Surprising Bulgaria: Bulgaria is a time warp of old and new ñ from chic shops in the city to donkey carts in the country. We hike to a mountain monastery, meet two sculptors (dad does Stalin, son does nudes), and enjoy a traditional dinner feast at a local home. Eastern Turkey: After a Mount Ararat sunrise, we visit AbrahamÃs 4000-year-old home town, tour one of the wordÃs biggest dams, cheer on grease wrestlers, meet the gods atop Mount Nemrut, and dance with new friends in a village. Slovenia and Croatia: We discover that Dubrovnik is still the ìjewel of the Adriaticî while nearby villages decorate their dreamy archipelago with small town Venetian charm. Ljubljana is like Salzburg without tourists. The Julian Alps glisten with pristine lakes as Lipizzaner stallions are eager to strut their stuff.
