Sofia, Bulgaria & Venice, Italy

March 9-20, 2019

Last March, Chad was sent to Bulgaria for work. We decided this was as good an opportunity as any to travel somewhere else while he was already in Europe. After Bulgaria, we planned a quick three day trip to Venice, Italy!

We arrived in Bulgaria on a warm Sunday afternoon (it was in the 70s, and two days later, it would be snowing), so Chad could have a little downtime before heading to work Monday morning. We usually try to stay up as long as we can to get adjusted to the time difference. However, after walking around downtown and grabbing a slice of pizza, Chad was ready to call it an early night, feeling a bit run down from the long day of travel. Chad worked for the next two days from about 8 AM-8 PM. He struggled through those days, feeling worse and worse. We tried to go to a local pharmacy to find nighttime cold/flu meds, but all they seemed to understand was that he wanted to be able to sleep, so they suggested melatonin. This was not what we were looking for, so after finding a second pharmacy with still no luck, we gave up for the night.

The next day one of Chad's amazing coworkers, Dimitar, picked up some cold meds for him. Even after taking the meds, which did provide some relief, Chad was still feeling pretty terrible, and after looking at his throat and google, he was pretty sure he had strep. He thought he would have to let it run its course, but I convinced him he had to go to the doctor, regardless of the cost. His throat hurt so bad it was hard for him to eat, and he could barely sleep. Dimitar set up a doctor's appointment for him at a nearby hospital. (When someone at the hotel desk first mentioned the hospital, we thought it sounded dramatic and unnecessary, but that is just where you go to see any doctor.) We took a taxi to the hospital, and our driver was adamant that we pay in cash. We explained that we did not have any and that the only option was a credit card. After he went off for a few minutes, in Bulgarian, he finally pulled out a card reader and figured out how to use it with his phone. So that was a fun experience while Chad was already feeling miserable.

Luckily, navigating the hospital and seeing the doctor was a breeze compared to our taxi ride. Once we figured out where to go, we did not have to wait long. Just seeing Chad’s throat, the doctor confirmed he had a very bad case of strep. Had it gotten any worse, the doctor said he would probably have had to come in for an IV and fluids. We left so glad that we had taken him, and it turns out a doctor's visit there even without insurance was incredibly affordable, and the medicine prescribed gave him almost immediate relief. Chad, unfortunately, was unable to continue going in to work while he recovered but was able to work from the hotel room. (After this experience we now always travel with a bag of basic meds, including night time cold and flu after not being able to find it! Of course, it would not have been enough in this case, but we are as prepared as we can be for less severe colds and allergies.) After a week in Bulgaria, which turned out much different than we had planned, we flew into the Marco Polo airport and caught a ferry over to Venice.

Our first day in Venice, we found Farini, which became our go-to place for croissants and coffee. After a delicious breakfast of Nutella croissants and various other pastries, we walked around and saw the major sites (St. Mark's Square, The Bridge of Sighs, Rialto Bridge, and the Grand Canal). For lunch, we went to Rossopomodoro, recommended by Blake and Lauren, and it did not disappoint. We went four times over the three and a half days we were there, and still, talk about the pizza to this day! After lunch, we caught a ferry over to San Giorgio Maggiore. This small neighboring island is just a short ride away and is well known for its church. You can walk through the church of San Giorgio Maggiore and go up in the bell tower (there is a small fee for the bell tower), which provides panoramic views of Venice. We didn't spend long there before we caught a ferry back to the main island as the sun was about to set. We were able to get a picture of the Bridge of Sighs when we got back, which seemed like a big deal after the crowds had been overtaking the area all day. Going to Venice, at this time of year, you can avoid the crazy summer crowds, but there are still crowds at the major sights.

Sunday morning, we woke up early to try to catch the sunrise. It ended up being overcast, but we were still able to get some pictures and enjoy the sights in peace before the crowds took over. Where we planned to go for breakfast ended up being closed on Sundays, so we ended up back at Farini! After getting our fill of croissants, or I should say my fill, we went to the mall, also known as T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi, to reserve tickets to go out on the rooftop terrace. Tickets are free but required to reserve a time slot since only a certain amount of people are allowed to go out at any one time. We got a time slot for later that afternoon with hopes to possibly see the sunset.

We decided to get pizza again at Rossopomodoro before going for a Gondola ride. We were undecided if we would go on one when we booked our trip to Venice since we had read they were a bit pricey. We ended up deciding we would probably only make it here once, and we wanted the full experience of a gondola ride while in Venice! (Little did we know we would come back again seven months later!) We started over by St. Mark's Square and got to ride under the Bridge of Sighs at the beginning of our 30-40 minute ride. Our Gondolier pointed out some buildings and gave us some history along the way, but did not talk the whole time which we appreciated. Overall, it probably wasn't worth what we paid, but we have no regrets. It's just what you do when you're in Venice! After our gondola ride, we got gelato at Gelatoteca Suso, and the lines were short enough, we decided to go into St. Mark's Basilica and St. Mark's Campanile. St. Mark's Basilica is free while there is a small fee for St. Mark's Campanile. Both are worth visiting if you can find a time when the lines are shorter. It was still cloudy when it was time to go back to the mall rooftop, so we didn't get to see the sunset from the terrace, but it was still a great view of the Grand Canal and the surrounding area. And guess where we ended up for dinner? Back at Rossopomodoro, but we did try something other than their pizza this time!

Our last full day ended up being dreary and rainy, which was a bit of a bummer, but we made the most of it. We got up early in hopes of getting some sunrise pictures, but the clouds were too thick. (While our chances weren't good to see the sun, if it does peak through the clouds it makes for some of the prettiest sunrises, so it was worth a shot!) We went to our favorite breakfast spot, Farini, before going back into St. Mark's Basilica to see it with the morning light. This time we even found our way onto the roof to see St. Mark's Square from above. And because it was our last day we had to get one more pizza from Rossopomodoro. Their margarita pizza, while so simple, was so good. And the crust dipped in olive oil is a must. (Another recommendation by Blake!) We went to Grom for gelato and then walked into the cafe across from it to warm up and get a few more treats. The rain made walking around outside less enjoyable, so we decided we would go into Dodges Palace, which is worth checking out and allowed us to walk through the Bridge of Sighs to see the prisons as well. Had it not been raining, we likely would not have gone because the lines had been so long it didn't seem worth it to us, but we are so glad the rain pushed us to go. We had pasta for dinner at Ristorante Marco Polo and ended the day at Farini for dessert!

We enjoyed our time in Venice, but do think it can be done in less time than we stayed. We had originally planned to go to the Dolomites and Venice. However, we were a little concerned about the roads being snowy in the Dolomites, and it was going to be very tight to get an international driver's license by the time we realized we probably needed one. It ended up working out since Chad was still on the mend, that we weren't making it a whirlwind of a trip, but were able to be very leisurely in Venice with the extra time. (And after our trip to the Dolomites in October, you definitely need more than one day there!) We also want to note that we don't typically eat at the same two restaurants, but they were delicious, and it made for a more laid back trip.

Tuesday morning, we got one more Nutella croissant at Farini before needing to catch a ferry to the airport. We flew back to Bulgaria and would head home from there the next day.

Itinerary:

Day 1 & 2 - Flew RDU - Paris - Sofia

Day 3-7 - Chad worked

Day 7 - Flew to Venice / Alilaguna Ferry

Day 8 - Farini / St. Mark's Square / Rialto Bridge / The Grand Canal / Rossopomodoro / San Giorgio Maggiore / The Bridge of Sighs

Day 9 - Sunrise / Farini / Reserved tickets for the T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace / Rossopomodoro / Gondola Ride / Gelatoteca Sosu / St. Mark's Basilica / St. Mark's Campanile / T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace / Rossopomodoro

Day 10 - Sunrise / Farini / St. Mark's Basilica / Rossopomodro / Grom / Doges Palace / Ristorante Marco Polo / Farini

Day 11 - Farini / Flew back to Sofia / Social Cafe

Day 12 - Flight home

Food Recommendations:

Social Cafe (Sofia, BG)

Farini

Rossopomodoro

Ristorante Marco Polo

Things to Note:

-We have been to Venice in March and October, and it is way more enjoyable in March (or the off-season) when there are fewer people. We did not enjoy our time in October nearly as much.

-Like anywhere else in Europe, if someone is out front of a restaurant asking you to come in or there are pictures posted out front, these are usually geared toward tourists and might not offer the most authentic food. Do a little research before, and it will help you find the best places to eat!

-If you take a taxi check to make sure they take the form of payment you have.

-Have good walking shoes for Venice.

-Remember to bring an adaptor to use wall outlets.