Ruse, Bulgaria's Train Station, Flirt Vodka billboard, and distant spire of tallest TV tower in Bulgaria

Steep limestone cliffs seen from our bus as we drove inland from Ruse to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (pop. 75,000) is built on three hills, and the River Yantra circles through the valleys between the hil

View of Veliko Tarnovo from Arbanasi, a small town nearby founded in the 15th century by Albanians and Greeks under Ottoman rule

Arbanasi Palace Hotel, where we had an excellent hilltop view of the surrounding countryside

Entrance to the medieval Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Arbanasi, built from the 16th to 18th centuries

Gravestones and markers outside Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Inside, four local a capella singers performed a relig

Restaurant and outdoor cafe in Arbanasi, where we enjoyed a nice lunch

Tsarevets Medieval Citadel in Veliko Tarnovo was the capital and center of political and ecclesiastical power during the Second