A day in Targovishte

On the 30th of December 2013 I went to Targovishte - a town two hours away from Varna - to visit a girl I had not met before. She will do European voluntary service in the Netherlands very soon. By meeting with her in Targovishte I could tell her about the Netherlands and she could show me her town and her home. This was a nice opportunity for me to get to understand and know Bulgaria better (to be better able to contribute to the country).

The girl (around my age) and her father picked me up from the busstation. Their home was impressive. It was small, but it was nicely decorated, and somehow you could feel that the house was loved and also furnished with attention. It was comfortable chatting with the girl in the living room. The mother surprised me with an eleborate, typically Bulgarian, lunch: bread, different kinds of things to put on the bread such as cheese, meat and 'liu ten nitza' (tomatoes mixed with chilli), moshed potatoes and more.

After lunch the four of us went outside. The father drove us to a cottage on top of the village mountain. We had tea inside the cottage. Somehow it was relaxing to be with them. We drove to the city center to take a look there.

I didn't want to have diner there, but when I missed the bus and had to wait for another hour and more, the parents persuaded me to get back to the house together and have diner together. They even gave me some of the Banitza to take home. I 'took part' in making the Banitza. Staying in the house kind of felt like staying home.

I wish them good luck in the new year, and am looking forward to meet the girl (and maybe even the parents) again.