Our final excursion from the ship was an all day affair to 2 picturesque towns. As it was a 2 hour coach ride the first stop was morning tea….with a Bulgarian slant.

The washroom attendant looked a little fierce, and the structure mimicked a nearby castle, albeit on a smaller scale.

Next up was Arbanasi, a pretty little village favoured by some elite party officials during the communist regime

However its crowning glory is the Church of Nativity, with hundreds of painted frescoes covering the walls and ceilings, and dating from the 16th and 17th Century.

Then onto Konstantsalieva House, showing how a wealthy housemerchant would live in late Ottoman times in this part of the Balkans. It was extremely interesting seeing how the rooms differed to a western one in style.

After a few purchases at the local shop, notably Bulgarian rose products, it was time for lunch. An authentic and tasty one too..

Retracing our steps, we headed back to Veliko Tarnovo, a hilltop fortress with parts of the old town still standing and providing a unique shopping experience. The narrow artisan lane had much better, and cheaper, products than usually seen.

Time for a coach ride back to Lif……I think most people had a snooze, and then pack before the final cocktail toast from the Captain and crew.

Tomorrow we leave the ship, and tour on our way to Bucharest.