Day 37
A Dose of the Shits in Sofia
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Dobŭr den,
Koro woke early this morning and immediately knew something was wrong. He made it to the bathroom just in time to deal with an explosive diarrhetic event. Several more followed throughout the morning.
Surprisingly, Grandma was fine this morning. So we concluded it must have been something Koro ate yesterday. Or rather, something Koro drank, according to Grandma.
As a result, we had a quiet morning in the apartment. When you are suffering from a dose of the shits, you never want to stray too far from the safety of your own bathroom. We were able to use the time to plan our next moves, book accommodation and get some housework done. In between visits to the bathroom for Koro.
By the afternoon, Koro was feeling much better. And Grandma was hungry! We had intended to go back to the sushi restaurant we'd visited on our first day in Sofia, but it was closed. Google Maps suggested a restaurant in the relatively new Mall Of Sofia called "Happy Restaurant".
What a great find this restaurant was! The Matre'd was an attractive lady in a short red dress. All the waitresses wore short, tight denim skirts. Koro was very happy with the view!
The sushi was delicious. Happy Restaurant is really modern. You can order and pay using your phone. Just scan the QR code on the napkin dispenser and order what you want. If you are still hungry (or thirsty), you can order more through your phone. When you're finished eating, just pop your debit card details into your phone to pay. Super easy and fast. The quality of the food was exceptional, as was the atmosphere. So much so that we had already decided to return for dinner that night.
The afternoon was much the same as the morning. Getting the housework done (mostly laundry), catching up on emails and other administration. Staying close to the toilet in case something erupted (thankfully, it did not).
We had talked about jumping on a tram and just riding it to the very end of the line, just to see more of the city. It is a really cheap way of seeing more of the city. Grandma was so much in love with the vintage trams that she was keen to give it a go.
Late in the afternoon, we jumped on the number 10 tram, and off we went. The number 10 tram starts its run just a few blocks up from our apartment. So we rode it towards the city centre and to wherever it was going beyond.
It was a really neat ride and showed yet another side of Sofia. This place really is growing on us. We still wouldn't recommend it for a holiday, but it looks like a lovely city to live in.
The tram took us to the edge of the city, then through a park or woodland, and we emerged in a very modern area of the city. The buildings were modern offices, apartments and shops. We ended up at a huge shopping centre. This shopping centre also had a Happy Restaurant on the top floor. Happy seems to be quite a big chain of restaurants.
Happily for Koro, they all seem to share the same employee dress code. Happily for Grandma, this particular Happy Restaurant featured a couple of rather buff waiters with bulging biceps.
After dinner, it was back to find the number 10 tram, which we rode all the way back to the apartment. Riding the trams in Sofia has been fun, probably the best part of visiting Sofia.
Tomorrow, we are off to another country, another city. Our fingers are crossed that today was our last dose of the shits for the rest of this adventure.
Love to you all from Grandma & Koro & Buzzy Bee.