Exploring Sofia

We had the option today of taking an excursion about two hours outside the city to a monastery. We opted to stay in Sophia and explore it further on our own. We were able to have a leisurely morning and joined a walking tour at 11 a.m. that took us around the old town, some of which we saw yesterday afternoon.

Once again, it was steaming hot reaching 34 degrees Celsius but we had dressed appropriately and certainly drank plenty of water. Following the tour, we ventured to the promenade and had lunch at a cafe and did some window shopping. By late afternoon, we returned to the hotel for a bit of a rest before our dinner at 7 p.m with our friend Stephen at a restaurant called Moma which serves traditional Bulgarian food. We then decided to walk home along the promenade and go to our hotel’s rooftop for a drink.

We say goodbye to Bulgaria tomorrow morning. We have found Bulgaria noticeably different from Romania. There is far more of a Mediterranean vibe here as opposed to Slavic. This is most evident in the food. We’re seeing lots of salads on menus as well as dishes made with filo pastry and feta-type cheeses. Baklava as a dessert is now standard on menus.Læs mere