Brussels

Although Grand Place is the most marvelous place in Brussels, there are also other interesting sites. When you look at the UNESCO World Heritage list you will find there also for example two hotels designed by Victor Horta. The first one is located in the small Rue Paul-Emile Jansonstraat, visible over the crossing.

It is called Hotel Tassel and is considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its groundbreaking use of materials and decoration.

This is the building in the middle.

Unfortunately, although it is called a hotel, it is currently a private office so visitors are not allowed. The same applies to the second building - The Solvay House.

The house was commissioned by Armand Solvay, the son of the wealthy Belgian chemist and industrialist Ernest Solvay. For this wealthy patron Horta could spend a fortune on precious materials and expensive details. Horta designed every single detail; furniture, carpets, light fittings, tableware and even the door bell. He used expensive materials such as marble, onyx, bronze, tropic woods etc. For the decoration of the staircase Horta cooperated with the Belgian pointillist painter Théo van Rysselberghe.

The Hôtel Solvay and most of its splendid content remained intact thanks to the Wittamer family. They acquired the house in the 1950s and did the utmost to preserve and restore this magnificent dwelling.

Other impressive building of modern Brussels is Palais de Justice.

It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by the celebrated architect Joseph Poelaert. It is reputed to be the largest building constructed in the 19th century. Unesco is considering making it one of the next Belgian world heritage sites.

Just next to it you can admire the glory of Belgian infrantry for their effort in both World Wars ...

... and Anglo-Belgian War Memorial commemorating the support given by the Belgian People to British prisoners of war during the First World War.

But obviously there are also horses in Brussles. Please admire my beautiful ancestor here. He is standing at the center of Place Royale. The strange gentleman riding on his back is Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the first crusade in 1096.

Just left from their monument you can find Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg church. But its most important part of are the steps. On theeese steps, on July 21, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath that made him H.M. Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians

Between Palace of Justice and Place Royale there are a few other interestig places. The first one is the first international post office in Brussels, open in 1516 and run by The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis within Holy Roman Empire until 1867, so even after Empire colapsed in 1806.

And here is the post entrance.

The modern post box is still here!

But the most beautiful part is a small park of The Kleine Zavel (Place du Petit Sablon).

In its central point you can take the rest from citi rush next to the Count Egmont and Count Hoorn. They were both key figures in the 16 th-century Dutch revolt against Spanish rule that resulted in the Eighty Years War and an independent Dutch Republic.

Another attraction of the Kleine Zavel park is the fence – each statue, pillar and section of wrought ironwork is unique. These 48 life-sized statues represent the traditional trades and guilds of Brussels. The various guilds and trades can be identified by their typical instruments or symbols. For example, the roofers with a ladder as visible on the picture.

Just next to the park you can admire Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon, which was patronised by the nobility and wealthy citizens of Brussels.

It is characterised by its late Brabantine Gothic exterior.

Typical for Brabanitine was use of light-coloured sandstone or limestone, which allowed rich detailing but is erosion-prone.

It is standing on the location of the chapel of the Crossbow Guild, which is very important for Brussels. According to a legend, a local devout woman named Beatrijs Soetkens had a vision in which the Virgin Mary instructed her to steal the miraculous statue of "Our Lady on the little stick" in Antwerp, bring it to Brussels and place it here. The woman stole the statue and, through a series of miraculous events, was able to bring it to Brussels by boat, in 1348.

The Guild promised to hold an annual procession, called an 'Ommegang', in which the statue was carried through Brussels. It was continuosly run from 1348 to 1785. In 1930, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Belgium, some history enthusiasts supported efforts to commemorate once again this demonstration, in the form of a historical procession. Given the success of this performance, it was decided to repeat it in subsequent years.

Great! That is the end of Brussels visiting. Time for ice cream!

Varna

From Aladzha we will drive only a few kilometres to the main city of the region - Varna. The history of human settlements in this region dates back to Antiquity. The city has been destroyed, burned, conquered and rebuilt several times, belonging in different periods to Romans, Bulgars and Turks. Actually more than once to each of them. Today, it is a nice coastal town, best know for its beach resorts called Golden Sands.

If you want to spend some time in the city rather than on the sand, you are likely to choose one of the city parks that offer the blessing of shadow.

You can sit on a bench.

Or take one of those pedalos if you wish to be close to water.

The small pond is supplied with water by a small river that runs into the sea.

You can also use this opportunity to learn more about Bulgaria and its sacred places and famous people.

Under each marble plate lies the soil from sacred Bulgarian places. Like here - the soil from the Dryanovo Monastery.

Down the lane, you can meet and greet some of the national heroes of different backgrounds. Vasil Levski was a revolutionist who was one of the fathers of the movement that led to the freedom of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, Simeon was a bishop of the Orthodox church taking care of the Varna and Preslav metropoly.

On a warm summer day, the city of Varna is of course very hot. I would still invite you to take a few steps out of the park and see some of the main landmarks.

You will undeniably find some churches ...

... a theater ...

... and nice residential buildings.

If you wish, you can greet the fisherman and his golden fish. Who knows, maybe she will grant you a wish if you are kind enough?

Or you can shake your hands with this nice gentleman. It is the architect Dabko Dabkov, who has designed and created over two hundred buildings in Varna in the beginning of twentieth century. The statue is placed in front of a building designed by Dabkov.

As we move down the pedestrian zone, we reach two more amoung the most important buildings in the city. First, the clock tower, built in 1888. The fire brigades of Varna used it to monitor the city from its top. If they spotted a fire during daytime they were passing signals with flags. At night, they used lanterns. The process stopped in 1898 when the fire brigade received a telephone line.

On the other side of the street you will find the second largest church in Bulgaria - the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. It belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox church that was established back in 870 AD. 

Inside, the church is indeed very vast. It is also beautifully decorated.

In the main dome you will find, as in most of the orthodox churches that I have visited, a painting of Christos Pantocrator or otherwise Christ Almighty.

We cannot leave Varna without seeing one more place or one more personality. It is the horse of emperor (tsar) Kaloyan. In the twelfth century he carried his master to the independence of Bulgaria from the Byzantine Empire. We horses have always been vital to the freedom of nations!

Madara

Madara is a village in Bulgaria, with only a bit more than a thousand inhabitants. You probably wonder why on Earth I am taking you there. I hope that this sign will serve as the best explanation.

The area of historical interest is not very large. By the way - have you noticed that the map says Magapa rather than Madara? Actually, this is because the word is written in the cyrilic alphabet which  is used to write in Bulgarian, where "g" is read as "d" and "p" is read as "r".

We need to start by climbing a bit. Luckily the stairs are large and in good shape.

Finally, we reach our destination. Please pay your respect to the Madara Horse (or officially the Madara Rider), triumphing over a lion.

If you are not over impressed, maybe you need to realise that the Rider was carved in a cliff that is a hundred meters high. And that it was created at the beginning of the eighth (not eighteenth!) century. So no cranes, no drills, no dynamite at hand.

In large parts of Eastern Europe people were still living in small tribes deep in the woods. But the Bulgarians had already their own state ruled by Khans. On top of the cliff, they have built a fortress. Shall we go?

The cliff in which the Rider was carved is almost vertical.

Below, the land is flat. A perfect place to defend a fortress. And to show one's strength to potential invaders.

The stairs are getting more and more demanding. Be careful as we climb.

Finally, we reach the top.

The fortress has an excellent strategic position. The walls have been built of massive cut blocks. They are preserved at a height up to two meters.

Its shape is irregular and conforms to the feature of the area itself. It played an important role in defending the former Bulgarian capitals Pliska and Preslav.

So take a deep breath and feel for a moment as if you were the lord of the castle.