Bulgaria Roundup

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A gate in Sofia with the symbol of the country - the lion

A gate in Sofia with the symbol of the country – the lion

I spent 10 days in Bulgaria and spent an average of $35 per day. I saw three major places: Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, and Nessebar. It would have been nice to spend some more time around the Black Sea, but the huge resorts really don’t appeal to me very much and unfortunately there’s very little virgin land left to explore. Nessebar was a wonderful place, though, and definitely worth the stop!

The highlight in Bulgaria for me was independence day in Veliko Tarnovo and meeting some wonderful people at the camping site where I stayed. Sofia was also a pleasant surprise with its rich history and tolerant culture.

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Hiking Outside Veliko Tarnovo

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The cliffs outside Veliko Tarnovo

The cliffs outside Veliko Tarnovo

I spent a few days camping in Samovodene, just north of Veliko Tarnovo at the lovely Veliko Tarnovo Camping site. There are loads of hiking and rock climbing spots in the area and I spent a few hours trekking to the Holy Trinity monastery, which was unfortunately closed the day I went, I assume because of independence day celebrations.

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Bulgarian Independence Day in Veliko Tarnovo

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Dancers lined up for hundreds of meters to dance during Bulgaria's independence celebrations

Dancers lined up for hundreds of meters to dance during Bulgaria’s independence celebrations

I had the good fortune of stumbling into Veliko Tarnovo during the Bulgarian Independence Day celebration – September 22. There was dancing in the streets, a light show, and a military marching and singing performance. It reminded me the no matter where you are, people are more or less the same! The energy and patriotism felt on the streets in front of the castle were nearly identical to those felt on the Fourth of July in the United States.

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Layers of History in Sofia

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The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at night

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at night

I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely and livable Sofia, Bulgaria was, especially coming from Bucharest which was very much the opposite. I only spent a couple of days in the city but of course took advantage of a free walking tour to make the most of my time. There are nearly 2,500 years of history visible right in the middle of the city, including 4th century churches, a colorful Ottoman-style mosque, and remnants of communist rule. In addition to the free city tour, I also took the free Balkan Bites food tour, which was a real treat.

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Romania Roundup

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A street in Brasov with the Hollywood-like sign in the background

A street in Brasov with the Hollywood-like sign in the background

I spent 15 days in Romania and spent an average of $24 per day, not including the money lost on my car rental fiasco. I visited six places: Timisoara, the Apuseni mountains, Deva, Sibiu and Cisnadioara, Brasov and Bucharest. Overall I was very impressed by the enormously friendly people and pleasant atmosphere in most of the places I went to, although Bucharest was not a very enjoyable city. I also loved eating papanasi!

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