Happy 4th of July!

I hope that everyone back in the states had a happy and safe Fourth of July! This is not the first time I have been abroad during our nation's celebration of independence, and each time I am struck by the different ways Americans living abroad celebrate this holiday. The embassy community decided to hold their Independence Day celebrations a week early, as Ambassador Beyrle would have already left for his new post in Moscow before the actual 4th. It was a great big party - with many of our Bulgarian counterparts invited to enjoy American dishes and an AMAZING fireworks show. It was an impressive and colorful affair, filled with the big bangs and theatrics I remember from my childhood 4th of Julys on Lake Michigan. No expense was spared and everyone raved about the fireworks for most of the following week. Our Ambassador had the opportunity to personally thank many who worked in the Embassy as well as those Bulgarians who Embassy staff worked with on bilateral issues. The following day, at the Embassy's goodbye party for Ambassador Beyrle and his family, he gave a very moving farewell address to all the Embassy staff - mostly in English, but at times, switching over to Bulgarian. He will be missed here in Sofia, but I wish him and his family all the best in Moscow!

The week was not over yet - on Friday four new friends and I piled into a car and drove down to Greece and took the ferry to the island of Thassos. We spent most of our time on white sandy beaches, dipping into warm and clear blue waters and enjoying the delicious seafood the Greeks are known for. It was a great get-away and a necessary one to recharge our batteries for the coming weeks. Bulgaria, unfortunately, does not have any access to beaches on its western side (where Sofia is located), which means you must travel close to 6 hours east to Varna on the Black Sea or 6 hours south to the Greek islands and coastline. As soon as you crossed the border into Greece, everything changed - the landscape, the architecture, the types of trees (a lot of Olive groves), and even the air - but we mainly noticed the roads. The road quality was markedly better upon entering Greece.

On Thassos we had the good luck to stay at the Emerald Hotel (recommended to us by several Embassy employees who stay there when they vacation in Greece). The Emerald Hotel overlooks Golden Beach in Skala Panagia on the northeastern part of the island. Costas, the owner of the Emerald, attended Michigan State University and was a wonderful host (and bartender) for our little group. With the beach a short five minute walk away, we spent most Friday afternoon and all day Saturday on the sand or in the water. In the evenings we walked the beach's boardwalk and had late dinners of seafood, authentic Greek salad, Ouzo, Greek wine, and feta cheese. Our wallets empty (thanks to the Euro) and our bags filled with sand (how does it manage to get EVERYWHERE?), we departed Sunday morning from our little piece of Greek paradise. Our trip back home was more subdued, but if we ever have the chance to come back, I don't think any of us will hesitate.

Since I haven't seen anything appear on the national news sites (or international ones, for that matter), I did want to let you know that two days ago, a munitions site began to blow up early Thursday morning outside of the city, causing considerable damage to the local houses and businesses and shutting down the airport. No one was killed but the explosions lasted for most of the morning, with officials letting people go back to their homes by late evening. No biological weapons were stored at this depot - just a few older explosives and ammunition. As I live on the other side of the city, I had no idea that this was going on until I got to work and received emails about it. Then, at around 3pm, an earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Ricter scale rumbled through the city (the epicenter was placed 15 km outside of Sofia). Again, I was totally unaware until an email "pinged" into my inbox alerting staff of the event. A fellow intern and I surmised that, had we not been told what was happening outside, we would have not been the wiser - the Embassy can be quite a protective little bubble from the outside world! Again - I am fine and life in Sofia has quickly moved on. But what a way to start the 4th of July weekend!

Tonight is the American Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Celebration. Tomorrow I plan on seeing some more of Sofia (I have less than a month left in Bulgaria!) and I have big plans for the rest of the week with a possible trip to Turkey next weekend. Pictures from my Greek adventure will be posted as soon as I get a more reliable Internet connection at my place in Sofia. Thanks for all the wonderful emails and comments!
~Monica