Around Sofia

I head out to do the tourist thing. Once again I find narrow streets filled with neoclassical buildings that are cheek by jowl with modern buildings and Soviet era construction.

Suddenly I spot this place. I'm amused. Is there a ‘sex poorly shop’ somewhere nearby?

My moment of sarcasm aside, I continue wandering.

The transliteration amused me here: fast fuud.

I'm rather astonished at the amount of graffiti in the city. It's all over. Some of it is even rather nice. Here's a typical example.

The National Assembly

International art gallery

The most well-known tourist destination in the city is the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, a Bulgarian Orthodox basilica. Nevsky was a Russian prince of Novgorod who defended Russia against the Germans and Swedes. The basilica was built in honor of the Russians who helped liberate the Bulgarians from the Turks during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878.

When you look at the church, you immediately notice that it does not have the onion domes typical of a Russian church. It seems to follow some neo-Byzantine principles instead. The inside is cool, even in the heat of summer. The place is enormous.