V.I.P.

Today, mom and the other Bulgaria Fulbright grantees met the mayor of Tryavna. He received them in his office, a beautiful traditional building full of amazing carved wood furniture, ceilings, and other decorations, made by contemporary local craftsmen. The whole meeting was very low key. The mayor offered the group a guided tour of Tryavna in order to make sure they don't miss any of its many sights and museums. Mom, like the rest of the group, was impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of the mayor. He even let them take pictures in his office and out on the terrace. The picture you see is the view from the town hall.

I stayed at the hotel, so I was not impressed with anything. My condition is stable, not worse, fortunately, but not much better either. At least I don't have constant accidents now. Then again, mom takes me out several times a day. I even got to join the group in one of its outings. This was particularly nice, as they sat in the courtyard of the restaurant and I could go in and out as I please. Deep down, I may be a village dog, after all.

Mom is quite satisfied with our stay here. It's weird, and at the same time very pleasant, for her to be surrounded by so many (mostly) younger, bright people, who are not afraid to get into conversations about sticky issues even when they are partying.

Even the hotel staff is a little less afraid of me now. Mom took some pastries and left them in the staff smoking area (we use the staff entrance in order not to bother the hotel guests) with a thank you note for their patience, on my behalf. She even managed to write in (bad) Bulgarian. Ever since, the staff call me by my name. It's nice to be a celebrity!