Guess where I am now? The last couple of days have been spent on travel, and most of you will understand why I fudged on exactly when, where, and how I was traveling. OPSEC is important, especially in case there were any unexpected issues that cropped up along the way.
More on the airlines and airports involved later, though I will have to admit I was most pleased with how one airline — that has a massive and well-earned reputation for problems with luggage — has significantly improved that experience. In addition to the fact that I can track my bags and certain items within, they actually texted me every major scan of my luggage so that I was assured it was actually on the different planes. Would that every airline did this, and kudos to this airline for a major improvement.
Note on one lesson learned: Do not let any airline tell you that less than an hour layover is okay when traveling international. I literally had to run (and was wishing I remembered how to say “Make a hole!” in German) to make a connection, and along the way also had to do passport/entry things. For the record, though, I did not flatten any tourists though it may have come close once or twice in the mad dash.
Given the new system for the EU (scans and fingerprints), it was more of a challenge than I cared for to make the connection since it involved also changing terminals and such. I am relieved to report that despite the travel alerts I had been getting the last few weeks that passport control there was running very slow, I found it to move fairly quickly and the people I dealt with reasonably friendly, polite, and professional — especially given they are most likely usually bored out of their gourds trying to chivvy people through the system.
Much to my surprise, there were no delays or issues, and as such I actually got into Sofia before the time I was to get my apartment. So, I found a nice little restaurant about a block away and relaxed a bit. The pork neck with fresh mushrooms was delicious and tender, and the Bulgarian beer a nice treat. My inner Hobbit is really enjoying how much fresh mushrooms are used in Bulgarian cooking.
Sadly, I had already finished and cleaned my plate by the time this fellow showed up. I apologized for not having anything to share, but I didn’t need to worry. The owner of the restaurant (and some of the staff) obviously knew him and brought him out scraps and such to eat. Clearly not starving as when given some chicken he didn’t touch it at first and gave a look stating he knew they had better than that. He did eat it all before departing, however. The fact that the owner and staff fed him guaranteed, however, that I will be eating there again.
Once I got into the apartment, got (mostly) unpacked, and cleaned up a bit, I took off on foot to explore. I need to do more of the immediate area around my apartment, but have some basic knowledge and evaluation of some of the areas nearby. Love the apartment, more on that one day soon. It may not be as huge as the photos made it appear, but it is more than ample to my needs. Planning on picking up a few things today for cooking and comfort.
I then took off to test my guess that the Patriarchal Cathedral is about a 20 minute walk from the apartment. If traffic and crowds are good, it is. There are two ways to get near it or to it by subway, but have not checked those out yet. Will be reviewing apps later in the trip, but found out the app that was highly recommended by some people claiming to have visited here/living here does not have Sofia in their system. Most disappointing, but most signs and announcements include station names in English and making it fairly easy to use.
I actually used the subway to get in from the airport. It was less than 2 euro versus about 20-30 euro for a cab or hire car. Other than a well-meaning gentleman trying to give me directions the exact opposite of what I had been given (he apologized profusely when others pointed out his error), it was easy and safe to get around. In fact, after the bad directions, two locals told me they were going my route and to follow them, and they made sure I got off where I needed to. More on mass transit later.
Before I forget, the trans-Atlantic portion of the trip was made wonderful by the seatmate next to me. A very nice German lady, she was traveling as a courier of bone marrow for transplant. A charming and engaging person, I found out that she (and others) volunteers to be a courier for bone marrow and adult stem cells needed for leukemia treatment. We had a lot of fun talking about what she did, airports and the ‘joys’ of traveling, and a bit more. She had been to Houston recently and loved it, and was asking my opinion about other cities and such. Her job is supportive of what she does, and so gives her time off when they can to do this work.
I really felt bad that I needed to sleep on the flight as she could not. When a transport is in progress, the volunteers are not allowed to have alcohol or sleep as they have to ensure the safety of the transport container. In fact, when the plane went dark so people could sleep, she took the container out of the overhead and put it between her feet just to be safe. Just a wonderful person doing a wonderful thing, and we are planning to stay in touch.
More soon. Right now, I am off to get breakfast (did not get to grocery shop yestersay) and then head up to the Cathedral and begin explorations. Before my cooking lesson tomorrow I will be attending a service at the Russian Church and meeting my teacher there. Taking copies of my letter of introduction and even a copy of my baptismal certificate, so I can not only do that but also be set for Sunday at the Cathedral.
If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.