The Unforgettable Thanksgiving Holiday

Aleko Konstantinov, a great Bulgarian author has said “You should get to know your country in order to love it.” My family and I spent the thanksgiving holiday traveling to the south-western part of our country, Bulgaria. We visited amazing places and shared emotional moments during a trip I will never forget.
Our first stop was in Blagoevgrad, one of the largest towns in the region. It is home of two universities, so while walking around we saw many youths going to school. The town had a beautiful walking zone with many squares with beautiful statues of important historical people. The old town was composed of many houses built during 18-19th century, and we really enjoyed walking around its stony streets. After the morning walk in Blagoevgrad, my parents and I continued driving along Struma river to our next stop.
After a narrow turn the Rupite valley appeared in front of us. This is a sacred place in our country known for the house where Vanga predicted the future and gave hope to those who needed it. The special aura of that place is explained due to the fact that the only sleeping volcano in Bulgaria, Kojuh, is right next to the valley. Now there are a temple, a beautiful park with a spring of 75°C mineral water, and a museum of Vanga. Leaving this paradise we continued our way along the river in order to reach our next place.
There it is: one of the most important places in our history, the Samuil Fortress. There in 1014 Byzantium defeated the Bulgarian army blinding 130 000 soldiers leaving for every hundred one with one eye to lead them. The Bulgarian king, Samuil, died after seeing this tragic scene. On a beautiful hill right next to the Struma river there are four columns connected with a ring showing the exact place of the fortress and a statue of Samuil. We climbed on the ring and saw the beautiful scenery around us and the hill where the south and west boundaries of the country intersect. Then we had a walk along the river passing around trees resembling interesting forms.
Afterwards we went to Sandanski where we spent the night. The following morning we traveled to Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria. While driving on the road to Melnik we saw the famous natural sight Melnik’s pyramids: strange but beautiful sandy mountains. Seeing them we asked ourselves how nature can create such strange forms. In the town we visited the Kordopulov house, home of one of the richest Bulgarians in the 18th century. This building combines Bulgarian, western and oriental styles of architecture. Beneath the house there was a basement where wine is preserved. Then we visited Glojene monastery, located on a hill near Melnik. We spent the afternoon walking in Sandanski’s centre.
My family and I spent a wonderful weekend together. Now I realize how unforgettable unexpected trips can be and that beauty and magnificence are in an hour or two-drive away.

Travel Guide to Paris: A City that Inspires Love

I love traveling. My two favorite places, from the cities I have visited so far, both begin with the letter “P” as in pleasant, pretty, peaceful, positive, and perfect places to be. One of them is my hometown, Pleven, and the other is … Paris.
I’ve been to France’s capital two times in my life. However, I feel it is not enough. This city is a colorful mosaic of tradition and modernity, history and future, natural and architectural sights. Paris offers amazing museums and cathedrals as Louver, Notre Dame de Paris, Sacre Coeur. One of the symbols of Paris is the Triumphal Arch that is in the center of the crossing of five major boulevards in the France’s capital. An amazing fact about Paris’s architecture is that each street has its own balcony ornamentation and in the central part of the city there are no skyscrapers. However, there are examples of modern buildings in La Defense suburb. There are also amusement places as Disney Land and Moulin Rouge. All these tourism sights offer information about French history, faith, traditions, and culture.
However, the climax of a trip in Paris is the Eiffel Tower. This architectural miracle is the most breathtaking place in the French capital. I’ve stood below the gigantic tower twice, but each time it was incredible. It’s a feeling that many writers and poets have tried to describe, but it is unique and hard to retell. The first time I was speechless, this architectural achievement makes person think that he is infinitesimal compared to that high tower. However, the tower also reveals that human mind can create miracles. Standing below the Eiffel tower was like a dream come true… The second time another wish of mine was fulfilled, I saw the Eiffel Tower at night sparkling as a Christmas tree. I could not stop taking pictures, but none of them represented the real event that I had the pleasure to experience. It is not surprising that after seeing the symbol of Paris, I couldn’t stop searching for it. Every moment I spent in Paris, I wanted to take pictures of the Tower from many angles, so that I can grasp its beauty and magnificence. Simply said I fell in love with Eiffel’s piece of art and architecture.
The river Seine runs along a city that is home of great architectural, historical, cultural, modern, and amusement places. Paris constantly changes and still preserves its own unique style, and that is why tourists love visiting the capital of France – a place that everyone can fall in love with.