Having not done a group tour with a travel agent, I did not give much thought to cities, except for a few of which I was already familiar with, that were on the itinerary. The briefing long before the travel date was mostly about the weather, our hotel stays, whether the credit card was accepted and some advice on keeping safe. It was all delivered business-like. Obviously the speaker wasn't the tour leader; he was simply delivering a set speech. (Our tour leader, on the other hand, turned out to be energetic, enthusiastic and responsible.) Even if I had done some reading, I would have thought that, after all, a tour can only accommodate so much and priorities lie elsewhere.
Starting on a clean slate
Being in a city without any preconceived notions promises to be more adventurous and revelatory. So here we are in Ruse, Bulgaria. We do not have a local guide. It's lunch time. Our tour leader walks us to the main square. All around us are buildings that resemble those in Vienna. The park is well shaded, lined and dotted with trimmed colourful flower beds of various heights. Giant artificial blooms resembling the poppy shoot up from planter boxes.
Look where you're going
Engrossed in wonder and simply following the others before me I trip and fall. Didn't see that one coming – a crack on the tiles! Immediately several hands reach out to me. A quick rise, an equally quick dust off, and off we go. Will check for bruises later!
Appreciate first, find out later
Our leader points out to the open-air restaurants and cafes to which almost everybody in the group goes for a taste of the local cuisine. But,as usual, we have sandwiches and so walk about the perimeter of the square before finding a cool spot to picnic.
Is that the Statue of Liberty?
A sculpture of a woman holding a laurel wreath ( not a torch as in NYC) dominates the park. This is the Monument of Freedom/ Liberty symbolising the victory and honour of the Bulgarian people who staunchly stood against marauders and fought for independence through bloody wars typical of the Balkan nations.
Profit yielding building, no kidding!
Indeed it is! That is exactly where the touristy eateries are lined up along. It is a huge long building housing the only toilet (paid) in the vicinity. Certainly with all those patrons ordering food and drinks it is a requirement. The building itself takes up a whole street. Within had been a theatre. The elaborate neo-baroque architectural monument was designed by a Viennese.
Why the weird name? Its initial purpose was to be a venue for artists and entrepreneurs. The revenue collected was passed on to the schools. The original plan also included shops and a casino. Now the building is one Bulgaria's architecturally historical monuments
Clock tower
The building across the street has a working clock beneath a dome. It is more than a 100 years old. Amazingly, the clock's ancient wheels relentlessly keep accurate time. The building over which the clock sits used to be Girdap, the very first private bank in Bulgaria. The long pedestrian Alexandrovska Street it stands on is teeming with locals. If only they could converse in English!
Opera house
Across the Freedom Park stands a gloriously elegant red building fronted by fountains. The Opera House that was within the Profit yielding building now has a building of its own. There is no time to experience the opulence within. We are left to imagine the opera and philharmonic performances in its grand hall.
Through the copse of lush green trees just next to the red walls we get glimpses of St. Trinity Orthodox Church
Shouldn't there be a mosque near by
Apparently, had we crossed the Intersection at Alexandrovska Street we would have sighted Mirza Said Paşa Cami
Square after square
We have some time left and decide to walk along some of the streets that lead away from Freedom Square to what still looks Viennese. Sure enough each of the buildings is architecturally beautiful, the facades intricate and multifarious.
We arrive at a small quiet square, with a fountain and benches. The statue of Alexander Battenberg, modern Bulgaria's first Prince stands at the centre. The square is named after him. Along it is the Regional history museum which was meant to be a palace for Alexander Battenberg.
A celebrated school
As we sit there enjoying the shade there is a lot of activity at the building across from us. Through the doors uniformed school children pour out in batches. It looks as though the school caters to all levels of basic education for there were playful children, teens, and adolescents. They are the students of the reputed Hristov Botev School. It was the first large-scale 19th century male gymnasium to introduce modern educational methods.
Conveniently close library
We decide to walk across on the other side. The door to the building is open and we find that it is a library. The wall along the stairs leading up to the 2nd level displays a collection of colorful artwork, likely created by young artists. They are varied in style and subject matter, including depictions of animals, landscapes, and human figures.
I would have loved to meet the librarians and explore the upper floors but we are a little lost and it's almost time to rejoin our group.
As we leave we come across a lone blue statue of a young violin player standing in the square as though he was playing a sad melody to bid us farewell; a parting shot at us to rue that we had not really experienced Ruse to the fullest.
The sentiment is valid
Had I known that we were very close to the Banks of the Danube we would have spent less time sitting around and seen more of what the city had to offer along the Danube that connects to other cities that we have visited before, viz. Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), and Budapest(Hungary).
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