Because it's There

Beth (who I replaced in Skopje but who is now director of the Balkans network) and I decided to take a road trip to Sofia -because it is there. Sofia seemed much bigger than Skopje with a lot more green spaces and bigger mountains close by but not more developed. The language was very similar but with some variations. Having to detour through some villages due to motorcycle accident on the road, we saw a few old, hunched over women with scarves and walking sticks accompanying their sheep through the center of town. Almost all the old houses along the road had grape arbors attached to the windows. Lots of fields for growing- a few abandoned factories but no signs of industry other than what looked like a nuclear reactor.

Along the way -Macedonian Monastery in Kriva Palanka

You will not like it in hell

Monastery restaurant

Traditional dress of the region

Beth forgives cat who was clawing her legs  to get to our food

Cat enjoys traditional Macedonian food- a type of polenta with yogurt and pork- smoked on the premises

Snow caps of Bulgaria

The lion - symbol of Bulgaria

Palace of Justice in Sofia

Our guide- graduate students (she is studying medicine) provide free walking tours twice a day every day of the year- she is unimpressed by her country's government

Coat of arms of Bulgaria

One of the few remaining mosques. Most were dynamited by the local non-moslem population

The National Theater

A very old church that remained undestroyed

The main department store from the 30s-40s (it had an escalator!). There was little to buy after WWII. A Bulgarian joke- customer orders a car. He is told delivery will be made in ten years. He asks- will that be in the morning or afternoon. Store asks how could that matter . Customer says- well, I have the plumber coming that same morning.

Sofia subway station

Top of synagogue in the background. Because there is a synagogue, mosque and church nearby, this is known as the square of tolerance. It turns out that King Boris did manage to save Bulgaria's 50,000 Jews from Hitler although Bulgaria participated in sending the Jews of Macedonia to their death. For his efforts, it is widely believed Hitler had King Boris poisoned. After WWII, almost all the Bulgarian Jews left for Israel. 

Visiting the remains of the Roman ruins in Sofia

Parading of the guard at the Presidential palace

An old preserved church in the space now surrounded by government buildings and apartments. Our guide said that awhile back her friend living in one of these apartments got a call telling her to close her window and move away from it- that a sniper was pointed at her. Turns out, Putin was in town. He's fun.

Bracelets hung from a tree for St. Martin's day to help insure fertility

Alexander Nevsky church

The freedom bell

Memorial to those unknown who died during the war

Beth- it was quite a warm day in Sofia

The saint who helped spread the cyrillic alphabet to the people

Along the main pedestrian shopping street- we bought rose petal hand cream- Bulgaria is known for its products containing rose petals, rose oil etc. and lots of honey for sale- we say many beekeeping hives along the roadsides and along the highways were cars parked along the side with bags of potatoes for sale

The Stobi pyramids in Bulgaria- not really worth a trip from anywhere but if you are driving by anyway- why not?

Rila Monastery- the "spiritual heart" of  Bulgaria

She was not sure if she should wear the scarf but I thought it looked nice

Beth photographed me from several angles/distances. I think this was most flattering.

As previously noted- you will not like it in hell! 

The saints care for the people

Snakes in hell- even worse than snakes on a plane!

Inside the church at the monastery

You can buy candles as you walk in- the lit candles near the ground are for those who have died and the ones up higher are for the living. Beth always buys some candles. I simply try to scurry through and hope I am not struck by lightning for just being inside.

The story behind Rila

The bell tower

The gift shop selling icons, icons, icons

One of the priests

Bulgarian mountain flowers

Nearby houses

houses along the road

A little roadside cafe

The "highway" to Macedonia. There turned out to be a "road tax" to get back to Macedonia.

We are photographed by the cafe owner. All the trees and bushes were blooming in Bulgaria leaving me with a terrible allergy attack. As soon as I returned to the concrete jungle of Skopje, I immediately recovered.