Back in Bulgaria Again!

What a difference 6 months makes! Last time we were here it was brutally cold with lots of snow and a very bleak feel. In fact, we just barely got out of Europe before the worst storm of the winter came through. This time it is lush and green; very nice. The weather is very similar to what we've had in Georgia for the last few weeks except the evenings are about 10 degrees cooler and it is a bit drier. It does get hot during the day, though. Forecast for tomorrow is 99 and Sunday is 102. After that, it looks like it will drop into the low nineties and upper eighties for the rest of our stay.

We managed to find the hotel without too much difficulty, once we got out of the airport parking lot. The rental lot was at about 150% capacity with the returns blocking the outgoing rentals from the exit. It was a mess. While in Sofia, we will be at the Anastasia Residence Hotel. It is a very nice suite or apartment style hotel - very similar to a Homewood Suites or Residence Inn, except that our main sitting room area is huge in comparison. A bit of an overkill for two of us, but it will be great when we get back Monday with the girls.

We checked in around 3 and then tried with only moderate success to relax and recover without falling asleep. A few cat naps here and there, but hopefully that won't be enough to keep us from getting a full night's sleep. Last time, we never really adjusted to the time change and it put a lot of strain on us physically. We've got to do better this trip. This evening we went for a walk to explore the neighborhood and get some dinner. We ate outside at a little bistro and then reconnoitered a grocery store. It was interesting - the food even the store layout looked very typical of what we are used to seeing, but all of the food labels were in Cyrillic.

For tomorrow, we are looking forward to exploring the area a little more, finding some activities we can do with the girls, and meeting the Lom mission team at the airport. We just need to get a good night of sleep between now and then!