Bulgaria

The famous lions in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria, Monument of the Unknown Warrior

Kutrubes Travel planned an exquisitely complicated tour for me through “eastern” Europe, helping me to make the most of seeing the highlights of these countries in the most meaningful way, without just zipping through.

In 2015, I started out in Romania, flew to Bulgaria, then drove through Serbia, next to Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Boznia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and ending in Venice, Italy.

You’ll see me in pictures above and below next to lion statues, and they’re all over Bulgaria. Lions are an important animal to Bulgarians. According to Vagabond: “A symbol of bravery, the lion was featured on the Bulgarian coat-of-arms, pieces of jewellery and the clothes of aristocrats as early as the 13th century. Curiously, the animal was cemented as a part of Bulgarian heraldry after the country fell under the Ottomans. When the Bulgarians started their movement for national independence, the lion became not only a symbol of bravery and strength, but also of freedom.”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_8008-2.jpg

 
Be sure to visit the capital, Sofia, which is located at the base of Mount Vitosha, as it is a great place for both skiing and hiking. Also of interest is Plovdiv, the oldest city in Europe, known for its laid back vibes and emphasis on the arts. In general, Bulgaria is known for its scenic beaches, historic architecture, and hiking destinations.
 
One fun fact about Bulgaria is that it is the only country in the world that has ever fired an elected official over playing the Facebook game, Farmville. Plovdiv city councilor, Dimitar Kerin, was fired in 2010 in order to “have more time to tend to his virtual farm”!

 

Saudi Arabia

At a local home in Riyadh, in the men's salon Country Information: In the desert country of Saudi Arabia, the capital is Riyadh. There are approximately 30,000,000 people living here. The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic. The majority of the population...

Turkey

The capital of Turkey is Ankara. There are approximately 81 million people living here. The official language of Turkey is Turkish, but Kurdish is also spoken. The majority of Turks are Muslim, mostly Sunni.  Have been to Turkey twice, once with my dad when visiting...

Costa Rica

At Peninsula Papagayo, outside of Liberia, Costa Rica Jim's Perspectives:  Costa Rica is one of my favorite countries in the entire planet, first traveling there in 2006, and have been there 10 times since. In 2008, I had an opportunity to help build eco-rooms at a...