Nazdrave – A Bulgarian story

I have to write this, before all this thoughts and memories run away from my mind. This story is about my last and longest travel – Sofia in Bulgaria. I went to Sofia with three friends, Antonio, Tiago and Nuno. Why Sofia? My answer is “Why not?”

I must say the truth, I wasn’t expecting nothing of this place, nothing more then what I expect when I always travel, have fun and meet people. I didn’t know where exactly Bulgaria is, I didn’t know which were the main buildings in Sofia, I didn’t know the Bulgarian history.

When we arrived we found a little airport (comparing with Lisbon’s one) and some people with papers, expecting for these “aliens”, among them was Olga and her two friends, Ivan and Victor ready to lead us to our apartment.

Why was Olga and her friends waiting us? It’s a long story, but somewhere in time she met Antonio in some European Project, and since then they became friends.

On our way home we got the first impression of Bulgaria, I confess, wasn’t a good one. We saw many buildings under construction, too much traffic and many destroyed and ugly buildings. Old cars, old buses, many rudimentary commerce houses, roads full of holes and complex cables, some of them supporting a strange kind of electric train. In the middle of this there were some new and enormous buildings that contrasted with the old Communist politics, in all this mix of east urban chaos, suddenly, something caught my attention. Far away from the city, but always in horizon, the most beautiful mountain range I’ve ever saw covered by a snow jacket. Where ever you go, you can see those mountains. It seemed like if they were watching us, a kind of Sofia’s old spirit that controls the city.

When we arrived to our apartment this feeling of disorder didn’t get better. Our building seemed to be a construction made in the middle of a war, a kind of bunker with grading doors, old stairs, double wood doors, gray walls, and broken security taps. It was the first time, and the last one I thought:”after all, those 4 days will be eternity”. It was a wrong thought.

First night we went to some good places, where we tried Slivenska perla, a Bulgarian drink very similar to bagaço,at UpStairs bar. We just tried one couple, we thought it could be very strong to us, joining the fact we were tired. What a fools, was just the beginning ….

After Chelsea ‘s game ended, and many, many drinks, Snejana arrived. A beautiful, wild and funny Bulgarian girl, aka “My married French woman”. We went to Inside Club, and it was almost empty, just some security and Daisy, the waitress, were there. 80’s music was playing, with some strong’s drink help and with those beautiful and amused ladies company, we made that bar looks like it was full.

We were so amused, drunk and strangely “full charged” that our hostess decided to led as to a well known place that deserves some comments, Sin City. At the entry we found many securities men and now I understand why, they must secure “treasure” that was inside. It looked like heaven on earth. A giant place with a kind of religious decoration where everyone was dancing, drunk and all the ladies were pretty and in the middle, a colored stage where a pretty woman was singing and the most drunk were dancing. Maybe we were near the stage……

If we make the decision to live in sin, we must go to this place. If there is sin on earth is this one….I think I saw Adam and Eve there.

We got home, after some unexpected events….and I looked to Antonio and felt that he was thinking the same, “If this is our first night….”

Next days were cool to, but not as good as the first one, I think. The first one was so intensive, that would be hard to get another one like it, joining the fact that my recent and amusing friend, Snejana, went to France.

After lunch, where we found out that Bulgarians usually eat and drink a traditional soup made of yoghurt and cucumber, that Nuno loved, and that their wine tastes like water, that Tiago hated, we went to walk. Was time to meet this European eastern city. Unfortunately our first monument was closed, an Orthodox church with many slippers outside. It would be nice if I had stolen ones, considering that I forgot mines and our bathroom looked like a pool. In our walk we saw many famous buildings. Sofia’s main sights are concentrated in the city center at a walking distance from each other. Church of St. George, TZUM-Sofia Central Department Store, President’s home, Council of ministers building, some old artifacts in the middle of subway and many other places.

As good Portuguese ones that we are, after 30 minutes of pure culture we need “fuel”, that’s when we heard Salsa music in the city center. Where music is, are drinks, we thought. That afternoon marked us. We arrived at the bar, and everyone was dancing Salsa, like if it was the most natural thing to do in the middle of the city. Among many couples we become amazed with a special girl. Thin, pretty, brown skin, blue eyes and….a special dancer. She moved as if she was made to dance. Almost everyone was dancing, but this girl, for moments, deserved our attention. I always looked to those kinds of dances, like something boring where dancers just memorize some steps. I was wrong. This girl showed me that it can be a way of expression, you just have to feel it.

After dinner we went to a famous place, Piano Bar. There are several bars with this name at Sofia, but we went to the famous one. This kind of bars has live music, and that night we listened to Peyo, a famous Bulgarian singer that is also a TV star. He is a post man at a TV show called “You have mail”. It was a great night, every members of the band sang, all they have very different and characteristic voices and almost every songs were well known songs. We met all them, some costumers and some waitresses too.

It’s easy to speak with people at Bulgaria. Everyone received us with a smile and open arms. They like to talk about their country situation, which is the main difference between Sofia and other European capitals, why are Bulgarian women so pretty…we talked about everything with everyone and never got problems.

In our trip we had also the opportunity to met Maya, Valentino and his wife. Maya is an Olga’s friend that works in a bar where we’ve been too. There we had opportunity to listen Pepsito and his band, and an invited singer that seemed to be the Bulgarian Elvis. Valentino is Olga’s boss. He works with European projects and showed us his interest to build a system where wine makers could consult which conditions (weather, soil, water) makes a specific kind of wine. Basically he is trying to make something that is unsurely in something deterministic. I’m not a wine maker and hope he succeeds, even if it’s not possible, it’s a great idea.

Last day, was a hard one. We were very tired. We tried to enjoy the most we could, and I think we made it. The feeling when I was making my bag, was that I’ll miss this city, those beautiful women, the mountain’s spirit, great night places and my new friends, Olga and Snejana, but with some sure that we will be there again. When?

I don’t know!

Back to Sofia’s airport I had opportunity to talk with the taxi driver, Peter (that’s the name he gave me), and he confirmed me what Damy, a beautiful girl I’ve met, told me. They just work a few days. They are not famous by being great workers. They work, so they can have money to enjoy life. That’s why in an old and disorganized city, they have such nice places like the restaurants, bars and discos as those we’ve been.
Just to finish, the story that almost everyone knows. I was so tired that I almost lost my plane at Zurich. If it weren’t my friends, today, I could be buying some watches and eating some Milka chocolate.

Special thanks to Olga for being so patient with those Portuguese drunks.
Special kiss to Snejana for being so special.

Blagodaria, Roberto