Sofia to Plovdiv
Distance travelled = 215 kilometres driving by road and 12.1 kilometres walking (16,200 steps).
Although I had to handle several work-related e-mails this morning, I managed to get away from the hotel for today’s drive at about 9:15am, just as grey clouds began to build in what had been a clear blue sky when I had woken up. (Actually, the sky was clear but black when I woke up because I had set the alarm to ring well before sunrise).
I found Sofia’s morning traffic to be smooth and orderly, and so I was soon heading east out of the city on National Route 6 (also known as Route E871), the scenic route to my destination for the day, the city of Plovdiv.
My first stop was unplanned. As I turned a sharp bend a little south of the village of Bunovo (Буново), I came across a large grey monument, quite visible even though it was a dark grey monument in a dark grey landscape on a dark grey day. The monument was to Vasil Levski (1837-1873), the Bulgarian Revolutionary who is known as the Apostle of Freedom, revered for having helped develop the strategy that freed Bulgaria from Turkish Ottoman rule. I have no idea why the large monument was built in such an obscure location, but suffice to say Bulgaria has a very large number of Vasil Levski monuments.
My second stop was also unplanned. I stopped in the small town of Chelopech (Челопеч), partly because it looked like a charming place, partly to look at what seemed like a well-kept war memorial, and partly because I wanted to stretch my legs.
My third stop was more intentional, and indeed was the main reason I had chosen to take this particular route for the day. Koprivshtitsa (Копривщица) is a beautiful little town that nestles in the floor of the valley of the babbling Topolnitsa River, and it is famous for its 19th century National Revival style of architecture. There are no real “sights” as such (although there are several house museums), but the delight of the town comes from simply wandering through the narrow streets and laneways. I was fortunate in having about half an hour of sunlight while I was there, and so the town looked magnificent (and surprisingly under-populated). There’s not much more say other than it was quiet, beautiful and outrageously photogenic, so I will let the small selection of photos here speak for themselves.
I continued my drive, arriving at my hotel in Plovdiv (Пловдив) at about 2:30pm. The hotel I chose here is the Holiday Inn, located 2.2 kilometres north of the city centre, selected simply because I could pay using points. Having said that, it is a good selection as the room is modern, clean and comfortable, and the 27 minute walk into the city centre is really pleasant as it largely keeps away from wide busy roads, it incorporates a pedestrian bridge across the Maritsa River, and the final 35% or so is along a wide, colourful, lively pedestrian plaza.
Two weather apps were giving me conflicting forecasts. One app was forecasting rain all day tomorrow while the other was predicting clear weather. One app was forecasting rain from 3:00pm this afternoon, while the other said that rain would fall overnight. Not being sure what the weather holds tomorrow, I decided to take an “insurance walk” to the city centre to try and get some “then-and-now” photos.
Finding the locations of the photos was really easy. I remembered the layout of the city centre perfectly; it was as though I hadn’t been away for the past 35 years. Perhaps the geography was etched into my memory because of the problems we had to overcome 35 years ago finding our hotel - also etched into my memory!
Having obtained the comparative photos of what used be a run-down street beside the Djumaya Mosque (now a pedestrianised restaurant plaza), I climbed the hill to the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis. I had to wait a long time (over half an hour) for the grey clouds to clear, but it was worth it as the amphitheatre lit up under the afternoon sunlight.
I descended the hill and headed to the open square at the corner of Ulitsa Patriarh Evtimiy and Ulitsa Knyaz Alexander I. There is a large fountain in the square which provided welcome cooling relief to us on our summer evening there in 1987; in this evening’s 15°C the need for extra cooling was less intense.
When we stayed in Plovdiv in 1987, our hotel was the government-owned (of course!) Hotel Bulgaria, now renovated, privatised and re-branded as The Stay Hotel. When we stayed there, I managed to get a photo from the widow of our room of the square, fountain and surrounds beneath, so I wondered whether I might be able to get upstairs to replicate the photo.
I entered the reception area, and the young man there (who may not have been born in 1987) spoke good English, was impressed that I had stayed there “in the old days”, but was very apologetic that I could not go upstairs because the hotel was booked out. Every room was occupied, and the only views were from the rooms themselves. I understood the situation, smiled and thanked him, so sadly that is one photo I won’t be replicating on this trip.
I had some more significant work e-mails to do, so with the skies clouding over once again, I returned to the hotel, curious about the weather – and therefore the next day’s explorations – might hold.
