$ & \ in Sofia :
This country, which used to be called the 16th republic of the Soviet Union,
has an Asian mounted nomadic tribe as an ancestor and bears evidence of having
been a part of the Great Balkan Empire.
As it once was under Austria-Hungary Empire culture, German is quite well spoken.
This "exotic foreign country", rich in nature, beautiful architecture,
and fascinating people specializes in the production of yogurt and rose perfume,
but its succulent spicy lamb stew is a gourmet favorite.
Wine is also a specialty, although red wine I drank at the pub near the
Greek border was exquisite.
In addition to easy access to streetcars and buses, the fares are as good as free.
A church built during the Roman Period has the largest golden dome in the
Balkan Peninsula, and the town is named after it.
There is a Turkish influence in the town, and the domes on the churches and
mosques give it an eastern atmosphere.
At the Airport Travel Information Desk I asked a cute lady to book a cheap
hotel, but she made a reservation at the Slovenia Hotel which was exclusively
for foreigners.
After I paid $ 150 dollars in advance for the three nights, she politely
gave me directions several times.
I told her that they weren't counterfeit bills but she looked frightened and
replied that she had never handled such a lot of money before.
I asked to exchange 10000 yen at the hotel, the lady in charge asked me what
it was for.
So I told her that it was for dinner with my friends and she advised me that
I wouldn't need so much.
After three of us were filled with the delightful meal and the finest wine,
it turned out that I still had a lot of money left over. (００／０３／ＳＥＰ)
