It has been 24 years since we left Bulgaria. This summer I decided to go back and see my relatives and the country in which I grew up. Wow. What a difference 24 years make.
Dobrich is not that different. The park is just as I remembered it, the trees just seem taller and greener... The old buildings could use a fresh coat of paint... But there are lots of cute little cafes and restaurants, which gives the town a much livelier and more cheerful energy than the austere atmosphere of 1985.
We spend a couple of nights at the Melia Grand Hermitage in Golden Sands. Absolutely loved it! It seemed to us that it was the fanciest hotel in GS. We had a deluxe sea view room. It was spacious, with beautiful warm-toned furniture, a little balcony overlooking and huge pool, the sea and the coast (we could see Balchik and all the way to Kaliakra!), with a large, comfortable bathroom. Flat-screen TV with lots of fun channels in all kinds of languages! My goodness, how things have changed. Back in 1985 there were only two channels... Anyway, breakfast was included in the rate. Loved it. Lots of fruit, coffee, bread... Swimming in the outdoor pool was fun. When the water polo game started, we decided to try swimming in the sea. It was lovely. The water was not Hawaii-warm, but warm enough and cool enough to provide some relief from the heat of the day. The sea was surprisingly calm, considering that the Black Sea was named as it was because of its tempestuous temperament. Then we decided to try out the indoor pool - again, lovely.
Chiflika, in the vicinity of the hotel, is a great place to have dinner, and enjoy a little show of Bulgarian dancing. A "kuker" goes from table to table and tries to scare the children... Cute. The food was to die for. How I have missed that Bulgarian flavor...
Driving through Varna, I was less ecstatic. Sure, one can see the progress, the new, shiny buildings, the parks, the fountains, but still, a lot of disrepair, a lot of buildings that are falling apart...
In Sunny Beach we stayed at the Victoria Grand Hotel. It's supposed to be a four-star. The parking was limited and awkward, but free, the breakfast was even better than at the Hermitage. The hotel is right on the boardwalk (Plazhnata Aleya), which can get very noisy. Staying at a place like the Majestic would have been better, as there is a bit of a distance between the boardwalk and the hotel rooms. The pool is cute, but small - and easily overcrowded. The room was underwhelming. Very sparsely furnished. No TV in the living room of the "apartment." They charged for the use of the safe - 6 Leva per day. There is no iron in the rooms, and if you want to borrow one from the front desk, guess what - $1.50 Leva per hour. After the luxury of the Hermitage, this "apartment" was a disappointment. It really did not feel like a four-star hotel, more like a 2.5...
The brief trip to Nessebar was lovely. Very cute, beautiful old ruins and buildings, gorgeous sea views from the restaurants. The next day we drove down to Sozopol. Loved it! Very similar to Nessebar - beautiful views of the bay, lots of cute restaurants overlooking it, some ancient ruins. I wish we could have spend some more time there.
Then, on to Plovdiv. The Bright House apartment was spacious and beautifully furnished. An elevator would have been nice, though. The location was convenient, but the two block-walk to the pedestrian center was a little nerve-racking. Just a tad scary, with little Roma children running around, a little over-eager to help... Plovdiv is just as I remembered it. Lovely and charming. Except now there are lots more signs in English. Had a fantastic dinner in the courtyard of the Hebros restaurant in Old Town. Loved it so much, we went back the next night. I had e-mailed them from the US, asking them if they could prepare something vegan for me, something off the menu - and they did! Can you believe it?! The next day we bought all kinds of souvenirs, a D&G shirt for the ridiculous price of 20 Leva, and had a lovely time at the Philippopolis Cafe and Art Gallery, walked over to the Roman Stadium where 20 years ago I saw Don Carlo with Grandma, took some pictures of downtown. Oh, and get this. On July 4 we were taking a walk down the main drag and - guess what! - fireworks! Fourth of July fireworks!
The night before leaving Bulgaria, we stayed at the Metropolitan Hotel in Sofia. Awesome hotel! Gorgeous, modern, the friendliest and most helpful staff ever!
Overall, I am happy I got to see Bulgaria again. The people are friendlier and smilier now, even the police, which is supposed to be "corrupt". It's a pretty good place to take a vacation. If only it were a little closer.
Hi Rami 
I enjoyed reading that, it sounds as though there have been a few improvements for the better since you left 24 years ago.
Am I right in guessing by the use of words such as 'vacation, boardwalk and awsome' that you now live on the other side of the pond in the US or Canada?
Graham
I enjoyed reading that, it sounds as though there have been a few improvements for the better since you left 24 years ago.
Am I right in guessing by the use of words such as 'vacation, boardwalk and awsome' that you now live on the other side of the pond in the US or Canada?
Graham
Hi Graham,
Thanks for reading my post. Yes, I am now an American. The customs officers were a little sceptical when I spoke to them in Bulgarian. They asked me for my Bulgarian documents. I said I had none, since I was no longer a Bulgarian. But they insisted that my passport stated that I was born in Bulgaria and so I ought to have Bulgarian documents. Both when I was coming into the country and leaving it, they had to make a brief phone call before they returned my passport to me. I figured merely having an American passport was enough of a proof that I was an American, but I guess not.
It was fun messing with the merchants in the resorts. They try to guess where you are from from the way you are dressed. So they approach you speaking to you in either Bulgarian, Russian or English. Well, all my clothes are from the US, so they assumed I did not speak Bulgarian. So I would carry on a conversation with them in English, and then half way through the conversation I would switch to Bulgarian and then savor the confusion in their eyes as they tried to figure out what was going on... It was fun.
I felt like saying, see, you shouldn't assume; don't make judgments about people according to how they are dressed.
The tourist areas are very pleasant and charming. Overall, I felt very safe and comfortable. But outside the tourist areas, even Varna, which has been declared the best place to live in Bulgaria, one can see that Bulgaria is way behind the west. The ugly brick houses, the austere social-era blocks, which were brand new and sparkling clean when I was growing up, are falling apart, with the paint peeling and laundry drying on clotheslines in plain view... It's just a different world there. It will take time, lots of time. But one step at a time... There is a lot of potential in Bulgaria. It's a beautiful country. Downtown Burgas, I forgot to mention, was very charming. I read somewhere that it had had a facelift recently. I hope Bulgaria gets its act together soon and comits to really becoming a more Westernized, more European country soon. It's happening, but I find the Bulgarian mentality is still stuck in the past, with its patriarchal closedmindedness. Let's hope the young people will succeed in bringing more of the Western mentality to Bulgaria.
I'm rambling. Sorry.
Thanks for reading my post. Yes, I am now an American. The customs officers were a little sceptical when I spoke to them in Bulgarian. They asked me for my Bulgarian documents. I said I had none, since I was no longer a Bulgarian. But they insisted that my passport stated that I was born in Bulgaria and so I ought to have Bulgarian documents. Both when I was coming into the country and leaving it, they had to make a brief phone call before they returned my passport to me. I figured merely having an American passport was enough of a proof that I was an American, but I guess not.
It was fun messing with the merchants in the resorts. They try to guess where you are from from the way you are dressed. So they approach you speaking to you in either Bulgarian, Russian or English. Well, all my clothes are from the US, so they assumed I did not speak Bulgarian. So I would carry on a conversation with them in English, and then half way through the conversation I would switch to Bulgarian and then savor the confusion in their eyes as they tried to figure out what was going on... It was fun.
I felt like saying, see, you shouldn't assume; don't make judgments about people according to how they are dressed.The tourist areas are very pleasant and charming. Overall, I felt very safe and comfortable. But outside the tourist areas, even Varna, which has been declared the best place to live in Bulgaria, one can see that Bulgaria is way behind the west. The ugly brick houses, the austere social-era blocks, which were brand new and sparkling clean when I was growing up, are falling apart, with the paint peeling and laundry drying on clotheslines in plain view... It's just a different world there. It will take time, lots of time. But one step at a time... There is a lot of potential in Bulgaria. It's a beautiful country. Downtown Burgas, I forgot to mention, was very charming. I read somewhere that it had had a facelift recently. I hope Bulgaria gets its act together soon and comits to really becoming a more Westernized, more European country soon. It's happening, but I find the Bulgarian mentality is still stuck in the past, with its patriarchal closedmindedness. Let's hope the young people will succeed in bringing more of the Western mentality to Bulgaria.
I'm rambling. Sorry.
Enjoyed reading this. Must be strange going back after such a long time.
I know sometimes I find it hard to take in how much things have changed in Glasgow over the years, and I've never lived anywhere else.
For the bulk of tourists, getting through the passport control has become much quicker and easier in the last 2 or 3 years.
No more bits of paper and ink stamps, just a quick glance, and even a smile.
I really hope Bulgaria continues to prosper, and make us feel welcome.
I know sometimes I find it hard to take in how much things have changed in Glasgow over the years, and I've never lived anywhere else.
For the bulk of tourists, getting through the passport control has become much quicker and easier in the last 2 or 3 years.
No more bits of paper and ink stamps, just a quick glance, and even a smile.
I really hope Bulgaria continues to prosper, and make us feel welcome.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for reading my post. Yes, it was a bit strange to go back to Bulgaria after 24 years. Bulgaria was not the only one that has changed; I have changed a lot too. That is what was interesting for me too - to see my own reaction to Bulgaria. When I was growing up there, it was the only thing I knew. I used to think that the eight-storey socialist era blocks looked very impressive and attractive. Now I look at them and think they are the ugliest thing ever. The streets seem so narrow to me now. I used to look at Maritza from the bridges in Plovdiv and marvel at its magnitude and beauty, Now, after having seen the mighty Mississippi, the Hudson, the Sacramento rivers, Maritza looks like a miserable little creek to me.
But I do see a lot of potential in Bulgaria. If they clean it up, it can be a wonderful tourist magnet. The sea, the mountains, the historical sights. And I was pretty pleasantly surprised that wherever we went the service was very good - always kind, helpful, friendly and smiley! I don't remember Bulgarians being this smiley before... Little by little Bulgaria will become like the West. It will take a little bit of time. The young people get it. The ones who did not grow up under Todor Zhivkov's regime get it. So, I am optimistic.
Thanks for reading my post. Yes, it was a bit strange to go back to Bulgaria after 24 years. Bulgaria was not the only one that has changed; I have changed a lot too. That is what was interesting for me too - to see my own reaction to Bulgaria. When I was growing up there, it was the only thing I knew. I used to think that the eight-storey socialist era blocks looked very impressive and attractive. Now I look at them and think they are the ugliest thing ever. The streets seem so narrow to me now. I used to look at Maritza from the bridges in Plovdiv and marvel at its magnitude and beauty, Now, after having seen the mighty Mississippi, the Hudson, the Sacramento rivers, Maritza looks like a miserable little creek to me.
But I do see a lot of potential in Bulgaria. If they clean it up, it can be a wonderful tourist magnet. The sea, the mountains, the historical sights. And I was pretty pleasantly surprised that wherever we went the service was very good - always kind, helpful, friendly and smiley! I don't remember Bulgarians being this smiley before... Little by little Bulgaria will become like the West. It will take a little bit of time. The young people get it. The ones who did not grow up under Todor Zhivkov's regime get it. So, I am optimistic.
Hi Rami i have just read your post ands it was very amusing ,i would loved to have been there when you switched to your native tongue .I am just back as i love Bulgaria and been going for many years now ,but there is a lot of truth in what you have said . and there is a lot to be done for the good of the people .It is still a great country though ,and i will still be going back next year June
.I am just back as i love Bulgaria and been going for many years now ,but there is a lot of truth in what you have said . and there is a lot to be done for the good of the people .It is still a great country though ,and i will still be going back next year June
Hi Rami,
your posts are very interesting for me. And it's true, the United States are "God's own country". But Bulgaria is "The paradiese on earth"!
ÃÂœøûð àþôøýþ,
тø ÑÂÂø ÷õüõý рðù,
тòþùтð Ñ!уñþÑÂÂÑ‚, тòþùтð ÿрõûõÑÂÂÑ‚,
aÑ!, тõ ýÑÂÂüðт úрðù.
Dear Motherland,
you are paradise on earth,
your beauty, your charm,
ah, they are boundless.
Best regards
Manfred
your posts are very interesting for me. And it's true, the United States are "God's own country". But Bulgaria is "The paradiese on earth"!
ÃÂœøûð àþôøýþ,
тø ÑÂÂø ÷õüõý рðù,
тòþùтð Ñ!уñþÑÂÂÑ‚, тòþùтð ÿрõûõÑÂÂÑ‚,
aÑ!, тõ ýÑÂÂüðт úрðù.
Dear Motherland,
you are paradise on earth,
your beauty, your charm,
ah, they are boundless.
Best regards
Manfred
I think everyone who comments on here about Bulgaria is very positive about the country.
Its not really the place to come to moan about the hotel breakfasts, or the staff not speaking English.
I hope the country does prosper, but even more, I really, really hope that it doesnt lose its own identity. We dont need an eastern European imitation of Spain or Portugal. I dont mean that as a dig at those countries, I've enjoyed many holidays in both of them.
I just hope that a prosperous Bulgaria will still be Bulgarian.
Its not really the place to come to moan about the hotel breakfasts, or the staff not speaking English.
I hope the country does prosper, but even more, I really, really hope that it doesnt lose its own identity. We dont need an eastern European imitation of Spain or Portugal. I dont mean that as a dig at those countries, I've enjoyed many holidays in both of them.
I just hope that a prosperous Bulgaria will still be Bulgarian.
interesting thread 
About Bulgaria losing its character... It depends on what that means. I think the resorts will lose whatever is Bulgarian about them because they are targetting foreigners and have to make them feel as comfortable as they would be in the west.
I'll tell you what bugs me, as a Bulgarian native - the parading of Bulgarian folk culture: music, costumes, dances, customs. To me it seems like "aren't these primitive savages cute?". I feel the same way about the Hula shows in Hawaii. There is something demeaning about it. I don't know why it bugs me but it does.
I was never a fan of Bulgarian folk culture, so I guess I would not mind if Bulgaria became more like the West even if it is at the expense of it's character. The hardest thing to change will be the conservative, patriarchal mentality. Although we had no problems whatsoever, the antigay bile that I heard in tv debates makes me want to stay away. Homophobia is deeply entrenched within the Bulgarian psyche; I wouldn't mind if this aspect of the Bulgarian character got lost.
But I'll tell you this. In my experience Bulgarians are generally decent people, eager to help, even if there is nothing in it for them. I hope capitalism, with it's mad emphasis on profits, no matter the ethics, does not obliterate this one Bulgarian trait.
I'll tell you what bugs me, as a Bulgarian native - the parading of Bulgarian folk culture: music, costumes, dances, customs. To me it seems like "aren't these primitive savages cute?". I feel the same way about the Hula shows in Hawaii. There is something demeaning about it. I don't know why it bugs me but it does.
I was never a fan of Bulgarian folk culture, so I guess I would not mind if Bulgaria became more like the West even if it is at the expense of it's character. The hardest thing to change will be the conservative, patriarchal mentality. Although we had no problems whatsoever, the antigay bile that I heard in tv debates makes me want to stay away. Homophobia is deeply entrenched within the Bulgarian psyche; I wouldn't mind if this aspect of the Bulgarian character got lost.
But I'll tell you this. In my experience Bulgarians are generally decent people, eager to help, even if there is nothing in it for them. I hope capitalism, with it's mad emphasis on profits, no matter the ethics, does not obliterate this one Bulgarian trait.
While the resorts may not be typical of Bulgaria, they are not just the same as what we find in other European countries.
You cant really say what makes them different, but they are.
As for the way the countries "culture" is presented in a patronising manner, that happens everywhere, and yes it can be annoying.
I live in Scotland, and we have to put up with a tartan and heather image, that bears no relation to the country we know.
Just know I'm looking forward to my next visit to St Vlas and Sunny Beach in August.
You cant really say what makes them different, but they are.
As for the way the countries "culture" is presented in a patronising manner, that happens everywhere, and yes it can be annoying.
I live in Scotland, and we have to put up with a tartan and heather image, that bears no relation to the country we know.
Just know I'm looking forward to my next visit to St Vlas and Sunny Beach in August.
Off course I know, that the resorts are not the real Bulgaria. But I have seen much more than only the resorts. Bulgaria caught me since my first holiday in Sunny Beach 2001. I know the history, I read the writers, the classic and the new books, I try to learn the language, I read every day the news of Bulgaria (INVALID URL I have friends in Bourgas and Stara Zagora. And I visited a lot of the sights. My nick "Bulgarienfan" is what I live. I'm member of the managing-board of the German-Bulgarian Society in Leipzig.
My opinion: The biggest problems of Bulgaria are the mafia and the corruption. But I'm hopeful, that the new bulgarian government will solve these problems. But this takes more than only 4 years, and the bulgarian people are impatient, I'm afraid. This is another problem.
Regards
Manfred
My opinion: The biggest problems of Bulgaria are the mafia and the corruption. But I'm hopeful, that the new bulgarian government will solve these problems. But this takes more than only 4 years, and the bulgarian people are impatient, I'm afraid. This is another problem.
Regards
Manfred
every one has there own thoughts and memories of Bulgaria ,ans i stll will keep going 
june
june
I had heard a lot about the corruption and mafia in Bulgaria, but thankfully that was not an issue when we were there. Everyone was perfectly lovely and friendly and helpful. I eventually relaxed and began to feel as safe as I had always felt when I was growing up in Bulgaria. I used to walk home from kindergarten! I used to play in the park by myself, without any supervision. Back then child abductions, child molestations, etc were unheard of.
Anyway, it warms my heart that you all are so fond of my Motherland. I plan on going back. I don't know what it is about it. I find myself daydreaming about going back. I try to think of myself as a global citizen who does not belong to any tribe. But there is something indescribable that seems to be calling me back. Maybe that Bulgarian "character" we were talking about is a part of me and when I returned I recognized it and it made something in me go "click!" Could that be it?
I am thinking in going back to Golden Sands and then to Sozopol next year.
What is your opinion of:
Obzor
Ahtopol
Rousse
Veliko Turnovo
Do you have any other favorite vacation spots? Give me some ideas for next year.
Blagodarya vi,
Rami
Anyway, it warms my heart that you all are so fond of my Motherland. I plan on going back. I don't know what it is about it. I find myself daydreaming about going back. I try to think of myself as a global citizen who does not belong to any tribe. But there is something indescribable that seems to be calling me back. Maybe that Bulgarian "character" we were talking about is a part of me and when I returned I recognized it and it made something in me go "click!" Could that be it?
I am thinking in going back to Golden Sands and then to Sozopol next year.
What is your opinion of:
Obzor
Ahtopol
Rousse
Veliko Turnovo
Do you have any other favorite vacation spots? Give me some ideas for next year.
Blagodarya vi,
Rami
Hi Rami,
it's a little bit difficult for me, to explain a (former) Bulgarian his country and to recommend him sights of his own motherland.
The mafia in Bulgaria may be different from the mafia in the United States. In Bulgaria not a John Dillinger or a Ma Baker are doing their "business".
The mafia-businesses in Bulgaria are drugs, prostitution, to buy politicians, district attorneys and judges and last but not least protection racket. In Sunny Beach for example - so I was told - has every taxidriver, everyone who makes business in the resort, to pay to the mafia, even the artists, who portray people.
I prefer to spend my holidays in Sunny Beach. I love the hustle and bustle in this resort. I've never been in Rousse, and I didn't stay in Obzor and Ahtopol, I was only driving through. The different to Sunny Beach is, in this villages live Bulgarian people for the whole year and not only during the summer-season.
Veliko Turnovo is great! The old town and the castles are "a must"! And if you stay in this city, you are very close to other "musts": The shipka passage, the memorial church in Shipka, the ancient villages Bozhenzi and Etara, Arbanassi - the village of the artists and so on. But I think, you know this so good as I do. I suppose, that you will arrive in Sofia. So you can visit the Rila monastery, this is not far away.
If you are interested, in this thread there I report on a few of my excursions with a lot of pictures:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=65089 Sites 1, 3 and 7
And here you can see more about my holidays in Bulgaria:
http://www.manfred-boettcher.eu/111805/home.html
(If it's not allowed to post this link to my personal website, dear admins, please cancel it.)
Rami, this September I wish to visit a few of the cities and villages of the April Uprising. In Karlovo, Kalofer and Sopot I want to see the houses, where Vasil Levski, Kristo Botev and Ivan Vasov were born.
Best regards
Manfred
it's a little bit difficult for me, to explain a (former) Bulgarian his country and to recommend him sights of his own motherland.
The mafia in Bulgaria may be different from the mafia in the United States. In Bulgaria not a John Dillinger or a Ma Baker are doing their "business".
The mafia-businesses in Bulgaria are drugs, prostitution, to buy politicians, district attorneys and judges and last but not least protection racket. In Sunny Beach for example - so I was told - has every taxidriver, everyone who makes business in the resort, to pay to the mafia, even the artists, who portray people.I prefer to spend my holidays in Sunny Beach. I love the hustle and bustle in this resort. I've never been in Rousse, and I didn't stay in Obzor and Ahtopol, I was only driving through. The different to Sunny Beach is, in this villages live Bulgarian people for the whole year and not only during the summer-season.
Veliko Turnovo is great! The old town and the castles are "a must"! And if you stay in this city, you are very close to other "musts": The shipka passage, the memorial church in Shipka, the ancient villages Bozhenzi and Etara, Arbanassi - the village of the artists and so on. But I think, you know this so good as I do. I suppose, that you will arrive in Sofia. So you can visit the Rila monastery, this is not far away.
If you are interested, in this thread there I report on a few of my excursions with a lot of pictures:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=65089 Sites 1, 3 and 7
And here you can see more about my holidays in Bulgaria:
http://www.manfred-boettcher.eu/111805/home.html
(If it's not allowed to post this link to my personal website, dear admins, please cancel it.)
Rami, this September I wish to visit a few of the cities and villages of the April Uprising. In Karlovo, Kalofer and Sopot I want to see the houses, where Vasil Levski, Kristo Botev and Ivan Vasov were born.
Best regards
Manfred
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