Why visit and re-visit a town like Koprivshtitsa? 

Well I have to say that once you can pronounce the name of the town quickly and easily you've got to back a few times or the effort to learn the name of the town is lost. 

But really, Koprivshtitsa is a beautiful little town not far from Sofia. From Mladost it took us about an hour and a half to make the drive and we were driving at a leisurely pace--no speeding for us. It's close but not too close--meaning that it makes for a nice trip and staying one night makes the trip feel that much more special. Sure you could make a day trip of it but why not stay the night?! 

What makes Koprivshtitsa different is the fact that the town feels so different from the capitol Sofia without making you drive for hours to get there. Moreover, Koprivshtitsa is a museum town that has been well preserved. There are six house museums in this lovely revival-style town which tell the story of the Bulgarian uprising. 

In the town as a whole, the houses are beautifully painted and the streets are cobble-stoned. In fall the leaves turn bright yellow and smoke floats out of chimneys. Everyone moves more slowly. At restaurants you wait and then you wait some more but that's okay because you're on holiday. 

This most recent trip was an excuse to get out of town, spend time with friends and relax. The trip was also short enough that I didn't feel an pressure to take school work with me. I tossed some things in a bag on Saturday morning and that was that. It was great and we set off on our mini-adventure. 

All of this said, the real reason I love Koprivshtitsa is the jam. The homemade strawberry jam is delicious. It tastes like sunshine. Or how I imagine sunshine must taste if you could actually eat it. I always buy a jar (or three) when I go. This year I also bought a jar of honey and a jar of blueberry jam. Toast has never sounded so good before. 