Bronk & Bongo

Twenty-two successive kings of Bulgaria ruled from this spot in Veliko Turnovo in Central Bulgaria. For a place over 1500 years old, it still looks pretty good! As you walk through the gates, a guy at a little homemade keyboard controls a marionette show that seems to have something to do with the history of the site, but the kids mostly liked that one of the puppets squirted water at them when they reached in to give the operator a tip. Tourism hasn’t really taken off here yet — the puppeteer will almost certainly be replaced by a computer someday, and everything will be electronic. And something charming will be lost in the process.

Here’s a wider view — amazing lookout from here. Wish you were all here.

By now, Bronk and Bongo are mostly adhesive tape. Version 2.0 will have to be designed better for travel.

Next stop. . . Sofia.

Bloggingly yours, Manny and Alan