I love a holiday!

And Bulgaria has lots to celebrate! Yesterday was May Day and the town, despite the drizzle and cool temperatures, was full of people taking time to relax. In front of the university, there were the usually folk and chalga singers and lots of tents full of the summer version of the Christmas village. This means lots of beer and kabapche!

Over in front of the opera house, the Blagoevgrad Brass Band and the opera folks were swinging away to old US pop music (please envision the Loco-motion with a heavy Balkan accent...) and loads of Gershwin favorites. The little kids were everywhere on rollerblades, or scooters, or bikes. My, how the place has changed!

I walked over to the old town to see Petar, the cobbler. He needed to measure me for a pair of turnshoes that I'll get later in the summer. While I was there, a school group stopped by and he played an impromptu concert for them on tambura, tupan, and kaval. You have to love Bulgaria!

The best part of all this is that because May Day was a Friday and St George's Day (May 6 here) is on a Wednesday, the national powers-that-be declared a holiday right through - so I'm on day two of a six day vacation!