Northern banks of the Danube

Bulgarians indeed were deprived of the compelled to sign his abdication, and carried off as a prisoner into Russian territory on the northern banks of the Danube. The abduction gave rise to as strong a manifestation of popular sentiment in Bulgaria as could be expected in a country which had been trained for centuries in the doctrine of passive submission to the powers that be. Public opinion throughout Europe insisted upon” the Prince’s release, and he returned to Bulgaria amidst/ general demonstrations of good-will and affection.

He had no sooner, however, been replaced upon his throne, than he came to the conclusion that he was fighting a too unequal contest in his struggle with Russia, and he then and there announced his abdication of the throne he had occupied so gallantly and, on the whole, with such success.

The second abdication was made of his own free will, and, in the face of his apparent vacillation of purpose, it is difficult to believe that Prince Alexander was of the stuff out of which the men who make history are built. It is fair to say, on the other hand, that he him a good killer and brave soldier, and that under circular Stances of exceptional difficulty, he won the affection, and confidence of a people, not .prone to bestow confidence or affection lightly.

Bystanders who were present when the Prince’s dead body was brought to Sofia for interment assured me that, amidst the dense crowd collected along the route through which the funeral procession passed, there was scarcely a person present who was not in tears.

Prince Alexander

Upon, the resignation of Prince Alexander, the Pro-Russian Kaulbars adventure balkan tours was sent from St. Petersburg as a sort of official liquidator of the Bulgarian difficulty; his first step was to insist on an amnesty being granted to all persons who had been concerned in Prince Alexander’s abduction. The Regents, who had been appointed when the Prince resigned, hesitated about complying with these instructions.

Thereupon Russian men-of-war were sent to Varna, and the amnesty was granted. Subsequently General Kaulbars made a progress through the country and delivered a number of speeches, calling on the Bulgarians to return members to the Sobranje pledged to support Russia and to oppose the policy of the Regency. The country, however, returned an overwhelming majority in favour of the Regency.

Upon this, General Kaulbars was recalled, and all diplomatic relations between Russia and Bulgaria were brought to a close. This state of things remains unchanged to the present day. An attempt was made to induce the Sobranje to elect as ruler the Prince of Mingrelia, a hanger-on of the Russian Court. The proposal, however, was rejected.

The crown was then offered to Prince Waldemar of Denmark, and declined by him. Finally, after various abortive negotiations, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg was elected as the successor of Prince Alexander. With his accession Bulgaria may be said to have commenced her existence as a State, independent alike of Turkey on the one hand and Russia on the other.

The present position of the Principality is no doubt anomalous. The Prince has been duly elected by the National Assembly as provided by the Constitution. He has now reigned for some six years as the de facto sovereign of the country. His Government is in close and friendly relations with the Porte; and it is notorious that the Sultan, as Suzerain of Bulgaria, would be willing at any moment, and has been willing ever since the Prince’s accession, to recognize him formally as the legal successor of Prince Alexander of Battenberg.

 

The Warmth Of The Summer Season

There seems to be something about the warmth of the summer season that encourages able bodied adults to put on the strangest things. Not sure whether this is the result of the scorching hot temperatures that somehow fry their abilities to dress accordingly or the carefree attitudes of “summer break” that makes them believe they can take a “break” from caring about what they throw on. Whatever the case is, it must stop.

Of course we can’t all afford to dress like we’re headed for a red carpet event or runway show, but we can at the very least make sure we look good when heading out the door each day. Below, are a few fashion faux pas from head to toe that you should try and steer clear of this summer.

Hat Fashion Failures

Some of the most common fashion mistakes when it comes to donning a hat are:

Wearing a Beanie – a new popular trend (general among the younger generations) is wearing a beanie. Beanies are knitted hats (with or without a ball on top) that are designed for the winter – enough said.

Wearing a Fedora – unfortunately guys if you were looking into wearing a fedora this summer, you should probably steer clear as many claim fedoras are simply out of style.

Leather Baseball Caps – what’s the worst way to keep cool during the summer? To wear a leather baseball cap and keep all that heat stored up inside your body. Let’s leave these hat trends to the colder months when you actually want to stay warm.

Shirt Fashion Failures

What could you possibly be doing wrong when it comes to purchasing shirts in the summer time? Here are a few:

Form Fitting Shirts – While this fashion faux pas is geared more towards women, there are some men that probably shouldn’t be rocking a muscle shirt either. Anyways, in the summer time you want to feel cool and the worse way to do this is to throw on a shirt that cuts off your circulation. Not to mention a shirt can hug you in all the wrong places and give way to things like “muffin tops” which we can all agree is not a fashion trend.

Spaghetti Strap Tank tops – Spaghetti strap tank tops are certainly a fashion no, no. These tank tops are designed for layering purposes only. All too often you see women wearing spaghetti strap tanks and their bras are hanging out which can look so unappealing. If you’re going to wear one, let’s hope you’re headed to the beach.

Pant/Bottom Fashion Failures

Here are a few issues with pants and bottoms during the summer:

Skorts – It’s a shocker that they still make these for women, but it is a big fashion no, no.  By no means after the age of 13 (maybe) should you be wearing skorts during the summer. Choose one… either you wear a skirt or some shorts and call it a day.

Short, Shorts – You might think this one was just for the ladies but I’ve seen a few men wearing shorts that were too short. If it’s so short you can see the coloring of your thighs change it’s too short. No one (expect your significant other) wants to see that.

Standard Oil Company

There, on our extreme left and near the water, is the country estate of Khedive Ismail Pasha, father of the last Khedive of Egypt who was dethroned by England during the war because of his pro Turkish sentiments. Ismail Pasha’s estate is in Europe but the hills which seem next to it are on the other side, in Asia, and the funny looking buildings on top as well as the low buildings on the shore are the depots of the Standard Oil Company. They used to belong to an uncle of Madame Ismet Bey but now they belong to the Standard Oil.

No, her uncle has not sold his rights: it just happened that the Standard Oil stepped in before he had time to have them renewed. His house, or what used to be his house is the one just opposite us. He used to have the most beautiful caiks in the Bosporus, ten or fifteen years ago, and his wife and his daughters would go every Friday to the Sweet Waters of Asia in those long, slim racing barks, with tapering ends, rowed by three or sometimes four boatmen with flowing sleeves, a beautiful embroidered carpet covering the stern, its corners trailing in the sea. He used to have a passion for flowers and you can see even from here the roof of the hothouse where he grew the most exotic plants he could think of: rare varieties of chrysanthemums and poppies from the Far East private tours istanbul, tulips from Turkestan and Persia, mogra and lotus trees from India. Now he has sold his house and has barely enough to live on.

Side of Bosporus

The Sweet Waters of Asia are nearby, just between the ruins of the old mediaeval castle built by Sultan Mahomet the Conqueror before he laid siege to Byzance and the Imperial Kiosks of Chiok Soo, a real jewel. Further to the right that low, rambling white building is the yali of the family of Mahmoud Pasha. They entertain a great deal and have asked us to tea next Sunday. Now we pass again without realizing it to the European shores; the old castle on the hill is the Castle of Europe, the first stronghold of the Turks on this side of the Bosporus, and the big building next to it is the famous Robert College, the American College for Boys.

The view is so gorgeous that it cannot be described. I wish I had a canvas and the technique of Courbet, the talent of Turner and the daring of Whistler to paint in all its splendor the clear sky of the Bosporus, so clear and so blue that the eyes can almost see that it is endless  the red and gold flakes of its dark green vegetation, so luxuriant that it speaks of centuries of loving care the peaceful atmosphere of its old houses, so restful that you can feel that generations of thinkers and philosophers have meditated behind their walls the harmonious outline of its hills, so smilingly round that only immemorial age can have so smoothly curved them the mystery of its always running currents, running so continuously that they should have long ago emptied the Black Sea into the Mediterranean.