Знакомьтесь -- Созополь Meet Sozopol

Of all the many Bulgarian resorts, Sozopol was chosen on the recommendation of my friend, who was there twice and both times brought the most enthusiastic impressions. Seduced by stories about an old small town on a peninsula in the Black Sea, about its narrow cobbled streets, smiling residents and incredibly delicious cuisine, my beloved and I decided to spend our first vacation together in Sozopol.
Enjoying the flight lasting a little more than an hour (did not have time to drink coffee, as the plane had already begun to descend), we saw a smooth shiny surface below. "This is probably the sea....", - I said somehow very unsurely. No, I used to fly on airplanes and at sea. But so far it has not been possible to fly over the sea. So we said hello to the sea right from under the clouds.
There are 2 airports on the coast of Bulgaria: tourists traveling to the resorts of its northern part land in Varna, and those who head south - in Burgas. Since Sozopol is the southernmost resort in Bulgaria (almost Turkey! ), we arrived in Burgas. The airport is similar to our Borispol - just as cramped, but we are no strangers to it. The transfer to the resort was carried out by two minibuses, along the way (about 40 minutes), the guide gave us a short sightseeing tour of Burgas. This is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria and does not make much impression - just an industrial center. The roads are excellent, so we did not have time to look back, as we ended up at the resort.

I formulated my first impression of Sozopol as follows: this is a place where everyone is happy with everything. After Kyiv, exhausted by heat and hellish traffic jams, calm, smiling, not in a hurry people seem to be inhabitants of another planet. By the way, I seem to have understood how the locals "calculate" tourists from the CIS countries without saying a single word to them: by an anxious, preoccupied look. We are used to looking for a catch everywhere, to expect the worst from everything and to be always ready to defend ourselves. Many years of this attitude have done their job: our origin is read in our eyes, no matter how well we speak foreign languages ​ ​...
But I digress. So, the bus took us to our Fani Hotel, an inconspicuous gray building without a sign on the corner of two quiet streets. Through a charming tiny courtyard, immersed in flowering and climbing plants, we go to the hotel, get acquainted with the hostess, get the keys from her (no reception with official young ladies in uniform, everything is at home) and go up to the room. Light wood, large windows "dressed" in blinds, a kitchen table with a sink, a soft sofa in the window niche - everything makes a not chic, but pleasant impression. And when we saw a brand new electric kettle, our joy knew no bounds! On the balcony overlooking the sea (albeit remotely) one could sit all evening with a cup of tea, watching passers-by on the street and the silvery sheen of the waves on the horizon...
Having quickly settled down, we went to pay our respects to the sea. No matter how many times I have been by the sea, the first "date" with him on each trip is still a small revelation. Maybe this is what the memory of distant, distant ancestors, sailors or fishermen, for whom the sea was a source of prosperity, speaks in me; or maybe just the warm southern sea personifies the dream of a long-awaited vacation every summer... At about eight o'clock in the evening there was no one on the beach, except for importantly walking albatrosses. Beloved immediately rushed to bathe, but it seemed cool to me. The evening was warm and we still walked around the town. July in Sozopol is the peak of the tourist season, the streets are flooded with vacationers, but the atmosphere is so friendly that the crowd does not cause discomfort even for me, a "clinical" introvert. All sorts of goodies are sold on every corner: donuts, palachinki (pancakes 50 centimeters in diameter, with various fillings to choose from), "sweet ice" (ice cream), cakes, boiled corn, fruits, vegetables... in general, you need to spend more than one to list everything page. I can only say that everything is absolutely fresh, very tasty and affordable, so it’s not worth going to Bulgaria “for weight loss” - one stress will come out.
Old Sozopol is a living illustration of stories about the romantic south, where "the nights are tender. " Trees grow along paved with cobblestone alleys, the names of which can only be guessed at. I recognized only palm trees (which grow here not only in tubs, but also in open ground) and fig trees, the fruits of which in syrup are a specific Bulgarian dessert. The old part of the city is located on an elongated rocky peninsula and consists mainly of private houses, immersed in flowers. Flowers are everywhere: in flowerbeds, in shops and restaurants, in hotel lobbies and just along the streets; their fragrances float in the air, making a fantastic mixture with smells from restaurants and a light breeze from the sea… It is impossible to move away from souvenir shops selling ceramic dishes with original patterns, cosmetics based on rose water and rose oil, products made from shells and wood, amazing silver handmade jewelry... But I did not find beautiful and high-quality clothes here, unlike neighboring Romania, Bulgarian stores offer mostly lurid little things of clearly Turkish origin. Maybe it's for the best - you won't have to carry two suitcases home instead of one.

There are two sandy beaches in Sozopol: one is the so-called urban one - relatively small and with shallow water, and the second Harmanite is long, equipped with umbrellas, sun loungers and rescue posts every 50 meters. We went to the second one, there was clean, clear water and good depth. We rented a catamaran several times - they are four-seater there, equipped with a small slide, after moving down which you can dive deep. My beloved man also twice pleased himself with riding a scooter - the impressions were enough for a week, if not more. The water rescue service works in such a way that it is very expensive to watch: every morning a weather flag is posted: green (calm) - you can swim, yellow (slight excitement) - you can, but be careful, red (storm) - do not even think to go into water, immediately the rescuers will raise a whistle, like nightingale robbers, and if you do not heed their warning, they will pull you out of the water by the arms and legs! Tourists are cherished here like the apple of an eye!
There are many restaurants, bistros and cafes in Sozopol. During our stay, we visited more than half of them - and everywhere it was very tasty, excellent service and prices are quite reasonable. Of course, one should not expect that prices in Bulgaria will be the same as in Ukraine - everything is always more expensive abroad, especially now that Bulgaria has joined the European Union. However, I can state a fact: everything that the Bulgarians take money for, they do well. The service is fast (especially compared to Ukraine! ), the dishes are varied, and everything that is indicated on the menu is always available (they don’t indulge us with this at home! ), All products are fresh, the portions are VERY large (one salad replaced a full meal for me) . I mainly chose seafood and fresh vegetables, but meat dishes (especially barbecue), all kinds of fish, desserts were also excellent... Below are the prices for some goods and services:
- riding on a catamaran - 10 lev / hour
- riding a scooter: on Harmanite beach - 50 lev / 10 min (you can't ride for less than 10 min); on the city beach - 30 lev / 5 min
- use of a sun lounger on the beach for 1 day - 5 lev, a stationary umbrella - also 5 lev
- beer - about 1 leva per 0.5 l
- ice cream - from 0.6 to 3.5 lev per serving
- peaches - from 2.5 to 4 lev per 1 kg
- donuts - a small portion (pieces 8-10) -2 leva, large (about 25, it is unrealistic to eat alone) 3.5 leva
- pancake with filling - from 1.8 to 2.5 leva, depending on the type of filling (for an average young lady, such a pancake will completely replace a hearty breakfast)
- boiled corn - 2 leva per cob
- all kinds of pastries - about 2-3 lev per piece
- grilled chicken - 9 lev
- vegetables and fruits in assortment - from 2.5 to 6 lev per 1 kg, sold on layouts everywhere
- yogurt - about 1 leva
- lunch / dinner for two with wine - from 25 lev (depending on the location of the restaurant).

During our stay in Sozopol, the exchange rate was: 1 USD = 1.2 levs, 1 Euro = 1.8 levs. Currency exchange should be carried out only in those exchange offices where a table indicating the exchange rate is posted. It is best to change money in a bank (there you need to give your last name, first name and place of permanent residence).
Most cafes and shops are open until 10-11 pm, but there is a 24-hour grocery store, as well as restaurants open until the last visitor.
The nightlife in Sozopol is not striking in variety (so I recommend that fans of disco clubs and bars better go to Sunny Beach). There are several bars with discos, they are located along the beach, far enough from most hotels (so music until the morning does not interfere with anyone's sleep).
Finally - Bulgarian words that I remember (maybe it will come in handy for someone):
Order - please
A cup of wine - a glass of wine; byal - white, red - red
Pile, pileshko - chicken
Pork - pork
Skara - grill
Skaridi - shrimp
Tsatsa - sprat (most often fried)
Pane - in batter (usually fish and seafood, cheese)
Kashkaval - hard cheese
Sirene - cheese
Vodka entry - imported vodka
Queen - corn
Krastavici - cucumbers
Stai - room, apartment (for rent)
Bira - beer
Sladoled - ice cream
Melba - ice cream dessert with fruits
Kaisin - apricot
Praskovi - peaches
Tikvichki - zucchini
Banska - bathing suit
"ima" - "there is, there is" (accompanied by a shake of the head - among the Bulgarians this means consent)
"nyama" - "no, absent" (accompanied by a nod of the head)
It is difficult to get used to the latter, but in general the language barrier is extremely insignificant - firstly, many Bulgarians understand at least a little Russian, and young people more or less speak English, and secondly, people sincerely try to understand you, which greatly facilitates communication.
Summarizing this peculiar report, let me express the opinion that Bulgaria is an excellent option for someone's first trip abroad; for people who do not speak foreign languages; for holidays with children (although you should not go to Sozopol with teenagers - they can be bored); for "solo" recreation (the situation at the resorts is safe).