Plovdiv

Surprisingly woke up at 10 unaided. So we will make the morning tour! We smell but will shower when we get back.
We scoffed down breakfast then walked to the meeting point. Our guides name was Daniel and he seemed really friendly. Our group had about 18 people. There was a nice American couple we talked to.
First we saw the town hall then the Plovdiv coat of arms which has written at the bottom "ancient and eternal"
According to our guide Plovdiv is the oldest city in Europe and 6th or 7th oldest in the world.
We then saw a statue who's name I think was Milo. We didn't learn his significance until we walked down to the old stadium and saw the model. Only a portion has been excavated but the original stadiums other end is marked by Milo.
It was a stadium for chariots and horses etc.
Next to it was apparently the oldest ottoman mosque in Europe.
We then walked through the Kapana area which was known at the trap. Because 1, it's easy to get lost and 2, it's hard to leave without first spending money. The shop owners can be very insistent. We admired more of the street art which is encouraged in moderation because Plovdiv has been chosen as the 2019 European capital of culture.
We then went into old town and admired the orientatal looking buildings and found what they called a gossip tower. It's a little room sitting on a wall where the bored woman would sit and watch the actions of others and well, gossip.
We went up a small hill that had a terrific lookout of some of the hills.
Plovdiv is know for its hills.
One of the hills has a Russian statue on it which was packed because today is some Russian day. Should have been listening better...
We walked past some museums and a church - the Church of St Constantine (and Helen?)
Constantine was responsible for legalizing Christianity during the Roman period.
Our tour ended at another theatre.
There were a few other stops along the way but he lost my attention.
Our tour was rubbish HOWEVER we learnt that it was the guides first ever tour so that explains it and makes it actually quite a good tour. My first time I would be a mess so he should be proud of himself. He at least made sense, he just wasn't very engaging.
He had a supervisor with him who helped him out a few time like when we were standing in the rain and he told Daniel to maybe move us to stand under shelter. I thought he was just his friend rather than conworker.
We weren't going to tip because it wasn't good but after learning it was his first time, we did.
There was this annoying girl on our tour who was just an over confident person with an annoying hyena laugh with terribly obvious flirting methods.
I still need to buy my magnet.
Will can't walk past a watch store without having a look.
Because the weather is so crappy and wet there are so many snails - lots of baby ones too I'm taking care not to step on. :)
Will had about an hour nap while I caught up on my journal :)
I went and woke him cause I was really hungry and we went to the place ranked number 1 on trip advisor - for good reason - the food was delightful. I had the pickled ribs and it just fell off the bone. Yummmmmy!
We also had garlic and dill potatoes which were also fabulous.
I bought my magnet on the walk home - a rose.
I'm trying to get things that are relevant to my experience in each county or something I will associate with the country so I'm not necessarily buying the magnet I like the most.
Example - the magnet i liked most was 2 Bulgarian people in traditional dress - while I loved it I don't want it because I haven't seen any people dressed traditionally so it's not relevant to my memories of here.
I'm pre prepping for the rose Fields.
We later in bed and watched 'Kong - skull island" I actually enjoyed it much much more than I thought I would. I then had an hour nap afterwards.
We then woke up and packed - it was difficult getting our food to fit and I've discovered my cotton buds have gone through my bag -.-
Oh well, better than an exploding sunscreen.
We then sat outside with Jacob for a while then the 3 of us went to dinner together at the 'china panda' which, for the price, really hit the spot.
It was like a chicken stir fry with rice type thing.
We then tried to stop more money out but 2 atms denied us.
We don't know why this would effect it but our only thoughts for why our cards had been a bitch is because we decided not to convert it to Euro on our card to try and save money cause the exchange was so bad.
But ever since we have done that 3 out of 4 places haven't liked the card.
It says card 'invalid here'
We will try again tomorrow. It's not an emergency - I have 40€ in my wallet and my NAB card if worse comes to worse.
We walked back to the hostel. There has pretty much been a complete swap of guests.

I don't actually know who works here - well one girl yes but I don't know if a few other people who walk around with extreme confidence are just long term guests or worker volunteers.
Either way - this group of unknowns had dinner tonight and it was fish and it was gross.
Will and Jacob are playing chess :)
We tried to play big 2 before with the 3 of us but we found out at the very end that 2 of the 2's were missing and they are the most important card in the game making it almost pointless..
I'm stapling in tickets and flyers into my book - they stack up quickly!
As we were walking back from dinner "omg a bombs gone of nearby" was a split second throught I had - but it was fireworks with a big kick.
We surmise that it's for the Russian day - something to do with the Russians liberating Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire..?
Will is now having a shave and I'm relaxing.
I will be so less stressed once we have actually been collected from the bus station tomorrow.
I hope our hosts are nice!

On an irrelevant side note. I hate the name Charlotte.
I cannot fathom why you would give your child a name that you know it ranked number 1.
I think your name has such an importance for a persons identity and sense of self worth.
I would honestly feel a little less special if I had to share my name with literal 1/3 of my class. I would be so angry my parents hadn't bothered to put 1 minute thought into picking the word I will be called everyday.
Common names are fine in theory. Charlotte is just destroying me because of the frequency I hear it.
It's an epidemic.
It's the new "John"
Ew.

We're watching videos in bed but I'll crash soon.Read more