София (Sofia)

Before today, I had visited София (Sofia) perhaps a dozen times and found it to be a city with very few redeeming qualities. I would have described it as little more than a giant cluster@%#&! But on my previous visits, I was in Sofia for a specific purpose – Peace Corps’ meetings, lichna carta red tape, etc. – and I wasn’t able to see past its obvious flaws. Today, I was able to wander around Sofia aimlessly and just take it all in, and that made all the difference in the world.

Even though I’m happiest tromping around in the bush, I love great cities too. And the sensory overload that hits you in a great city is something magical. Walking around Sofia today, I wasn’t hit with that special feeling, but, for the first time, I found myself enjoying and appreciating Sofia. It’s a place where worlds collide; where east meets west and past meets future. And of all the cities in the world I’ve visited, I’d be hard-pressed to think of another city which provides greater insight into a country’s people and its past, present, and future than Sofia does with respect to Bulgarians. There is contradiction everywhere, and, without knowing Bulgarians, none of it would make any sense. But seeing top-of-the-line Mercedes and BMWs share the roads with horse-carts and donkey-carts and seeing remnants of Thracian, Roman, medieval, and Ottoman-era buildings amongst a concrete jungle of Communist-era eyesores which now house McDonald’s, KFC, Gucci, and other familiar names all seems right. None of it screams Bulgaria, yet all of it does.

One of the best things about Sofia is all the parks. Men play chess, women talk, children play, lovers smooch. It's pretty cool. This is one of my favorites if only because of the view of Alexander Nevski Memorial Church.


A closer shot of Sofia's most famous building, the Alexander Nevski Memorial Church. Built in stages between 1882 and 1924, it's one of the world's largest Eastern Orthodox churches.


This is the National Gallery of Foreign Art.


Built in 1873 for Sofia's Ottoman rulers, this building now houses the National Gallery of Art.


This is the Party House. Built in 1954 as the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the building now belongs to Bulgaria's parliment.


Built in 1913, this building was formerly home to Sofia's Mineral Baths.


Constructed in 1576, this is the Banya Bashi Mosque, the only Muslim place of worship in Sofia which still serves its original function.


This is Sofia's Central Market Hall.


Consecrated in 1914, this is Sofia's Russian Church.


Built in 1907, this is the National Theater.


Used as a church since the 6th century, this is the Rotunda of Sveti Georgi.


An interesting sculpture outside the National Gallery of Art.

Свински Грип

Given it snowed most of the day yesterday, I wasn’t too surprised to learn today that school was going to be closed. What was surprising was that the announcement came after we had taught all of our classes and returned home for the day. And school wasn’t being closed because of the weather. Instead, school was shutting down for a week because of the Свински Грип (“Svinski Grip” a/k/a Swine Flu). I wish I could say this news disappointed me, but I felt just like I did when I was a kid and I learned school was closed – I was ecstatic. I was even happier to learn that we wouldn’t have to make up the time during the summer. Noting my general disobedience and love of simple things – such as dogs and ice cream – a friend here recently called me the world’s oldest three year old. Maybe he’s right, but I’m not sure it’s such a bad thing.

This is our classroom. It will remain empty until next week thanks to the Свински Грип.

How's the weather?

People unfamiliar with Bulgaria frequently ask me what the weather is like here. As I noted in previous posts, Bulgaria has four distinct seasons – winter, spring, summer, and fall. The weather here is classified as "Continental." This means the summers are typically mild, while the winters are cold and snowy. In general, the weather here is not as extreme as it is in places like Wisconsin. By way of example, it reached a high of 78 degrees and a low of 57 degrees on July 4th this year in Sofia. This past Christmas, the temperature in Sofia ranged from a low of 19 degrees to a high of 30 degrees. Today, it’s been snowing almost all day. Much of it is melting, but, as you can see from the photos, some of it is sticking. And I'm freezing.

I miss the garden already. It could be a long six months.


And what happened to all the red-tiled roofs?

My Town

It’s difficult to believe, but we have been at our permanent sites for three months. During that time, we were essentially under “house arrest,” inasmuch as we were only permitted one overnight per month away from site. I’ve been itching to get out and explore Bulgaria, and I won’t take my newfound freedom for granted. But for now, I wanted to share some photos from my town (Peace Corps’ regulations prevent me from disclosing the name of my town, hence the reason I call it as such).

As you may recall, I’m living in a small town located less than 30 kilometers from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The town has a rich and proud history – among other things, it was the site of a crucial battle in the Serbo-Bulgarian War ultimately won by Bulgaria – but is generally the type of place that people don’t go out of their way to visit. It’s a place where people live and work, not a place which draws tourists. It’s neither an aesthetically pleasing nor hideously ugly town, but it’s a pleasant enough place to live.

Unlike in Boychinovtsi, few people here get around via horse cart or donkey cart, but there are some who do. We also have a nightly parade of goats and sheep. This is a shot of a local man riding in a horse cart next to the town church.


A few shots of the town center.




Some shots of the town from a nearby hill on the outskirts of town.





A recent shot of the Sunday market.


Many Bulgarians live in old communist block apartments. This one, farm implements and hanging laundry included, is fairly typical.


Almost every Bulgarian town I have visited has several abandoned buildings. This is part of a large complex of abandoned buildings in my town.


I'm not entirely sure what this building is, but it's not unusual to find abandoned buildings such as this.


Nor is this an atypical scene.

Recipe #5: Мусака (Moussaka)

Given Bulgaria borders Greece and Turkey, perhaps it should come as no surprise that мусака (moussaka) is both a traditional and popular Bulgarian dish. The Bulgarian recipe differs significantly from the Greek one, and is one of my favorite Bulgarian meals. Consisting largely of meat and potatoes, what’s not to love?

½ kilogram кайма (mincemeat half pork and half beef)
1 onion – finely diced
1 kilogram potatoes – peeled and diced
2 tomatoes – diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley – chopped
3 eggs
1 cup кисело мляко (yogurt)
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat and onions in a frying pan. Combine meat and onions with potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper (try substituting Old Bay seasoning for even more flavor) in large bowl and stir together. Transfer contents from bowl to large baking dish. Bake uncovered 60 minutes or until potatoes begin to soften. Whisk together eggs, yogurt, and flour, and pour evenly over casserole after potatoes have started to soften. Continue baking until top browns and potatoes are soft.

A pan of Bulgarian moussaka.

Recipe #4: Кюфтета (Kyuftetta)

Кюфтета (Kyuftetta) is a traditional Bulgarian dish served year round. Кюфтета are basically small, flattened meatballs which can be either grilled or fried. I’ve taken some liberties with this recipe but, in all honesty, I’ve eaten my share of кюфтета since I’ve been here and, when it comes to fried кюфтета, I like mine the best.

½ kilogram of кайма (mincemeat - pork and beef)
1 bell pepper – seeded and finely diced
1 onion – finely diced
2 cloves garlic – finely diced
½ cup crushed Corn Flakes
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh parsley – chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into small patties. Fry, in a small amount of sunflower oil, or grill until done.

Getting Cultured

This evening I did something which I rarely do, but which I always enjoy. I went to listen to some classical music. More specifically, I went to hear the Armenian General Benevolent Union Sofia Chamber Orchestra perform with the Vasil Spasov Jazz Trio. Of course, I don’t have a musical bone in my body. Moreover, it’s difficult for me to pretend being cultured, and I find the pretentiousness that inevitably accompanies any performance of classical music rather amusing. But as I was sitting and enjoying the show, two thoughts jumped into my mind which I couldn’t shake. First and foremost, I thought how pleasing to the ear well played classical music is. I dare say it is the best of all music, and it will be a real shame if we ever lose it. Second, I couldn’t help but thinking about New Orleans and how much I love its smoke-filled jazz bars. A smirk filled my face as I lost myself in thoughts of fresh seafood, beignets, and hurricanes (the drink not the weather system). All thanks to the Armenian General Benevolent Union Sofia Chamber Orchestra.

Here’s a short clip from one of the songs.