In May 2001 I spent 2 weeks travelling in Bulgaria. This is a very ancient and honourable culture that disappeared from the history books for longer than my own country has been in existence. There are wonderful ruins, great churches and interesting people.
My trip began in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and a major city. I was able to stay with a Servas host that gave me a totally different perspective of the city. Sofia offered two highlights for me: the first was an evening at the opera. Tickets were 15 BGL (about $7 USD). The opera was Don Carlos with glorious singing and acting and a set too large for the stage. The second highlight was a day excursion to Rila Monastery. This is an ancient monastery, with monks still living there. I chose an English language day trip from Sophia with an English speaking guide and lunch. It cost ($65 USD) and I’m certain it could be done less expensive than that. But I chose to go with convenience. Behind Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was under restoration while I was there, women come to sell their handwork. The quality was good and the prices were very reasonable. You can negotiate.
Bulgarians use the Cyrillic alphabet that was difficult for me. I carried the alphabet with me, but even then I had difficulty. Languages are not my forte, normally I was able to find English speakers and to make my needs and wants known. I found that many Bulgarians spoke both French and German so those languages would help.
From Sofia, I preceded to Plovdiv. Throughout the country I used local busses. They were inexpensive, had good equipment, and were normally on time. Bulgarian drivers are very aggressive. There is also a railroad system, but it was just easier to use the busses.
Plovdiv is another ancient city that has a Roman amphitheatre, which was fascinating to see. There my Servas host family took me to Bachkovo Monastery. It has not been restored like Rila and is darker and more mysterious. I liked it a lot. While I was there the Spring International Trade Fair was going on. I attended one morning. It was fascinating to see the various vendors from all over Europe and what they were offering.
From Plovdiv I continued to Veliko Turnovo – a medieval city in the mountains. I highly recommend this. It has a beautiful setting with interesting craft shops. While I was there the folk festival was going on near my hotel. I couldn’t understand a word of the songs, but the dancing was interesting, the costumes colourful and the people a joy to watch.
Then it was on to the Black Sea. This was probably my favourite part of the trip. I began in Varna – which has one of the most beautiful Cathedral churches, I have ever seen. Then I spent a night in Nessebar – a coast city and ended in Burgas, a large port. From there I took the bus to Istanbul, Turkey for another week.
One last note – wherever I went in the country I was able to find computer cafes. For the most part, the prices were good and the equipment was fast. I sent e-mails on a regular basis.
Thank you Sandra – this is so inspiring! You have given the Beetle an idea for a European holiday! If you would like to contact her, she can be reached on: smingua32@msn.com