The ride from Veliko Tarnovo to Varna over good roads is uneventful and takes me about three hours with a stop for fuel, coffee, and a much-needed drink of cold water. After battling the notorious Varna traffic, I get lost looking for my hotel. My time is tight as the clock ticks. Legendary sommelier and […]
In Sliven, I have my only and last meal in the restaurant at the Park Central Hotel. The staff allowed me to taste the samples of Rossidi wines Eddie gave me, along with a glass of Pinot Noir by Edward Miroglio, another nearby winery. Edward Miroglio not only owns the winery that bears his name, […]
With the ancient city of Plovdiv fading in my rearview, I motor down the back roads through the Thracian Valley. After an hour, I rejoin the highway for thirty minutes and then return to the back roads. Today I will meet Eddie Kourian, the CEO, co-founder and proprietor of Rossidi, a boutique winery outside of […]
Plovdiv Bulgaria is the country’s second-largest city after Sofia, the capital. Spread about in the Upper Thracian Plain, Plovdiv is one of Europe’s oldest cities. Historians date the location back some 4,000 years BC when Thracians settled in the hills surrounding the town. They built a fortified settlement in what’s called the Three Hills—and so […]
It’s about a fifteen-minute drive east from the center of Plovdiv to the sprawling Zagreus Winery. My driver Todor never visited the winery but admitted he isn’t familiar with the wines. The winery and tasting room sit on a hillside overlooking over a hundred hectares of vineyards. Its modern architecture and floor to ceiling curvilinear […]
Today I head to Plovdiv where I’m excited to explore the wines of the Thracian Lowlands and meet one of Bulgaria’s most lauded winemakers, Natalia Gadjeva. I’m eager to taste her wines and talk about the history and future of Dragomir Estate Winery which she owns and operates along with her husband, Konstantin and their […]
No itinerary. Mostly, it’s how I travel. I also thought “No Itinerary” would work great as the name of our television show. Allowing for spontaneity traveling with a loose schedule leaves room for possibilities and lets you take advantage of opportunities that you may discover. In fact, there’s no reason I need to leave Sofia […]
Sofia is vibrant, colorful, and ever-evolving. Though it was just two-and-a-half years ago I was here, I don’t recognize the city save its mosaic mix of architectural styles. Influences and styles span from Neoclassical and Neo-Byzantine to Modernist Soviet and Stalinist. While the architecture and the buildings haven’t changed, I sense the energy and feel […]
After navigating a herd of sheep in a village near Melnik, my ride to Sofia over a busy two-lane twisty road winds along the Struma River and through vast fields of colorful sunflowers. After an hour the road turns into a divided highway. The bike is running well, but in my feet, I sense a […]
I take the opportunity to taste and learn more about the wines of Melnik and the Struma River Valley and stay one more night here. I join Will who reluctantly takes the wheel of his Romanian-built Dacia rental car. He’s from the UK, and this car is for driving on the right side of the road—as […]
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