Folklore

I am trying to get caught up on the blog but we have been really busy lately! One of the last days in Sofia was spent learning about culture. In the morning, we learned about Bulgarian art throughout history. We learned a lot and I will add some links to pictures we saw later.


We also had some lessons on Folklore through learning more about Bulgarian music and dance. We learned about folk music and some of the instruments used to create it including the doudok. This is the basic pipe or flute like instrument used in much of the music. We also learned about the bagpipes used which are similar to bagpipes in other cultures but in more of a minor key. Bulgarian folk music also has some odd rhythms that are hard to count out. This also makes them hard to dance to! Our teacher also taught us about playing wooden spoons and many basic dance steps.



Later that evening, we went to an incredible restaurant that features folk singing and dancing. It made more sense to us because we had learned about it earlier that day. The singers and dancers were incredible! Two of our participants were called up to dance during one of the numbers. They did great! The performers were in full costume which made the whole experience more exciting.


The final performance of the evening was a fire dance. Two performers carried an icon and walked on hot coals. This is a historic dance performed to show their faith in God. It was really neat! It was hard to get pictures of it, however as it was really dark. Some people were using their flash which made my pictures look weird but I will post them anyway.

Next I will be reporting on our adventures across the country!

More in Sofia

We have had lots of lectures on different topics while in Sofia. Many touch on the history, politics, economics and are about both old and modern Bulgaria. The Bulgarian people are very proud of their heritage and are at least as proud of their country as we are of the USA. We have also learned some about the educational system of Bulgaria. They have just introduced a new exit test for secondary schools and are having many of the same problems we have in the U.S. Their biggest area of deficit on the test was in Bulgarian literature and writing. The educational expert who spoke to us felt that the system in the past has relied on memorization of facts for test recall and little emphasis on analytical thinking and writing.

These ideas were supported when we visited the First English Language School in Sofia. This school is one that teaches English as a Foreign Language and most of the school subjects are actually taught in English so students have practical use of the language.
This is one of the top schools in Sofia and we found it to be lacking many of the basic items we take for granted in the United States. The teachers there were very interested in our textbooks, teaching methods, etc. We had a panel discussion there. They seem to know little about student engagement and have a totally different perspective on what teaching is. They are far behind us in teaching strategies.

After a wonderful lunch of duck, we headed for the American College of Sofia. This is an exclusive school for grades 8-12 that teaches mostly in English to help prepare students for University and a career. This school was better off money-wise and they had much more knowledge of current pedagogical strategies than the teachers at the other school. They understood the importance of critical thinking and of student engagement and group work. The teachers at this school get lots of training on current teaching strategies through workshops and conferences. Even so, the school facilities are nothing near what we have in most places in the States. It was a very enlightening visit! We then had a cookout hosted by the American College. Here is Bob Antonucci talking with one of the Bulgarian teachers from the school. It was a very informative day!

Sofia Tour and Concert

We went on a walking tour of Sofia after a day on our own. We saw many important buildings including the President's office, several churches, museums and other city buildings. We saw a Byzantine church of St. George that has been under restoration for the last 20 years and was just reopened. We were lucky that we were able to see it. This is the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia. Beautiful on the outside but not much on the inside.

One of the most beautiful buildings in the city is the Ivan Vazov Theatre. He was an important Bulgarian writer that they named the theatre after.
We will be attending a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream when we return to Sofia on the 4th of July. That should be great but it will be in Bulgarian.
Many art students were outside the theatre sketching it for an assignment.
There is a nice park area there with fountains and a statue garden. That would have been really neat if it had not been so hot that day.

The next day after our lectures, we went to a concert. There was traditional music heard in the Eastern Orthodox church as well as some classical violin and piano. At the end, we were entertained by a folk group. All of these musicians were very talented. They were also very proud of their country and very eager to share their talent with us.

So far, Bulgaria has been very exciting.

Boyana Church and Rila Monastery

Well, we started the day off with a visit to the small but beautiful Boyana Church in Sofia. When we got there the historian was quite abrupt with our guides and we heard some arguing and raised voices. We were a bit worried but we need not have been. We could only go into the church 9 at a time and each group could only stay 10 minutes because they control the humidity and temperature so closely inside the church to save the remaining paintings. Of course, no pictures were allowed inside the church.

How can I describe what the inside was like? As soon as I walked in, I teared up because the frescoes were so well done and well preserved. Another of my colleagues did the same so I did not feel too bad. The historian (he told us to call him Mr. White White) was so passionate about the frescoes. He would grab each of us by the arm to show us particular aspects of the paintings and tell us about how the artist had created them. By the time our 10 minutes were up, almost all of us were crying. It was very powerful. I know that I am doing a very poor job describing this but there is no way I could do it justice.

After that emotional start to the day, we headed for lunch (fresh trout by a river) and then to the Rila Monastery. This monastery was built in honor of St. Ivan who was originally a hermit who lived in a cave in the Rila Mountains and would give advice to locals as well as use healing herbs to cure sickness.
Legend is that he was able to perform healing miracles by the end of his life. We went inside the beautiful church and saw the biggest alter screen I have ever seen. It was very ornate and beautiful. Of course, we could not take pictures inside the church but were able to take pictures outside. The remains of St. Ivan are kept inside the church by the altar and people kiss them hoping for a miracle.


The inside and outside of the church are decorated with some beautiful frescoes as well. Here is one example.

We had the evening free so several of us went right down the street to have pizza and beer (or whatever). It was great. Tomorrow we have some free time to explore the city and rest. It is our first free day since the trip started so we are all looking forward to it.

Sofia 1

Well, our first day in Sofia we had lectures in the morning and a trip to the history museum in the afternoon. The first lecture was actually a briefing from the U.S. Embassy about safety, etc. Basically, they told us what you would need to know in any big city, beware of strangers and watch out for pick pockets. Then we had a very interesting lecture on ancient Thracian civilization here in Bulgaria. It is interesting to see things from a different perspective than what our Greek friends had.

In the afternoon, we went to a history museum here in Sofia. It is located in the former communist leader’s palace which was huge! You had to pay to take photographs here like we did in the salt mine in Krakow so we paid for one of us to take them and then we will get some later. Most things I would not have taken a picture of anyway because of the glare, etc. There was one part of the museum where I had to walk away. It was about how the Bulgarians saved almost their entire Jewish population during WWII. Those of you who were in Poland in March can certainly understand that this was very emotional for me. I wondered why other nations could not have done the same. Anyway, I commend the Bulgarians for this action even though they were technically on the German side in the war. I think that makes it even more incredible that they were able to save this population.

In the evening, we attended a dinner and reception with some other Fulbright participants who are about to go to the US to teach for a year on a teacher exchange program. It was wonderful! We met high school teachers from all over Europe who are about to embark on this exciting year of teaching abroad. They will exchange classes with a US teacher who will go to their country and teach their class. What a great experience for all concerned.
A US music student entertained us with some traditional Bulgarian folk songs. She was incredible and the Bulgarians in the room went on and on about what a great job she did on such hard music. As you can see, she was also in traditional dress.

I sat at a table with a professor of architecture who told a lot of stories. We talked a bit about Frank Lloyd Wright and I told him about the Sterling Kinney house in Amarillo. He did not know about it so I sent him an Internet link with pictures and a video.

It was a wonderful evening.

Last Greece Day

Our last two days in Greece was divided between visiting ruins and visiting a nature preserve. We visited Pella which has is another example of an old Roman town. This was a much smaller site that Dion but had some really nice mosaics. One of these is perhaps a depiction of Alexander the Great who was the King in this part of Greece (Macedonia) after his father, Philip II was killed at a wedding. The remnants of houses were quite large and had some very large courtyards. Some think perhaps Philip's palace was located here but there is no real evidence of this.



We did visit some old Macedonian tombs one of which is believed to be the tomb of Philip. We could not take pictures in the tomb to preserve the paintings, etc. It would have been much too dark inside the tomb anyway. They have this site very well set up. The tombs were discovered under a burial mound and were uncovered in the 1970's. The outer tombs were shallow and have been robbed in antiquity but the one believed to be Philip's was not looted. Many treasures were found here including a box will Philip's charred bones in it. Many other bones of dogs and horses were also found and were burned on the pyre with him. Ceremonial armor and many gold and silver objects were also found in the tomb. The finds were really spectacular. Then we descended into the area of the tomb itself. There is a glass wall between you and the door but it was very eerie. The door is closed to help preserve the frescoes within the tomb but it is still pretty impressive.

The very last day, we took a boat ride on Lake Kerkini which is a nature preserve and wetlands area. There are many species of heron, cormorant and other birds including the Dalmatian pelican which is an endangered species.
Here is a picture of one beginning to take off.
We also saw water buffalo out in areas of the lake. They are good swimmers and someone called the the "hippos of Greece".


We had a great farewell dinner that night and said goodbye to all our Greek friends from the Fulbright office. It was bittersweet. We hated to say goodbye but were also excited about visiting Bulgaria and learning more about it. The bus ride to Bulgaria is about 4 hours but we will have stops along the way so it will take longer.

More from Bulgaria!

Mt. Olympus

Today we drove about an hour away to Dion which has an archaeological site with some temples as well as an old Roman town. These temples are not massive and impressive like some of the other ones we have seen because they were associated with the ordinary town of Dion. There was a small theatre and several temples. A temple to Demeter was found as well as a small one to Zeus. This one was situated so that Mt. Olympus was in the background.


Next, we saw the ruins of an old Roman town. The Roman streets are still there as well as public toilets (I do have a picture of that but will not post it here) and public baths. We saw ancient storefronts and some private residences as well. Some of them were very impressive with intricate mosaics still visible. The town was apparently abandoned due to damage from floods and earthquakes.
It was there long enough to contain the remains of an early Christian church as well.

After we finished at the site, we went up to a little village for lunch and had a wonderful meal that included ice cream with cherries on it for dessert. That was really good. I had something I cannot pronounce or spell for main course but it was basically spice minced lamb and veal with potatoes and rice. We are not lacking starches at our meals here.

Next, we went part way up Olympus to one of the peaks. We had some time to hike around. The whole place is a nature preserve so there is lots of hiking and camping available. There were lots of people taking advantage of their holiday today on the mountain.


Tomorrow we visit the Royal tomb of Philip of Macedon who, among other things, was the father of Alexander the Great. I hear it is really spectacular so I am looking forward to that.

Ouranoupolis

Well, we left Thessaloniki for a side trip to a little town called Ouranoupolis. It is a coastal town on a peninsula in the Aegean sea. It is a place where lots of people from the city go for the weekend to get away. On the way, we stopped at a small town called Parthenon which was way up in the mountains. We had coffee at Paul's taverna (restaurant) which had some really nice views of the towns down below and the general area.

At lunch we had some baked eggplant and baked cheese for a starter. We also had the usual Greek salad which is mostly tomatoes, cucumbers and olive oil. Then as a surprise, we had grilled octopus. It was much tastier than I imagined. It had a great smoky flavor and was not rubbery at all. It did still have the suckers on the tentacles which was kind of weird but it tasted wonderful. Our main course that day was fresh swordfish.

Our hotel in Ouranoupolis was really nice. I had a small suite with a balcony and great views of the water. (See picture).
We went to the beach and finally got to swim in the Aegean. The beaches here are a bit rocky but I had my Keen sandals so that did not bother me. I was really glad I had them when a couple of our group stepped on sea urchins and had several thorns in their feet. Ouch! I was really glad that I had my shoes then!

Then today, we took a boat around Mt. Athos. This mountain has 20 monastaries on it that have been here for years. The oldest has been there since 960 (AD). You cannot actually visit the monastaries without special permission as they are an Theocratic Republic and you must have special permits to visit. Women cannot visit at all.
The monks there live a fairly primitive lifestyle in monastaries that were built as fortresses to prevent pirate and other attacks. They were very impressive even from the water.

We are back in Thessaloniki for a couple of days and tomorrow we visit Mt. Olympus. There is so much to see and we are just scratching the surface.

Thessaloniki

Now we are in the second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki. Here you can find awesome examples of Byzantine structures, especially churches. We visited museums of the finds from the area as well as one specializing in Byzantine culture and art. This was the era where icon painting began. Icons are still included in Greek Orthodox churches. They are used as something to concentrate on in prayer to help reach a peaceful state while medidtating/praying.

We also saw examples of some wonderful mosaic art. I especially liked those. I like the intricate way the images are made with different colored tiles. It is amazing how they come together to make a full picture.


We have found that the workers in all museums watch visitors very closely to ensure they do not touch or damage the artifacts and the art. I can cerainly understand the need for this but some of them seem a little over-zealous! I guess they are just doing their job.

Thessaloniki is the sweets capitol of Greece.
We tasted some wonderful chocolates that our guide bought for us. Decadent! I may buy some to bring back if I can find that shop again. Well, I cannot guarantee they would actually make it back...

More on our visit to the American Farm School in a couple of days. We will be without computer access for a day or two.

Meteora

On the way to Thessaloniki, we stopped about half way and visited Meteora. There used to be an inland sea here that eroded cliffs away so that now there are just towers of rock standing. On top of these, monks established monasteries because they felt they were closer to God. We visited two of them. One has actually been restored and is now run by nuns but they were all originally monasteries.



The views from them are incredible. The rock formations themselves are nothing to sneeze at, either. It is amazing that people were able to build such large buildings in such places. There were some beautiful old frescoes inside the churches that we visited. Our guide explained the meanings of many of the paintings and differences between Greek orthodoxy and other forms of Christianity. I plan to buy a book about it to learn more.




Now we are in Thessaloniki. We visited the American consulate here and visited with the consul general which was very interesting. Later in the day we heard more about Balkan history and the current strife going on here based on Macedonia (the former Yugoslavia) and why there is such a conflict here about this "new" state. Very interesting. It just brings home the realization that the U.S. public pays little attention to these matters. Now I understand them a little better.

We are here for a couple of days now so I will post more soon.

Delphi

Well, we had quite an experience on our way to Delphi yesterday. We stopped at a beautiful little coastal town called Galaxidi where we had time for a coffee break and a quick look around. We continued on to Kirra where we had lunch right next to the Bay of Corinth. The water here is so blue and there are different shades of it as it gets deeper. After lunch, most of us were standing out in the shade of a tree looking out at the water when we experienced an earthquake. It took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on. My first thought was that we were on a dock and the water was pushing us around. But, the place we were standing was concrete and we were not out over the water. That is when I realized that is was an earthquake. It lasted quite a little bit of time. We found out later that it was a 6.5 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was near Patras. We had passed through that town about an hour before. There was some damage but only 2 deaths reported and about 40 people injured. Not bad for such a large quake.


Today we visited the oracle at Delphi. Yes, that oracle. We first visited the sanctuary of Athena and the gymnasium and spring and then walked up to the temple of Apollo where the oracle was situated. The ruins there are very impressive as you will see in the photos. Archeologists have found many treasuries here that contained offerings to the gods that are now in the museum on site.




In the museum we saw an excellent example of a sphinx and a beautiful bronze of a charioteer. It depicts the victor of the chariot race at some Olympiad as he is wearing a wreath around his head. It is well preserved and has amazing eyes that follow you around the room.

We are now experiencing a mountain thunderstorm. It has cooled down considerably and the rain smells very nice. Later we will visit the village of Arahova.

More at our next stop.

Olympia

Olympia is the site of the biggest temple to Zeus in Greece. The ruins of the temple are breathtaking. There was a terrible earthquake at some point that destroyed the temples and dormitories and other buildings. So, all of the columns that used to stand are now lying on the ground in pieces. It makes it easier to really judge the scale of the size of the columns when they are on the ground. You are allowed to touch them here and walk all around them.




The historical society here has restored a few of the columns so that visitors can tell what the place might have looked like in its full glory. There were also temples to Hera and a couple of other deities on this site as well. The museum on the site holds all the important reliefs that were rescued from the sites. The large statues from the pediments at both ends of the temple of Zeus are in the museum. It amazes me how much is left and the size of them. Although we could not touch them, we could get very close to them. I am not sure how long it took to carve them but they are such wonderful artistic examples on a large scale.



Olympia is also the site of the first games later termed the Olympics. The games were used as athletic competitions and as networking opportunities. Winners of the events were viewed as heroes in their towns when they came back and were able to have better careers afterward because of this fame. If you got caught cheating, however, your life was basically ruined. We visited the stadium where the competitions took place and a few of our number ran a race on the ancient field. I stayed at the finish line to take photos.



Now we are on our way to Delphi, home of the famous oracle of old. The site is also famous for the temple of Apollo. A professor from the Center for Hellenic Studies is was with us at Olympia and on the bus to Delphi giving us some great information about the area and the culture of ancient Greece and the sites we are visiting.

More from Delphi and beyond.

A Quick Word

I have two blogs ready to go but the hotel has blocked flash drive access to keep from getting viruses. When I find a better Internet cafe or something, I will post with pictures. We did feel the earthquake but were far enough away that we were not in danger.

More later.

Napflion

So, we left Athens on Thursday and headed to a small coastal town called Napflion. It is what I would call quaint and charming. On the way to Napflion, we stopped at Mycenae which is the site of the oldest known town in Greece. There are ruins there from a settlement and a tomb. Many of the gold treasures in the museum we visited in Athens were actually discovered here.

Then we went to an ancient center of healing called Epidaurus. There we saw an intact ancient stadium that was really cool. The acoustics in there were incredible. One of our group recited from Henry IV and you could hear it all over the whole stadium. She said she could hear herself like it was a microphone coming back at her. The healing center itself had ruins of the ritual bath, the places to make a sacrifice and of course the places where you would stay. They are in the middle if restoring it using only ancient tools which is really neat. You can certainly tell the new marble and limestone from the old.

Everywhere you turn here, there are ruins and relics of the ancient past. Being in places like this makes you really understand some of the history that you learned or ignored in school. I need to go back and read Homer again. I need to go back and read other versions of the myths as well. That will be a part of the curriculum project I have to create when I return.


Friday we went to a folklife museum which had many displays of clothing and daily life. There were some incredible things in there. We also went to the Palamidi Castle which was a Venetian style castel built to defend the town in the 16th century ( so it is one of the newer constructins around). There were incredible views from the top of the castle. We also had a visit with the Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies here in Napflion who runs a center that allows students and teachers access to all the libraries of Harvard University as they study all things Greek. He gave an incredible talk about the history of the Greek language, among other things, and he is going with us to Olymia tomorrow so we look forward to that.




Wish you were here!

The Acropolis

Wow. Just let me say, WOW!! We went to the Acropolis today and saw the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erecthion and other monuments. It was an incredible feeling. This was such a spiritual place for so many years and I think it still is. The monuments and the history of the place is wonderful. I really do not have the words to describe how it felt to be there today. I think I took about 80 pictures today. (I will NOT post all of them here) We had terrific weather today but it got a little hot up there.

We also visited the ancient Agora which was the heart of ancient Athens and also the place where Greek democracy was first practiced. The amount of artifacts that are just under the soil in this town are amazing. It seems they are everywhere. Even the Metro has displays underground of all the artifacts they found while they were building it.

Tomorrow we are off to Napflion which is on the coast. Our trip has really just started and I have already learned so much!!

Athens

So, now we are in Athens!! Yes, it needs two exclamation points. We were walking around the Plaka last night (the oldest area of Athens) and we turned a corner, looked down at the end of the street and there was the Acropolis with all of its ancient monuments. How cool is that? We spent lots of time in the archaeological museum today and learned a lot about the different types of sculpture and art and whatever else you can think of from ancient times. I think our brains are getting full but it is so wonderful!

Today (June 3) we went to the Acropolis Study Center and learned about some of the educational materials they have for teachers in the area. They gave us all one of their kits and so I will get to share it with my students at WTAMU. I think it will be an neat addition to my class. I think the materials may all be in Greek but I think we can make it work.

We had lunch at the Onassis Foundation. What an awesome place! We learned about some of their scholarship programs and they gave us about 20 pounds of books!! We are all planning on shipping some things home rather than trying to carry those books for the next 5 weeks! I guess I will close for now but we visit the Acropolis tomorrow so I am sure I will have more then.

Ciao!