Sofia, Sandanski
I was so overwhelmed by the breakfast buffet that I had to take photographs, getting in the way of other guests. It was like being a kid in a toyshop.
Not confident enough to help myself to honey direct from the comb, I relished the sweetness of the fresh pineapple.
All the breakfast buffets were good, but the Grand Millennium Hotel surpassed the others in sheer lavishness.
Our morning City Tour of Sofia began with a visit to the Cathedral, where we were able to spend about half an hour standing in the cathedral during the liturgy.
“The construction of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral started in 1882 in honour of the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, as a result of which Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman rule.” (Wikipedia)
A choir of singers from the National Opera sang from the balcony behind us, while the worship was led from behind the iconostasis. In the nave, worshippers queued to pray at the free-standing icons, and the gospel was read from the pulpit.
When we left, I was able to get a stamp in my Pilgrim Passport issued by the Association of English Cathedrals. I later added stamps from three churches, but not from the less touristy cathedrals in Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnavo.
We then visited the Archaelogical Museum, with rooms dedicated to prehistoric and medieval times, and a special exhibition of Thracian warriors and their armour.
Resuming our City Walk, we came to St George’s Rotunda, the oldest architectural monument in Sofia, dating back to the Roman Empire, and still in use as a church.
After lunch, we drove south again, passing the turnoff to Rila Monastery, and continuing to the small town of Sandanski. Here, we had supper in the hotel – the only night when we did so. It was a buffet, so we could choose what and how much to eat, and it felt more relaxed than the restaurant meals where there could be long waits between courses and live music interrupting our conversations. Afterwards we moved to an adjacent room where we had a round of introductions and said Compline.
Another good point about Sandanski is that there was a park a short way down the road, and enough time and daylight before supper to stroll down there.
emeritablog: life after work 