Thracian Cliffs and the Shumen Monument

After dropping Sonia at the airport in the early morning we headed straight out to the coast of the black sea.  Again, lots of herds on the roads.  In Bulgaria we found most of the highways were 2 or 4 lane divided and they were easy to use to get around.  In Romania they were either 12 lane mega freeways like in the US or tiny 2 lane roads with animals and herders everywhere.  

The border crossings between bulgaria and romania were also kind of just funny little offices with a line drawn across the road and you were supposed to get out and walk up to the little window to get stamped.  No guards, no gates, just a white line drawn across the road.

A little bit later we arrived at our sea-side golf resort- Thracian Cliffs.  That lovely blue water is the black sea and was as calm and beautiful as any ocean I've been to.  We ate lunch down by the beach where I got to stare at the hammock.

Not a bad view.

And then this was my view with a resort to explore or a nap to take.

While the boys went off to golf.

Apparently it was gorgeous...

I was enjoying this view instead.

And ending the day with a dinner outside listening to the waves and gazing at the starlight.

The next day the guys got up to golf at Black Sea Rama.  They'd rebuilt several historic sites around the course that were interesting for Taylor to see.

And then we were off on our long drive back across the country.  First pit stop, Shumen.  Taylor served here on his mission so part of this was nostalgia and partly he kept talking about this monument he wanted me to see.  As we drove into the valley I asked what the big castle on the hill was.  Apparently that's the monument.

Or else Transformers have somehow imprisoned themselves in concrete on a random hill in Bulgaria.

Totally bizarre and really cool.  It apparently commemorates the 1300 years of the Bulgarian empire.

The transformer guys were HUGE and really amazing.  And they're out in the open with little overhead cover.  I kept thinking my boys would have loved them!

The whole thing overlooks the city of Shumen which was kind of fascinating to see from above and see how the old city had been changed with communist blocks being added.

This is the front of the monument and you can only see this giant lion from the road going up.  All the other transformer guys are inside the pavilion.

We drove up and around to get there or if you're a missionary(as Taylor was :) you walk up the very long staircase that leads there.