If your perhaps negative opinion of Christopher Nolan's latest oeuvre is based solely on the diversity of the cast, think again. For in The Odyssey we have a film where casting decisions feel poetically rather than politically correct. Yes, even the fact that Lupita Nyong'o plays Helen of Troy.
Here is why.
1. Which Bulgarian river flows southwards?
A. The Struma
B. The Iskar
C. The Kamchiya
2. Which wild animal is making a dangerous comeback in Bulgarian mountains?
A. Red fox
B. Brown bear
C. Wild boar
3. If you are driving a car on a Bulgarian motorway, you are allowed to speed up to…
A. 200 km/h
B. 120 km/h
C. 140 km/h
Replete with remnants of residential buildings, a royal palace, a necropolis and some fortification walls the remains of this ancient city pose more questions than give out answers. Archaeologists suggest the Oracle of Dionysus, the notorious seer who advised Alexander of Macedon among others, had a temple here. Their claim is amplified by the overall aura of sanctity that even the most skeptical of tourists feel as soon as they have negotiated the upward path leading to the hill. Ancient accounts, however, remain at best ambiguous, enhancing the sense of millennia-old mysteries.
Shapeshifting children, amorous dragons, dangerous nymphs who ride deer and wear rainbows for belts, doomed heroes who can overcome any obstacle but their own death: Bulgarian folktales weave into a rich and mesmerising universe. On the surface they are moving and strange, a combination of hair-raising adventure and sorrow for the lost lives of fair maidens and young men turned into stags.
Not all pensioners will starve to death because they receive 2 euros less a month.
Konstantin Prodanov, MP for Progressive Bulgaria
Progressive Bulgaria will fight the oligarchy by stealing from pensioners?
Asen Vasilev, Changes Continued
Progressive Bulgaria does not mean a progressive tax system.
Aleksandar Pulev, Economy Minister, on calls for abandoning flat tax rates in Bulgaria
Mara was in fact a kind of pastry baked in Strasbourg. Its recipe has long been forgotten in modern Alsace, but the memory of it lives on in Bulgaria, albeit in a modified form.
In the 17th century French travellers passed through the Bulgarian lands on their way to Constantinople. They had a few portions of mara with them to present to the sultan in the hope he would grant them permission to cross the Ottoman Empire and reach India.
To all the meme makers out there: I see you. I like you. I won't search for your IPs.
Georgi Kandev, Secretary General of the Interior Ministry, jokes about his online notoriety
I now drive my Skoda on my own, because I don't want an innocent man to get hurt. They deliberately turned me into a target, now people are checking my usual routes. I am telling you – if something ever happens to me, it will be politically motivated.
Major resorts like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands are located at strips of sand and dunes, and there are numerous small fine sand beaches that more often than not you may end up being the only visitor to. But the Bulgarian Black Sea has a lot more to offer. Take in the long stretches of rocky coast. At times surreal stacks jot out from the water while nearby rocks fall vertically into sea. One particular point of interest is the rocky peninsula, pictured here, which was the site of a maritime battle and whence 40 virgins jumped off to avoid captivity.
In the 15th-17th century, the locals in the area of Kyustendil mainly cultivated watermelons, a little known fact as the Kyustendil cherries at the beginning of the 21st century are probably the best in the world. (Incidentally, at the opposite end of Bulgaria, in Lyubimets, where the world-famous watermelons are now produced, they once cultivated cherries. However, this historical transition from watermelon to cherry and vice versa, will be the subject of another study).
1. To make what Bulgarians call Russian salad, you need…
A. Mayonnaise
B. Olives
C. Cinnamon
2. Which car brand announced opening an official dealership in Bulgaria?
A. Tesla
B. Lamborghini
C. Rolls Royce
3. Who won the 19 April elections?
A. GERB
B. PP-DB
C. Progressive Bulgaria