Day 277 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Plovdiv started well. That is not always the case.

First the instructions to the hostel were clear and easy. Second, the city is lively and charming with a great pedestrian street and old town. Third, the hostel was located right in the middle of the old town. Fourth, they knew my name when I walked in. Fifth, there were half liter bottles of beer in the fridge next to the front desk for only 50 cents ( but I took a proffered cup of coffee first). Sixth, it was a cozy, comfortable hostel with lost of character, decent security, and free wi-fi. Seventh, it was cheap at only 11 euro/night. Eighth, there were some cool guys to talk to.

Michele from Italy, a literature teacher, had ridden his motorcycle through 45 countries. Then there were a couple American guys, a Canadian, and of course, a couple Aussies. The Americans played duets on a violin and a Chinese instrument. It was cool to hear “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes on an erhu.

The city is famous for its six hills. I climbed to the top of three of them. On top of one is a giant statue of a Russian soldier to honor their help in liberating the country. It was a perfect spot to relax in the shade, take in a view of the city, and rest after the sweaty climb to the top. I also took in the ancient amphitheater, the Roman forum, a couple beers, a kebab, and a bit of Scotch that the other Americans were trying to get rid of before they moved on.

Talking to people, it seems like I am going the wrong direction. Everyone else had just come from Istanbul and that is where I am headed.

Day 276 Sofia, Bulgaria

To me, Skopje, Macedonia has a much better feel than the Greek cities I visited. It looks cleaner and the buildings are more attractive. The joke in Greece was that the only things in worse shape than the ancient Greek buildings are the new Greek buildings. There is a substantial truthful basis for this joke. I was happy to jump a bus to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is known for its countryside and natural splendor. Not anything over the top, must-see, only very lush green mountains and valleys. I was told by some people that the Black sea coast is nice to see, but then they found out that I went to the coast of Italy and Greece, and then they said that maybe I could skip it. From what I saw of the countryside from the bus, it looks like life is still very close to the land in most areas. It certainly is very green here, with dense forests covering the mountains and hills.

Who else is visiting Sofia, Bulgaria these days? The guy I can’t seem to get away from, George Bush. His European tour is coinciding a little too much with mine. I hear that they loved him in Albania. Bulgaria greeted him more like every other country has, with protests. I guess we have not given Bulgaria as much money as Albania.

On a whim I went and saw Spiderman 3 at the mall here. It was one of the nicest theaters I have ever been in. It even had assigned seats; I got to choose from a computer display when I bought the ticket. The mall could have been in any rich country, you would never guess that it is in a country as poor as Bulgaria. The movie was okay, predictable, and trite with good action.