The Nomad Frequency • Discovering the Hidden Charms of Sofia, Bulgaria

I most often fly from Country to Country, but I also am open to long drives or train rides. After spending a few days in Bucharest, Romania I decided to visit Sofia, Bulgaria. It was roughly an 8-hour ride on a fairly comfortable bus that at least had a bathroom with three 15-minute breaks and stops along the way.

I often travel cold, meaning I look up very little. I don't do this out of ignorance or lack of interest. I usually simply want to take something in the way it presents itself. I know far too many people who had a vision of one place only to be disappointed after visiting. I would say this has happened to about 80% of the people who have traveled to France, especially most recently. My cousin recently got a job in Sofia, so the plan was to see her, shoot a new ballerina (with a camera) and just take in Sofia by walking around and seeing as much as possible.

The only warning I got was that "it will remind you of Poland".  Mainly because the trams with their distinctive blue and yellow colors had been bought out of Bulgaria and now are a part of the daily travel element. Having said this, the road between Bucharest to Sofia was underwhelming at best - mostly farmland with little difference from hour to hour, the most entertaining thing was perhaps the drunk Greek guy who sat in front of me and liked trying to speak with everyone.

At one point he tried to give the family of a Russian women sitting across from us a compliment. He meant to tell the Mother in the group that she looked very young, but what he really said was that her daughters looked way too old. It was perhaps the most entertaining part of the ride, but it's also because I like characters. I also know that not everyone does, and the Russian women, although likely accustomed to being approached by drunk Russians over the years, probably were at least able to walk away at their own discretion, a luxury not found aboard this bus.

Our first stop was at an old bus station that resembled something out Chernobyl, the bus driver a 5 foot something Kazakh who was also a chain-smoker took great delight in one of the passengers trying to buy some chips out of an old vending machine which twisted only once after he put his money in, while simultaneously not delivering his chips. - another great reminder of being in what I refer to as the old Eastern Block.

Four of us got together and tried moving the machine as much as possible, even though it was bolted to the floor. This is another experience that anyone who has used one of these machines with regularity in any country has certainly experienced. We finally boarded and after much time and a few construction corks in the road made it to Sofia.

Sofia is a beautiful city with so much to offer in the arts and public walking department. It is also extremely affordable although prices have gone up and continue to do so since it joined the EU. Most Europeans will tell you that it's not always a positive thing. I tend to agree with them. Over 20 years ago, prices in Poland were both in Zloty and Euro so people could get used to the conversion. At some point, Poland decided to keep their national currency and I personally prefer paying in Zloty when I am back in my home country.

Bulgarians are perhaps not the friendliest people in the world, but this is more of a superficial observation, meaning they don't necessarily smile upon meeting them. In the 9 days I was there I didn't encounter any rude people, public fights, or drunks screaming at each other, even though you can walk the streets drinking a bottle of beer and I took full advantage of this old albeit minute luxury.

I stayed near the town center, roughly a 5-minute walk away from the main tourist spot. The street had many Cafe's, grab and go pizza shops, little 7-11 type stores, and everything else in between. The food was good but was of course more reasonably priced the further away you remove yourself from the main tourist area.

A beautiful 16th century church has a side area built into it for summer outdoor performances, and although I was more interested in going to the ballet it was lovely to walk by and hear the Opera group rehearsing Puccini, Pagliacci and others for free while we traversed the town.

There are also many casinos strewn about. Unlike what we are used to in the USA, you go in, stand at a machine and the worker there takes your money and loads your credit. So for those who machine jump it certainly would not be convenient, but each casino only had 15-30 machines, and two workers in the building at the same time. Many also want you to register which I was not interested in doing for any future "free" promos they may offer.

The language is a Slavic mix that can be understood to a certain degree by both Poles and Russians and I estimate other native speakers from the eastern bloc even though the alphabet is Cyrillic which I haven't had to contend with since being a child. but slowly you begin to relearn the words and what they mean.

Just in front of the church was an old public auction with vendors selling everything from Pre WWII currency to Nazi and Russian KGB papers, I have collected some of these things over the years and picked up some new pieces after haggling prices, which you are almost expected to do.

There is a very modern feel to the area, but it is also interspersed with old Russian trains and a smorgasbord of other elements that resemble a movie set where anything from the past 80 years could be thrown together. In Comparison to the USA it would be like having a Model T Ford ride in between a 50's classic next to a 2027 convertible at a traffic stop. Some of the buildings are modern while others within the same block are crumbling under their own weight.

I told almost every Bulgarian I met that they have such a beautiful country to which they were surprised to hear, I told them the people are nice and that Sofia is beautiful. That of course opened up not just genuine smiles from people, but them wanting to engage with me as to what I was comparing it to. Most often it turned out that the very things I found endearing like the variety of transit systems from different areas was the very thing they disliked, but I told them "No, these things are actually wonderful"

Bulgaria is also one of the very few countries where Polish people are welcomed and liked. This is for a few reasons, some of which are understood while others just merely fall into the category of misunderstandings. My other cousin and her husband traveled there years ago and said they felt very welcomed and people were friendly.

I always ask myself, could I live here, and if so, for how long? Bulgaria was #41 of the countries I have been to, and I liked it so much that I would consider going back to stay for longer. The food was great, the people were great, and when you go somewhere with no expectations, you are likely to always be pleasantly surprised. I would never correlate mussels with Bulgaria, but they literally had the best mussels I have ever eaten in my life.

Another beautiful thing about Bulgaria is that people seem to have a great level of respect for the ancient artifacts and the old city that exists under the modern Sofia. There are remnants of ancient roads, churches, buildings and homes that are 2 levels underground and they have taken great care to not just preserve these artifacts but also educate people who walk around them by posting signs of when they were built and what purpose they served. Some of the ruins stand underground while others are still open for visitation, photos, and even catacombs exist within the old walls and churches.

Most surprising is that for as full of a city as Sofia is with an estimated 1.3 million people, the streets never seemed packed, even with a bustling nightlife. I stopped by a large modern outdoor seating area that is a bar with hookah smokers, drinks, appetizers and more. I had a few beers, some edamame, along with an appetizer of tuna tartar. The same meal and drinks in any bar in the USA would have likely cost over $60-$70, here it was a little bit north of $20.00, so the city is very affordable even for posh spaces with much going on.

I walked into a random church one day, accidentally crashed a wedding, saw a baptism and the catacombs all within a little over an hour which was a new experience. Before going there I had contacted Katerina Petrova- one of Sofia National Ballet's principal dancers to see if she would be open to do a photoshoot. She was more than gracious with her time. and I was even able to see her and her Husband dance the lead roles in their rendition of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake which was performed on an actual stage built with a lake behind it.

In summation, I found Bulgaria to still be a hidden gem that few people know about, If anything the 9 days I spent there only served as an appetizer for me to want to see more, like plan a road trip, rent a car, and bounce around without a specific destination.

I highly recommend coming to see the city, even if for a few days if anyone coming to Europe can finesse their trip itinerary to include it I guarantee you will not bre disappointed.