Though this journey actually began in Istanbul I won't go in to too much detail except to say that life at the Ritz Carlton is a whole lot different than the guest house we stayed at in the old city. Chocolates, turn down service and...wait for it...bacon (!) for breakfast (hard to find in a Muslim country).
City tours begin by explecite instructions to follow the yellow lollipop. And so it begins. Saw the Topkapi Palace & the Dolmabahce Palace as a sort of Harem comparison. Let me tell you the Harems are not at all what we hear about from Hollywood except for the intrigue between the women and the poor eunuchs that had to attend to their every need. Topkapi Palace is the older of the two and seemingly more authentic. Seems the sultan decided to become more European so he built Dolmabahce Palace as an over the top, chandelier laden, hand painted ostentatious display of overt wealth. I don't usually let my jaw drop but that place could well be the most palatial I've ever seen, and the gardens were wonderful too.Our friends, Larry and Ruth, have been a lot of fun to travel with though they're still recovering from their two week tour of Turkey. You can only take so many bus tours before you reach information overload.That being said we were on bus tours for the first five days of this trip. First three in Istanbul then, early on the fourth day, the bus left for Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Crossing the boarder meant passing five check points. Apparently, as you pass in to the European Union they beef up security. So many people are trying to get in to the EU from the east (apparently it's easier to get into Turkey from countries such as Syria) that they take extra precautions.The journey to Plovdiv was like entering another dimension. Gone were the mosques and tall grey concrete apartment buildings of Turkey, to be replaced by small houses with red tile roofs and low key churches gently blending in to the rural setting. That is until you get to a town that the Russians thought would make a good centre for industry. Then you see huge abandoned factories rusting away as birds fly in and out of the windows. During the communist period people were forced to move from the countryside to concrete apartments next to those belching factories. It was, apparently, against the law to be unemployed in Bulgaria which meant that 95% of the population was considered middle class. What the remaining 5% was was left to our imagination. (However we were told about corruption in the government and the fact that they lived pretty well. Probably a safe bet they were the upper class.)So the bus went past quaint villages in a state of semi abandonment. With the population forced to move to factory towns (and agriculture largely ignored) the towns now have an elderly population and a bleak future. I was amazed to see Highly productive gardens in the yards of these little homes. Then, speaking to one of the guides, I found that the people are so poor that they have to grow their own vegetables and raise chickens so they can eat. After this bleak day's drive I didn't expect much from Plovdiv. I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised. This town has a very rich history and they have managed to preserve it in a most interesting way. Parts of a Roman hippodrome have been integrated in to the town itself. One shopping centre uses columns and the original cobblestones as part of their construction. Outside functioning theatres are made from the original seats and even large sections of the old Roman roads can be seen between city roads, left as an open air park. Up on the hill is one of the best preserved theatres (statues and all) beautifully lit and overlooking the main road. The view from our hotel window was stunning. The local guides are so proud of their country especially how they have recovered from the Communist era. Though they are young they remember when, in 1989, democracy returned to their country. Their heroes are the ordinary people who made the change happen. Like the mothers who dared to protest when a factory in Romania was belching toxic fumes that caused birth defects and death. You had to live where the government told you to even if it killed you so these young women had no choice. When they reached the point where they had to do something the courage they showed had a spin off effect. Others heard about their protest and began to show their discontent. Finally the end of the communist era came. There was some nostalgia for the good old days though. One of our guides remembered the one hour per day when the electricity was turned off as "romantic" because it was a time when the family would sit and talk together. She also said the only other alternative during that hour was to listen to the Communist radio station full of propaganda. When Russia pulled out both Bulgaria and Romania lost their biggest trading partners. The country went through a terrible time. It will take years for their economy to recover, however, from what I've seen, the people are extremely resilient. 
Romania is much like Bulgaria but don't tell them that. They were ruled by the Ottoman Turks for hundreds of years as well. Then came a series of territorial squabbles with the neighbours before they won the right to just be themselves.  
Our tour of Bucharest included a stop at an open air museum which was consisted of a number of houses and outbuildings that had been relocated to a lovely spot on the riverside. Our guide shared here story of his grandparents and their struggle under the Communist regime. They still live in a half buried mud sided home filled with food preserved for the winter refusing to buy anything that could be made themselves. Years of deprivation can make you pretty resourceful!
Bucharest is a very cosmopolitan town, quite a switch from the last few days. Seems to me the buildings were built on the "my building's bigger than your's is!!" theory of architecture.
Lunch in Bucharest turned in to a Gypsy / Classical violin excitable with some opera thrown in! The food was pretty good too! None of us were prepared for the level of talent that was served up in that over the top Restaurant right out of the late 1800's.
So, from Bulgaria to Romania then back to Bulgaria the Danube River married us from one vista to another. Trees, fields, cute towns as well as abandoned factories with their cranes rusting out over the moving water.
From the city of Vidin the bus headed to Rousse where our ship, the AmaPrima was waiting for us. On our way we toured Veliike Tarnovol, one of Bulgaria's ancient capitals. The castle is built on three hills with a great views overlooking the Yantra River.  
They call Bulgaria the Boiling Point of Europe because of it's strategic location and the fact that so many nations wanted a piece of it. Romania could claim the same thing. My greatest impression, as we continue to journey north, is the resilience of the people and their determination to put the past behind them.  
We could all learn from that.