Posts filed under Travel Diaries

Travel Diaries | (Almost) White Nights

Stavanger, Norway

Located on the Stavanger Peninsula in Southwest Norway, Stavanger counts its official founding year as 1125, the year Stavanger cathedral was completed (pictured above). The city owes its charm to its 17th-18th century wooden houses and their wonderfully bright colors. Steep stone streets, beautiful views of the harbor, and lively cafes make Stavanger an unexpected delight for any visitor. Fun fact: do not be fooled by the sunshine and always pack for chilly weather! My optimistic packing (or lack thereof) had me running a 6K in a 50-degree weather in a tank top and shorts and not much else... Another fun fact? Aim to visit the city around June 22nd, the longest day of the year. The Norwegians celebrate the (almost) white night with bonfires and a lot of good beer!

So... Ha det! and until my next visit to Norway, when I am determined to hike the Prekestolen and ski some beautiful Norwegian slopes!

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged norway stavanger business trips.

Travel Diaries | Hei fra Norge!

A warm and rather expensive "Hallo" from Norway!

Perhaps it didn't cost me too much to say Hello from here (via free Internet), but one of the richest countries in the world holds this record for a reason (I am looking at you, dear salad, costing me a lavish $32!). Yet so far, Norway has rather impressed me with its free gorgeous scenery and exceptionally warm people. Kristiansand is located in the Southern part of the country and its long days in the summer (the above sunset shot was taken at 11PM!), the crisp winters and the in-town cross-country skiing are only a few of the perks of living here.

My next stop is Stavanger and I will be taking the scenery train ride there this Sunday - a delight for the senses I am truly looking forward to! 

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged norway kristiansand travel diaries long days.

A (River)Walk to Remember | San Antonio

A New (Old) Destination

Located a mere 3 hours from Houston, San Antonio should be a place I frequent more often. Its charming Riverwalk is a lovely sight, especially after a long day of meetings at the office. I had visited San Antonio a few years back but had seen it only at night (which is a treat in itself!). This time around,  I had a chance to witness the location's charm and historic relevance in full daylight.

A worthy mention: for dinner, our group stumbled upon Boudro's, which I later found out was cited by Esquire Magazine as one of the 50 best restaurants in the US. I also quite enjoyed San Antonio men's brave drink and shoe choices which I felt compelled to document! 

Next on the journey map? A place a bit farther than San Antonio... stay tuned!

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries.

All Good Things Come in Three's | Chast 3 (Part 3)

Welcome to the Ancient City of Plovdiv!

I was born here, the city of Plovdiv and the sixth oldest city in the world. At the ripe age of 8,000 (!!) years, Plovdiv is happily situated in a valley at the foothills of six granite hills, in between three main mountain ranges and within a 2-hour drive to the Black Sea sandy beaches, some of the best ski resorts in the Balkans and the borders with Greece and Turkey. Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, and now Bulgarians, have all called it home at some point in history (and have also certainly fought for it at some point in history). And I will be the first to admit that the development of my hometown through the ages is so long and convoluted, that I decided to leave it to the professionals to tell it! The video at the bottom is an 8-minute overview of the city backed by some of the most beautifully shot scenery I have ever seen. Immediately below are some of the outtakes of my own journey through Main Street, The Old Town, and the Ancient Town. Enjoy!

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries.

Beautiful Bulgaria | Chast 2 (Part 2)

Rose-Picking in the Rose Valley

The Rose Valley in Bulgaria is famous for its rose-growing industry which has been cultivated there for centuries, and which produces 85% of the world's rose oil. The picking season lasts from May to June and Wikipedia mentions that during this period, the area gives off a pleasant scent. I will call Wikipedia out for making such a severe understatement - the whole valley actually smells like perfume during this time. Any time we would drive through it in May or June, we would always roll down our windows and soak it all in!

Today, I got an even closer look (ahem, sniff) at these gorgeous plants as I got a chance to take some pictures of the gathering process. Traditionally a woman's task, it requires great dexterity and patience because the flowers are carefully cut one by one and then sent to the distilleries.  And the local gypsy women are the masters at it - the same ladies who were so sweet and generous to pose for me. The cherry on top was them gifting me a few of the roses to take home! 

Lovely treat for a lovely day. Happy Tuesday! 

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries.

Travel Diaries | Home, Sweet Home

Way Overdue, in More Ways than One!

Greetings from beautiful Bulgaria! After three years of somehow resisting the urge to book a ticket and go home, I finally took the plunge and was quickly reminded of the beautiful place I come from! For the mere three days I have spent here thus far, I have accumulated an obscene amount of pictures I want to share... so this is part one of a few upcoming insanely image-heavy, almost wordless (for I do find the pictures to be worth a thousand words) posts about my home.

Today, I wanted to share with you the charms of Hrabrino, a tiny village ten miles west of Plovdiv, that my parents happen to call their home now. 

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged bulgaria hrabrino travel.

Travel Diaries | Downtown Dallas

Oh, Thy Rivalry (Or, Why Thy Rivalry?)!

Houston and Dallas' rivalry goes way, waaaaaaaaay back. And that's quite the norm, isn't it? There seems to often exist a natural rivalry inclination when two substantial cities are housed by the same state (Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, anyone?). I have also observed that Americans are not the only ones prone to such comparisons either: I hail from Bulgaria and my growing up was marked by the rivalry between Bulgaria's capital Sofia and my hometown Plovdiv, or as the locals would call it, the cultural capital of Bulgaria (notice that innocent jab? Just couldn't help it...).

So, having lived in Houston for 6 years now, you can imagine the preconceived notions I had about Dallas without even setting a foot in it. And despite the long and rather uneventful drive to get there, my experience was a great reminder to always keep an open mind when traveling.

Downtown Dallas is quite charming! And contrary to popular belief, the Dallas I saw did not take itself seriously at all. The Downtown area boasts a natural contrast of old and new that I am always particularly fond of. It also displays some of the oddest pieces of art I have ever seen (pun intended, please see strange Eye Sculpture above). And, being the garden lover that I am, I truly enjoyed the small parks in between the skyscrapers which offered such a refreshing and minimalist area for rest.  

I know that rivalries are natural and common... But why not be able to appreciate it all? 

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged dallas travel fun eyes architecture.