Bulgaria > Sofia tour part two

The hotel is quiet. Very quiet. At breakfast, exactly three boiled eggs are ready. Just enough for us. I wonder if any other rooms were occupied last night. I leave the hotel, walking toward the city center. I wander a little left and right through the suburbs. There is still little life on the streets. I see the poorly maintained apartment blocks from the communist era.

Bulgaria - The football stadium of CSKA Sofia

Occasionally, a completely new building stands between the old ones. The streets are lined with an unusually large number of trees, giving the streets a rustic appearance. At Borisova Gradina Park, it’s noticeably busier. Joggers and walkers pass through the park. I see a father playing football with his little son on the grass. Perhaps he will play later in the nearby Bulgarska Armiya stadium, home of CSKA Sofia. I ask the guard at the entrance if I may enter the stadium grounds. “Ah, Hollandia,” he says, and it’s no problem. At the stadium itself, a gate is open—probably because workers are busy inside. I quickly seize the chance to catch a glimpse of the stadium from the inside. From the edge of the stands, I see the CSKA Sofia field. A groundskeeper shouts something from the other side of the pitch and heads toward me. I don’t wait for him and walk out of the stadium. At the edge of the park lies a second football stadium. This is the national stadium for the Bulgarian national team. Here, no gate is open. I cross the street and stroll past the Russian Liberation Monument, the university buildings, and the library. I intentionally choose streets I didn’t explore yesterday, allowing me to enjoy the city more.

Bulgaria - Restaurant Bulgaria is famous for its delicious pastries

At the square of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, I pass some small stalls. Elderly women try to sell homemade rugs. They don’t have many customers. Opposite the Russian church, I enter restaurant “Bulgaria,” famous for its delicious pastries. With a cappuccino and a strawberry tart, I watch the people walking by. In the corner of the park is the art gallery museum, featuring a collection of Sofia’s modern art. I walk past the paintings, but they don’t really move me. I also quickly pass the exhibition of Petko Bonchev’s work. I use the time to finally visit the Rotunda Church from the inside; yesterday it was closed. Just in time, I arrive at the Presidency for the changing of the guard. With a traditional step, the new guards arrive and take over for the next hour. I continue walking west. The Sofia Synagogue happens to be closed to visitors today as well, but the building is beautiful from the outside. The local market, the Zhenski Pazarmarket (“Women’s Market”), is open. Numerous mainly elderly Bulgarians wander through the stalls looking for fresh and especially cheaper vegetables and fruit. It’s lively commerce. I decide to walk a little back toward the covered market hall to buy a sandwich. A young man behind me helps with translation and recommends a typical Bulgarian sandwich filled with cheese and egg. I eat it at a small terrace in the middle of the market hall. Excellent advice. It’s now two o’clock, and I conclude that I’ve seen all the sights I was interested in.

Bulgaria - The Zhenski Pazar Market womens market in Sofia

I decide to slowly walk back to the hotel and stop at a pleasant terrace for a beer along the way. I still have enough time to prepare my suitcase for the return flight and grab something to eat near the hotel. Just behind Vitosha Boulevard, I find a nice little square with umbrellas and lounge chairs. As I sit down with my beer, I feel the wind pick up and the sky darken. It starts to rain. I realize that during the past week it often looked threatening, but I never needed my raincoat or umbrella. Even now, I stay dry under the umbrellas. When a few rumbles of thunder are heard, I order another beer and wait for the rain to ease. The rain pours down heavily. Once the worst of the shower has passed, I walk back to the hotel. It’s still raining in the evening. I grab my umbrella and look for a restaurant near the hotel, careful of splashing from passing cars. Safely and dry, I find a restaurant a few hundred meters from the hotel. I count my last Levs, order a meal, and of course, a drink.