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| Stara Zagora Monument |
STARA ZAGORA, BULGARIA Our train to Varna didn't leave until three and so I had time to walk the tree lined avenues and parks of Stara Zagora, the Roman ruins upon which the city was built, and through a modern museum documenting the history of the city dating back to the neolithic period. The warm sunny weather and back to school celebrations created a casual festive atmosphere. No one though was in a hurry - they seemed to relish the slow pace. I can understand why the woman on the train chose to retire from her job in NY and retire in Bulgaria. Prices are very low and for those over 65 the government pays for your health care needs. Nick had asked the woman if life had been better under the Soviet Union. She answered, "Everyone had a job. The government took care of all of our education and health care needs." "What about the block apartment buildings?" I asked. "We had a housing shortage and people lined up to get into a 'Khrushchoba.' My sister still lives in one." It wasn't all paradise, I surmise, since her husband, as a result of a fluke in the system, fled to the West and she and her son followed four years later.
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| Stray Dogs |
Stray dogs everywhere. I've said that before but it's an issue a roving anthropologist just can't let go of. In an article I read, "There are now about 9500 stray dogs throughout Sofia, according to Peter Petrov, the director of Ekoravnovesie, the municipal company entrusted with managing the capital's stray dogs. Numerous cases have been recorded of people being attacked by packs of strays in Sofia." Nick also did some research and although what he found relates to Romania, could relate to parts of Bulgaria as well: "When 'Centrul Civic' was built, approximately 40,000 families and 3,000 pet dogs were dispossessed of their homes. Most of these dogs became strays, and rapid breeding led to a population of over 250,000 stray dogs by 2001. Mayor Traian Băsescu had initially planned to euthanize as many stray dogs as possible, but international outcry — led by actress Brigitte Bardot — resulted in the substitution of a spay-and-release program instead." On a positive note, the dogs seem very friendly and simply looking for a good scratch.
