Pomorie, Nessebar to Varna May 24, 2004 After washing the hull we left the anchorage at Ropotamo River (Bulgaria) at 1430 May 2 for Tsarevo, the first port we anchored in before our official check-in at Bourgas, as we were pleased with the reception we got there a week ago. This time we went bows to on the town dock (42˚ 10.3’N, 027˚ 51.5’E) at 1715, staying on board after being checked out by the friendly port police. Next day we wandered into town, which looked pleasant enough, with a long pedestrian mall, favoured by Bulgarian cities, with reasonably modern stores, restaurants, and products, except many were closed until the tourist season. There was an area for an outdoor market, closed; internet, closed; but a few small “supermarkets” were open for groceries, and a couple of vegetable stores with minimum provisions. We actually were able to add more calling credits to our phone, and came away with a favourable impression of the town, leaving next day at 0630 and motoring the 26 miles for Pomorie, the far side of Bourgas Bay. There (42˚ 33.1’N, 027˚ 38.5’E) we were helped alongside by Peter, the friendly harbour master, astern of a fishing boat the crew of which also helped us in and hooked us up to shore power. The port police and immigration officials were most friendly and efficient. It is only a few minutes walk to reach the center of town, a pedestrian mall with all kinds of provisions, internet cafes, fresh vegetable shops, and supermarkets with meat counters and good wine selections, as well as several restaurants, and a DVD/video rental store. We stayed for May 6th, St. George’s Day, (he is the patron saint of Pomorie) for a festival with folk dancing and a carnival at the local monastery. We had a chance to see many folk dance troupes and choirs on stage. The dancers were costumed in traditional long skirts edged with bright colours in geometric or floral designs, their fine cotton blouses accented with aprons or vests fringed with tassels, or reflecting beads, their waist length braided hair festooned with red, green, and white ribbons. Those wearing only knee length skirts wore garish heavy wool horizontally striped stockings of black, green, and red, their feet encased in colourful woolen slippers or moccasins. There were several men wearing peasant shirts, vests covered with ornate designs, fringes, and piping, with geometric designs and traditional scarves wrapped around their ample stomachs as cummerbunds. Their legs were wrapped in pale white sheepskin thongs, and their feet in upturned pointy-toed moccasins. Unadorned bagpipes, pale from their natural sheep stomach origins, wailed as loudly as Scottish pipes, but to different rhythms. Bulgaria has a rich tradition of folk costumes and dances that could add to the tourist potential of the area and the country. Peter also set us up with a driver to get diesel and fill our camping gas tanks. Pomorie is a small city, not too touristy, but with a sheltered harbour, friendly harbourmaster (Peter), a close-by town center with all sorts of provisions, restaurants, a nd entertainments. We shifted our mooring on the 7th, when squall winds came from a contrary direction, and relocate after d outboard of a local boat for more comfortable conditions. Much of our enjoyment of Pomorie was due to Peter and his assistance. We exchanged a few small gifts with him, and were not charged anything for our three nights alongside with electricity. Thanks Peter! May 8th we actually sailed with our spinnaker for 25 minutes on our way 9 miles over to Nesebar where we were helped alongside and hooked up to shore power with the help of George Karikov, a friendly gulet owner. There was no marina manager around and so we stayed free of charge overnight. A walk across the isthmus took us into the ancient World Heritage site of old Nesebar, inhabited since 3000 BC by the Thracians; but by 512 BC controlled by the Greeks, by 72 AD by the Romans, by 395 AD by the Byzantines, by the Bulgars in 812 AD, by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 AD, and in the last 200 years with varying degrees of independence within Bulgaria and control by Russia and Germany (similar to much of Bulgaria’s history). Now it is a tourist “Mecca” with Greek, Roman, and Ottoman heritage churches, temples, and fortification remains. After a couple of hours wandering through an ethnographic museum in an old Bulgarian home; old churches (several converted to art galleries), and the remains of a Byzantine basilica; and buying a Russian fur hat (We noted many WW I and WWII German and Russian helmets, medals, knives, lighters, pictures, etc.) and a couple of souvenirs for Judy’s niece and nephew, we went to the archeological museum (only OK, but with some designations in English). After that we got ice cream cones, and meandering around the dock area, I finally found a Speedo bathing suit for me at only $10.00 Canadian (I can wear such a suit now that I am still down 30 pounds and have lost my paunch.). After wandering over to a good supermarket in the “new” town for groceries and wines, we returned to Veleda for the night. However we were invited on board Mystery, the gulet that helped us in earlier in the day. We had a good tour of the vessel by the owner and were favourably impressed. It had eight double berth cabins, each with private shower and toilet, a large bar/dining area, and a spacious cockpit and foredeck for lounging and socializing. We would recommend to anyone going to Turkey (Kemer, Marmaris, or Bodrum) or Bulgaria, to go on a charter trip on a gulet as the best way to see the coasts without your own boat. We spent a pleasant evening with the owner, his wife and a few friends, enjoying their kebabche (a grilled spicy meat sausage) and wine. Next day we were originally going up to Byala, bur we actually had a good wind for a change and for a couple of hours were going along so nicely, at hull speed “wing on wing” (our main out one side and our genoa held out the opposite side with our whisker pole) that we decided to continue on to Varna. However, Murphy’s Law reared its ugly head and just after we passed Byala, the wind died, then changed directions. Reluctantly we took down the sails and motored around back to anchor in the harbour at Byala. There was nothing to go ashore for, and so we just stayed on board for the evening to depart next morning. As we were getting ready to weigh anchor, we noticed a police van on the harbour wall and a couple of border police officers looking at us. They did not flag us over or call us on VHF, but looked helpless to communicate with us. So, in order to not create any problems for them, we went alongside a fishing boat and showed them our passports and navigation certificate before leaving harbour. They were friendly and pleasant as were the men on the fishing boat. No problems! After motoring 23 miles, we went alongside Varna Yacht Club (43˚ 11.4’ N, 027˚ 55.3’ E), helped by a club member who spoke English to hook us up to shore power and see us through our border police inspection. Again, no problems. Varna is much better than Bourgas. The former passenger terminal camber is quite well protected. We were alongside instead of Med mooring. The showers were reasonably clean with plenty of hot water. There was a short one kilometre walk into town which is a modern city with all the amenities. We made good friends with the crew of the ferrocement ketch behind us, and enjoyed our stay in Varna, using it as a secure base to leave Veleda for a day or so to go to a couple of sites inland as I will describe in my next log. Next log