Off to Bulgaria

The country of Bulgaria is directly north of Greece, so it made sense to drop in there while I was in the neighborhood.  My trip included spending a week in this EU country and even taking a day to head to North Macedonia that only took a few hours of driving west.

Admittedly, my first moments in Bulgaria were a bit rough for a number of reasons.  I was confronted with long lines at immigration, a disgruntled taxi driver picking me up at the airport when I was delayed, finding out at the hotel that my bank put a block on my credit cards without me knowing (of course), all after a long day of flights to my new home-away-from-home.  These issues didn't last long, thankfully, including the bank clearing the unnecessary block after I contacted them.  It was soon 'all systems go'.

After things settled down, it became evident that my time in Bulgaria would be wonderful.  I know this is a 'no kidding' comment, but I have to say that while Google Maps provides a great birds-eye view of locations and distances, there is nothing like walking the streets and seeing the city for yourself.  Not at all what you imagine from a map!

Sofia is a beautiful city with lots of history.  I'm sure the fact that I was there in spring with new leaves and flowers sprouting everywhere only enhanced its beauty.  

I stopped many times on my way to different sites, such as the time I stopped to marvel at the flowering vines on a corner of the King's Palace (later called the Tsar's Palace) that now serves as part of the National Art Gallery.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of this area!

 

I was able to visit some of the advertised highlights in Sofia including the Ivan Vazov Theater built in 1907 and adjacent park, all located a few blocks from my hotel.

Also within walking distance was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, named after a key figure in early 13th century medieval Russian history.

In the same neighborhood stands the Byzantine 4th century St Sophia Church.  This church was built on the grounds of ancient churches and cemetery that existed before its time. 

Most visitors will walk by the 1914 Russian orthodox Church of St Nicholas on their way to various destinations because of its central location in the city.

Outside the front door of my hotel was the Cathedral Church.

As mentioned in a previous post, the oldest building in Sofia is situated in the courtyard of my hotel and could be seen from my window.  The 4th century St George Cathedral now belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Typical of ancient cities like Sofia are archeological discoveries found during construction of modern day amenities.  Such was the case with what is known as Ancient Serdica, the original name of Sofia and its ancient 5th century BC settlement discovered when constructing the city's metro.  

Sofia was not only about what I saw, but what I heard.  It was 'so typically European' to hear church bells ringing all around the city every morning at 8, and then for 10 minutes on Sunday morning.  

I couldn't miss the ringing bells since I had my window open the entire time I was in Europe.  The summer season has not officially arrived in April, so hotel air systems don't offer air conditioning... hence the open window to cool things down as best possible while also enjoying the sounds from the country of Bulgaria!