What are you looking for?

Before you ask me who I am,

ask yourself if you know who you are.

Are you chasing the crowd

that is the loudest,

or the smile that is the prettiest?

Have you come here to seek distraction

or find plenty of noise

so you hear yourself?

The View of 2 Bridges (Manhattan & Brooklyn Bridge)

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Please note: All articles and photographs contained here are property of © Gypsy Letters, 2014 unless otherwise noted. No part of this website may be reproduced without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Sunsets

Sunset upon sunset I wonder,

Why do we chase the fiery ball

till it burns out with a hissing sound beyond the horizon?

Where else do we admire the end of things so much?

The death of a day bursts into colours

and rarely do we think about the pain

the light must go through to come to this.

After giving life and purpose to so many creatures on this earth and

slowly giving itself into a sheath of dark mystery - who mourns its

farewell?

We don't relate to a sunset with pain,

but with love, yearning and mostly hope

that we will be given another day and another perfect sunset and

another tomorrow of dazzling life.

Sunset upon sunset I wonder,

If the death of a day can bring us love and hope,

when something dear to us dies

and we are drowning in sorrow -

Can we learn to see more sunsets in it?

Sunset in Rio Vermehlo, Salvador (BR)

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Please note: All articles and photographs contained here are property of © Gypsy Letters, 2014 unless otherwise noted. No part of this website may be reproduced without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

My Quirky Hometown

...about a small town tucked in the mountains of Bulgaria

Right by the border with Greece, in the thick green hair of the forest, the heart of the Pirin mountain hides so much beauty. If the nature doesn’t grab you, the sad, deep Macedonian songs will. If the music doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, the taste of the local blackberries will. If your belly still doesn’t feel full, the joyous celebratory spirit of locals will fill it. 

Pirin Mountain

Sleeping comfortably in the skirts of the great mountain, forgotten by the accountants of Time, Gotse Delchev spreads comfortably among the 30.000 souls inhabiting the valley. People call it “The Town”, because for a long time it was the only town around, and for over 100 villages, tucked between the shoulders of Pirin and

My grandma at the weekly market

Rodopi mountains, it represented the most important gravitational point. That’s where the weekly fruit & vegetables market comes to life to this very day (every Monday & Friday), where you can get lost in bureaucratic errands, or eye for hours the pretty girls from one of the many cafes with extensive outside seating. Summer comes on a lavish golden chariot and loves to stay around for long. It fills the lakes with the laughter of kids, the streets with gossip & sunflower seeds peels, the shades of the vines with smoking and games of cards. The past is the favourite topic of locals. It’s where most of living happens and a date with the past always requires a sip of the homemade wine or rakia.

The shade of the vines

Gotse Delchev used to be called Nevrokop, it was changed to commemorate a revolutionary, who fought for the freedom of the region in the 1900s. But rarely do locals use these names. They are symbol of change, and “things don’t change around here”. The Town is forever swept away by the force of a fairy tale youth. The world keeps making its turns, but leaves unchanged the slow Sunday walks through the “Turgovska” (Market) street, the chimes of the two churches at the main square still stir the hot air. There’s a sense of stuckness for some, but for others it provides a sense of something solid and strong, a shelter from the winds and fires of life.

Playing cards on the street

Locals are warriors by heart - full tempered, stubborn and energetic, and they can deploy these qualities for the best and the worst - from complaining a whole lot to celebrating like it’s their last day. There is a delicate balance between laughter & tears, between neighbours & relatives, between old demons & new prophets. This dance at the edge of discomfort is the origin of vibrant words & images that, if captured, will disenchant the mysteries of Pirin.

Why should you visit?

Places like Gotse Delchev make you a discoverer. You have to dig. Beyond the surface of the quiet existence, there is the heart of a volcano, rhythmically beating on the lid like on a drum. If you dare to take on the adventure, grab the words, seize the images, you will discover pure & limitless passion, which will engrave Pirin in your heart forever.

Creating a yoga tree amid the beauty of Pirin

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Please note: All articles and photographs contained here are property of © Gypsy Letters, 2014 unless otherwise noted. No part of this website may be reproduced without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.