Blusterous Bulgaria

Bulgaria was COLD and I was pretty miserable there actually. I allotted exactly one day for Sofia, the capital, and the city didn't do much for its reputation of being the worst of Bulgaria. With the weather being as miserable as it was, however, I may not have enjoyed any other Bulgarian cities either. It was awfully snowy and windy, the sights to see were unspectacular, and it was a Sunday so most shops were closed.

During a snowstorm, I saw a lot of churches:

The famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral:

Sofia’s version of the Hagia Sophia:

St. George Rotunda:

You can see the snow falling!

and St. Joseph's (Catholic Church):

I Did luck out that it was Sunday because I got to hear the choirs performing in their churches and get a taste of the amazing acoustics in these buildings.

Unfortunately, Sunday also meant that every place I passed with Bulgarian food – with the exception of fast food (kebabs/doners/burgers/pizzas) – was closed. I had McDonald’s and KFC before I could find the moussaka I’d been longing to try. I’m not sure how authentic it was because I got it from a (chain) restaurant called Soupteria, but it was delicious!

I think I thought moussaka was either a soup or bread-with-filling, but it turns out it’s more lasagna-esque than anything. It is a mix of minced meat, eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes with cheese on top. For dinner I had one of the “must-try’s” of Bulgarian food: Shopska Salad.

Yuck!

Shopska salad consists of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, cucumbers, and sirene (feta-like) cheese. I didn’t think it was possible, but it was way too cheesy and I felt pretty sick afterwards. I’ve seen it on almost every menu I’ve seen since leaving Bulgaria, but I will pretty much never order it again. I'm living and learning :) One other famous Bulgarian food is the banitsa, a flaky, burek-like pastry with a variety of fillings.

This is but one small piece of banitsa; they usually bake it in great big round tray in a spiral. (See also http://www.dobrinite.com/nay-vkusnata-banitsa-mesyat-v-sofiya.html)

The meat one I had was just okay, but the homemade one with egg and cheese from my hostel was delicious!

Before getting to Bulgaria, I had read that people were friendly...they were! I asked a woman for directions to the post office and she in turn asked two people how to get there on my behalf. She then went with me to buy stamps from a kiosk, waited while I filled out the envelopes (they made me put the postcards in envelopes), pointed me to the mailbox, and 10-15 minutes later, went on her way wishing me a good day. Such a nice lady :) Then again, the person whose help I didn’t want at the bus station followed/"helped” me and then requested a tip. That’s definitely one of the hardest parts of traveling for me… I just never know who is actually nice and who is trying to get money from me (by selling something/asking for tips/thieving...).

Anyway, I saw the sights, ate the foods, and sent some postcards; less than 24 hours after arrival, I was on a bus for Skopje, Macedonia. I know Sofia isn’t supposed to be the best of Bulgaria, but I can’t honestly see myself coming back.

Off to Skopje!

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