Hello world travelers and those seeking a outdoor vacation on an inland sea, and welcome to the amazing Eastern European nation of Bulgaria! Now, to be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect when I heard that the beans had visited Bulgaria. My poor little naive American mind couldn't imagine what it would look like. So I was more than a little astounded to discover what a historic - and downright charming - place it is.

After a well-deserved chewing out from the frijoles for my lack of Bulgarian knowledge, they astutely mentioned that Bulgaria has a population of about 8 million people, that their capital city is Sofia, and that their chief industries are agriculture, mining, and of course tourism. So now I (and you) now know, and we'll all be ready for our guest shot on Jeopardy!

Anyway, here we are in the coastal city of Sozopol, the oldest town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Sozopol itself has a local population of about 4,000 people, and being the resort community they are, they cater to tourists from all over Europe, Russia, and even the occasional American canned vegetable. But back in the 6th century B.C. (back when it was known as Apolonia Magna), Sozopol was a huge trade port for Hellenic trading ships sent from Milet, Athina, Corinth, and Heraklea Pontica. Wow - over 2,600 years of history? It makes an 11-year old can of beans seem awfully small...

Anyway, Sozopol today is filled with hotels, pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs catering to just about every whim a tourist can come up with. There are several extremely popular beaches here, including one called the Gold Fish beach, which is supposedly popular for surfing and topless sunbathing. (Don't worry - the beans kept their eyes closed and their label pulled up.) The beans were curious to see Gold Fish beach -- not only because of the aforementioned clothing options -- but because they wanted to know if it was indeed bowl-shaped.

Here the beans stop by the town's historic fountain, where they try to communicate with one of the locals. However, in their friendly-yet-not-so-quick state (which they blame on jet lag - yeah, that's the ticket), the beans didn't realize that they weren't actually speaking to a native Sozopolian (is that a word?), but were in fact chatting it up with a smiling gumball machine.

So it's little wonder that when the beans asked him how his day was going, the only response they got was a little blue gumball coming out of his midsection. Fortunately, someone was kind enough to clarify the bean's mistake, and stopped them before they could call an ambulance.

Here the beans and BATW Ambassador Mike pose with one of the antique anchors that make the Sozopol's town symbol. In nearby Sozopol Bay they've found several anchors dating as far back as 200 B.C., and on the Apolonia coins minted way back in 600 B.C. a symbol of an anchor is also embossed.

The beans have always wanted to have their image stamped on a coin, but so far no luck. Hmph - why should anchors, eagles, queens, and dead presidents get to have all the fun?

So here the black beans check out the Black Sea. Not very black, now is it? Unless the frijoles are going a little colorblind in their old age, these waters look mighty blue to us. But who are we to argue over a name? Regardless, the Black Sea is entirely inland -- it's enclosed by Ukraine to the north, Russia on the northeast, Georgia on the east, Turkey on the south, and Bulgaria and Romania on the west. It runs up to maximum depths of 7,364 feet (2,245 m), so be careful dropping anything overboard (especially canned vegetables), 'cause there won't be any diving in after it.

The frijoles were thrilled to be able to see the Black Sea in person - who knew it was so picturesque? - and are glad to report that no black beans were lost to the abyss of the Black Sea.

Most of the homes in the "Old Town" part of Sozopol are 19th century stone and wood houses, topped by Mediterranean-style red-tiled roofs. 45 of the houses have been designated as national cultural monuments, and from an architectural point of view, are pretty cool indeed. Even Bob Vila would know when to leave these classic homes alone...

The beans were really impressed with the homes here - no cheap plywood or pressboard construction will do for our picky legumes - and are hoping to one day have a second story added onto their can. Hey, it just means more room for a hot tub.

In the end, the beans had a marvelous holiday in Bulgaria, and they sincerely thank Daniel, Mike, and everyone in Sozopol for their kindness and hospitality. These photos really opened our eyes to a part of the world that we never knew, and for that we're eternally grateful. Now, can someone direct the beans towards Gold Fish beach again? They want to see if frijoles make good bait...