Well, we’ve now spent three months in Bulgaria – six weeks in София (Sofia), three weeks in Пловдив (Plovdiv), two weeks in Ъургас (Burgas) and two weeks in Ъарна (Varna). We can actually read some of this now. We managed to form a few opinions along the way…
Bulgarians are a very warm and friendly people but their ways are somewhat different from what we’re used to in the U.S. They generally have a rather dour look on their faces and rarely smile. If you’re walking down the street they will never make eye contact – no little head nods – never any smalltalk. At the supermarket it’s normal to checkout without exchanging small pleasantries like “please” and “thank you” with the cashier. None of this should put you off. Bulgarians will make every effort to be helpful and will happily engage you in conversation. They have a great sense of humor and love to laugh. We found that the younger people love Western culture and are curious about the U.S.
Cigarette smoking and drinking are quite common here. Most restaurants have an inside, where smoking is not permitted, and a patio area, where smoking is permitted. Even in the colder weather the patios always fill up first.
Every city we’ve been to had a multitude of parks and green spaces. Bulgarians love their parks and spend lots of time there. Many have tennis courts, soccer fields, playgrounds and more. The parks, which are well groomed and maintained, are all full of monuments and statutes. Another nice feature is the pedestrian walkways. The cities all seem to have wide central boulevards where you can find shops, restaurants, art galleries and so much more. Cars are never permitted in these areas. These spaces are very popular during the day and at night.
There are thousands of stray dogs and cats in the major cities. Bulgarians seem to treat them like outdoor pets. They caress them, they feed them and they care for them. The Government catches, neuters, vaccinates and releases most of the dogs. It’s harder to do with the cats. You often see cats waiting patiently near restaurants for handouts. They seem well behaved and healthy. Interestingly, we haven’t seen a rodent since we’ve been in the country. Maybe they’re on to something.
Bulgaria is a spotlessly clean place. Everywhere you look someone is cleaning something. Even the public restrooms are clean. And speaking of restrooms, there are plenty of public restrooms. Sometimes there is a small fee to use them but it’s worth it.
Not everyone is happy about the fall of Communism. Under the Communist government there was a large set of free social services. Wages may have been low and few people had substantial savings but they expected to be taken care of in retirement. Gone are the days when housing and healthcare were free and there are no more automatic government pensions. It has been very hard on the older population.
Whereas most of the older people speak Russian the younger generation all learn English in school and most are fairly accomplished. Unlike what you might expect they speak American English and use American slang. The younger generation seems very modern and is very proud to have a democratic government. They are entrepreneurial and crave Western culture. Today Bulgaria is a member of both the European Union and NATO. It’s likely that as the younger generation comes into its own Bulgaria will become more and more Westernized.
We’ve read many articles on Bulgarian food. It’s often described as being bold, flavorful and well seasoned. We’re going to have to take exception with those opinions. Bulgarians eat a lot of potatoes, cabbage, pork, pizza, vegetables and phyllo dough stuffed with just about anything but never seem to use any sort of seasonings – not even salt and pepper. By the seacoast we’ve had a lot of fresh seafood and it’s also prepared very plainly. Bulgarians love sour flavors and they’ll pickle just about anything. They enjoy sour yogurt drinks and their local cheeses (simply called “White” and “Yellow”) are rather pungent. For the most part we’ve stuck to imported cheeses.
Bulgaria has some of the oldest settlements on the continent. Being at the crossroads between the Middle East and Western Europe it has a rich history that spans many cultures including the Thracians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. The people here are very knowledgable and proud of their culture and are eager for visitors to appreciate it. Many cities and towns highlight their history and showcase their archeological past. The country itself is large and varied. It extends from the Danube River in the West to the Black Sea in the East. The mountain ranges are perfect for skiing in the Winter and hiking in the Summer. The cities along the Black Sea are some of Europe’s favorite summertime resort areas. Your dollar will go further in Bulgaria than just about any place we can think of.
That’s Bulgaria in a nutshell. We’ve gotten to see a good portion of the country and it’s been a great ride. We’re very happy that we stopped in for a visit.
Now for a fun adventure – we walked into Town. Along the way we stopped at a couple of fun places.
Our first stop was at a place we saw on the map entitled, “The Legendary Monk Seal”. We thought that it had something to do with a nearby monastery, or at least something religious. We laughed out loud when we came face to face with it…
(The Legendary Monk Seal)
It’s a lovely gazebo made out of stone featuring a sculpture of a monk seal. The vegetation has encroached around the perimeter but it was still very pretty. The monument is high on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea. It’s a nice place for a picnic. We don’t know why it’s legendary.
We continued down the main road until we got to the The Monument the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship. It’s a large monument set high on a hill and dates from the communist period. The base of the hill is a wooded park where you can find people walking, jogging, biking or just hanging out. To get to the monument you have to climb a boatload of steps. The person who designed the monument had a nasty sense of humor. Once you get to the top of the steps you are faced with another very large set of steps that must be climbed to get to the top. The top set of steps are shielded from view and can only be seen from the top of the first set of steps.
(This is the top set of ‘hidden’ stairs)
The view from the top is amazing. There’s a 180 degree panoramic view of the Black Sea and the surrounding countryside.
After enjoying the view (and the refreshing breeze) for a while we walked down the stairs and headed into Town to do some errands. Near the main pedestrian walkway we found preparations for some sort of parade. The participants were all wearing very colorful, traditional costumes.
(Colorful, Traditional Costumes)
Belts containing many bells were part of most of the costumes and they were rung enthusiastically and noisily. We watched for a while before heading home on the bus.
(Beards and Bells)
Distance walked: 9.7 miles
Monday, April 30
Our last day in Varna and our last day in Bulgaria. We went into Town once more. We explored the harbor and saw men fishing in the bay. Looking into the water we could easily see large fish and schools of small fish (maybe tsatsa!) swimming about. No one caught anything while we were watching.
We walked through the sea garden one last time. The flowers and trees were all in bloom. We were fortunate to see Spring arrive. We had lunch at a Turkish restaurant and then headed home to pack. Tomorrow we’ll be in Budapest. We’re really looking forward to being there.
Beach day! Today we walked around the resort area and went down to the beach. We hung out on the sand for a while and enjoyed the sun and the view. We stuck our feet in the water. It’s still very cold. We enjoyed watching the ships coming in and out of the harbor. Most of the ships appear to be cargo vessels. The petroleum tankers probably go to Burgas.
(The Black Sea)
We had lunch at a local restaurant called, “Happy House”. We ordered greek salad and pizza with an over-easy egg on it. It was an interesting experiment.
When we came back we saw two things that startled us. A large iguana made an appearance near the pool. He has a cage between the bar area and the hot tub. It can get chilly in the evenings so they take him inside after the sun goes down. He’s very friendly. The other piece of news is that the pool is being cleaned out. They’ve even started filling it. It’ll probably be filled by the time we leave.
(The Hotel Iguana – He’s Very Laid Back)
Distance walked: 4.6 miles
Tuesday, April 24
Another trip on the bus into Town. We found a nice coffee shop called, “The Three Dolphins”. They serve coffee made from 100% Arabica beans that is produced in Austria. It was very good.
Afterwards we visited the archeological museum. The museum’s claim to fame is that it contains the earliest known examples of golden objects made by man. They were found in an ancient burial site in the area. The site was accidentally discovered in 1972 and the finds date from around 4,600 BC. They were surprisingly ornate and quite beautiful. Many pieces had intricate filigree work – especially the jewelry. The museum charges 20 leva (around $13.00) for the privilege of taking pictures, so you won’t find any on this site.
We found a recommendation for a Turkish restaurant online and today we decided to try it. It’s called, “The Orient”. We arrived around 11:45 am and the place was empty. The waiter, having nothing better to do, engaged us in conversation. He wanted to know if we’d ever had Turkish food before and asked if we wanted anything special. We said, “Yes, we want Kazandibi”. He never heard of it! We were considering leaving. Kazandibi is a standard Turkish dessert and any restaurant where it was unheard of was, in our eyes, suspect. We decided to take a look at the menus and wound up ordering lamb skewers that came with rice, pickled cabbage and sautéed onions and a falafel plate that came with a bowl of tahini sauce. It was all really delicious. For dessert the waiter tried to make up for our disappointment and recommended the Kanafeh. It was good but no Kazandibi.
(Half Eaten Lamb Skewers. You’re Lucky You Got a Picture At All)
We think we’ve finally figured out the busses here. One nice thing is that you can buy tickets on the bus, which makes things easy and convenient. You don’t even need exact change. There is a person on every bus who sells tickets and will even make change. We found a schedule online that seems to be fairly accurate. It’s worked out better for us than our experiences in Sofia!
Distance walked: 5.1 miles
Thursday, April 26
Another trip into Town. This time we concentrated on buying supplies for the next legs of our journey. We went to the big shopping mall by the bus station and had lunch at an Italian eatery in the food court. We had chicken in turmeric sauce and vegetarian “meatballs” made from spinach and quinoa, which were surprisingly good.
(Chicken in Turmeric Sauce and Spinach “Meatballs”)
Apartments tend to fill up faster in the summer time so we decided to book several cities in advance. Our next stop will be in Budapest, Hungary and we will be there for a month. After that we will be spending a month in Prague, Czech Republic followed by two weeks in Dresden, Germany and two weeks in Warsaw, Poland. We have some ideas of what will come after that but we don’t want to spoil the surprise. 😊
The bus ride to Varna took about 2.5 hours. We found out the hard way that some bus companies run large coach buses and some run smaller Sprinter Vans. Our trip was in a Sprinter Van. The seats were a little narrow and the interior was a little on the spartan side but it was a short trip and we made it without incident.
Varna is larger than we expected. We’d heard stories that it has gotten somewhat rundown and isn’t as nice as it used to be. We found it to be charming and much nicer than we expected. Like Burgas it is on the Black Sea and has a lovely Sea Garden. It seems fairly large but is only the third largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv.
Varna has been an active port city for more than 3,000 years. In ancient times it was referred to as Odessos and was inhabited by the Thracians before becoming controlled by the Greek, Roman, Bulgarian and Ottoman civilizations. Today it is a major sea port and home to the Bulgarian Navy and Merchant Marines.
Instead of our usual practice of getting an apartment in the middle of Town we opted for a residence in a village about five miles north called Konstantine and Elena. This is a beach resort with many hotels and restaurants catering to tourists. We’ve obviously arrived before the summer season started because many of the local businesses are not yet open. Few people are staying in the hotel at present. The pool has yet to be filled.
The hotel complex is actually split into two parts. On one side is a traditional hotel and on the other side, where we’re staying, there are guest apartments. These guest apartments enjoy all of the typical hotel services (cleaning, linens, etc.) but also come with complete kitchens and a separate bedroom. We also have a large balcony that spans the living room and the bedroom. It overlooks the empty pool. 😉
Most people have been addressing us in German and many locals seem to be fluent in that language. Varna and the surrounding areas are very popular with German speaking peoples. We hear it being spoken frequently. Thankfully our German is better than our Bulgarian.
The cab ride from the bus station to our hotel took about 15 minutes. After we checked into the hotel we realized that I’d left my tennis racket in the cab. This is the second time I left my racket behind since we left New York. Perhaps fate is trying to tell me something. Not knowing even the name of the cab company we figured it was a lost cause and gave up hope of ever seeing it again.
There is a nice supermarket right next to the hotel but they were not yet open for the season so we opted to raid a nearby market for supplies. It was not really open either but the doors were open and there was food on the shelves so we just invited ourselves in. The cashier was very kind and helped us find the things we needed. Many of them were in the store room in the back. We determined to go into Town the next day and do a major shop.
We strolled along the beach for a bit before trying to find a place for lunch. Our first choices were closed but we found a very nice restaurant with an extensive menu. The waitress asked us, in German, if we wanted menus. We responded in English and the conversation continued in our preferred language. We decided that it was time to try another Bulgarian specialty: stuffed peppers. These were sweet red peppers stuffed with a mixture of chicken and vegetables. Being that we were now in a Germanic frame of mind we also ordered Wiener Schnitzel and some garlic bread. The peppers were particularly delicious (no pictures unless you want to see another empty plate).
(The Beach)
Distance walked: 5.1 miles
Thursday, April 19
We decided to go into Varna, see something of the city, and buy enough groceries for the next few days. The hotel informed us that the 31A bus stopped right by the building every 40 minutes or so and would take us into Town. The cost was one leva per person and tickets could be purchased on the bus.
Confident in our new found knowledge we walked over to the bus stop. After a few minutes a 31A bus stopped and we got on. The woman selling tickets waived us off. I said, “Varna?” and she said, “Neh!”. We were very confused but since we weren’t welcome on that bus we got off. We decided there must be another bus to take so we waited for about 10 minutes before the SAME bus returned to the stop. This time the bus driver waived to us and we got on. The same woman came over to us, smiled and said, “Varna” and sold us tickets. We still have no idea what happened.
The bus dropped us off in the center of Town right near the big Cathedral – just where we wanted to go. The Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral (aka The Assumption of the Virgin Mary) is the largest cathedral in Varna. Construction was started in 1880 after the liberation from the Ottoman Empire. The exterior has the characteristic onion domes. The interior, in typical Byzantine style, is beautifully decorated with frescos and icons. Unlike any other church we’ve seen in Bulgaria this one had pews. The interior was in excellent condition.
(The Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral)
We decided next to head towards the bus station in the hopes of finding the tennis racket. Perhaps the cab driver would be there or perhaps he had turned it into the lost and found. We figured it was a long shot but we had to give it a try. Besides, it seemed a great way to see some of the city.
It was a bright, sunny day with the temperatures in the 60s so we enjoyed the two mile walk over to the station. Along the way we discovered another Cafe Nedelya (our favorite cake cafe from Sofia and Burgas). This time we exercised a little self-control. You might hear about it again in a later post.
Upon arrival at the bus station we searched for our cab driver in vain. We went inside and checked the lost and found. No luck. We had noticed that the cabs were all from the same cab company and decided to give them a call in a last ditch effort. We weren’t sure it was the same cab company we had taken but there were no other options. A very polite woman answered the phone and said that she would find our driver, ask him about the racket and call me back. The rest was up to fate.
Afterwards we strolled down one of the pedestrian ways toward the sea garden and found a interesting looking restaurant with outdoor seating in a large square near the Opera House. After a short German/English exchange we had menus and had ordered a sesame pizza (a regular cheese pizza with sesame seeds on top) and fried hake. They were tasty.
We continued down towards the sea and visited the Roman Baths and the Naval Museum before heading to the beachfront. We walked along a road adjacent to the long stretches of white, sandy beaches. There were quite a few pubs/restaurants with umbrella covered tables and chairs in the sand which reminded us of typical Caribbean vacation scenes.
(The Roman Baths)
At this point we started getting tired so we headed over to the supermarket. Along the way we got a phone call from the cab company. The driver had found the racket and had brought it back to the hotel at 9:00 am that morning. He didn’t know our names so he just left it there and hoped we would discover it. We were shocked and thrilled. I’m sure nothing like that would happen in New York City. Hopefully there won’t be a third time.
Distance walked: 8.2 miles
Friday, April 20
The day was a little overcast so we decided to explore the area near the hotel. We walked along the waterfront until we ran out of road. On the way back we stopped at one of the waterfront hotels and had cappuccinos overlooking the sea. The port area was very active and we saw quite a few cargo ships going into and out of the harbor. Once they clear the protected waters they really hit the accelerator and disappear across the horizon within 20 minutes.
We also visited a nearby monastery. It’s called Konstantine I Elena. We really couldn’t find much information about it. It’s rather small but appears to be a working monastery. It has a lovely chapel.
(Monastery Konstantine I Elena)
Distance walked: 2.7 miles
Saturday, April 21
Since it was another beautiful day we decided to head back into Varna. While we were waiting for the bus a cab driver came by and, in a mix of German, English and Bulgarian, told us that the busses don’t run regularly on the weekends and that the next bus would not be for several hours. He offered to take us into Town. We had our suspicions that he was not being truthful but we really wanted to get to Town and start our day so we went with him.
This time we took the other pedestrian way and walked north in the sea garden. All along the way there were intricately landscaped gardens with tulips, petunias and flowering trees. Like in Burgas there are many sculptures and monuments. The park also contains an aquarium, the natural history museum, a chapel, a zoo and a separate arena for dolphin shows. It seemed too lovely a day to waste indoors so we continued walking. We might visit some of them another day.
(The Sea Garden)
For lunch we ate at one of the restaurants on the beach Our meal consisted of tsatsa and stuffed peppers. The food was good but we’d had better elsewhere. I don’t think we’ll ever get better tsatsa than we had in Burgas.
During lunch we researched the bus schedules and found that the busses do run regularly on the weekends. We took the bus home. 😏
Today we rented bikes and rode along the beach. No, that is not a joke – it really happened. The city of Burgas is the first city in Bulgaria to have a bike rental program. Scattered throughout the city you can find racks of bicycles that can be rented for a nominal fee. It is a very popular program and these bikes are extensively used. To participate you have to sign up and receive an id card. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to get cards so we rented bikes from the shop next to our apartment.
The bike paths are in excellent condition and extend north and south for many miles. We started at the north end of the marine park and road for about two miles before Deborah decided that it was time to sit on a nearby bench and enjoy the view of the sea.
(Proof that Deborah Can Ride a Bike)
I continued on towards the next town. About 100 yards later the smooth paved path turned into a rustic dirt road and started a long slow climb up the cliff face. The climb extended for several miles until reaching a steep descent at the perimeter of the next town. The views from the top of the cliffs were spectacular. All around I could see vast fields of wildflowers backing up to the sea. The return trip was mostly downhill and made for a very enjoyable ride. I returned to find Deborah feeling rested and refreshed. We road back through the park and returned the bikes before heading out to lunch. In total Deborah rode about five miles. I rode about 14 miles.
(Fields of Flowers on Top of the Cliff)
We had intended to eat French Fry sandwiches for lunch (yes, they have them all over Bulgaria) but we opted for a menu choice that amounted to a French Fry sandwich on a plate. Because we were in a health conscience mood we decided to forgo the bread. After all that hard work we felt entitled to a reward so we headed over to Nedelya for cake and coffee. We probably should have ridden further.
(We Ate About a Third Before Taking This)
Distance walked: 6.2 miles
Tuesday, April 17
Today we were occupied with preparations for our trip to Varna. We consulted the train schedule and found that the trip would be 4.5 hours. The bus only takes two hours. Guess which one we decided to take?
After coffee we headed over to the bus station to buy tickets. The information booth was closed so we headed over to window 3 where the sign read, “Bapha”, which is Varna written in Bulgarian. They listed bus times as 7:00 am, 8:00 am and 10:00 am. We would have preferred a 9:00 am bus but since that wasn’t an option we asked for the 8:00 am bus. We were told to go to window 12. The Woman at window 12 had bus times listed as 8:00 am, 9:00 am and 10:00 am. We were happy to see a 9:00 am option and when we asked for that we were told to head over to window 3! We just caved and got tickets for the 8:00 am bus. We checked the tickets carefully. Between our lack of Bulgarian and their lack of English we weren’t sure where we might end up. As far as we can tell we do, in fact, have tickets to Varna at 8:00 am tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.
We decided to take one last walk through marine park. At several points along the bike path we had encountered some strange buildings that had been painted with clown faces. When we investigated them we realized that these were pill boxes used to protect the coast during World War II. Rather than tear them down they had been decorated to look festive. We entered one of them and saw that it was constructed of thick, heavily reinforced concrete with small slits for windows that were designed to allow soldiers to fire on approaching enemies. An unexpected find on a public beach and a reminder of a different time.
(World War II Era Pill Box)
Back in our apartment we continued spying on our neighbors across the courtyard. We’ve been doing this since we arrived. They’re a pair of seagulls that have nested on a nearby rooftop. Mama seagull has been sitting on a nest and papa has been bringing her food. We learned that the gestation period for seagulls is three weeks so we had high hopes of seeing the babies before we left but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. At least we won’t have to buy a baby gift. We’re sure they’ll have a good life in Burgas – people love to feed the animals around here.
(Our Neighbors “The Seagulls”)
Next stop Varna. This time we’ll be staying a little north of the city in a hotel/resort complex. This will serve as a small vacation before the rigors of Budapest in May.
In Sofia, Plovdiv and Nessebar we took the Free Tour. It was fun and informative and a great way to get oriented in a new city. For reasons unknown and unfathomable we didn’t seek out the Free Burgas Tour until today. We met the tour guide near the city center at 2:00 pm. The group was going to be rather small – just the two of us. The guide was a young man and he was accompanied by a young woman. We suspected that she was training to be a guide.
As soon as we started walking we knew this tour was going to be different from the other ones. The tour guide was very friendly but less confident than previous guides and had a sheaf of notes that he kept referring to. He mentioned the large monument near the city center. He called it, “Alyosha”. This is the same name as the large monument at the top of one of the hills in Plovdiv. It’s a general tribute to all of the fallen Soviet soldiers who died on Bulgarian soil during World War II.
The tour wended its way down the main pedestrian walkway. The guide asked us a lot of questions about our experiences in Bulgaria and about some of the things that we liked best. We’d been here for over a week so we already knew many of the things that he mentioned. He did have a few fun facts: The largest church in Burgas, St Kiril and St Metodiy, used to have beautiful stained glass windows but they were all damaged during the construction of the parking garages directly under the church. They will not be replaced. Incidentally St Kiril and St Metodiy were brothers who, in the 9th century, invented the Cyrillic alphabet that is used in several countries including Bulgaria. In Bulgarian the name of the alphabet is pronounced starting with a “K” sound like the name of one of the brothers.
The guide also told us of a tunnel connecting the hotel in the center of town with a building that used to be the headquarters of the Soviet leaders in Burgas. They wanted it in case they needed to escape quickly and/or to get to the hotel unnoticed. The tunnel is still there and now connects the hotel to a Kindergarten school. He says it is no longer used.
Many Bulgarians, including our guide and his assistant, are surprised when we tell them that we love the pedestrian walkways in the cities. They think most of the USA has them in every city. They are also surprised that their big new indoor shopping malls are like the ones we have in the States. We refrained from telling them that America invented the shopping mall. 😀
After the tour concluded we had a nice conversation. It turns out that the guide was a high school senior who is very interested in entrepreneurial endeavors. The Burgas Free Tour is his first attempt at a new business and, as it turns out, we were his first customers. His “assistant” turned out to be his girlfriend, who helped him with some translation difficulties. They were adorable. He is currently studying for his entrance exams and hopes to go to the American University near Burgas in the Fall. The American University of Bulgaria is the first American style English language liberal arts college in Eastern Europe. It’s a private, not for profit cooperative between the Bulgarian government and the University of Maine.
The tour lasted a brief 45 minutes. We got coffee and groceries before heading back home for dinner.
Distance walked: 5.8 miles
Thursday, April 12
The weather turned foggy and cold so we decided not to venture out. Since hitting Bulgaria our diet has consisted mainly of pork and chicken. Beef is rarely on the menu in restaurants and hard to find in the grocery stores. The cafe near our apartment advertises hamburgers, and since we’ve been dying for some beef, we thought today would be a good day to take a chance. We ordered two bacon cheeseburgers and a dessert that looked very interesting.
The burgers were huge. They came on a grilled bun with one beef patty, cheese, Canadian style bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and a sweet bar-b-que sauce. They were exactly what we needed and they were delicious. The dessert turned out to be a very dense bread pudding flavored with vanilla and covered in powdered sugar. Yum! It was a lot of food and it was very satisfying.
Distance walked: 0.29 miles
Friday, April 13
The weather was still rather overcast so we decided to make a day of getting coffee and going to the grocery store. On our way back we found a cafe that we had eaten at in Sofia called Nedelya, which means Sunday in Bulgarian. They have a meringue cake that’s hard to resist – and we didn’t! We ordered a slice to take home. It was better than we remembered it.
Perhaps finding Nedelya was our bad luck for Friday the 13th. Our waistlines are doomed!
Distance walked: 3.2 miles
Saturday, April 14
Today we took the bus to a neighboring city to the south called Sozopol (so-ZO-pol). It’s another seaside resort town with a history that is virtually identical to Nessebar, with one interesting difference: Sozopol resisted the Roman Empire in 73 BC and, as punishment, the city was utterly destroyed. Many other cities like Nessebar welcomed the Romans and were spared. Consequently the ruins in Sozopol date mostly from the Byzantine period.
(Looking at the Modern City of Sozopol)
Like Nessebar the Old Town of Sozopol is a small peninsula jutting into the Black Sea. We walked the old cobblestone streets and enjoyed the picturesque homes and water views. Many of the shops and restaurants were closed until the start of the summer season.
(Remnants of the Old City Fortress)
Scattered around the Old City are a large number of small chapels.
(The Church of St Constantine and St Helena)
We were fortunate to find a lovely restaurant along the harbor and had a fantastic meal consisting of fish soup (with an interesting lemony broth), greek salad and fried Black Sea mussels.
(Fish Soup and Fried Black Sea Mussels)
Back in Burgas we stopped at Nedelya and treated ourselves to cake and coffee. It’s a good thing we’re leaving in a couple of days.
Distance walked: 7.8 miles
Sunday, April 15
The day was partly sunny so we decided to take a long walk north along the beach. It was chilly but the sun came out and the temperature became very pleasant. We had lunch at one of our favorite sea side restaurants and ordered way too much food: fish soup, calamari, tsatsa and a small loaf of bread. After lunch we walked south along the beach in order to work off some of our meal.
Today is Orthodox Easter Sunday. Happy Easter Everyone! Last night we decided that Sunday was going to be a down day. We planned to just hang out in the apartment but the weather was so fine that we just couldn’t help ourselves. We headed out towards the Maritime Park and walked along the seacoast for a while. Lunch was going to be an adventure.
One of the seaside restaurants near the apartment is always mobbed. Around here that means two things: the food is great AND it’s cheap. Each time we passed by it seemed as if every table had at least one plate of something that looked like clam strips. When we looked closer we saw the plates contained small fried fish. We tried to figure out what they were but the menu was only in Bulgarian. What did we do? We took a picture of the menu and translated it into English. Armed with our cheat sheet we ordered fried calamari, tarator soup and tsatsa.
Tsatsa are a local delicacy. They are lightly breaded and deep fried sprats – a small fish that are abundant in the Black Sea. The fish are in the same family as sardines. You eat them whole. Yes, that includes the head, the tail and all the bones. They taste slightly salty and a little fishy. They are delicious. A single serving contains several dozen fish. We shared all three dishes.
(Tsatsa, Tarator Soup and Calamari)
Total cost for the three dishes, a bottle of water and a bottle of coke: $9.68.
Distance walked: 6.0 miles
Monday, April 9
Today we checked out the Mall Galleria Burgas. It’s the first modern mall in the city and the first mall in the country that has been certified “green”. The first thing we did was get our phone accounts recharged. Surprisingly it hadn’t been a problem to be without phone service for several days.
After walking around the entire complex we ventured into Ikea hoping to score some free meatballs. When that didn’t work out we headed over to the food court for lunch.
On the way home we stopped by a few liquor stores in search of the quasi-almond aperitif we’d had in Nessebar. No one seemed to carry it. One shop suggested a walnut based liquor as an alternative but at 25 leva it was more than we wanted to spend. We finally found a bottle in a little shop near the apartment. It was on one of the lower shelves in an out-of-the-way corner and was covered in dust. It’s probably not a big seller. It cost $4.79.
As soon as we got home we uncorked it. There was a very strong smell of almond. We tasted it. Almond. It was definitely the same liquor we’d had before but it had a different flavor. We were stumped. We left our glasses on the table and started getting ready for dinner. When we tasted it again it had morphed into the flavor that we’d remembered. Like many wines that need to be decanted this liquor needed to be exposed to the air. That was a first for us. We killed about a third of the bottle before settling in to a night of TV and Words with Friends.
Distance walked: 10.7 miles
Tuesday, April 10
After our usual coffee at Butler’s we decided to visit the Archeological Museum. We bought a combo ticket that allowed us to visit two museums for the price of one.
The Archeological museum was very informative. It had a running narrative about the Eastern Balkans starting from the Copper Age extending through the Middle Ages. Of course there were many artifacts to go along with the stories. The highlight was the collection of coins that were minted in the area over the many centuries. Many were in amazingly good condition.
Lunch was by the sea coast at another restaurant that we’d been eyeing for several days. We ordered a greek salad, Black Sea clams and Black Sea shark. The clams were served along with sautéed vegetables in a tomato broth and the shark was fried. I don’t think we’ll ever tire of fresh seafood.
(Greek Salad, Black Sea Clams and Shark. Note: We Ate Half Before We Remembered to Take a Photo.)
After lunch we headed over to the Ethnographic Museum. Along the way we stopped at The Cathedral St Kiril & Metodii – it’s the largest and oldest church in Burgas. It was built between 1895 and 1907 and the frescos were done by the same artist who’d painted the frescos in the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia.
The Ethnographic Museum contained many displays about clothing from rural areas from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The downstairs had an extensive collection of wedding attire. The upstairs showcased handmade garments used for holidays and other special occasions. There were several looms with examples of how the clothing was made. It was very interesting.
(Traditional Wedding Dress)
(Christmas Caroler’s Costume)
We stopped at a grocery store on the way home and bought a bottle of Kamenitsa beer. It’s a Bulgarian beer that’s brewed in Plovdiv. We’ve been meaning to try it for some time. It’s very popular. We each had a sip before pouring it down the drain. To be fair it should be noted – we have always disliked beer!
Burgas (BOOR-gus) is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna and it’s the most important port in Bulgaria. It has the largest oil refinery in all of Southeastern Europe. Oil refining, fishing and tourism are the main industries. The Town is well known throughout Europe as a beach vacation destination.
The city’s history extends beyond 3,000 BC into the Bronze age. In the sixth century BC the area was controlled by the Thracians and since has been settled by the Greeks, Romans, Bulgarians and Ottomans. Today the Town has charming buildings, lovely parks, pristine beaches and is undergoing massive growth with construction and restoration work going on everywhere.
We spent most of the day getting acquainted with our new surroundings. We walked the downtown area and found a lovely pedestrian walkway that is several miles long. It’s lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. There are a number of sculptures, monuments and areas for children to play.
By the beach there is a long pedestrian/bike path that extends from Town to Town along the coastline. We walked south through the park that follows the coastline and north along the path that is adjacent to the water. They also have a pedestrian only pier that is a great place for viewing the Sea and the surrounding coastal areas. It seems a popular place to fish.
(The Burgas Pier)
We ate lunch at one of the many seaside restaurants. Sitting in an open air restaurant at the beach eating seafood made us feel like we were on vacation. We ordered a salad composed of lettuce, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs and scallions and it came with a plate of tomatoes, garlic, roasted red peppers, onions and olives. Wanting to try some of the local seafood we ordered a plate of boiled Black Sea shrimp. We were a little surprised when the shrimp arrived. They were so small that they were hardly worth shelling. By the time you ripped the head off there was almost nothing left. They did, however, have a very mild and sweet taste that was unlike the shrimp we are used to eating and we enjoyed them very much. It just took a LONG time to eat them.
(These Shrimp Appear Larger Than They Actually Were!)
After lunch we realized that our phones no longer had Internet access. Our accounts needed to be recharged. It would be nice if the phone company notified us in some way. It was so pleasant walking around the beach area that decided not to bother with our phones just then. Instead we strolled through the maritime park for a while longer before heading home. Our apartment has WiFi so there was no urgent need. It was a very relaxing day.
Distance walked: 9.7 miles
Friday, April 6
Before leaving the apartment we consulted some local websites for coffee shop recommendations; no one in Plovdiv had any good tips on where to get good coffee in Burgas. There were several very interesting choices so we thought we’d check them out but, before getting coffee, we headed over to the bus station. We planned to buy tickets to one of the neighboring towns.
We had intended to get our phone service recharged along the way but realized that it was Eastern Orthodox Good Friday and all the stores were closed. Since the phone stores are normally closed on the weekend and Monday is a national holiday (Easter Monday) the earliest we’ll be getting phone service again is Tuesday. It’s going to be interesting to see how that’s going to work. At least the bus station was open.
The bus station is a modern glass and steel structure. It was clean and bright and had a comfortable looking waiting area. We suspected that is must have been built fairly recently. Upon entering we saw an information booth and decided that we might do better conversing with someone who spoke English. We asked about bus tickets to Nessebar on Saturday. The woman responded,
“The bus leaves every 30-40 minutes from gate three. You just pay the driver”.
“How much does it cost?”
“Around 6 leva per person”.
“Do you have a schedule?”
“It goes every 30-40 minutes”.
“How long does the trip take?”
“It’s only 20 kilo-meters. How long could it take?”
We left feeling like we had just witnessed an old comedy routine. It was time to get coffee. Our first choice for coffee was closed. The entire building was undergoing massive renovations. We went to the addresses listed for our second and third choices but those cafes don’t appear to be in business any longer. We’re not using that website any more.
We decided to give up on the idea of coffee and headed over towards the seacoast. Along the way we stopped to take a peek inside an Armenian Church. It was a small stone structure that looked very old. As we walked around the outside looking for a good vantage point to take photographs we noticed a nearby cafe. They were serving coffee and that’s all we needed to know.
Butler’s Coffee and Kitchen is a delightful spot serving homemade pastries, Bulgarian specialities and many varieties of coffee. We had cappuccinos made with French Dark Roast and Deborah had a small muffin with raisins that was made from corn. It was still warm from the oven. The barista was a very friendly person who spoke fluent English. There’s no doubt that we’ll be back.
Lunch was at another seaside restaurant. This time we ordered a salad that was mostly cucumbers, onions, feta cheese and tomatoes along with the fried Danube trout. The fish was served whole. It had simply been dunked in the deep fryer for a few minutes without any preparation or seasoning. It was delicious.
Afterwards we walked along the beachfront path for several miles. Many people were walking, skating, cycling, etc. along with us. Everyone was enjoying the Spring weather. A cab driver told us that the normal population of the Town is about 350,000 but that in the summertime it approaches one million. There are many festivals and concerts during that time. It must be a fun place to be.
Distance walked: 11.6 miles
Saturday, April 7
Today we visited the Ancient City of Nessebar (ne-SAY-bar), which is about 20 kilometers north of Burgas. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is a photographers dream. It is essentially a peninsula that is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus and is surrounded by water on all sides.
(Remains of the Ancient Fortifications)
Around 3,000 BC the city was a Thracian settlement called Menebria. In the 6th century BC it became a Greek colony. In 71 BC it fell under Roman rule. Starting in 864 it changed hands between the Bulgarians and the Byzantines many times before it was conquered by crusaders in 1366. The Ottomans captured it in 1453 and it became an autonomous province in the Ottoman empire in 1878 after the defeat of the Ottomans in Bulgaria. In 1885 it was reunited with the Principality of Bulgaria.
Around 1925 a new town was built on the mainland and the old town was restored. Today you can see artifacts and ruins from its entire history. It is a premier tourist destination with many churches, archeological sites and museums as well as cafes, restaurants and gift stores.
We left our apartment around 8:00 am. It took about 30 minutes to walk the two miles to the bus station. Over at gate three there was a large minibus waiting with a sign indicating that it was going to Nessebar. We got in and waited for the driver to finish his cigarette before hitting the road.
The route was along the coastal highway. The bus driver stopped in several towns along the way. All of these towns were seaside resorts with hotels, spas and condos intended for tourists. We also saw a salt production facility. They fill large shallow pools with Black Sea water and harvest the salt after the water has evaporated away. Across one road there were fields where villagers in naive costumes were working the land.
There is a non-profit organization that runs free private tours of the Ancient City and we arranged for a guide to meet us at the city gate at 11:00 am. The tours are normally offered at 6:00 pm but we asked if they could arrange one for noon. In the end we settled on 11:00 am. Not bad for a free tour. We arrived around 10:00 am, took a quick turn about the peninsula before heading over to a nearby coffee shop for cappucinos.
We met our guide at the gate and he gave us a brief history lesson on Bulgaria and Nessebar. After that we were off to explore. Everywhere we walked he had something interesting to say. We saw many churches (we went into one of them together), several museums, an amphitheater, an old lighthouse, lots of ruins and many examples of the 19th century wooden houses. The tour lasted about 90 minutes. Then it was time for lunch.
Our guide had recommended a seafood restaurant overlooking the water. From the outside it looked a bit pricey but we decided to indulge. It had an extensive menu but in the end we decided upon a tomato and feta cheese salad, a grilled chicken cutlet and a pot of mussels fresh from the Black Sea. The mussels were generally larger in size than ones we are used to and had a milder flavor and were cooked in a broth of herbs and sea salt. The portions were huge and everything was delicious.
(Black Sea Mussels)
Before we left our waitress brought us two complementary shot-sized glasses of a dark, brown liqueur. The drink had a strong, sweet flavor. We liked it a lot. I thought it tasted fruity. Deborah thought is tasted like coffee. On the way out we asked the bartender what the drink was called. He responded, “you need another” and proceeded to fill two glasses. How could we refuse? After we pressed him some more he said that it was almond. We knew it wasn’t almond but since his English had not been very good we assumed that something had been lost in translation. Before we left we took a picture of the label with the intention of researching it when we got back to Burgas.
After lunch we went back around the island and saw each site in detail at our leisure. We also visited the archeological museum. We caught a 4:00 pm bus back to Burgas and arrived back in Town without incident.
(St Sofia Church was Damaged in a 20th Century Earthquake)
Back in our apartment we found the company that made the aperitif. The bartender was right – it was almond. It is produced by a company located in one of the towns that we had passed through. We’re going to see if any of the local liquor stores carry it.
Our time in Plovdiv has come to an end. It’s been a great three weeks and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a charming city with a full and rich history. As a matter of fact it’s the oldest city in Europe. We’re moving on to Burgas, which is on the Black Sea.
If you ever get to Plovdiv here’s some of the things we think you shouldn’t miss…
It was another fine day and it was to be our last in Plovdiv. The first order of business was to purchase train tickets for our impending departure. This transaction was much easier than the last one. We now know the Bulgarian word for “tomorrow” and we knew enough to enquire about first class passage. The difference in price between first and second class was just a couple of dollars so we decided to live high on the hog. I hope our income tax refund comes in soon.
After leaving the train station we headed over to Croatoan for one last cappuccino. It was as good as ever. We told the baristas that we were leaving the next day. They had no recommendations for coffee houses in Burgas so I guess we’ll just have to wing it.
We decided to use the rest of the day to climb the tallest hill in the city: Youth Hill. It is more than 100 feet taller than the hill that Alyosha sits on but the climb was much easier. The path was a wide road paved with cobblestones that wound back and forth across the hill. The slope was rather steep at times but we had no trouble at all.
(The Path up Youth Hill)
The way was lined with trees but at the start of each switchback there was a clearing that afforded a view of the surrounding area. Flowers were blooming all over the hill and we could see that Spring was just around the corner. When we finally got to the top we were amazed at the sights. On one side we had an unobstructed view of the snow capped Balkan Mountains and on the other side was the Rhodope Mountains. In between we could see a huge swatch of the Thracian Valley where most of the city of Plovdiv is located. It was fun to see all of the sites that we had visited from a new perspective. Alyosha looked so small from our new vantage point. This was definitely the best view in the city.
(Panoramic View from the Summit of Youth Hill)
We had a late lunch at one of our favorite places in the Kapana District (Pavaj) and returned home to pack for the next day’s trip. We tried to schedule a taxi pickup but they told us to call back in the morning.
Distance walked: 9.9 miles
Wednesday, April 4
At 7:30 am we called the taxi company to request an 8:00 am pickup. We were told to callback five minutes before we were ready to leave. At 7:45 am our AirBNB host dropped by to retrieve our keys. We had a pleasant conversation and told her all about our plans. Everyone in Bulgaria seems to think we’re nuts for spending so much time in their country. Maybe they know something that we don’t. We called the taxi company a third time. This time we were told a taxi would be there within 5-6 minutes. We headed downstairs to meet them.
A few minutes later a cab arrived. The driver stopped in the middle of the street, gesticulated wildly at us, said something in Bulgarian and drove away. This prompted a fourth call to the taxi company. They said that the cab driver didn’t think our luggage would fit in his car and, here’s the best part, they didn’t have ANY cars that would be able to transport our luggage! We each have one medium sized suitcase and one carry on. What do most people bring when they travel? It’s a good thing we decided against a steamer trunk. 😉
We had an hour until our train was due and it was a two mile walk. We headed in that direction and kept our eyes open for a passing cab. We spotted three cabs at a taxi stand two blocks away and veered in that direction. The first cab driver didn’t think our luggage would fit in his car but this time we had a plan. We would take TWO taxis – one for each of us. The second taxi driver seemed reluctant to take any fares at all. Finally, he got out of his cab and opened his trunk. It was huge. He put one suitcase inside and seemed puzzled as to how to accommodate the second one. We’d had enough of this. We walked over and put the first suitcase on its side and slid the second one next to it. There was plenty of room. We both got into the second cab and left the first driver at the stand.
After all that our driver pulled out of the stand and went the wrong way! We exchanged puzzled looks. For some reason he went around the corner the long way but he finally managed to find the appropriate route. We arrived at the station with 40 minutes to spare.
We inquired at the information desk for the track number for the train to Burgas (BOOR-gus). Track one was the answer. Would you believe us if we told you that none of the tracks were labeled? Well, they weren’t. We talked to several people and used our best broken Bulgarian to confirm the correct track. Just before boarding I confirmed our destination once again with a nearby conductor who suddenly appeared. We found our seats and settled in for a comfortable ride. We knew from experience that we couldn’t depend on any announcements to find out when we were getting close so we set our alarm just in case we fell asleep.
(On the Train to Burgas)
We’ve had terrible luck with mass transit since we hit Bulgaria. At first we thought is was because we didn’t speak the language but we no longer think that. The subway in Sofia was easy to use and very efficient. The busses, taxis and trains have been much more challenging. It’s been more than a little frustrating. We never had issues like this in Rome or any other country we visited. Amusing fact: every bus stop in Plovdiv is just labeled “Plovdiv”. How anyone gets around is a real mystery to us.
We were happy to see that the train arrived on time. A very pleasant taxi driver, who had no trouble with our luggage, brought us to our next apartment where our host was waiting to let us in. The apartment is bright with large windows in the living area. There is a separate bedroom down the hall. We hope to eat some of our meals out on the terrace. We’ll be very comfortable here for the next two weeks.
We spent the rest of the day walking around the waterfront. There is a large park that extends the length of the city with jogging paths that continue on even further. The Black Sea is actually blue/green. The sand is dark and dense. This time of year the water is still too cold for swimming. We’ll have a lot more to say about the city in our upcoming posts. Stay tuned.
