April 27 2005 page 14 |
2005 BALKANS TOURBen Oostdam |
Plovdiv BULGARIA |
| Slept well in Johnny's room, i.e. Irene's 30 year old son who is the centerpoint of her life and who just got a job on a Greek Cruiseship. She married his Dad, three years younger than she but got divorced a year after Johnny's birth when he developed a drinking problem. Brought Johnny up herself, though he did get to see his paternal grandpa; she remarried only 10 years ago to a Serbian retired Army officer from who she is now in the process of separating. Sad story, compounded by her decision not to tell her mother about this while she is facing her eye operation. |
| At 08:00, the three of us got into a taxi and drove a long way through provincial-looking Sofia streets to the hospital, where I waited more than an hour till Irene had settled matters about Georgia's operation. Read all Cyrillic signs in the mean time. We then first walked to a bookmarket where the first thing that struck my eye was this book I bought, then entered a fancy building where we used the bathrooms in the basement - for which you had to pay. Next, we found out that moneychangers did not cash American Express travelers checks. I also used an ATM ("cash-machine") which worked fine and greatly impressed Irene. We went to the very fancy "Bulbank" and took an hour and 4 forms to change a traveler's check for 50 euros - which seemed a good topic for one of my stories. |
| Irene also took me into a small cathedral to pray and light a candle for her mother.After that I bought her her first icecream, as well as a cheap telephone to replace her mother's old one. | 
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She showed me several schools where she had taught English and I quoted some poems. Finally, we bought some groceries, nuts and tram-tickets at the crowded "Women's Market", then went home where we talked til 17:00. |
| I then quicly packed and we took a tram to the station, where I bought a return ticket to Plovdiv. Irene also invited me to stay with them upon my return to Sofia and celebrate Easter/May 1 with them. |
Photographs of Sofia - more photos - National Museum of History - University of Sofia