Almost every day spent in Varna we had a feast of some kind or another. On several occassions we had gatherings with Elena's relatives. Other days we ate with Elena's mother, grandmother, and Nasko. In between we ate meals at local resturants. Eating out is inexpensive, about 30-40 leva for the 4 of us ($25-35) for quite a feast. They make some great salads here, and wonderful fruit plates, juices, etc. Pizza and spaggettis of some kind or another are the kids favorites....which I don't think are fantastic here. Lots of cheese...."white cheese" refers to a cheese similar to feta, and "yellow cheese" refers to the more traditional american type. There isn't much choice for breakfasts....I have tried, but I can't get any kind of coffee except espresso. I couldn't get anyone to add a bit of hot water to make an "Americano" One coffee place near our hotel didn't even have any take out cups...and there wasn't anything like a scone, only rich cakes with loads of frosting. None of the resturants take credit cards, and most of the shops don't either. The few shops that did, the clerks seemed like they hadn't processed a card before. When eating out, everyone gets their plate fresh....like as soon as it is ready....so usually the first person is done eating before the last person's dinner arrives. All drinks come in plastic bottles, including water (you can't ask for a free glass of water, you can only purchase a bottle). Too much plastic waste for the landfill I think.
Here is Veliko Tarnovo, the ancient capital of Bulgaria. The map gives you an idea of the extent of the walled city positioned on top of a hill mostly surrounded by a river. Our plan was to walk around the old castle and fortress in the morning, then go on a hike to a nearby village in the afternoon. Temps over 100, though, wore us out and we had to head back to the hotel early afternoon before our hike.
