When we entered Bulgaria, our first stop was the beautiful Rila monastery pictured above. We continued that same evening to Sophia, where we stayed with a really generous young man who had the most uncomfortable couch we have ever slept on.
Sophia is a simple city with some beautiful buildings. There is not a lot to see in this city; it is not as extravagant or architecturally sophisticated as many western European cities. But the day we spent there was sunny and clear, and we enjoyed our walk.
We next visited Plovdiv. Our drive to the center of Bulgaria was marked by an enormous increase in the humidity. The air was thick. Plovdiv is a very cute town with some nice ruins and plazas.
We then crossed north over the mountains to Veliko Tarnovo. Unlike Plovdiv which has the architectural feel of the Austral-Hungarian empire, Veliko Tarnova feels more like the Ottoman empire. We had a wonderful tour by a friend of our hosts, including a trip to the medieval fortress of Tsarevets.
