Nancy and I traveled to some of the Eastern Block countries back in the '90's, following the breakdown of the former USSR. Everywhere we went, there was poverty and potholes. In East Berlin, the sidewalks were in such a sad state of disrepair that we had to walk in the street to avoid getting hurt.We were expecting the same sort of thing when we visited Bulgaria recently. Boy, were we surprised!

Nessebur is one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria, dating back to the 6th C. B.C. It has the same pattern of being conquered and re-conquered over the centuries, and in 1452, it fell to the Ottoman Empire. Much of the original city was destroyed, but sections of the fortified wall, some of the towers, a gate, and four of the sanctuaries remain.

Bulgaria has a long coastline along the Black Sea. As is the case in many of the central and east European countries, there is tremendous amount of real estate development going on, cranes and condominiums everywhere. And everywhere, in the eastern countries at least, selling at prices that make you want to pawn everything you own so you can buy and speculate. Three bedroom 2 ½ bathroom condos on the water for under $75,000.00.

The new areas of development sparkle and vibrate with an enticing quality of life. But then, the restoration of some of the older cities and towns is impressive, too. We spent a day in Nessebur, shopping in some very nice boutiques, a few at a level you would find in the heart of Paris or the upscale neighborhoods of New York, but much cozier!

We were looking for a nice place to have lunch, and came upon a place near town center. As we started to turn up the lane to enter the place, a fellow came up to us and speaking a very passable English, introduced himself. He was the owner of the restaurant just ahead, but told us his place was not really suitable for someone in a wheelchair. He had a friend not much further up the road who had a restaurant where he thought we would be much more comfortable, and he offered to guide us to it.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, the streets were full of sightseers and vacationers, and we felt no threat in accepting his offer. Walking and chatting like old friends, we soon found ourselves at the restaurant. He introduced us to the owner, who spoke no English, and the four of us sat down at a table. Our new friend said something to the effect that we should be well cared for, and asked if he might take the liberty of ordering for us, since the menu was in Bulgarian. We told him that would be fine- only if he would join us for lunch- which he did. The owner sat and had a glass of beer with us as well.

We sat outside, overlooking the harbor of Nessebur and the Black Sea, in no hurry to get anywhere or do anything other than to completely relax and have a wonderful time. It was a glorious meal of fresh calamari and local vegetables. When it came time to pay the bill, it was less than $18.00 for three of us!

Our Bulgarian friend gave us his card (in addition to running his restaurant, he also builds houses and small condominiums), and we said our goodbyes, thankful for the opportunity to interact with a “local” in a manner too seldom enjoyed by travelers in any given place for a too-limited amount of time.

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