Passports…..passports! It’s 3 am and I climb off the top bunk and trudge out into the cold night air, beneath the grimy station underpass to immigration. I ask myself once again why are border towns so dirty and ugly? The process is repeated soon after at the Bulgarian side and it is back to sleep. One of the end termini of the fabled Orient Express was of course Istanbul and rather than fly to Sofia we are travelling on those same tracks as a century ago. It’s a shame that the rolling stock is not as luxurious but the train is lean and modern enough and we sleep well in our 2 berth cabin.
Lunch the next day was in the surprisingly pretty Bulgarian capitol of Sofia named after the patron saint of wisdom. We quickly discover that stews feature highly in Bulgarian cuisine. Also Bulgarian wines are yet another hidden gem and everything is so cheap here! We spent the afternoon wandering through pretty neighbourhoods and visiting some magnificent Orthodox churches. This place has a nice vibe and a vibrant cafe and bar culture with alfresco drinking and dining in abundance.
