Today was the rescheduled flying day from Dubrovnik to Sofia to meet up with our Balkan Kaleidoscope tour for the next 12 days. A very early start after the ridiculous neighbours kept us up with shouting, banging and just being insensitive. If I was braver I'd have confronted them, but alas I am not.
The 3:20am alarm was reliable and we made the pack and out to meet our uber driver just after 4:00am...down the steep stairs one last time. The week went by so quickly! Off to the airport, some 25 minutes drive away in the dark. What a contrast Dubrovnik airport was at 4:40am compared to Reykjavik last week at 5:00am. It was completely deserted and we had to wait until 5:00am before anyone arrived at the check in desks, despite the 6:40am departure. We checked our big bags through and fingers crossed we headed through security and off we went.
First leg was Dubrovnik to the Croatian capital Zagreb, about 45 minutes flying time. A nice comfortable flight and we arrived in good spirits. The airport in Zagreb was interesting and looked like an airline hangar with interesting roof patterns.
After about 1.5hours, we boarded the flight, not really towards Bulgaria unfortunately, but back towards Germany and Frankfurt airport. Another comfy flight with a little nap en route. In Frankfurt, as we did a week ago, we headed on the short shuttle train to the other terminal and set ourselves up with wifi and power to get some computer stuff done, along with a feed of the internationally familiar products on offer there.
After 3.5 hours and a proper frisking as we re-entered the secure area at the airport, it was time for our final flight into Sofia. The flight was very full and not overly enjoyable with some proper pushy people demanding we move our cabin baggage out of the overhead locker so they could fit their suitcases. It is an issue with flying that to avoid the potential for lost checked luggage and I assume to smooth a speedy exit once disembarked, that people take way too large stuff on board with them. They can't lift it properly and it's just plain annoying. Small justice was that the people in the row in front who had caused issue with us (that we referred on to the cabin staff to solve after telling them to get stuffed), that one of them left their handbag and wallet on the seat as they hastily left on landing...must have been in a rush for a smoke or a vape. Needless to say we did not alert the staff of the items left behind and I can only hope it really spoiled their evening.
The taxi booked for us took us to our hotel. Bulgaria is in stark contrast to the places we've visited so far. Quite grimy, run down with lots of buildings/rubble. We will no doubt be learning a lot about the aftermath of the breakdown of the communist regime in this area so relatively recently (1990s) and also of the break up of the former Yugoslavia into the countries we know today such as Serbia, Croatia etc. I am really a complete ignoramus when it comes to the details of the region, so will have my ears and eyes open and my mouth shut (except with my travelling companion) over the coming days.
We have met some of our touring party at dinner and they seem nice. Had dinner with a kiwi couple and spotted several others as we had dinner at the hotel. Pretty tired tonight and looking forward to a rest before a big drive and journey tomorrow, going out of the EU with a big border crossing into Serbia mid morning. Should be interesting.