The journey of Henry 9
published on the site for tourists Case and by kind permission of the author
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It 'good to say that Sofia would be better to visit after seeing many other European capitals, including Prague and Budapest, as it is a town of less than mentioned. August 2009; Expedia reservation, is the first time, everything will be quite well. The trip stops in Vienna, and Bologna Tyrolean travel to Vienna on a 50-seat De Havilland, which more than a plane I think a bus driving, and are incredulous as to overcome the Alps from Vienna to Sofia Austrian travel, spacious and comfortable air, and on time, and indeed we come to Sofia in advance, the airport is small, modern and very busy. Take a taxi company OK, and as we were informed, drivers often do not start the meter, the reason is obvious! I know the price of the trip from the airport to the center, so I'm curious to know how long will I wait to pay the taxi driver smart (they are smart a bit all over the world). We arrive at the hotel Les Fleurs, 20 Lev pay for the taxi (less than 10 € for 20 minutes), which we accept, but the hotel will tell us to be too many. We climb in the room and prepare to leave, and there are 17 il sole. Siamo in viale Vitosa, e poichè visto il pessimo cambio all'aeroporto (1 euro=1,65 Lev quando la quotazione internet era 1 euro=1,95), abbiamo cambiato pochi euro, ci rechiamo a sinistra dell' hotel, come indicatoci, per cambiare valuta, ma è sabato, chi cambia ufficialmente come le banche è chiuso, quindi ci vengono proposti cambi assurdi, finchè troviamo una ragazza in un gabbiotto, che ci offre 1,85 per cambiare 100 Euro. Cambieremo poi ancora il Lunedì, finalmente in un ufficio "serio", a 1,95: quindi attenti al cambio! Proseguendo per viale Vitosa, via principale e dello shopping, si giunge a Juzen park, enorme piazzale con fontane, e grande costruzione, si tratta del palazzo della cultura. Bulgaria is in Europe for a couple of years, but the environment still shows the signs of the past, municipal cotruzioni huge, ugly buildings alternate with beautiful buildings in the late nineteenth century. A particular merit in the streets, not well maintained and especially marciapidi, whose slabs are often torn, and you are likely to stumble at every step. Then we spend an hour in the center, observing and entering Sveta Nadel, central church, a brick building, and the imposing Palace of Justice White, with two lions at the base. In the central square Banja basis, there are works in progress, but this does not prevent us from photographing the column with the winged woman atop a symbol of wisdom, 2 bronze color. One step in front of the museum of archeology, he also finds out, entrance fee, Thracian and Greek art, we come and we go from store suffered CUM, we pass the old baths, now in disuse, we see the fountains spa, people filling cans of water, which comes out hot the taps, and enter the covered market, where to buy mineral water and where there are bars and clothing shops and food products. The prices are slightly lower than in Bologna, but it tells us a 'clerical Bulgarian, which to them are very expensive, especially in the center. We would like to visit the Synagogue, but it is closed for interior renovations. They are 21, many shops still open, as the Sunday, and sit at the restaurant "Happy", very large, international aspect, as an international menu. There is a lot of people, the meat arrives cold, the heat there, then the surprise of the price, 2 / 2 of chicken and drinks, 10 €: eat in Sofia costs not many. It's getting late and back to the hotel. The next morning was Sunday, and after a hearty breakfast, and views of the beautiful day, we set off again towards the center, but turning right, we head toward the cathedral. We stop to take pictures and shoot the remains of the church "Sveti Georgi", the underground church "Sveta Petka" and we can not fail to notice large buildings, dating back to Stalin-style Sixty years ago, like the aforementioned stores CUM, the court Constitution, the Council of Ministers, The palace now houses the former communist Socialist Party headquarters, on the other hand, the presidency, with guards in full uniform. We continue to arrive and then Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, the most monumental in Bulgaria, built in the early twentieth century. The domes are gilded, and is beautiful inside as well. Acquistamo two candles at a price of 40 cents Lev, and photograph (you can?). Start the religious service, and we stopped a few more minutes. Then we go out, to return immediately to the right, to visit the crypt (6 Lev head), which contains the beautiful, ancient icons and large, very interesting, can not be photographed, the entrance to the crypt selling reproductions of icons, prices are not that low. Near the church, other large buildings, and a small garden in a daily market, where they sell souvenirs and old things related to war and the Soviet period, I think they are original. During the reverse journey, we meet first the interesting church of Santa Sofia, and the delightful little church of St. Nicholas Russian, with its golden onion domes. Still a lot of icons inside. We did some shopping, but you need to go in the subways of the center, where you can find other souvenirs, and especially one of them, admire archaeological finds, and several layers of pavement been added, at various times, by Thracians, Romans, the Bulgari.
Souvenir and classic good mercato, è il profumo di rosa, servito anche in semplice e piccolo flacconcino, (tipo omaggio delle profumerie) inserito in un contenitore di legno lavorato: al mercatino ne vendono 10 per 9 Lev, all'aeroporto, costeranno 3 Lev ogni pezzo. Verso il tardo poimeriggio, ci rechiamo per curiosità al vicino mercato popolare, dietro la Sinagoga: orrendo, frequentato da molti zingari, cattivo odore...meglio tralasciare la visita. La sera, ci rechiamo in un ristorante tipico locale, caratteristico e molto affollato, laterale del viale Vitosa, via Salunska, il nome è "Pry Yafata", ne vale veramente la pena; eccetto la Domenica, vi è anche un modesto trio che suona musica bulgara; ci torneremo anche la sera dopo: 2 abbondanti piatti locali, con carne alla brace, contorni e birra, 40 Lev in 2. Girando per Sofia, notiamo un contrasto enorme tra i bellissimi negozi, anche di grandi firme, e merci di buon gusto, dagli abiti alle calzature, e i molti mendicanti, che soprattutto cercano tra i rifiuti nei bidoni del rusco. Il Lunedì, dopo una breve passeggiata in centro, ci consultiamo con l'impiegata dell'ufficio informazioni (la gentilezza non è ancora il forte di questi popoli dell'est), e decidiamo di prendere in Patriarh Evtimij b.rd il minibus bianco 21, che ci porterà in 20 minuti alla Boyana church, costo della corsa su questo vecchio mezzo, 1,50 Lev a persona. Il pulmino si ferma praticamente a richiesta, durante il suo tragitto, non esistono vere fermate. Not cross the beautiful outskirts of Sofia, go up the hill and arrive at the forest, where stands a small brick church, UNESCO World Heritage entry 10 Lev each. We await the escort, we are in 6, and explanations are in German, and there is fine. Inside the church, the walls and ceilings are completely covered with frescoes painted over a thousand years. Interesting, is strictly forbidden to photograph. Back to the hotel and then get ready for dinner with traditional music as mentioned above. Tuesday is the day of departure, air to 17.40, and then still have time for one last walk, review the archaeological finds of the underpass, and take pictures of the beautiful opera Ivan Vasova, before whom there is a garden with fountains, people resting or playing chess. Wandering around the theater, we note that the buildings are nineteenth century, really beautiful. It starts to rain, running the hotel, where, after a tea, call the taxi, which finally starts the meter and we spend 12 Lev! En route, we also see Levski stadium, with front gardens, a pond and restaurant. From a last look at Mount Vitosha.
short, Sofia without infamy and without praise, but we are happy to have you visit.
To see photo: http://www.poneloya25.spaces.live.com/
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