Sofia; Sunday, 13 October, 2019

Sunday was the day of the Sofia Marathon and I spent quite a bit of the day moving round the course so that I could cheer on my colleague and her running club friends. The Sofia marathon is run over two loops of a course that runs past most of the main sites in the centre of the city, along with a long run out towards the airport and back to bring the length up to the right distance. It meant that by staying within the central loop I was able to keep moving around to catch up with people as they worked their way around the city loop. Unlike the London Marathon the number of spectators was very small, so it felt like I was helping my friend and her friends for having at least one person on the course cheering them on.

It also meant I was able to do a bit more sightseeing around the central area including the Cathedral and the Parliament, and with most of the roads in the very centre of the city closed get some photos that would not have been possible at any other time as they required standing in the middle of a three lane road that on all the other days had fast flowing traffic running along it.

My friend made it across the finishing line in a respectable time and after a little time for recovery we all headed over to the centre of town for a spot of late lunch. After lunch they headed back to their apartment to take showers and freshen up and I headed back over into the area of the ruins of the ancient city of Serdica to carry on doing some sightseeing.

Having taken in more of the ruins I headed back to my own hotel to freshen up before heading over to my friends apartment for some post-Marathon celebration drinks and then we headed out into town to have dinner in a very nice Bulgarian restaurant that had been recommended.

Fully sated from a very filling meal we gently wobbled our way back to their apartment and then I headed on round to the tram stop to take the tram back to my hotel and my bed.