The Cafe of Dimcho Kehaya

The cafe of Dimcho the Kehaya, restored to the original 1850 plan — in Zheravna, the ground floor once sipped Constantinople coffee (Mehmet Efendi) with baklava and tulumba, daily, for everyone. Towards evening, by the living fire, the house's dishes are cooked — at the request of those staying the night — the wines chosen, the rakia double-distilled at the Preobrazhenie monastery near Tarnovo. Upstairs, the village's wide low mattresses — mensofi — arranged in rooms and chambers, each with its own bath: room for at least twelve, 'for the mensofi are wider than city beds'. Cots for the little ones. The house is booked in August, for the Folk Costume Festival. A stay in 1850, with sand-brewed coffee and monastic rakia.