Seattle to Berlin to Freiburg: Bulgaria Trip Part III: The Black Sea

From Plovdiv we got back on the main road and drove 2,5 hours out to yet another geographic phenomenom I never expected to have the reason or opportunity to visit: the Black Sea.

We stayed in a little ancient town of Sozopol, just south of the main resort city of Burgas on a small peninsula. Sozopol's harbor has been used since the Bronze Age and they've found anchors in the port dating back to 2nd millennium B.C. The area is mostly a playground for Bulgarians and vacationing Russians. Only ran across one person who spoke German. People were quite surprised to learn that Americans would come here.

Overall the beaches were beautiful and the tides are manageable for kids. Everything is quite cheap. There is still evidence of the Communist times everywhere in the form of ugly and boxey apartment blocks in the big coastal resort towns. On the outskirts of the resort centers are abandoned building projects, some rusted old cars and the occasional shepherd grazing his goat herd on the hillside. So a bit colorful but as with everything else, that is the stuff that spices up the experience.

This is not one of those 2nd millennium anchors. Probably from the Russian Black Sea fleet as there was a naval base just up the coast from Sozopol.

Starting a great life-long tradition: ordering your drink at the beach bar! (choco milkshakes in this case)

Black Sea beaches look like beaches anywhere else really, except that you are surrounded on all sides by the Russian language. 13 Lev (6 Euro) to rent an anchored umbrella and couple chaises for the day.

Excavation of Sozopo's ancient city wall across the mouth of the peninsula.

Rusted street marker on a Revivalist house in the Old Town.

Jasper was done with pictures and sat this one out.

Then we passed a little studio with some traditional costumes and convinced the kids to pose for some pics. Comic gold.

Putting the youngsters to good use.

"Watch for cars?"

The beach front road where all the commerce takes place. Lots of pigs and chickens turning on rotisseries, shooting gallery games and tattoo stands.

Some sort of snow-mobile video game that was suddenly of extreme importance.

For our last night (which we had not reserved) we splurged and spent 150 Euro at the Villa Bizantium, a Greek palace-themed wonderland of luxury: spa access, huge suite with kitchen, private sea beach, negative-edge pool, sumptious breakfast buffet and on-site garage parking. (versus the dusty, sun-baked lot across the busy road we had at the last place)

300 Meters out and the sea only comes up to your waist: stress-free for parents who can monitor swimming kids over the rim of their Moscow Mules and beach novels.