Sofia!

First, and that's a new one for me, I have to tell you that my writing interface adapted to the local country: it's in Cyrillic characters. It's lucky that I know the layout. But if I press "delete" by mistake, it's going to become a lot less fun!

And of course, I'm looking forward to having the same problem in all the countries I'm going to visit.

Sofia.

I landed safely yesterday evening, and I was welcomed by the heat -at least 10 more degrees that what we have been having in Paris lately. Having the right instructions, I bought the right bus tickets, took the right bus, went out at the right stop (when there is a Starbuck's on the left and a park on the right), and started looking for the right street. Helpfully, street signs are often written in both Cyrillic and English characters. (But thank God I took Greek and not Latin at school!)

The city struck me as sad. Maybe I was in the wrong place to start a visit, but the first buildings I passed were dark and dirty, some in a sorry state. Some buildings are run-down. And in between the official buildings are tall, clean, and really, really stand out.

Maybe it was the weight of my backpack weighing on my imagination! My real visit of the city may yet change my mind!

But if the city looks outwardly sad, the people are everything but. I got great help from a passing lady, and the people at the hostel are outstanding. In half an hour, I had a bed, a locker, a shower and instructions on what to do -by day, and by night!- in that order. I'm also signed-up on a visit to the Rila Monastery today, although we will only go if we are enough.