Ruse, Basarbovski and Ivanovo 17 August.

See if you can beat this, Carl!

Took a trip to St. Dimitar Basarbovski Rock Monastery and the Ivanovo Rock Churches.

According to information outside the Monastry the legend says that the Monastry was founded in the 14 th century by the  Wallachian king Basarab I. A young man named Dimiter became a monk and after his death the whirling waters of the Rusenski Lom river carried his body to the village. Miracles began to occur and it was known that St Dimiter was protecting the village. During the Russian-Turko war 1769, general Salticov took St Dimiters remains and on the request of the ( did not see) community of Bucharest left them for safekeeping in Romania. St. Dimiter Basarbovski seems to reunite Romania and Bulgaria.

This is what I read. Once again I need to do some research, who is Genersl Salticov? king Basarab?

Inside one of the churches..

a monk was signing certicates. Was not sure if I was allowed to take a photo.

The port of Basarbovo, not for us!

The stairs up to the churches

Another one of the later churches.

A view from ground level.

On the way to the Ivanova Rock Churches my driver pointed out these two storks.

View of Rock churches from ground level.

View from the Rock Churches of the Nature Park.

This dog met us at the entrance. Cannot work out what race it is ....

....or what mixture it could be.

Inside the rock church, beautiful.