Bulgaria Day 8: Last Day and Homebound

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I’m flying back to Boston today, and it definitely feels bittersweet. I’m pretty exhausted from the last day we spent in Bulgaria and thinking about work at 7 a.m. tomorrow makes me want to cry. Regardless, a week has been a good amount of time, and I’m ready to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Before leaving Melnik for Sofia on Saturday, we went by the winery again for a few more tours and goodbyes. It was clear that many tourists were impressed with the underground caves, which act as temperature controlled wine cellars/storage. With a little internet marketing saavy, I think Villa Melnik has a really good chance of becoming a top tourist attraction in Bulgaria.

We returned to Sofia in the afternoon and went to the local shopping mall where I stocked up on my Milka chocolate and lutenitsa supply. What I’ll miss most is the fresh produce and groceries. Everything just tastes better and nothing is GMO’ed. I was trying to explain to Mili’s mom what I wanted to do in sustainable food, and the simplest way I put it was, “Help Americans feel comfortable with eating weirdly shaped tomatoes.”

Since it was our last night in Sofia and Mili’s birthday, I wanted to make the most of it. After a light dinner at The Apartment, a wonderful Tibetan-inspired coffee shop, we made our way to a few bars before ending up at La Biblioteca. It was a Top 40 club and oozed of Americanism. Most of the music were by American artists and the local Bulgarians sang the lyrics loud and proud. When “Turn It Down For What” came on, I got ape shit crazy hyphe and got some intrigued looks. God, I’m so American.

The evening wouldn’t have been complete without late night munchies after a night of drinking and dancing. In Bulgaria, it’s a thing to eat pizza with corn and ketchup… So, we went to a 24-hour pizza shop to get our fill, and in my opinion, I think I will pass from now on. As we strolled the streets of Sofia in the early morning singing “Mr. Brightside” and “Row Row Row Your Boat,” it was the perfect ending to an amazing week.

We woke up, had birthday cake, packed up, and said our goodbyes. Flying Lufthansa has been a really positive experience (minus the fact I’ve been on Airbus planes…). About to leave Europe for good as I’m posting this from the Frankfurt airport, but really excited to be home soon and see Jonathan again.

Bulgaria Day 7: The Best Fruit In the World

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While in Melnik, we stayed at Mili’s place in Kapatovo inherited from her grandfather. In Bulgarian villages, it’s normal for each house to have fresh fruit and vegetable gardens, and so early in the morning, Mili’s dad took me through the neighborhood to pick produce from approved gardens.

I’ll be honest, walking through Melnik made me a little jealous of Mili’s childhood. It must have been so nice to be able to retreat to a summer house outside the city where you can pick figs from the trees in the backyard, have fresh grapes from the Villa Melnik vines, or know everyone in the small town because your family has lived in the area for many years. I am who I am because of my past, but one day I hope to have a summer house and garden of my own.

After eating the most amazing figs in my life (it really was a foodgasm), we hiked up to the monastery and sand pyramids. Like everything else I have seen, the landscapes were breathtaking. We hiked back down to the village, enjoyed some lunch, and walked through a 200-something year old merchant house. All the ornaments and details of the house were preserved to reflect the lives of that time. I loved the mosaics on the ceilings and the beautiful carpets and tapestries that lined the floors and walls. Though it’s not exactly my taste in interior design, I deeply appreciated the time it took for each piece of that house to be put together.

All in all, it was a good day. Had good food, of course, and stayed up having late night conversations over tea. Tomorrow, it’s back to Sofia, and soon, back to Boston.

Bulgaria Day 6: The Mountains and Wine Country

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Bulgaria is officially one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. Before leaving Bansko, we made a trek to the nearby Banderitsa mountains. The views again were stunning, and although Lena and I didn’t hike to the mountainous lakes, it was equally wonderful to sit in the fog, peacefully enjoying hot cocoa.

After a two and a half hour drive, we reached Bulgarian wine country where Mili and her family have been producing wine. We toured her winery, Villa Melnik, and enjoyed a complimentary wine tasting complete with oil essences to test our sense of smell.

The winery was an expanse of 150 acres with more grapes on the way. We were leaving just as the sun was setting, and looking out from the observation deck, I finally understood why wine was made for the gods.

Bulgaria Day 5: A Small Mountain Town

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Bansko was amazing. I learned the Bulgarian horo dance, had Bulgarian French toast with fresh blueberry jam, bought a new hat, and stayed up drinking with good friends. The view every morning was breathtaking, and the town was filled with history.

It also didn’t hurt that I won some money from poker that night. I still got it.