Bulgaria--Another Balkan Capital

Seated at one of Sofia's ubiquitous in-park outdoor cafes, I have a few minutes to reflect on my detour from my otherwise-all-inclusive beach holiday...

There was no question Sofia was worth both the visit and the schlep required to get in and out.It is not that Sofia is overwhelming or even all that aesthetically pleasing. More like an American state capitals rather than one of Europe's top cities, Sofia has little history to speak of, having been selected as Bulgaria's new capital in the 1890s. What little is here of architectural note is mostly fin de siecle in style, with a few Russian-style influences.

Sofia was also bombed intensively during WWII, but it was unclear by whom, as the Bulgarians switched sides in 1944. Outside of Sofia's small centre is a sea of what the Czechs call "panelaks"--the crumbling, dissheveled mid and high rise apartments bult of bad concrete to house the masses in Commie days.

In a fit of generosity during the democratic transition, the state gave most if not all of the flats to their occupants. This factoid explains a lot. Like how Bulgarians can live on an average monthly wage of about $300. And how even the most average of folks can have 1,2,3 properties. The economy was fuelled by a construction boom before, like economies everywhere, it stopped being fuelled at all.

Further out, onto Vitosha Mountain, lives Roy, an Antipodean ex-colleague of mine from our days at a quirky London communications consultancy. I was a huge fan of his at a number of levels (not least of which were his wit and healthy skepticism of our now-defunct company's culture), and the opportunity to pay a visit was one decisive reason for choosing Bulgaria. Roy did not disappoint. Now the Chief Executive of a leading Bulgarian commercial concern, Roy shared excellent stories about working and leading in an environment with a long and continuing history of being downtrodden. Roy looks the locals in the eye and doesn't buy their stories or take their crap, which they attempt to dish out in abundance. Roy has a great set up in Sofia--a beautiful mountainside home overlooking the city's expanse and "only 17 minutes to the snowfields" on Vitosha, a mountain with Olympic aspirations. (Sofia lost out to Sochi for the 2014 winter games).

But it quickly becomes apparent that being an expat here is several divisions ahead of my expat-lite experience in Brussels. "We needed to make sure there were several alternative heating systems. We avoided the gas shutdown (when Russia cut off all of Europe's gas to punish the Ukrainians), but we also have electricity and diesel as well.". Schooling is also a challenge, and security a concern. "We do live in a walled enclosure," noted Roy of his home's otherwise idyllic setting.