A pig roast - Bulgarian style
Today was pork day at school. Chefs last bit of lecture before we were let loose in the kitchen was on suckling pigs. I smiled fondly, as I remembered my last experience with this interesting food choice.
While working for Grand Circle Travel, I had some amazing opportunities to travel. One of these was a trip from Bucharest to Budapest. Me and 3 friends hoped on a flight to Bucharest (I still have nightmares about the 6 hour layover in Heathrow) and started our tour of Eastern Europe. After spending a few nights there, we hoped a train and then boarded our river ship to sail on the Danube.
The crew on the ship was wonderful. Young, like me and my friends, and eager to show off their part of the world. So when we were about to dock in Bulgaria, Georgi invited us to join him and the crew for lunch.
So when the tour buses were headed out on the daily included tour of Ruse, we hoped in cabs and ended up in a local restaurant near by. A long table greeted us, with the entire crew laughing and swapping stories.
Conversations with the wait staff were all done in Bulgarian, and we never saw a menu. Yet the food and drinks kept coming.
And then it was time for the main course. An entire pig was brought out for us to gaze at. On fire. A WHOLE PIG IN FLAMES! Didn't see that one coming for sure.
While my friend Jill almost vomited, I could stop smiling. How great was this???? How many people go to a pig roast in Bulgaria?????
The pig was removed and sliced. It was moist, flavorful and pretty much melted in your mouth. We ate and ate.
By the time we made it back to the ship, we all needed a nap (and maybe bigger pants).
But the flaming pig was worth it.
While working for Grand Circle Travel, I had some amazing opportunities to travel. One of these was a trip from Bucharest to Budapest. Me and 3 friends hoped on a flight to Bucharest (I still have nightmares about the 6 hour layover in Heathrow) and started our tour of Eastern Europe. After spending a few nights there, we hoped a train and then boarded our river ship to sail on the Danube.
The crew on the ship was wonderful. Young, like me and my friends, and eager to show off their part of the world. So when we were about to dock in Bulgaria, Georgi invited us to join him and the crew for lunch.
So when the tour buses were headed out on the daily included tour of Ruse, we hoped in cabs and ended up in a local restaurant near by. A long table greeted us, with the entire crew laughing and swapping stories.
Conversations with the wait staff were all done in Bulgarian, and we never saw a menu. Yet the food and drinks kept coming.
And then it was time for the main course. An entire pig was brought out for us to gaze at. On fire. A WHOLE PIG IN FLAMES! Didn't see that one coming for sure.
While my friend Jill almost vomited, I could stop smiling. How great was this???? How many people go to a pig roast in Bulgaria?????
The pig was removed and sliced. It was moist, flavorful and pretty much melted in your mouth. We ate and ate.
We danced.
We drank.
We ate some more.
Honestly, one of my favorite travel memories - Ever.
By the time we made it back to the ship, we all needed a nap (and maybe bigger pants).
But the flaming pig was worth it.
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