The sky was gray, and the wind howled. The land looked dull and lifeless. The Turkish villages were messy, made up of mud huts. There were no hedges, flowers, or even grass. The buffalo were stuck in the mud. The people worked on hard, beaten patches of earth to grow their corn. The farmers looked thin, weak, and poorly fed. They made a small living from difficult farming.
The Cold, Wet Weather
It started to rain, the drops icy and cold. The wind made it even worse, and the wild birds screamed above us Talking with the Vali.
After riding for five hours, we were wet and hungry, so we decided to stop. We reached a place called Mahmoud Pasha Haskui, a small mud-walled building with no windows. Inside were tiny rooms that smelled bad, like a chicken coop. A dozen chickens were in the room with me while I ate my bread and drank a glass of good native wine, which only cost a few pennies.
A Generous Gesture
Feeling a little generous, I asked the old man who ran the place to make coffee for the soldiers. It only cost about two pennies, and the soldiers were very grateful. They saluted me for being kind. A Turkish soldier doesn’t expect much money, but he really values hospitality. Give him a little coffee, and he will do anything for you. He doesn’t think about the price, but appreciates the kindness Nestinarstvo Bulgaria Tours.
The Road Gets Better
After noon, the weather and the land improved. We passed by areas of vineyards and large barrels of wine being pulled by slow oxen. Big men rode on tiny donkeys, making us laugh at the sight.
Kirk Kilise – A Mixed Town
We arrived at Kirk Kilise, a charming town with winding, clean streets covered in vines. The town was different from other Turkish places. Of its 20,000 people, half were Greek, and the rest were mostly Jews and a few Turks. The Greeks made the wine, and the Jews were the merchants. The Turks had little influence in the town. Very few foreigners visited Kirk Kilise, usually just a couple of Frenchmen each year.
