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Life updates month by month – first half of 2020
I did not have any vacation at the end of 2019, so 2020 came at a blink of an eye for me. I had to go back to work on the 2.01.2020, so we drove back to Varna very early in the morning. What has happened during the first six months of 2020 – let’s breakdown the year month by month and check on my life updates.
January 2020 breakdown: Winter sunrise
January came and finished very fast. Between the Christmas party and the “back to work” mood, very few things have happened. I also got sick – a very strange virus kept me staying at home for a few days and did not feel very well. However, the highlight of January 2020 was this beautiful picture of a winter sunrise I shot on our way back from Silistra and Varna. A nice beginning of the year!
As the weather in January was warm and sunny, I went for long walks by the sea every weekend.
Needless to say, during the cold months of the year, we have more time to read and watch Netflix. Here below you will find some of the books and the movies I read and watched during the winter.
Five books for real-world explorers
Five movies with Will Smith that are worth watching on Netflix
February 2020 breakdown: In search of Thracian sanctuaries and Stone mushrooms
In February, I managed to tick one place I put on my Travel list for 2020 (maybe that will be the only one due to COVID-19 uncertainties), and these are the Stone Mushrooms near Beli Plast village in Bulgaria. I spent a lovely weekend in nature, covered with snow, visiting beautiful hidden gems in Bulgaria! I have to say, February was the month to “go back to normal travelling mood”.
SPA Relax in Therma ECO Village Kranevo
Moreover, after my weekend escape in search of Thracian sanctuaries and Stone Mushrooms, we headed to a few SPA days in Kranevo with my husband. We stayed at Therma ECO Village Kranevo. The hotel has a cosy SPA with outdoor and indoor swimming pools, as well as it’s located near the beach. We had some walks on the beach in the morning and relaxed at the SPA in the afternoon. A nice short vacation in Mid-February I have to say!
March 2020 breakdown: Winning a photo challenge contest and Bulgaria Liberation Day
First thing first, my martenitza picture won the challenge contest at work! I was so happy I won because I work in a big corporation and the competition is not to be underestimated. Below you will see my photo.
Bulgarian Liberation Day – 3rd of March
This year, we decided to go to a place of importance for Bulgarian Liberation. That’s why, we’ve chosen to go to Veliki Preslav – one of the former capitals of Bulgaria. As a coincidence, I saw an advertisement that а performance of the last battle between the Ottoman soldiers and Bulgarian liberators will be played at the city centre of Veliki Preslav. The performance itself was amazing, but the main square was crowded. However, we decided to visit the remnants of Veliki Preslav and the Historical Museum. The museum was impressive and I recommend to visit it if you are interested in history.
The second highlight of March 2020: Book Club edition 2.0
The second big highlight of March 2020, was the book club edition 2.0 I managed to organize. That was just before COVID-19 restrictions were imposed. It was a very nice memory to make me smile during the lockdown period. More about the second edition of my Book Club read here: Bookclub second edition
April 2020: Life updates during COVID-19 lockdown and a campaign to support Bulgarian tourism
I stayed at home the whole month of April due to COVID-19 restrictions. I am grateful I could work from home – that kept me busy. Finally, I had more time to concentrate on my blog. I worked hard and changed the design of the home page a little bit; I’ve got a new logo and a new world map with all the places I visited. I also revised some of my articles (it’s an ongoing project that will continue in the next months). Thanks to the ZOOM meetings we’ve got with the other bloggers from ASTOM (Association of travel bloggers in Bulgaria), I’ve got fresh ideas on how to improve my blog and get more followers. So, hard work won’t stop soon!!!
Also, together with the other bloggers, we created a collage of our pictures with a slogan that we, as a travel blogger, we are going to choose to travel in Bulgaria after the lockdown, to support the local tourism. It’s a very powerful message I think and I am happy to contribute to Bulgarian tourism.
May 2020 life updates after the Coronavirus: First escape in nature and first summerish sunrise
The state of emergency in Bulgaria continued till 13.05.2020. Till this date, we were not allowed to travel outside the city. Once the restrictions were lifted, I visited Petrich Kale – an ancient fort I wanted to visit beforehand. Finally, we made! Petrich Kale is a wonderful place, off of the beaten path for sure. To reach the fort, you have to hike for 30 minutes through the woods. There is a crevice in the rocks. Wooden stairs are available if you want to have a look what’s behind. Be careful, the stairs are not very reliable! Therefore, the panoramic view you can have from there is breathtaking! Highly recommend the visit!
Sunrise at Fichosa Beach
Finally, the summer was in the air. One day, spontaneously, me and a friend of mine we were chatting and decided to wake up early in the morning the next day and to greet the sunrise at Fichosa beach. Fichosa beach is located outside the city of Varna and is considered being a wild beach. This is the best spot to see the sun rising from the sea early in the morning as you can see in the picture below.
The Golden Apple
Furthermore, in May, I watched the animation the Golden Apple. It’s an animation based on Bulgarian folklore, but with modern characters. A lovely one. More about it, learn here: Legend of the First Kuker Warrior by Studio Zmei production
Time for the nature to rejuvenate – Poppy fields
One of the greatest benefits of the Coronavirus lockdown was that Mother Nature has taken some time off of our hectic life and has rejuvenated.
June 2020 life updates: Thracian Sanctuary Badjaliata
Furthermore, in June, we visited a hidden gem near Silistra – the Thracian Sanctuary “Badjaliata”. Very few people know about it, as the place is hidden in between villages and woods. Badjaliata is an ancient Thracian sanctuary and it represents a cave where Thracians have lived and have hidden from their enemies. A very nice place in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of Mother Nature.
Tsarevo and the South Black Sea Coast – the beginning of the summer season in Bulgaria
In the middle of the month, it was a great time to hit the road and go to the South Black Sea Coast of Bulgaria. We were invited to stay at Zebra Hotel in Tsarevo and we decided to take the chance to visit Tsarevo, Thracian Sanctuary Begliktash near Primorsko, Sinemorets and the delta of Veleka River and Rezovo located at the frontier with Turkey. It was a very pleasant stay with a long road over the South Coast. My entire review is here: “Summer season 2020 grand opening – Tsarevo and the region”
Car cinema night
Once all the restrictions due to COVID-19 were completely lifted, we decided it was time for some “going out events” and went to a car cinema. I only saw those car cinemas on the American movies, and finally could experience it. It was a warm evening, under the stars and a nice movie. Thus, physical distancing will change the way we entertain and have fun.
How did you spend the first half of 2020? What are your life updates befor and after the COVID-19 periode?
Thanks for reading!