Earlier this month, we spent a few days in Bratislava, Slovakia and spent one of those days walking in the forest on the outskirts of the city and it was the most beautiful, tranquil day. I blogged a bit about it here.
Well, after a very lazy week in Sofia, we discovered there are a bunch of free tours on offer - you just turn up at the appointed place at 11am and off you go. There are walking tours run by PhD students and an enviro not for profit group called Sofia Green Tours runs cycling tours and a hiking tour.
Phil was excited by the idea of the hiking tour. As I mentioned in my last post, the Vitosha mountain is pretty much the first thing you see when you arrive in Sofia. It overlooks the whole city!
So when Phil suggested we do it, I was keen. I was keen despite the fact that (1) I have no hiking clothes (2) I have no hiking shoes (3) Despite all the walking we've been doing, I have no mountain climbing fitness...
But Oggi - a very laid back, part-time freelancer, part-time hiking guide (basically, Phil's dream life) got me through in one piece. Actually, Oggi was great, but it was more down to Phil carrying all
It was a fair hike though - we were out for 6 hours total - probably walking for about 4 and a half. There were points where each step drained the life force from my body. I definitely inadvertently grunted at least a few times (to my own horror) and the landscape went a little blurry more than once (probably not a good thing, right?).
But the stunning scenery was the perfect distraction (we hiked to a waterfall and a lake - even spotting a woodpecker!!) and the spectacular views across the city, a worthy payoff. I was thoroughly put to shame by the trail runners who passed us a couple of times on our hike. Incredible. Apparently, our guide Oggi also comes in the winter to ice climb the waterfall!!
Bulgarian mountain forest
Phil at our lookout point
Lake housing the world's loudest frogs and tens of thousands of squirmy tadpoles
Oggi was also able to answer my burning question about Sofia - ie what gives with the car honking/ balloon decorations???
Oggi explained, "oh that, you picked the wrong week to come to Sofia. It's the kids graduating high school". He went on to tell us that they get really excited and have proms and graduation ceremonies, although "I don't know why they do it - they're either going to do more study or get some bad paying job" - so true, Oggi, although perhaps lacking a certain romanticism.
So hiking in Bulgaria gets two thumbs up. I feel, of course, like I've been beaten with clubs (soooo sore), but nothing a well-deserved wine or two won't fix!!
Sofia
I am going to miss Sofia. We ended up staying an extra 3 days because it's such a nice, easy place to hang out.
It doesn't have the striking wide boulevards and churches and monuments of other parts of Europe. But it does have $5.50 IMAX five minutes down the road.
It has that feeling of an underdeveloped city - random patches of jungle in the middle of city blocks, crappy apartment blocks that won't last 25 years, stray dogs in the streets. But at the same time there are Roman ruins and beautiful churches (and mosques) and the university and it's gorgeous botanical gardens.
The lovely locals made our day over and over again by being super friendly and helpful despite our paucity of Bulgarian. I'd love to see a bit more of the country side - the rural part where they grow all the cherries and strawberries and roses.
Look at this pile of cherries!!
And if all that isn't enough, they had tomato sauce flavoured Ruffles!!
To Greece
Now we're off to Thessaloniki for the start of 3 weeks in Greece!! I have been to Athens once - in 2001 - and it will be Phil's first visit.
In a few days, we're meeting my sister, Lex and our friend Louise for a week in Nafplio - Greece's ancient capital. I'm soooo looking forward to their company... And to bbq'd octopus and spanakopita!! Oh yeah, and the history and culture and stuff too ;-).
Postscript: the Bulgarian trains are competing with the Polish trains for slowest in Europe - we're pulling into Thessaloniki at 11pm - a mere hour late.
But... we did spot two donkeys on the tracks about 3 minutes over the Greek border and a horse and cart flanked by two sentinel goats - it bodes well...
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