A Step Back in Time

If nothing else, Bulgaria is a country of contradictions – a paradox. Among other things, many Bulgarians loathe village life and desperately flee rural Bulgaria for the promise of a better life in the big cities. These same people often look down upon villagers as simpletons, yet reminisce about and long for the simple life. Few of these folks actually like living in the big cities, and every weekend they exit them en masse and head back to their villages.

Since getting off the plane a little over a year ago, I’ve had a fondness for Bulgarian villages. Spending time in rural Bulgaria has always seemed like taking a step back in time and walking through a living, breathing history museum. Seeing this photo album only reinforces that belief and shows how similar two very dissimilar places can be across generations.