Sofia

We got up at 8am yesterday morning and embarked on a very long journey consisting of two trains Athens-Thessaloniki and then a break of 2 hours before jumping on the train to Sofia. We arrived at the hostel, absolutely exhausted, just before midnight. We had a wander around the surrounding area, which was pretty empty and dark, apart from one or two homeless folk pottering around or sleeping.

After a long sleep, or what seemed long, a lie in until 10am is considered a long lie to me now, we went and got breakfast, which consisted of bread, bulgarian cheese, salami, muesli. These foods are usually the staple diet of the traveler's breakfast. In the afternoon we sorted out our train ticket for Belgrade, which will basically be a stop off night on our way to Budapest, and then wandered around the city, catching up on a bit of dark tourism, this time passing by Communist Party HQ, Soviet Army Monument and the Monument for the Unknown Soldier. We also sneaked in to the National stadium and had a look at the pitch and stand before being told to leave by a caretaker. After a good 3 hours or so walk around the streets, which really do bare the scars of a Communist regime, I set out on a run in what can only be described as baking heat.

Tonight we are going to check out a restraunt that serves traditional Bulgarian cuisine, and probably sample some of the beers, well I most definitely will, especially at 80p for 2 litres!

Anyway, we are off to Belgrade tomorrow for one night before travelling to Budapest for the final destination of our trip before returning to Glasgow.

-Steven