June 26, 2013: Sofia

So today, one of mom's connections, Tanja, an American who's been living in Bulgaria for a while now,  picked us up this morning. (Holy run-on sentence...). She brought us to an orphanage for children ages infant  to 3. Inside, there were countless little room, all linked by rambling hallways and staircases. The walls were a dingy white, crossed with exposed wires, with the occasional stork or teddy bear mural, in a semi-successful attempt to cheer up the place. The actual children were delightful, and the care takers appeared to care about the children. It wasn't too bad, but it was sad to see all these little kids without parents. Next Tanja brought us to a Bulgarian school for kids grades kindergarten through 10th grade. We didn't see many students, since most were out for the summer, but it was nice anyway. There were no lockers on the white walls, but there were potted plants, a couch, and art work on the windows. Next we went to Tanja's house for a lunch of fresh fruit and Баница or banitsa, a sort of Bulgarian sandwich. They were very yummy. Before dinner, we took a walk through the city again, and ran into another protest. Like yesterday, families and people were marching, blowing horns and whistles, singing, waving flags, walking dogs, and fighting for their rights. But this time, there were THOUSANDS of people. It was... Stunning. 

Long Story Short:

⚫ Orphanage

⚫ School

⚫ Баница

⚫ Protests