Så er vi på vej til Hisarya eller Hissar, som det også kaldes. En by, kendt for sine mange forskellige slags helbredende kildevand og mange spahoteller.
På vejen dertil kører vi gennem Rosernes dal ved Kazanlak. Bulgarien er vidt berømt for sin fine rene rosenolie. Den første uge i juni afholdes rosenfestival. Der findes et lille museum i byen som man kan besøge og få et lille indblik i produktionen af rosenolien. Den specielle rose, som oprindelig stammer fra Indien, og som olien udvindes af, plukkes mellem kl. 5 og kl. 10 om morgenen, før solen får så megen magt, at den får olien til at fordampe. Roserne plukkes fra 20. maj til 20. juni.
Videre vestpå gjorde vi et stop i Stara Zagora. Vi gik rundt i byen, og fik lidt forfriskninger undervejs. Kaffe til Nikolay og grøn te til mig, hvilket jeg blev mobbet for. Efter nogen tid i byen, hvor jeg bl.a. også fodrede nogle få af de utroligt mange herreløse katte, der findes overalt i Bulgarien, måtte vi videre. Ud på landet, og igen ad smalle veje mod Hisarya. Da jeg første gang hørte, at vi skulle opholde os i en spa-by, troede jeg virkelig, at det var et luxussted, vi skulle besøge, men stor var min glæde, da jeg opdagede, at sådan var det ikke. En gammel by omgivet af ruiner, så den havde fungeret som et fort. Der var rigtig meget at se. Efter at vi havde chekket ind på vores hotel, som viste sig at ligge lige overfor en rigtig smuk park, klædt i de mest fantastiske efterårsfarver, valgte vi at gå en tur i parken og fylde vores vandflasker med de lifligste dråber fra en af de friske kilder. En tur rundt i byen måtte vi da også, før vi kom til en flot restaurant, ikke langt fra hotellet. På restauranten fik vi et rigtig lækkert måltid, og igen er jeg nødt til at nævne den obligatoriske Rakia, som vi fik til salaten. Til hovedretten en rigtig dejlig bulgarsk rødvin.
Og så blev det sengetid.....lidt tidligt, men morgendagen var afsat til en tur til Plovdiv, hvilket jeg glædede mig rigtig meget til.
Jeg skal lige tilføje, at når jeg ikke nævner hotellets navn her, så skyldes det, at det ikke findes mere, eller måske har skiftet navn. Billedet af porten kaldes "kamelhovederne"...gad vide hvorfor.....

Now on our way to Hisarya or Hissar, as it also is called. A town, known for its many different healing waters, coming from natural springs. A town where people come to improve their health in one of the many spa-hotels.
On our way to Hisarya, we drove through the "Valley of Roses" near the town Kazanlak. Bulgaria makes the worlds finest and purest roseoil, and in the first week of june, there is a "rosefestival". In the town there is a small museum, where we can get a bit of knowledge about the production of the roseoil. This special rose is originally from India, and to avoid the oil to evaporate in the heat of the sun, it is to be collected between 5:00 am and 10:00 am in the morning. The roses are to be picked between may 20th and june 20th.
Further west we made a stop in Stara Zagora, to go for a walk in the town, and to get some refreshments. Coffee for Nikolay, and Green Tea for me, which I was bullied about.
After spending some time in this lovely town, and after I got to feed some of the cats there, we had to continue our driving towards Hisarya. Out in the countryside, yet again on narrow roads.
When I first learned, that we were going to stay in a spa-hotel, I thought of luxury, but I was happy to know, that it was not so. I saw an old town, surrounded by ruins, and made me believe, that it was an old fortress.
The hotel, we was going to stay at, was just opposite a beautiful park, showing the most amazing autumcolors. After check in, we went to the park for a walk, and to fill our bottles with the most delicious clean and fresh water from one of the springs there.
We took a walk in the city, before we came to a beautiful restaurant, close to our hotel. Here we got a delicious dinner, and of course I have to mention the compulsory Rakia with the salad, and a very good Bulgarian redwine with the main course.
Then the beds were calling...a little bit early, but the next day was set for a visit to Plovdiv, a place I really was looking forward to visit.

For those who wonder, why I haven't mentioned the name of the hotel we was staying at.....it does not exist anymore, or it has got a new name.
The picture: This gateway is called "The Camelheads"....I wonder why.....