When we were living in the Rhodope Mountains, a favourite day trip for us was to Bulgaria’s second largest city, Plovdiv.
The isolation of the mountains can only be explained by a crazy yearning for Big Macs and Happy Meals. I am sure those burgers are implanted with some sort of homing device. The slow drive down the mountain and the green faces in the back always meant that we needed to stop for fresh air and exercise and what better place to indulge ourselves than that bastion of Western capitalism, McDonalds.
My sons are interested in ancient history, partly because they believe they will discover the next cache of old gold treasures, so we visited the old town, which was full of quaint, well-maintained houses, churches and hilly cobbled streets. It is easy to get lost in this quarter. Little alleyways lead off the beaten track to reveal yet more historical treasures like the Sveta Nedlya Church. Every building has a story to tell, but on a hot sunny day, it is hard to soak up so much information and we opted for letting our sons run free and stopping at whatever site took their fancy. Thankfully, the place is not littered with souvenir shops and our only indulgence in retail therapy in this part of the town was at a quirky antique shop, which sold Old Russian money.
The most fascinating thing we saw was the Roman amphitheatre built in 2 CE to house 7000 people. It was spectacular and certainly one of the best examples I have seen outside of the Coliseum. The panorama is spectacular. You can look down onto new Plovdiv and then out across the beautiful Rhodope Mountains. My sons insisted on role-playing Gladiators. I was Julius Caesar and they came into the arena and said “we who are about to die, salute you” then they started fighting. My husband looked on with mock disdain from one of the chic cafes, which surround the arena.
As we came out of the subway on our way over to the new town, a boy of about 15 ran past with an old man in hot pursuit. The old man was yelling something, which could have only been “Stop, Thief” and a couple of other people tried to block the boy’s path. Then a middle-aged shopkeeper ran out of his store and chased him. The boy looked like he would get away, but the shopkeeper caught him and he and the old man started to hit the boy with some good firm punches. The police arrived, the old man got one last punch in, and the police turned a blind eye and then cuffed the thief who by this time was crying. We stood with the boys and watched the whole scene, which proved to be an excellent lesson in what happens if you try to steal something. When we reached the city centre, we were most impressed. Plovdiv is full of great shops in a pedestrianised area. Prices are great in comparison to cities like Varna and Sofia. As I browsed the boutiques, the rest of my family headed up towards yet more Roman remains. It seems that Plovdiv is hides a wealth of history beneath its modern concrete footings. It is strange to see the remains of a Roman stadium once used for chariot races and wrestling during the second and third centuries. Another quirk of Plovdiv’s juxtaposition of historical events is the ancient remains of a thirteenth century mosque towering above the stadium. Its diamond -patterned minaret and lead sheathed dome dominate the skyline and pay homage to Plovdiv’s Turkish rule.
Tired from so much walking and an overdose of junk food, we headed back to the old quarter to start the drive homewards. Plovdiv is a wonderful city with a peculiar yet charming character, there is so much to do and see here, that a day trip only allows you to scratch the surface. I personally need at least a weekend just to visit the multitude of stores!
