#stara planina

[putovanja-i-osecanja]

Sa bajkerima

U Knjaževcu nailazim na grupu bajkera iz Holandije koji su na proputovanju kroz Srbiju…nisam mogao da ne zastanem i pozdravim se sa njima, ipak zna se šta je bajkerski kod. O mašinama bolje i da ne pišem jer ni jedna nije ispod 1200cc. Zadivilo me je to što svi oni zajedno mnogo bolje poznaju našu zemlju i lepote nego i mi sami. Krenuli su putem Stare planine i nastavljaju dalje u obilazak ostatka Balkana. Uz pozdrav se rastajemo…ja dalje nastavljam prema Donjoj Kamenici jer me tamo čeka nesto kao iz bajke. Ostanite sa nama i saznajte šta… Inače put do Knjaževca je delom katastrofalan, 50 nijansi sivih, delom dobar, krivudav, preko litica i veoma zahtevan za vožnju. U sl. objavama prikazaću i to. . . .

serbia #serbiaphoto #srbija #instaserbia #serbianature #obidjisrbiju #srbijauslikama #instagramsrbija #mojasrbija #serbiatravel #serbiatourism #myserbia #vidisrbiju #seeserbia #turistickaorganizacijasrbije #upoznajsrbiju #lepotesrbije #beautyserbia #discoverserbia #turizamsrbija #istrazisrbiju #exploreserbia #visitserbia #posetisrbiju #dozivisrbiju #knjazevac

[trustyourgut-photography]

[gohomeyouredrunkmynigga]

Стара планина

[layzowl]

Stara Planina, Europe, Serbia 2023.

By @layzowl

[loonfull-sonnetzz]

To Soothe The Ache

Note: I lost motivation for this fic so I decided to just post the WIP since ya'll have been waiting for AGES. Sorry guys :') No beta we die like Frou Frou

༊*·˚Pairing: Alexei Vronsky X Soldier!Transman!Reader

༊*·˚Universe: Anna Karenina (2012)

༊*·˚Summary: You and Vronsky are soldiers and secretly find comfort

༊*·˚Warnings: menstruation, cramps, unsafe binding (do not bind with bandages!! Please!!), historical inaccuracies, mentions of war, probably out of character Vronsky (hadn’t read or watched Anna Karenina sorry :( ) 

༊*·˚WC: 1k

Divider credit: Florietas 

Finally, serenity.

The cavalry unit you had found yourself in had traveled across the Stara Planina, trekking through the jagged peaks and small cliffs while leading the horses, praying to god your foot doesn’t slip on the ice or one of the horses panic from the distant howl of wolves that haunted the vicious winds. All for the sake of fighting off the Ottomans in Serbia. However, the stress was worth it, even as your legs screamed to rest and your eyelids began to go heavy from the restless nights guarding the makeshift camps the unit had made throughout the weeks.

Now your unit had finally left the mountains, finding a decent clearing amongst the soaring pines to rest once again. The wind no longer howls with threats, but whispers along the gently rattled pine needles. Between the spaces of the trees, up high, you could see stars twinkling in the inky night sky, hundreds and thousands of stars gazing down upon you – you could’ve sworn you could see into the eye of the milky way – Something you could never experience in your home city St. Petersburg where the fog and smoke hid the celestials. 

You took a deep breath. One good, deep and well-deserved breath. The crisp winter air filling your lungs, held, then exhaled – coming out as white mist that danced in the dark before dissipating.

But soon enough serenity would not last. Sure, it was relieving to be out late, no longer burdened by your comrades’ complaints and sharing company with the stars, but your body protested. Not just with the ache that dully throbbed in your legs or your eyes that you had to fight to keep open, but the pains that shoot from your hips and to your stomach, an unfortunate reminder of your secret. Stress could do so much before there could be no more delays and the time of the month comes crashing in. Or Alexei Vronsky chiding you for wearing your bandages for too long.

Alexei Vronsky, the man that was just as handsome as his frivolity and ambition, became an unlikely friend. It was all an accident, really. Months ago when they were stationed at some headquarters back home in Russia. Soldiers had to share washrooms, but you were vigilant and always went early in the morning or late at night when it came to changing so no one could know you were born a different boy, a boy who didn’t have the same body as the others. But one of those nights Vronsky was out for a while and returned late, exhausted and accidentally stumbling to the washroom to only catch a brief look as you panicked and slammed the door on his face. 

Even to this day it was hard to know why you had come out to him in the first place. Perhaps it was his hesitant inquiry, or the guilt for being rude for shutting the door on him. Or perhaps something more, that you both didn’t exactly fit societal norms. Vronsky may be charming, ambitious and brave – bearing the image of the perfect soldier, but he is still a man with his own struggles. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t freak out or prodded you with uncomfortable questions as most other people, especially aristocrats like him, usually did.

Shaking your head and pushing the reminiscing thoughts aside, you briskly make your way back to your tent. Your nimble fingers made way to your buttons in a swift fashion, undoing them until the top of your military uniform started to slide down your shoulders and gooseflesh covered your exposed skin. The cold once again reminding you of it’s limited mercy as it bit your flesh and sent chills down your spine. But hypothermia was probably better than cracking your ribs in the long run.

You were already about to unhook the pins that held the bandages before you heard someone clear their throat and call your name. You whipped your gaze at the intruder, stiffening up and crossing your arms over your chest instinctively before you realized who it was.

“Come here, will you?” Alexei murmured, his voice low and soothing like the distant babble of the creek. He drew you slowly enough that you could have pulled back easily. “You’ve already done so much for us since the beginning of this journey, this is the least I could do.”

You felt your face burn from the sudden praise and care, but you soon felt your shoulders droop and arms fall to your sides. He was right in a way, you could collapse at any point if the cramps or your duty as a soldier didn’t keep you up. So you let him trace the pins, unhooking them and unraveling the bandages. Your gaze flickered from his hands to his face, his brows a little furrowed with compassion and concentration as he buttoned up your uniform – not letting a moment of the wintry air freeze you or the discomfort of having your body vulnerable and exposed go on any further.

He catches your gaze as soon as he finishes, his hands lingering on the last button before one glides over to caress your cheek. His worry became more evident on his visage. “Is there something on your mind?”

The lie on your tongue was silenced by another wave of pain, making you hold your own waist and curling further to yourself. Alexei quickly holds you steady, his sapphire eyes flickering all over you to search for the cause of sudden agony.

“I’m bleeding out,” You said with a slightly self-deprecating chuckle, a little amused by Alexei’s fretting to something natural as menstruation. This only confused your fellow comrade before it seemed to click and he sighs and embraces you, his arms wrapped around your waist.

“I’ll be okay, it’s just cramps,” You said, biting down your tongue to smother a wince. But you didn't make an effort to leave and neither did Alexei, who didn’t look convinced by your lame excuse.

“I know, darling. But I'm not leaving your side to suffer this alone. I just want to make you feel better,”  He said, pulling back slightly to meet your gaze again. His hands trailing down to hold onto your hips, the warmth soothing the ache. Alexei then dipped his head down, his soft lips pressed against yours before he whispers against your lips. “How can I be of service?”

[yoga-onion]

[Image above: Vila by Andy Paciorek]

Legends and myths about trees

Legendary tree deities (19)

Samodiva – ‘Wild alone’, the Slavic tree nymph

The samodiva, samovila or vila, are woodland fairies or nymphs found in South and West Slavic folklore.

Thought they are predominantly associated with Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. Yet as there still Slavic, they can't be even semi friendly to people. It's the Slavic way. Samodivas are humanlike creatures, usually wearing a white cloak or dress and armed with a bow and arrow used to catch their human prey. The name ‘samodiva’ is formed by combining two separate words, ‘samo’ and ‘diva’. The former means ‘alone’, whilst the latter ‘wild’, or ‘divine’, hence the name literally means ‘wild alone’. The first part of the creature’s name signifies its avoidance of human beings, whereas the second indicates their wild or divine nature.

Samodivas are commonly depicted as ethereal maidens with long, loose hair, and in some cases, wings. They are typically dressed in free-flowing, feathered white gowns, which give them the power of flight. Samodivas are often described as having blonde or red hair, tall, slender women with pale, glowing skin and fiery eyes.

Sometimes, they are described as having a veil which could hold all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power.

The samodivi dwell in mountainous areas, and their favorite haunts include the Pirin, Vitosha, Rila, and Stara Planina Mountains. They enjoy riding on deer and use twisted snakes as reins. They are extremely protective of their mounts and would cast a spell on anyone who killed their deer, even if it was by accident. The spell would result in the person’s death. Most thair stories involving them are like that, though they enjoy dancing they often entice mortals to dance with them until said mortal die of exhaustion.

But, they are not always the bad, and sometimes they appear like normal working women and help with the harvest. They would especially help women with children and if a man did something good for a samodiva, she becomes his patron or a sworn sister. Sometimes, a samodiva can fall in love with a human and bear him children, who grow up to be great heroes. As they are forest creatures they know a lot about herbs and forest plant yet as they are not so keen on sharing their knowledge, you have to eavesdrop on their gatherings.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

伝説の樹木の神々 (19)

サモディーヴァ 〜 「野生で一人」、スラブの木の精

サモディーヴァ、サモビラ、ビラは、南・西スラブ民話に登場する森の妖精またはニンフである。

バルカン半島、特にブルガリアの民話に多く登場する。しかし、スラブ人である以上、半端に人に好意的であるはずがない。それがスラブ人のやり方なのだ。サモディーヴァは人間に似た生き物で、通常は白いマントやドレスを身にまとい、人間の獲物を捕らえるための弓矢で武装している。「サモディーヴァ」という名前は、「サモ」と「ディーヴァ」という2つの別々の単語を組み合わせて作られたものである。前者は「一人」、後者は「野生の」「神聖な」という意味であり、文字通り「野生で一人」という意味である。前者は人間を避け、後者は野性的、あるい��神々しいという意味である。

サモディーヴァは、長く緩やかな髪と、場合によっては翼を持つ、幽玄な乙女として描かれるのが一般的だ。サモディーヴァは、しばしば金髪か赤毛で、背が高く細身の女性で、青白く輝く肌と燃えるような目を持っていると表現さ れる。

時には、彼女たちのすべての力を秘めたベールを持っていると表現されることもある。もし、そのベールを奪われたら、すべての力を失ってしまう。

サモディーヴァは山岳地帯に生息し、ピリン、ヴィトシャ、リラ、スタラプラニナなどの山々を好む。彼らは鹿に乗るのが好きで、ねじれた蛇を手綱として使う。馬を非常に大切にし、たとえそれが偶然であったとしても、鹿を殺した者には呪文を唱える。その結果、その人は死んでしまう。ダンスが好きで、人間を誘い、その人間が疲れ果てて死んでしまうまで一緒に踊ることもある。

しかし、彼らは常に悪者ではない。時には、普通の働く女性のように現れて、収穫を手伝うこともある。特に子供のいる女性を助けることが多く、もし男性がサモディーヴァに何か良いことをすれば、彼女は彼の支持者や誓いの妹になる。時には、サモディーヴァが人間と恋に落ち、子供を産み、その子供が偉大な英雄に成長することもある。森の生き物である彼らは、ハーブや森の植物について多くのことを知っているが、その知識を共有することにあまり熱心ではないので、彼らの集まりを盗み聞きする必要がある。

[zvetenze]

Sava Filaretov house, view of sofa within the čardak

Žeravna, Bulgaria

The sofa area is difficult to fully enjoy through a photograph. The čardak invites occupants to look beyond the place itself, to look instead to the courtyard, its garden, and the landscape beyond. Like the čardak, the sofa invites occupants to look outward to the courtyard, its garden, and landscape. Elevated and open, the sofa provides the best place to observe other people as well as the outdoors, village rooftops and pastureland beyond. In the valleys of the Stara Planina, the summers can be hot and still; the shutters around the sofa can be adjusted to control air flow and light balance. (photo 2000)

[rhianna]

The view all around is magnificent. As far as the eye can range are the hills, and beyond come the gloomy Balkan range, the Stara-Planina, with their snowy peaks shrouded in cloud. A narrow causeway of rock juts out from the town, widening into an island shape, and this giant bar, cutting straight across the river's track, causes it to swing round in a big loop, like a monster frying-pan in shape. On this island-shaped formation —with its tumbled rocks giving it the appearance of a ruined fort-the Chingani, as the gypsies are called here, have made their home, half-hidden by trees and verdure that have sprung up.

[beardedmrbean]

In the Bulgarian parliament, a heated dispute erupted over the proposal to award Georgi Yordanov the "Stara Planina" order of the first degree, nearly resulting in a physical altercation. The conflict centered around the communist regime and "State Security."

Atanas Atanasov, co-chairman of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), called on Prime Minister Glavchev and the Minister of Culture to cancel the nomination. He read the law declaring the communist regime criminal. In response, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the successor of the communist party) occupied the tribune, prompting the speaker to announce a 10-minute break.

Atanasov criticized the caretaker government's decision to propose the former member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) and Todor Zhivkov's Minister of Culture, Georgi Yordanov, for the state’s highest honor, calling it absurd. Ivan Chenchev of BSP defended Yordanov, citing his contributions to Bulgarian culture.

Kostadin Kostadinov of "Revival" (Vazrazhdane) chimed in, presenting a book on communist morality to Atanasov, labeling him a former communist. Boyko Borissov of GERB expressed solidarity with Atanasov, urging the cancellation of Yordanov’s award but also calling on Atanasov to distance himself from those connected to "State Security."

Bozhidar Bozhankov of WCC-DB responded, blaming GERB’s loss in the elections on their mismanagement of the capital and dismissing the relevance of the BCP and "State Security" connections.

"You lost these elections because you didn't manage in the capital, accept the result and let's move on. It's not the fault of the BCP and 'State Security' - you are there with warm connections, only you and your incompetent management in the capital are to blame," commented Bozhidar Bozhankov, WCC-DB.

[stumbleimg]

Tupavica waterfall in Stara Planina national park [OC][1080x2085]

[grossemond89]

Okay just as a note or a snapshot: drunk but safe in my flat, really hard last weekend with toni and leo, sold a lot of tshirts and i keep losing money, andrea in zagreb and ksuš in stara planina, i'm falling so hard for i. and i want to develop it further into a romantic relationship because i'm the only person she would show her favorite thierry de mey ballets to, several nights on weed and ketamine, feeling free but cautious because of past traumas, last night probably last gig of džezbollah, obsessing over clarice lispector again so much that i sticknpoked 'agua viva' on my underarm, cobi becoming a feral dog so much that he attacked an old guy in new belgrade, starting my power electronics project in a couple of days, closer than ever to joining a communist party (?), happy birthday ludwig wittgenstein and i promise to translate your biography to serbian by the end of this year

[putovanja-i-osecanja]

Putem Stare planine

Ove kadrove sam uslikao putem prema Knjaževcu. Toliko toga ima lepo zabeležiti i prikazati da sam na svakih 2 km zastajkivao, sikao, snimao, skidao, penjao na motor, tražio bezbednu lokaciju gde mogu sve to da zabeležim…delom sam i uspeo jer je po vrućini kad motor gori a vi pod punom opremom veoma teško da sve to izvedete. Nešto sam sigurno i preskočio, ali uvek postoji drugi put. Nastavljam dalje prema vrelu Moravice, pokazaću vam u sledećoj objavi izletište gde možete uživati svim čulima. Ostanite samnom… . . .

serbia #serbiaphoto #srbija #instaserbia #serbianature #obidjisrbiju #srbijauslikama #instagramsrbija #mojasrbija #serbiatravel #serbiatourism #myserbia #vidisrbiju #seeserbia #turistickaorganizacijasrbije #upoznajsrbiju #lepotesrbije #beautyserbia #discoverserbia #turizamsrbija #istrazisrbiju #exploreserbia #visitserbia #posetisrbiju #dozivisrbiju #knjazevac #staraplanina

[trustyourgut-photography]

winter

[gohomeyouredrunkmynigga]

[where-to]

Časti me noći, stara prijateljice

U čašu natoči, žudnju da me slomije

Zar nisam dovoljno gubio

Tko će izmjeriti bol

Do očaja ljubio

Namjerno bježao, da bih se vraćao

Opet mi se budi tuga, tuga najveća

Koju nosi snijeg s planina, vjetar ravnica

Koga sad joj srce voli, kaži nek' još jače boli

Idemo do dna, tuga ti i ja

[rose-took-my-nose-i-supose]

Arbinje, Stara planina, 2023.