Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Most people could not name, let along locate, Bulgaria's second largest city, but this directional signpost makes it look like Plovdiv is at the center of everything. It casts a spell of importance over the city's central square. Okayama, Japan, is only 8300 km away and Petra, Jordan, is only 549 km. [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

Holy wisdom (see the owl?) presides over (see the crown?) the renowned (see the wreath?) city of Sofia. She was placed there twenty years ago to void the karma left behind by her predecessor: a statue of Lenin, of course! The name Sofia means wisdom and is of Greek origin, which is surprising given that the people of Bulgaria are Slavs. [2010]

Ruse, Bulgaria

How well do you read the architecture of the countries we used to call Eastern Europe? From the end of World War II until 1989, Bulgaria was a Communist dictatorship, and it left a big imprint on the landscape. So, are the facades along this street (a) pre-Communist, (b) Communist, or (c) post-Communist? What about the table umbrellas? [2014]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Gabrovo's past and Gabrovo's future is here revealed in a single snap. The past? The city was founded in the 1400s by an itinerant blacksmith who wanted to settle down. The future? The city was visited in the 2000s by a flock of cranes who wanted to lift it up. The blacksmith makes several appearances on Gabrovo's landscape. [2014]

Ruse, Bulgaria

Which one is баба? Which one is внучка? If you know the Russian language, you recognize the Cyrillic alphabet and realize how closely Bulgarian is related to Russian. It is what you might expect if you remember that the first Bulgarian state was located along the Volga River in what is now Russia. [2014]

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Christmas is over. Now, it's time to focus on how you want to spend New Year's Eve. There's still time to fly to Bulgaria for some BBQ (two spellings) and beer (the Bulgarian brand) at Godzilla (where's Kong?). Dialectics on view here: globalization vs. localization, popular culture vs. folk culture, Roman vs. Cyrillic, thesis vs. antithesis. [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

Twenty-nine years ago, you had to go to Berlin to see the Berlin Wall. Today, you can see a remnant or two in cities around the world, including Sofia. For Bulgarians, it provides an inspiration to remain free: free from foreign domination and free from domestic absolutism. This is how history remains a part of our everyday lives. [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

Young Bulgarians, friends and competitors: On the mark. Ready. Set. Go. Skateboards, today. Tomorrow? Leaders of their country (in one way or another). Here they learned to fall and get back up again. It is a skill every leader needs. And, every leader needs friends and competitors, too. [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

St. Petka's church has stood here since the late 1300s, when it was in the middle of the leather-workers quarter. They worshiped here and supported it with their offerings. Today, it might as well be called the Church of the Metro since the center city station is adjacent. Using church architecture, can you orient yourself to the east? [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

Caryatids: using their heads (as caryatids do). In ersatz classical style, these princess guards invigilate the entrance to Princess Casino. But, they do raise a question. Did the ancient Greeks engage in gambling? Yes, even the gods (notably Hermes and Pan) were known to lay odds every now and then. [2010]

Sofia, Bulgaria

An innovation wave that began in California didn't stop until it reached Bulgaria and enveloped the world. In the United States, when life returned to normal after World War II, skateboarding was born as an off-season alternative to surfboarding. It is now such an established part of world culture that we assume it has always been with us. [2010]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

"Shhh. I am going to tell you a secret. I'm Azrael in disguise. I heard the Smurfs were in Bulgaria, and I suspect they've been drawn to Gabrovo because its the humor capital. So, I've stationed myself in the bus terminal, thinking that a perfect place for a termination would be a terminal. He-He. Once I see those smurfy blue brows, I'll pounce." [2014]

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Don't fall! Please, don't fall! Bulgaria can't afford to lose you. The fertility rate is a mere child-and-a-half per family. Think about it: half a child? In fact, the fertility rate has been below replacement level forever. That makes children precious commodities. Think about it: children as commodities? Such is "social science speak." [2014]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

The woodpile is ready for the cold season, which must be upon Gabrovo by this time. Someone expended a lot of human energy cutting, chopping, lugging, and piling all that wood. It burns better when it's dry, so someone covered it with plastic as well. And, soon, there will be snow on top of that plastic. [2014]

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Pilgrimages are usually associated with religious piety, but nationalisms all over the world have generated their share of pilgrimage places as well. Everyone in Bulgaria, for instance, must make a pilgrimage to Veliko Tarnovo, capital of Bulgaria when it was at its peak. What Bulgaria once was, it could become again. [2014]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

In the United States, more than one in ten weddings take place in June. In Bulgaria, May is the most popular wedding month. Saturdays, of course, are the days of choice. If you happen to be getting married today: Congratulations! [2014]

Sofia, Bulgaria

Geography and history are so often captured on canvass. Scenes like this repeat themselves around the world as we seek to frame and interpret what is important to our localities and our nationalities. [2010]

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The window is on his lap, under his control, right in front of his face. It probably goes everywhere with him. He uses it, often unknowingly, to frame the world. Do you have a window you take with you? An invisible window that allows you to be an observer of life even as you participate? Is there glass in your window or is it just a frame? [2014]

Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Gabrovo prides itself on being the humor capital of Bulgaria, and it begins at the bus station. The umbrellas recall a famous story that circulates around town. Why are the cats in Gabrovo tailless? So their masters can close the door faster when they come in from outside, thus saving heat. [2014]

Ruse, Bulgaria

Population pyramids are graphic devices for displaying the age and sex structure of a population. But, behind every pyramid are real people. Which one of these three would be on the right? Which one would be at the bottom? Which one would be at the top? If you don't understand these questions, delve a little deeper into population geography. [2014]