Every year, I try to introduce my kids to something new whether it’s activities, places, food, etc... So last year, before the pandemic hit the world, I wanted the kids to experience something they never tried before but always intrigued them... skiing. I've done skiing back in France but its been 2 decades since then so I was beginning again too! I was very nervous as I hated ski lifts!but I have to be brave!
Next which country? As you know I love going to countries which aren't too touristy so I can still experience the people and culture! One of my close friends recommended Sofia so upon reading around the capital and the country, I decided that this is where we will go for our half-term!
Next, to decide how many days, where to stay, what to see and how to get around:
- Accommodation - We found a 2 bed-flat airbnb right in the capital about 15mins walk away from the centre of the capital with mountain views! I love airbnbs as they are considerably cheaper and you get to live and shop like locals. I love going to local grocery shops with the kids and play with the money, read the signs and learn some words that way too! You'll only find us in a hotel if absolutely desperate!
- Ski - Next a ski resort quite close to Sofia. Vitosha mountain range was literally on our doorstep and they offered skiing lessons too. Through several emails and what exactly I was looking for me and my kids, we were assigned a ski instructor, Yasen (who looked like Gino D’Campo) who will be transporting us there and back for the whole weekend! It was such a fuss-free process! Ski equipments were to be provided too so we only needed the appropriate clothing.
- Travelling around the country - I was told that the transport system was a bit dodgy and to get a car if possible. I don't drive, which was never an issue anywhere, and I wasn't going to let this be an issue either. As I planned my itinary and where exactly I wanted to go, I contacted the tourism office on Facebook and asked them for reliable chauffeurs. They have given me a list and after reading reviews, I zoned on 1 taxi firm who again were so nice and professional. They gave me exactly what I needed and very patient with my back and forth as I was amending my itinerary. The chauffeuring service was again very cheap.
- Activities - on top of skiing, we also wanted to experience some other activities. Airbnb was my saviour who listed me a range of activities. We found a couple of things we really wanted to do and so contacted the different hosts and arranged a few things.
- Preparing for the trip - we have 0 ski clothes so off we went to Trespass for some clothes and boots. It was so fun! I had a colleague who goes skiing every year so she gave me a list of what I need but also gave me some of the stuff that her kids outgrew which saved me quite a bit of money!
The trip:
We arrived in Sofia on Friday before lunch and hit the ground running. We were picked up by our chauffeur and off we went to our first destination in Bulgaria which was Bayona church in Sofia. This is a church known for its medieval art! It was absolutely stunning. With snow and the sun hitting, the art was beautiful and one-of-a-kind. The kids, due to their ages, couldn't appreciate the art so they were just snow fighting outside the church. Next, we headed 2 hours away from Sofia to the Rila Monastery. It is 'known as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments.' It is located in a part of Rila Mountains and so this monastery was in the middle of the mountains and covered in snow. There are no words to describe the place. The church inside the monastery had such vivid coloured paintings. We couldn't make any noise in the church which gave me so much peace. Definitely needs to be on your list to visit. Next we headed back to Sofia. It was evening time by the time we came back so unpacked (yes, I wasn't joking when I said we hit the ground running) and went to do some shopping and also see the centre of the Capital city. In the night, with the lights, it had such a majestic aura! The Cathedral Saint Aleksander Nevski, which is another must-see in Bulgaria was breathtaking! As a woman of colour with 2 kids, walking around at night, I wasn't scared at all (I don’t do holidays with the husband. It’s too stressful!) The people were very friendly if I needed to find my way again.The interesting bit for me was one of the subways had some preserved ruins of the old Roman city. It had information in English so it was easy to follow what they were.
The weekend was here so our skiing lessons started. Our instructor, Yasen, meet us at our doorstep and took us to the ski resort in Vitosha. He gave us a running commentary of the monuments and places we saw en route! The weather was great! It was snowing on Saturday but Sunday was sunny and beautiful. Yasen was very patient with us. Mahi loved it more than Lucky. Lucky completely gave it up on Sunday! Skiing wasn't her thing. Me and Mahi got the hang of it and loved it despite falling several times! After we wrapped up our skiing weekend, that evening, we wanted to cook traditional dishes. So Yasen kindly dropped us there. Our host for the night welcomed us with music, warm tea and Banista, a pastry made of cheese, which was absolutely divine and needed after a whole of skiing. We then make Bulgarian meatballs which the kids loved getting their hands stuck in. We loved how our host explained the meaning of each food, spices and the Bulgarian culture. We finished off the meal with some delicious Baklava. As a parting gift, our host gifted us homemade Bulgarian spices! How nice?! To this day, Mahi still remembers the meatballs and reminds me if I miss a step when we make it!
The next day, we went ski mobiling in Rila Mountains. The organisers picked us up from our flat and took us to where the activity was taking place. The instructors were great and taught us exactly how to do it. The kids jumped with each instructor whereas I had a snow mobile of for myself. I was petrified but acted brave. I thought I was going to be driven around!!! And to make things a bit more challenging, the route we were going to use wasn't smooth apparently as overnight some big vehicles left deep tracks in the snow therefore there’ll be holes to avoid. So off we went. It was scary but i did it without losing control and in 1 piece. I remember there was this particular rough spot and I thought I was going to lose control but thankfully, I still have some grey cells remaining which helped me manoeuvre the ski mobile! Everyone was so impressed and me the most. It was such a thrilling experience! My kids each had turns of their own too in a safe place and Mahi wouldn't let go of the snowmobile. We spent half a day there and we have no idea how the time went. Next stop, after some food, we headed down the mountains to Bansko where we jumped in natural thermal mineral springs! Unfortunately, i didn't take my phone but with the mountains in the background and us swimming in the hot springs, wow, I couldn't actually believe it! It had several springs and our body needed it after so many days of sporting! The kids loved it and wouldn't come out.
On our departure day, our chauffeur from our first day, picked us up again for another heavy day. We were heading to Plovdiv, an ancient city built between hills! It is the oldest city in Europe. You can see the Greek influence from the ampitheatre to the ruins. With its cobbled streets and charming houses and workshops, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We visited different museums as part of the same tickets too! Please visit this city. It has so much to offer! After lunch, we headed to another must-see place, Asen's Fortress. It was built in the medieval times and an important place in the Bulgarian history. The climb was scenic with some amazing views! I cannot comment more on the views as you had to be there to see it.
Unfortunately, this was our last destination before we headed to the airport!
Bulgaria will be a country which we will visit again as we need to do the other side of it as the kids call it! It wasn’t crowded with tourists meaning you can experience the local culture! This country is so rich in history so do visit!
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