Sofia

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Low Rise:
as I was walking around the streets of Sofia I came across a small whole in a wall at pavement level surrounded by all the parapanaila of a shop - a newspaper rack, and a line of packets of crisps. It was ideal for dogs, but I had to crouch down a long way to hand over the money - Some one had turned their basement into a novel shop.

Okay, this one is a bit thin on the countrybagging scale.. I had an hour in Sofia railway station on my trip from Aleppo back to the UK. I got off the train and went in search of supplies. But first I needed some cash. I found a Exchange Desk in the station and changed about 20 Turkish Lira - I had no idea of the exchange rate, but I got some local currency. I said to the bloke behind the glass "is that a lot?" and he just smiled!

Smallest McDonalds

With cash in hand I headed outside and found a little cluster of shops. I got a few items for the journey including a huge sticky cake! On the way back to the train I spotted the smallest McDonalds in the world, it must have been about three metres by three metres.

When I got back to the platform where I got off the train I had a bit of a shock - there was no train. I looked around and spotted the carriage on the next platform over. Phew!

However my next visit to Sofia was a bit longer - I spent a couple of nights in the city as part of my 'Silk Road' trip, so I had a bit more time to have a look around.

I guess the jewel in Sofia's crown has to be the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a very pretty wedding cake of a cathedral, the outside it's white stone with golden domes. Inside it's rather dark with religious frescos on most of the walls.