After a whirlwind of a trip to Istanbul and Cappadocia, we stopped over in Sofia, Bulgaria to see what’s it all about. I didn’t know what to expect and so much I didn’t know.
I soon learnt that Bulgarian is written using Cyrillic script, the same alphabet that is used to write Russian. In fact, Bulgarian is actually the oldest recorded Slavic language.
We took a walking tour with Ognyana to see the highlights on our short stopover on the way home.
Bulgaria was never part of the USSR but has strong Russian influence. The Russian military helped to free them from the Ottoman rule, and thus there is a church dedicated to the Russian soldiers that died in the war. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – one of Europe’s largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals, famed for its gleaming gold domes and richly frescoed interior.
I went in to light a candle, as I always do, for Darcy. Ognyana looked after Lulu while I went inside.
There are a lot of churches in Sofia. The next stop – the Russian Orthodox Church, officially known as the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. This beautiful church with glittering mosaic exterior and golden domes was completed in 1914 for Sofia’s Russian community, and named in honour of St Nikolai, the ‘miracle worker’. It is believed that you can pray for what you want to St. Nikolai. Yup, I sure did go in to make a wish and lit another candle for Darcy.
There wasn’t a sign for “no dogs” so I thought I’d go in and ask – and the two old ladies behind the kiosk, on seeing Lulu in my arms, jumped up and chased us out of the church. OK, maybe Pope Francis is Catholic, but never sent out the memo to the rest of the world of churches to remind them that God created dogs. LOL!
Orthodox Temple of The Seven Saints or Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church, was formerly The Black Mosque is a Bulgarian Orthodox church in Sofia. It was created in 1547 as an Ottoman mosque later converted into orthodox Church
The Church of St George or Rotonda Sveti Georgi is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia.
Nearby, is the Serdica Archaeological Complex a network of Roman ruins (4th–6th centuries) integrated into Sofia’s Largo and three nearby metro stations. Visitors can see paved streets, residential foundations, bathhouse mosaics, and defensive walls, all uncovered during recent metro construction.
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre is the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia.
Walking along the streets of Sofia, we came across Saint Nedelya Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox cathedral of the Sofia bishopric of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The temple dates back to the 10th century, being a cathedral of the city from the 18th century.
And the Vitosha mountain is visible from the city centre.
And last but not least, the gilded bronze Statue of Saint Sofia, unveiled on July 30, 2000. It stands on the spot where a Lenin statue once stood in Sveta Sofia Square. The replacement of Lenin’s statue with Saint Sofia signified Bulgaria’s 1990s shift from its communist past toward European integration and a re-embracing of its medieval heritage.
Standing over 8 m tall atop a 5 m pedestal, she wears a crown topped with an owl of wisdom, holds a wreath of victory in one hand and an inverted wreath (symbolising peace) in the other.
We love walking along the streets to get a glimpse of daily life in a city. There are lots of green spaces and you find people playing chess in some of the parks. And I confirm that they serve matcha with oat milk! That for me is a sign that a place is “progressive” – LOL!
The mandatory vet visit for deworming before travelling home, is one of the ways to get glimpse of every day life in a town or city.
The currency is Bulgarian Lev or BGN, the currency code. But as they are now part of the EU, there is a chance that they might adopt the Euros.
All the flowers were in bloom as Spring has just arrived. It was snowing the week before but we arrived to temperatures in the teens and early 20’s.
Where we stayed: At Sense Hotel, part of the Marriott Group. The location is great as it is close to a lot of the landmarks. They are obviously dog-friendly. And I could dine at their restaurant with Lulu.
And so that was Lulu’s 15th country and my 97th! Onwards!
