The main thing to remember on this journey is to be kind to everyone and always smile. Refreshingly, her only expectation was the same as for Lara Stone: to take a beautiful picture.
We woke up reasonably late after the feast and free-flowing wine the night before. After getting ready, we headed to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast, where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast, mekitsi (fried dough), local jam, and peppermint tea.
Our destination was the Rila Mountains, where we planned to visit the Rila Monastery.
March for our Lives
We explored the site alongside busloads of other tourists, but surprisingly, it didn’t feel crowded. Whether it was the vastness of the place or the fact that most people stayed near the main church, I never felt overwhelmed by the number of visitors at the monastery.
We crossed Lions Bridge and visited the Sofia Synagogue, then took shelter in the Central Market Hall until the brief mid-afternoon rain passed.
IF YOU HAVE IT, YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING LOOK GOOD
Feeling refreshed after an espresso, we walked a short distance to the small but welcoming Banya Bashi Mosque and then descended into the ancient Serdica complex.
Exhausted from a long day of travel, we returned to the hotel and crashed. I had low expectations for Sofia as a city, but after the walking tour, I absolutely loved it. Navigating the city was easy, and it was beautiful despite its stark, stolid, communist-era architecture. Sofia may appear average as you enter, but once you get lost in the old town, everything changes.
