Strolling through Sofia

Entering the packed cafeteria a short distance from the office, I knew finding enough seats for our large group was going to be tough.  Sitting at a table near the entrance, we ask a couple patrons next to ours who were dining at the table for over 10 minutes if we could take one of their empty chairs.  Baffled by the shake of their heads no, we start wondering why they might be holding the chair.  As we turn to head back to our table, they stop us, and indicate that we forgot to take the chair we asked for.  It appears that we have just experienced our first encounter with the Bulgarian head nod.  While the head motions are exactly the same as others cultures, for some reason, they have done the same thing but opposite. The head nod up and down means “no”, and the head nod from side to side means “yes”, and was definitely one of my most interesting experiences in travel.

Located at the foot of Mount Vitosha in the western part of Bulgaria, Sofia is the 15th largest city in the EU with a population of about 1.3 million people.  Lying on the western side of the country at the center of the Balkan Peninsula and about 3 hours north of the sea coasts of Greece, the history of Sofia dates back over 2,400 years; however the population remained relatively small until 1879, when it expanded greatly after being declared that capital of Bulgaria.  One of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions is St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.  Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world with a capacity of 10,000 people.  The cathedral is adjacent to St. Sofia Church, and not far from the church, you will find an open market were you can purchase numerous handmade textiles and antiques.  I was definitely surprised at the number of Nazi Germany related items and it was not until late 1943, and early 1944, when Sofia was bombed by Allied as a consequence of the invasion of the Soviet Red Army, the government was overthrown.

After World War II, the country was ruled under socialism, and experienced an industrialization period which rapidly expanded the city to the point where the influx of workers became so intense that a restriction policy was imposed, and residing in the capital was only possible after obtaining Sofianite citizenship.  This strengthened Sofia’s standing as the economic heart of Bulgaria which still stands today with Vitosha Boulevard the main shopping street adorned with numerous outdoor cafes and restaurants, including a number of ice cream stands.  The city is also very green, with numerous parks sprawling across the city.  There are bungalows as well as several ski slopes on Vitosha, allowing many to take full advantage of the mountains without having to leave the city.

Ironic - Coca Cola and the Museum of Socialist Art

With the Revolutions of 1989, democratic reforms were initiated, and some of the Bulgarian socialist republic can be found Museum of Socialist Art in Sofia and the Politics of Avoidance.  The country continues to develop, and I really enjoyed meeting the team, especially trying the local cuisine, which I would recommend Pod Lipite (Under the Linden Tree in English).  Finally, an added bonus to the trip was it aligned to the start of Bon Jovi’s European tour in the city, which was a lot of fun.