Sofia

I am in love with Bulgaria. The city of Sofia is absolutely amazing. I wish we had more time here but unfortunately the couple hours tonight was all that we had in the capital of Bulgaria.
We left Istanbul in the morning for the long drive to the border. Just like previous border crossings, this one was relatively painless. I got a better stamp at the Turkish border so that made me happy but you can’t even see my Bulgarian one so I hope I get one at the exit. My passport is beginning to get quite a few stamps.
We arrived in Sofia in early evening and had dinner before heading out to the city. The feel of the city reminds me of the bay area. Here are some pictures around the city in Sofia.

The first thing that we saw was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (pictured above). This is the largest church in Bulgaria and is mouth dropping when you first see it. I really wish we had been able to go inside some of the buildings here in Sofia but we didn't get in until they were already closed. This is one that I really wish we could have gone in.

After that we headed over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Bulgaria. This is controversial because many Bulgarians find it disgraceful that there are any Bulgarians that are not named and they want the eternal flame taken down. Also, the statue of the lion that is supposed to be the protector of the tomb is sitting down. This is considered by some as a sign of weakness. The monument is in front of St. Sophia Church which was first a church and later a mosque under the control of the Ottoman Empire. It is a church again now.

After the walking tour led by our tour guide was over, Brenton, Rory, and I went walking around the city. Those two are my best friends on the trip so far and it has been great to get to know them. Brenton is Australian and Rory is from New Zealand so the three of us make an interesting group. We saw a beautiful fountain that changes colors and had a Bulgarian beer called Zagorka Special, which was tasty. We drank our beers in a park in front of a man made waterfall. The city of Sofia is one that I will definitely have to come back to and experience in full. Everything (except the stamp) in Bulgaria has been amazing, and it wasn't a place I knew anything about before this trip, but I'm so glad I came here.