My business and personal trips

In one of my business trips to Sevastopol, Ukraine I had to fly through Istanbul Ataturk Аirport -  to Simferopol - Ukraine.  I landed at Istanbul airport shortly before midnight. Just at that time there were the demonstrations against Government at Taksim Square and my initial plans for a midnight stroll through Istanbul failed. My flight to Simferopol was after less than 7 hours and I decided to spend the night walking through the airport instead of sleeping in TAV airport hotel, a lthough there are  many hotels around the airport  , also.  Ataturk Аirport  is not as big transfers airport, but as it is at the crossroad between Europe and Asia, I found it is an interesting idea to look around and watch the hurrying people who obviously were from all over the world, from all races and religions. Dressed in traditional clothing typical for its own culture, people bustled among the numerous free shops, gates and information desks.  Istanbul Ataturk...

If you are in Sofia and have a free weekend, you love the mountains, and it's hot summer time, you could go very easy   to Maliovitsa in Rila Mountain (map) . The place is about 90 km / 55 miles away from Sofia and by car it takes about an hour and a half driving. My first stop on the route was Samokov through which actually passes the road to the ski resort Borovets  . For an hour I visit two places that worth seeing - The female monastery “Shroud of Holy Mary” ( Samokovski devicheski manastir "Pokrov Bogorodichen" ) (map) and   Mitropolitska church – "The Assumption of the Holy Virgin" ( Mitropolitska Tsurkva “Uspenie na sv. Bogoroditsa”) - (map) . The path to Malyovitsa hut Mitropolitska church -  churchyard Mitropolitska church -  churchyard Mitropolitska church  Mitropolitska church Mitropolitska church   Then we continue to our final point of the day - Govedartsi village ( 1170 m/3838 ft ) . Accommo...