All to soon the Holiday was over, a long coach ride back to Sofia, we had booked in to the Hotel Lion for an overnight stay then planned a day in Sofia before the flight back to England.
The coach journey was like clockwork, we picked up the the coach from Tutrakan coach station bang on time and the journey was pleasant though long.
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| Hotel Lion |
The hotel Lion as we arrived, rather a grand looking hotel. We arrived starving and ready to eat, it doesn't have a restaurant but uses the Cafe bar Papaya for breakfast and light meals, it was just closing as we were arriving so the hotel reception recommended a local traditional Bulgarian restaurant within a short walk. This we went to and the food was delicious, entertainment (singer and keyboard) fun, we even all had a dance. We were invited up to dance with the other diners and it was a very pleasant evening.
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| Cafe Papaya - Colin in cake heaven |
Breakfast was at the Cafe Papaya, we ordered of a menu and it was well cooked, though I do prefer it when there is a restaurant with the hotel, Papaya was a cake bar really and had an amazing array of delicious desserts. Colin was in heaven.
The next day up and out we met up with Yasen and had a peep into Sofia's National academy for theatre and film arts - Natfa - НАТФИЗ
Studying 9/10 hours a day sometimes 6/7 days a week. Yasen my dear friend Dora's son is making the most of the valuable time and studies. He is so dedicated, it was lovely to see him I believe he will go far.
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| Yasen - National academy for theatre and film arts - Natfa - НАТФИЗ |
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| Yasen - National academy for theatre and film arts - Natfa - НАТФИЗ |
A Quick lunch and catch up then off our separate ways, Yasen for his singing lessons (much to Colins amusement as Col is of the view Yasen is tone deaf) and we are off for a stroll round Sofia
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| Yasen Colin Walter Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Yasen Colin and me Sofia Bulgaria |
Sofia is such a pretty city a cafe society, with old and new, small traditional houses next to grand state of the art developments, it has a lovely feel to it and we spent a very enjoyable day wandering around. Here's a little of our time.
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| Cobbled streets - Sofia |
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| Tree lined cobbled streets Sofia |
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| Geraniums and cobbled streets - old and new Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Bus station Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Sofia Bulgaria, view from the balcony - hotel Favorit |
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| Sofia with Mountains in back ground |
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| view of Sofia and mountains from Balcony hotel Favorit |
The fruit and vegetables on the market stalls looked so fresh, there was a wide range of nuts and honey too, we then walked on to find book stalls and bric-a-brac stalls and somewhere to buy a few fridge magnets as a keep sake
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| Lisa Stansfield - a girl from my home town Rochdale - Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Dad buying some delicious fruits |
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| Mum Dad Colin Sofia Bulgaria |
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| lovely and Fresh |
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| Beautifully presented |
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| succulent juicy cherries |
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| street life Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Mum checking out the fashion |
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| street life Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Every kind of honey - shame we can;t bring it home |
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| Dad stocking up for the flight - unfortunately we can't take the honey |
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| Nuts - something else for the journey home |
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| Sweet stall Sofia Bulgaria |
Surrounded by mountains, with yellow trams and taxis, culture, churches, architecture, buildings, cafe culture, pretty streets and views of Sofia, humble and grand, stately and modest. A city definitely worth a visit. I look forward to spending more time and discovering more, Sofia Bulgaria
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| Beautiful ornate church Sofia |
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| Lions Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Beautiful carved doors Sofia Bulgar |
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| So many lovely buildings - great to see work being done |
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| Promenading - cafe society and shopping |
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| Street in Bulgaria Sofia |
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| Mountains in the background and tram lines Sofia Bulgaria |
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| street life |
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| the kiss Sofia Bulgaria |
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| cyclist Sofia Bulgaria - Mountains background |
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| Yellow taxis - Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Cafe life and cyclist Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Cafe life and Majestic Mountains - Sofia Bulgaria |
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| Cafe society dad participating |
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| mum and her ice coffee |
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| lion and the church |
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| checking out the watches - shops in Sofia, Bulgaria |
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| new friends |
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| new friends |
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| Dad impressed by the violinist |
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| trying to get the mountains in the background mum, dad and Colin |
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| Jacqui (me) and Colin |
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| A glass of wine and a stroll round Sofia - perfect |
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| Sky Bar - I hate heights lol |
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| Colin at the Sky Bar Sofia |
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| View of Sofia from the Sky Bar |
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| Colin's favorite band |
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| Church of St Petka of the Saddlers |
The Church of St Petka of the Saddlers (Bulgarian: Църква „Света Петка Самарджийска“) is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
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| Church of St Petka of the Saddlers |
It is a small one-naved building partially dug into the ground located in the very centre of both the modern and the antique city, in the TZUM subway. The church features a semi-cylindrical vault, a hemispherical apse, and a crypt discovered during excavations after the Second World War. The walls are 1 m thick and made from brick and stone.
The church was first mentioned in the 16th century and was constructed at the place of a former Roman religious building. It is today a monument of culture known for its mural paintings from the 14th, 15th, 17th and 19th century depicting biblical scenes.
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| Church of St Petka of the Saddlers |
The church is dedicated to St Petka, an 11th-century Bulgarian saint. The Church of Saint Petka acquired its present name due to it being a patron of the saddlers in the Middle Ages, who performed their rituals in the church.
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| Church of St Petka of the Saddlers |
![Church of St George (Bulgarian: Ротонда „Свети Георги“ Rotonda "Sveti Georgi") is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.[1] It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica. Built by the Romans in the 4th century, it is a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base. It is believed that it was built on the site of a pagan temple, though the original purpose of the building was for public use.[1] The building is famous for the 12th-14th-century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the 20th century](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHC3ztmOE7XGDs9RFZ-a-vc0VzjTodO9WXfodKwdOE89cpeQPIXxKvbVew-b-5N_VewbCQ8oJNLoVpo-U3k14Txq-365ZRAUfZvVUA2ZB3J4cK6AiHUxrGKGSW38WCuXkucvY5MKJgFsHc/s1600/DSC_1009.JPG "Church of St George (Bulgarian: Ротонда „Свети Георги“ Rotonda \"Sveti Georgi\") is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.[1] It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica. Built by the Romans in the 4th century, it is a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base. It is believed that it was built on the site of a pagan temple, though the original purpose of the building was for public use.[1] The building is famous for the 12th-14th-century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the 20th century") |
| Church of St George |
Church of St George (Bulgarian: Ротонда „Свети Георги“ Rotonda "Sveti Georgi") is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.[1] It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica.
Built by the Romans in the 4th century, it is a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base. It is believed that it was built on the site of a pagan temple, though the original purpose of the building was for public use.[1] The building is famous for the 12th-14th-century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the 20th century
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The former Communist Party House /Bulgarian: Partien Dom/ is now used by the National Assembly of Bulgaria. Today the building is mainly used as Government offices and the splendid Sofia Hall is occasionally used for charity concerts.
The light-coloured neo-classical edifice lies at the end of the Independence Square, but it is the evidence how former Communism leaders in Bulgaria made their effort to follow the whole Communism concept and establish a grandiose building with the intention to house the Communist Party central Committee. The impressive building, now one of top Sofia’s landmarks, was designed by a team of prominent architects. It was completed in 1955. In order to represent the Communism in Bulgaria, a massive red star crowned the rocket-shaped spire of the building. However, when Bulgarians attempted to torch the building in 1990, the star was removed in a hasty manner. Subsequently the red star was substituted by the flag of Bulgaria.
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| The former Communist Party House /Bulgarian: Partien Dom/ is now used by the National Assembly of Bulgaria. Today the building is mainly used as Government offices and the splendid Sofia Hall is occasionally used for charity concerts. |
The Presidency was built in the mid 1950s as part of the ‘Largo’ complex according to designs by architect Tsolov. Today the Bulgarian president has his official chambers here facing the archaeological museum and his rather smart guard of honour has been photographed by many a tourist.
The guards change every hour on the hour but if you want the full pomp and ceremony be here on the first Wednesday of the month at 12:00 when you can see the official changing of the guards complete with music, shouting and weapon brandishing.
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| Changing of the guards |
![The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Bulgarian: Храм-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“, Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“) is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. 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, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions.The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 10,000 people inside.[1] It is the second-largest cathedral located on the Balkan Peninsula, after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfhW-vxGdD-4caLuKqkOnEqmsw3O-sokb1EacDcI-P2l6Cb5Pl5QBnu3327lV0Ylbbkq4lg86RX4Tc4Ehg9NjwG2FTFeaJ9L-2msHMwvwnxnBgx9AaB6d4pIZPYsPLxDsjYV-u2F3hxHS/s1600/300px-AlexanderNevskyCathedral-Sofia-6.jpg "The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Bulgarian: Храм-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“, Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“) is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. 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, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions.The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 10,000 people inside.[1] It is the second-largest cathedral located on the Balkan Peninsula, after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade.") |
| The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Bulgarian: Храм-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“, Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“) is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. 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, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions.The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 10,000 people inside.[1] It is the second-largest cathedral located on the Balkan Peninsula, after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade. |
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