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October 2023 - Bulgaria; Varna, Burgas

After Romania in route to Turkiye I stayed on the Black Sea passing through the 2 major coastal towns of Bulgaria, in Varna and Burgas.

Day 13-15, Varna. Mid day long walk to the bus station which is kinda close to the train station (200m, but after 2.5 km walk with all gear, its far, haha.) I had unfortunately used up all my Romanian Leu and this little shuttle bus between two large cities only took cash.  Luckily in Europe exchange rates are so much more realistic.  Just me and some Aussie kid who had learned the Cyrillic alphabet journeyed the 3 hours from Constanta.

In to Varna which is a lovely city right along the Black Sea with a nice amount of beach, gardens and restaurants, including a wonderful harbour area.  AND I got to play beach volley ball in Eastern Europe, YES!  Continued to fail finding live Rock Music though.

that's handy for pet parking

Sexy above ground pipeline


Tower in the middle of there?

Was that a crashed plane?

Signs of harbour commercial shipping

In Bulgaria for the first time!
Considered the poorest country
in the EU, really...nah.

Wind farms...didn't expect that

Chauffeured to Varna, haha

Crop dusting

Dropping back down to the coast

Just cut through the plastic wrap

Lovely arrival


I never did find the McDonald's
to that sign??

So Sommersby is not Canadian
Cider...Nice meatballs $16 all


Decent size top floor apartment with all you need, although some may consider it a "student flat".

Always good to have a little 
bottle of Rakia around the house
Don't get your finger caught in this elevator.

View from apartment

Not many dogs, but they all
do this...laying in the middle

Although weird I love to see pools by the ocean

What a lovely beach and harbour area.


high potential beach for tomorrow

Lovely harbour area

Staria Chinar in the harbour

Waiter deboned my pork schank

All this for $25

Walk along the sea garden


Sinatra Piano Bar
Amazing views


Check out these hats

Well set up for bicycles


Ever since working on the
Wellington Train Station I 
appreciate a good Station

Bulgaria definitely proud to display and
preserve ruins as well in Sofia.

Varna beach

Nice beach right beside town on the Black Sea


Cold, but not really for October.



Is this a sewage line??

Varna Sea Garden Park







One of the staple restos
Happy. but 4 menus, really!

Family restaurant?, awesome humour

Yes, I got to play Vball in Eastern Europe!  Thanks Milena for letting me play.

So cool to have these two battle ships sitting beside the restaurant in the harbour.  GI Joe memories...




Another great meal at Staria Chinar

With my date

I really appreciated the 
intensity of this statue



Found this speakeasy, but not easily.  I actually went to the top of the building, back down the stairs and had to ask were is ... "Kultura".  Finally...

So, not an elevator...nope
Mid-evil door with slide view

Black light needed to view menu

Not a bad drink...$10.


Fell in love with Kaufland, oh yeah.

A little zamboni floor work

Gluten free, Dairy free

All that for like $9

Bruce Willis, the face of Hell!

Well, what the hell is this?

Another liter of wine
and more tasty pork
cause there's none in Turkiye!


Day 16-17, Burgas. Another bus adventure, but almost not as the ticket I thought I bought was only a reservation.  Good thing the girl acted quickly taking me off the bus, buying a ticket in cash and getting back on the bus before they left with my bags on it! 

Got in to Burgas staying right next to the beach which is not as good as Varna in my opinion but still has beach. A nice central street for a few blocks and then I guess that's it?  Met a lawyer/gangster named Theodore who bought a few drinks and introduced me to an Anti-communist/activist from the 80s.  Also hit Hashtag club for an unneeded night cap.  Made sure to get as much pork in before I left Bulgaria.

Cathedral of Assumption in
Varna.

Bit of a hike to the bus station

Ping Pong in the park

Almost didn't make it


Interesting views along the water

Tourist theme parks on the 
Black Sea

Turkiye in the distance


Finally in to Burgas and
figured out how to take a bus



Paella right beside my apartment

Nice park beside the sea

Neptun bar on the beach steps from my place
Lovely lighting of park path


Next to beach Burgas apartment



Always meatballs

Means "Claw Silver"
Tried to go in here for 
Bulgarian music.  They said
they were full and I wouldn't
like it anyway.

Rock bar that never opened...

Train station

Pretty quiet Saturday night

Herbal drink like jaeger

Next morning at The Old Pub


E-cigarettes getting too common

Train and Bus station side by side


One of a few Turkish bus lines

Nice fence line by harbour

Nice harbour area, but not the level like Varna

Get me to the beach



coolest bike rack



Central dock


Steps back to down town

more of the sea garden park

You want to get Nutz!

Still quiet on the main 
pedestrian street

Bad Boyz Bad Boyz

Impressive carrying skill

Final pork meatballs at Happy

This was so delicious!
Pumpkin with honey, nuts