Just before Christmas Svetlio and Tsetsa came to Plovdiv. We met in the Vienska Salon, a cafe (сладкарница) in Vienna style in the main street of the city.

It was good to see them again; the last time I met them was 3 years ago.

In front of the Vienska Salon.

Waiting for the bus to Perushtitsa.

The city of Perushtitsa is famous throughout Bulgaria because of the bloody uprising against the Ottoman occupation that took place in April 1876.

The uprising was the first step towards the liberation of Bulgaria, but the particular event in Perushtitsa ended in a dramatic murder of close to 600 people who were hiding from the Ottoman army in the church in the city.

Two years after the April uprising Bulgaria became a free country again, and the Saint Archangel Michael church was designated as a memorial.

The outside of the church. I had visited the church once before, I think in 1999 when I came to Perushtitsa for the first time.

In the middle of the church is a commemorative tomb, with fragments of Ivan Vazov's poem about the events in Perushtitsa.

Statue of a defender of the church. In the background, next to the small round window, is list with names of the people that perished in the church.

The roof of the church was destroyed by the Ottoman cannons during the attack. The survivors later added a wooden roof and decided to preserve the church to commemorate the uprising.

On Friday morning Milan, Sasha and I went to the Red Church (Червената църква), about 2 kilometers south of Perushtitsa.

The church, dating from the 5th or 6th century, is a symbol for the city of Perushtitsa and it has been placed on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites.

I have visited Perushtitsa a number of times but somehow never went to see the ruins of the church before.

The red church, about 2 kilometers from Perushtitsa.

A part of the building is supported by a frame.

In front of Perushtitsa's Red Church.

Some of the church's original frescoes are still visible. To protect them from wear and and tear by weather, many have been moved in 2003 to the History Museum in Perushtitsa.

We are now at the Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, waiting for our flight to Munich which should leave in about an hour.

Very nice that there is free internet here and it works well -- Sasha is using Skype right now for a phone call.

We left Perushtitsa this morning around 7:45 to take the 8.30 am bus to Sofia. Milan and Nadia brought us to Plovdiv and we said goodbye there.

On January 1st the new terminal of Sofia Airport was taking into use, and we took a cab to there but our flight departed from the old terminal. It is very quiet at the airport, quite different from when I arrived.

Sofia Airport, Bulgaria. This is the old terminal.

Our luggage in the bus to Sofia.

At the airport.

We are still in Perushtitsa, Bulgaria and we've had a great time the last two weeks. Jonathan and Irena are back in New Jersey now, Sasha and I will travel back to Durham on Sunday.

After New Year's Eve we've been to Plovdiv, and explored Perushtitsa. It's a very old city, with a lot of history and I'm enjoying it. This afternoon I went to the museum, in the morning Milan, Sasha and I went to the Red Church -- later more about all that.