Shuffling around Sofia
A full collection of photos from this trip can be found in my Sofia Flickr album
The Guinness
I found two or three Irish bars in Sofia before I struck lucky but they only sold Murphys. I finally found Guinness in Flannagans Bar at the Radisson Hotel on Narodno Sabranie Square (7.90 Lev ~£2.70/pint).
Enjoying my first Guinness in Sofia
My Guinness was poured by Miro who kindly picked out the next destination I had to go to.
Miro picking out the Faroe Islands.
Getting there and around:
£199 ticket with Lufthansa from Birmingham via Munich. Bus from the airport into Sofia and hopped on and off trams a lot in the rest of my visit using the five day pass I purchased in a kiosk outside the airport. Be careful on the trams as they have a habit of stopping, changing their number and heading off in a completely different direction!
Which way is that tram going now?
Team makeup:
A solo effort - too short notice for others to join in.
Accommodation
100-year old Sun Hotel on Maria Luiza. Friendly staff on which to practice a new Bulgarian word each morning.
The Sun Hotel
Food
I had a nice meal at the Krim restaurant which turned out to be Russian food and not Bulgarian I think. Deep fried peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese to start followed by the beef stroganoff. I gave the borscht a miss as I didn’t think the waiter looked like he’s appreciate my Star Wars joke - ‘May the borscht be with you’
Sightseeing highlights
Churches of all shapes and sizes
Seeing the Prime Minister arrive at the Parliament
Old Soviet style monuments
A folk dancing festival
I also saw a recently found gold mask from a Thracian tomb (~ 4000BC) from Eastern Bulgaria on display for the first time in the Archaeological Museum.
I didn’t get out of the city, only to the outskirts, with a short walk in the foothills of Vitosha Mountain and a look around the ancient Boyana Church.
Boyana Church
Quirky moments- Fretting about whether I would be allowed to check-in after finding I had booked the flight under Miss Richards.
- Thinking I was a brave and adventurous tourist going to Sofia only to bump into a Saga Holiday crowd from the UK.
- Man sized pot holes in the pavements in Sofia on poorly lit streets.
Goose-stepping guards
Kiosks where the head of person serving you was at pavement level.
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