Love Thy Neighbour: the Bulgarian Summer Experience. Part 1 - Golden Sands

       

     

Summer has arrived, and, after a lifetime of faithfully honouring the Romanian seaside, this year it was time for something different. And, knowing that many Romanians are often choosing the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea, for better prices and services... why not? Let's see what our neigbours are up to.

       First of all, we must mention that the price has been more convenient indeed. Otherwise, the seaside experience is pretty much similar to the Romanian one, in terms of locations, people, beaches and landscapes. However, my advice, especially if you're Romanian (but also if you're not), is to look at it as more of a cultural experience, rather than your typical seaside holiday. Here is why...

                    

       Amusingly, from the political point of view, Romania and Bulgaria seem to come together in a package. After all, we did join the EU on the same day, and now we're waiting together for being accepted into the Schengen area. Nevertheless, I discovered that Romania and Bulgaria share quite a lot of cultural similarities, which are visible even from the moment you cross the Danube into the Bulgarian territory, in the city of Ruse, and later in Varna. Same architectural styles, from the so-called 'communist apartment blocks', to the elegant houses from the early 20th century, which remained unaffected by urbanistic transformations. 

             Afterwards, the first thing that will strike you is the language, the least similar feature between the two countries. Bulgarian is a Slavic language, using Cyrillic alphabet, so be prepared for that.  If you have at least some knowledge of Russian, that would come in handy - at least you will be able to read cyrillics with ease, but beware that there are a couple of letters which should be read differently, and also several words and phrases which are not the same in the two languages. The best thing you can do is buy a small Bulgarian conversation guide, in order to get by. Not everyone speaks English, especially some of the people you will interact with as a tourist: hotel staff, waiters, shop assistants, taxi drivers, etc. 

     Golden Sands is quite a fancy resort. From small and pretty hotels, to luxury ones, you can certainly find accommodation for all tastes and budgets. If you want a populated location and a vibrant night life, with many shops, bars, clubs and restaurants, then surely the central area of the resort is for you. Money-wise, the Bulgarian currency is the Lev, and you would be better off withdrawing cash from the cash machine (although there are not so many in the resort), rather than exchanging at an exchange office. 

   

          If, however, you need a more quiet holiday, and sleep at night listening to the waves, then I suggest to move towards the Chaika area. However, as far as the beaches are concerned, I haven't seen much difference from the Romanian ones, both from good and bad points of view. An abundace of seaweed, although the central part of the resort is clean, beaches full of armchairs which you have to pay for, and in some places quite a rocky sea bottom. But if you are very keen on swimming, a good idea is also to choose a hotel with a swimming pool. I did, and I was very glad! Be careful that the weather is hotter than in Romania, therefore at around 8-9 a.m. it's already hot enough to go to the beach, and to throw yourself into the water at the speed of light to refresh yourself, just like around 11-12, the sun is already too hot to handle.

              

 Bulgarian food is simple, healthy and delicious. Various types of salads, of which the most popular are shopska salad, made just of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and grated cheese on top, and also shepherd's salad, which, apart from the above, you also add boiled egg, diced ham and mushrooms. Or, for the heat outside, nothing is better than tarator: a traditional soup made with cucumbers, yoghurt, dill and olive oil, served cold. Otherwise, as an apetizer, you can try lyutenitsa, the Bulgarian brother-from-another-mother of Romanian zacusca, which is a vegetable spreadable paste made with eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. 

Most dishes are based on vegetables, yoghurt, grilled meat, fish and seafood. So, yes, I ate very well without gaining weight. Yeeey! Last but not least, I was often asked if I booked the hotel with 3 meals a day all-inclusive. The answer is no, mainly because... what if you don't like the hotel restaurant? Or what if you would like to eat in a different place every day? Consider that too before booking your hotel.
                            

             And, for the last part of this first chapter, I left my favourite aspect of Bulgarian culture. Well, my dears, in Bulgaria everything is coming up roses... literally. For years and years and years, Bulgaria has been famous for cultivating numerous types of roses, which are used for various purposes. Of course, the most easy to find are the cosmetics based on roses (mostly for ladies, but also for gentlemen) - perfumes, essential oils, skincare and haircare products, soaps, bath salt, and so much more. Last but not least, roses are also used for sweets, in honey, confiture, and different types of sweets. Very sweet, so you need only a little at once, but a very particular taste. 
               In Part 2 we will talk about a very special place to visit on the Bulgarian coast. What will it be?