Hotel Galant Sofia

... hmm that can of coke cost us 2 pound 50 (I though Bulgaria was supposed to be cheap!!) and she couldn't give us some coins. got change in the exchange office then as we went to the pay phone I saw my dad outside. Didn't even need the damn change! hugs kisses hellos then in the car to start the 5 HOUR car journey to Srebarna...argh! On the told the father about the most expensive can of coke in the ...

... was a great place and I got aquainted well. I met these two english chicks from around Brighton. It was their first day in Sofia and I sorta just barged into their conversation and told them how to get around by train because they were freaking out and stressing. So, i was a gentleman and helped them out with their ****. I showed them to use bahn.de to get train information. I told them about how to get around and reserving. I just felt like i needed to help ...

... I decided that this was the perfect example of Gothic architecture. After our walk through the Church, we headed back to our hostel with plans to visit the restaurant that sponsored the city map, Happy Bar and Grill. It apparently served barbeque, and having no idea what Bulgarian food might be, decided to play it safe. Or so we thought. To start things off, since it was a little crowded they sat us with another pair of customers at a small table...in the smoking area. Megan ...

... car boot sale in the shadow of the cathedral and noted how many of the stores seemed to consist entirely of army surplus knives. Crowds of young Bulgarian men gathered around, comparing the blades and muttering like those pricks from the Antiques Roadshow do when they see something "interesting". None of those knives could really serve any purpose other than simply stabbing someone. It was like they'd organised a jumble sale using only the contents of the local "knife ...

... cool and inspired the final name of the city. Ladies Market - we roamed around to see what the locals had in season. HUGE tomatoes and lots of peaches could be found for super cheap. Also, cheap clothes and other random goods are found at the open air market. Sofia City Garden - This was a nice park with a small fountain. We viewed a photo exhibit and had a beer to end the journey. While we were at the park, a random man started "sketching" Jana ...

... from my experience. That said my impressions of Sofia were perhaps unfairly tarred by the unpleasant beginning and end of my brief stay there. It had some interesting sights and, had it not been for the haze of the sun, the mountainous backdrop just beyond the capital would have I´m sure warmed my view. But ultimately I left with the impression that Bulgaria´s treasures lie elsewhere in its Black Sea beaches and its many beautiful mountains, some just a stone´s throw away from Sofia.

... fall And always be here in my heart cos its alright Just follow the light And dont be afraid of the dark In the moonlight Youll dance till you fall And always be here in my heart cos its alright, alright now And youre alright Yeah were alright now (Travis: Follow the Light) Now I go the visit a second-hand shop in Sofia! Lots of hugs for all of you and see you in Finland or elsewhere! Thanks for everything and ce najdobro! And happy, silent Christmas. Maria

... then we walked home through a forest after checking out the bulgarian soccer stadium, only to come upon some gokarts. We couldnt resist so we hopped on for a ride. They were fast, about 75 km/ hr.... it was crazy. Then we went back to the hotel (yes we were in a hotel for a change, lovely) and had dinner then attempted to go back for round 2 of go karting but it was closed. Just hung around the hotel for a bit then went to bed for the drive into Romania tomorrow.

... odd series of events, we ended up dining with a middle-aged bulgarian couple. Only the guy spoke english. We (a brit, an australian, and myself who spent those few days together) did the standard prodding about culture and politics in order to get the opinions of a local. Very interesting. Day 3 was spent on a thoroughly disappointing trip to the Rila mountains outside Sofia. I was invited on short notice to join the ...

... The average person on the street is easily old enough to remember the fall of communism in 1989, and I guess I thought this would lend people a different air. Trite as it may sound, one benefit of travel for me is the ongoing realization that They are just Us on different soil. That's not to say that you could confuse Sofia with New York. For one thing, sitting in her apartment near Vitosha Street, Alex and I would occasionally be called to the window by the ...