Scenes from Sofia, Bulgaria - Part 2

After checking out the first batch of central sights I started aiming myself in the general direction of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky. I took a route through the streets east of the Central Mosque, roughly what you see here:

The area brought to mind my first visit to Buenos Aires in 2005, walking around parts of the Palermo neighborhood. Could be just vague similarities due to seasonality (was there during the fall). But the vibe and streetscape felt similar in some ways, too. Obvious notes of creativity in how the shops and cafes presented themselves. Indie aesthetic. Pockets of under/undeveloped lots. Street art. To me it seemed like it would be a cool and interesting place to live (or at least spend a couple of weeks to fully check it all out).

I grabbed a decent café americano at this place for a reasonable price. Asked the barista if the local neighborhood had a name. Maybe that's my bias as every subsection of Chicago has its local name. And la CDMX has something like 2000 colonias with their individual names (Barrio Santa Catarina, Hipodomo Condesa, Colonia Del Valle Centro, etc., etc.). But the young woman at the coffee shop gave me a blank look and said it's just the center. (Looking it up now and seeing that the coffee shop's name translates to Galleta Bakery and Cafe. Maybe that's what drew me in, as 'galleta' is spanish for cookie.)

I continued strolling around, meandering a bit until I did reach the Cathedral, which does indeed cut an impressive figure up close.

Scenes from Sofia, Bugaria - Part 1

Arriving into Sofia was a bit of a grind. I didn't know what to expect, but the traffic coming in from the east side was heavy. Makes some sense as both the airport and the train station are out there. The seasonal light conditions didn't make things any easier. It was mid November, around midday, and the sun glare was intense. Unfamiliar surroundings in general, unfavorable lighting, and a tram running right down the middle of a snug 5-lane boulevard (Todor Alexandrov, I believe) and it was a little tense trying to figure out where to park as I approached Hotel Central Sofia (okay location for convenience, not much for charm; and my room was stuffy and felt a bit sad overall). The parking options in Sofia seem difficult in general and approaching the hidden garage entrance of Hotel Central Sofia in those traffic conditions was impossible. I made a few turns trying to find a spot by instinct and luck and wound up in the lot of nearby Hotel Anel. A security guard who fortunately spoke english told me the lot was mainly for hotel guests, but I would probably be okay as long as I was fine paying something like $20/hr (!). That seemed aggressive, but I needed to unload and regroup, so I left the car there happy to be done with the driving for a bit.

The reception / lobby area of the hotel was fine. Small, basic, trying a little bit to be friendly. Then I popped up to room 703 and saw that the 1970s brown theme carried through every detail.

Looking at the pictures now the room seems fine. But there was really limited ventilation and the air felt heavy with something. Heat from the sun baking through the window. Maybe the faint feeling that the room had been smoked in heavily for decades, even if it had been smoke-free in recent years. It was like opening up an attic above a mothball factory or something. Takes the energy out of you. Not a huge matter, though, since the idea was to immediately get out and start walking around the city to see the sights and get a lay of the land.

So I started east along Aleksandar Stamboliyski, noting the mix of residential and retail, with some recognizable brands and local shops. Also snapped a shot of a Black Friday sign. Saw more of these than I expected throughout both Bulgaria and Romania.

Once I got to the Happy Bar & Grill it was time to turn north to see some of the ruins of Serdika, the Central Mosque, and the Regional History Museum.

Note the Chupa Chups billboard off in the distance, juxtaposed with the Roman ruins. Also the "Nuts BG" stall.

It was a beautiful fall day and just getting started.

Scenes from the drive between Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia (Bulgaria)

After two nights in Plovdiv and one night in Veliko Tarnovo, the next stop in my November 2024 tour was Sofia. I hit the road mid-morning ish and got on my way for the 2h 45m drive.

Most of the drive was quite scenic. The trees in fall colors. Blue sky. And rural / agricultural vignettes along the way.

The one spot along the way when I passed through a small town and got my phone in position was near Balgarski Izvor.

And I was listening to the local jams from Veselina FM

Traffic got tight upon entry into the fringes of Sofia, so the pics stopped as I focused on keeping the rental incident-free.

Scenes from late afternoon / early evening stroll in the area around Marno Pole park (Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)

After my visit to Tsarevets Fortress I worked my way back to the more contemporary area of the city over near Marno Pole Park, which seems like a great zone to stay in if you were going to be here for a longer stay. Only a 30-minute walk from Tsarevets on the far east side of the city. And plenty of retail and dining option in the streets surrounding the park in all directions.

The park itself was peaceful at this time (late-ish afternoon on a mid-November Sunday). They were starting to set up for Christmas markets.

The big central water feature was shut down for the season.

But if you check out the photos at its Google Maps link you can see what it looks like filled up with fountains activated.

I continued down along bul. Vasil Levski for a bit, appreciating seasonal decorations in the twilight before grabbing dinner at Burger & Sweets, wrapping up a full day checking out Veliko Tarnovo.

Visit to Tsarevets Fortress (Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)

Working my way west to east through Veliko Tarnovo the next objective was to visit Tsarevets Fortress, a medieval compound that dates back to the 12th century. I am by no means a medieval fortress enthusiast, but this visit was more than worthwhile for the views and relative tranquility. Plus a bit of light exercise as it's some hiking on uneven stone paths and stairs to get yourself to its upper levels.