Sofia, Bulgaria

Going to Sofia, I knew nearly nothing about Bulgaria. Part of my passion for traveling comes from the transformation of a place from being merely a name and space on a map to its full sensory realization by meeting the people, eating their food, walking their streets and learning their history.

Sofia has quite an interesting history as one of the oldest cities in Europe, spanning back BC as a Roman settlement. It’s had three Bulgarian empires, interspersed with foreign conquerors including a long period of Byzantine rule – and you can see these layers of time as layers of the city, since each was literally built on top of each other. It in the metros you can find excavated Roman walls and streets, the next layer up an ancient church with frescoes preserved from the first few centuries of Christianity, then a mosque from the Byzantine period, and finally the magnificent Alexander Nevski Cathedral financed by the Russians – a copper and gold Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral with a dark, stony interior adorned with icons that loom stories above exuding severity and righteousness.

Sofia’s nestled into the imposing Vitosha mountain, giving the city a lovely backdrop when it’s not obscured by snow storms or smog. The city has some grand Soviet era architecture and statues, such as the former party headquarters, which now proudly waves the Bulgarian flag instead of a red communist star, and the not so grand but enormous and squatting Palace of Culture. They have some good beer, similar to Czech beer since they use Czech hops, and some… well, very Eastern European food. Tagging along for a couple of lunches to a restaurant where actual Bulgarians go, I ate beans and cabbage for one meal and bean soup for the other. Hearty, earthy, and distinct – couldn’t do it every day, but it’s fun to try.

I was in Sofia at the tail end of winter when on March 1 everyone starts wearing red and white bracelets called martenitsa that represent life and health. Everyone wears these for several weeks (including men with whole wrists wrapped in these colorful braided bracelets), and then ties them to the first budding tree they find, heralding spring. What a nice tradition, I might tie one to a DC cherry blossom trees if one decides to bloom before I leave again.

So now Sofia is more than a spot on the map to me, and I hope for you. It fuels my lust to bring more of the world to life, to see, to know, to understand just a little bit more. Although after another month of traveling, I have to admit how happy I am to be coming home and spending a few normal weeks with my husband!