While some traditions are fading with time, others are reborn. Tahini production, the sticky paste of the crushed sesame seed, is seeing a resurgence … [Read more...]
Border Villages of Ivaylovgrad
Small Bulgarian villages abutting the border with Greece are dwindling in size, but there is some hope for revitalization. Odrintsi was once populated … [Read more...]
Lost villages of Ivaylovgrad
Crumbling brick buildings hidden in the vegetation hint at small settlements that existed during communist times in Ivaylovgrad Province. During the … [Read more...]
Thracian Food Festival
The square in the center of Ivaylovgrad is surrounded by reflections of the town's past. An old Communist Party headquarters has been transformed into … [Read more...]
From the Rhodopes with a pumpkin
In the far South of Bulgaria lies a stretch of mountains called the Rhodopes. Small villages remain in isolated pockets with dwindling populations. … [Read more...]
Home for Winter in the Pacific Northwest
Every morning I sip my first cup of coffee and blearily stare out the window looking for light. If it is golden or pure white, I grab my glasses … [Read more...]