July 31: Plenty to See in Plovdiv
I’m loving Bulgaria! After a spectacular afternoon and evening touring Plovdiv, I enjoyed a pleasant ride through the countryside today up to the small town of Idilevo where I will be spending the night at MotoCamp Bulgaria.
Once my bags were unpacked in Plovdiv last night, I ventured forth to explore the area in what turned out to be one of my best evenings this summer. Remarkably, Plovdiv is not only the second largest city in Bulgaria but also one of its oldest. The city itself and especially its Old Town area is full of stunning historic ruins, captivating architecture, and enchanting narrow cobblestone streets.
Walking uphill past a variety of charming historic buildings, I turned left at the Dzhumaya Mosque before passing through one of the arched entryways into Old Town. Continuing up and down a variety of stone and brick steps, I walked into an ancient theater, lined with row upon row of bench seating overlooking a large performance stage. I was amazed to find a troupe of dancers rehearsing their act in the almost 90-degree weather, perhaps inspired to undertake such a grueling task by the majestic beauty around them.
Before leaving the Noviz Hotel, the receptionist there had told me about an area of town filled with exceptional restaurants. Heading in that direction, I wandered down more cobblestone streets past beautifully appointed eateries with festive outdoor sitting areas covered with awnings and umbrellas and decorated with outdoor lighting.
I’m not sure what I was more excited about when the waitress at Aylyakria brought me my food – that my dry aged prime rib steak was cooked a perfect medium rare or that the pile of French fries on my plate were hand cut. After asking for two additional containers of homemade chimichurri sauce to dip my fries in, I finished off all but a few bites of my delicious meal.
As a treat, the server brought me a single portion of their house specialty – a prune filled with creamy milk chocolate, crispy pumpkin seeds, and chopped walnuts and covered in hard dark chocolate. Although I had already eaten enough, I simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to try such a unique delicacy. Strangely enough, the flavor and texture combination hit the spot!
Feeling completely satiated, I left this morning heading towards Sofia and then east through the foothills towards MotoCamp. As I rose in elevation the air cooled, the smog cleared, traffic thinned, and the cities became smaller.
The hills on both sides of me were completely covered with lush green trees and the road became narrower as it wound through the mountains. Coming up over one rise, I could smell meat grilling on a roadside stand I passed on my right.
Seeing the thick sausage links and smoke coming off the grill, I hung a U-turn and pulled over for a delicious lunch. The slightly charred link with homemade potato salad and tomato garnish were so much better than the protein bar I had been planning on having.
Turning off onto a small pothole filled side road, I headed down towards MotoCamp, passing a beautiful valley view and lake as well as the picturesque town of Idilevo on my way. After being greeted warmly by the camp host I unloaded my bags and settled in for what looks to be a great evening with other bikers.
