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Published: October 5th 2008
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It took me a while to figure out why I was so fond of Bulgaria's capital. The architecture is fairly typical of the region, and the sights and history don't compare to some other cities we have visited, even with it being some 7,000 years old. But Sofia has to be one of the highlights of the tour so far.
Discovering that the fine local Zagorka beer was priced at 60p definitely went in its favour, but it is Sofia's diverse street scene that holds its key. Makeshift stalls selling everything from pizza to flowers to jewellery dot the pavements while expensive designer boutiques have moved in alongside independent stores selling anything and everything for extremely cheap prices. People bend down to almost pavement level to buy cigarettes and drinks from squat kiosks. It is all very eclectic and enjoyable to be amongst.
Having said that, our first taste of the capital after a six-hour train journey from Varna was a Big Mac meal from the dreaded Golden Arches near our centrally-located apartment overlooking Yuzhen Park. Convenience one, culture nil.
As per usual we lazily emerged late the following morning with a sightseeing agenda to follow. The sun was out so we headed to the park to see the 1300th Anniversary Monument, a tall sculpture with figures carved onto it which frankly is falling apart. A perimeter fence has been erected around the bottom of it presumably to stop it crumbling any further.
After a quick pitstop for a Zagorka we strolled up Vitosha, one of the main shopping streets which bustled with browsers and office workers out on their lunch breaks, to the Sveta Nedelya cathedral. Carmel wanted a look inside, so Si and I headed to Happy, the chain Hooters-style restaurant that had catered so prolifically for us in Varna, while she did her thing. Churches and cathedrals have lost their appeal for me although I'll still seek out the occasional one worth seeing, such as the church of St George which we stumbled upon in a courtyard. It was partially destroyed during the war and the ruins have been preserved.
Some lavishly-dressed guards had the pleasure of us mucking around and taking photos with them outside the nearby President's building. Sadly we got there a little too late to see the changing of the guards on the hour, and not wishing to wait around we headed to the Sofia City Garden for another alfresco beverage. This must be a great place to watch if Bulgaria are playing in the World Cup as a big screen is fired up in the northern part of the park with cafes dotted around it.
Si's eyes lit up as he spotted a Chinese restaurant on the way east from there, so a very filling dinner was wolfed down quickly as we tried to get to the Russian-style Alexander Nevski church, probably the most spectacular building in the city, before nightfall.
We did manage it but our attention was diverted from the huge white church with gold-domed towers by the huge number of soldiers and police kicking about. A quick piece of research revealed that today was Independence Day in Bulgaria, and sure enough after a while a ceremony began with military personnel marching to the St Sofia church next to the Alexander Nevski. A parade took place, and higher ranking members read out the names of those who had fought for the country's liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. This was followed by a gun salute and a brief fireworks display watched by a crowd of about 150 people.
The excitement didn't end there as on the way back to our apartment we heard some extremely loud bass tones that seemed to be coming from all around us. They were in fact coming from Yuzhen Park, where an American rap group were on a concert stage geeing up a crowd of about 500 excitable young people. It was the start of Sofia Dance Week and the kids had obviously chosen hip-hop ahead of patriotism. Indeed, some of the ladies in the audience were invited to come onto the stage and strut their stuff. "Only those above the age of consent" urged the hyperactive MC, clearly not wanting to end up in trouble like R Kelly.
As an aside, I don't know whether bowel "issues" dog the Sofian population but the city's toilets have the strongest flushes I have ever witnessed. Frequently the water would fly up out of the bowl and onto the floor, as a result of which I always had concerns that the person using the facilities after me would accuse me of missing the target, as it were. It never happened, but I was uneasy. A big mistake would be to flush before you had risen from the seat, especially for diminutive types who would surely be propelled against the cubicle door as if they had been shot out of a cannon. I'm digressing...
With most of our sightseeing done, we aimlessly roamed around the following day, first having a peek at the outside of the Vassily Levski stadium, a modern ground that plays host to matches involving the national team.
After walking the pedestrianised Graf Ignatiev with its market in full flow, I bought an A3-sized poster from a souvenir stall selling communist antiques. It'll look good in my new flat I thought, giving little consideration to how the hell I will get it there in one piece with almost two months of travelling still to go.
That evening, we ate in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant on Vitosha, even indulging in a shot of rakija, the local Balkan firewater that is a distilled spirit similar to brandy. But we decided against a night out as we had to move on the next day.
It was disappointing that the temperatures during our stay here were well below the norm for the time of year. It can get stinking hot in Sofia, but it was jumper-wearing weather when we were in town. I'd like to come back to Bulgaria. It is cheap and has everything: mountains, beach resorts, attractive cities and plenty of English speakers to put monolinguists like me at ease (and to shame). Not to mention toilet flushes that make Niagra Falls look like a ripple. The only negative was I didn't find out the name of that hip-hop group. Should they become the centre of the next American rap sex scandal, I'd like to be able to say "I told you so".
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