Rila Mountain
Photographs by Asen Irinchev. All rights reserved.
Rila is Bulgaria’s tallest Mountain and a very special place. It is also one of the largest and most significant protected areas in Europe.
http://www.rilanationalpark.org/en/index.phtml
It is probably the place in the world where I feel the strongest connection to the landscape. (And yes I did come here and kissed and hugged some trees. No matter how jaded you are you would have done the same if you felt this place)
It is home and in a weird way the heart of the Bulgarian culture is grounded here and you can almost feel it beating with the mystical rumor of a civilization gone through centuries of glory, success, trials and hardship. I had an interesting experience here, what brought me and draws me to this place is also what eventually made me feel alienated. Interestingly, I needed that sense of home, and after eight years of being away it was so important to feel the connection to this landscape. But I had an unsettling experience in meeting a very proud nationalistic Bulgarian attitude during a gathering here. I realized that as much as being Bulgarian is what had given me the roots and ground to grow, I have become a lot more of a universal child cherishing the air, water and sun that do not have an identified nationality or specific land of origin. My being feels paranoiaclly trapped living in the construct of one nationality and world view. On one hand I cherish my heritage, on the other hand I refuse to have my future be dictated by it.
But back to the mountain. Asen and I stayed in Borovetz, the oldest Bulgarian ski resort. It is quiet and beautiful in the summer and lucly has not undergone huge development like most places of this kind. I had a lovely Bulgarian dinner, I have been so happy to eat tomato feta cheese cucumber and roasted pepper salad, tarator and other fresh vegie and yogurt dishes. I could eat this food every day of my life. And the best thing of it all in Rila they have sheep’s yougurt, my favorite. I was gunhole on waking up early and filming, but the fresh mountain air and the paradise like peace melted my desire into a longer sleep and much needed rest.
Asen and I wondered though town and filmed the green ski trails. We took the lift , filming from the lift is quite great and I hope the footage turns out. It was like sweeming above a sea of GREEN. And we squeezed in a little hike.
At the top of the lift there was an interesting site. A commercial, in case you needed a plastic card up there.
