Church of the Seven Saints (part 3, finally)

Perhaps tomorrow, I'll be doing a double dose of churches here in Sofia. For right now, I will leave a few pictures of another favorite of mine.

This is known as Church of The Seven Saints or 

Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church. Trying saying that really fast five times. 

So here is a little background information on this wondrous and magnificent structure that I enjoy observing from all angles. This church is one of the younger churches in the Sofia area. It is a little older than the monstrosity known as St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Interesting fact: it is named for the day in which Sofia was liberated - the feast day of one of the Holy Seven Saints, known as Sveti Naum. I may need to learn about these saints, so I know more than just their names.

Actually when I was in this building last Friday, the priest was performing a ritual that I was very unaware of. I am still unable to locate exactly what the priest was performing, but I can describe it on here anyway. I was standing to the side of a few icons of saints, as the priest was walking back down the center aisle. He was swinging something in his hand, towards all of the patrons in the church at the time. It was a like a miniature-crown on a string. As he swung this instrument towards us, ashes seemed to be floating in the air. A few minutes before that there was an older gentleman chanting what may have been some Psalms.

Anyway, this church is located near one of my favorite sandwich shops in the city. Many a day I have sit in the park facing this church and admired her beauty and size. The blue skies in the background really bring out the magnificence of this structure. It is not as popular as some of the other churches in this area, but it can captivate the eyes through a variety of ways. Interestingly enough, this church only took one year to construct. Considering all of the little domes, and other intricacies, that is quite a feat.

Here is the churches website which you can translate into English very easily with Chrome as your browser.
Saints Temple

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St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

This giant piece of beauty is one of the reasons I enjoy walking around here at night in Sofia. This is actually one of the youngest churches in Sofia, probably the youngest. It was dedicated to the many Russian soldiers who gave their lives during  The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, in which this nation was freed from Ottoman rule. This building itself is a little less than a hundred years old. It was started back in the early 1900s. It is even said that the Gypsy people use to climb the building in attempts to recover some of the gold from the many domes. 

This building is one of the main attractions to the capital city here of Sofia. It is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world, and can easily hold upwards of 10,000 people inside it. In all of the Balkan Peninsula it is the second largest cathedral, behind Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia.

 There are so many different angles at which you can view this church. You can see it in the sunlight from many locations around the city. Or if you are like myself, then you will speechless seeing this wondrous piece of architecture as a backdrop with the sunset, or moonlight. This evening especially, my Aussie friend Jimmy and I were walking towards one side of the cathedral and just stopped in awe of the beauty.

Here is a little more information about the cathedral. 
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                                                        front shot in the daytime

                                                 a very unedited version

                                            nighttime via the iPod

St. Sophia Church (First in a series of???)

Today's featured church will be St. Sophia. It is located pretty close to where I am staying, but it has some great history to go along with it as well. 

St. Sophia is actually  the oldest Eastern Orthodox Church in this city. As a matter of fact this church dates all the way back to the 4th-6th centuries.  It is a true testament to the Saint herself,  2nd-century Roman Saint Sophia the Martyr, who has in recent years even become the city's patron saint. St. Sofia herself represents divine wisdom, and perhaps it is from this that the church has weathered so many storms in her long tumultuous history. 

Instead of acting as if I am the brave historian on Orthodox Churches, I will let you click right here : Saint Sophia Church and you can read all about it. I will leave a few pictures as well. 

One of my favorite things to do is to walk in a building such as this, light a few candles, say a few prayers, and just sit in peace for a few minutes.  I feel that this is the main reason I was brought to this city for the third time in my life. I may not be too busy this time of the month work-wise, but I know that inner peace is located. 

Here are a few photos, some with key information that some may be unaware of. 

                                            great historical information

                                                          that's a cool location for a bell

                                                    more information on the architecture

                                            not the best shot, but you get a general idea of the front

                                               snuck in two shots while I was inside

Mish Mash

This is a dish that I ate yesterday, and really enjoyed. I have not been taking too many pictures of the dishes I eat these days, so here is a link. You can find this more useful anyway.

MISH MASH

From last week

Thursday, August 15th was actually a holiday here in Bulgaria. It was an Orthodox holiday, actually. For those who may be educated in the field of religion, Assumption Day was the holiday that was celebrated here about ten days ago. Here is a link for readers to look at (Assumption Day). While working on the farm last week, Ian informed us that there would be a village gathering that included the sacrifice of a few sheep. He tried to explain some of what occurs at these gatherings, but it turns out that we was unaware of the day's meaning. 

I did some research and according to the Orthodox calendar that day was the Day of Assumption. I eventually found it it was the day in which St. Mary ascends into heaven. Clicking the link above in the first paragraph will take care of all that you need to know. 

As we approach the grounds of this little church, we noticed about ten big black pots boiling. In those big black pots were various parts of sheep. The little ladies working the event, were cutting up tomatoes, peppers, and onions as well, in order to add a little flavor to the soup. Anytime you go somewhere and there are giant pots of something boiling, you tend to get some hunger pains, as you anxiously await the time where the meal can be served. 

As the pots were a brewin', a priest came out in his robe, and performed a little ceremony. Many of us in the audience paid to lay some candles down to burn at unmarked grave. The priest also took something from around his neck (I have no idea what it would be called), and chanted what may have been some scriptures in honor of the day.  Then he took some flowers that were dipped in water and sprinkled the water onto the heads of those who walked up to lay down some coins for water. Many of the parishioners kissed the middle of the cross as the water was sprinkled on them. I was amazed at the devotion these villagers showed during this ceremony. 

Additionally, there were large round loaves of bread that all of the members of the village/church brought as part of the feast. Eventually, as we found out, the bread was to be broken and served among those closest to you. Lucas, (Polish farmhand), and Chala (British farm helper) walked around and shared the bread we made with the Bulgarians in our area. There must have been something symbolic about the sharing of the breads. Many of the breads were so beautifully made - sounds weird, but they were probably all homemade as well. 

Finally, all of the soup from the pots was poured into large buckets, that were then poured into buckets, pots, bowls, etc. Whatever container one brought it was filled up with the soup. Half of the church grounds consisted of just lines of buckets, and pots. Anyway, the soup had some good taste, but nothing extravagant, (like my meal tonight was). I was lucky to have my iPod on hand to get a few pictures of the event that I could share here as well. 

                                                     The pots are a brewin'

                                                       Choppin' up some sheep

                                                       The buckets are awaiting to be filled

                                                    Sharing some bread

                                                     Preparing to fill some buckets

A few more pictures of the hike

Nevena sent me a few pics from her phone, so here they are.

Today's Brutal But Rewarding Hike

I've been contemplating a few things to post, which I will get to tomorrow sometime. As for today, I'll post a few pictures of my glorious adventure with my friend Nevena. We decided to go to the highest peak of Vitosha National Park (see here), which is one of the only national parks in Europe located right outside of the capital city.

The hike started sometime after 9:30 (upon completion of a few bus rides to a little ski lift area). Turns out that the lifts are not in operation at this time of year. Nevena was banking on these lifts being open, so then we would have only had a two hour hike to the peak. Instead we arrived at the peak known as Cherni Vrah. This meant that I have at least hit the peaks of mountains on four continents. I have been through national parks on five continents at least. That is just a random fact for all the world to know.

For those who have had some pretty rough summers due to extreme heat/humidity, this is definitely a place for you.  While wearing my hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of shorts, I devoured a few glasses of hot tea in the shop at the Cherni Vrah restaurant. We rose somewhere around 1500m (close to a mile), and completed a distance unknown. I am guessing we may have done about 14 or 15k - close to 9 miles. The peak of the mountain 2290m.  I can not process if I am sunburned or if I am windburned. Either way, it was a very rewarding hike/climb.  I have been informed by many, even an Irishman who spends time here, that there are endless supplies of natural beauty in this country. Enjoy some of my pictures, and have a wonderful day. Nevena got some more with me, on her camera/phone, so here are a few of my good ones at least.

                                               You can see some of the city here

                                           I always love taking pictures like this

                                       We walked up that but it was much steeper than it looks

                                             Nice view

    There were a ton of these  yellow and black poles with numbers on them. . I guess for counting down the distance to the peak

                                              Pretty much says "you are at the peak"

                                                             Selfie

                                                                National Park Vitosha

                                              Some giant rocks near the top of the mountain

                                             this is pretty much the peak

                                             Miss Nevena

                                         Not many of myself of my own cameras

                                            A little panorama of the place

One of my favorite places

                                   Known as Church of the Seven Saints

BIG NEWS

...... Now that I have your attention, here is the not so big news. There are a few blogs of interest for all of you here.

www.twangandthelord.blogspot.com
www.mytoworld.blogspot.com
www.scripturelifejt.blogspot.com

End of the Farming Adventure

On Sunday morning my adventure at CROP Farm came to an end. It was a good week full of sawing, picking, cooking, cleaning, and relaxation.

I sawed and sawed what seemed like a few trees that ended up being used on a daily basis as our wood for the ole' school wood burning oven.  The oven was home to many a conversation, many loaves of bread, a few cakes, numerous soups, and a few stir fry dishes as well. Many of these meals accommodated our vegan or vegetarian guests, which meant this guy didn't guy too many servings of meat in his time on the farm. The adaptation process to vegetarian life was a fairly easy one, though returning to the city on Sunday made the appetite desire for something meaty. What I enjoyed most was the peace and quiet (when Mr. Chatty wasn't around) that came with being around the oven in the great wide open underneath the stars.


I did spend a great deal of time pickin' and pickin' too. Sadly enough, I do not spend any of my time pickin' on guitars or banjos though. This pickin' that I am relating to is of the many wild plums and blackberries on the farm. The plums were yellow and red, and had multiple uses. Some were used to make compote. Some were used to make juice. Some were used to make Rakia, which is a famous Bulgarian style of brandy. The ladies even used a few of the plums to bake in the cakes as well.

Now blackberries just may be the most daunting fruit of any to pick. Blackberries are guarded by the "thorniest of thorns", as my Grandpa quoted it a few weeks ago. I spent a few mornings before breakfast reaching under thorns, over thorns, on top of thorns, and yeah, you get the point. The scars obtained from pickin' berries have all healed up thankfully. The blackberries themselves were very rewarding in taste. Trade a little blood for a little berry taste, and you get a pleasant feeling in your taste buds.

One thing I was not aware of when I arrived at the farm was that I would be doing a little grunt work. Grunt work when you are working on a farm is called cooking and cleaning. I did not mind at all pickin' veggies from the garden. Pulling onions and 'taters from the soil reminded me of a treasure hunt in some ways. Mr. Ian, the British farm owner, is not the domestic type (as he warned me right away). So along with the other farm guests (who represented Germany, Poland, and England), I did my fair share of cooking and cleaning. According to my other guests, usually you are not asked to perform these tasks when working on WWOOF farms.

Overall, the experience was something my soul was in desperate need of. I felt very at home, though the shower and toilet were both outdoor facilities - of the hippie kind (as some may suggest). I gained a lot of perspective on some traditional methods of farming, as well as a few traditional means of living too. I would definitely want to work on another farm somewhere else in the world, but under one stipulation. Next time I would want to make sure I am on a farm owned by a native of that country, instead. This is no attack on my Mr. Ian, who is an extremely smart dude, who is an Agronomist, and who seems to know everything about everything. Well, almost everything, except for sports and rednecks.

                                                 the home of my morning meditation

                                                          some of our bread cooling off

                                                      that's what we call an oven

                                              wild plums fermenting

Shoe the farm cat

Back in the City

Hello everyone. . . I am now back in the city, along with some browning of my body as well. The farm live was a little interesting, especially the Brit who runs the farm. I'll add a full report and more photos over the next few days.
Cheers

A few photos from the mountains

                                     Part of the garden where beans are growing

                                       scrap metal anyone?

                                         the lovely Balkans

                                           the sunset setting isn't so great

                                       Sign at the entrance to the farm

                                     lovin' the blackberries

                                  the guesthouse is on the left, animal house is the center house

                   this cat is super cool, hangs around the wood burning stove whenever I am there

                                        tried to do something cool here, but did not really work

The Adventure

So last Thursday night I had quite the adventure in finding my way back to the CROP farm. It kind of starts out like this. I departed a train in what I thought was the village of Tserovo. Upon viewing my surroundings I was surprised to see that I was in the wrong. What does one do in a moment like this? Try to just relax and look at the map. Oh yeah, I was without map, so forget that idea. Instead I decided to walk the train tracks to the next town. Unfortunately I strolled down the wrong side of the tracks. After a two mile walk if the tracks, I discovered the town of Bov.  I found a local fellow who appeared to have some car troubles . After saying good evening (with my very limited Bulgarian vocab) to him, I asked where Tserovo was located. Turns out that  I was only a three mile walk to the village where I have been staying at the farm. After dodging cars on a narrow two lane road, I arrived in the vicinity around 10 pm.
The next part of the adventure was getting up to the mountain outside of the main village. I was running low on water, as well as light (which I was using on my IPod).

I was very appreciative of the village homes lighting my way to the trail (that leads to the farm). I definitely was not ready to hit the panic button though. Coming down the mountain in sunlight was cake. Going up in darkness could not have been too bad.  Then you starting to consider your adventure getting to that point. According to my legs and calculations, I had walked about eight miles and possibly more throughout my whole evening.

The more I wanted to just stop and sleep in the forest, the more I began to look toward the stars. I started to pray to God to be my guiding light. I knew that the eventually I would be in an open field. My iPod even started to flash low battery too. This meant that giving up could be an option, or I could just look up to the stars and be led.

I took a moment to think things over, and suddenly a rush of energy hit me. I felt as if I was gliding through the forest into the open field. Sure enough it was just myself in that field joined by the starlight.

It was there that your path was illuminated by the stars above

After entering someone else's land, I found the power lines that led me to CROP farm.

go to this for more www.scripturelifejt.blogspot.com

Greetings from the land of internet

Hello everyone. I was lucky to have the day off at the farm, so it seems that I have four more days of work, before I start a light tour of some really small Eastern European countries.

I have really been enjoying my time though. Here's a little ditty that I wrote last night.

I’ve learned quite a bit lately here at this farm. First of all, technology is way over rated.

I still love technology in the manner that it allows me to communicate with so many people around the world. I do agree though that it is a distraction to people’s social lives though. One of the greatest difficulties I found in having meals with Korean friends was that they seemed to be distracted at least fifty percent of the time by their smart phones.  We are blessed with such abundant natural resources and beautiful surroundings in our world.

For seven of the last nights, I have been parked in front of a wood burning stove. The last few nights have consisted of baking bread in the oven. Other activities in the wood burning stove may include making compote from wild plums, or blackberries, cooking dinner, or even preparing dinner for the dogs on the farm. The gentle sounds of nature, along with the sight of nearly every star in our galaxy have really made life much simpler. We may have to sit by this wood burning stove and oven and practice the art of patience, but believe me this is totally worth it. Everyone, no matter their age, should experience this kind of environment at least once in their lives. When I hear of church youth groups, or companies hosting retreats, I would recommend they find a locale such as this. If you really want people to develop better relationships, then bring them out into the natural world, not to some beach or amusement park, or fancy golf club.

A few pictures from my temporary digs

                                            So this is the place where I sleep at night

                                              Outdoor shower

                                       Note inside the toilet area

                                                    Nice view though

Toilet