Plovdiv is the 6th-oldest town in the world and the second-largest city in Bulgaria. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and I believe it’s the best city for living. I love strolling its boulevards, the main pedestrian street, the park areas, and I adore the four-season weather.
It is a city of creative people. A city where festivals boom, where foreigners come to cook their national cuisine, and where painters sell their art in the street. Plovdiv is a beautiful, inspiring city where at night everybody goes to dance, a serene, calm city where the workforce takes it easy.
Plovdiv or Sofia
Yes, Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and the largest city, yet I much prefer Plovdiv to it. Plovdiv has got this aristocratic, pedestrian main street, with all the retro buildings and the shops, and the street musicians, and it is full of creative, well-mannered people. My sister often comes from Sofia to visit home for the holidays. It usually takes two days to prepare the apartment for her arrival – we often rearrange all the cupboards in the kitchen to celebrate her coming.
Plovdiv is full of aristocrats
When I say people in Plovdiv are aristocratic, I mean their behavior. They are kind and polite, they are helpful and positive, and they behave like they are royalty. Not everybody, of course, but Plovdiv has got this vibe – it’s like everyone wants you to feel good and be relaxed, and wants to contribute to this. And they dress in a casual way, well, of course, some dress very well, everybody is trying, but no, we are not wearing old and big crinolines. The city is really incredible for travellers. We have this long and wide pedestrian main street, with all the old buildings and the shops, and gardens, fountains, statues, and other miracles. There are five hills for climbing and an old town with retro houses. We have many theaters and events in them.
Culture in Plovdiv
Plovdiv was chosen for a cultural capital of Europe in 2019. Here, people simply love going to the theater – the halls are always full. State Opera Plovdiv usually presents world-class performances – musicals such as Hair and Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar – I think they are Broadway-level performances – I am their greatest fan. One of the rising stars in their team is Niketsa. Niketsa has shoulder-length hair like Jesus, and he starred in the Voice of Bulgaria; he is very talented. There are many super-talented people in Bulgaria. There are a lot of events every month in town – theaters, operas, musicals, concerts, and movies. The Plovdiv society loves going to the events – the halls are always full to the brim, and all the tickets are sold. It is a very cultured city.
On the 20th December in the morning, Mom, Valeria, and I went to see the Nutcracker at the State Opera Plovdiv. I was very excited about the performance. On the 30th, we went to watch them perform songs by Queen. This was the last event of a very eventful year. I organized an incredible adventure for a friend who came to visit me in Plovdiv. For two weeks, I took him to the cinema twice and to the theater 3 times.
The Social Dancing Scene
I have decent experience in social dancing – that is, dancing in couples. I have experienced four amazing dance styles – they are salsa, bachata, kizomba, and tango. Often I go to lessons, parties, and festivals, and have been appearing in the dancing society in Plovdiv for years. It has certain effects on my personality: I am jovial, open, and there is no person in this entire world I can’t closely hug. I tend to fall in love with very good dancers who are also intelligent and charming.
My Platonic Friend
Last month, I got my Platonic friend interested in bachata dancing – since it’s a lot easier than tango, and it’s perfect for a beginner. He came to Plovdiv from Sofia. We had a lot of fun visiting cultural events. Meanwhile, I took him to my tango teacher for bachata private lessons. He fell in love with the teacher. We used to go to a cozy cafe next to the dance studio and to bachata lessons, 10 times for two weeks. He learned a few moves, and he also finds dancing rather curious. Then he relocated to Plovdiv. We have a great time together, and we have a beautiful friendship.
Since my platonic friend is in town, I spend most of my time outdoors. Yes, we go to fitness, and we generally eat out and spend a lot of time in cafes. These days we went to eat ramen, which is a very delicious Japanese soup. Pizzas are also lovely in Plovdiv; the chefs have achieved perfection, and the dough is really tasty. We often go to the cinema. I make between 7000 and 12000 steps a day outside, and it is so cold in Plovdiv these days. My face freezes when I go out, but I still love the challenge of going out.
The Tea House
We have a Tea House here in Plovdiv, with some very appealing scents from every box of tea. It really presents incredible flavors. Bulk tea with just a dash of milk feels wonderful! I have bought Madame Butterfly tea and Champagne tea – they are both fruity varieties of white tea mixed with goodies. Madame Butterfly has flavors of pomegranate and magnolia. The Champagne tea is a strong antioxidant with a tender flavor. I usually put a little milk and honey inside, like the people of Britain. I love the white tea more than the black varieties.
The Library
I adore reading. Which is why I go to the city library often. I will attach below the picture I took of the library cat. Yes, this lovely animal lives in the Plovdiv library, and it never bothers anyone or anything. It is well taken care of, and the visitors simply adore him.
The weather in Plovdiv
Sometimes Plovdiv is so sulky that I don’t feel like going out at all. During the holiday season last year, we explored the Christmas decorations in the center and took a few shots. Plovdiv was truly glowing, but not with the sun – with Christmas lights. In those days, the cold was pinching my cheeks, and my face was freezing, but I still loved walking outside. I love the variety of weather spells. I love strolling the boulevards on sunny summer days and on cold winter days. It’s so cold in Plovdiv during the winter, and in Sri Lanka, it’s beach time. I love both the cold and the hot. I am not the person who dreams of summer during the winter, and the opposite – I try to have fun in both summer and winter. But I already dream of fresh parsley in my chicken soup, which means summer. Now it is perfect for staying inside, in the warm room, listening to lively songs or seasonal jazz. I love wintering.
In February, I spend my time at my grand white bureau with a window viewing the blue and sunny sky, I have lit a pink candle – for it’s the month of love and I am listening to Parisian jazz. I love chilling like this. My grand bureau is the place where all the creative magic happens. I try to keep it tidy, though there are a lot of things on it – like crystals, tarot cards, gua-sha stone for massage, and multiple notepads, pens, and markers.
Activities
You can do almost everything in Plovdiv. I adore cycling, but I haven’t done it for a very long time. To me, Plovdiv is not comfortable for this activity, because of the dangerous traffic. I love swimming too, we don’t have a lagoon next to Plovdiv, but we have many pools and SPA centers. I love walking in the park, especially in the soft autumn weather. Parks are safer and a bit more convenient for walking. My Platonic friend and I often go to try a new restaurant in the center of the city. I made wonderful videos last year when I walked in Kapana district, for on many of the tables there was fire to warm the people who sat outside, and it looked really cozy – I made a great video collage. I also photographed a lot. The center was adorned for Christmas, and I think I made several perfect shots.
I am in love with Plovdiv. It’s a place I’m proud to call home.
