Bulgaria

Macedonia - Rilla Monastery - Balkans National park - Motocamp Bulgaria. 200miles / 320KM.

Arch of Freedom with Sarah and Angelo in the foreground. 

Having been to Bulgaria twice before, I thought there was little left to see. In hindsight, I’d merely scraped the surface. What unfolded was a journey through Bulgarian hospitality, culinary and cultural history. I really do love this place.

Entering from the west, from Macedonia, I’d pinned Rila Monastery in the Rila Mountains as one of our first destinations. It’s the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, founded in the 10th century by the hermit St John of Rila. 

According to the information signs, he lived in a cave, sleeping on the rocks, for twelve years. I don’t know what mushrooms he’d been eating, but whatever he said when he eventually emerged clearly inspired his followers to build this amazing, dare I suggest, almost psychedelic, Palace.

No cameras were permitted inside, but the decadence of the exterior was mirrored within, with ornate gold decoration and almost every surface adorned with frescoes. St John was perhaps one of the earliest known graffiti artists.

Pootling east after the monastery, the day had warmed and the hours slipped by as we wound our way through the hills, carpeted in dense forest.

Whilst researching the trip, I’d noted Cobb Camp in the area. A glamping site, hotel and, according to one description, an “experiment in sustainable living”. Certainly more upmarket than our usual haunts, but other than wild camping, there weren’t many options.

Mosque or large house?

It was only 30 degrees C

We rolled up to the property and pressed the bell, but it appeared deserted. There were certainly no outward signs of life. Just as we were giving up hope, a chap in his fifties, dressed in a Moroccan style long shirt/man dress, approached from the other side.

An old MIG fighter (?) near Cobb Camp

Our new friend and hose was Angelo, a motorcyclist who had just returned from Greece. He’d made his fortune in interior design and other businesses and had now built Cobb Camp. He opened the gate, explaining that the campsite was closed but that, for bikers, he’d make an exception.

I love the biking fraternity.

Cobb Camp, interior dining area

He showed us around the camp, suggested that we didn’t need to put our tent up that evening and offered us a railway carriage to sleep in, all of it for free! We cooked in his company and talked about the great food in Bulgaria, something we experienced the following day at the Inn “Hitar Petar”, a famous bistro in the national park.

Cob Camp Hammocks

Later that evening, as it was my birthday, Angelo appeared with a birthday cake, which we enjoyed as the sun set.  What a legend.

Easy for you to say

How cool is that! Would love a van like this in the UK

The following morning, we were ready to depart by 08:30 to explore Central Balkan National Park. Located at the highest point in the park, along the Troyan Pass, is the Arch of Freedom. Its a massive, brutalist concrete structure standing 35 metres tall. It was built in 1978 to commemorate the liberation of Bulgaria. (the arch is picture at the top)

approaching the national park

Angelo, Sarah and I 

loads of old trucks still working

We reached Motocamp in the late afternoon and, surprisingly, two of the people we’d met previously had also just arrived including one of the chaps from Canada! There were so many other travellers coming through and people to meet, including a trials event, whose instructor was a young woman from Doncaster.

I love the vibe there, and I’m so pleased it’s become interwoven into our lives. 

Inn Hitar Petar

Last year I met a couple at Motocamp called Laura and Phil Edwards, who live in the village, and I’d arranged to meet them again that evening. Since we first met, they’d ridden their bikes all the way to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. I was keen to pick their brains about how they’d managed bike storage, finding fuel, dealing with the language barrier and navigating the visa situation for Russia.

I almost absorbed as much new information as I did new beers that night. Almost.

Sarah at Motocamp 

The following day was spent organising ourselves for the journey home and preparing the bikes.  Ivo and Poly, the owners, were just as hospitable as they had been the previous year and once again helped us with our preparations.

And so, we reached the end of the first year of the 3-2-1 journey. 3,800 miles / 5,000 km, 13 countries and countless amazing people along the way.  To coin a phrase from our Canadian chum, it’s been a blast.    Next year, with Motocamp acting as our launch pad, we venture into Central Asia.