STREET SCENES

SOFIA, BULGARIA - JULY 2006

Sofia, at 550 meters above sea level, is surrounded by Mountains. The Balkan Range, the Lozen Mountain, Mount Vitosha and the Lyulin Mountain encircle the city, and thus the weather may be truly hot in summer. However, in 2006 (late June, early July), the temperature was bearable and a walk in the city was an interesting programme!


"THE LION'S BRIDGE over the Vladaiska River (north of the city centre in the direction of the Central Railway Station) has statues of four lions"


"FOUNTAIN - At the Maria Luiza Boulevard, near the Mosque, there is a public fountain that provides water for many residents. At least I saw many of them filling bottles..."


"MARKET - On the other side of the road we may find the central market that spreads over 3,200 square metres, and took two years to complete. The Market employs over 1,000 people, and offers foodstuff stalls and clothing, accessories and jewellery shops"


"MARIA LUIZA is one of the most important boulevards of Sofia"


"SAINT SOFIA - At the crossroad of «Maria Luisa» with two other main Boulevards, the statue of Saint Sofia, symbol and patron of the city, may be seen"


"SVETA PETKA SAMARDIJIISKA - The Church of St Petka of the Saddlers is a small medieval one-nave Orthodox church, partially dug into the ground in the TZUM subway"


"TRAFFIC POLICEMAN, with cell phone..."


"ST. NEDELYA SQUARE - An interesting place near the Sheraton, the Presidential palace and the St. Nedelya Church"


"CHANGING OF THE GUARD in front of the President's Office. Unfortunately I couldn't get any non-blurred picture of the guards walking their funny way"


"ROMAN ROAD - Sofia was originally a Thracian settlement called Serdica. Around 29 AD, Sofia was conquered by the Romans and renamed Ulpia Serdica. Behind the Presidential Palace and the Sheraton, near the Rotunda Church, there are remains of a Roman road"


"BANG & OLUFSEN - Interested in the best design audio and video products? You may buy them in Sofia..."


"BRIDE - Like everywhere else!"


"OPEN-AIR BOOK MARKET - At Slaveikov Square a large book market is arranged. There you may sit next to the statues of two Bulgarian writers - father and son Petko and Pencho Slaveikov - and enjoy your reading"



""SCULPTURE AND FOUNTAIN in the park near to the National Culture Palace"



"NEVSKI CATHEDRAL, FOUNTAIN AND PARK seen from the top of the Panorama Restaurant at the National Palace of Culture"



"VODENIZATA is a restaurant at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain, where you may have dinner while a Folklore performance takes place. One of the highlights of the show is the walk barefoot on the burnt/burning ashes of a huge tree trunk. But that night, the highlight was that Portugal sent England out of the World Cup 3-1 on penalties, after their quarter-final ended 0-0. The Portuguese goal-keeper, with three penalty saves, was the hero of the game"