First Day in Varna!

I woke up at 5:30am and it took me an hour to get back to sleep from the smell. I woke up around nine something and decided to call another CSer that had also said yes to hosting me after I had already agreed to go to Rumi's. Stefan and Dessy knew which place I was staying at (they had rescued people from there before) and gave me instructions on how to get to their house.

I packed everything and headed out to find the bus. I got on, but ended up getting out at the wrong stop so I had some walking to do before making it into the house. I was very happy to see this was a super cute and clean apartment! They had a turtle!!!!





It was so cute! I was able to do laundry, and shower... I was a very happy girl! I had arranged to meet up with Rumi around 1pm or so to walk around the park next to the Black Sea, so all three of us left to meet with her. We stopped at a church quickly on the way, because it was the anniversary of the death of one of Dessy's grandfathers. I lit candles and put them in the sand for the first time ever. Next we met up with Rumi and I got to see the Black Sea for the first time in daylight!




Here is Rumi, Stefan, and Dessy:






I touched the Black Sea!








Here is a hot spring pool we walked by. You might have to click on the picture and zoom in to see it (click "all sizes" above the photo on Flickr) but there are lots of old men hanging out in the hot spring pool. There were little showers you could shower with etc. Looked pretty nice but I had no bathing suit... Almost every single person in there was an elderly male so I was not about to strip and hop in.



concrete waterfall:



After walking a decent amount, we went to get hot drinks to warm up. It was nice out but chilly with the wind, so we found a really nice cafe and had some fancy hot chocolate :)



Fake palm trees outside the cafe! They were blue!



We walked up to the supermarket after this, and bought some ingredients for a nice dinner. They made a roast chicken and potatoes, plus a yogurt soup. Another friend of theirs came over for dinner, and the roommate was there too so there was five of us for dinner and a movie :)
I had showered before company came, put up my laundry to dry, and helped shell walnuts for the soup. The five of us had a beer and watched a fantasy movie - I was feeling a million and a half times better than the night before! I slept very comfortably!