Day 2 of our overnight started with some cheesy (as usual) egg pastry called Batia (possibly? It definitely started with a “B”). We then left Koprivshtitsa for Panagyurishte. Panagyurishte is a larger town in the region of Bulgaria formerly known as Thrace. This is where the Panagyurishte Golden Treasure was found. This treasure mainly consists of several golden cups shaped like animals and the heads of women. It is over 6 kg of gold and the treasure has traveled to exhibits around the world. For those of you needing some context on the Thracians, Spartacus, who led a slave rebellion against the Romans before starring in a Hollywood movie, was Thracian.
After our education on the Thracians, we continued on to Bulgaria’s second largest city, Plovdiv. Plovdiv is one of the oldest constantly inhabited cities in Europe. First settled by the Thracians in 5000 BC, it was then ruled by Romans, Bulgarians, Turks, Bulgarians (again), Soviets, and finally Bulgarians. The city is famous for its shopping and the main road is car free so you can safely access the stores without the fear of being run over. However, we were not there for shopping (though I did buy some sunglasses since I packed my sunglasses case but neglected to actually put my sunglasses inside before I left). We proceeded through the cramped, uneven streets to the restored Roman Amphitheatre from the 2nd century AD.
The Amphitheatre seated 6,000 in its day and was uncovered during a freak landslide in 1972. It was restored and is now used for concerts and other performances in Plovdiv.
After taking in the Amphitheatre, we forged onward to one of the oldest churches in Bulgaria. The St. Constantine and St. Helena Orthodox Church was first established in 337, although the current building dates from 1832. The inside, like most Orthodox Churches was covered in detailed paintings and relics.
Plovdiv is known as the city with 7 hills...big hills, so it was no surprise when we walked up another hill to the site of a Thracian Fortress dating from 5000 BC. Not only is that cool in and of itself, but it also offers great views of the city from all sides. 
As we headed back towards the main street, we passed the Djumaya Mosque which is the oldest mosque in Europe outside of Spain. After a briefly talking to some men sitting at a sidewalk café style table on the corner outside (neither of whom looked like the person in charge), we were admitted and told to take as many pictures as we wanted, which is strange, since most religious buildings do not allow photographs inside. It had very detailed paintings inside each of the vaulted ceilings as well as large, elaborate chandeleirs. Plus, as an added bonus, the carpet felt really good on my tired feet. 
As we meandered our way towards the edge of town, we passed the city center which literally has the ruins of a Roman stadium plopped down in the middle of it. They are currently working to restore the structure, so it should be really nice in the future. The long history that is literally everywhere you look in a country ruled by so many different groups of people, makes the simple act of walking a very educational experience.
Lastly, we walked past the shops down the main street and boarded the van to head back to the school. Our trip to Plovdiv, much like this blog entry, was quick and rather disjointed without any real cohesiveness or transitions, so I appologize for the random conglomeration of places and facts. 
