Bulgarian Rhapsody in C

[pilot]

This is my first attempt at a trip report so please bear with me. While I will try to highlight the some of the finer aspects of my time in the air, the main purpose is to describe my time on the ground in Bulgaria and to detail some of the experiences that made this trip memorable. Plus, I had not seen much coverage of this country in these forums. Thanks. (I started a thread in the European forums a while back and posted a brief recap of this trip there as well.)

Background:

A potential client had invited our company to visit Bulgaria. He was seeking our advice on the suitability of some land he was considering for development. My boss wanted to have a signed contract before committing to a week in Bulgaria but I persuaded him to do it on good faith and the fact that our potential client would be handling all expenses for the trip. Hey, here was a chance to travel to a new destination. He agreed.

Bulgaria had never been at the top of any list of places I had wanted to visit but I was certainly intrigued and was looking forward to the trip. Being based in DEN limits one to only a few non-stop destinations in Europe. As a Star Alliance member my choices were LHR(although for not much longer), FRA or MUN. I purchased a Business Class ticket on LH DEN-MUC-SOF. It was quite expensive but I did not want the hassle of extra connections. The client would organize all accommodations and transport while in Bulgaria so I was ready for the journey. I read the Miles and More forum with great interest as the strike had me worried about a disruption to the trip. But my flights were never affected and settlement was reached prior to my departure.

Aug 10, 2008
DEN-MUC LH 481 Seat 11 A A340-300

Check-in at DEN was painless and there was only one gentleman ahead of me in the Business Class line. I proceeded to walk over the air bridge to Concourse A and decided to stop in at the Presidents Club. It was packed so I optioned for my more traditional pre-flight stop at the Cowboy Bar in the center area of Concourse A. With the excitement of a new journey approaching and the beginnings a late morning buzz I headed to my gate. Boarding was already in process and I proceeded to my seat. (My international travel for work has been limited to three airlines (UA, AC and SQ) and either in C, or F if I get lucky. I have not had the good pleasure of experiencing the new Business class product on AC or UA but I have on SQ. My experiences on SQ (77W) were an eye opener after so many flights on UA and I have to say that all of my flights are based off of those expectations.) My first impression of the business cabin was very positive. It seemed open and bright and I thought the look of the Recaro seats were beautiful.

I took my seat and began to explore my surroundings. I felt the seat was more comfortable for sitting than the seats on SQ but it lacked the sense of privacy. I hoped that I would not have anyone sitting next to me in seat 11C as I do drink a lot of fluid during the flight. I took out the reading material and began a mental checklist of the movies/shows that I wanted to watch. The offerings were nice but somewhat limited when compared to SQ. I also studied the drawings for operating the seat. Wow! Plenty of options and positions and even a massage function. The door was shut and I had no seat mate. We left the gate right on time.

There was turbulence on the climb out of Denver but that is nothing unusual. Business class was maybe half full so the flight attendants had plenty of time and provided outstanding service. Drinks were refreshed on a schedule that worked with my pace. I had the Orange Beef but that is not worth writing about. I did attempt to sleep but was thwarted by three kids who were constantly getting up and down and heading for the galley. I think the FA’s eventually tired of this as well and asked the parents to keep the kids in their seats.

The arrival and transfer in MUC was a breeze. I had never been to this airport and was greatly impressed with its efficiency and offerings. I ventured to the Business Class lounge to freshen up and to have some coffee. It was quite crowded but I found a seat and gathered myself for the next leg.

Aug 11, 2008 MUC-SOF LH 3434 Seat 3A A319-100

We were transported to a remote terminal where boarding was conducted from both the front and rear of the plane. I was the only one in Business. They offered a light breakfast for the 1 hour and 40 minute flight. Our route would take us right over the Austrian Alps and I spent the first 30 minutes of the flight with my nose glued to the window. I even had the chance to see one of our company’s former projects as we flew over Haus, Austria. I had my first glimpse of Sofia as we flew in from the south and west before turning doing a 180 and heading back to the airport. I was stoked!

As we taxied to Terminal 2 I could see countless Soviet era planes. They were mostly military but some passenger planes as well. Many looked liked that had not been used since the Wall came down. We pulled up to the gate and I had a nice view of an Aeroflot TU 154. The airport felt new and was easily negotiated. Passport Control was a breeze and I set out to find my driver/interpreter.

Aug 11-Aug 13
Smolyan and the Rhodopi Mountains

I was to meet the client at his office in the town of Smolyan in the Rhodopi mountains. I was met at the SOF airport by George who would serve as my driver for the 4 hour trip. He introduced himself and followed that up in perfect English stating “I think we have a small problem. I speak no English.” I thought he was trying to be funny, but alas it was true. It was a silent trip into the mountains. I was tired after my nearly 15 hours of travelling but there would be no sleep on this drive. George must be related to some F1 driver because as soon as we hit the four lane highway he had the odometer up to 190 kmh. I tried to recall the odometer in my car that features both MPH and KMH and I figured we were going well over 100mph. Things got really interesting once we departed the motorway and started up into the mountains. The narrow, two-lane road had a lot of traffic and George was determined not to slow down. We were constantly passing slower moving vehicles and while he did have good decision making skills, I was white-knuckled for most of the drive.

Smolyan is known as the longest town in Bulgaria. It is actually made up of three smaller towns and it stretches for miles along a river that forms the valley bottom. The town climbs the hills on either side. I arrived about 1 hour before sundown and I was quite impressed by the beauty. There seemed to be only one major road from which I saw several hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. Most of the buildings featured red tiled roofs and I couldn’t help but think of some of the towns of northern Italy. Smolyan sits at an elevation of roughly 800 meters, but the surrounding mountains reached heights of more than 2100 meters. There are plans for a major ski resort in these mountains and my guess is that someday, some of you will be here to cruise the slopes.

I checked into the Hotel Kiparis. Our client felt that this was the best Hotel in the area and I did find it quite pleasant. Free wi-fi and Eurosport broadcast in English helped me through jetlag-induced early mornings. I noticed that my room (304) did not have air conditioning but the evening temperatures dropped into the 50’s so I enjoyed having my windows open. I only had continental-type breakfasts at the hotel restaurant but was told that it had a great reputation for Rhodopian cuisine.

I truly enjoyed my meal(s) at Café Venus. Bulgarian food, especially of the Rhodopian variety is Mediterranean based. Highlights were Shopska salad (cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese), ‘Milk’ salad (think Tzatziki but only thicker), Patatnik (delicious potato pancake) and Tarator soup (a cool cucumber and yoghurt concoction). Grilled meats were also plentiful and the pizzas are as thin and delicately adorned as they are in Italy. There were numerous clubs and bars but I will only mention the bar at the Hotel Silver. It sits on a lake just above the city center with incredible view into the mountains. I tried several Bulgarian beers as well as the national drink Rakia. Rakia is traditionally made from grapes and the natives swear by it. I however did not like it and can only compare it to cheap tequila. The beers, mostly lagers, were good. My favorites were Zagorka and Kamenitza. I also had the opportunity to try several Bulgarian wines (all white) and thought they were delicious and refreshing.

Work consisted of hiking in the mountains above Smolyan through mature pines and across many little creeks. The temperature at this elevation was ideal. We could see the backside of a local ski area call Pamporovo as well as the mountains of Greece to the south. The highlight though came on our descent back to Smolyan. We had ended up hiking for several hours and were quite a ways from where we began. The client dialed up a driver (cell phones work absolutely everywhere in this country!) and 45 minutes later he showed up in an 80’s model Lada. It was the first Russian made car I had ever seen. It said 4X4 on the back but it looked like a jacked up Tercel. He opened the hatchback and produced a couple of warm pizzas for our nourishment. It was fabulous. After lunch we hopped in and took off along the very bumpy jeep trail. The driver must have felt that the tired suspension would perform better at higher speeds and he never once applied the brakes. I laughed the entire way down the hill and ended up in my seatmates lap several times.

Aug 14-Aug 16
Sofia

After another hair-raising ride back to Sofia I checked in to the Hotel Crystal Palace. I would guess that this is a 5 star hotel in Sofia. I have nothing to compare it to, but it was very nice. Great staff and amenities and located in an ideal location close to the National Cathedral and ‘Doctor’ Park. The surrounding neighborhood was quaint with restaurants, bars and old stone streets. I did not have time during the day to visit any of the cultutally significant sites in town but hope to do so if I return to Sofia.

Again, the cuisine was delicious and I would highly recommend two of the restaurants where we dined; Restaurant Chepishev in the Boyan neighborhood and ‘Under the Linden Trees’ near downtown. Chepishev has a commanding view of the entire city and they had their own take on the dishes I listed above. Service was impeccable as we dined on the outdoor terrace. They also feature the largest whisky collection in all of Bulgaria. The Linden Tree restaurant was in a beautiful old hunting lodge. The food here was also great but the highlight was the traditional Bulgarian folk music. I saw several instruments that I have never seen before.

The Club/Bar scene in Sofia is very active. You can’t walk for more than 50 meters without passing an outdoor patio and people drinking. I tried several of these places and was always greeted with a smile. At night, the client insisted on going to every piano bar in Sofia. I think we went to 4 or 5 and I’ll admit they were pretty fun. At the ‘Smile’ piano bar I was talking/singing with my interpreter when she stopped everything and let her mouth fall open. I turned to see what was going on and noticed that a young lady was descending the stairs with about 20 people in tow. Turned out the young woman had just placed 2nd in the Hungarian Idol competition and was the darling of the country. She sang a few songs but I preferred the original singer much more. The client also insisted that we go the very hip club ‘Planet’. We arrived at about 1am and it was packed full of the beautiful and the rich. There seemed to be many bodyguards but I did not recognize anyone famous. I am not much for Trance or Techno music but it seemed to be everywhere. They are also stuck on the music of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Maybe that has to do with the Wall coming down and the end of the communist era?

Aug 16, 2008 SOF-MUC LH 3439 Seat 2A A319-100

The hotel arranged for my early-morning taxi and I was delivered to Terminal 2for check-in. LH gave me an invitation to a business lounge. After passport control I headed to one of the two lounges. I think anyone holding a Business or First BP can use these facilities. The one I chose only had one other soul in it. I had a cup of espresso and then headed to the gate. The flight was uneventful and as clouds had moved into the Alps, there was not much to see.

Aug 16, 2008 MUC-DEN LH 480 Seat 16 H A340-300

This flight was full and I did have a seatmate in 16K. While there is separation I still felt too close to this stranger. He was German and spoke some English so we chatted briefly before take-off and then not again until we deplaned. Not much new to report here either but due to heavy thunderstorm activity in DEN we were forced to circle for 30-45 minutes before the Captain decided to take us to SLC to refuel. After a 2 hour wait on the tarmac we departed for DEN and ended up arriving about 4 hours late. Overall I liked the LH experience but would rank it several levels below my experiences on SQ.

Summary

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Bulgaria and would not hesitate to recommend it to others. The people and cuisine alone will bring many back. Add to that a somewhat mysterious culture and beautiful scenery and you have the makings for a very memorable adventure. Sofia is not as polished (or historically intact) as Prague but it does have its own sense of identity and beauty. It is much cheaper than most of Europe as they have not transitioned to the Euro yet. Some English is spoken by most and in the larger cities most signs will contain both Cyrillic and English letters. Knowing the Greek alphabet helped me a little as they share many letters with Cyrillic alphabet. As I said in the other thread, being in Bulgaria right now has the same vibe I got when traveling in Ireland/Dublin back in the late 90’s just as the economy was taking off. People seemed happy and excited. I hope to go back soon.