Yuri and I were invited to Mitko’s Grand mom’s place for heavenly walnut banitsa soaked in sugar syrup..we looked at pre World War I family pictures and wedding pictures from the 1940s to the 1980s…great history and culture lesson…. The next morning, breakfast was another HUGE homemade banitsa stuffed with leeks, eggs and spices….Mitko’s mom - definitely an exceptional cook…Later, I watched this intriguingly layered Jake Gyllenhaal movie called ‘Donny Darko’ …definitely gave me some things to think about .


Melnik, A city close to Sandanski - famous for its wine and natural mountainous beauty, definitely lived up to its reputation.
Rows of quaint houses with the family’s homemade wine proudly displayed for sale on the porch , The colourful bottles of rustic honey and jam on tables that dotted the simple cobbled road, beautifully painted hollow gourds to be used as water bottles; sold on the street……to call it a mere sensory experience would not do it justice…
Bulgaria was one of the countries on the Ancient Silk Route that passed through China, India …all the way to the Occidental world. Melnik was an important stop for ancient traders and exotic tales of trade and adventure seem to whisper from its walls and paintings….After a wine degustation session at an ancestral wine cellar and a wonderful lunch at a ‘Mehkhana’ (Bulgarian Restaurant)…. it was time to leave.
I looked around for one last time before boarding the bus and tried to memorize each minute detail …so that whenever I need some tranquilité in the future, I just need to close my eyes and mystic Melnik will always be with me.