Rila

Rila Monastery is important in Bulgarian history and culture. It Haas a high UNESCO rating and that sort of thing and nowadays is some sort of a tourist trap. We were quite happy to be trapped.

It started with a monk and Saint called Ioan or Ivan or John Rilski, in the ninth century. He started as a monk in a monastery in the neighbouring town of Bobosevo, then went to live as hermit in a cave way up the valley. But followers emerged and together they founded a monastery near the cave. As the movement grew they moved to the present site. Pilgrims came over the years and gave gifts. They included the king who made the whole valley a royal reserve for the monastery.

It burned down in the early 19th century and the present buildings resulted.

What is a "tourist trap"? There were plenty of people there when we went. There must have been plenty when it was a centre of pilgrimage. Is the difference that the pilgrims were religiously motivated? We arrived at the end of the morning mass (which had started at 08.00; we arrived a bit before 11.00; it was Sunday) and there were many in the church at mass. We went to the evening service and there was a good attendance.

We were moved by the evening service. In the Orthodox way it was entirely sung and chanted. It had a numinous quality that enveloped us.

Apart from going to church, we went to the small but excellent museum, for which we had a guide who spoke English, and other exhibitions. We spent time looking at the frescoes that entirely cover the church. And we went to the restaurant.

The monastery is high up, along a long and climbing road. We stayed in a hotel complex about 7 km down, so cycled up in the morning. The downhill ride after the evening service was peaceful and wonderful.