Advertisement
Published: August 9th 2013
Edit Blog Post
This entry...and may be one or two more...may be exactly what you were not expecting to read...because simply like me...what do we really know of Bulgaria, or it's capital Sofia?
Which bells is Bulgaria ringing for you....the mafia...few gypsies...or if you have lived too long like me in Shanghai....way too young gorgeous apprentice models who can say their names...and hold a glass of champagne...but not really more...
Well...Sofia is not that...it's not even close to that image ...so let me take you to a trip...I had no idea I would take...on a beautiful two days of summer...
But first, a little note to my friend Nick in Montreal....time is changing fast, and the train ride had nothing to do...with the nightmare I was actually expecting. Loaded with drinks...and after a last beer on the terrace right in front of the platform...I made my way...to bed. There was only one sleeper car...and one sleeper-bed car. The first one has 6 berths per cabin, the last one only 4. The 4 berths one was fully booked...I'll never know if that was true.
The 6 berths sleeper had been advertised to me
as close to be full....well....60% occupancy...is not full where I come from. Next door were the funny Swiss....the one after the Aussies...and I share my cabin with a shy young couple of Spanish students. This was...an inter-rail car...with the fun...I was only slightly older than the general fun crowd. So Nick, no traffic here...just pure fun young guys from all over. We left at 10pm...we stopped 10 minutes at the Serbian border...than 10 minutes at the Bulgarian one....and we were on our way to Sofia. There is a time change of one hour...I checked in just after 9am in my hotel.
My initial blog title could have been..."Sleeping with the Buglarian President", but some of you may not appreciate that humor. Only reason for this, my lovely, and not really small room is adjacent to the Presidential Palace...same backyard...actually same building....kind of fun. Another nice bed...and trust me, after a night on the night train, I love those long mid-morning baths!
I don't have any guide-book for this trip...I actually didn't plan anything ahead beside my hotel stays. So I reach a place...walk from the station to the hotel...pretty often around 2.5km...than check-in early...thanks
to my "little contacts"...and than on a bath before connecting to the internet by 10am...to plan my day, and the next (and to reply to way too many important emails too)! I know, I couldn't do more last minute than this.
In Sofia I went to the National Opera...but they are off for most of August. I spent my day walking around, got a nice trout for lunch...and than even got some nice Bulgarian wine to write my "Belgrade" blog. Still, I had some few fun activities planed for later. First day I was amazed by the beautiful St Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the compact, but beautiful downtown Sofia. This place is what we would dream Prague and Budapest could still be. Friendly and welcoming locals...no tourists...or to be honest, close to no tourists...and buildings that do worth to cross the street...or the city!
Next day, my 4 hours bike ride of Sofia was booked...I'm starting to get used to these fun encounters. It was a Wednesday...and I went on my first ever Pub Crawl. Hey, I'm not 60 yet...why not! The idea is you pay a small fee, including few drinks, for locals
to take you to few back-doors bars in the city...all that allowing to meet at the same time young people from all over.
25 people showed up...an Aussie couple...two female international teachers who lived in in Kiev...and hate it (by their look, I know why)....and at least 22 single young guys...mainly from UK....you know what they say about young UK guys coming to Eastern Europe to get laid...well....that what it was...but it was so cute to see those young things...big torsos...but actually pretty shy. And for your info, I had a really fun evening...left them just after 1am...I'm too old to play stone/paper/scissors at 1am and the loser drink....sorry mates!
Left them, as the place around my hotel, right bang in the center of town, had so many cute, classy...terraces....with also the right public. No mafia here, no gypsies...it's all gorgeous people....if only I could speak Bulgarian...trust me, never saw those places neither in Prague or Budapest. But than again, this "trendy fun square" is pretty small, and I guess anybody would turn around pretty fast....fine with me!
Next morning, nice breakfast and it was time to head for a good
late morning 4 hours bike ride around the town...the parks...and even the local forest...fun time! And yes, a nice late lunch after this by a gorgeous terrace, and it was time for me to head back to the train station.
One more time, as I said before about those places...not sure I would love this place in January...well...if that limited public get dressed as well in winter as they do in summer...I want to see before making any further judgment. You could have left me few more days in Sofia....I would have joined Bulgarian classes...but wouldn't have been bored...I guess!
Next...another night train, and this time, something a little different....but nevertheless....so far...so good....
You don't see a country in two days...you don't understand his people in two days...but it's like a nice wine tasting...you know that you may be on for a lot more...one day...and Sofia...come now, you won't regret it!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.081s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 14; qc: 27; dbt: 0.0591s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Donna and Neil
Donna and Neil
Sofia!
Looks like a lovely city and very empty of tourists, as you say like Prague used to be. One day we will do a mammoth overland trip through Europe, so good to see Sofia! Hope you are well and the kids are enjoying their time being spoilt by their grandparents.