Skopje, Macedonia - Sofia, Bulgaria

We both feel just about well enough to go for breakfast this morning, so we make the convoluted trek to the restaurant: Down the corridor and into the lift lobby. Lift down to the ground floor. Walk along the corridors to the Reception area and further along to the next lift. This lift, that takes us straight to the restaurant, is refusing to work with the two of us in it, so David takes the stairs. We later learn that there are sensors on three of the four walls within the lift, so it will take two people, but you both need to stand in the middle!

The restaurant is uncomfortably busy, and we struggle to find free seats. Staff are unable to keep up with the clearing away used cutlery and crockery, so we end up sitting at a table with dirty plates. At this stage we don’t really care, we are both feeling only half human, and just want to get some sustenance and leave.

Today we are leaving North Macedonia and entering Bulgaria. Once outside Skopje, there is very little traffic, and we got lucky at the toll gate, finding that a car in front of us paid our toll for us.

Border Crossing

Leaving North Macedonia is a cinch, with just a cursory check of the passports. Into Bulgaria, on the other hand, proves a little slower. First the customs inspector wants us to open the boot of the car, and asks if we are carrying any cigarettes. At immigration, the officer first goes off to check something, then comes back and types away on his computer while checking the driver / car documents. Vladimir confessed on the very first day that there was a problem with the car insurance for Bulgaria, but assured us it was sorted.

The next issue appears to be David’s passport. The officer looks at it, typing furiously, turns the pages of the passport, types some more, and develops a deep frown on his forehead, admitting that he can’t find David on the system. “Is there a problem with him?” Vladimir asks, “he is a good man, a little bit ill, but a good man.” “It’s not him, it’s a system problem” the official assures us. Eventually, David gets a stamp in his passport, whereas I don’t, thanks to Brexit, and Norway being in the EEA.

The Bulgarian Border

Sofia

From the border it is a short journey to the capital, Sofia. We last visited Bulgaria in 1978, when we went skiing in Pamporovo, so this will be quite different! Our first impressions of Sofia from the road leading into the centre, is that the place is a dump. The roads themselves are in a bad state of repair, with tram lines criss-crossing, and each side of the road are high-rise communist-style blocks of flats, each one looking more run-down than the next.

Hotel Ramada

“I need to register the car in your name” Vladimir tells me “so that we can park in the basement on the hotel. The car park is only for residents, and Vladimir is staying elsewhere. It’s another small lift from here to reception, which will take a maximum of two people at any one time. I wait behind at the bottom, and bring the last of the luggage with me. The lobby is enormous, and the check-in is painfully slow. We walk past a small on-site store, with the flashing red lights of the advertising sign making me wonder what sort of hotel this is.

The room is far too hot at 26.5 °C, so we turn it down as far as we can, dump our luggage in the room, and pop down to the casual restaurant in the lobby for a late lunch.

Lunch

Bulgaria is one hour ahead of North Macedonia, so it has gone 15:00 before we order lunch. While we wait, a basket with fresh, warm bread rolls arrives, which we devour with gusto.

We both choose Crispy Cornflake Chicken with sweet chilli sauce, which David has with chips, while I order sautéed potatoes.

The chicken tenders are quite hard to bite into, something that my ulcerated mouth finds most uncomfortable.

The restaurant refuses for us to sign the meal to the room, because we “didn’t pay a deposit”. We don’t have any local currency, so credit card it is then.

Back in the sweltering room, the temperature has not dropped any from before lunch. Upon phoning reception to explain our problem, we are told “Oh, they are all like that. They are changing between winter and summer”. Great! Housekeeping brings us a fan – whether that will make any difference or not, remains to be seen.

Sofia Sightseeing

One of the first things Tsetso, our local guide, asks us when we meet him in reception for the afternoon trip is “What’s your guide’s driving like?”. An uncomfortable silence ensues as we try to think of a way of describing Vladimir’s driving without being unkind. Nothing is said, and Tsetso smiles and nods, “I understand”. Tsetso’s English is very good, and he even speaks some Norwegian, having lived there for a couple of years in the past.

Vladimir seems to feel very uncertain driving in big cities, and Sofia is no exception. It seems that driving an unfamiliar car and keeping lane control are mutually exclusive. He is heavy footed on the gas and brake, and heavy handed on the steering wheel, making for some rather erratic driving. He almost hits a car in the other lane, and hits the kerb once. Driving down a narrow lane he struggles, admitting “I have to drive slowly, big car…” He doesn’t seem to notice when lights change, having to make an emergency stop when a traffic light turns red, nor does he react when the green light appears, despite the cars behind aggressively using their horns, and David shouting “Go Go Go”.

Because of my limited mobility, and the difficulty of finding somewhere to park in the capital city, our sightseeing tour today is done entirely by car.

Royal Palace

Alexander Nevski Cathedral

Alexander himself

The archaeological Museum

St Nicolay Russian Orthodox Church

Not being city people, we are not at all bothered about walking around the street, but are pleased to see a nicer part of Sofia to change our opinion from earlier. Tsetso’s parting word as he drops us off at the hotel is: “I see what you mean”.

We return to the room which is still stifling hot, but the fan, and opening the window, gives us some relief.

This adventure was arranged by Undiscovered Destinations.