Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria. We’ve been here for two nights already. I had been hoping to go on a couple of excursions while we’re here. Sadly, I don’t see it happening, mainly because Bill and I are both sick with miserable colds.

We did manage to get out yesterday, though, and walked over seven miles. It’s very warm in Sofia, but I opted to wear pants, because I knew we would probably visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and they wouldn’t want people with bare arms or legs coming into the building. Sure enough, I was right, as I watched a strict church worker turning away visitors in shorts and sundresses. The alternative, of course, is to cover up.

Sofia is very different now than it was in 1996. English is everywhere, just as it was in Yerevan, when we went there in November. When my friend Elaine and I came here in 1996, Sofia was still very reminiscent of the days when Bulgaria was behind the Iron Curtain. Now, it’s more like any European city, albeit with its own flair. I’m glad we were here in the 90s. It’s interesting to compare things. Also… there are still a lot of crumbling buildings from the Iron Curtain era, so it’s not like things are completely different.

Bill had thought his sniffles were caused by allergies. Unfortunately, he has a cold, and has passed it to me. I’m not sure what we’ll see today, if anything. I might want to spend time resting… at least until my nose is less drippy.

I also got a slight sunburn yesterday. I forgot to put on sunscreen. Anyway… it is nice to be away this weekend, although I hate being sick, especially when I’m away from home.

I got a few nice photos, at least…