The Bulgarian Fulbright Commission has taken great care to involve scholars and students to experience Bulgaria, such as organizing a trip to Melnik and the nearby Rozhen Monastery. This town is quite close to the Greece border and to the south of the Rila and Pirin Mountains, and it is typically warmer there than in the Sofia region. On the day of our trip, though, it rained all the way through, and the very unique sandy hill there that looks like pyramids was mostly hidden behind the fog and the mist. Still, the views were gorgeous and meeting up with the group was joyful.
The ladder fresco in the Rozhen Monastery was rarely seen elsewhere, representing the contradicting forces that helped one ascend and dragged one down. There were still some monks living here, but no more than a handful.
Then we went to the biggest house from the Revival period in town. It was a winery, that’s how the owners accumulated their wealth, and they owned a family church nearby. This winery is still in operation nowadays. It’s heard that Winston Churchill used to stock up the Melnik Wine, which was his favorite.
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