Walking in Light With Christ - hip0's personal blog on System Administration, Free Software, Computer Security and Religion

A Holiday trip to the Rodopi's Mountains (Narechenski Bani, Wonderful Bridges, Assenova Krepost, Kosovo, Assenovgrad, Pamporovo)!

I've been on a holiday with my mother and father for 10 days on a vacation town called Narechenski Bani. The place was wonderful. The place is well known with it's plenty springs of mineral water which is proved to have a feeling effects on the human body. The healing effect is said to be due to the waters comprising of radium in a qualities which instead of having destructive influence on the body have healing ones. More about the resort and the water healing characteristics could be red more on Narechenski Bani's ( Narechen's Baths) website . Narechenski Bani is situated in the ridge of the Rodopi's mountains and has many national landmarks near by. Some of the landmark's I've visited were Snezhanka's Peak situated in Pamporovo .
Another wonderful winter sky resort located in the Rodopi's mountains Bulgaria. I and my family also visited The Wonderful bridges just to comment on that it's an awesome must place ! Take your time and visit it! I guarantee you won't regret 'bout it. We've also visited the ancient king Assen's Fortress or as we use to call it here in Bulgaria Assenova Krepost . What makes the fortress an unique destination is the Orthodox Church named: "The Holy Petrich's Theotokos". The church is probably named after the miraculous orthodox Church icon kept in Bachkovo's Monastery. Yes we also visited the holy cloister of Bachkovo's Monastery . I've spend a great time there talking with two monks one of them known under the Church name monk Boris Mikhail (who by his words is a monk already for 29 years). And another hieromonk. Both of them seems that liked me a lot and we had a sort of spiritual talk so to say. One of the monks said soon there would be a monk. He outlined that many people asked him is God going to completely destroy the human race on which he always answered that this is not going to happen since God loves his creation man, a being created above all other being living on earth. I've even stayed for the late night holy liturgy monk service. It's important to mention that in Bachkovo's monastery there were many holy relics of an orthodox saints. Holy objects who used to belong to the holy fathers as well as a particle of The Cross on which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified! I've also gave honour to the mother of our lord the Holy Theotokos Mother Mary through the icon of Petrich's the holy virgin Merry, I will post here a link to a copy of the icon <"http://www.pravoslavieto.com/manastiri/bachkovski/5/sv_Bogorodica_Bachkovo.jpg"> Petrich's Holy Theotokos Mother Mary . The icon is miraculous and through it many believers has received healings from various diseases. The icon's painting is dated back to at least the 12th century. In that manner of thoughts if you're a believing orthodox christian or just a christian believer catholic protestant make sure you visit the monastery. Man can feel God's grace being abundant in the monastery and the district near-by. Right after the wonderful time spend in Bachkovo's Monastery. I've also followed a route out of the walls of the monastery in a path climbing up through one of the crest of Rodopi's mountain. The path contained many things interesting things and holy places as well just like The Ossuary (Kosnicata), where many holy man and Bulgarian Church patriarchs monks, priests etc. were buried. Next the route included many nice fountans with natural spring water. A Holy Spring named "Dormition of the Holy Virgin". In the spring the water is healing as well as reported by many miraculous. Later in the route I went through stone stairs also including a small chapel and then another one. Near-by was supposed to be located a cave which I wasn't able to visit because it was getting too dark outside and it was time to go back the way before the night darkness has complete fallen. Another great place we visited was Assenovgrad's Church which contained �nother Holy Spring. What made the spring different was the fact that in the spring water's small reservoir there were a lot of beautiful fishs swimming, also it was notable that the mountain water of the spring was suitable for drinking and wasn't fish smelling even though there were a plenty of fishes swimming around. Throught our vacation time we had the great oportunity to also visit many other small chapels (paraklis). One notable is the one situated near-by the King Assen's Fortress, named st. Athanasius (Sv. Atanasii). We've also traveled to a church situated 6 km away from Narechenski Bani in a small village called Kosovo. Kosovo is extraordinary unpopulated region located on 1600+ meters height in the mountain. The village possess the shocking number of 6 inhabitants. Even though it's small size the village has a big Church under the name "Holy Virgin Mary". It's an astonishing fact that all the church maintance is done by an old 94 years old sweet granny,
Baba Dana
This women looks like she has achieved already holiness. Her temper and manners were like kids she was too good and warm-hearted. Her words were filled with love, etc. Anyways I've moved away from the topic. So back to where I was the what makes Kosovo so special as a destination. It's the Church Holy Virgin Mary which includes a miraculous white stone containing a stamp of the Byzantine's patriarchate. The church is built in 1886 (if I remember correctly), by inhabitants of the Village. Nearby the Church there is a small ossuary containing the relics of many many Bulgarians martyrs who died refusing to accept the muslim faith during our country was under the slavery of the Ottoman's Empire. Baba Dana has said that God has spoken to one of the priests who served in the Church long time ago on the same place where the miraculous stone is located. She says that God has said "Whoever respects me stays on the stone between 2 or 3 minutes". I don't know how but later on many people started visiting the church with faith and has received miraculous healings from various uncurable diseases like for example cancer. Probably under the stone or within the stone it's contained the holy relics of some of the patriarch saints or a holy item through which God's grace springs around the place. I've met a lady who has reported that a lady has reported that her daughter was healed from a cancer when she slept in the Church. I and my family has also visited the nice orthodox Church and do worshiped in front of the life-giving and saving crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The cross it self was located as usual in any orthodox Church on a high place right above the alter's dveri. I've also been to the Church twice and tried to sleep to obtain some blessing and health restoration from the Lord. I should testify that when I laid my head on the stone and spend some time in the Church I've felt enormous grace or as the wordly man says energy flowing out of the stone. My whole body electrified and God's Spirit flowed through it my guts started stirring around and I've felt like like fire flowing through me. To be honest I first went to the place a bit skeptical but after I've felt it I couldn't anymore be skeptical. During the holiday I've unfortunately had some bad times in which we had quarrels and misunderstandings which eventually thanks God were solved. In Narechenski Bani there was also a nice path leading directly to the mountain, the nature views there were astonishing. I have to outline that the external God's grace is pretty evident in the Rodopi's mountain compated to the external grace granted by God herein the cities. The air in the mountain is a times clearer than in the dirty cities we inhibit. Another impression I had was that people in the Rodopi mountain use to live much more peacefully and are quite much relaxed. The whole Rodopi mountains contain a numerous spring spots. The nature beauty is amazing as well. I've liked it there so much that I had a desire to move and live there. Thanksfully God granted us a safe drive through the shart mountain road turns. We went through many cities heading back to Dobrich, some of the destinations were Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Sliven, Kotel, Shumen etc. Being away of work and administration was quite restoring both for my psychic and overall bodily health. In Narechenski Bani I've met a girl in the Church there st. Elijah. She ownes a wordpress in Bulgarian discussing many interesting topics related to metal music, books, philosophy and art.Check out Brutallica's wordpress blog . Just to complete this enormous post. I want to express my gratitude to my family and God for making this trip to Rodopi's mountain a reality.