Why Bulgaria and Romania?

Horowitz Travel- April 30, 2017-Sofia, Bulgaria

Why in the world are we going to Bulgaria and Romania? One answer is that those are two places in the world we haven't been. Another answer would be that I was listening to an NPR discussion about Elie Wiesel. They mentioned that he was from Romania. Hmm! I thought. There must have been a substantial Jewish community there. My interest was piqued. Being so close to Bulgaria, we figured, why not? Somehow, we interested Judi Cope, our friend from DC and frequent traveling partner, to join us.

We hired guides recommended by an Akron travel agent and have been emailing them directly to make arrangements. We cautioned them that we are tall people with long legs. They each have SUVs that will accommodate our height and limited baggage. We really packed frugally.

We drove to Judi's place in Potomac, spent the night, and flew out on April 29. We're all TSA pre-checked, but for the first time I was "selected" at random for extra attention. The agent was very friendly and joked as he examined my iPad. David's carry-on needed a closer look as well. He had two items laying together in the case which showed the image of something solid and unidentifiable. In addition, he got thoroughly frisked. He too was cleared.

We landed in Frankfurt at 5AM in time to see the lights just coming on down below and a glimmer of sunrise casting an orange glow on the horizon. We had to go through security again even though we were just transferring flights. Judi got a pat down. It's a good thing I didn't. I was carrying half the cash in U.S. dollars to pay our guide in Bulgaria. It was hidden in my bra. David's CPAP was scrutinized, & my quart bag was scrutinized. The gonif found a moisturizer/sunscreen that was over-sized and confiscated it. It was only a third full & the spare was in checked luggage. No biggie. 

Our flights were on time and we navigated over the Alps in glorious sunshine. To paraphrase Maurice Sendak in Where The Wild Things Are, we sailed through a night and into a day of our very own adventure. We were met in Sofia by "not our guide." Evonne was just our driver to the hotel. Judi's impression of Sofia was that it could use a good power washing. I thought that might blast off the peeling paint that's been slapped on some old Soviet buildings in an attempt to "refresh" them. Then there are the plain old gray Soviet blocks of concrete apartments buildings. Mix in a generous coating of graffiti and you get the picture. We did pass an expansive park as we approached the city proper. We'll learn more tomorrow. 

Patrick "our actual guide," came by the Hotel Favorit to introduce himself and explain that tomorrow we'd have a local city guide and then he would be with us the rest of the time. Despite the exterior looking as seedy as the rest of the neighborhood, the hotel might turn out to be our "favorite." We have mini suites with a sitting room and separate bedroom. It is immaculate. 

After we checked in, we went in search of ATMs. That accomplished, we found the nearby Ramada with casino and settled in for a snack, not gambling. Our bodies have no idea what time they're on. We keep eating to stay awake until at least 9PM this time. 

Hadjidraganov's House was a nearby restaurant serving Bulgarian food, so we chose to eat there. Our stamina was waning. David & I shared a platter of shashlik (kebabs) and lamb sausage. It was abundant and tasty. Judi had a more mundane but yummy lamb chop. The house is 100 years old and built by Hadji Draganov, an itinerant merchant. He fell in love with the area, built the place, and settled in to offer true Slavic hospitality. Judi and David had a local beer whose name we can't pronounce or read. They use the Cyrilic alphabet here. 

It's good to be traveling again even though it's so soon after our trip to Israel. This jaunt had been planned for almost a year. It was the trip to Israel that was stuck in at the last minute. As usual, I will caution you that what I write is generally my impression of the experience. Please feel free to share these emails with whomever you think might be interested.

Toby