Associate Professor from Western Carolina University

visiting Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria

as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar

Fall colors

This fall, it rained quite a bit and became cold quickly. Even our Bulgarian colleagues are saying that it is typically warmer than this fall. However, it might have helped the leaf color to be more vibrant. The first photo is the view out of my office window with...

Transportation in Bulgaria

During our three months of stay in Bulgaria, we’ve seen all kinds of transportation means here. The electric scooters are very popular in summer, not only in Sofia but also throughout European cities. It’s nice that some biking lanes are clearly marked. The shared...

Baba Vanga’s Museum in Rupite

According to what I heard, Baba Vanga (1911-1996) was a prophet who brought peace and healing to people. When she was a teenager, she was sucked up by a tornado into the air and dropped to a field causing her eyes to bleed. She lost her eyesight since then, but she...

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery of Saint Ivan Rilski is perhaps the most notable symbol of Bulgaria, being a haven and flame of hope for Christianity since the 10th century, respected by the Ottoman Empire, Russia, and many other countries, as evidenced by the many gifts the monastery...

Seven Rila Lakes

The first time when I heard of the seven Rila lakes, I thought that they might be a list of seven most famous lakes in the Rila Mountain National Park. Well, it actually meant a loop trail with seven lakes along it. People have named these seven lakes mostly based on...