Continuing our jaunt around Russe, the Vienna of the Balkans, we will now turn our attention to the beautiful murals inside the Ivanovo Rock Monastery -- NOT! No, I respected the wishes of the care-takers to not take any photos inside, so if that's what you are looking for, you can check it out on UNESCO's site.
Instead, we will focus on the beautiful landscapes and interesting views of the surrounding area. Keep in mind that it is very close to the medieval city of Cherven (see here, here, here, and here) as well as another famous cliff monastery, that of Besarbovo (here). The hills of the lower Danube are fascinating, to say the least!
That little platform up there was the original entrance, though a second one was dug into the rock later.
The second entrance ...
The rolling hills and the Rusenski Lom River ...
It's actually in a cave, though much larger than this one :)
Another tiny alcove:
Well, maybe not so tiny ;)
Another perfect view:
And an artsier one :)
More scrumptious succulents!
And mini-flowers on display ...
An overview of the valley below ...
A few lizards ...
... here and there:
Where the river turns ...
And here ...
Well, I hope you like the scenery. Stay tuned for an upcoming post or two on Russe itself ...
