The rain has indeed abated, but it has left everything wet and definitely put an additional chill in the air. As we take our 10 minute stroll along the river road, we pass the Grand Riga Hotel, the largest hotel complex in Ruse. Wow! Talk about Communist Era construction! The thing looks like some huge Communist block prison – and it is supposed to be a really nice hotel. Yes, yes, you can’t judge a book by its cover, but sheesh, this thing is a pretty scary looking monolith if you ask us.

Moving on into the city, we pass some of our fellow passengers wandering about, then arrive, alone at the Kaliopa House to hopefully get a glimpse of upper class living from the late 18th and early 19th Century Bulgaria. The hopeful part is, once again, the place says it is open, but there is literally no one around. We ring the front door bell, and after a few moments, the caretaker appears, takes our entrance fee and shows us into the house. Private museums! Lovely.

And the Kaliopa House is quite lovely. Built in 1864 and was the home to the Prussian Consulate. The name “Kaliopa” comes from a legend that the house was actually bequeathed to a lovely woman named Calliope (actually the wife of the Prussian Consul named Maria) from the Governor who was madly in love with her. Regardless of the origination, the house has been decorated spectacularly, lavishly, by the wealthy inhabitants of the day – including a fresco of Cupid and Psyche in the stairwell.

Expertly preserved tapestries, upholstered furniture and displays of china, place settings, even collectible miniatures shoes are all displayed throughout this beautiful example of 19th Century elegance.

It is a fascinating romp through the lives of the upper class of the 1800’s. Plus the unexpected surprise at the end of the tour, near the exit, where a lighthearted display allows us to try our hand at driving an old sportster and pretending to dress in period costumes. Fun!

What a sweet day we’ve had exploring Ruse! Now it is time to head back to the boat, hang out until Happy Hour at 6 (25% off drinks!), then our Port Talk at 6:45 and of course dinner afterward, where Lori has the strategy down! Ed and I have already positioned our table as close to the door as possible, so while we and Raul listen to the end of the talk, Lori slips out to be first in line for dinner so we can snag our favorite table and waiter! We’re on the program!

Dinner tonight is an excellent chicken dish with grilled veggies and polenta for me, and a sauteed fish with lime and salsa for Ed. All throughout dinner, we traded stories with Lori and Raul – they about their day in Veliko Turnovo, us about our exploits around town and the private museums!

Then it was back up to the lounge for….dancing with Nad (our activities host). Needless to say, we didn’t participate, but it was fun to watch – at least fun to watch Nad who as you would expect was very good. After some good laughs, it was off to bed to be ready for our day in Vidin.