Walks can be normal and exceptional. Exceptional ones are obviously rarer. Walking is a daily presence in my life, normal walks, close to home, and with relaxing and therapeutic purposes. Exceptional walks always happen when I am away on various trips. Then the walk is combined with visiting and observing the surrounding places more closely.
The most enjoyable recent walks have been through the gardens of Balchik Castle in Bulgaria. That's where my most recent trip and short holiday took place. A holiday that, through memories there, will warm my days in the winter that is almost at the door.
The gardens were laid out according to the wishes and instructions of Queen Mary of Romania and are located in a large area, on some hills she bought to build her summer residence. To visit the whole complex, the former royal estate, you need to allocate a good chunk of time, about a whole day. For this reason, I will present the walk here in several parts, trying to show as much as possible. For those who won't make it here. So that you can get an impression as close to reality as possible.
This time I tell you about the highest part of the garden, right behind the Castle. To get here, paths were built on the terraces of the hill, a kind of cobbled serpentine.
The highest terrace of the garden is the perfect place to admire the castle, the sea, the small beach, and the harbor in the distance.
Also here is an important monument, the Queen's Tomb. It consists of a stone cross on which several symbols and texts in Church Slavonic are engraved. At the base of the cross is a stone tomb, the Queen's virtual grave. This is a monument specially made to remind everyone, whether ordinary people or crowned heads, that they are mortal.
The Queen even wanted to be buried in this place. She loved this place in Balchik, the Castle, and these gardens. Queen Maria of Romania died in 1938, at the Castle of Sinaia, in Romania. In order to fulfill her wish to rest forever in Balchik, the Queen's heart was placed in a small golden coffin and laid in the chapel in these gardens, called Stela Maris.
Unfortunately, she stayed here for a short time, on 7 September 1940 this region, Southern Dobrogea or Cadrilater, was returned to Bulgaria. On 8 September, the Queen's heart was moved to Romania.
On the plateau, on the highest part of the hill, we also found two villas where the queen's suite and the administrator of this estate lived. The first was the villa of the administrator, the Swiss Carol Gutman, a famous park builder.
Now whoever wants can stay in this villa because it has been converted into a hotel. I still haven't decided if I'd like to stay here, I think it would be a bit weird at night, the villa is quite isolated in a small forest. The architecture of the house is inspired by the architecture of Bulgarian houses. Very beautiful but I liked most the outside part, like a courtyard, all built of stone.
I love the view of the sea from this villa. You can't see the castle, only its minaret. At the Queen's wish, a minaret was built attached to the castle. This was because the inhabitants of Balchik were mostly Turks, so Muslims and the queen wanted to show that she respected their religion and way of life.
After a good rest at Villa Gutman, our steps headed towards the central part of the plateau, towards the second villa transformed into a hotel.
This is the former residence of the Queen's aide-de-camp, a building I like better than the Gutman Villa. It too has a spectacular view and opening to the sea.
This walk, although it was through some gardens, took me more to some buildings and less to the flowers we think of when we say garden. Plants, trees, and flowers were plentiful, but I paid less attention to them, being absorbed by the historical aspect of the place. Now some flowers...
The title of the post is not accidental "Some small parts of a long walk". I feel I need to stop and tell you another time about the second villa, Villa Suite, and the beautiful park near it.
I'll say it again and again, I've found that my main activity lately is... walking. Like all of you, I love to walk, but only now I have realized that walking has become my main mode of relaxation. Slowly, slowly overtaking the other pleasures I still have
For #WednesdayWalk by @tattoodjay
For #AlwaysAFlower by @dswigle
I couldn't go wrong with the instant recognition of your first picture. I have not come across any other site like this, with this surreal minaret standing out so much against the sea background.
You're right, this place requires a lot of time to study and explore in detail (and it will take many posts to tell about it).
It is a strange fact that I finally read the history of this palace only this summer. I don't know why this happened like that. But maybe it was just the right time to realize that there is something very special about this place. The Queen's personality is perhaps the most special thing and she has given it to all this creation of hers here.
So I look forward to your next posts to revisit it, but this time from your perspective. 😊
I apologize for answering so late, I've been doing all sorts of work around the house for almost a month. Repairs and preparations for winter. I'm so tired at night... Just trying to put up a few posts so people don't forget me. They seem to forget me!Thank you, @soulsdetour!
The history of the palace, the gardens, and the history of the place is a big plus for the town. Even the part that has to do with tourism, the hotels and the promenade that leads to Albena, and the lush, Mediterranean vegetation, all attract me and I hope I can go there many more times.
No need to apologize. Real and Hive life are hard to combine. And I'm sure no one forgets you! It's not possible 😊
Balchik is an awesome town. Personally, I am drawn to its main architecture - all these beautiful, old houses and buildings, even abandoned, but still distinctly carrying the spirit of a bygone era. And of course, the palace too.
I think it's great when a person finds 'their place' and wants to return to it again and again (and not just wander around this wide world not knowing what they're looking for or where to find it 😎).
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
Funny thing is that now when I should theoretically have more free time, I'm missing it the most.
There are still a few places I've dreamed of since my youth and would like to visit, like something in Italy and France but now I'm tired and when I think of a trip I want to rest. If I were to go somewhere new, I would want to see as much as possible and I think it would be beyond my powers.Thanks so much, @soulsdetour!
I guess it's just a temporary feeling because I feel tired too. Or simply the restrictions of recent years have done their job well - on a psychological, but also on a physical level. Before them, there were two times of the year when there was a travel. And I couldn't imagine that it was possible to spend this trip in Bulgaria, or just stay at home. But now it's different. The late trip this year tired me out a lot too, though only for a week. I was scared that I was getting old. Or that I'm sick. Or that there's something else that I'm not yet aware of, but at some point it will belatedly erupt and scare me. So, you are not alone in this. But I still hope (this hope again 😄) that it's just temporary...
Surely this is temporary. I was down for a year after doing Covid and had lost hope (haha...) but it passed.
Now I feel tired, that's why I've been working hard physically this month to check if I can still do it. I could but now I feel tired... but I really am old, next week I will be 69.
I think this winter will help us rest.
Definitely. I can already taste the immobility, locked in the house, trying to keep warm.
Damn Covid! Take care of yourself!
And I wish you a wonderful birthday! This is anyway the most important holiday in a person's life. 😊
Beautiful place with some strange energy. I've been here a few times, I enjoy every visit to this amazing place ..
I feel an attraction that I can't resist, so every year I get to visit that complex again. Well said, strange energy, thank you!
Welcome, neighbour :)
I always find pleasure reading about your Bulgarian experiences :)
Have a !PIZZA and a great day!
I'm glad you said that. I am always happy in Bulgaria when I meet friendly people.
Great :)
By the way, Bucuresti is still on my travel list, so it would be awesome to have a few beers (or other stronger drinks) and walk with cameras in our hands for a few hours when I finally do that trip :)
!PIZZA
Looking forward to meeting you, @lightcaptured!
Ah! I thought I invited you to the "Photographic Society" community :)
You are very welcome to join!
https://ecency.com/created/hive-142821
Thank you!
Interesting story. Did they really take the heart out of her body and buried into the chapel? It might be reasonable rather than burying the whole body, if someone has such wish.
Thanks for the story.
With pleasure! The heart was easier to transport and the body was buried in Romania, because she was the Queen of Romania.
The colour of the water, bright blue sky and all the green of nature. Wonderful.
Yes, walks are nice everyday. And trips do make sometimes for exceptional discoveries.
Thanks for sharing with us!
Have a lovely Thursday 👋🏻😁Such a beautiful place… the gardens and the castle. The views are just stunning @bluemoon 😊 wow
Thank you for sharing your walk along with the interesting back story of this beautiful location. The pictures and writing create such a vivid picture I feel as if I'm actually there.
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
Discord Server.This post has been manually curated by @steemflow from Indiaunited community. Join us on our
Do you know that you can earn a passive income by delegating to @indiaunited. We share 100 % of the curation rewards with the delegators.
Here are some handy links for delegations: 100HP, 250HP, 500HP, 1000HP.
Read our latest announcement post to get more information.
Please contribute to the community by upvoting this comment and posts made by @indiaunited.
I love Balchik from this view! it looks totally different, but, feels the same. Does that make sense? The minaret and the reason for it was heartwarming. A queen that makes all feel special. What a beautiful view that represented.
Everything about this castle is as special as the queen was. It is hard not to love her, all I have to do is listen to the stories. I love the stories, fabled and true, she was loved. I am sad that her heart no longer belongs to the place she loved, but, the Romanian people deserve to honor her at their home. She will always walk the steps of the castle with you.
Wonderful post and honestly lovely walk!!! And always a flower in those poppies! Thank you!
The Queen was a great personality, the other day I saw a documentary made by the French and I learned many new things. She was considered the last romantic queen.
Thank you for managing to read my posts as well, so carefully, that you retain so many details.
It's a great joy to have you as a reader, thank you, @dswigle!
Watch a few more programs and you will learn many other new things. The view of the person producing it. The last romantic queen. Interesting that she was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and directly related to Catherine the Great... Wow! What a pedigree! I like that she was a horsewoman and women weren't even allowed to compete in this male-dominated sport.
What is not to love about her? :)
Haha. How interesting! This is some info about the queen that I should have put in my posts but didn't. You obviously wanted to know more. I am impressed, thank you, @dswigle!
PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
(4/15) @lightcaptured tipped @bluemoon (x2)
You can now send $PIZZA tips in Discord via tip.cc!