Rose valley, Plovdiv, Sofia and rose festival in Bulgaria 2019

NATURE GETAWAY IN OLD PLOVDIV AND THE VALLEY OF ROSES

Repeat trip! Explore the history-rich sites of the 6th oldest city in the world, Plovdiv, (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/The-worlds-20-oldest-cities/1old-plovdiv/) visit Bulgaria’s enticing valley of roses with its acclaimed Rose Festival and discover the secrets of the age-old tradition of rose oil production.

OLD PLOVDIV – A JOURNEY TO ANTIQUITY

Plovdiv is one of the most ancient cities in the world with signs of habitation dating as far back as the 6th millennium BC. The Old Town of Plovdiv is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s small, quiet and picturesque and a real gem for culture and history lovers!

Fascinating highlights:

The world’s most aromatic rose oil today comes from Bulgaria.
‣ The highest percentage of rose attar in the world is obtained from the Valley of Roses, Bulgaria
‣ The Bulgarian “attar” of roses is an important component in the perfume business throughout the world.
‣ Rosa Damascena is the name of the oil-yielding rose, which made Bulgaria famous for the production of the best rose oil in the world. Damascus, Rosa Damascena Mill was brought to Bulgarian lands during the 17th century.
‣ Plovdiv is the World’s 6th most ancient city and European cultural capital for 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtH_TAXUf80

The festival itself takes place every year on the first Sunday of June. It originates in the Rose Valley and runs across the near by towns of Karlovo, Kalofer, and Kazanlak. The area is breathtaking when the famous Bulgarian rose blossoms in May/June exuding its enticing fragrance.
3,5 tons of rose petals go into the making of one kilogram of rose oil, which costs as much as gold.

Join this extraordinary experience in Bulgaria, take part in the authentic rose-picking ritual and gain insights into the rose-distillation process. In addition to the authentic rose gathering ritual, the festival offers a small beauty-pageant of a kind, where the most beautiful girl amongst the rose-pickers is crowned Queen Rose.

But that’s not all! There are even more celebratory events taking place during the festival weekend, such as choir a cappella, folklore concerts, art shows, exhibitions, wine-tastings and much more!

Yoga Retreat in Granada, Spain

Granada Airport

Join me (Loreta, yoga teacher) in Granada, Spain for a Yoga Retreat 31 May-5 June 2019.
You can practice yoga, go to the mountains, enjoy sightseeing and even relax on the beach on this all encompassing yoga retreat.

EARLY BIRD: BOOKING 2 MONTHS IN ADVANCE:
795 EUR (SAVE 100 EUR)
LAST MINUTE BOOKING: 895 EUR

SINGLE OCCUPANCY: IN DOUBLE BED: +145 EUR

HIGHLIGHTS
(Included in the retreat price)
5 Nights at the beautiful Granada venue
4 Yoga classes per day: 2 Energizing and 2 gentle/yin yoga. For all levels
and ages
2 Yoga Workshops
3 Delicious healthy meals daily
Pick Up from Granada Bus Station to the Venue
Beach Day Trip and Picnic to Motril or Salobreña Beach
Swiming Pool on the venue.
All transportation for included activities
Visit local historic sites

Snowdonia Weekend - Snowdon Horseshoe and Waterfalls

The Rocks at Plas Curig Hostel

An opportunity to scale Snowdon and return via the 'Snowdon Horseshoe'. Quite a challenging walk but one that will be memorable and should provide some incredible photo opportunities for those who are so minded. Our second day gives us an opportunity to sample one of the less frequently visited areas of the national park, whether is is Crimpiau, tucked just behind our accommodation. It could be Moel Siabod, just over the road from our accommodation or we could look to scale another of the region's giants and possibly summit Tryfan and/or the Glyders.

Our accommodation is the superb Rocks Hostel at Capel Curig with plenty of facilities nearby for food and refreshments.

From the Angel to the Sky via the Star. Saturday walk with Paul

The Angel Pub

Come along with me and enjoy a lovely days walking, with plenty to see and lots of photograph opportunities. We will meet at 10.30 am in the Angel Pub for coffee {where there will be a meet up stand on one of the tables} which is opposite Angel Underground station.

A history of Clerkenwell through the ages

The Sir John Oldcastle

Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards and a former monastic settlement. Clerkenwell took its name from the Clerks' Well in Farringdon Lane (clerken was the Middle English plural of clerk, a variant of clerc, meaning literate person or clergyman). It had numerous spa springs which were well known for their mineral properties.