Google Maps was not reliable most of the trip but it was easier than trying to decipher directions given to us. The path to Nicopolis ad Istrum probably shouldn't have been on Google. Luckily we were the only ones making our way through to the site and eventually we got there.
Nicopolis ad Istrum is an ancient Roman and Byzantine town that is still being excavated. It's hard to show the scale of the town without an aerial view, but it was quite large.
One area is full of items being catalogued.
We even got to watch a dig in progress!
We decided to take a different route back to Veliko. Although it was in the wrong direction we first stopped in the tiny village of Nikyup and worked our way down through Resen. The views were stunning and worth the added time.
Back in Veliko we made our way up to Tsarevets Fortress, an ancient complex where building began in the 12th century.
We had been wanting to try an original tavern for lunch and were happy to find one tucked away in a building up on the hill not far from our hotel. The tavern's name, which I'm not going to try to pronounce, is named after a character in a Bulgarian folk tale.
Paintings on each wall depict a scene from the story.
We tried one of Bulgaria's national dishes: боб чорба (bob chorba), a bean soup with a grilled pita. For a simple soup it was delicious and very filling.
Later in the day we went back to our rental car only to find it gone! A sticker was left on the sidewalk where the car had been saying it had been towed and to call a number to retrieve it. Not knowing how we'd get the car back or how long it would take, we walked back to the hotel and showed the sticker to the owners. They were extremely helpful and tracked down the car for us. It was towed a short distance and we had to pay a guy $30 to get it back. From the time we noticed the car gone to the time we had it back was only about thirty minutes. Crisis averted!
Over half the cars in Veliko appeared to be parked illegally (on sidewalks, in alleys, in front of garages and stairs, in the middle of the street...) Why our car was towed we don't know. The owner of the hotel shrugged and said "That's Bulgaria."
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