What a long and exhausting week it has been! The amount of work I had to cope with often made me wonder how long I will manage to do this kind of work. Not having fully recovered from the cold and trying to fit in all daily/weekly challenges and missions was pretty tiring, but I have accomplished everything. Moreover, my supervisor(s) have told me I am doing my job great and that they are all very very satisfied with me, which has given me quite a motivation boost. I have also managed to squeeze in two shopping evenings. I have finally bought an audio course to learn Bulgarian with a very promising title Learn Bulgarian the easy way and a camera. Having a fully-functioning camera again is a lovely feeling. I've been very touristy the whole day today and it definitely is one of the best ways to relax and recharge my batteries.
Vitosha Boulevard, Palace of Justice, Aleksander Levski Cathedral, Chupa Chups :), Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, pavements of Sofia, streets signs, "Attention, avalanche!", Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard
(from left to right, top to bottom)
I have been admiring all these majestic buildings ever since I have arrived to Sofia. The Aleksander Nevski Cathedral is enormous and the Palace of Justice also. Having entered the Saint Nikolas Russian Church and the Hagia Sofia Church made me feel like an intruder and I've just quickly looked around and escaped. I guess having such a feeling made me refrain from entering the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral. Therefore, I have just continued roaming the streets admiring all the beauty around me. After walking for a few hours I went home and decided to take another walk in the evening which has (not) been a smart idea. I might have mentioned already how slippery Sofia streets get when the temperature drops below zero. I have tested that a few times already, but not as hard as tonight. Firstly, I slipped on a side-walk I had no idea it was icy and somehow landed on my left hip which was perfect considering I was holding my (brand new) camera in my right hand. Luckily, I have enough flesh on my hips, so the pain wasn't (isn't) so bad. However, my second fall, in which I have landed on my back on a side-walk I know how dangerously slippery it is as it's covered with the thinnest layer of ice possible, was much more painful as I have first landed on my left arm with a full swing and only then on my back. Fortunately, I haven't hurt myself more, but somehow one of the key chains on my keys (which were in my bag) broke as I had landed on stone-hard pavements. I have no idea how I have managed to do that, but what's done is done. My little cute colourful fish I bought in Paris a few years ago has had its head crushed.
However, despite all the drama it was a lovely walk and I managed to get a few good shots of Sofia by night. The buildings that seem big during the day are even bigger during the night, being all illuminated and almost intimidating.
In the evening I also saw some kind of a changing of the presidential guard. In front of the Sofia's Presidential Palace two guards are standing throughout the whole day and as I was passing by at 19.30 they have started walking forward (with their legs up high, of course), then turning towards and away from each other, and walking back. The whole ceremony was over in two or three minutes and ended very funny as the guards just stopped in front of the Presidency closed door and didn't move anymore. Having seen the show is over, I moved on. I have heard the changing of the guard takes place a few times during the day and I really want to see it again, possibly in a fuller version, if it exists.
I know this post is a bit short, but I'll just let the photos do the talking. Check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150551347700877.371135.630150876&type=1&l=0964b7cfe3.
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