Postcards From Bansko

Today, I wish I was back in the mountains of Bansko, wandering through the snowy streets in my rubber boots, ducking into a traditional Bulgarian hole-in-the-wall for a carafe of lunch-time wine, and pretending like I know how to snowboard down a double black diamond like an expert (picture me rolling/sliding on my ass the length of the entire thing and when I say double black diamond, I actually mean blue trail).

I wish I was perched on our hotel balcony gazing up at the sun as it dipped behind the white-cap peaks and I wish I was sipping a $6 cup of hot cocoa while riding the gondola lift thousands of feet into the sky.

I wish I was standing in front of the window of the real estate office astonished at the fact that we could buy a property in the center of the resort town for the same price it would cost to buy a car here.

I wish I was walking into every little ski n' sport shop searching for a cozy winter hat before finally finding it in the perfect shade of french blue & neon green.

Bansko is a good place. Next time I'm there, I wish for a longer stay.

Things I Saw While Walking Around (In Bulgaria)

[coffee]

[graffiti]

[advertisements]

[beer]

[sculptures]

[light]

[seating]

[snacks]

I haven't really seen much since our return stateside. Unless you count my bed (plenty of nighttime face-planting) or my calendar (though not in possession of enough motivation to make any real headway there).

I've taken to proclaiming that normal order will return once we clean the house on Saturday.

I'll let you know how that plan fares next week.

Until then!

Bulgaria Via iPhone

Some of my absolute favorite photos from this trip were snapped with the [not so] humble iPhone 5. The quality of the camera on that thing is insane; these were just lightly processed using VSCO Cam.

From the top: A random building facade in the city center; the Ivan Vazov National Theater; the Bulgarian National Assembly at sunset; mountains in Bansko; and staying warm with my honeylove.

Sofia, Part One

What is it about the light in European cities? I'm telling you, it isn't made like this in the good ole' US of A. We're still in Bulgaria, doing our very best to soak up these last precious days before returning to reality next week.

Pictured here are a few favorite buildings, monuments and street scenes in Sófia (Bulgaria's capital city and Tiho's birthplace). I'm a little obsessed with the black & white striped poles dotting the city (so chic!) and the abundant pops of gold around every corner. Bulgarians love their gold.

Greetings from Sofia!

We are thoroughly enjoying the holidays here in Bulgaria. Today, we rode a gondola to the top of a local mountain for a hiking and hot chocolate rendezvous in the snow. We've also spent significant time  eating and lounging in sweat pants, visited both sets of grandparents, and met up with friends for dinner and drinks. Christmas was low-key and lovely (pajamas all day--thank you jetlag). Tiho's brother flew in from London, which is such a treat.

I've also added a few more Bulgarian words to my very limited repertoire. "Bobche" is still my all-time favorite. It means "little bean" and I use it whenever the opportunity arises (which is never, but I still inject it anywhere I can).

From The Vault

Attempting to organize thousands of photos on my hard drive into more cohesive, archived folders is nothing short of a major headache. But, in the middle of doing so, I found these two never-before-shared gems taken last summer in Bulgaria.

I shot that crazy bungee jumping frame from the balcony of our hotel room in Sunny Beach, and those plates were on display at an open market in Nesebar.

We're headed back to Bulgaria for the December holidays--I can't wait! Maybe I ought to brush up on my vocabulary before then: Over three years with Tiho and I still only know five (okay three and a half) words.

A Weekend in Varna

I had big plans for my Bulgaria photos. There's so much I want to share from our trip this summer. But, time is precious these days: I cannot believe two months have passed since we returned to the U.S.

Before another two slip by, I figure I should at least attempt to showcase this batch from our weekend in Varna. We visited Tiho's extended family there and I fell in love with the candy-colored buildings and turquoise sea.

The real highlight for me was the night we all went out to dinner at an authentic Bulgarian restaurant, complete with traditional Bulgarian folk dancers and fire walkers. I learned how to do "the horo" circle dance and ate like an absolute glutton.

Still kind of blows my mind that I gain European Union citizenship in a couple of weeks. All of this amazing culture becomes my own simply by signing my name at city hall. Crazy!