My dAd is a jolly, jolly man.
<a title="dAd and beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042012434/"><img alt="dAd and beer" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5346/10042012434_f7905c3bfe_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
But for many years, he was hesitant about visiting Bulgaria--not because he was uninterested in Bulgaria or afraid or something like that. Mostly he was hesitant because he doesn't really like to travel. He's a tall man and the seats in airplanes seem to be getting smaller and smaller.
<a title="Wandering Rila by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042087666/"><img alt="Wandering Rila" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/10042087666_49c73e82e9_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Me and beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042013504/"><img alt="Me and beer" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/10042013504_d983ef8ebb_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Charlotte and beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042017004/"><img alt="Charlotte and beer" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/10042017004_e0c605f891_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Enjoying beerIMG_2596 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042074756/"><img alt="Enjoying beerIMG_2596" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/10042074756_14c10b9119_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Luckily this didn't prevent him from visiting.<!--more-->
<a title="The beers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042085706/"><img alt="The beers" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5544/10042085706_bc2ff3a78b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
In fact even before he climbed on the plane, he brushed up on some Bulgarian. His three big words: Beer (бира), Cheers (Наздраве) and Goodbye (Довиждане).

Needless to say, everyone loved him.
<a title="Charlotte enjoys a beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042024614/"><img alt="Charlotte enjoys a beer" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/10042024614_25a9be8c1f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
After we went to Rila Monastery, we stayed in the town of Rila. Rila is <em>very</em> small but my dAd had a great time.
<a title="Roof tops of Rila by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042090696/"><img alt="Roof tops of Rila" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3754/10042090696_90c56286c7_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Roof tops of Rila by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042093716/"><img alt="Roof tops of Rila" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/10042093716_0f898a0c06_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Me and a horse by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042078786/"><img alt="Me and a horse" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/10042078786_be0e76105b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
We found the hotel/guest house, checked in and then went to explore. And by explore, I really mean we went for a beer and took plenty of photos. Then we went for another beer and some french fries with cheese and took some more photos.

After that my dAd got himself into a little trouble. Don't worry. It was the good kind of trouble.

He stopped to buy some sheep bells.
<a title="dAd shopping for bells by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042036165/"><img alt="dAd shopping for bells" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/10042036165_ab6f47f90a_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10041991544/" title="dAd dances with bells by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3690/10041991544_6fcaaac384_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="dAd dances with bells"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042028865/" title="dAd dances with bells by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3667/10042028865_43a5748b42_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="dAd dances with bells"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042047086/" title="dAd wearing a bell by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2848/10042047086_25cf7e5e06_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="dAd wearing a bell"></a>
<a title="Bell shopping by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042132503/"><img alt="Bell shopping" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7414/10042132503_0e99c1ee3d_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Oh and the men at this shop loved him. They rang the display of bells. My dAd rang it. Then my dAd <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/29/pernik-and-the-surva-festival/" target="_blank">ended up wearing a large bell around his neck kukeri style</a>.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10041993214/" title="dAd wearing a bell by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/10041993214_2ce8703ae5_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="dAd wearing a bell"></a>
<a title="Shop dAd bought bells in by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042023305/"><img alt="Shop dAd bought bells in" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/10042023305_7b85f1b3a9_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Then we took some more photos and bought some bells. The next day when we were leaving town, my dAd spotted his new friends. They waved at each other on the way out of town.
<a title="dAd buys bells by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10042095866/"><img alt="dAd buys bells" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/10042095866_7cb7b8b213_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="dAd buys bells by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/10041976364/"><img alt="dAd buys bells" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/10041976364_29e05b0a08_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>