Silver
hive-196308·@bluemoon·
0.000 HBDSilver
<center> I read or heard it somewhere, can't remember where and don't know if it's true, I haven't checked the information. I didn't check it because I liked it so much I was afraid I would find out it was fake... *There's (or was) a radio station in Philadelphia(?) that only broadcasts one song, 24 hours a day. The song is [Stairway to Heaven ](https://youtu.be/xbhCPt6PZIU).* This I consider a true passion and admiration and the song is truly epic! On a much, much smaller scale, I suffer with my passion for the sea and the little Black Sea resort called Balchik. Although I wish and dream of other places, every summer I end up going to Balchik at least once. Now I know Balchik better than the city where I live. I told the Led Zepellin and Stairway to Heaven story just to show those who still read my posts that it can be worse than my constant writing about one place, one city, one sea! I like this place primarily because it is a mix of past and present because there are few beaches because there are not many places where you can swim in the sea, which makes a selection of tourists. Those who are looking for fun and are more rowdy don't come here. I can say that it is a resort preferred more by older people but there are also many young people who are looking for peace, beauty, and relaxation, especially by walking. A beach looks something like this, seen through the hundred-year-old fence of the garden of the castle of Queen Mary of Romania.  Those who have read this far might wonder, knowing now that Balchik is in Bulgaria, why is the castle of a queen from Romania, a neighboring country in the north of Bulgaria, located here? Well, neighboring countries often have mixed histories and even territories that belonged to each other. So in this case. The southern Dobrogea region, where Balchik is located, belonged to the Kingdom of Romania between 1913 and 1940. It was annexed to Romania after a Balkan war. Obviously, any occupier is not liked or loved by the occupied, quite the contrary! In the many years I have been holidaying here, I have only once experienced a hostile manifestation of being Romanian... and I can say it was from some less educated and probably drunk people. Otherwise, I have never felt aversion from Bulgarians. Obviously, any occupation of territories comes with excesses and even atrocities that have to do with the historical era and the degree of civilization. I have no illusions that the Romanian army behaved with gloves but there are mitigating circumstances. This is how politics was, this is how the people, the armies, were educated at the beginning of the twentieth century, before the World Wars. Especially in the Balkans! *There is a superb film about the Romanian occupation of this region, also called Cadrilater. A film by the most important Romanian director, in my opinion, Lucian Pintilie. The film is called "Un été inoubliable (An Unforgettable Summer)".*  [source photo1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111546/?ref_=tt_mv_close)[source photo2](https://www.childrenincinema.com/movie.php?id=un-ete-inoubliable-1994#gallery-496-2) As a fun fact I can say that I know the actor who plays the main role, along with Kristin Scott Thomas. His name is Claudiu Bleont. He was married to our best friend. I read on [IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111546/?ref_=tt_mv_close) from a user review: *"An Unforgettable Summer" draws viewers' attention to the ignominious persecution of ordinary, innocent Bulgarian workers by some bad elements of the Romanian army.* What I wanted to point out is that there were some known excesses of the army and of course, there was resentment of the Bulgarian population. Resentments that are now gone and I can safely say that I was received in a friendly manner every time. *Well, I've come a bit far and I should keep it close... to the story.* Back to Balchik! Balchik has an incredible history, first attested in the 7th century BC. In all these millennia of history, there was a time (about 40 years) when Romania played a role in shaping the place. After Queen Maria of Romania chose this place as her summer residence, not liking the Black Sea resorts in Romania ( so do I, haha!), the locality developed, and rich people from Bucharest, politicians, and artists chose to spend their summer in Balchik, as close as possible to the queen. This led to the construction of many holiday houses that are still in good condition and also of official buildings, like the town hall that now houses the History Museum. The most important tourist attraction of the city is definitely the Castle of Queen Mary of Romania and the gardens surrounding it!  The castle is not really a castle, it is a larger villa, in fact, the Queen did not want opulence or to humiliate her servants. Visiting the castle is a must whenever I go to Balchik, it happened this time but now I want to show something else. After visiting the castle always follows a walk through the surrounding gardens.  The gardens are terraced because the land is sloping. The walk is quite hard but pleasant.  The effort made is always worthwhile and brings rewards. Like discovering a small shop. A jewelry shop.  A shop not to be missed by my companions, my wife, and a good friend.  Well, such a small place filled with so many temptations. My hopes that I would get rid of an expense were instantly dashed!  Especially silver! I like silver a lot, much more than gold.    Now, what can I say? Is it weird that I haven't found anything that suits me and that I like?   My wife, on the other hand, by choosing more jewelry and then giving it up, managed to stick with a small cross, bought on the very day this symbol was celebrated.  I liked her choice. Not only beautiful but also reasonably priced. I can't remember exactly but I don't think it cost more than $25. *Silver seems to be an attribute of Balchik.* The city is also called the White City and the whole area, the Silver Coast! This is because of the calcareous hills that surround the city.  Sometimes even the Black Sea looks like silver!  The jewelry is mostly silver.  Silver everywhere! For me, silver is like black and white in photography, i.e. more mysterious, more artistic, more special. *I wanted to show another picture of this place full of surprises for tourists. A place where things change quickly and for the better. Every year, on every new trip, I discover something new. A new hotel, a new terrace, a new shop but also an old museum that we had never visited, so it was new to us.* For #MarketFriday by @dswigle! The end always comes with a flower, so #alwaysaflower...  ... it wasn't really a flower but it's from Balchik and was once a flower! [//]:# (!pinmapple 43.40293 lat 28.14559 long Silver d3scr)    </center>
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