Old World meets the new in Bulgaria

Europe — By Bob Riel on June 26, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Few people think of Bulgaria when contemplating a European vacation, but Tim Jones found the country to be an intriguing mixture of the old and the new. He reported on his experiences for the Chicago Tribune.

This is a dark, fascinating and, unfortunately, forgotten country, an Iowa-sized Balkan beauty with snow-capped mountains and lush green fields. It is here that the undeniable forces of the New World order meet a stubborn Old World speed bump defined by donkey carts, shepherds, a sclerotic and often corrupt governing bureaucracy and an economy that, for the most part, lags behind its old Eastern Bloc brethren.

Don’t come to Bulgaria if you’re looking for some glossy European elegance interspersed with Starbucks and all those Western, touristy accouterments that make travel so comfortable and reassuring.

But do come if you’re up for something a little wild and pretty rough around the edges. Come if you’re interested in watching the noisy, tectonic shifts of a former communist satellite in awkward transition to wherever it is it’s going. Come if you’d like to see the Old World, before it’s gone.