Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Okay, it's actually been some time since my last post. I'll blame that on the horribly sticky keyboard on the last computer I used--it definitely didn't motivate me to type anything at all.

On my last day in Sofia, I made a day trip with two other girls to a monastery that is in that area. We packed in our guide's little Fiat like a bunch of sardines inside a tin can for the two hour trip. I have become quite accustomed to riding in buses and trains; consequently, I had forgotten how excruciatingly uncomfortable car rides can be. (It also served as a reminder as to why the Z family doesn't do the "long haul" car rides.) It is very possible that our guide was a Minotaur, as he frequently made ghastly bull-like snorting sounds that (I suppose?) could be sneezes. It kind of put me on edge at first, but as we drove along I grew better at approximating the time of the explosions, and was thus able to take preventative measures (i.e. put my fingers in my ears).

Aside from the aforementioned factors, the ride to the monastery was breathtakingly beautiful. The sun was shining, the fields were blossoming, and the mountains were covered in a dewy haze. It was a perfect day. The Rila Monastery was started by a hermit, and he seemed like quite an interesting fellow. Being the reclusive type, I don't think he would appreciate the huge influx of tourists to his former home. :)

I walked around the monastery and investigated the church before I bought a ticket to see the treasures of the Rila Monastery --namely row after row of gold crosses inlaid with precious stones. To be honest, I am always mystified when I see such things. I am mystified because it makes no sense that a place dedicated to the growth of spirituality would be so heavily adorned by "earthly" treasures. I am mystified that nobody seems to recognize the contradiction. I am mystified by people who stand in a building with gilded ceilings, marble floors, and satin tapestries---and proclaim it the most spiritual experience of their life. I am not judging, I'm simply saying that I fail to understand it. To me, when a church relies on its wealth to invoke feelings of spirituality, it is nothing more than a shoddy trick by a second-rate magician. (I'm not denying the incredibly pure, moving, and spiritual experience that is art. However, there is a delineation between what is art, and what is a gratuitous display of wealth.)