Spring time 2022. has just begun and I was finally ready for my Erasmus mobility exchange program trip to Bulgaria.
Bulgaria – ‘the Land of Old Mountain Spirited’ – as I re-named such, with more than beautiful nature and climate gifted country situated at the very and of Balkan Peninsula
The Etnographic Museum Varna.
And what would be that, what I might take as specific of the Paeninsula’s geopolitics, culture and society, yet still not found or not fully recognized in any other part of our Globe? It is “the spirit” felt in the Bulgarian air. The same ‘spirited air’ marks entire space all around the Paeninsula (…) likewise ‘Old Spirited’ neighbour countries of the Republic of Serbia, Greece) Northern Republic of Macedonia, Romania (…). But in their appearance Bulgarians seem to be quite different than Greeks or North Republic Macedonians or Serbians or likewise South European Slavs (…)
Overviewing Bulgarian history explicated within different historical books written on Bulgarian history and nation, of course, in the official – Cyrillic letters, we might say that Bulgarians, considering influences of the originally and agriculturally shaped habits and genesis of the moral and modus vivendi code, for the Bulgarians we might say that they are a sort of “the golden mean” of ethnographic and cultural Paeninsula history (…).
And with the anatomically shaped faces you meet when walking through unusually, yet structurally very-well organized architectural infrastructure (e. g.) of the city of Varna or Dobrich in Varna hinterland (…) On a daily base, of course, what you might recognise is specific shape of the nose which Bulgarian men proudly “wear” or beautiful black-haired women
Dr. Silvena Dencheva, VUM professor of Economics.
or angel-child-faces or peacefulness which springs out through the eyes of the people to whom you are talking to by side on the street, in the hotel or at the restaurant during daily meal-time (…)
Faces of the Bulgarians resembles a touch of holiness e. g. depicted by skill-handed artists or iconographers seen on secret ikons which incorporate the meaning and the role of Christian holy-people, martyrs, founders of the Bulgarian Church (…). Speaking of the roots of Christendom, yes, indeed, Bulgaria is, Georgia likewise, one of the oldest Christian Churches in the world dates from 4th..
Basilica of Holy Dormition.
Sightseeing the places of Varna, the city which used to be known under the name of Odessa – in early, windy, sunny afternoon and windy because the city is situated on the West coast of the worldly known the Black Sea (…), you might have a beautiful encounter with a seagull.
Black Sea, so dark-blue and salty, so mighty, when troubled water (…) and, when standing and watching it from the shore, for the moment, you might feel like ‘the sea-queen’ or the ‘sea-king’, but at the same time you might feel like trembling because you feel like standing before ‘the Old Mountain Spirited’ – with its high of nearly 3000 m Musala peak. It is unique feeling that unites the very beauty of the nature you cannot feel anywhere else but in Varna only.
The Black Sea.
Varna – the capital of the Black Sea exposed at the area which is two and a half sized compared with the area of the Croatian city of Split, and similar to Greek Patra at the Ionian Sea.
With a bit less than 350 000 inhabitants, Varna attracts people, tourists and students all around the world and they are coming here just to pay respect to Varna’s architectural beauty expressed in their religious needs (the Cathedral of Assumtion of the Blessed Virgin Mary dated from the beginning of the 17th c.– “the hallmark of the Bulgarian “sea capital”” (Dryanovski i Rachev: Cathedral church “Sveto Uspenie Bogorodichino”; Baeva and Kalinova, 2020: 8). Or just to admire ‘the old’ building – the headquarter of the Varna Rails (i. e. the main railway station of Varna) is (in Croatian, a. n.) “cinober” red coloured with a touch of the white… so powerful and standing in the middle of one Varna’s crossroads: the Bulgarian Naval Headquarter (…).
The Bulgarian Naval Headquarter.
Varna Railway Station Headquarter.
The magnificent Port of Varna, then, the most attractive building I have ever seen since I have caught up with Erasmus exchange mobilities onward: the Faculty of Economics – the bluish-coloured building upholds the downtown area. Doplhinarium – the heart of the Sea Park, placed where you can enjoy drinking coffee, or pretend being so brave to order Vodka Standard “small” or “big-cup” or, eating tasty cake made by Bulgarian skilly-hands (…), ‘cause if you might not know about this beautiful Paeninsula foodie-spirit, Bulgaria, and Varna region especially, is known after more-than-excellent-cuisine: famous European Faculty of Gastronomy used to be educational core of the land.
Hope my beloved Croatia will forgive me what I am about to say in the following: I have never eaten so good grilled octopus while drinking of full “dark” taste red vine likewise the one of Varna region made dark grapes.
My Erasmus+ journey to Bulgarian Varna, the residence of the Black Sea was with the certain and defined purpose. Two years ago, in the down of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis my mobility hosting settled with VUM international office management was, unfortunately, canceled. And I felt so bad and sad, because I had a flight-ticket already reserved and pay the whole arrival arrangement there that was settled with Varna University of Management (VUM) Erasmus coordinator. Two years after, on the same day exactly I was planning to travel in March 2020. I left Croatian lend and flew off right into the sky and 1000 miles towards the ‘Land of Old Mountain Spirited’ on the March 20th 2022. I was hosted by great and good-hearted academitians ofVUM and I will gladly mention their name: Ekaterina Miteva, VUM Erasmus coordinator, Alina Poroza, young and dear and of Moldovan origins Erasmus office assistant, the two doctors of arts and humanities and social sciences, who have been more that kind to me and hosting me for full 8 hours of class performing the streams of Ethics within Organizational Behaviour (hosted by dr Silvena Denchevaat VUM headquarter in Varna) and International Business and Cultural Diversity courses (the late one hosted by dr Nedka Dimitrova).
For us who are originally dedicated to teaching there is no better feeling than the one when you can share your knowledge with the French Guiana and Zaire students; with Filipins, French, Italians, Spanish, Ukraine students, with very young female-student from Kazakhstan (…), and in order – metaphorically – ‘to put the cherry on the top of the cake”: Varna and Dobrich hosting course list would seem incomplete without adding Croatian female student on it!
After 26 units of electronic letters how many I have exchanged with VUM’s international office management in in the March 2020. and 2022. my experience of spending 7 days in Varna and Dobrich I cannot describe with different words than those I shall pose in the following lines:
There is no EU project in the educational field that can enrich educational and foreign language and cultural interference comparable with the Erasmus+ (…).
Bulgaria is the land of “old mountain spirited’; being hosted by Varna University of Management I felt all the time as a part of their history and culture and educational experience in Bulgaria likewise countries in order to become more familiar with the origins of that of what authenticity attached to Bulgaria cultural heritage might bring to all of Eropeans (…).
There is no better feeling than the one that rises up internal joy touched by beauty of the spirit of Bulgarians.
