Hans Christian Andersen (b. 1805 – d. 1875) was a Danish writer, a world-famous storyteller, but also a lover of travel. One of the long journeys he undertook took him to the lands inhabited by Bulgarians in the eastern part of Europe at that time. He described his impressions of it in the collection of travelogues “The Poet’s Market” (1842). The journey began on May 5, 1841, when he left Constantinople on board the ship “Ferdinand I” and reached Constanța via the Black Sea. From there he transferred to the Danube steamer “Argo” with the Dalmatian captain Marko Dobroslavić, and the crew was made up of Italians.
From “The Poet’s Bazaar” by Hans Christian Andersen
Sailing on the Danube
For the kings of the piano, my friends, the Austrian Thalberg and the Hungarian Liszt, I compose and dedicate to them this “Danube Theme with Coastal Variations”
I
Andersen’s first impressions of the Bulgarian lands:
“The Bulgarian coast, however, rose unevenly and overgrown with vegetation, and the soil seemed fertile for cultivation. But large areas stood completely deserted. Thousands of people were emigrating from Europe to America, and what a better home they could find here. Here is fertile land, located next to one of the greatest rivers of Europe – the road to the Orient.”
(…)
On the Bulgarian side, the first town to greet us was Tuturkan; a garden was planted in front of every house; half-naked boys ran along the steep bank, shouting “Urola!” Here everything still smelled of peace, not of danger; the unrest in the interior of the country had not yet reached these shores.
Meanwhile, however, we learned from the Turks we had taken on board the previous evening from Silistria that many refugees had crossed the Danube to seek protection in Bucharest. On the other side of the mountains, disorder and death reigned.
Above Tuturkan we passed a particularly picturesque country road, overgrown bushes hung over it from the high slopes of red-brown soil; a herd of beautiful black horses was heading towards the river to cross it; one of them was especially distinguished, partly by his energetic movements, partly by his pitch-black color and his long, flowing mane; he jumped over the slopes so that the earth flew under his hooves! You, wild horse! You will probably be ridden by the young Wallachian princely bride, her gentle hand will caress you and your shining black cheeks will be decorated with colorful sackcloth! Are you dancing because you already catch a glimpse of your new homeland across the river? Or will they use you in Wallachia for breeding and will you lay the foundation of some new lineage, a hundred times larger than the herd that now surrounds you? The family tree will begin with your name! The boys’ greetings are for you, for you, wonderful fiery animal! Urola! Urola!
(…)
Every two weeks Austrian steamers sail from Constantinople across the Black Sea and up the Danube to Vienna; there are two different routes here, one is from the Black Sea through the Danube Delta to Galati, where there is a seven-day quarantine, and then one sails along the Wallachian coast, which is extremely flat and has only a few towns, to Orsova, where there is another, but shorter, quarantine; the other route, the one I had chosen, is much more interesting, it does not go through the Danube Delta, but goes down to Kiustenze and continues overland, this takes one day, to the Danube River near the town of Cherna Voda; in this way three days are saved from sailing on the river, which from the delta to Cherna Voda offers only marshy places with reeds and reeds; This route also has the advantage that the ship sails on the left side, against the current, where the coast offers more variety and where one can disembark in many of the larger Bulgarian cities or walk through the Serbian forests. In Orsova the entire quarantine is served, which takes 10 days; then the journey continues to Pest, and then to Vienna. (Andersen’s note)
Have a good trip! (Andersen’s note.)
https://uchiteli.bg/interesting/kak-bylgariq-plenqva-andersen-prez-dalechnata-1841-g/3451
