Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Sofia, Bulgaria), named after the medieval prince who defended Rus from nasty German and Swedish invaders. He was also a clever politician who allied with a Mongol khan.

My short visit to Bulgaria was very nice. I arrived knowing practically nothing about the country, save for a basic historical overview. And I’ve returned feeling like there’s a lot more than people give it credit for. “I really didn’t expect much from Bulgaria,” explained a touring Brit from my hostel. “Really, I thought it would be depressing post-Soviet grayness. But it’s quite lovely and, as a city, Sofia has nice, big, open spaces.”

Though it may appear very old, even Byzantine, the Cathedral is rather new. Construction began in late 19th century. Regardless, it's still impressive.

Of course, life wasn’t all roses, either. I saw that many people lived with very little. Jaded, chain-smoking transexual prostitutes loitered and lingered infront of my hostel. I was definitely cheated (at least by a small amount) at one restaurant. Some streets were dead empty, which was a creepy prospect at 3 am. And there was a huge population of utterly desperate gypsies, begging for change at any opportunity.

But there were many points of interest, history and beauty. For five centuries, Bulgaria was under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire (in fact, one of the most famous Bulgarian books, titled “Under the Yoke,” depicts exactly this). As a result, the country is over 10% Muslim today — a population that includes ethnic Turks and converted Slavs. In Plovdiv (which I will describe in subsequent entries), there stands the oldest mosque in Bulgaria — the first built by the Ottomans. It’s grand, big and white inside. There is an official placard from the city of Istanbul, as well.

But the majority of the country is Bulgarian Orthodox, their own distinct brand of Orthodoxy. I asked some teenagers, “Is Bulgaria religious?” They said, “No.” I then asked, “Are your families religious?” They smiled and said, “Oh, we go to church maybe twice a year.” Nevertheless, Bulgarians today seem to take great pride in their independence — both from Ottoman and Soviet control. Their official coinage, the lev, has a guy (I don’t know who!), holding a cross.

The country has its own Bulgarian Orthodox Church, officially established when Tsar Boris adopted Christianity in the 9th century. The Tsar took special measures to make the religion Bulgarian, rather than Greek, in orientation. In  fact, he “expelled the Greek clergy from the country and ordered the replacing of the Greek language with the Slav-Bulgarian vernacular,” according to handy Wikipedia.

"Oh, a grandfather," said my Bulgarian friend, who I met on the bus from Plovdiv to Istanbul. She smiled. "This," she said, is what many grandfathers in Bulgaria look like. Just like him."

When I walked down the streets, I definitely felt the Eastern European culture. In the United States, I grew up in a neighborhood bordering a Chinese/Russian community. I grew familiar with the elderly Russian ladies on the bus, coated in heavy make-up and stiff hair, talking about life in Moscow, or their groceries, or their grandchildren. No doubt, Bulgaria is very different than Russia. But I felt the general Eastern European cultural element.

Near the train station. Just a street. Nothing special, which, of course, makes it more interesting.

There’s a lot more to say about Bulgaria — the people, the food, and the other city I visited, Plovdiv. But I’ll save those insights and photos for another day — tomorrow, maybe. For now, here’ s a few more photos of everyday streets…

Street art in Sofia. I found these pieces in a neighborhood full of street art, artist's boutiques and little restaurants -- "artsy," I guess (well, kind-of). There were some aimless-looking dreadlocked dudes...

CENTER -- Former Communist Party headquarters. Notice the Bulgarian flag on top? I have a sneaking suspicion that a massive Soviet symbol once stood on top. To the left, you can see the current parliamentary building. Behind it, there's an old Roman fortress.

Just a pretty building.

I was really drawn to this advertisement. It looked so outdated -- like something I would see in 1992. I wondered if it has actually BEEN there since, like, 1992. Or is the lady's power blazer and poofy hair undeniably hip in Bulgaria?

But some parts were very nice...

A disgusting-looking meat advertisement that, for some reason, brought a smile to my face. It's interesting when advertisements from another country do NOTHING for you. So, I think: Is the ad really bad? Or am I just from a really different culture?

A final cathedral shot.

I don’t think I have met anybody in the States who has gone to Bulgaria. Many expatriates in Turkey have made the trip. But it’s not so common for the average American college backpacker. Why is that? Why does everybody just go to France, Italy, Spain and Holland?

Of course, many people go to Hungary and Croatia. Those are popular tourist destinations. But maybe there is an added level of interest and excitement in visiting a country “off the beaten path.”

While Bulgaria was, in many ways, quiet and not very exciting, it was also a beautiful, green country with a unique history and culture. Not to mention, the food was damn good.

So, expect more entries related to Bulgaria — including a visit to a beautiful monastery in the mountains — in the days to come!

Yedikule Towers in Istanbul

I’m fascinated by dungeons and prisons. When I visited the Torture Museum in Prague, I was appalled by the torture kitsch — real instruments of medieval torture refashioned into a tourist experience! But I was also captivated. I remember it all: the spears for impalement, the horrific bull, first developed in Greece, and the contraptions to humiliate loose and disloyal women.

Recently, my friend, Baris, took me to Yedikule Fortress. Like me, he’s a history buff and, when we first met, we talked about the Ottoman sacking of Constantinople in 1453. So, he was a perfect companion to visit Yedikule Fortress, also called “The Fortress of Seven Towers” in Ottoman times.

Tower Detail, probably Ottoman rather than Byzantine due to the curved structure.

But, before it was Ottoman, it was Byzantine. Like many buildings in Istanbul (most famously, the Haghia Sophia), this fortress had two lives — first under the Byzantines, then under the Ottomans.

Originally, it was known as the “Golden Gate,” constructed in the 5th century by the Byzantine emperors, Theodosius I and Theodosius II. This gate connected the famed Roman road of Europe to Constantinople. Flanked by four towers, the gate served as the official ceremonial entrance into the city for the emperor. On rare occasions, papal delegates were allowed entrance. But it was meant for the emperor.  To be honest, I didn’t take any pictures of the “Golden Gate” because I wasn’t even sure if I knew which gate was the “Golden” one. It was so unceremonial, so deteriorated and past its prime, that I just looked and wondered. I thought, Who went through those gates? Who cheered for the emperors? There’s always a strange sense of nostalgia (for a place I have never been to and a time I will never truly know) when I encounter ruins.

Maybe I’ll take pictures of the gate next time.

When the Ottomans sacked Constantinople, Mehmet the Conqueror added three more towers. The fortress was thus expanded to include a treasury and prison. This dungeon housed many important people. Most famously, it housed the Ottoman sultan, Osman II. After trying to reorganize the janissaries, Osman II was imprisoned and strangled by his elite soldiers in 1622.

I found this very interesting — yet very gruesome — description of events on Wikipedia:

Probably the first Sultan to identify and attempt to tackle the Janissaries as a praetorian institution doing more harm than good to the modern empire, Osman II closed their coffee shops (the gathering points for conspiracies against the throne) and started planning to create a new, loyal and ethnic Turkic army consisting of Anatolian, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Turks and Turkmens. The result was a palace uprising by the janissaries, who promptly imprisoned the young sultan. When an executioner was sent to strangle him at Yedikule, Istanbul, Osman II refused to give in and started fighting the man and was only subdued when he was hit on his back with the rear end of an axe by one of his imprisoners. After that he was strangled with a bowstring.

UGH!

Looking down at Istanbul from the fortress. I wondered what the city looked like 1500 years ago, when it was first constructed ...or 500 years ago, when Mehmet expanded the fortress.

Anyway, the fortress and dungeon is a big, scary thing. Made up on hulking gray stone, it is a massive building, overlooking the Black Sea.

Here are some photos taken from inside the dungeon!

The damp dungeon where Osman II was (probably?) imprisoned. There were no placards or tourist-friendly explanations inside. So, we were left to our devices -- and our own imaginations.

At least the dungeon had an open top, bringing in some sunlight. Baris and I talked about the fact that this set-up could impact someone's final moments. Maybe the bright sunlight made the surroundings less grim? Maybe it gave someone a sense of the approaching afterlife? I don't know...

One last thing I wanted to add: We were ALONE! There were two other people, a couple from Florence. But they soon left. And we had the entire fortress to ourselves! My god. Imagine having ANY tourist attraction to yourself. This may have been the first time I have had such an experience. I stopped feeling like a stupid tourist sheep, following the herd. And I began to just enjoy history, having it all to myself.

Jewelry Section of Bazaar, Istanbul

Yes, I know. I have been a terrible blogger! No updates, no anecdotes. But I’m only now beginning to adjust. However, I have now decided that I need to regularly blog — no excuses! Anyway, I just got back from a town called Lüleburgaz, where I was teaching English for a few days. The place has a 16th century mosque and a lot of tea shops and not much else.

This is what I wanted to write about, briefly: Medieval markets. In fair old Istanbul, shopping is often laid out in a very medieval way. In other words, merchant’s work is divided into separate districts or areas. The garment sellers stick together. The shoe-shiners sit side-by-side, scanning for unbecoming leather. And the best cell phone repair shops are cloistered on a certain floor in a certain building in Eminönü (and, in fact, I went to that certain building to fix my phone yesterday).

My French friend lived in Vietnam. He said it’s the same there…

From a customer’s perspective, this model can be consumerist heaven. Want a dress? Go to the dress district of your part of Istanbul. And, lo and behold, there are dresses galore! Want baklava? Go to the Spice Market. Want fish? Go to the fish market, where men enthusiastically advertise the daily catches, under hand-painted signs of silver fish. And, yes, this medieval model can be very convenient.

But how about the business man? Wouldn’t he want to stand out from the competition? Why would a shoe-shiner sit next to five other shoe-shiners? Logically, he would move to a different area. Right?

Personally, I don’t mind the model at all! I prefer being able to survey the options in one, unified location. And I also feel less of a need to buy silly, unnecessary things, since I’m not distracted by other items to the same degree.

But I wonder when this modern shopping model began to pervade “Western” cities.

Once I’m removed from it (in part, at least), the architecture of shopping becomes more clear and more strange to me.

I have been in LA for just over a week now. Below, I just listed some things I have done (below), which may be of general interest.

Things I have done in LA (so far):

FRIDAY NIGHT – Went to the Venice Art Walk, a monthly art event. The Walk extends down Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which is  flooded with food trucks, including Korean-style burritos (!). My friend, Emily, commented that the food truck phenomenon is a copy-cat of the scene in Austin, TX.  Anyway, this was an outdoor, street event — always a good thing in my book. The crowd was more of a general, West LA hodge-podge than an elite entourage of art scenesters.

SATURDAY – Visited the Getty, which has a fantastic panoramic view of LA, & saw the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. Loved da Vinci’s sketches — brilliant illustrations of profiles juxtaposed with undoubtedly prodigious inventions. Aphorisms scribbled on sheets & everything so lovely… How do/did people like this exist? Who is our da Vinci today?

TUESDAY – Persian sandwiches & ash soup (divine!) at Attari Sandwich, the first Persian restaurant to open in Westwood, followed by a visit to the Hammer Museum for the Red Book of Carl Jung exhibit. The illustrations were truly beautiful; my friend, Saewon, took pictures.

Jung, Red Book

Also attended a talk with Bill Viola that evening at the Hammer, which was surprisingly calming. He talked with some New York psychologist/professor on the mind, symbolism, spirituality. I came to the “conversation” with no expectations &  found Viola to be very approachable and real.

Demon, Aztec Pantheon

WEDNESDAY NIGHT - Upright Citizen’s Brigade — a nice, local comedy experience for only $5.

FRIDAY — Visited the Getty Villa to see the Aztec Pantheon exhibit, which I recommend. Two highlights were the 1) the “tzitzimit1l” (demon) with his liver protruding from his ribcage (see below) and 2) the “cihuacoatl” goddess/serpent woman. It was also fascinating to see which Roman gods the Europeans pairs with which Aztec mythological figure. Some seemed wildly off, a product of Eurocentricism & the false assumption that Roman gods could serve as universal archetypes. But, on the other hand, there were some interesting comparisons, like placing Quetzalcoatl (the supreme god) with the god, Mercury, rather than the expected Jupiter (the Roman supreme god).

SATURDAY (tonight) — Just got back from The Hollywood Forever Movie Screening & watched THE WIZARD OF OZ. As corny as it sounds, the movie made me emotional (!) — the whole idea of a new land, one that’s removed from “reality.”