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Easter + Labor Day page 20 |
2005 BALKANS TOURBen Oostdam |
BULGARIA |
| In the kitchen at 08:30, we started knocking colored Easter eggs together while wishing each other a happy "Velikden, and we ate raisin bread. I "interviewed" Georgia, who was born Nov. 1, 1926, went to Trade High School taking Economics, and got married Nov.2, 1947. Irena was born on Aug.31, 1948, and they lived in a house at this location till 1982 (her husband died in 1968). In 1982, the Communist government took over their house, and 14 months later they were given two apartments in the new building erected at the site of their former house: one for her brother, with 3 BR's, one for Georgia with 2 BR's. No rent to be paid, only tax of about 100 levs. She worked for 38 years as secr/typist in the Courthouse, dealing with divorces and arbitration, retiring as chief in 1983 when she earned 160 levs per month; she now gets a pension of 95 levs/mo and the min. social pension amounts to 50 levs/mo. King Boris died on Aug.28, 1943 and his son Simeon Saxo Coburg, once exiled, became PM in 2000. Bulgaria became a republic Sep 9, 1944, and on May 9, they celebrate the liberation by the Russians. In 1948, a large group of jews emigrated to Israel, and on Nov 10, 1989, Todor Zhivkov was replaced by another communist leader during the first free elections. She liked Clinton and family who visited here, and thinks George Bush is ok, but she is disappointed with Simeon. |
| Later that morning, we took a walk in the park and heard part of the crowded service.
In the afternoon, her uncle Nicola visited together with his son Johnnie and his wife Gracie and 6 year old Nicola Jr.
Around 16:00 we took the tram to find out about the bus service to Macedonia: by sheer luck, the place was open
and I bought a ticket to Skopje for 20 levs, dept 09:30, arr.14:30. We stopped at a cafee for some icecream, drink and chocolats, and later also bought a pack of special coffee for me to deliver to some of her friends of 10 years ago in Ochrid. |
to-day,
June25, 2005,
Google had 2,060,000 documents and 19,800 images of Sofia  St.Alexander Nevski Cathedral BLO fecit 20050708 Contents - next page |
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