Shopska Salad and Cyrillic (Bulgaria)

We didn’t know what to expect in Bulgaria…but we really, really liked it. We started our journey in the east of the country in Sozopol on the Black Sea, then moved west through Plovdiv, a central city of much historical significance, then went to the mountains for some hiking, and finally finished in Sofia, the capital.

Bulgaria was the least familiar place of the trip to date. People shake their heads for “yes” and “no” the opposite way it’s done nearly everywhere else, which causes a bit of havoc when you’re a tourist who doesn’t speak the language and struggling to communicate via hand signals… And since all the signs are in cyrillic, even getting a phonetic match with where you want to go is a struggle initially. While there is some tourism, much of it comes from Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, and we found things to be a bit less polished than most other places we’ve visited. The train from Sozopol to Plovdiv never moved faster than a brisk walk, the buses were balmy (think sauna on wheels), and waiters appeared engaged in a competition over who could act more surly.

Once we got the hang of it though, we had an amazing time. We learned the basics of cyrillic characters (thanks a million Google Translate App!), realized that certain mild waiter scowls are actually a sign of friendship, and availed ourselves of the excellent local wine, chopped salads, and mixed grill offerings. We never quite got used to the head-shaking, but within a few days we felt reasonably at home in Bulgaria. Since we’ve left the country, it’s typically the first place we excitedly bring up when talking about our travels with people we meet.

Sampling some local “Rakia”

(Mostly) Ancient History

For those who don’t know (and this includes nearly everyone we can think of), Bulgaria is actually one of the best places in the world to see Greco-Roman ruins after Italy and Greece. If you’ve heard of the Thracians (Sparticus, among others), Thrace is in modern-day Bulgaria. Alexander the Great’s dad also spent a lot of time there. Compared with many other countries, Bulgaria was left relatively unscathed by intruders in the post-Roman era, so these ruins are mostly still in great condition – albeit with varying degrees of excavation. Furthermore, many of these great sites are smack in the middle of cities, sans the attendant crowds that cluster in similar sites in more touristy destinations.

Can you guess which king of Macedon named Phillippopolis (aka Plovdiv)?

Bulgaria has been settled for a very long time – about seven millennia. Like many of the other interesting places in the world it sits at a crossroads, in this case linking Europe and Asia. Historically peopled by a mix of Thracians and Slavs, the region played a large role in trade and was controlled by a succession of empires which all imported aspects of their different cultures, creating a very exciting mix that continues to this day.

In antiquity, the region was fought over by the Persians, Greeks, and others, eventually becoming part of the Macedonian Empire of Phillip II and then Alexander the Great. After this came the Celts, and finally the Romans, who ruled for a long time until their empire collapsed in the 5th-6th centuries. Starting in the late seventh century, the First Bulgarian Empire emerged, which dominated the Balkans with a strong military. Then the Byzantine Empire took over in the 11th century, and ruled through the late 13th century. Subsequently, an uprising brought the Second Bulgarian Empire, which was relatively short-lived. After this collapsed, the region eventually fell to the Ottomans at the end of the 1300s. This state of affairs persisted for about 500 years.

Plovdiv’s ancient Roman amphitheater, which was found accidentally during excavation for a building’s foundations. Builders fear finding ancient ruins on their sites since it means the end of the project, or at least a lot more headaches

A view of the partially-excavated Roman circus in Plovdiv, which sits under one of the main streets, with the main mosque in the background

Looking down into the seating of the Roman circus under the main street, which could purportedly hold 25,000 people for chariot races and other public events

The Romans liked to build their cities on hills to make defending them easier. This was one of the gates to the old city of Plovdiv

Looking out on a few of the six hills of Plovdiv (there used to be a seventh but it was demolished to make way for a shopping center)

St. George’s Rotunda in Sofia, the oldest building in the city (parts date back to the 4th century) containing layers of frescoes from different eras

In the mid to late 19th century, a growing movement for independence, coupled with the weakening of the Ottoman Empire and an increasingly assertive Russia, brought about the creation of the modern Bulgarian state. Russia defeated the Ottomans decisively in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, leaving an independent Bulgaria and earning continued gratitude to the Russians to this day by Bulgarians.

Historically houses were taxed according to the size of the first floor. Clever people built extra-large second floors on struts…

The house of a successful merchant in Plovdiv, now converted into a museum

After independence, Bulgaria ultimately fought as an ally of Germany in both World Wars, and settled into communism during the Cold War. After the Iron Curtain fell, the country struggled to modernize its economy, but in recent years has been gaining some traction. It is now a member of the EU and NATO, and the country is working hard to develop closer connections with Western Europe.

The former headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party, now serving as the office for the national assembly. Back during the communist era, it was capped with a large red star which, despite legends of the time, was not made of rubies

High Quality Coastline

We found Sozopol, a resort city on the Black Sea, to have a great, unpretentious seaside culture that was wonderfully inexpensive. Sun, sand, water, and good food, all with a characteristic ex-communist flair.

“Sozopol” spelled in cyrillic on a boat in the marina

Overlooking the main beach to the south of where we stayed

The central beach in Sozopol

Looking out towards the old town in Sozopol (the red roofs are the old town which is on a peninsula extending into the Black Sea)

This was our favorite beach restaurant (which was actually up on the top of the hill). Run by two elderly ladies, it’s where we discovered mishmash (see the food section below)

A proper beach drink!

Culture in the Cities

In both Plovdiv and Sofia we found exciting cities full of some impressive buildings and a lot of energy. Sofia is a much larger hub with a true city feel, while Plovdiv is more compact but has a massive collection of historical architecture. In all cases you can find young people energetically chatting at tables outside, fueled with coffee, beer, and wine. Because the country hasn’t been picked over so carefully by tourists, there is an amazing number of great sites to be found right in the middle of the cities, surrounded by people taking no notice and going about their everyday lives.

The main fountain in Plovdiv

After this theater in Plovdiv was renovated, famous local street artists were invited to decorate it. 

Can you spot the hipsters? The trendy district in Plovdiv

The front of the main Orthodox church in Plovdiv. The interior is covered with intricate decorations

 

Looking across at the mosque near the center of Sofia. In close walking distance is also a Catholic church, an Eastern Orthodox church, and a synagogue, which we though showed a lot about how much of a blend of cultures the city has. Behind this picture are the public baths

The Alexander Nevsky Church in Sofia, decorated with real gold

The National Historical Museum in Sofia which, while not much to look out from the outside, hosts one of the most impressive collections of Greco-Roman artifacts that either of us has seen

The guards outside the Presidency Building in Sofia, with guards who are only slightly more interactive than those at Buckingham Palace

The Mountains

Hiking in Bulgaria, as you might expect, involved a bit more adventuring than elsewhere. We took a trip into the mountains in order to hike up Musala, Bulgaria’s tallest peak, which was purportedly first summited by Phillip II of Macedon (aka the daddy of Plovdiv and Alexander the Great). We based ourselves in a large ski resort which, although overrun with visitors during the winter, is naturally not so popular in the summer. Our semi-deserted hotel was run by a friendly man who spoke no English at all and consumed only brandy for breakfast, and we were the sole clients at the few restaurants still operating in the off-season. It took plenty of diligent internet scouring plus an hour of wandering around to find the start of the hike, but when we did it was blissfully free of crowds.

The view down a snow-free ski run

Despite the lack of fellow tourists we did find some company for the climb. Early on, a slightly scruffy but otherwise healthy-looking dog began to follow us up the street towards the mountain. We tried to ignore her at first, but she continued to patiently walk behind us, even waiting when we stopped.

The pursuit begins

We paid no attention to her for as long as we could, but inevitably we cracked – and she ended up walking with us for hours. She even played mountain guide and showed us the path across a stream when we couldn’t find it. Eventually (i.e. once we shared a bit of our lunch with her), she bade us farewell and wandered off in search of some other hikers to guide.

Ethan making a friend

The hike itself proved to be a serious workout, beginning with several hours of relentless climbing up ski runs with minimal payoff in terms of view. Eventually, though, the landscape opened up to show a series of sharp, rocky peaks surrounded by deep blue lakes.

Finally reaching the top of the endless ski runs

One of the mountain lakes

We then passed through a series of mountain stations which offered a few hot snacks, beer, and brandy – the last of which became increasingly necessary as the temperature plummeted.

A glacial lake, and a faraway mountain station (bright blue) below 

The final ascent

We eventually reached Musala Peak – the highest peak in the Balkan Peninsula at 2,925m – just as the clouds were clearing, and we were able to enjoy a breathtaking view.

At the summit!

Victory Rakia – mountain stations on the way up had no water but they did have brandy, so it seemed like the right thing to do

A look back down the mountain

The Food

We quickly learned that Bulgarian food has a lot in common with Greek food – a discovery which delighted Jess (particularly after several weeks of potato-centric vegetarian cuisine). Bulgarian cheese, which is not dissimilar to feta, is found on absolutely everything. Furthermore, while Bulgaria clearly has a lot to learn from the Greeks in terms of global marketing, their national yoghurts compare well. Filo pastries with spinach / meats / cheese, pita, stuffed peppers, moussaka etc. also appear regularly. And they’re great!

Candid shot – has anyone ever been this happy to see a Greek salad? Bulgaria’s version, the Shopska salad, was also delightful. 

Blended into this is a clear Middle Eastern influence – a discovery which suited Ethan quite well. Meats are beautifully spiced, grilled to perfection, and always piled high.

A well-balanced meal…onions count as vegetables, and lemons count as fruit, right?

One thing we did agree on, though, was the best and most uniquely Bulgarian thing we tried – the mishmash. Deceptively simple, this blend of eggs, Bulgarian cheese, sauteed peppers, tomatoes and onions, along with a healthy dose of paprika, is surely the most perfect comfort food ever devised. Sadly it does not photograph very well, so you will have to take our word for it.

The drink

On the drinking side, our lasting memory of Bulgaria will undoubtedly be the coffee vending machines on every street corner. It is pretty much impossible to be more than a minute’s walk from an instant, and surprisingly tasty, dose of caffeine – and for a mere 20 cents! Unsurprisingly Starbucks has yet to gain a foothold in the country.

Standard coffee vending machine experience – an undercaffeinated Ethan searching for the капучино button

Of course, when they are not drinking coffee the Bulgarians do enjoy something a little stronger. “Rakia”, a clear, highly potent brandy, is the official traditional drink of Bulgaria, which we sampled enthusiastically (on and off the mountain, see pics above). The country also produces some very reasonable wine – in fact, during the Cold War Bulgaria was one of the largest wine exporters around. Just picture Khrushchev in a dinner jacket requesting the house’s best bottle of the Bourgas Reserve 1953…

The beer is nothing special, but you can buy mind blowing quantities for the price of a UK pint.

Overall we found the country to be exactly the sort of place we were looking to find on this trip: exciting, different, a bit unpolished, and full of great things to see and foods to eat. The wealth of history and historical artifacts was perhaps the best surprise, and if any of you are thinking about going into archaeology, it seems like there’s a lot still to find.