Plodiv, Bulgaria

Scenery on part of the drive from Nessebar was the same until we branched off onto another highway. In this area there were still many falcons to be seen. The land was varied, consisting of dry areas, then very green farm land scattered throughout. 
The bus made a stop at a restaurant and this is what I saw. How much did this person have to drink?

Upon arrival in Plodiv I followed my directions to Hostel Mostel where I had decided to stay. There were 3 of these hostels in Bulgaria. I had stayed at one in Veliko Tarnova and it was great, breakfast included, light dinner plus free beer. You can't beat that! I thought   I would continue my stay with them in each of the cities. I had a map with directions on way to hostel. I thought I was all set, not the case! There were problems right from the start. I couldn't see the train station behind me that was indicated onthe map.  However as it was dark that was understandable. Walked 100m, no roundabout to be found?  Carried on further, still no roundabout? Further on I approached a young man & woman for directions. A parked taxi driver was trying to get a fare from me, no luck. The young man informed me there were two bus stations, only one was shown on my map. Now why wasn't this map correct? He suggested I get on the bus with them as they were headed in the direction I needed to go. With their help I made it to the square and just around the corner was Hostel Mostel. Just when I had been getting frustrated & discouraged someone came along to help, making things turn out better.
This Hostel Mostel was considerably smaller and did not have 24 hour reception.
Once booked in I went exploring the square nearby. Off this square was a long pedestrian mall line with many shops. There were lots of people strolling down the mall and musicians playing tunes in various spots. Nice pleasant evening. I met Andy, a teacher, part time actor from Idaho, who passing through Bulgaria on his way to Turkey.

Pedestrian area at Square

Opera House

The next day I went on a walking tour with Andy. We saw the church. 

After viewing the church we stopped in to visit the Art Gallery. What a place, it was incredible, such a variety of paintings. The building had original interior and old furniture.

There was a restaurant downstairs & a lovely garden terrace area, with a large tree growing out of it!  What a beautiful place to have coffee and enjoy the view!

Okay, so who took the better photo?

The guide book walking tour directed us to the Ampitheatre.

Andy testing the acoustics 

The remainder of the day was spent sightseeing and browsing in shops.

By late afternoon we were both very hungry. It would prove a challange to find a place open, let alone in a decent price range. We stumbled upon a quaint place and had a traditional meal which was superb!  After eating we walked up to the other ruins, one of the 7 hills.

Andy was leaving later that day on a bus for Istanbul, Turkey. I had gone with him earlier in the morning when he bought his ticket. The bus was awesome, a/c, wifi, movies, very comfy and spacious looking.  I had a great day with Andy exploring Plodiv and hearing his travel tales!

The next day was spent shopping for a few items and hoping to find a warmer shirt. Alex from Hostel Mostel in Veliko Tarnovo said it was quite inexpensive to send items home via DHL. I had hoped to send some souveniors home however when I checked into the price it was almost $200 Canadian! There was no way I would be sending it this way. To bad I hadn't sent a few items earlier in my travels.

That afternoon I met Benny from the U.K., he had such a thick accent. I could hardly understand what he was saying! So much for English. Benny had been travelling a few months & going home periodically on cheap European flights. He had just returned to Bulgaria and was jet lagged from his trip. The next day at breakfast we chatted, Benny had been in wheelchair just over a year ago. With a stricter diet, plus some medication Benny now just has a cane. What a difference in a year, he hopes never to be in a wheel chair again. Benny was wanting me to stay in Plodiv another day to show him around. He said he gets lost quite easily. I laughed, letting him know I continually get lost plus have a bad sense of direction! I thought about staying but decided against it, I needed to move on.

My next destination was the capital, Sofia.