Six Weeks in Bulgaria
Living
in Sofia is an interesting experience. Especially because I don't
understand Bulgarian. The first challenge is the Cyrillic alphabet.
Everything seems to be written in a code that you need to decipher
before you can actually know what they are saying. That part I managed
to learn. In some occasions you are lucky and, after the deciphering
process, find a word that is familiar, like kroazan (croissant) or
shokolad (chocolat). But more often than not it's something like
shtastliveca (it's the name of a restaurant, it means "The Lucky One").
I've only learned a few words, like praskova (peach) or yagoda
(strawberry) or sirene (cheese). Most people here don't speak English.
Children now learn English in school, but older folks usually only speak
Bulgarian and Russian. If you need some information, find a teenager:
they often speak very good English and are eager to help.
My apartment in Sofia is excellent. Very spacious, with large windows
and a balcony that opens to a park. In the distance, I can see Vitosha
Mountain and its snow-covered peak (even in springtime). I'm in a
residential area that also has several restaurants and cafes, a few
embassies, and the Bulgarian National Television headquarters. I go for
daily walks around the closest parks: Zaimov Park (named after a Russian
spy), Doctors' Garden (celebrating medics who died during the
Russo-Turkish War), and Knyazheska Garden (which includes a huge
Communist-era monument to the Soviet Army).
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