Sofia

In wake of recent events, a coworker and I decided to get out of Belgrade and visit Sofia, Bulgaria. You may ask yourself, "Who goes to Sofia?" but we found it a friendly, town with plenty to see for two days.

We took a night train from Belgrade arriving early on Saturday morning in Sofia. Luckily, our hotel had agreed to let us check in early so that we wouldn't have to carry our bags around the city all day. Our hotel was a "boutique" hotel with nice rooms and a shower over the toilet (who knows how you are supposed to keep the toilet paper dry). As we read the Sofia City Guide that recommends restaurants, bars and sights, we discovered our hotel under the heading "Gay and Lesbian Night Life." What does that mean?

On Saturday, we did a city tour with our friend Adam. He showed us the churches, told stories about the old buildings, and gave us an American living in Sofia view on life there. We were impressed with the food, prices, and the fantastic climbing store!

Sunday, Tessa and I again met up with Adam for a trip up the mountain just outside of town. This is what Belgrade is missing. There is a gondola, accessible by public transportation, that goes from Sofia up to the local ski mountain. The gondola was old and rickety, but it definitely made Sofia seem to be a great little city.

While Bulgaria is a VERY poor country (much poorer than Serbia), it has had recent development due to it's acceptance into the EU. Many Brits have moved to Bulgaria, buying up ski condos and real estate that goes for less the $50,000 for a slopeside chalet. Additionally, Sofia is putting in a bid for a future Winter Olympics. Who knows, Sofia could be the next big deal!