Issue 34

When in 1194 the citizens of Chartres donated their labour to dig the foundations of the new Cathedral of Our Lady, whose predecessor had burned down, they had a couple of aims in mind. The first one was purely practical. The cathedral, which housed the tunic of the Virgin Mary, attracted a host of pilgrims and their money to the city. The second was their religious enthusiasm. They worked without pay to purge themselves from sin.

After just a few weeks in Bulgaria, or a few hours of watching Bulgarian TV, you will have noticed that something quite strange is going on with Bulgarian bread. On the one hand, Bulgarians left, right and centre will swear by the quality of their bread, and President Parvanov will be seen partaking of bread dipped in salt from a plate proffered to him by a girl clad in a 19th Century "folk" costume – yes, you've guessed right: he is opening a new cultural centre or meeting dignitaries in the provinces.

While last autumn the prevailing opinion of people in this country was that the economic crisis did not have a direct effect on them, their view is now completely different. Nearly half of them say that the crisis has entered their homes, in one way or another. This is what a series of surveys conducted by the Open Society Institute show about the impact of the country's economic situation on Bulgaria's population.

The flap of a butterfly's wings in the Amazon jungle may set off a tornado in the Pacific, but the citizens of the EU proved that they do not believe in the chaos theory and the ability of small actions to bring about big events. In a record low turnout, only 43.42 percent of the people living in the member countries cast their vote in the European parliament elections.

One of the major problems encountered by expats and visitors alike when going around in and out of Sofia is their inability to read even the simplest place names and street signs. Unless you are well-versed in the Cyrillic alphabet, you will find it impossible to pronounce relatively common names such as Бургас and Несебър, not to mention the more complicated Пазарджик and Велико Търново and, of course, that all-time favourite, Джулюница.

You, however, will shout "Eureka!" – or "I have found it!" – under different circumstances – while dashing into the sea. Your enthusiasm will be justified because you will have discovered one the few still undeveloped and almost-parasol-and-lounger-free spots in Bulgaria. There you can still swim undisturbed by water jets, thugs and their chalga-listening female retinues. When you look at the shore, you will be hard pressed to make out any new development eyesores.

Where in Bulgaria are you?

It seems that Bulgaria has declared more days of national mourning recently than any other country on the planet. Yet confusion reigns as to precisely what should happen. The only beneficiaries seem to be populist politicians who demand such days – and sanctimonious media quick to condemn any lapses in mourning etiquette by the country’s "great and good."

Hiking the Right Way

1. Bulgarian National Bank data from the end of May 2009 shows that the unpaid commercial and domestic loans in Bulgaria totalled

A. 2.9%

B. 4.5%

C. 3.6%

2. How many seats in the European Parliament did the Blue Coalition of DSB and UDF win? 

A. One

B. Two

C. Three

You probably spent the three minutes when sirens sounded all over Bulgaria at 12 noon on 2 June in a state of quiet surprise.

Despite the terrifying wail, there was no panic on the streets. Just the opposite. Pedestrians stopped walking, cars came to a standstill and everyone in their offices, homes or on the beach stood up, heads bowed. Some were peeking around, surveying the scene for apostates who kept on walking, driving or drinking coffee.

One of the shifts that has been slowly taking place in Bulgaria since "The Changes," as most Bulgarians refer to the collapse of Communism 20 years ago, has been the re-emergence of an independent Bulgarian literary tradition. Not that it had disappeared. Simply that it had been quieted. There was once a time when merely to distribute self-published poetry or fiction among friends would have been punished by the thought police. Yet now Bulgarian writers are finding their voices again, and finding an audience, both in their country and abroad.

Bulgaria is obviously not a major player in world politics but maybe I'm quite wrong about that, if the careers of most American ambassadors in the post-Communist phase are anything to go by. Take John Beyrle, Nancy McEldowney's predecessor. After three years at Kozyak Street, the location of the new American Embassy in Sofia, Beyrle is now the American ambassador to Russia. You don't need to be involved in international politics to understand that this is one of the most important jobs an American diplomat can hold, especially at the present time.