Week 13: Soaking in Sofia
Cafes, Cocktails & Communism
The 3rd week of every Remote Year month tends to be where I feel most at home. I’ve usually checked off the essential sightseeing spots, figured out the necessary survival skills like language, currency and food and can just BE. Here’s how I spent week #3 of being home in Sofia:
Monday, October 24
To break routine of spots in my area and see a different side of the city, I took a stroll to the opposite edge. Along the way, I found unexpected pockets of fall, stumbled upon a few popular landmarks and even hit up the adorable Cafe Ma Baker to crank out a few client proposals.
Tuesday, October 25
I enjoyed Monday’s adventure so much that I decided to keep checking out cute cafes throughout the city. I spent the morning at +Toba for more client proposal fun where I had the comfiest little corner and cappuccino all to myself. Lunch was a pitstop at Nest Restaurant for a very satisfying bowl of mushroom risotto and later that night I met friends for dinner at Spaghetti Kitchen (because gluten-free pizza!!). Afterward we scoped out Cocktail Bar, which was recommended by a local friend. The ambiance certainly did not disappoint!
Wednesday/Thursday, October 26 & 27
Friday, October 28
We missed a Remote Year organized pub crawl when we were in Greece so a few of us decided to recreate it ourselves and it was awesome. Located in a little alley lit only by candles, Hambara was our first stop and it was one of the most authentic speakeasies I’ve ever been to. The Apartment was up next and was pretty bizarre but incredibly welcoming and eclectic. We sat in an actual living room and had to find our way to the kitchen to grab beverages and snacks, just like a real home! Our last stop was a night club very appropriately named Bar Friday. While I dug the design and dance floor, I’d only rank the music as okay but overall the crawl was fantastic.
Saturday, October 29
A few of us hopped on a Sofia Communism Tour Saturday afternoon to learn a bit more about the history of Sofia. While it was really interesting and informative, the Sofia Bike Tour we did the first week definitely took the cake for Sofia tours with an insider perspective so we ended up bailing halfway through.
Sunday, October 30
Sunday was one of my favorite days of Sofia life. We made a somewhat last minute decision to rent a car and drive to Rila Monastery in the mountains and it was a pretty perfect day. The drive was seamless, the views were stunning and we were surrounding by fall loveliness and sunshine. Feeling like our adventure warranted some relaxation as well, we hit up the spa at Sense Hotel when we got back to Sofia. It was SO good that I ended up going back again the next week! Sunday Funday fulfilled.
