A night spent on a grubby, uncomfortable Communist-era sleeper train meant we arrived in Sofia having had little sleep. The carriages still feature their original coal-fired heating, so it felt a bit like travelling in a moving railway museum as we trundled along with coal smoke trailing into the compartment.
We arrived in Sofia to rain so quickly decided to carry on to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city and home to a Roman theatre and atmospheric old town. Getting to Plovdiv would also cut a few hours off our overnight train journey to Istanbul that night.
A scenic four-hour trip through forests and mountain villages took us to Plovdiv. Sunshine and a temperature of around 16 degrees meant we could enjoy a refreshing beer outside in the city's main pedestrian street. The Roman theatre was underwhelming so we opted for a wander through the cobbled lanes of the hilly old town and a splash-out lunch at the quaint Hebros Hotel. We felt we deserved it, seeing we were enduring two consecutive nights on sleeper trains.
Starters were marinated wild mushroom salad with dried apricots, and pan-fried foie gras with fresh green apple slices and sweet balsamic reduction. We washed them down with a Bulgarian white wine, a tropical-fruity and zingy Traminer.
Next came venison fillet, cooked perfectly rare and accompanied by avocado and mushroom tartare; and a stew of chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes and olives, richly flavoured with stock and garlic. To go with these dishes we chose a delicious Bulgarian red, a 2006 Melnik, which displayed ripe berry flavours, soft tannins and subtle oak from spending nine months in French barrels.
The town's bar scene turned out to be lively and studenty, and dirt cheap - the bill for three local 'Kamenitza' beers, a glass of wine and a 1.5 litre bottle of water was the equivalent of just over four pounds.
Back to the station then for our journey to Istanbul. Another Communist-age train, but a whole lot dirtier this time. The toilets were so filthy I had to walk the entire length of the train before I found one that was in usable condition. And a 2am stop at the Turkish border, where we had to get off the train and queue at a desk for entry formalities, meant it was another sleepless night.
We arrived in Sofia to rain so quickly decided to carry on to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city and home to a Roman theatre and atmospheric old town. Getting to Plovdiv would also cut a few hours off our overnight train journey to Istanbul that night.
A scenic four-hour trip through forests and mountain villages took us to Plovdiv. Sunshine and a temperature of around 16 degrees meant we could enjoy a refreshing beer outside in the city's main pedestrian street. The Roman theatre was underwhelming so we opted for a wander through the cobbled lanes of the hilly old town and a splash-out lunch at the quaint Hebros Hotel. We felt we deserved it, seeing we were enduring two consecutive nights on sleeper trains.
Starters were marinated wild mushroom salad with dried apricots, and pan-fried foie gras with fresh green apple slices and sweet balsamic reduction. We washed them down with a Bulgarian white wine, a tropical-fruity and zingy Traminer.
Next came venison fillet, cooked perfectly rare and accompanied by avocado and mushroom tartare; and a stew of chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes and olives, richly flavoured with stock and garlic. To go with these dishes we chose a delicious Bulgarian red, a 2006 Melnik, which displayed ripe berry flavours, soft tannins and subtle oak from spending nine months in French barrels.
The town's bar scene turned out to be lively and studenty, and dirt cheap - the bill for three local 'Kamenitza' beers, a glass of wine and a 1.5 litre bottle of water was the equivalent of just over four pounds.
Back to the station then for our journey to Istanbul. Another Communist-age train, but a whole lot dirtier this time. The toilets were so filthy I had to walk the entire length of the train before I found one that was in usable condition. And a 2am stop at the Turkish border, where we had to get off the train and queue at a desk for entry formalities, meant it was another sleepless night.
Eating and travelling vicariously - I need as much of this as I can get! Love it!! Beautiful photographs too. Wonderful. :)
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