July 2024

I’m just sorry Christo is missing from this photo!

Thoughts.

The first thing people asked when we’d say we’re going to Bulgaria was: why? The answer is simple: we know the three best Bulgarians in the world.  

Going there felt out of the way and it was, if only in the sense that we were coming from Austria after meeting them a lifetime ago in San Francisco and now living in Spain – worlds away in every respect. But we promised Vera, Lubo and Christo we’d come one day. Twenty years later, it happened.  

Driving from Sofia to Plovdiv and then the Black Sea was like living a history lesson. Driving through the endless countryside of sunflowers, it was if you could see a country emerging from the Communist Era in real time. Where did this world begin and the last one end? What was it like for our friends to live through this time and then decide to move to the States at such a young age? I left Bulgaria full of respect for a life that from an American point of view feels so difficult, but one that when you actually live through it just feels like … life. 

Everything we ate was delicious (shopska salad!), every person we met was full of humor. The locals were vaguely shocked and fully delighted to have us in their country. And, from the moment we arrived in Gradina, we felt like we entered an untouched Bulgarian tradition. This special pocket of sand is a place where old friends have gathered seaside for 30 years and everything/not so much has changed all at once. The camping scene is a true throwback for that reason, and I hope it always stays that way. Thank you Very and Lubo for inviting us into your world. 

Stay. 

• Camping / Gradina. The camper experience was close to our hearts thanks to many RV hours in Geyserville! But the camper community was the best part.. literally thousands of RVs all creatively decorated only feet from the Black Sea. We loved our time on the “south side” under the pine trees. 

Eat. 

• Blue Stone Donuts / Plovdiv. Delicious donuts (accompanied by two kinds of burgers) at the foot of some of the oldest Roman ruins in Bulgaria. 
• Rahat Tepe / Plovdiv. Beer garden with giant, delicious BBQ chicken skewers and shopska salad. 

Play. 

• Red Flat / Sofia. David found this- a full replica of a Cold War Era apartment in the heart of Sofia. This made our entire stop worth it, as it gave us a much clearer understanding of what everyday life was like, not all that long ago. Highly recommend. 
• Basilica of St. Sofia / Sofia. Orthodox church with remarkable ruins underneath.  
• Liucy’s Surf Bar / Gradina. Best top secret beach bar in the world. We spent every day (and night) here. Why leave?  
• Windsurfing / Gradina. At Liucy’s Bar, they have it all. Milo and I went windsurfing for the first time! The ironic twist is that he and I can only do it when there is barely any wind 😉