror. The amusement.

Paratus

One anecdote which exemplifies ancient Roman wisdom is the advice that "victory likes careful preparation" -- paratus, to be exact. Paratus for travel shares this wisdom, if only as "an enjoyable holiday likes careful preparation".

I recently crossed paths with a Austrian-German couple about to embark on a 5-week bicycle tour of the Danube River -- from a location near its source, all the way to the Black Sea. I was amazed by how carefully they had planned and prepared for their trip, with the anticipation of encountering weather's impact on their progress, as well as finding reasonable accommodations for any given day. One couple, two bikes, and airline tickets to return from Bucharest. Every day an adventure, with a new set of opportunities to explore and problems to solve.

 

As I am preparing for another European excursion, I'm newly inspired to take a different cultural approach to travel. We Americans tend to travel differently, unafraid to cast about an excess of funds for assured amenities and convenience. And we tend to drag along robust baggage trains with a variety of accoutrement -- we take "home" along with us.

 

This time, inspired by today's economic climate and my European friends, it's me and my backpack.