Soviet Army Monument Skate Park

We touched down in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, after a couple of uneventful connections. Thus begins a tour of nine countries in a little over three weeks. The airport in Sofia is small and a short drive from the center of town. We booked a cab at the airport counter and weren’t far outside the airport before our driver got into a road-rage cursing match with a guy in an SUV through open windows. This was quickly followed by an additional taxi getting the rundown from our driver and then speeding off in pursuit of the SUV. Word on the street is you don’t want to mess with Bulgarian taxi drivers.

In some ways Sofia has felt similar to other parts of Eastern Europe we have visited, but it has a charm and identity that stands out from neighboring countries and which we have very much enjoyed. Bulgaria seems far more ethnically homogenous than other parts of Europe. It doesn’t stand out as a particularly devout society, but the only religion really openly on display is Orthodox Christianity. In that sense, they are certainly distinct from their southern neighbors (Turkey). There also seems to be a really palpable sense of national and cultural identity and pride that I just don’t recall sensing in their northern neighbors (Romania).

The food here has been far and away better than some of what has been on offer nearby. We have really enjoyed everything we’ve had an opportunity to sample here. To name a few things, we really enjoyed Kebapche (Bulgarian kebaps), Mousaka (potato, eggplant, minced meat casserole covered in cheese) and Banitsa (grilled filo dough with layers of eggs and cheese). Our absolute favorite was Mekitsa, which is crispy fried dough served with blueberry preserves and crumbly white cheese (although it can be combined in a variety of sweet and savory ways). I must also confess that on our second day I enjoyed possibly the best espresso macchiato of my life at a café called “Rainbow Factory.” We returned a couple of times, and each time was wonderful. They are real artisans there and it’s really worth a stop for any coffee lover. People that know how obsessed I am with coffee and espresso would know I wouldn’t throw around that endorsement lightly.

We spent our arrival day taking it pretty easy and touring around Sofia. We have a very nicely located AirBnB and everything was close to be able to walk back and crash out early. There is some really stark Soviet-era apartment housing contrasted with gold-domed orthodox churches. One place that really brought Sofia into relief for me was the Soviet Army Monument Park, which seems to have been partially converted into a de facto skate park with ramps and halfpipes covered in graffiti in several areas and groups of teenagers congregating on and around statues of Soviet war heroes.

Our second day started with an early morning excursion southeast of Sofia to Rila Monastery. We did this on a group tour which was practical, but did feel a bit rushed from what we’re usually accustomed to. For today, our last full day in Bulgaria, we also started pretty early for a tour into northwest Bulgaria to visit Magurata Caves and Belogradchik. The ancient paintings in Magurata caves are kept locked down, so unfortunately we missed out on those firsthand (even though we had an inside track with our private guide). The long drive was worth it though for Belogradchik alone. The main attraction is a fortress dating back to the Romans that is set amongst some beautiful rock formations. The whole place is dotted with outcroppings that evoke the southwestern U.S. but instead covered in evergreens and lush overgrowth. One cool place we stopped by in the nearby town had a “summer theater” from the Soviet era that has been partially reclaimed by nature. It was built in 1965 and was an outdoor cinema during the communist period but hasn’t been maintained since. They could transform it into something incredible, but in it’s current state of decay it’s still really interesting to see.

Our next stop is Macedonia, by way of a 5-6 hour bus ride tomorrow morning.