Sunday, March 25
We happen to be walking past the Catholic Church, Cathedral Saint Ludvik, when we saw many people walking about with their version of “Palm Fronds”. It was Palm Sunday. Since the service had just ended we popped in for a quick peek.
Construction on the church began in 1858 and it was completed three years later. The bell tower was built in 1902, after the Ottoman defeat. The interior was modestly decorated and showed no traces of the Byzantine style found in the Eastern Orthodox Churches here. We took a few pictures and quickly left for our next destination.
(Cathedral Saint Ludvik)
Fun Fact: The Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian Calendar rather than the Gregorian Calendar and so Easter is celebrated a week later than the rest of Christendom.
The day’s main activity was a trip along the walking path that follows the Maritsa River. The path goes for many miles in both directions and also has a separate lane for bicycle traffic. We strolled towards the Sports Complex located on the outskirts of Town. The facility contains a large stadium, a rowing canal, soccer fields, tennis clubs and a few seasonal restaurants. The complex is designed for professional quality events and has hosted many European championships. We also investigated the tennis clubs. One of them was open. The hourly rate was 12 leva ($7.80).
Lunch was at one of favorite food stands. We had “French Fry” sandwiches once again. They are darn good.
(French Fry Sandwiches – These are the Small Ones)
Distance walked: 9.1 miles
Tuesday, March 27
We stayed inside on Monday because of the rain so by Tuesday we were itching to go out and do something. First we visited the large Muslim house of worship near the city center. It’s called, Dzhumaya Mosque. The Mosque was originally constructed in the 1360s after the Ottoman conquest. The current incarnation dates from the 1420s. It is one of the oldest mosques in the Balkans. In ancient times the site was home to a pagan temple. Later it became a Catholic Church. The mosque was built on the same site using many of the stones from the previous buildings.
(Dzhumaya Mosque)
We also visited the Imaret Mosque, which is a smaller structure near the waterfront. It is less ornate than the larger mosque. At one time the city had dozens of active mosques. Only three are active today.
Time for a coffee break! We headed over to a nearby cafe named the Monkey House for some excellent Greek coffee (they claim their coffee beans come from Greece, which seems improbable). The barista made our cappuccinos and, instead of giving them to us, started playing with her phone. We were about to be annoyed when we realized that she was just taking pictures of the designs she had made in the foam. Latte Art is a big thing these days.
(Cappuccinos as Art)
Afterwards we headed back to the Sports Complex. We wanted to see the park-like grounds that surround the rowing canal. The gardeners were hard at work preparing the flower beds and grounds for the Spring season. The forsythia were in full bloom. This gave us hope that the Winter weather was finally on its way out. We walked the entire perimeter, more than three miles, and headed back to Town for a light lunch. We picked up a whole, roasted chicken for dinner. It cost less than $5.00.
(Rowing Canal)
Distance walked: 11.7 miles
Wednesday, March 28
We had errands to run today. Our accountant finally got back to us about our tax return. He needed us to sign some papers so he could file electronically. The idea of going back to the Bulgarian Post Office was more than we could bear. We needed to be sure that these papers would get to their intended destination. We decided to try DHL.
First we had to print out copies of the forms. We headed over to the area near the University and found a number of office supply stores. The three copies and an envelope cost about $0.40, which was much higher than in Sofia. It’s a good thing we’re headed to Burgas in a week. This place is starting to get expensive 😉.
It had started to rain and we were both dragging from our long walk the previous day so we made our way over to our favorite coffee house: Croatóan Specialty Coffee. The last time we were there the barista had recommended the “filter” coffee. We ordered two – one made from Ethiopian beans and one from Kenyan beans. They were served black and we drank them without milk or sugar. The filter process produced an intense flavor. The consistency was almost creamy with no grounds at all.
The Kenyan coffee had a brighter flavor. They described it as resembling citrus. The Ethiopian was more mellow. Both had much higher quantities of caffeine than our usual cappuccinos. After paying the barista gave us a loyalty card. We need four more stamps for a free coffee. No problem!
Two blocks away we walked into DHL. The sole clerk was SCREAMING into the phone at someone. We waited quietly until she slammed the receiver down in disgust. Before we could say anything one of the couriers walked in which prompted a heated discussion. The Post Office was starting to look good. However, when she turned her attention to us she was very helpful and pleasant. Fortunately she spoke English very well. The package should be delivered by Friday. We have tracking numbers and aren’t afraid to use them.
Distance walked: 5.9 miles