Tag: summer2020

Posted in Bulgaria

Summer is not over…

Posted on by Irina Ilieva

You know those moments when you feel really light-hearted and silly and you just want to enjoy life in a simple way?

Those are the moments I value the most. Those are the moments with the people, who matter the most.

Eating corn (not in a cup, but the old-fashion way) is something I have always loved, even if I always made a mess of myself in the process.
It is also a typical activity for the Bulgarian summer vacation.

And I simply refuse to admit that autumn is coming, despite the yellow leaves falling around me.

So here I am – jumping around with my dripping corn in hand, in a flowery dress my sister bought me in my first year at the University, making silly faces to a somewhat impatient photographer with a big heart, who pays zero attention to my absolutely ruined manicure and extremely messy and entangled beach hair.

No, summer is not over. Our summer will continue.

Bulgaria Travel Hack #1

Are you planning a trip from Sofia to Varna or vice versa?

Your options are to travel with your own car (if you have one), a shared ride (might not be the safest), a bus (that feels like an infinity), or by train.

Contrary to popular belief amongst most Bulgarians, a train ride might be the most enjoyable, relaxing and least stressful.

Here is the time to make a disclaimer. I would recommend the train ride only if you chose the “fast” overnight train in a sleeping compartment. Otherwise, some if these rides take a bit too much time to enjoy being confined to a seat.

The sleeping wagons are probably the newest in the Bulgarian railway and very nicely maintained. It is the closest you could get to a Western European experience in a Bulgarian train.

In the current situation with COVID-19, having the compartment only for myself was quite comforting and allowed me to fully relax and sleep like a baby through the whole ride from Sofia to Varna.

There are a few options to chose from. You could either share the compartment with one or two people, or pay the extra few leva (BGN) for the so-called business class which in essence is the same compartment only at your disposal.

There is a sink and a luggage hanger in each comparment. But beware there is no storage available for big pieces of luggage.

Sleeping compartment in the fast train between Sofia and Varna

Bathrooms are shared, but quite neat and frequently cleaned.

A nice surprise was this initiative to promote reading(unfortunately only publications in Bulgarian available at the time).

Books available online for anyone interested

Note: If you are traveling during the touristic season on the Bulgarian Blacksea coast, make sure to book in advance through the website of the Bulgarian railway.

Status• Posted on by Irina Ilieva

Never have I ever been to… Iceland

This year we all have been confined at a certain point or another to our homes. Inspired by Iceland came up with an ingenious way to help people release the frustration while promoting Iceland’s beautiful nature.

Well it worked!


We decided to trade the seaside for 2 weeks in a camper van around this fairy-tale land.


We welcome all tips on photogenic places and hikes(for Pavel Dudek Photography) whale watching, puffin watching, Icelandic horses interactions and hot water soaks (for me).


You can also try venting it out – whatever you need to vent out… Just be careful what you scream, we might hear you somewhere over there 😂

Status• Posted on by Irina Ilieva