What can we learn during a one week trip in Bulgaria ?

🗝️ Part 1 : Sofia

🚀 In Sofia, everything is written in cyrillic. This alphabet was created during the 9th century in the Fisrt Bulgarian Empire, by a disciple of Cyril the theologian. It is used in many countries around Eurasia but was not, as we may think, created in Russia, but well in Bulgaria. Beeing able to read it will surely help. Surprisingly, some words come from french : "thanks" ... is "merci". But you better have a person of contact or a good translation app on your phone.

🌳In Sofia there are a lot of parks, trees and tramways so the city is quite nice to visit. The tramways are equiped with... letterboxes ! You can still see some letterboxes on the oldest tramways.

🎨 In the center you must visit the great Alexander Nevski Cathedral, a wonder, and the Chistian Art Museum next to the building. You will then better understand that Bulgary really is a cultural crossroad. Some of the icons are splendid and, in some of them, you can notice the influence of the east, from the ottoman wolrd but also from the chinese and indian world.

✌️ You see this hand sign on the Icon of Jesus Pancreator ? It means "Peace", a symbol visible almost everywhere you go in Sofia.

🥧 Bulgary may be the poorest country of the European Union, but in Sofia you will find very nice places to drink coffee, eat organic banitsas or vegan cakes ! By the way, we recommend you Da! organic, their bread is AMAZINGLY good and healthy.

🏔️ Part 2 : Rila Monastery and Boyana

😍 The Rila Monastery is a pure wonder : hidden in the montains it surely is the most visited site in Bulgaria. It was founded by St John of Rila during the 10th century. The painted cielings, the calm, the beauty of the montain, everything is a good reason to say it is a "must see".

⚔️ The History Museum of Boyana, wich is in the former palace of the President of the Bulgarian Republic, back in the communist period, is near the Vitosha montain. We discovered the treasures of the Thracians, the traditional bulgarian costumes, some splendid tapestries and... A very strange violin, made of more than 5000 matches by a political prisoner in Varna !

⛪ But the place you don't want to miss in Boyana is the church, very small, where you have only 10 minutes allowed inside (the gUardian is watching!), and in wich you may not take pictures.

A real time travel experience ! Build at the 12th century the church is filled with paintings, wonderfully colored. A part of it is dedicated to the life of St Nicholas. The beauty of this place will leaving you voiceless.

On the front door you can notice bullet impacts. They were shooted by the Ottomans during the 18th century, believing there were bulgarian rebels hiding inside.

🤩 Part 3: Plovdiv, the Black Sea, and harsh reality.

👑 Plovdiv is a beautiful little town surrounded by mountains! All the beauty of Bulgarian culture can be found here: exceptional views, ancient ruins, traditional wooden houses, the ethnography museum, delicious restaurants, and more. The best way to discover it is to lose yourself in the old town and the Kapana district.

🏺If you go to Bulgaria, don't buy new, low-quality trinkets, but set aside a small budget to hunt for bargains at Plovdiv's antique shops: they are veritable Aladdin's caves, but above all, they are treasure troves of wonderful finds that tell the story of the country and its inhabitants.

🌊 The Black Sea is black when it storms, it's true! The swell is so intense and the noise so loud that it's no wonder it was given this name! What sublime power!

😭 No photos of nature? Of landscapes? Of the countryside? Well, it's true, Bulgaria is also a shock for lovers of the earth and life: nature is ravaged, illegal dumps line the road from Plovdiv to Sozopol, buildings are in ruins, and secondary towns resemble huge abandoned industrial estates. No doubt you have to lose yourself in the mountains to get away from this disaster.

🚌 That's why there's no point in shutting yourself away at home; you HAVE to go and see the consequences of pollution outside our own clean and privileged countries. Take anyone to Bulgaria and they will become an agent of change for the preservation of nature and its beauty.

💚 Fellow travellers, don't avoid this country, it's beautiful, just be prepared to face this harsh reality.

🌳Reality isn't in the metaverse, it's out there, and our children need to know about it to be ready for tomorrow's world.

😘 See you soon for new adventures.