Friday, 9/18/98 - 8 of 9 Delegates meet in Chicago for Lufthansa flights to Munich and Sofia. I take shower at airport (MUN) and talk to woman on plane who was from Sofia, now Chicago, visiting her daughter and husband. We never re-contact, despite several messages; Saturday, 9/19 - Sheraton in Sofia. Child psychologist Myra Bassett is my roommate. Great; View from our room: Hotel abuts government offices. Historic church is in our courtyard. Most underground, especially during 1,000 year Turkish occupation; Square in front of hotel. Trading crossroads; Old Moorish-style market, in restoration; Many signs of mosques. This one still exists. Many converted to churches.
Myra and I walk around market. Lots of peppers, little variety and lots of poor quality goods; Brooms for sale; Vest pocket park. Shabby.
Sunday, 9/20/98 - Drive and walking tour of city. Quite chilly. High altitude of Sofia is factor; Guide Marietta. Darling; San Sofia Cathedral, gorgeous mosaics; Orthodox. Gorgeous singing (a cappella); Icon museum in basement.
Priory; New icons for sale; Susan Hill and mane friend; One of oldest churches, with war memorial; Typical downtown Baroque architecture.
Russian Orthodox Church. See end of wedding. Share in cookies; National Theatre; Church near hotel. Government spied from top windows into square.
Government offices abut hotel; Roman/Byzantine ruins; Monday, 9/21/98 - AM briefing at Embassy, PM tour hospital; save all babies, many abandoned due X low birthrate; Hospital director; Patients enter same front door as visitors!
Tuesday, September 22, 1998 - Breakfast with composer in Sofia, then South to a monastery (Monday and Tuesday are national holidays so hard to get appointments).
Only 8 monks left here.
Wednesday, September 23, 1998 - We travel by bus to Bucharest, Romania. Stop at castle along the way.
Thursday, September 24 - A view of Bucharest from our hotel window. AM, Meeting with ad agency founder, Parliament and female leaders; PM, Ad agency impressive program for homeless women and children; A view from the People's Palace, Ceaucescu's home for 2: 3rd largest building in the world; Friday, 9/25/98 - Trip to countryside; That's our grr-irl, Susie Hill.
Peles, Royal country home; Marina Brucher and Mary Pomeroy.
Lunch at a lodge. Gypsy musician serenades us; Then off to Dracula's Castle, though no evidence he was ever there!
View from castle; Jill Christensen with guide: matching bracelets.
9/24 - Scenes from homeless women/kids center; 9/26 - AIDS hospital; Mothers with AIDS children.
9/27/98 - City tour including fresh air museum.
Sunday eve, 9/27/98 - Arrive Warsaw. Monday, 9/28 - Mary and I set meetings. PM, Myra and I walk the city, especially Jewish markets; Tuesday, 9/29/98 - Krakow. First, Royal Residence in pouring rain
Krakow square.
Auschwitz.
Wednesday, 9/29 - Meetings with women's groups. Thursday, 9/30 - AM meetings and Chopin Home (summer) in afternoon.
