Week 3 - Sofia

This week...

It is cold here in Bulgaria. While in the past week it has gotten up to about 10°C, it has more often been about -4°C. I'm trying to use Celsius now because when we're trying to talk weather, I can't figure it out. It has snowed a couple of days this week, but today alone we got at least four inches (I haven't crossed the metric system bridge yet, people. One thing at a time). I have yet to get acclimated to how dry it is here. My hands are so dry and cracked to the point where they bleed, which has never happened to me living in the humid state of Arkansas. It's definitely going to take some time to adjust to the weather here.

I Learned...

This weekend we took a trip to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It was about an hour and half by bus, a sweltering bus. Seriously, we all thought we were going to succumb to heat stroke. On arrival, we took the metro to our Airbnb. There were ample inexpensive choices for stays, but we decided on a nice flat on the north side of the city center. It was within walking distance of everything we did. 

Sightseeing began immediately upon exiting the metro car. Inside the station underground, there were ruins. Ancient Roman city walls weave through the station. An effort to construct an addition to the city metro system in 2010 turned into an excavation project to uncover Serdika, the Roman city that occupied present-day Sofia in the 3rd century. Included in these walls were intricate ancient water and sewage systems and an amphitheater. 

Ancient walls of Serdika beneath the city center

We spent our day walking all over the city seeing all we could. Starting at the Saint Sofia Monument and Parliament of Bulgaria, we passed the eye-catching Russian Church - officially the Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. The original purpose of the five golden domed church was to serve as the private chapel of the Russian embassy.

The Russian Church

Walking through the city center, one can't help but notice the striking yellow cobblestones. These stones were imported from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878 following Bulgaria's liberation from the Ottoman Empire with the purpose of making the newly named capital appear more pristine, as a capital should be. Upon seeing the Monument of the Tsar Liberator, I learned the phrase "Съединението прави силата," translated to "Unity makes strength," the Bulgarian national motto.

We arrived at the main event - the Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevski. Built in 1882, the Cathedral stands as the largest Orthodox temple in the Balkan Peninsula. The Cathedral is phenomenal with impressive golden domes, green semi-domes, and twelve church bells. The interior is absolutely stunning with massive chandeliers and thrones and fresco paintings from floor to dome.

Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevski

I Ate...

I have seen a lot of street corn stands around, so I finally tried it. I got a cup of corn with garlic, salt, and "parmesan" (it's a really tasty white cheese, but it's not true parmesan) for 1.80 leva. It's a fun and convenient on-the-go snack that gives elote vibes. 

At Constantinoff RestoBar in Sofia, I had a divine salmon dish with potatoes, green beans, and Hollandaise sauce. For brunch at Boho on our last day, I had eggs benedict with pulled pork. I will definitely be returning to both of these restaurants.

I Experienced...

The fellow exchange students and I thought we were going crazy as we've started to realize we are always too warm indoors. But our suspicions have been confirmed by two professors: Bulgarians like it warm, super warm. I mentioned it was scorching on the bus to Sofia. We were stripped down to t-shirts with our hair tied up while the locals kept their coats, hats, and scarves on the entire trip. It is hot in the classrooms, in the dorms, and in most restaurants. I have to immediately remove my coat upon entering a building. On the air conditioning remotes in the classrooms, it forbids you to turn the temperature below 22°C, and most of the time, temperatures are set at least at 25°C, which is 77°F for you Americans. I have yet to get used to the weather, and now this will take some personal adjustment as well. I suppose I'm being too picky. I digress.

Back to the soccer situation. The field we will be playing on is a 6v6 encaged turf field that does not allow regular cleats. There are an abundance of turf shoes to choose from at the local sports shops, but none of them carry women's sizes or a men's size below a 40 because it is sort of rare for a woman to play football. I should have seen this one coming. I'll be rockin' with a pair of turf shoes that are too big.

Here's what I've learned as of two days ago:

• My Exchange F.C. team made up of players from Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Belgium, and the US is participating in the AUBG Soccer League.
• We will play each team once, for a total of eight games on the season.
• Our team is the only team in the league with females on it. 
• This might be the only time a team has been made up of entirely exchange students.
• And... the league started yesterday. We play our first game tomorrow.

Julia Dick

References

Free Sofia. “Sofia's Yellow Cobblestones: Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” Free Sofia Tour, Free Sofia Tour, 19 July 2019, https://freesofiatour.com/blog/sofia-yellow-brick-road/.

Free Sofia. “The Russian Church in Sofia.” Free Sofia Tour, Free Sofia Tour, 10 Feb. 2015, https://freesofiatour.com/blog/the-russian-church-in-sofia/.

Ilieva, Darinka. “Roman City Emerges from Sofia Metro Excavations.” EUobserver, 16 Aug. 2010, https://euobserver.com/news/30625.

“Patriarchal Cathedral ‘St. Alexander Nevsky.’” CathedralBG, https://www.cathedral.bg/en/home/.