Morning stroll around Sofia

Occasionally when travelling you get presented with an unexpected opportunity to discover something new and that was the case on the morning of 29th October 2016. Following a few days in Athens I flew back via the Bulgarian capital Sofia as it was a much cheaper option due to the typical school holiday price hikes. I had no expectations of anything much but thought I may as well look around for a few hours as my flight to London wasn't until the afternoon, it turned out to be the case that I stumbled upon an interesting and beautiful city.

It was a cold and foggy morning as the sun rose at Sofia airport.

Time to board the metro to the centre, I have a long way to go before I can decipher what the writing on such as this train means but thankfully I only could only go in one direction from the airport.

I got off the metro near to the city's most famous attraction which is the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, there was a hive of activity as it is next to what seems to be some sort of bus station, otherwise there was just a few tourists including myself roaming around at this time of the morning and the occasional stray dog. The cathedral is incredible to see for its size and looked particularly special bathed in autumn sunshine.

Next door was a smaller but equally beautiful church, the occasional church goer came in and out presumably of a morning mass.

I continued on walking the quiet streets and admiring the pristine condition of the pavements and parks. This is clearly Bulgaria's showpiece and they take pride in ensuring its at its most presentable. The colours of the trees against the white buildings made for a beautiful scene.

Below is Sofia's main shopping street with a mountain backdrop yet to get going for the day but with everyone preparing for what I assume is a busy Saturday in the capital.

I stopped by another church where a  busy morning mass was ongoing.

Some kind of training taking place for a terrorist or similar incident ongoing as I walked back towards the metro station.

Past the beautiful cathedral again, roads still quiet.

I joined the metro again for the trip back to the airport at the Vasil Levski Stadium, presumably an event was due to take place that day as many sellers were setting up outside and police were already roaming around.

On the metro back to the airport.

I arrived back at the airport half an hour later and a beautiful and mild day was starting to emerge but I sadly had a flight to catch home.

 

 I didn't know what to expect from this city but from my morning spent here it seemed to be a place that would be worth a longer visit. It would be possible to enjoy a fine time in the centre with the many bars, restaurants, parks, museums and churches to explore. The transport was also surprisingly quick, efficient and of course everything is of a very low cost. A surprising visit indeed.

Surprising time in Los Angeles

I'm always open minded when it comes to the destinations I visit but I was told by everyone who visited Los Angeles previously that this place wasn't that great. I left however feeling that I wanted to see more and understanding that this place its own very different appeal.

Los Angeles was settled on the beautiful Californian coast and as such the dramatic landscape is never far away and can be admired up in the Hollywood hills or from the miles of endless beach. There is so much here to offer the visitor that no matter what your age you can find something to enjoy. When it comes to history its apt that this is unconventional and centers around its many links past and present to showbiz and real estate. You have to come to Los Angeles with this in mind and if you can stay in one of the beachside areas you can find that fun and relaxation are able to go hand in hand in this diverse place.

This city will present many challenges for the budget conscious traveller as hotels, food and attractions are seriously expensive. I can not imagine of course what it is like to stay in high end luxury accommodation here because if you are like me you're time spent here will most probably be in a hostel. People from each corner of the globe have an interest in this place so in two or three days you never know what you might see or what stories you might hear from the people you meet. It must be said that one can easily get used to the largely uninterrupted sunshine which must be an undoubted tonic.

Click here to see some of the pictures from my recent visit.