Burgas Local Customs

This clock on Svoboda Square, next the towering Hotel Bulgaria, was formerly the clock of a nearby pharmacy which was demolished in 1985. The clock was relocated to here and is now a popular local meeting place. All three faces tell the correct time and so you've no excuse for being late!

These jewellry sellers on the Troika Square certainly were being optimistic on a freezing cold February morning. They were there every day during my visit but I didn't see anyone even browsing their wares - a bit too cold to take the gloves off!

I noticed in Varna that clearing the pavements of snow seemed mainly to be left to the individual businesses with some desultory assistance from the municipal street cleaners.

Here in Burgas the job was getting done by prisoners from the local jail under the watchful eye of a couple of burly policemen. I assume that for the cons it was probably a welcome day out from the jail's confines and they certainly went about the task with enthusiasm.

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As Bulgaria's "other" (I use the word carefully, having taken legal advice) major commercial and naval port my researches discover that Varna is the base for the Bulgarian Navy's submarine squadron.

Varna's submarine squadron is actually a single "Romeo Class" boat which was Soviet-built in the 1950's and is pretty much considered obsolete. Burgas however just has to keep competing and has built two of its own.

So here's Bourgas's submarine fleet - I just hope that they know that Varna is the base for the anti-submarine squadron too ;))

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Having experienced the grime and pollution of Bulgaria's capital city and travelled across its inconsistently mired countryside it really is a pleasant surprise to find that places such as Bourgas do care about themselves and the world in general. Bourgas is a major port and industrial area and perhaps in the past it probably looked and smelled like one. The modern city however seems to have "cleaned up its act", as it were, and presents itself still as industrious, but in a clean and tidy, caring fashion.

Even the docks and their cranes are kempt and colourful, the goods sidings of the railway station neat and organised, the surrounding factories are no longer belching out industrial fumes. OK its not yet perfect but its certainly getting there and does have ambitions.

Here's a couple of interesting links:

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It's good to see that even in this modern day of computers and telling visions that the age-old amusements are still keeping the kids interested. Pretty cool looking snowman!