Blogs from Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria, Europe - page 5

We have a whirlwind seven weeks to hightail back to Paris. We are going via a few more Eastern European nations with plans for all the IA countries, the Slovakias, Romanias, Bulgarias and Hungarias. First up, Bulgaria, proudly boasting "the oldest survived state in Europe which has kept its original name". You suspect a country's tourism is in its infanacy when the customs official at the border asks with a look of resignation if we are just transitting in Bulgaria. It's as if that's all he thinks foreigners do here. A nation that must be crossed enroute to somewhere else. To his great delight, we asked the customs guy to put down his well worn transit stamp and dust the cobwebs off his tourist visa stamp. We are staying, for a short while at least. So ... read more

Her følger en kort oppsummering av den bulgarske påsken 2007 slik norske tungvint-turister opplevde den: Skjærtorsdag og langfredag ble, som seg hør og bør, tilbragt hvilende, nærmere bestemt i svartehavsbyen Burgas i Bulgaria. En forholdsvis stor mengde svett arbeidsantrekk (=sykkeltøy) ble vasket og til og med de svette syklistene fikk skrubbet seg til påske. Langfredag ble også laugardag for syklene. Kvine satte personlig rekord med å bruke nesten to timer på å rengjøre kjedet sitt... Påskeaften ble brukt til aktivt å unngå å diskutere Arne Paasche-Aasen. Derimot kastet vi oss igjen på syklene og satte kursen mot landsbyen Straldsja, litt nord for Jambol. Der var avtalen at vi skulle hente en kaval (bulgarsk trefløyte) for nesten-bulgareren og instrumentalschizofrenetikeren Stian Carstensen i Farmers Market. Vel framme i Straldsja fant vi byens eneste hotell. Det ... read more

Moved from the crappy Hostel PBI Hostel and found another one on the internet Hiker's Hostel. This is the same price 10Euros but has a far more friendly social atmosphere. There's washing facilities, HOT showers, a communal room and fantastic views out over the city. If you're staying in Plovdiv I think this has to be the place. The only down side is that it's up a cobbled hill in the old town and if you've shredded your knee in the mountains you're in for PAIN. ... read more

My last day in Sofia was very lazy, I don't think I got up until midday, and so I eventually left Sofia rather later than I should have done. Sofia train station was a vast grey labryinth of Cyrillic signs and communist architecture. I had a quick flap as I couldn't find anywhere selling tickets to Plovdiv. Fortunately, I had my trusty Rough guide to hand which informed me that they could be purchased in the basement. I arrived into Plovdiv as darkness was approaching, which is never the ideal situation when trying to find some obscure address in a strange town. Most provincial cities in ex communist countries seem to have very constrastıng sectıons, but in Plovdiv the difference was more pronounced between the lovely old town which was perched on a hill and the ... read more

Yes, that's right. I've not had a pleasant time with the canines in this country. I have been chased into and out of very city, village and country road that there is - or so it seems - by feral, rabid dogs and, truth be told I am getting rather weary of it. Cycling out of Sofia began well. I started early but as I reached the outskirts of the city I was chased by two dogs on one side of the road. When I crossed to the other side of the road, I had 2 more chasing me until I was cycling in the middle of the road with traffic passing me on either side. I was very happy to say goodbye to Sofia after that adrenalin rush. My destination on that day was Rila ... read more