I’m Cécile Martinelli, a 26 years old French girl living in Varna for several months! I am passionate about history, cultural heritage, arts & history of art. I love also the natural landscapes, when they make you feeling really small. So, I love not only large natural spaces but urban life too. And in these environment, I like simple things: eating, cooking, listening music, running, trekking, hiking, hitchhiking…
I grew up in Reims, a city famous for being the “city of coronations” and for being the “city of Champagne” not so far from Paris. I began my studies there, at first in the field of foreign languages, then in tourism. Then to specialize myself in the field of Development and Protection of Cultural Heritage, I had to move, I went to Amiens, in the north. It was just the beginning of my “moving” life. I've never stayed more than 6 months at the same place, so I lived in different areas of France; my favourite was in Franche Comté, I moved there to be a guide at the Hill Notre Dame du Haut (there is a chapel built by the famous architect Le Corbusier). It was an amazing experience, but I stopped this one to fly to Bulgaria!
I moved to Bulgaria in October 2015, I really wanted to live abroad; I had the experience in Görlitz, Germany, to the border with Poland. Being in another country helped me to grow up; let me to be faced with an unusual daily living (at first), let me changed my lifestyle habits. As time went on, I did not feel myself anymore as a foreigner. I looked forward to rediscovering this feeling! I have a real taste for travelling, and after my internship in Görlitz, I wanted to discover the culture of Eastern Europe. I was looking for an evs (European voluntary service) for a cultural project of one year in Eastern Europe, and I found one in Varna.
I didn’t have so many thoughts about Bulgaria, that’s why I chose this country. I thought that it was a grey country, very old and poor. And I think we have a lot of “stereotypes” as we really don’t know this country. (You know, I’m still not sure that my parents know where I’m really living.)
After few days, I saw this grey and old country, but maybe because I had only this representation in my mind so it’s like I saw what I wanted. But now for me Bulgaria, is a natural paradise, full of mountains, that make me really happy. I had the impression that no one was smiling also, but just I wasn't seeing their smile around me! But I know if I had arrived one or two months earlier my first thoughts would be not the same, as I would arrive during the summer season… And I can understand now, that Varna has really two faces…
After few days I was also totally lost, as I am used to say yes and no by gestures, and here your no means a yes.
So here in Bulgaria, I’m living in Varna, I’m an European volunteer (EVS) for the organization LECTI (http://lecti.eu/,) culture and event (http://event.lecti.eu/?lang=en & http://success.lecti.eu/), my tasks are: organizing cultural events on international topics, organizing information and intercultural events for students, supporting the adaptation and integration of foreigners in Varna.
Out of work, I enjoy my free time with the other European volunteers; I go to the beach, in the Sea garden for some sports when the motivation is there, but most of the time I travel and hitchhike a lot, around the country, and in the neighbour’s countries also. Bulgaria is a smaller country than France, and I appreciate that as it’s much easier to travel..
Bulgaria is a big surprise; I have the feeling of be “at home”. What I love about this country? The landscapes, the visible traces of the past (maybe for Bulgarians it can be strange, but for me as a passionate historian, it’s just amazing). I also have the feeling that I have the time, usually we say “time flies by”, but for me here, I think if you want take it, you can! That’s why I also like Bulgarian trains, they let you discover the landscapes, and it’s not only by means of transport but also by means of discovery.
Then Bulgaria is a country with lots of traditions and I'm very proud of them, I’m pretty sure that next year I’ll celebrate “Baba Marta”. Bulgaria offers me the scenery that I want, because even if I feel at home, I’m still surprised when I see horses on the highway, when I discover monasteries…
My dream here was to go to Rila Mountains, and the Rila monastery, I did it in the beginning of may. I was expecting something really amazing, it was even more, I had this “Stendhal syndrome” and some tears appeared on my face. I felt true happiness at this moment, I told you that here in Bulgaria, I have time, and at this precise moment, the time stopped.
Another dream, more complicated, is to understand better Bulgarian, I try to improve every day, but it’s still “много трудно"
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