Week 11: Soaking in Sofia
Settling in to Month #3
Month #2 in Morocco was one of the most unforgettable of my life but required a ton of endurance. By the time we landed in Sofia, we were craving fresh food, efficient transportation and not having to be on alert around each turn. Bulgaria did NOT disappoint:
(For those keeping track, this is kind of a hybrid of week #10 and week #11 because we were only in Sofia for a few days before heading on our side trip to Greece)
Sunday, October 2- Tuesday, October 4: First Impressions
I arrived separately from the group as I was coming from Copenhagen and ran into a remote at the Sofia airport! One of the perks of our group size is we do regularly run into each other in unexpected places and it really does bring comfort and excitement every time. We headed to our new homes in a cab together, then parted ways until our welcome dinner at Shtastliveca.
The food was AMAZING. I was expecting warm, hearty, eastern European food but instead we received the freshest of salads, meats and cheeses and we devoured it. After eating tagine morning, noon and night in Morocco it was exactly what our bodies needed. You know that moment on Thanksgiving when the table falls silent because everyone can only focus on eating all the goodness? That happened. Like a true family, we were silent aside from passing plates and politely stealing the last bite of our favorites.
Monday we had orientation at our new workspace for the month, Soho, then got to work!
The last afternoon before heading to Greece, my housemates and I stopped for some traditional Bulgarian food at Hadjidraganov’s Houses Restaurant. We saw kebab on the menu and couldn’t resist. With only 3 girls we ordered a sausage/cheese sampler as an appetizer, a kebab for one and then a kebab two and learned either Bulgarian portions are HUGE or our stomachs shrunk on the Moroccan diet. It was enough food for about 7 people!
Tuesday, October 11: Raininess & Wine Tasting
Fast forward to post- side trip life in Sofia….After taking time off work and being in the warm & satisfying sunshine of Santorini, it was a bit shocking to return to work in a rainy & cold Sofia!
I sucked it up and put my head down to play catch up on work. I was able to get out for a stroll during the day and wine tasting at night and it was fabulous. Organized through a Remote Year city guide, we were welcomed into Vino Orenda, a Bulgarian wine shop, to taste 5 local wines and cheeses. Each one was unique and tasty and I ended up buying 3 bottles for the month! All the deliciousness.
Wednesday, October 12: Work, Wandering & Deliciousness
The most important part of Wednesday was having my first meal at Rainbow Factory. An eclectic, quick and delicious cafe just around the corner from Soho (our co-working space), it was easily the Ikigai favorite. I ordered green tea and a gorgeous peach salad and it was so good that I didn’t even change my order for the month. I just kept getting the same thing!
Amidst cranking out a bunch of work, I took a stroll through City Garden (Градска градина) and caught some live music while taking in the beautiful scenery.
Thursday, October 13: The Green Side of Sofia
A cyclist amongst the remotes found a bike tour of Sofia that explores all the green spaces and I cannot recommend it enough. We were all so enthralled with every stop that we ended up doubling the length of the tour and having to cut it short! Our guide showed us a few major landmarks in the city and then we were off to the city’s beautiful parks.
We found Sofia’s own Neverland (Kokolandia), fed the birds, saw so many lily pads (see top photo) and more. He provided his own perspective on Sofia’s history since he experienced the fall of Communism as a child and shared his favorite spots and activities along the way. Borisova Gradina was my favorite! The tour was just the BEST way to start the day and to get to know our new home for the month.
Friday, October 14: Crisis, Cafe & Chill
Friday morning we were lucky enough to attend a workshop on refugees organized by Remote Year. A staff member who used to work with the Red Cross shared her knowledge on the world’s refugee crisis with stories about the current situation in Syria. As we settled into a country for a month where refugees are regularly flowing in from Syria and Iraq through neighbor’s borders, it was grounding and inspiring.
Afterward we needed to fit in a full work day, so I headed to Made in Home, an amazingly quaint cafe just a few blocks from our co-working space.
Saturday, October 15: Lakes on Lakes on Lakes
A Remote Year city guide organized a day trip to hike Seven Rila Lakes, followed by brief meditation, a soak in natural hot springs & a traditional Bulgarian dinner. It was challenging, fun, beautiful & super relaxing to be able to spend the day outside surrounding by such epic landscape.
Sunday, October 16: Brunch Brunch Brunch
After an active and adventurous Saturday, I worked up an appetite so was VERY ready for brunch Sunday morning. A group of about 10 ended up at Smuggler’s Diner, where we found the most American breakfast we’ve had yet! It was fantastic.
I spent the rest of the day shopping and then just relaxing in our Sofia home.
