I have seen more mountains this week
than ever in my life!
I made so many friends and memories.
After I sent out my last email, I met several Erasmus students by coincidence, and ended up travelling around Bulgaria with some of them! They were mostly from France, and all very kind. We started our adventures at a club (yes, clubs are open here…), and then we went to the mountains during the weekend!
The marathon for kids with facial anomalies was on Sunday, and it was the most beautiful day yet. The charity raised over 2000€ just from the event, and not counting those who donated directly to the
foundation ALA. We are all very proud!
Vratsa, the city where the marathon was held, has become one of my favourite places to visit. It is a quaint, beautiful, and mountainous village just outside Sofia (1.5hrs). We spent one night there, but I am aching to go back! I ended up taking the train back to Sofia with my French friends, and it was one of the most beautiful rides I’ve ever done… Check it out on my vlog ↓
Most of my time this week has been spent with my new friends, to name a few: Nico, Loick, Briac, Olga, and Hristina. One evening, the night we came back from Vratsa, we went to a terrace for drinks, and actually watched a futball (soccer) match from someone’s laptop… Apparently it’s typical here!
On Tuesday, I climbed the highest mountain around Sofia, starting at the very bottom near the centre, and going all the way up to the 2km peak! I took many videos of this journey as well, which you can
watch in my video (above). My legs were quite dead, but I am so proud for having gone through with it.
My friend Nico is a really big traveller and hiker, so he offered for me to come along on this hike. It was the biggest hike I’ve ever done, and it was so beautiful! Waterfalls, birds, and gorgeous city sights.
I hope to come back soon and do even more hikes in Sofia, because they are so fulfilling.
Besides being super active in the mountains and making new friendships, we have also been spending time with the kids in parks in malls. As I’ve mentioned before, the parks here in Sofia are so big and green, and they truly make me feel at peace. One evening, I sat on one of the lawn chairs and just soaked up the sun whilst listening to my audio book: The Power of Now (great book for being present in the moment).
We also had visits from Grandma and the kids’ uncle, which is always nice! We went on long walks in the city centre and ate some
good food. The weather isn’t going to be so nice for the rest of my stay in Sofia, but I will try to make the most of it!
If you have any recommendations, questions or comments about my travels, please reply to this email and let me know! I would like to hear from you. 🙂
Yours Truly,
Nastia
