rakia.

... You, most certainly, don't know what this word means right? Well, as so many things before embarking on this trip, neither did I... It refers nothing more and nothing less to one of the most popular (and by popular I do mean the proper meaning - i.e. of the people) alcoholic beverages of the Balkan region. It is a strong liqueur (I don't like to spell liquor...), in many instances home-made, which is considered as the national drink of many countries in the region. Bulgaria is particularly well-known for its rakia and one can seem to find it anywhere. If I may use the simple analogy, it is like vodka for Russians or Rhum for the Dominicans/Cubans. That kind of thing. Taste-wise, it is (at least according to my taste buds) similar to amaretto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaretto) but with a slightly bitter after taste which gives an additional "punch" (so to speak...). I found that in Bulgaria everyone seems to enjoy rakia, whether day or night and really regardless of the context, one could well have it alongside a coffee in the morning, after a heavy lunch or even in a bar as a "shot". Although it is also a drink which is present in the national culinary spectrum of various countries I had visited before getting to Bulgaria (e.g. Serbia and Macedonia), it was not until my time in Sofia that I caught a brief glimpse of its well-though-of reputation and, quite honestly, of its taste as I did manage to have a decent amount of it.

Sorry for the random prelude but I always like to provide some perspective as to what comes next. Thus back to the story... So after spending the entire night on the train from Skopje to Sofia, I finally made it at c. 9am. A rise and shine kind of thing which, in any event, always turns out for the best and gives one plenty of energy to walk the streets and explore. I had directions to my hostel in a friendly and welcoming email I had received from the staff a few days earlier, and managed to get there in just under 45 minutes, which even if it may not appear so at face value... is quite a decent walk when one has to carry the two backpacks I have with me. Again, just putting things into perspective ;) So after getting to the hostel which, by the way, was so fantastic that I will give them some publicity on this web 2.0 medium - they totally deserve it (http://www.hostelmostel.com/), I left my bags in the baggage room (as my spot in the dorm room was not yet ready) and spent c. 1 hour revitalising, blogging and resting. While I was in the middle of my post, the lady (she must have been in her 40's) approached me and asked: "Hi, sorry to interrupt and ask this but would you by any chance work for Bank of America?". I was rather puzzled by the question but quickly figured that my backpack is BofA Merrill Lynch branded (I got it this summer as a present for being such an awesome teaching assistant at the analyst training program!). I did tell that I used to work for "Merrill Lynch" without giving too many hints or details but she suddenly began rambling on an on regarding how, as "her" bank, BofA charged her "X" commission every time she withdrew cash at an ATM abroad, how she had to pay "Y" for the transactions billed on her credit card in a foreign (i.e. non-USD) currency... and so on! Fascinating conversation (unilateral at this point) in which I could but smile back at her.

Following that anecdote and after having had some other tastes of the very friendly atmosphere I found in the hostel, I mostly walked around the city. Given its relative size, Sofia can be explored in about one day. After having spent almost two weeks in the Balkans and after having visited countries such as BiH, Montenegro and FYROM in that time, one could tell walking around the streets of Sofia that one was entering the EU, for it has a flair that is not present in any of the Balkan countries. Culturally and historically rich, Bulgaria joined the EU on 1 January 2007 (alongside neighbouring Romania) and after 12 years of negotiations and monitoring since the country submitted its EU membership application. In just over 4 years, one can tell that it has embraced the EU in the most comprehensive of ways. Bulgarians, as I did not necessarily fully perceive in other Balkan countries, are extremely open and are always welcome to questions, queries and conversations. In addition, many Bulgarians (at least in the large metropolitan areas) speak English, more so the younger generations. Another, in my humble opinion, very good indicator of progress, development and cultural openness. One of the things that most impressed me from Sofia was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_Cathedral,_Sofia) - pic below - which is right in the middle of the city and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox Cathedrals in the world. It is absolutely gigantic. In addition, the boulevard leading up to the cathedral is quite long and wide, thus providing a breathtaking "entrée". After spending most of the day visiting the city (this time, unfortunately, I did not visit any museums) I returned to the hostel at c. 6pm. I had been told that every day the hostel staff organised a free dinner + beers in the common room for all the guests. I thought it would be a great idea to meet my fellow hostel mates as well as to mingle with the crowd. Nevertheless, upon returning to my dorm I met a very friendly Australian girl (who, like me, was on the road - she had been travelling for some more time though. c. 5 months already) who mentioned she was planning on having dinner at a typical Bulgarian restaurant with another two people from the hostel that she had met that morning. Two Australians, a Brit and a Spaniard ended up at a fine (and stunningly cheap) local restaurant where we could savour plenty of traditional delicatessen, get through two bottles of wine and enjoy the live folklore music that was being played by the band in the restaurant. Absolutely phenomenal treat which we followed up at a nearby bar, where we met the rest of the hostel lot, with considerable amounts of rakia and other spirits. Very fine individuals I met in Sofia. We had a great time indeed and I wish I could have stayed a bit longer to enjoy what was on the agenda the next day - skiing at the local slopes (which apparently were under 25 minutes away from city centre!). Yes, Sofia has a few ski resorts very close to downtown and is a very popular local attraction. Much more attractive in any event for us Western Europeans who are used to paying 2x or 3x as much for a ski pass. I wouldn't surprise me if, in the next few years, countries like Bulgaria begin to attract European ski aficionados who refuse to pay the ludicrous prices one is subject to in the Alps or the Pyrenees.

Nonetheless, I had to continue my voyages and had to hit the road the next morning, with under 4 hours of sleep and a slight headache (from rakia, really? what do you think?) as Romania awaited. Stay tuned for more updates. Enjoy the pics from Sofia!

Oh yes... forgot to say, I am in Budapest at the moment. Breathing and loving this fabulous city! Won't give too much away though. ;) Gotta keep on reading...

As has become a tradition, fun fact of the day and interesting piece of knowledge regarding Bulgaria and, in particular, the Bulgarian language. The Cyrillic alphabet, used in Bulgaria and in certain other Balkan countries such as Macedonia and Serbia (as well as, probably more commonly known, in Russia), contrary to popular belief was actually developed in Bulgaria in the 10th Century AD... and not in Russia. For a cool map illustrating where the Cyrillic alphabet is used nowadays, here is a link you might want to check out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cyrillic_alphabet_world_distribution.svg).

pv