Vama Veche

Illusion

Vama Veche (historical names: Ilanlâk, Ilanlâc, Turkish: Ilanlık) is a village in Constanţa County, Romania, on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Bulgaria, at 28.57 E longitude, 43.75 N latitude. It is part of the commune of Limanu and in 2002, it had a population of 178.

It was founded in 1811 by a few Gagauz families, originally being named "Ilanlîk". Its current name literally means "Old customs point", named so after Southern Dobruja (the Cadrilater) had been included in Romania in 1913. In 1940, however, that region was returned to Bulgaria, and the village has since lain once again near the border, but the name stuck.

Even in Communist Romania, Vama Veche had the reputation of a non-mainstream tourist destination, which has only grown since the Romanian Revolution of 1989. During the communist era, concern for border patrol sight lines spared Vama Veche the development that occurred in other Romanian Black Sea resorts. It became a hangout for intellectuals; for reasons that are not exactly clear, the generally repressive regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu chose to tolerate this countercultural oasis, as long as people had their identity papers with them. Accommodations consisted of tents or rooms rented from peasants or fishermen.^[2] While camping is theoretically not permitted, to this day, many visitors or semi-permanent residents still stay in tents on the beach.( wiki)

In a forest known as heartbreak
In a clearing in the wood
'Cross a pathway called confusion
Toward the garden of delight

You'll reach the river of desire
And meekly try and cross it
While the valley of love
Keeps avoiding you
Because it's only an illusion
Only an illusion

Upon the hill of high ideals
You begin to wonder if it's real
You are reaching sleep's oasis
You begin to wonder how you feel

But it happens so quickly
It doesn't fit into your scenes
Tossin' and turnin'
The star of so many scenes
It's only an illusion

Writer: Hensley, Ken
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Uriah Heep Illusion Lyrics

Kavala , GREECE - Summer thoughts

Kavala has always been an important port on the Balkan Peninsula.

Neapolis - Christoupolis - Kavala are its historical names.

It has been inhabited since the Neolithic age.

In the 7th century BC it was a Thassian colony called Neapolis and later it joined the Athenian Alliance.

It gains great prosperity during the Macedonian rule, after Philip II has annexed it, its harbor serving Filippi.The Romans upgraded the major commercial port by having Via Egnatia run through it but at the same time it was made the target of Goth and Hun raids.

Apostle Paul comes to Neapoli to preach the Christian faith in Europe.

Byzantine times, when the town was given the name "Christoupolis" as a prosperous period; however, Normand ravages and Turkish occupation put an abrupt end to it.The important monuments of the old aqueduct, nowadays known as Kamares, dates from that period.

From one arched gate to the other, centuries put on a new face.

History of Kavala