Melnik and its Museum of the Wine, Bulgaria - Summer 2014

Melnik is a town in southwestern Bulgaria in the Pirin mountains. The town is an architectural reserve and 96 of its buildings are cultural monuments. It has unique architecture and it is a popular tourist destination. The area of Melnik is famous with vine growing and wine making.

First views when just arrived

Inside one of the many restaurants

Street view from that restaurant

Another restaurant

I have impression that nearly all buildings are converted in restaurants and/or inns

Made to look traditional well

"Chinarite" of of the bigger restaurants

Old building, may have been school or administrative

Some more street views

The Museum of the Wine is seen in the building on the left

Traditional for Bulgaria type of woven willow baskets used to carry grapes

Several types of older style ornaments

Typical in older times for the region "Sgrafito" ceramics

Mosaics

Pictures of different types of ceramic

Vessels for carrying wine and brandy

Table for grape-stomping

Different vessels for carrying wine and brandy

Again on the street

The riverbed is dry at this time of the year

The road out

Gothenburg Botanical Garden - Spring 2014

The Gothenburg Botanical Garden (in Swedish: Göteborgs botaniska trädgård)  is one of the larger botanical gardens in Europe. I actually visited that place several times and for plant collectors and enthusiasts its worth checking periodically, because in their shop sometimes can be found pretty rare flowers and plants in general, which otherwise may be nearly impossible to be found for sale even on-line. Today I'll post a few pictures from the garden and its plants. At that time of the year there were many flowering wild species of tulips, which in my opinion was the best part from the visit. In that regard I'd say that this was very large collection, that if not surpassing is at least rivalling the one in Kew Gardens.

Bulb (spring)  flowers section

Tulipa humilis var. 'alba' with unusually long flower stems

Tulipa humilis var. 'alba'

Tulipa aitchisonii var 'clusianoides'

Tulipa aitchisonii var 'clusianoides'

Tulipa bakeri

Tulipa orphanidea

Tulipa bithynica

And in the end there is mini forest with a hill overseeing part of Gothenburg

Animals and plants that can be seen while hiking in Bulgaria

I made this video from a few short clips I took while hiking in Bulgaria. These animals and plants are some of the more common species which can be seen by the casual hiker. Of course there are bigger and more memorable beasts like bear, red deer and others, but they are not something that is easy to be found in the wilderness.

Species shown:
1. Spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)
2. Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
3. Scarab beetle (Scarabaeidae spp)
4. Bumblebee  (Bombus spp)
5. Birch Sawfly (Cimbex femoratus)
6. White-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)
7. White Long-headed poppy - (Papaver dubium dubium L. var. albiflorum)
8. Gall wasp (Cynipidae)
9. Duck mussels (Anodonta anatina)
10. Thyme (Thymus spp)
11. Roman snail (Helix pomatia)

Views over Gothenburg

There are several high up places from which you can enjoy wonderful views of Gothenburg. Here are some from Universeum, the science museum, from the botanical garden and Skansken Kronan fortress.

Korsvägen viewed from Universeum

Korsvägen

Korsvägen

Hotel Gothia Towers

View from The Botanical Garden

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan

View from Skansen Kronan