Sofia

A 3-hour layover in Vienna made the trip to Sofia turned into an all-day affair.  The direct flights between Prague and Sofia are seasonal.  Thankfully I arrived safely, and had only the briefest flashback when we passed the scene of the accident I was in last time here.  The weather is warmer than in Prague, and people are getting out and enjoying it.  As I walked through the streets of the city center, I was once again struck by how, despite the westernization and modernization, things haven’t changed that much in the last 20 years.  It is still a tough place for older people with mobility issues.  (She seemed surprised when I opened the door for her.)  You can find a shop that will sell you laundry pods individually.  There lots of Baklava available. (The lady who owns the AirBnB flat I am in left me some homemade.  Yes, Sofia is still the kind of place where you can safely eat those.)  Mothers with their babies still stop to chat on the neighborhood sidewalks, and children still play soccer in the schoolyards after classes have ended. And, yes, you do still need to watch where you step.