We didn't just go shopping or sight seeing for R.'s big visit.  We've also been supporting local cafes and buying fresh produce.  In addition to this, we decided to get a little smarter.  Here she is at the Archaeological Museum.

[caption id="attachment_819" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="R &amp; the Archaeological Museum"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-819" title="R at Museum" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dsc06335.jpg?w=225" alt="R &amp; the Archaeological Museum" width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

The address is Saborna 2 and normally tickets are 5 leva.  The Lonely Planet guidebook doesn't not mention student ticket prices but it's worth asking because we got with our id cards for 2 leva each.  The great thing is that from the outside of the museum it doesn't look like much but inside there are a number of really interesting things and it was easy to see it all in 90 minutes.

This Saturday there were maybe only 10 other people in the whole museum. I, of course, still managed to set off an alarm while looking at an icon fresco hanging on the wall.  This seems to be a new problem of mine.  I want to get a better look at something and all of a sudden the alarm is going off.  The alarm for the frescoes is highly sensitive and very loud so be warned.

What was also nice is that the pieces are all labeled in English and in Bulgarian (Thank-you!!).

The piece that R. and I agree we would both like is the golden leaf crown found in Bulgaria around 1850.  The leaves have such amazing detail and in looking at it you can almost imagine yourself wearing it.  As we left the museum we were joking about how we'd like to take it.  Well, not really take it but given all the shopping we've been doing we wondered: would they wrap it for us?

Seriously though the museum is worth a visit and there's a wide range of things to see.  Also, the cafe behind the musuem would make a great stop for a coffee on a busy afternoon of sight seeing and tourism.