Day 88: A quick glimpse into Bulgaria - Sofia, Bulgaria

(Him: Charlie)
Lion is everywhere in Bulgaria. This national symbol appears on every bank note, significant monuments, and statues. Even the currency, “Lev”, means “lion” in Bulgaria (Romania is the same for that matter with their “Lei”).

Bulgaria is an ancient land. With inhabitants first settled thousands of years ago, the country is rich in historical sites and religious monuments.

Unfortunately, time is not on our side. We have committed to be in Istanbul by August 6 to meet up with our friends, Aarthi and Kedar, from India. This means we have about 10 days to travel both Bulgaria and Romania.

So as a starter, we packed 3 days of action in Sofia. The plan is to go to Romania on the north after Sofia, spend 4 days in Romania, and then return to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, and then finally enter Turkey by Aug 6. Wishful thinking! As we know all along, planning far ahead on a backpacking trip rarely works out. Things are about to be reshuffled when we get to Romania.

Some highlights in and around Sofia.

Sofia: Apparently, Sofia was built upon a natural thermal spring. People in the city continue to fetch the spring water to drink to this date. The interesting thing is the only thermal bath in the city, housed in a grandiose building (in photo), has not been used for decades. The City is considering to convert it for other use. My question is, why not just renovate it and re-open it as it was designed for??

Rila Monastery: Simply one of the finest monasteries we have seen. Tucked away in the mountains, the monastery is ideal for reflection and meditation (though not during the day, thanks to herds of tourists, but tourists are welcome to stay overnight).

 

 

Kroprivshtitsa: An old and rustic rural town that preserves buildings from the Ottoman era. Aside from a few museum, most buildings continue to be used by the local community to this date.