April 2015

April 2015

Newsletter

of the International Women’s Club in Sofia

New board nominations

Where did ‘Easter’ get its name?

Vintage tram ride through time

An aristocratic experience at restaurant Regina Next Monthly Coffee Morning: 12 May at Matti-d

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Letter from the President Hello and Goodbye!

move forward and function effectively if the majority of members are working to that end and together and not relying on a very few to do all the work and then criticising when things are not as they would like. I hope that from now on there will be more active participation from the members and much less negative comment of those who are volunteering to work on their behalf.

For this is the last letter I will be writing for the IWC newsletter. After 30th April I hand over the reins of President to someone else and they will be saying hello to you in the May edition.

It has been an amazing two year journey both personally and professionally. There have been some incredible highs, such as meeting British Royalty, having dinner with the President of Bulgaria, the success of the two bazaars I have overseen and the fabulous celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the IWC.

I have tried to be a good leader and manager, inspiring and empowering others to do the best job they can in the roles they have undertaken and to be a good ambassador for the IWC. I make no apology for the fact that my forward thinking and vision for the club and foundation has been a tad too radical for some! At all times I have only had the best interests of the IWC at heart and have sought to do my very best to secure the club’s future, as an organisation to be respected and that those associated with it can be proud of.

I am particularly proud of the fact that after two years we now are a professional organisation with talented staff, working with modern equipment in a modern environment and as a consequence we have improved our reputation amongst the business and diplomatic community in Bulgaria and made the job of the volunteers of the board more realistic and manageable.

We are also more forward thinking in our approach to the charities we support. We are constantly looking at our charity portfolio to make room for new partners and are brave enough to stop assisting those that do not meet our standards or who no longer need our help. We insist on robust reporting and checking, investigating all requests for help, even from long standing partners and seek improved ways of working to get better value for money from our donations.

I would like to thank my board of the last two years who have helped me enormously and have achieved so much, particularly Maria Naslednikova, Maria Ilieva, Sibeal Reynolds and Angela Bird.

It will be hard this summer to leave the friends I have made at the IWC and for my family and I to leave this beautiful country of Bulgaria that we have called home for the last 5 years, but we will take with us wonderful memories of people and experiences.

I remember saying as I took over as President two years ago that I was no ‘Mary Poppins’ figure, able to wave a magic wand and make all that is wrong with the club right.

Unfortunately, I think that is what some members wanted, expecting all of the input for success to come from the President and the Executive Board with little or no positive input from themselves. Although I am confident I have left the IWCSofia in a better shape than I found it, a club like ours can only

I wish the new President and Executive Board every success, and everyone at the IWC much laughter, lightness of spirit and positive energy.

Lynne

Our Board President Lynne Godding 0879 119 152/ 0887641295 president@iwc-sofia.org lynnegodding@gmail.com

Vice-President Maria Naslednikova 0879 119 150 firstvp@iwc-sofia.org

Treasurer Sibeal Reynolds 0879 506 800/ 0878 741 888 treasurer@iwc-sofia.org Charity Chairperson Maria Ilieva 0878 300 561/ 0879 119 154 charity@iwc-sofia.org Bazaar Coordinator Angela Bird 0879 506 799 iwcbazaar@yahoo.co.uk

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International Women’s Club Business Park Sofia, Building 11A, 3rd floor Elitsa Lingorski, Office Manager/Newsletter Editor: office@iwc-sofia.org Zdravka Tsvetanova, Office Assistant admin@iwc-sofia.org tel.: 02 951 6117 “Like” IWC on Facebook and check our website www.iwc-sofia.org

Cover photo: Rose Sofia Social Bar and Dinner.

We appreciate your support We are grateful to Lyuba Tours for continuously organising free tours for club members.

Thank you Wonder Group for looking regularly after our children during coffee mornings!

Thank you, Andrea Kaiser for hosting the March monthly coffee morning at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel!

Permanent and Waterproof PRINT on LIVE ROSES

Club policy Smoking Please note that all IWC Coffee Mornings are non-smoking.

Bulgarian Applicants Unfortunately, due to a lack of available spaces, new Bulgarian applicants will be added to the waiting list, until further notice Language Don’t let a lack of fluency in English keep you from attending the monthly coffee mornings and other club activities. Many of our members speak other languages. Remember, we are an international club, and we are here to support you. You’re welcome at any time.

Suggestion Box The suggestion box is always available at the members’ sign-in table. Feel free to write your ideas, concerns, complaints, and suggestions to the IWC Board and drop them in the box.

Because you’re important to us, we want to hear from you.

IWC Visitors Policy The IWC doors are open to visitors throughout the year. Visitors are welcome to attend up to

two coffee mornings and two activities prior to applying for membership. A 15 BGN fee is payable upon registration at the sign-in table during the coffee morning. For more information, please contact the Member-ship Coordinator at office@iwc-sofia.org.

Use of IWC Logo The Board has established the following policy for the use of the IWC logo and brand name. In order to prevent any misuse.

1.Written Permission must be requested from the Board a minimum of 2 weeks prior to event; 2. The partnering organization/company should be in good standing in the community; 3. The event should seek to pursue the goals of the IWC; 4. No third-party usage will be permitted. An agreement will be signed between IWC and partner organization; 5. The Logo may be used only for the agreed event and for specified time period.

Guidelines for Paid Advertisement 1. Priority for any vacant advertising spaces will be given first to IWC members, then to outside advertisers.

2. Advertisers are welcome to run or extend their advertisements for a period of six months. After that time, if there is a waiting list for advertisements of that size, the situation will be reviewed, and priority for available spaces will be given to (a) IWC members; (b) new advertisers; (c) existing advertisers. The same order of priority will apply to smaller ad space that may become available.

3. There is no waiting list for advertisements of a given size, the current advertiser may extend their advertisement for the contract period of their choice.

4. These guidelines may be revised at any time with the agreement of the IWC Board.

5. Paid advertisers are not endorsed by the IWC.

Rules For Announcements From Members 1. Advertisements will be run in two consecutive issues.

If the member sends a request to run the advertisement again, it will be extended for a further two issues. After that, the advertisement will be removed.

If the member still wishes to include the advertisement after that time, the request will be considered, but placement is not guaranteed.

2. Advertisements must be submitted by members.

Members may not submit ads for non-members (e.g., for a friend who is selling a car, etc.).

3.Members may not submit rec-

ommendations for businesses.

These recommendations may be submitted to the IWC Go To Guide.

Businesses are also welcome to purchase advertising in the newsletter.

4.Recommendations for individuals engaged in business (e.g., dentists, hairdressers, etc.) will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Board.

5. Final discretion as to whether to include an announcement rests with the Newsletter Editor.

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We ask members to send all announcements for the newsletter via e-mail. The size of ads should not exceed a single paragraph of five lines. The IWC board is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided in these announcements.

Please send your contributions to office@iwc-sofia.org not later than the 15th of the month.

Where did “Easter” get its name?

The name “Easter” has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions. This name has never been associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most reference books say that the name “Easter” derived from Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring.

Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient—going all the way back to the Tower of Babel. The origin begins not long after the biblical Flood.

manity’s sake, something had to be done to slow and frustrate this organisation of an evil one world, tyrannical government.

God confused their language, so that they could not understand each other (Genesis 11:7). As a result, many people moved away from the area in groups according to their particular new language. Most, if not all, of these people carried their Sun-God-based religion with them.

They continued to worship the stars and practice all the other rituals of their religion. Some also continued to build pyramids reminiscent of the Tower of Babel as part of this mystery religion. Today, we can still find remnants of these throughout the world (e.g., Iraq, South America, Central America, Egypt, Burma).

According to the Old Testament the Flood was a divine judgment sent on mankind after evil had become all pervasive, and all people everywhere were totally unresponsive to God. The Bible says that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, NKJV). It is not difficult to imagine that life must have been almost unbearable at this time in history. God gave humankind a second chance by preserving the righteous man Noah and his family.

Babel was the origin of a system that swept the world. The Bible says of her, “Babylon… the nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged” (Jeremiah 51:7). The Bible often speaks of the religions which came from her. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus “witnessed the Mystery religion and its rites in numerous countries and mentions how Babylon was the primeval source from which all systems of idolatry flowed.” Austen Layard said “that we have the united testimony of sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the area of Babylonia—the most ancient of religious systems.”

After the Flood, Noah had a talented, but evil, great-grandson named Nimrod (Genesis 10:6-10) who rebelled greatly against God. The Bible says that he was “a mighty one”[1] Jewish tradition indicates that Nimrod was a tyrant “who made all of the people rebellious against God.” It is evident from history that Nimrod was not only a political leader, but also the lead priest of a form of occult worship.

As the people scattered from Babel with their different languages, they, of course, used different names for Nimrod (Tammuz) and Semiramis. Some called the Mother Goddess “Ishtar” (originally pronounced “Easter”). In other lands, she was called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre. Other names for Semiramis, the Mother Goddess include: Wife of Baal, Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven. The Mother goddess was frequently worshipped as the goddess of fertility—and as a sort of Mother Nature and goddess of Spring and sexual love and birth. She was also worshipped as a mediator between god and man. Sexual orgies and temple prostitutes were often used in her worship and in attempting to gain her favour. In his reincarnated form (Nimrod/Tammuz), has been known as Horus (Egypt), Attis (Italy), Crishna or Iswara (India), Deoius (Asia Minor), Janus (Rome), etc.

Nimrod built and organised major cities.

The Bible notes that these included Babel, Asshur, Nineveh and Calah (Genesis 10:10-12). When Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian religion in which he figured prominently continued on. His wife/queen saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc.

Later, when Nimrod’s widow gave birth to a son, she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn.” Easter/Ishatar “claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father] and that he was the promised seed, the ‘saviour’”—promised by God in Genesis 3:15. However, not only was the child worshipped, but the woman, the mother, was also worshipped as much (or more) than the son. Nimrod deified as the god of the sun and father of creation. Easter became the goddess of the moon, fertility, etc.

The Easter Rabbit or Hare The rabbit is well known as a sexual symbol of fertility. In various parts of the world, religions which developed from Babel also associate the rabbit with periodicity, both human and lunar (Egypt, China, etc.). As you may remember, the Mother Goddess Easter (Semiramis) is associated with the Moon. In other words, the Easter bunny symbolises the Mother Goddess. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband Nimrod.

In the old fables of the Mystery cults, their ‘saviour’ Tammuz, was worshipped with various rites at the Spring season. According to the legends, after he was slain [killed by a wild boar], he went into the underworld.

But through the weeping of his mother… he mystically revived in the springing forth of the vegetation—in spring. Each year a spring festival dramatically represented this supposed ‘resurrection’ from the underworld. Thus, a religion developed with its sun and moon worship, astrology, worship of stars associated with their gods, mysterious rites, human sacrifice, and more.

The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. They believed an old fable about an egg of wondrous size which was supposed to have fallen from heaven into the Euphrates River. From this marvellous egg—according to the ancient story—the Goddess Astarte (Easter) [Semiramis], was hatched.

And so the egg came to symbolise the Goddess Easter.

It was at Nimrod’s city of Babel (Babylon) that a towering structure was first built in defiance of God. Archaeological evidence indicates that this was a spectacular pyramid-shaped structure (ziggurat). The Bible tells us that at this time there was only one language in the world and that most of the world’s population lived in this area and participated in this religion.

It was evident to God that all mankind would soon degenerate into a level of evil that would parallel that of the pre-Flood world. For hu-

The idea of a mystic egg spread from Babylon to many parts of the world. In Rome, the mystic egg preceded processions in honour of the Mother Goddess Roman. The egg was part of the sacred ceremonies of the Mysteries of Bacchus. The Druids used the egg as their sacred emblem. In Northern Europe, China and Japan the eggs were coloured for their sacred festivals. http://www.christiananswers.net

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Charity update March 4th, 2015 Dear Ladies from IWC, for your donation of BGN 10,620 Once again, I would like to thank you d in my Preliminary Donation tione men I As . to Star of Hope Foundation for 2014 y of to cover the expenses for the salar Report, your donation has been used without 18+ Girls for e Hous way Half the in Ljubka Ivanova, our social worker spent n. In total, in 2014, Star of Hope has parental care, leaving social institutio BGN 10,772 for Ljubka’s salary. areas: ed with the girls in the following main Throughout 2014, Ljubka has work

Planning

Finding a Job Responsibility on the Work Place Job Sustainability Budgeting and Saving Money House the Future After Leaving the Halfway s like,

as well as holding discussions on topic

Friendship Dealing with Conflicts Utilizing Free Time Safe Internet Dealing with Anger Hygiene, Outer Appearance. whole of Star of Hope Foundation An unforgettable moment for the er resiwas to see Veronika and Vessy, form and a reward for our team’s efforts diplomas at their ing hold and uate grad e, dents of Star of Hope’s Halfway Hous the “J. mber 2014. They both graduated from the Graduation Ceremony in Dece Laboratory worka as ing work is nika Vero ently Filaretova” Medical College. Curr y as an . Vessy has worked in one pharmac er in the First City Hospital in Sofia ready to start a ng getti ntly curre is and job this assistant pharmacist but has left of Hope, r success is success not only for Star new job in another pharmacy. Thei e! renc diffe a e mak can we but for IWC as well. Together, With gratitude,

Emilia Manolova

Founder and Director Star of Hope Foundation

Light for Life - cookies donation

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New Executive Board nominations President: Angela Bird I would like to stand for the position of President in the forthcoming election. I have been actively involved in the IWC since I came to Sofia in 2011. I have previously served on the board as 2nd Vice President and Bazaar Coordinator as well as coordinating the entertainment for the bazaar on a number of occasions. I would like to continue to promote the club and it activities, especially the Annual Charity bazaar and the charity Foundation which it supports.

Best regards, Angela Bird

Dear ladies

President: Sory Almonacid de Jan

I want to put at your disposal my experience during all these years, for this reason I have decided to again propose my services in the Association of IWC, in position as President 2015- 2016.

My nationality is French, I am also Colombian origin. I speak fluent Spanish and French my native tongue. I speak, write and understand English. I understand Portuguese, Italian, a slightly German and Bulgaria.

I have a background in Master Business Administration. I live for 24 years ago, in different continents like Africa, America (North Central South) and in Europe.

I am a founding members of different associations as Latins and French in different parts of the world (Madagascar, Rep. Dominicana, Sofia), this experience has allowed me sharing my knowledge in different IWC associations for 16 years .

My programme

Have a common goal Writing a new statutes Organize the constitutive general assembly (adoper the new statutes for elect a committee of charity bazard) Search for members Promote the association Develop activities Develop the integration Thank you very much again for your support you gave me in the position of the vice president 2013 -2014.

Best regards.

Sory Almonacid de Jan.

Vice President: Becky Ruth Faber To be a member of the board of the IWC would allow me a chance to offer back ideas, time, friendship and energy to those who contributed so much to my life these past years.

As a member since 2000, the IWC, its board and friends in it, drew me into a wider circle of people and events than I would have found on my own. It's been fun visiting homes of both Roma and ambassadors. Diverse experiences in Sofia and across the country have been enriching.

I am running for the office of Vice President in the hope that I can give back a little of what was given to me.

Sincerely Becky Ruth Faber

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New Executive Board nominations Treasurer: Sibeal Reynolds

Dear Ladies,

My name is Sibeal Reynolds and I was born in Galway, Ireland. I have lived in Sofia for over 10 years with my husband and three sons.

I have been an active member of the IWC during my years here and for the past few years I have been honoured to represent the IWC as Treasurer on the Executive Board.

I wish to apply again, this year, for the position of Treasurer. I feel that my vast experience as a Financial Manager and Operations Manager; enables me to carry-out all of the duties relating to this position and in addition add value to the Executive Board. I am a team player and have the ability to see all points of view when it comes to decision-making.

Over the past few years I have been in a position to provide continuity to this valuable position. Keeping up-to-date with best practices and procedures and implementing best practice for our biggest event – the Annual Charity Bazaar.

I would be honoured to do so again!

Best regards, Sibeal Reynolds

Charity Chairperson: Maria Ilieva Dear members of Nominating Committee, Dear IWC members, Working in the charity is very demanding and dynamic, but at the same is very rewarding and satisfying.

An example of this is the positive feedback we received with the team the past 12 months and not only.

On March 2014 I promised that I will continue to work with the same attitude, to deliver high results that meet all IWC expectations and today based on the results I feel confident that kept my promises which I gave a year ago. But charity work is not a solo activity and these promises were achieved thanks to Asiya Alexandrova and the rest of the solid team that is next to me. Despite all the challenges we have faced, we established a team that works hard and follow all values and principles of IWC-Sofia.

My primary goals for 2015 2016 would be: • To continue to affirm the role of the IWC-Sofia as a donor organisation with public significance role; • To continue to spread the ideas of the volunteering which are fundamental for IWC-Sofia; • To continue to follow the professional and absolutely transparent approach to the allocation of funds with the participation of club members; • To improve and modernise the working process of IWC Foundation – both internal and external; • To encourage more people to participate actively as charity volunteers in different activities.

Please accept my nomination as a Charity Chairperson of International Women’s Club – Sofia for 2015 – 2016.

Best regards, Maria Ilieva, MBA +359 878 300 561 e-mail: ms.maria.ilieva@gmail.com

Bazaar Coordinator: Toi Castelló i Reñé Dear Ladies, My name is Toi Castelló i Reñé. I come from Spain and I’ve been living in Sofia for almost 8 years, although I have joined the IWC 4 years ago.

My background is in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. I have always worked in the Tourism Industry, in different counties around the world (Germany, France, Italy, USA...), in different hotel departments (Front Office, Animation, F&B, Marketing and Events ...) and more than 15 years as a Hotel General Manager for Riu Hotels and Resorts, a Spanish Company based in Mallorca with hotels in Bulgaria. I speak English, French, German, Italian, Bulgarian, being Spanish my mother language.

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My personal interests include travelling, cooking, reading, painting, meeting friends and... and ... karaoke!!!

I came in spring 2003 for the first time to Bulgaria, to open a Riu Hotel at the seaside. There I met my husband, a wonderful Bulgarian man, and after 3 summers opening hotels at the Black Sea I decided to get married, gave up my carrier and moved to Bulgaria. Maybe not permanently but for long term stay.

Last year, I helped at the Bazaar organisation as Stallholder Coordinator. It was a great experience. I discovered how challenging and at the same time how satisfying this task can be. There is nothing more international, more multicultural than the Annual Charity Bazaar. It is a great challenge that needs to be worked hard at in order to achieve and even surpass all the goals set upon us.

Working continuously with many people, I realised that we all work in the same direction, we all volunteer for a charity project, not only me, all the people from every stall. We all focus on the people who need our support and our efforts in order to survive. I saw enthusiasm and joy in all the people who were preparing their stalls, decorating, cooking and dancing; people who show us the best of their countries. I saw all the stalls helping each other in a joint-effort project. To me there were no individual stalls; we were all one big stall, the international community of Sofia who was making this project come true.

When I was young, I used to think that I would like to be part of an NGO, helping others, going to countries in greatest need, but I guess I never got the chance.Very often it is difficult for us to leave everything behind, deny ourselves a comfortable life in order to go abroad and help people who have nothing. The IWC Charity Bazaar gave me this opportunity, the opportunity to feel useful for others. I can now say that I am feeling helpful whilst being at home, there is no need to go to poor countries, there are people who need our help right here, where we live, very close to us. It makes me happy that I can help them in this way.

This year, I want to help again and I believe that after the experience of last year, I am qualified to fulfil the requirements of Bazaar Coordinator position and make the event as successful as last year or even more.

See all of you at the 2015 IWC Charity Bazaar.

Sincerely yours, Toi Castelló i Reñé

Bazaar Coordinator: Albena Jones Dear IWC Nominations committee and members, I am interested in the Bazaar Coordinator position. Thank you for presenting new members, like me with opportunity to put forward my candidacy for this role despite being with the club for a few months.

I have come to realise that the planning and overseeing the setup and execution of the annual charity Bazaar is a very challenging and responsible IWC position, it seems many are shying away from it, but I am up for a challenge.

A few introductory words about myself – Aged 41, I am a British national with Bulgarian maternal parentage, I have a Native command of English and Bulgarian language, fluent – Russian and spoken Arabic.

I am married and have 2 children, a son aged 9 and a daughter aged 6. I moved to Bulgaria from the UK in 2011 to assist my husband who is a business man and an industrialist in setting up a manufacturing export facility. I am the MD of our Bulgarian based company.

On a freelance basis I am also a Business English language tutor, interpreter/translator and an image consultant.

I feel that I will be very suitable for the Bazaar Coordinator role as have been told many times that I am a natural born organiser, besides my 20 years of work experience with multinational corporate organisations has given me the knowledge, confidence and dedication to succeed in any task undertaken.

I am receptive, innovative, with an optimistic outlook and very strong customer service background. I can work well under pressure, I am highly organised and can use my own initiative. Enthusiastic and ambitious, I posses problem solving and decision making qualities, combined with a cheerful personality and a smile.

In my previous roles in London, starting with the most recent I have worked for Bloomberg Financial as a Financial Analyst for 10 years, for American Express Europe Ltd. as a Fares Specialist, for Mobil Oil (now Exxon Mobil) as a Senior Business Travel Counsellor, Diplomatic Group PLC as the Head Conference Organiser and even for Balkan Bulgarian Airlines which was my first job.

Being a great organiser I enjoy charity work and participating in fundraising events.

In the UK I supported various charities on a regular basis - I used to be a volunteered as a child mentor for 5 consecutive years with SEBA (Southwark Education Business Alliance), which deals with children from problem and underprivileged families from Southwark council.

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New Executive Board nominations Charity events were a big part of the Bloomberg company culture – every festive season I would actively volunteer and get involved in all the company charity actions – soup kitchen, clothes collection, visits and Christmas dinner and dance at senior citizens homes and other activities. I still have a T-shirt, which we had to wear at such events – BLOOMBERG VOLUNTEER. And finally I also assisted with such activities in our church – St. Paul’s Church in Woodford Bridge (where I got married). As a church member I helped with the organising, set up and baking for the Christmas fair and the Easter fair, raffle ticket sale and the hardest task door to door charity fund collection during Christian Aid week for the Kenyan orphanage that the church supports.

I sincerely hope that my work experience and life experience above qualifies me for the IWC Bazaar Coordinator role.

As I mentioned in the begging – this is a very important role , from the club reports and publications I understand that the revenue from the bazaar generates the main or biggest source of funding for the IWC’s work and charity projects, so I have one condition please. If I am appointed for the position, I would very much need the guidance from my predecessor and the support from all of you the long-term serving members, so together we can make this year’s bazaar the most successful one in the 25 years existence of the IWC. Thank you.

Yours sincerely, Mrs. Albena Jones

Voting for new IWC Executive Board Article 13. Elections and Terms of Office

d. No officer, with the exception of the Treasurer and the Charity Chairperson, may serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same office, but may serve a further two years in another capacity. No officer, with the exception of Charity Chairperson shall serve for more than four consecutive years, and no officer shall hold more than one office at the same time. In the event of vacancy after the election the President shall appoint a member with the Executive Board’s approval.

c.

Voting for the members of the Executive Board shall be executed through the indication “for” or “against” in specifically handed for the purposes voting ballots during the General Meeting. Only unambiguously marked ballots, from which unanimously could be inferred the exercised voting right, shall be counted as valid.

No more than two members of the same nationality can be nominated to serve and, accordingly, to serve on one and the same Executive Board.

Letter from the Treasurer Dear Ladies,

I am delighted to advise that over the past couple of months, we have secured advertising income, which will assist with our operating expenses. I am also delighted to advise that we have processed the payments to the designated Charities from our approved Charity Budget 2015.

I hope that you are all keeping well and adjusting to the unpredictable weather?

I would like to advise that our 2014 Financials for both the Club and Charity Accounts were submitted to our Accountants and were filed with the respective authorities by the end of March. I will provide a detailed Income and Expenditure report for January, February and March accounts in the May newsletter.

As I come to the end of another year as Treasurer and a member of the Executive Board, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ for your support and words of appreciation over the past year.

Very best regards,

Sibeal Reynolds IWC Treasurer 2012-2015

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March cooking demonstration

Tuesday, 17th March looked to be an usual day before the cooking demonstration at Maria Naslednikova’s place. The magic started when Svetlyo, the owner of Aubergine Restaurant, came and started cooking. We saw how the high quality products turned into lovely white loaf, tartar and Wellington beef. The chef taught us how to choose the best ingredients at the market, what to read on the labels and how to organise our home cooking. The spirit of the meeting was also very pleasant and friendly, full of jokes and smiles.

Thank you, Maria, for your hospitality! Thank you, Svetlyo, for the delicious meals and valuable tips! We recommend the Aubergine for visits.

Rossi Ivanova

Newcomers’ apéro This month gave us the opportunity for a new type of members’ get-together – the new members’ apéro. The recently opened Rose Social Bar and Dinner spot presented the perfect setting for this relatively small group of twelve – most of which were meeting first time. A delightful French rosé spritzer was served at the beginning while we all got to know each other. I met for the first time a lovely group of women coming from Italy, Lithuania, Denmark and the US. It was a very friendly atmosphere and some of us decided to stay a little longer for a quick appetiser. The menu had some very innovative suggestions and I probably chose the most unusual – duck liver with chocolate sauce, surprisingly – very delicious! I would go back for more. The cocktail list was also very tantalising, totally worth exploring further…

Elitsa Lingorski

Beat the Sugar Blues The Sugar Blues workshop held on March 20th by Olga and Mazie for a group of IWC members is the first in a series of lectures uncovering healthy eating and lifestyle topics. The guests were eager to learn about different kinds of sugar and how they influence our wellbeing, ways to recognise various hidden sugars in conventional foods, and discovered secrets to overcome sweet cravings to feel more energised yet not deprived of the favourite desserts. The next healthy eating workshops scheduled for April 17th and 24th will be focused on how to loose weight and live longer by adjusting your food choices and Easy tricks to sneak more vegetables into your kids' menus. Participants of both will have an opportunity to cook and taste new recipes while acquiring knowledge on how different food influences children's abilities to per-

Olga Volzhina 11

Restaurant Regina International Women’s Day lunch – A true aristocratic experience

REGINA restaurant is easily accessible, located in the heart of Sofia at 31 “Han Krum” street.

the vegetarian dish looked amazing too, the only down side was that our meals were not served hot.

The building is one of Sofia‘s remarkably restored beautiful, aristocratic houses which was converted from a private residence into an incredible restaurant. A big advantage is the private car park, which gives you an added piece of mind if visiting the restaurant in the day.

In my opinion restaurant Regina is a unique place for business meetings and absolutely perfect for romantic dinners. As only few places still maintain the style, elegance and spirit of Old Sofia alongside offering modern culinary art.

It is pricey but worth pampering yourself for this fine dining at its best. Stylish surroundings, with highly attentive service, a special atmosphere combined with an exquisite meal and wine selection in the company of lovely, elegant ladies from different countries made this event a true aristocratic experience.

It was wonderful to sample this outstanding restaurant during our last IWC club event – the International women’s day lunch. I am sure that all the ladies will agree with me that the atmosphere was incredible – an elegant combination of antique style classic furniture with a modern feel, we were presented with a highly attentive service and a notable quality of delicious food with great attention to detail. I totally enjoyed my chicken dish and noticed that the presentation of

Albena Jones

Greek reception for National Day

We thank H.E. the Ambassador of Greece and Mrs Dimosthenis Stoidis for the lovely reception on the occasion of the Greek Independence Day. Encyclopaedia Britannica lists the following information regarding this very important day for the Greeks: “The Greek Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually in Greece on March 25th, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453. The Greek revolt was precipitated on March 25, 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese. The cry “Freedom or death” became the motto of the revolution. The Greeks experienced early successes on the battlefield, including the capture of Athens in June 1822, but infighting ensued. By 1827 Athens and most of the Greek isles had been recaptured by the Turks. Just as the revolution appeared to be on the verge of failure, Great Britain, France, and Russia intervened in the conflict. The Greek struggle had elicited strong sympathy in Europe, and many leading intellectuals had promoted the Greek cause, including the English poet Lord Byron. At the naval Battle of Navarino, the combined British, French, and Russian forces destroyed an Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. The revolution ended in 1829 when the Treaty of Edirne established an independent Greek state.”

Elitsa Lingorski

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March Coffee morning at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel

Sofia form Belle Epoch – A Ride on a Vintage Tram A drop of memories from the trip Have you ever travelled in time? Would you like, for instance, to make yourself go back to the beginning of XX century? Believe me or not, you don’t need a lot for it! Only a beautiful, nicely coloured and absolutely cosy vintage tram, a bit of imagination and good company! This is what happened to me, when I took a ride on a vintage tram in Sofia!

Our trip took place on a sunny and already spring breathing Saturday of March 21st. Before we started our adventure, we took a glance at the first tram station, where the trams at the beginning of XX century used to rest after the intense working day. Which by the way was really long – starting at 6 am and ending almost at midnight! Unfortunately, you can’t see there a lot now, as it is rather abandoned and shabby! But again, everything depends on your point of view! If you let your vivid imagination work, it can take you to one of the busiest mornings in early 1900 when one of the first tram system in Europe was waking up to serve the people of Sofia!

Do you know, that back then you could get a 1st class seat on the tram? Which, by the way, was an ordinary wooden bench with a pillow on it! However, not a lot of people were using this facility, because the difference in price between the 1st and regular class was huge! And now, if talking about the differences – the ride takes you indeed to see the many different ‘faces’ of Sofia, since it takes you all across the city! Some of the ‘faces’, which you see through the window of the vintage tram, make you admire the architecture of the buildings, the nicely preserved squares and bridges. Others, bring you a picture of lively streets, full of leaping life and Balkan din. And some of the ‘faces’, which still breathe the remnants and the legacy of the former regime, can send you spine-chilling waves of sadness. But this is the beauty of the ride – seeing the capital of Bulgaria in all its brightness of colours and eery gloom.

At the end of the day, when you take a vintage tram ride, be sure that you will not only travel in time, but you will also see some parts of the city you had never seen before. Even our guide, who I believe, knows Sofia in length and breath, confessed that he came across some parts which he saw for the first time!

So, open your eyes, look through the windows, let your heart be filled by various kinds of emotions and experience, inhale the air of history and enjoy the ride by this very noisy, but extremely cosy vintage tram!

Ernesta Kazlauskaite-Tsakona

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Museum of Archaeology visit The Museum of Archaeology hosts the most numerous collections in Bulgaria and its exhibitions reveal it as one of the most important centers in the country for promotion of the cultural heritage of present day Bulgaria. The Museum Building is the so called Buyuk (Grand) mosque, and is the oldest building of its kind in Sofia. The building’s inscription hasn’t survived, but according to some written records it was named Kodzha Mahmud Pasha dzhamisi, i.e., the mosque of the great Mahmud Pasha. Mahmud Pasha was a great vizier of sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror (1451-1487). He was born in Krushevats, Serbia, at the beginning of the 15th century. His mother was a Serbian aristocrat. His father was a descendant of the dynasty of the Angels, the last Christian kings of Thessaly. When Mahmud was a boy, he had probably been taken captive by the Turks. He spent his youth at the court of sultan Murad II (1421-1451) in Edirne. The sultan noticed the boy’s abilities and Mahmud received good education.

He began his successful career in 1451 as a governor-general (beylerbey) of Rumelia, seated in Sofia. The building of the mosque started in

the same year on his initiative and finished in 1494, some twenty years after the death of Mahmud Pasha.

We had a tour through the prehistoric collection, seeing some important artefacts from the dawn of mankind, in which Bulgarian lands show a great abundance due to their specific geography. The skilfully made pottery and tools were impressive but by far my favourite was the clay model of a house with round windows, very much reminiscing a hobbits dwelling! The Thracian, Greek and Roman exhibition was also extremely intriguing, with Lyuba providing a detailed narrative about many of the objects. The temporary exhibition with the most recent findings from 2014 covered a period from ancient history to medieval times and was much smaller, but contained an unique and intriguing padlock in the shape of a dog. Pity we did not have the time to see the rest of the museum, but it is definitely worth going back.

Elitsa Lingorski

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Membership news New members welcome

Birthdays

Marijke Oeyen, Belgium

Dora Billingsley, 2nd April

Nadya Wuisan-Bratanova, Indonesia

Andrea Kaiser, 2nd April

Linda Sweeney, American

Alena Matova-Berova, 6th April Denitsa Pettersen, 8th April

Welcome back

Becky Faber, 9th April

Anne Bang Pedersen, Denmark

Francesca Naso, 10th April Anne Bang Pedersen, 22nd April

We say good-bye

Pamela MacPherson, 24th April

Our part-time office assistant Zdravka Tsvetanova is starting a new job in April. We thank her for the excellent service she performed for the IWC and wish her all the best her new endeavours.

Giusi Gagliano, 26th April

Ongoing activities fiction books from writers of all nationalities (voted on by the members) and usually meet on the last Thursday of the month at 10:30am. For more information contact: Dorothy Tomalin on her email: dorothy.tomalin@gmail.com.

Charity Action Group The group meets once a quarter to discuss new charity projects, the progress of ongoing projects, and the finances of the Charity Foundation. Part of the follow-up is frequent visits to these projects. If you want to make a difference and contribute something please join us! The date and place of the next meeting is published in the monthly newsletter & on the website. Contact Maria Ilieva on 0878 300 561 or at charity@iwc-sofia.org.

Architecture/Archaeology/History Club Calling all history buffs, and anyone else who is interested in exploring the rich culture and architecture of modern and ancient Bulgaria! The group meets once a month for walks around town or to visit museums, attend lectures, go on trips outside Sofia, etc. The cost of the trips will be divided amongst the members. The time and day of the week will be determined depending on all the group members’ convenience. Sign up at the Monthly Coffee Morning. For information contact: Lyuba Boianin at lyuboslava@yahoo.com.

Newcomers’ Coffee Morning Newcomers get togethers are usually organised once a month or as required. They are smaller gatherings, often in members homes, where it is easier to talk to others and to find out what the club is all about and what it can offer you. The date of the next such meeting is in the calendar at the back of this newsletter. For more information, contact the Vice President Maria Naslednikova at maria_nas@abv.bg or call her on 0879 119 150.

Bridge Interested members are invited to play bridge. An intermediate/advanced group plays on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am in the “King of Clubs” club, just behind Matti-d. Fee is 5 BGN for the session. There is an English-speaking group and a French-speaking group. For more information, contact Diana Kolarova at dianakolarova@ yahoo.com or 0888 423 150.

We also welcome visitors!

Local Coffee Groups Local coffee gatherings take place in different homes (on a rotating basis) for people who live in the same neighbourhood. These get-togethers, at which coffee and snacks are served, enable people to become better acquainted in an intimate atmosphere. The Lozenets Coffee Group is organised by Emilia Slavova (emilia@audioarte-bg.com). Please contact her for more information. For more information about the Dragolevski/Simeonovo/Boyana coffee group, please contact Sandra Guilder at sandrasbulgaria@aol.com. Anyone interested in starting/joining other local groups, please contact Maria Naslednikova at maria_nas@abv.bg.

Bulgarian Language Group Elina Kirova is a professional teacher and translator. The Bulgarian conversation or language group meets every Friday from 11:00 AM–12:30 PM at the IWC Office. For further details, please contact Elina Kirova at elinakirova@yahoo.com, or sign up at the monthly coffee morning.

French Conversation Group

Book Club

For more information, contact the Vice President Maria Naslednikova at maria_nas@abv.bg or call her on 0879 119 150.

Members read one book a month, and then get together to discuss the book (discussions are in English and are usually very fun and lively). We read a variety of fiction and non-

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English Conversation Group

Zumba

We are five native English speakers who take it in turns to lead a weekly conversation group every Thursday from 10:30 AM–12:30 PM. Different venues and topics are chosen every week. All members and all levels are welcome. If you would like to join the sessions, please e-mail Lynne at lynnegodding@gmail.com.

Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program created in Colombia during the 1990s. Get your body ready to Zumba!

The classes are taught by instructor Galya, who speaks excellent English, at Stadium Vasil Levski in the city centre. Each lesson costs 7 BGN per person. The classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 AM–12:00 PM. For more details, you can visit their website at http://www.bodyartkally.com/index-en.php. Sign up at the coffee morning or contact Monika Slosarikova at 0877 997 075 or monika.slosarikova@gmail.com.

Spanish Conversation Group Everybody who wants to practice and improve her Spanish is welcome to or weekly meetings. Also, if you are already fluent in Spanish or if you are a native speaker and you would like to participate, please contact Toi Castelló on 0882 008 518 or write her an e-mail: iotcas@gmail.com.

Henna Indian Body Art Avantica Shinde Nielsen would like to offer classes to our members to share this wonderful traditional Indian art style.

Each beginner’s course is 4 weeks, once per week. Day and timings will be decided according to the convenience of the group members. All materials will be provided. For more information and costs, please contact Avantica on her e-mail: avantica@gmail.com.

Children’s Dance Classes We are now offering ballet and hip hop dance classes for the children of IWC members. The instructors for the hip hop class are an award-winning and popular team. Every Saturday from 11:00 AM–12:00 noon. And while your kids are enjoying themselves, you can join the Bulgarian folk dance classes! The venue is the Dance Studio, which is centrally located.

The address is ul. Skobelev 58. The price is 120 BGN for 4 classes for a group of 4 (about 7.5 BGN per class). The price goes down to 7 BGN per class if we have more than 4 kids enrolled. The price includes a bottle of water (0.5 l). For further information, please contact Avantica Shinde Nielsen on her mobiles at 0889 490 646 or e-mail avanticashinde@hotmail.com.

Patchwork Group The group meets every Monday from 10:00 AM-–12:00 PM at Dusica Trkulja’s apartment. The address is Evlogy Georgiev 99, floor 6, apartment 27. Interested ladies are welcome to bring ideas, patterns, and materials. For more information, please contact Dusica Trkulja on her landline: 02 980 0948.

Mum and baby play group

Icon Painting Course

It meets most Tuesdays at 10am and people take it in turns to host. Please, contact Amy Dincuff at adincuff22@ gmail.com.

Bulgaria is famous for its beautiful and colourful Christian icons. Learn to draw and paint your own icons. The classes are taught in English by a professional artist in Boyana. The entire course costs 150 BGN per group of 5 people. The cost of materials will be approx. 30–40 BGN, which is a one-time cost. The time and day of the week will be determined depending on all the group members’ convenience. There is an option for either a morning group or an afternoon group, or both. Everyone is welcome! Contact Sory Almonacid de Jan at 0894 716 182/0894 716 182 or (preferably) via e-mail at jansory1@yahoo.fr, jansory35@gmail.com.

Golf We meet every Wednesday and tee off at 10 o'clock, any one interested in playing email Sandra Guilder on sandrasbulgaria@aol.com or call 0879866790.

Cricket

Sculpture class

Devam Women's Cricket Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 PM at the National Sports Academy in Student City. If you are interested, contact Mona Kaushik at devamibsac@gmail.com. Age is no barrier! No fee!!! Let’s play cricket!!!

Tennis

From copying an antique torso to studying Aphrodite’s head, this course will make you to familiar with classical clay modeling. All tools are provided at the atelier. Your finished art work will be turned into terra cotta (raw or glazed). Costs are 10 Leva per hour, lessons take 3:00 hours with a group of 3 to 5 people. Monday to Friday 9.30 – 13:00 and 12.30 – 16:00 with a lunch brake. Contact Sory Almonacid de Jan on 0894 716 182 or via e-mail at jansory1@yahoo.fr.

new

A group of members are starting to regularly play tennis together. We are of mixed ability and if you wish to join us or get on the regular email list then please contact Lynne at: lynnegodding@gmail.com.

Choir Sofia Ladies International Choir (SLIC) is a ladies four part harmony choir here in Sofia. We sing everything from ancient to modern, sacred to secular and songs from different cultures . Our rehearsals are conducted in English but we have sung in Latin, French, Spanish, Bulgarian and even Korean! Our practices take place in a music studio in Borovo district from 19.30 on a Wednesday evening. We are small but make a good sound and have already performed several short concerts at the Catholic Cathedral and the US Embassy. Our choir director is a Bulgarian/Canadian who is great fun. We are looking for some more good singers. The ability to read music would be an advantage but is not essential. For more info: Daniela Videv at danielavidev@hotmail.com.

Hiking Club The hiking group is an energetic group of dedicated hikers who head up to Vitosha and the surrounding mountains every Friday.

We usually meet at 9 am at Fantastico in Dragelevtsi. An email is sent to all hikers every Wednesday with more specific plans and this often includes different meeting points. A typical hike will bring us back to our meeting point at 2 or 3. For more information or to join the mailing list, please contact Diane TromansBerg dianetromansberg@yahoo.co.uk or 0885 721 841.

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April events Wednesday, April 8th

to those who sign up. Please e-mail: lynnegodding@gmail.com, or sign up at the coffee morning with Maria Nas.

2:00pm: Ukrainian Cooking Demo

Tuesday, April 21st

New IWC member Tatiana Nedelcheva is organising an Ukrainian cooking and tasting event at Maxi complex. Maximum group of 8, cost of 10leva per person including desert and a glass of wine. Confirm to: tat3131@mail.ru or call 0877638112 not later than 1st April, please!

11:00: Free dental consultation and demonstration As part of the program participants will be divided into two groups (5 members each group). If while registration you've more than ten people wishing to attend the presentation, we promise that we will schedule the next date for them. We will present our dental treatments to first group while the second group will be presented to our aesthetic treatments and then after 30-40 minutes groups will change their places. During the presentation all participants will receive vouchers for 50% off on their first visit to the clinic and a special discount of 10% for all general treatments, which is applied to all IWC members and their families. Place: 27-29 Veliko Turnovo St. Confirm to Valery Iliev: 0897090500.

Thursday, April 9 to April 13th 6:00 pm: Easter in Blossom: The Treasures of the Danube Plain A trip by private cars for 4 days/4 nights to Ruse. We will have the chance to see the most “European” city in the Bulgarian lands from early 20th century.

We will attend an Easter mass and have a very special festive traditional Easter lunch in a village near Ruse. It is a great opportunity to visit two UNESCO sites: the splendid rock-cut church in Ivanovo from 14th c. and the elaborate Thracian tomb in Sveshtari from 4th c. BC. Included in the tour is a visit to one of the most preserved Medieval fortresses in Bulgaria – Cherven. The tour has a nice balance between walks in splendid nature, traditions, history and meetings with local people – everyone will love it! Expected return on April 13th around 5.00 pm. Price: 499 Lv per person, sharing DBL/TWIN room, single rooms supplement 160 Lv. Price based on min. 10 people. IWC discount is 10 %, Children under 12 get 50% discount. Price incl.: hotel accommodation on bb basis. Price with organised transportation by a minivan: 651 Lv per person sharing DBL/TWIN room, Single rooms: +160 Lv. Price based on min.10 people. Please confirm to: lyuba.tours@gmail.com, mob: 0888 32 46 30. We will be meeting at Hilton Hotel car park after work.

Friday, April 24th 12:30pm: ‘I do not eat the colour green’ workshop Easy ways to change your kids eating habits. Ulitsa "Bistrishko Shose" 101, 1756 Bistritsa. Confirm to: olga.volzhina@gmail.com.

Saturday, April 25th 7.00 am: Narrow Gauge Train ride - a special day trip By the end of April spring will be here in its full blossom, days will be longer and we hope this trip will be a good chance to get away from the city. In just a day we will traverse the mountains of Rhodope and Rila, reach Bansko and return by minibus. The narrow gauge railway crosses mountain passes, broad meadows, passing through villages and deep pine forests. Travel on that road is very entertaining presenting the chance for meeting locals and hearing their authentic stories and songs. We will take a minivan to Septemvri railway station where we will catch the train. Around 2.30pm the train arrives in the area of Bansko and Razlog. Our minivan will pick us up there. We will walk through Bansko visiting Holy Trinity church. After that we will relax at a local tavern. Departure to Sofia will be in the late afternoon, expected return around 8.30 - 9.00 pm. If participants are interested, we can get off three stops earlier and drive to Dobarsko to see the fascinating medieval frescoes in the local church. We will also stop for a taste of traditional specialties and aromatic herbal tea. Confirm to: lyuba.tours@gmail.com, mob.: 0888 32 46 30. Meeting at Hilton Hotel at 7:00am, second pick-up at 7:20am - Radisson Hotel.

Tuesday, April 14th 10:30am: Annual General Assembly and MCM at Matti-d The April coffee morning will be closed for guests, and there will be no commercial tables. We will be voting for a new Executive Board for 2015-2016.

Friday, April 17th 12:30pm: ‘Weigh less, live more’ workshop How cutting back on animal protein will improve more than your waistline.

Ulitsa "Bistrishko Shose" 101, 1756 Bistritsa. Confirm to: olga.volzhina@gmail.com.

Monday, April 20th

Wednesday, April 29th to May 1st

2:00pm: Afternoon English tea at Lynne’s A maximum of 15 people can be accommodated, there will be a charge of 20Leva. The tea will include: traditional English tea selection of finger sandwiches, cakes, buns and English scones with jam and cream. The event is to be held at Lynne’s house in Dragalevtsi. The details of the address will be sent

t.b.c.: Charity visit - Karin Dom in Varna There is a cost for accommodation for 2 nights and fuel. Please confirm to Maria Ilieva: ms.maria.ilieva@gmail.com.

April calendar 14.00: Ukrainian cooking demo

Easter in Blossom trip

14.00: English tea

Easter in Blossom trip to Ruse and the region

10.30: AGM

12.30: Health workshop

11.00: Dental consultation

12.30: Health workshop

Karin dom trip to Varna

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7.00: Narrow gauge train trip

Announcements SERIES OF HEALTH WORKSHOPS WITH HANDS-ON-COOKING

Get ready for the summer, get in your bikini shape!

Small group classes and new spring sessions starting now:

Lead by Mazie Hollenbaugh and Olga Volzhina, Certified Health Coaches (Institute for Integrative Nutrition®, NY)

Pilates, Brazilian Butt Lift,

April 17th 12.30–2.30 pm Weigh less, live more How cutting back on animal protein will improve more than your waistline

Balettone, Core Barre Bikini Butt Camp Tuesdays and Fridays at 10am with Stela Hyde – Pironkova at F.D. Fitness at Kempinski Hotel

April 24th 12.30–2.30 pm «I do not eat the colour green» Easy ways to change your kids eating habits

stelapilates@gmail.com

May 8th 10.30 am – 12.30 pm Cancer-fighting foods Prevent cancer and other diseases just by adjusting what you eat May 15th 10.30 am – 12.30 pm Foods on the go to boost energy “Be prepared” with the best snacks, anywhere anytime May 29th 10.30 am – 12.30 pm Full Proof Vegetarian for the whole family!

Meatless men & sugarless kids means one happy Mama June 5th 10.30 am – 12.30 pm Food sensitivities How to get rid of the symptoms - for good!

Check out what foods your body reacts to…then live happy.

BG Roza special offer for IWC members

Order four bouquets of roses, get the fifth one free delivered with a personalised message! http://www.bgroza.com

June 12th 10.30 am – 12.30 pm Raw detox Why everyone needs a detox and the program to get you started

Minimum order of five roses in a box or one rose bundled up with a box of chocolates applies.

Call Maya Alexandrova on 0896 895 230

Entry fee:

Met opera at Cinema City Sofia Next performance April 25 - Cavalleria rusticana by Mascani and Ruggiero Leoncavallo – PAGLIACCI

30 lv. per session booked at least 48 hours in advance (wtih 24 hour cancellation policy)

Tickets are available at the box offices of Cinema City Sofia or by internet at the Cinema City Sofia page

35 lv. – paid at the door for the last moment sign-ups

Address: Sofia, Mall Sofia, 101 Al. Stambolijski Blvd.

Phone: 02 929 11 11 E-mail: info.sofia@cinemacity.bg Reservations on: www.cinemacity.bg Booked tickets are reserved up to 10 minutes before screening.

Cinema vouchers: (02) 929 11 11

Academy Of St Martin In The Fields one of the best British Chamber Ensembles visits Sofia for the first time.

European Music Festival 6 April (Monday), Bulgaria Hall, 19:30 Program includes:

Serenade by Edward Elgar Simple Symphony от Benjamin Briton Antonín Dvořák's Serenade for Strings

Until 9th April Gallery ‘Shipka 6’

Tickets by internet available at ticketsbg.com from 20 to 80 BGN

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