Following the evening’s feast and free wine, we woke up fairly late. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast.
It was refreshingly clear that what she was expected to do was the same as Lara Stone’s: take beautiful photos.
We were headed towards the Rila Mountains. There, we would visit the Rila monastery. We enjoyed scrambled eggs, toast and local jam.
We walked together to the site along with other tourists.
The place felt very empty for its size, which is unusual considering its size. I’m not sure if it was the sheer size of the place, or whether the masses congregated in one area and didn’t venture far from the main church, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists in the monastery.
We crossed Lions Bridge and made our way towards Sofia Synagogue. After that, we took refuge in Central Market Hall, until the intermittent, but brief-lived, rain stopped. We were able to cross Lions Bridge, make our way towards the Sofia Synagogue, and then shelter in Central Market Hall until the intermittent (but brief-lived!) rain stopped.
After we had finished our coffee, we walked to the Banya Bashi Mosque. We then walked down to the old Serdica complex.
We were exhausted after a long day of travel so we returned to our hotel to crash.
Despite my low expectations, I was amazed by Sofia after my walking tour. This was an easy city to navigate, and it was a beautiful city – despite its ugly, staunch and stolid communist-built surrounds. Sofia is small and has a very poor façade. However, once you start to get lost in the old city, things will change.
Clothing can change your mood and confidence. Fashion is so rapid that you can lose your integrity if there isn’t a strong point. I prefer being real. I don’t like things to be staged or fussy. I think I’d go mad if I didn’t have a place to escape to. You have to stay true to your heritage, that’s what your brand is about.
