Eric's Visit to Melnik, Bulgaria
I have recently returned from an 8-day vacation in Bulgaria (a present my girlfriend gave me for my 24th birthday). It was my fourth trip to her country and this time we traveled south, to the town of Sandanski, near the border of Macedonia & Greece.
From my understanding, most tourists know Bulgaria for the areas of “Sunny Beach” & Nesseber. These growing destinations on the coast of the Black Sea were also my only perceptions of this country that I first visited in 2004 with a fellow Hotelschool classmate, and resident, Ivan Kalinov.
In the past few years, with a combination of over-construction in building new hotel properties, the inflated prices from an influx of tourism and the joining of the European Union, this area has become an overrun “wasteland” compared to the serene sandy beaches it used to offer.
It was time to explore the country and bit more (I had wanted to go skiing but my girlfriend talked me into a “quiet” trip to the south). We packed into the car and headed in the direction of the capital Sofia, toward the town of Sandanski. While exploring the surrounding area, we stumbled over the town of Melnik.
Aside from the beautiful landscapes and the ever-present cultural differences, I love Bulgaria for its food & drink. As you might have read in my past writings, I am a gourmand of the simpler foods in life, and Melnik (the smallest “town” in Bulgaria) is on my top ten places in the world for its food and wine offerings.
Disregarding the fact that the village was one of the first in Bulgaria to produce wine (resulting in a variety of vineyards and some very good tasting cheap wine), it also offers a delicious array of food, also found throughout the country.
1. Shopska Salad (tomato, cucumber, green pepper & Sirene cheese)
2. Lutaneetsa (a smoked red pepper puree)
3. Banitza (a “bread” made with layered dough, Sirene cheese and milk)
…Enjoy Good Travel & Good Eats…
- posted by Eric
Posted in TidBites | On the Road
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for us.
hotel and $3,500 in spending money – an estimated retail value of $12,000. No purchase is required. Other prizes include a Nintendo® Wii™ and an American Idol video game.
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