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Leaving the hostel early in the morning, I take a metro directly to the train station. There are two trains leaving at 10:30 AM, including mine… and I very nearly took the wrong one! I was already sitting inside when I asked a local. I would have been headed closer to Serbia than Turkey…

But all good, I’m taking the correct one now. The thirtieth train of the journey is an old beastie that has seen more than 72 seasons already. It is organized in big compartments of eigth seats. It’s a really slow one, which is a great opportunity to gaze upon the marvellous Bulgarian scenery. At times flat and covered with cultivated fields, at times fiercely mountainous. We even crossed one of these mountain chains shortly before reaching Пловдив (Plovdiv). Bulgarian train controllers aren’t equipped either for the Interrail Pass, but no problem, pass looks valid, have a nice trip. Lovely Bulgaria!

Lunch time in Пловдив, that is accompanied by a delicious honey lemonade. Пловдив old town is incredible. A bunch of narrow streets covered in cobblestoned, filled with authentic ancient buildings. And again, like in София (Sofia), I get these same vibes of South American city for some reason (even though I’ve never set foot in South America). And there is also of course a lot of roman ruins in the city center, most notably a erfectly preserved amphitheater, which now looks like it has been carved in the ground of a pedestrian place. To add to the Eastern Roma (Rome) cosplay, Пловдив is dotted with seven hills, the highest being 250 m high. I already climbed one of the smaller ones earlier, and after a good break in the city park, I decide to reach the top of the tallest one.

It was quite the hike, with my entire backpack on me, but reaching the foot of the monument erected to the deads of WWII was well worth the sweat. From there you have a grand 360 ° panoramic view over the entire city, and the great plains surrounding it. The whole thing is surrounded by mountains at varying distance.

A second lemonade, an unfructful search for an ATM and dinner on the main place, with street musician, and it’s time to find the bus station. I struggled a bit to find it to be honest, but I was well in advance. My stay in Bulgaria was amazing. I loved its landscape, its cities, and the people’s warmth. Can’t wait to be back in 2024.

One person that was not warm was the bus driver, almost shouting at me cause I wanted to keep my backpack in the bus. I have no room for my legs, and people browse social medias on their phones with sound at full volume. I HATE buses.

Just before midnight, we arrive in Türkiye!

But I’ll have to wait a bit to touch the Turkish soil…