Saturday night and Sunday in Sofia… June 8-9, 2024…

When yesterday’s post left off, Bill and I were headed to a restaurant/bar that advertised craft beers. I was getting really crabby, because I was hot, sweaty, and a bit parched. I didn’t know that I was already infected with a cold virus, and that might have been affecting my mood at that point. But we headed toward the place with the deceptive “Free Beer” sign, and when I noticed all the smokers sitting outside, asked if we could sit inside. That was okay, so I clambered up on a bench that overlooked the bar and checked out the menu. Looking it up now, I see that we visited the Vitosha Street Bar & Dinner.

A waitress came by and said we might be more comfortable outside, since the restaurant didn’t have air conditioning. I said that was okay, since sitting outside would mean being surrounded by smokers. Actually, once I’d been sitting for a few minutes and had some beer and San Pellegrino, I cooled off. We had a couple of rounds. Bill was intrigued by a guy he’d already noticed earlier in the day. He was then on the other side of the street, seemingly having an animated conversation with himself. The guy was pacing and gesticulating wildly. But he stopped when the police came near him. Bill chuckled when the guy picked up his stuff and hastily beat it. This was the first of several “interesting” people we saw, haunting Vitosha Boulevard.

One of the waiters at the Vitosha Street Bar needed a reminder of what we ordered. He was very obviously gay, and I cringed when he called me “sweetheart” or something like that. My cringing had nothing to do with his rather flamboyant style, and everything to do with the fact that I don’t like it when people call me pet names, especially if they’re total strangers. Well… I don’t mind it when Bill does that, but he’s my husband and has seen me in all stages. If that guy actually knew me, he’d never call me “sweetheart”. I’m more bitter. 😉

After we finished our second round, we decided to go back to the hotel. I was dying to take a shower. I think it was about at that time that I started feeling like maybe I was about to be under the weather. My throat was a little scratchy. I wanted to stay in the room when it came time for dinner, but Bill wanted to try the Ozone Sky Bar, a venue on the 29th floor of the Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia. So I reluctantly got dressed, and we got on the elevator, which only took us to the 28th floor.

I heard music, and realized it was coming from another one of the hotel’s restaurants. A woman in a cocktail dress came out and asked if we’d like to go in and have dinner in The Gallery. She said the restaurant served Asian Fusion cuisine, and pointed to a menu. Bill smiled bashfully and said, “But are we dressed appropriately?” We had noticed the management at the venue had requested “elegant” attire. Bill was wearing jeans, and I had on my usual knits and no makeup.

The woman gave us a sweeping glance and said, “We’ll accept it.”

I was immediately put off by that, since it wasn’t like we were asking her for a table. She was trying to generate business, but did so in a rather unwelcoming way. “Don’t do us any favors…” I thought to myself as I looked at the complicated menu. Plus, I just wasn’t in the mood for fancy food, as I was feeling tired and icky and just wanted to eat and go to bed.

So, we got in another elevator that took us to the 29th floor, where we got some pretty amazing views of Sofia. A hostess asked us if we wanted to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section. We said non-smoking, so she led us to the other side of the bar. It was a pretty cool looking venue, although they cranked up some loud dance music. We were probably older than the targeted group.

A very nice server came over to take our order. Bill got us a bottle of Bulgarian Sauvignon Blanc, and we ordered three appetizers to share. Of all of the food experiences we had at our hotel, I think the Ozone Bar was the best. Not only was the service friendly and competent, but the food was the best of what we had there. I was a little surprised when a bunch of small children showed up with their parents, even as the mood became distinctly nightclub-like.

As the sun was setting, a guy who worked at the bar started raising the shades to show off the lights of Sofia. The sun immediately hit me in the face and I said, “Oh man!” The guy immediately lowered the shade a bit so I wouldn’t be blinded. I appreciated that.

But after listening to loud dance music, we decided we’d had enough nightlife for one evening. We went back to the elevator and requested the ninth floor, where our room was. It took us to the lobby, instead. I noticed there was a large bouncer by the elevator, complete with velvet ropes. Was he there to keep out the “riff-raff”? Perhaps… but he was guarding the elevator. I was kind of surprised to see it, given that there had been kids in the bar.

Anyway, the speedy regular elevators got us back to our room in a jiffy. We went to bed, and a few hours later, I woke up officially sick with a cold. Things kicked off with an especially auspicious vomiting session. Why do I always seem to get colds in June?

I very quickly realized that trying to repeat Saturday’s marathon walking was going to be out of the question on Sunday. The cold was coming on fast! After breakfast, we went back to the room. The very nice housekeeper was providing service, so we sat in the foyer and waited for her to finish. Then, after she’d completed her task, I said, “Bill, I’m going to put on my nightgown and go back to bed.”

Bill, who was also dealing with a cold, nodded his approval. It sucked to be in bed while we were on a “short break” in Sofia, but honestly, I think doing that saved Monday for us. If I hadn’t spent most of Sunday resting, I probably would have been sicker. At one point, Bill went out to find us some sparkling water while I took a nap. I took a few naps, interspersed with reading about Michael McDonald’s life, as written by Paul Reiser. At least it was a good book!

We did manage to leave the room for a very late lunch– say 4:00 PM. Franco’s Pizza— which turns out to be another Bulgarian chain– was located somewhat close to the hotel. So we walked there and sat outside in uncomfortable chairs, as we enjoyed more Bulgarian beer and sparkling water. I usually order pasta at European pizza places, but I was in the mood for pizza. I ordered a Bufalina, which was supposed to be made with buffalo mozzarella. I think I got a Margarita pizza, instead. Oh well. Bill got ravioli with pork cheeks and pecorino cheese. I probably would have liked his dish, except I don’t like pecorino cheese. It’s too strong for me. Anyway, the service was kind, and the food was decent. It hit the spot. I also liked the treelined location, even if the chair was kind of painful to sit on for long.

After our late lunch, we went back to the hotel room and slept some more. Sigh…

But Monday, I did feel a lot better. Stay tuned for the next post.

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Enjoying our last full day in Sofia…

My, how the weekend flew by. Unfortunately, we didn’t do much yesterday, because I needed to sleep off this cold I picked up. We did venture out for a very late lunch at a little Italian place near our hotel. Other than that, I’m afraid I spent most of my day in bed. It seems like no matter what, I’m liable to be sick on vacation, or having my period (which, at almost 52 years old, is no longer much of a problem for me anymore).

I am feeling a lot better today, though, so we walked back to the center of Sofia for more photos and to pick up some souvenirs. We bought a few things for our house, as well as gifts for Bill’s grandchildren.

We also found a couple of paintings ear the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is the same place where I bought a painting last time I was here. Of course, it was MUCH cheaper in 1996. But we did end up speaking to a couple of nice men who were selling art on behalf of a female Bulgarian artist. When we get back home tomorrow, I’ll try to find out more about her. I was attracted by a couple of paintings she did that reminded me of Sozopol, where I went last time I was here. But the paintings were actually of another seaside town starting with an N that I can’t remember the name of at the moment.

For lunch, we had Armenian food. I was excited, obviously, since I used to live in Armenia. I don’t think the waiter was an Armenian speaker, but we did manage to have barbecue (xhorovatz)… It was way too much for us to finish! I wish we’d had some wine, but we stuck with Czech beers.

I’m kind of sorry we have to go tomorrow. I’ve seen some interesting places I’d like to visit that are outside of Sofia. But now that we know how easy it is to fly here from Frankfurt, maybe we can come back and enjoy a longer visit… maybe rent a car and go somewhere out in the country, now that I’ve reacquainted myself with Sofia.

We’ll see…

Anyway, I’ll be writing my usual travel series blow by blow when we get home, so I’ll stop here for now. Here are a few photos:

Bulgaria, Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Eastern Europe, short breaks

Worn out, sunburned, and sick with Bill’s cold…

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…

Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Eastern Europe

Onward to Prague… part ten of our 2023 Czech tour!

We woke Sunday morning to the first rainy day of our vacation. Until October 8th, we had enjoyed dreamy temperatures and sunshine. Now, the first signs that autumn was upon us had come in the form of a rainy, windy, chilly morning. As is our habit, we loaded more of our luggage into the car before breakfast. We had one more buffet style repast at Hotel JesteBrno, did one last check of the room, and checked out. Because Bill had parked next to the building, I couldn’t get into the passenger seat unless I moved the car, which I did. Bill presented me with the “gift” the hotel gave him– a fancy little box that had a single coffee flavored bon bon in it.

Our drive to Prague was relatively short. It only takes a couple of hours to get there from Brno. Since the weather was kind of crappy and we were on a major highway, I didn’t get any interesting photos on the drive. Below is the only one I got as we were entering the vicinity of Prague.

I also wasn’t feeling very well, because whatever bug I’ve had all last week was taking hold and making me feel icky. We were in luck, though, because I booked a great hotel called Nerudova 211. We were thinking we’d have to drop our bags after parking our car ourselves and find a way to kill the three hours before check in began, but our room was available at noon, which is when we arrived. Jan, who co-owns the hotel with his wife, Sarah, came out and helped us with our bags. Then he very kindly parked our car for us on the street, right across from the hotel’s entrance.

A very enthusiastic and pleasant young woman welcomed us to check in and took us to our room, which was the Deluxe King Suite with Winter Garden, otherwise known as Room 301. One time, Jan’s wife asked us which room we were in and I said 302, because that was our room number in Brno! But room 302 at Hotel Nerudova 211 is very small, and the people who occupied it were obviously Asian. I think Sarah quickly realized I got the number wrong!

In any case, we were definitely not disappointed with our choice. Our room was beautiful, and came equipped with a minibar that had complimentary beverages, as well as a decanter of Czech whiskey. The hotel, which dates back to the 16th century, was renovated and reopened in August 2022. I chose it because I noticed everyone was giving it really high ratings on all of the travel sites. The ratings are truly well-deserved, and I don’t think it’ll be long before this hotel is known as one of the best in Prague. Below are some pictures of our room. All of the rooms are individually decorated and offer cool original features like frescoes and exposed beams and bricks.

This hotel is located very close to Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, which makes it convenient for sightseeing. There are also several good shops, restaurants, and bars nearby. The Romanian Embassy is right across the street.

After we settled in, Bill and I went out to find some lunch. We ended up walking around for awhile before we ended up at a Czech brewpub and had a nice, hearty lunch. Grilled salmon for me, and goulash for Bill, washed down with beer, of course… I noticed on our walk that there were a lot of people around… and it was going to be another one of those cities where someone is always close. Again, I was glad we were there in October instead of during the summer!

After lunch, we went across the street and visited St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana). We paid a nominal fee to go inside and view the awesome interior of the Roman Catholic cathedral that dates from 1704. I’m glad we visited this church because it really is beautiful. It was convenient to the hotel, too, so although I badly needed a nap, it was no problem to duck into the church and take some photos. There’s also a tower you can pay to climb for views of the city. We didn’t do the tower, mainly because I was feeling so crappy. If I hadn’t been sick, we probably would have gone for it.

I wish I’d had more energy to do more sightseeing on Sunday, but by the time we left the church, I really needed a nap. So that’s what I did… I went back to the hotel and slept for about two hours. Bill went out for a walk to a nearby monastery and took today’s featured photo of the views from there. The nap was a good thing, as it helped give me enough energy to walk around Prague on Monday.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Stockholm, Sweden…

I am feeling markedly better today than I was yesterday. My nose quit running and my sinuses aren’t so pressurized. I am still a bit fatigued, and my voice has deepened. I do have a slight chest cough. But, other than that, I’m much improved. I am a bit disappointed that I’m not going to get to do everything I wanted to do in Bergen, but things could be a lot worse! At least I don’t have to go to work sick, right?

It’s rainy today, so I thought maybe it would be a good idea to continue to take things easy. We went down to breakfast and a German couple sat next to us. They were a lot quieter than most of the people we’ve been around this week, so it took a few minutes before I heard them say something in German. As we were getting up to leave, I shocked the wife by saying “Entschuldigung” (excuse me), as I moved to scrambled off of the soft couch we were both sitting on. Then, I flashed her a smile and said, “Auf Wiedersehen.” She rewarded me by beaming. I don’t think she was expecting that at all.

Later, we went to the top of the hotel tower, where I got some photos. I wish it were a prettier day. As I type this, it’s raining. Bergen is a very rainy place under normal circumstances, but this week, there has been a lot of sun. I did get some nice pictures of boats in the wharf, some of which were leaving.

As we were leaving the tower, we ran into the same German couple who asked us in German if that was the way to go. We said, “Ja!”, then moved on before it became obvious how bad our language skills are… or, at least mine are.

It occurred to me yesterday, that we’ll probably be fighting crowds of tourists for the rest of our trip. I guess we can’t complain too much, since we’re tourists, too. It just goes to show you, though, that things are back in full swing after the pandemic. Europe is full of Americans! I think I may have to find a less popular destination for our next trip.

I think we may try to visit the museum next door to our hotel, just to say we did something today. I would like to go on the funicular, but only if we have better weather and I don’t feel too fatigued. I’m going to need my strength as we move on tomorrow. Our flight leaves at 10:45 AM, and arrives at about noon. I look forward to the change of scenery, as lovely as Bergen is…

I’d come back, but maybe just to catch a cruise to the fjords, which I definitely want to see more of. Maybe not in June, though… 😉

Just a few photos from the top of the hotel, which was once a historic building. I’d say the tower might be this hotel’s best selling point.

art

Turning 51 in Bergen, Norway…

Well… if I’m honest, I have had better birthdays. Unfortunately, I seem to have picked up a cold, and I spent a good portion of today in bed, sleeping. It was quite disappointing, too, because I had some plans for our time here, and they’re being thwarted by the huge crowds of people and the tiny cold virus that is currently making me feel yucky.

The good news is, I’m not super sick, at least not yet. I have a runny nose and I’m sneezing a bit. I feel tired, and kind of hot. It’s kind of warm here, though, and a bit humid. I also still have my sense of taste, which is a big relief. Hopefully, I’ll feel somewhat better tomorrow. We have one more full day in Bergen. I may spend it resting, or I might try to do some stuff I had planned. I think the odds are, I’ll try to rest. I want to recover as much as possible before Friday, when we are supposed to embark on our cruise.

We did venture out at lunchtime. Because of the crowds and my not wanting to infect others, or be around loud, obnoxious people, we ate at another Chinese place. It appeared to be owned by the same people who owned the restaurant where we had lunch yesterday. I really enjoyed our meal, which was served in peace and quiet and consisted of won ton soup for me, seafood soup for Bill, and deep fried sweet and sour prawns.

Bill made 7 PM dinner reservations at a restaurant called Allmuen for my birthday, so we went back to the hotel, stopping at a souvenir place to get some t-shirts, since it’s so warm. Bill also went to a Norwegian pharmacy and got me some nose spray and lozenges.

We did have dinner at the restaurant tonight, but we didn’t stay as long as we planned. For one thing, it was very loud and a bit crowded. For another, I just wasn’t enjoying it. I did have a wonderful graduate level Belgian beer to go with yet another steak (the menu was a bit limited). The entrecote came out cut in slices, with lots of vegetables, and an interesting spicy seasoning that I might have enjoyed much more yesterday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very hot when I got it, nor was it cooked medium. I sent it back for some more heat.

Service was also kind and friendly, but very slow. There were only two servers taking care of everyone. I totally empathize with them, and I suspect it has a lot to do with the exodus of people in the service industry post COVID. But the end result was that we were sitting at a table, forced to listen to the very LOUD parties near us, in a dining room with no sound dampening whatsoever. And I just wasn’t feeling up to it tonight. So we paid the check and came back to the hotel. Bill got a bottle of wine, and now I’m writing a bit and thinking about going to sleep… that is, if it gets quiet enough. Bill was brilliant enough to figure out how to let some air into our room… See the photos for that.