We visit the EVN Peshtera compound and after coffee head for Bratisgovo. It is noticeable that almost every town of any size has a segregated area for the Roma population and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Roma and Turkish population and Bulgarians who have converted to Islam (Pomaks) represent categories which are important in setting the disputed parameters of Bulgarian identity.

It’s getting late in the day and when we arrive at the hotel—the Damov House—in the spa town of Bratisgovo we are informed that our rooms have been let to people who intend to stay longer that one night. So much for booking ahead… We decide to go on to Plovdiv and return to the area tomorrow, there seems to be a lot that interests us in the town such as the Museums of Ethnology and History.