Sofia, individual travel, 2015.

2015-07-15 記
Topic: ：ブルガリア：ソフィア

From Probudiv to Sofia.

Today, I will travel from Plovdiv to Sofia by bus.
I will walk to the bus terminal and buy a ticket.
The ticket price is 14 leva (approximately 980 yen).

I don't understand which way is which for the seat markings.

I sat down thinking the seats were arranged from left to right as 1-2-3-4.
It's not like they would be arranged as 2-1-4-3.

I had read somewhere that it would take 3 hours, but I arrived in 2 hours and 5 minutes. It's surprisingly close.

I arrived at the central bus terminal, so I'm taking the metro right in front of me to go to my accommodation.

My accommodation here is as follows:
10 Coins Hostel
Dormitory, 4 nights for 36 euros (72 leva, approximately 5010 yen), no breakfast.
Approximately 1250 yen per night.

It is located in a residential area. It is normally comfortable. There are no clubs nearby, so it is quiet.

On the day of arrival, I participated in a free tour provided by volunteers and learned about the country's overview.http://www.freesofiatour.com/This is recommended.

It seems that the lion is the national symbol of the country.
You can see it everywhere.

It is said that the country has a relatively old history, and is now considered one of the poorest countries in the EU, but I could see a sense of pride in the people, so I think it will recover over the long term. Countries with a history are strong. You can't just look at the economy.

Surprisingly, theater is popular here.
However, there are no plays in English.

Unlike the nights in Plovdiv, this place is peaceful and calm.

Rila Monastery (also known as the Monastery of Saint John of Rila, Rila Lavra).

Today, I went to the Rila Monastery, located in the mountains.

There seem to be several ways to get there.
- Hotel-organized tours (not available at the hotel I stayed at)
Approximately 20 euros (around 2,700 yen)
- Traventuria's day tour (25 euros, approximately 3,420 yen) http://www.traventuria.bg/rila-monastery-shuttle-bus-from-sofia
http://www.traventuria.bg/rila-monastery-shuttle-bus-from-sofia
- Take a bus on your own (11 leva one way, 22 leva round trip, approximately 1,530 yen) → I chose this option.
- Rental car (there is a parking lot)

If you go by bus, you can only see the Rila Monastery.
On the other hand, if you go on a tour, you can see a small temple located a little further, about 10 minutes away by car. Some tours include visits to Boyana Church, located in the suburbs of Sofia, in addition to the Rila Monastery.

Since I just wanted to see the Rila Monastery, I took the bus.

For my own reference, I'm writing the following:
■ How to go by bus
- Take the bus departing from West bus station (Ovcha Kupel) at 10:20 AM.
It stops for about 20 minutes at the Rila village bus stop, and arrives in front of the Rila Monastery around 1:10 PM.
The return bus departs from the same spot in front of the Rila Monastery at 3:00 PM, and arrives at West bus station (Ovcha Kupel) around 5:30 PM.
West bus station is located here → Google Map
https://www.google.bg/maps/place/%D0%90%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0+%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4/@42.6728086,23.2723855,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x40aa84ce7141160d:0xf6111631fd38cab6?
- To get to West bus station (Ovcha Kupel), you can of course take a taxi, but you can also take tram number 5.
Tram number 5 can be boarded from anywhere, but it's easiest to board from the following location near Serdika station in the city center.
A convenient boarding point for tram number 5 is here → Google Map
https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/42.6957619,23.3191912/42.6957639,23.3191844/@42.6956939,23.3190824,19z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en
- Since the tram station is right next to West bus station (Ovcha Kupel), get off while looking at Google Map.
If you can't use GPS, get off when you see the supermarket 345. The supermarket 345 is located between the tram station and West bus station (Ovcha Kupel).

↓Supermarket 345

Lilla Monastery Museum.

There was a small museum next to the corridor of the Lila Monastery, so I went inside.
The entrance fee was 3 leva (about 210 yen).

In addition to this, there was also a museum (8 leva, about 560 yen), which I also visited, but photography was not allowed there.

The Monastery Sepulchre.

After leaving the Lira monastery, I went down towards the river and found a building with graves.
I felt more power here than in the monastery's main hall.
I had a feeling that something "was there," and that a soul was still alive.

It wasn't a scary feeling of "something coming out" from the graveyard, but rather a feeling of being "alive" and reliable.
Perhaps this is the difference between the graves of ordinary people and the graves of saints.
It is said that saints perform at least two "miracles" after death, and I thought that miracles might be possible here.

But what is the meaning of the "empty" feeling in the main hall?
Although this place is full of power, the main hall feels as if the souls have been taken out of everything.
The feeling that no soul remains in the "objects" is interesting.
In the main hall, religious objects are treated as mere "objects."
Normally, objects have an attachment to them, and we feel a soul to some extent, but... there are many mysteries in the world.

It seems that the soul that is here does not like crowds and does not appear in public often. I felt that.
It seemed that there were still secrets, but since I only stayed for one day on a round trip from Sophia and did not stay overnight, I will stop the mystery-solving here.

And, I will return to Sofia by the 3:00 PM bus.

Saint Nedelja Church.

Visit the Saint Nedelja Church in the center of Sofia.

Inside, a child was receiving a blessing.
When I enter Bulgaria, I often see things like this, but is it just luck, or is it that this country holds religious ceremonies so well that I see them often?

The visit is free, but taking photos costs 5 leva (approximately 350 yen).

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

I went to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest in Bulgaria.
Photography is not allowed inside.
It was a place of quietness that gave me a sense of tranquility. This is amazing. It's more than I expected.

The Crypt (Underground of Cathedral Saint Alexandar Nevski, Museum of Christian Art)

Underneath the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, there is an art museum called The Crypt, which features Christian art.
It is very comprehensive and I am quite satisfied with it.

Central Mineral Bath

Next, I'm going to Central Mineral Bath.

This place is currently under renovation and is closed, but the hot spring water is flowing, so you can touch it or drink it.
When you drink it, it's just the right temperature, and it might be my imagination, but it makes you feel energized.

This hot spring water would be good to soak in.

Church of Saint George (Rotunda, The Rotunda of St George, Sveti Georgi).

The Church of St. George (Rotunda), surrounded by buildings on all sides, is located here. This appears to be the oldest church in Bulgaria.

Guards are stationed in front of the buildings that surround it.

Go through the passage next to it and enter, and you will find a church.

Photography is prohibited inside.

It's surprising that it seems to be used even now, despite being old.

Bulgaria National Archaeological Museum (Museum affiliated with the Institute of Archaeology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Archeological Museum).

Next, I will visit the National Archaeological Museum of Bulgaria (a museum affiliated with the Institute of Archaeology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences).

There were many distinctive exhibits, and the quantity was quite substantial, so I enjoyed it.

Saint Sofia Church (Temple Sveta Sofia, Basilica of Hagia Sophia).

Next, we will stop by the Saint Sofia Church (Temple Sveta Sofia, Basilica of Hagia Sophia).

This church was abandoned for a while, but it seems to have been restored in the 20th century.

It seems that it has been rebuilt many times in the past, and
underground, you can see the foundations of churches built over multiple layers.

Photography is prohibited inside.

The Sofia Synagogue and the Jewish Museum of History.

I went to see the building that was described as housing the Sofia Synagogue during a tour I attended recently.
According to the map, there seems to be a Jewish Museum of History at the same location, but it appears that the synagogue building itself also functions as a museum. That's how it is.

Banya Bashi Mosque

I went to the Banya Bashi Mosque in the center of Sofia.

It is small, and the study is completely visible, so it is quite a secular mosque.

National Art Gallery

Next, I'm going to visit the National Art Gallery.

Why is almost all of the artwork on display designed in such a surreal way...? I don't really understand this kind of art.

National Museum of Natural History

Next, I will go to the National Museum of Natural History.

The area is small, and there are many analog exhibits, but the detailed exhibits are surprisingly well-done.
It doesn't seem like much money was spent, but the care and attention to detail are evident.