#introduceyourself@ravijojla

Good day, dear Steamers!

Almost a week and past several posts now, here is my #introduceyourself.
I'm particularly happy that my friend Darren popped a word about this place. With every new day I find it more and more enticing. The stories I have read so far revealed to me a wonderful world, such marvelous dreams and so welcoming people. It is a pleasure to be accepted by you.

My name is Maggie Kostova. I'm Bulgarian. I was born in one of the most ancient towns that was a capital of our medieval kingdom. In Vidin I live near the Danube and the majestic castle, which was constructed in the 9th century and is entirely preserved nowadays. Every summer we enjoy the medieval Budin festival organized by the popular society Modus Vivendi. Habits, drinks, food, garments and battles are restoring the past every year. My place was once the home town of many Muslims, Jews and Christains and we are famous with the Tolerance Triangle in my neighbourhood where one may see an Orthodox church, a Mosque and one of the Synagogues of best acoustics on the Balkans. Vidin is also the birthplace of the famous painter Julius Pascin who has mainly lived in France so you can find him under the french painters category.

I'm telling you more about my hometown because it quite formed my personality. We are all here the River people. I love to walk down the Danube park, have a chat with the old fishing men or just sitting at the river to read a nice book or maybe watching its water flowing. I love the Danube river. I feel secretly connected with all those who has inhabited the places at its banks all along from its spring in the Schwarzwald mountain down to the river's delta at the Black Sea. It's a huge community and an enormous heritage.

When I was a child I wanted to become a surgeon and got secretly involved in after school classes in biology and chemistry. I guess, we have enough doctors in my family, so I jumped into the marketing and brand management waters of the economy. Nowadays, I am an EPP consultant and I take care of the funds and the business development of several small and medium enterprises. During the past 5 years the team I have been working with assisted the emergence of an English bakery and tea room, a charcuterie, a business incubator and a couple of crafts venues. Among the major clients I have is a municipality in NW Bulgaria and I really enjoy the improvements we help happen in everyday people's lives.

I love Jan Anderson and Jethro Tull's music. Lately I'm more into jazz, but I also adore the music and books created by Đorđe Balašević. I may say that I have a decent voice and I sing orthodox chants every Sunday. I'm impressed with Divna Ljubojević and her voice. Among the things I create and restore are frames, boxes and all kinds of drawers and small furniture. I love to work with wood.

I travel a lot. The last time I spent over 10 years in Belgrade. I presume I was captured by the charms of its ambient. I love Belgrade...and it has a Danube, which is an advantage in my humble opinion. I love to read a lot, especially English, Russian and Serbian authors. I think J.P. Wodehaus should be prescribed as a remedy at hospitalizations.
I'm attracted to Florence and the French Province. The narrow cobble stone paved streets and old houses with window jardinieres in small places are so similar to the world I'm creating for me and I hope that you'll spend a great share enjoying your stay with me here.

Welcome!

/Photos by Maggie R. Kostova, Pixabay and the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism/