Our next video is out and you can watch it here. If you recall, last time, we missed the exit for our destination. So, we kept heading towards Plovdiv. In this video, we arrive there, drive the wrong way around the wrong building as Google maps once again lets us down. The intense music of the first couple of minutes leads to surprise in the roadway. Be sure to watch out for that!
One thing we discovered in Bulgaria was that the roads, the signs, and what Google maps was telling us often differed. At one point on this day of driving, we discovered that maps hadn’t been updated in twelve years where we were. It kept taking us around a building that clearly wasn’t our hotel. It would send us the wrong way down a one way street. Once it kept telling us to turn left…into a field with no road and across a river with no bridge. Fun, fun times.
But the view from the drive is beautiful. The day was clear, warm, and mountains loom in the distance. Autumn blooms color the landscape. We make it to Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. This area has been settled since the 6th century BC, and it is the oldest inhabited area of Europe. Walking around, you see Roman ruins mixed in with modern buildings. So many people have mingled here: Thracians, Ottoman Turks, Romans, Celts, Persians, Huns, and more have claimed this land as home. If you are traveling to Bulgaria, definitely put Plovdiv on your must see list.
We end up parking along the street so we can eat a bite and take a break. In the next segment, we will explore Old Town and return to our hotel for an evening walk. Happy adventuring!