It is that time again, I am changing locations! Yippee!! I am ready to escape the city and head to the beach. We have been suffering here in Plovdiv, with this heat wave that has landed on Europe. For the last three weeks, it has been over 30 degrees Celsius, many days over 35. I rode on the Bulgarian train today and headed for the coast.
Leaving Plovdiv
I purchased my ticket two weeks ago, that was the earliest the system would let me. I booked a first-class train ticket with BDZ which is the Bulgarian State Railway, taking me from Plovdiv to Burgas. The trip is four hours long and this was the ‘direct’ train.
Arriving at the Plovdiv station ½ hour early, I was happy to be there after dragging my bags through the city for 15 minutes. Cobbled streets and rough sidewalks make for an unpleasant and very sweaty bag drag.
The train arrived into the station 15 minutes before departure. At first, I didn’t think it was my train, but everyone on the platform boarded. I asked someone with a badge around their neck if this was the Burgas train and he said yes, so hop aboard I did.
On Board
I found my seat with someone in it. I informed the older male that it was my seat and he got out and moved across the isle. No sooner had I pushed my suitcase into the foot well and sat down and I had another interaction with him.
Having no where for my feet, I lifted the right foot onto my left knee. This placed the toe of my shoe, in the air beside the seat in front of me. Only my toe mind you, not the whole shoe. Well apparently, this was unacceptable, because the older gent hit my leg! Yes, he did, and gestured for me to move my foot back. Dude! The rudeness here is next level.
I shifted my foot about 5 inches towards myself so my toes were not in the air beside the seat in front of me. My foot was never touching the seat, merely hovering in the air beside the seat. AND THE SEAT WAS EMPTY!!! Dude. Just about every single day here, I get told NO or get into trouble like this. Its draining.
Anyways, the seat was comfy, the train was tidy, the windows were dirty. The AC worked for the first hour, the remaining three were excruciating. At one point I looked down the isle and all of the Bulgarian women had pulled out their pretty hand fans. The air was alight with flicks of colour! So cute.
There was a toilet in first class. I had a look and decided I would hold for the entire 4 hours. End of story.
The Scenery
Fairly benign, lots of agricultural fields which were lovely to look at, mostly wheat and sunflowers. Many of the sunflower fields were at the end of their life, the heads drooping low and the plants being dried out in preparation for harvest.
The towns the train passed seemed in two camps. Either cute little ancient places with lots of low brick buildings, or soviet era high rise towns. Even though this was a direct train, it did make at least half a dozen stops along the way.
Other Sights from the Train
Arriving in Burgas
Right on time, the train arrived at the Burgas station. It is quite a walk on very rough pavement to the station. Right there, beside the train station is a new bus station, one of two I believe in Burgas. Luckily my bus was leaving from this one, so I just had to hop across the road.
If you are reading this because you trying to find out information, please reach out. I will help if I can. I found internal travel around Bulgaria quite daunting. There is such a lack of information online.
I have split this post into two. Tomorrow is the bus portion. Stay tuned.
