• Sleeping Bag, Bulgaria

    Sleeping Bag, Bulgaria

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    It was time to replace my sleeping bag. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it sitting on the lounge, bound up tight in its red stuff sack. I looked away. I felt like I was betraying a friend.

  • The Red Flat, Bulgaria

    The Red Flat, Bulgaria

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    Close to the centre of Sofia, in an ordinary, non-descript housing block, is a unique time capsule. The Red Flat is an apartment that has been set up to replicate a family residence typical of 1980s urban Bulgaria.

  • The Chess Players of City Garden, Bulgaria

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    I like to walk, so I booked accommodation in central Sofia, Bulgaria, so I could explore on foot. If I hadn’t, I may never have discovered the chess players of City Garden.

  • Second Covid-19 Vaccination, Bulgaria

    Second Covid-19 Vaccination, Bulgaria

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    Having to figure out where to get a PCR test done in a non-English speaking country, within the stipulated time window before travelling to a new place, and then sometimes having to have another test upon arrival, was a real bastard.

  • Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria

    Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria

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    The Rila National Park in Bulgaria is home to one of the most famous and popular hikes in the country.

  • Apricots

    Apricots

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    Maybe as you get older, life’s bag of apricots just loses its taste.

  • National Aviation Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria

    National Aviation Museum Plovdiv, Bulgaria

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    I’ve always been a bit partial to aviation history, and when I heard that Plovdiv was home to Bulgaria’s National Aviation Museum I was keen to have a look.

  • Diving Shipwrecks in Sozopol

    Diving Shipwrecks in Sozopol

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    We jammed the cars full of diving gear, and squeezed in for the hour’s drive south from Nessebar on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The Black Sea has a long maritime history, and we were off to spend the day diving shipwrecks in Sozopol.

  • Varna’s Retro Museum, Bulgaria

    Varna’s Retro Museum, Bulgaria

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    Right next to Varna’s bus station is the Bulgarian city’s Grand Mall; a modern shopping centre full of brand name stores and teenagers whiling away their summer school holidays. Somewhat strangely, it is also home to Varna’s Retro Museum, a treasure trove of soviet-era cars and memorabilia. Now that’s gotta be worth a look.

  • First Covid-19 Vaccination, Bulgaria

    First Covid-19 Vaccination, Bulgaria

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    I heard that the Bulgarians were willing to vaccinate tourists against Corona, so the day after I arrived in Varna I set off to find out if it was true.

Midlife Crisis Odyssey