starship VT's Guestbook

That face!
RenanDrew, thanks for your visit and nice comment. We really did have excellent weather in Sofia, and sorry you didn't have better weather on your own trip there. For being a large city, I thought Sofia was very pleasant, with friendly people, lots of history and so much to see. We were there for a total of 4 nights over the course of the trip, but to really do Sofia justice, it would have been better to stay at least 2 more days as several of my friends did. I absolutely loved that lion!

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Dave, thanks for your visit! Although I did not learn this information while in Sofia, when I did some research after our return I found that Nevsky was a Russian prince (and I believe is considered a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church). Apparently though the cathedral is named for him, it was also built in honor of the soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish war, and that these battles in the end aided in the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire. We saw similar tributes to a variety of people who aided in the struggle of Bulgaria to free itself from Ottoman rule.

Great memories
Thanks so much Anne Marie! I came home with great memories too. Still chuckling at the story you told me about one particular night in Sofia!!! LOL!

'Cabin Fever"
You're probably correct from a marketing standpoint, and I guess the people who put on the boat show that same day at the Javits Center also take the same approach. But no matter to me as it certainly brightened up an otherwise cold and boring winter weekend!! I'm now thinking that a bucket couldn't hold all the places I'd love to travel to, LOL!! Thanks for your comment!

'Interesting to compare experiences!'
Sarah, thanks for your visit! Even with the crowds, I think you'd enjoy the NYT Travel Show, as I'm sure I would enjoy the London Destinations Show too. It would have been nice to have complimentary show tickets for sure, but the cost for our tickets was negligible in the scheme of things especially for NYC!

A wonderful day out!
Thanks for your visit, Sarah. Although I thought the Snaefellsness Peninsula tour was the best in terms of sights, I thought the transportation was the absolute worst. We were relegated to sitting in the back the entire day; I am short and yet the seating was extremely cramped for me; the shock absorbers seemed to be non-existent and every time the minivan hit bad road conditions we were jostled to the point it was almost intolerable. I actually said something to the driver/guide about how bad it was and could he please take it easy in such cases, but he was curt and moreorless gave a "get over it" reply. By the end of the day we had really had enough! So hoping for better in Bulgaria.

Just stunning...
Thanks so much for the nice comments -- I really appreciate the feedback. I'm so glad you liked the Okelda carbonated spring photo!! I'd love to visit northern Iceland now as the scenery there is just incredible.