Day 6 Rila Monastery

We left at 7:30 this morning from Pirot Serbia to have breakfast at our favorite pastry shop but they were closed on Sunday. So we decided to drive directly to Rila Monastery and stop at a restaurant just after Rila town for an early lunch. With the delay at border checks, driving slowly around the hairpin bends and tight turns up the mountain, we finally got to the restaurant at 1230pm.
Lunch was the yummiest meal so far. We had a stew of tripe, veal and mushrooms in creamy sauce, grilled trout, cheesy flatbread and broccoli with blue cheese sauce. Washed it down with Aryan, a yogurt drink. No one smoked while we were having our meal and it made it so enjoyable. As we were deciding on coffee and dessert, the lady at the next table lit up a cigarette so the thought for dessert and coffee work quickly vanished, we paid and left.
When we got to Rila Monastery it was thronging with people and there was absolutely no parking left. We had to drive about 2 km down the road to get parking. The booking system for staying here at the monastery was a very informal one through a WhatsApp message. We got no confirmation and no idea if they had received our reservation. We waited till 2pm for the office or guest stays to open and the monk knew of our reservation. We got the key and the room was very basic but had an ensuite, and most importantly, heating. By about 330pm the crowds had disappeared, and we could move our car to the monastery carpark.
Rila Monastery has spectacular architecture and frescos. It survived the Ottoman Empire as it was protected by the Sultans of the times. It's very peaceful now and attending the 5pm mass was very calming and peaceful. The mass was sung and chanted. The Rafail Cross is housed in the museum here. The cross is hand carved out of wood which took the craftsman 12 years to complete, with 650 people carved in the cross. Rafail lost his sight when the cross was finished. Very intricate and precise work. Dinner was half a leftover sausage and bread from lunch and an old sausage roll from day before. We were too full to eat much more.

Walked 8.43km today.Read more