At the Rim of Sofia

in #travelfeed5 years ago

Greetings, world admirers from far and wide!

Manol Donchev here with a report from a part of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. A part that few ever visit. I haven't visited it in all the fifteen years I've been living in Sofia.

Well ,when it comes to global scale, the city of Sofia is not that huge but when it comes to national scale, it is about ten times more populous than any other settlement in the country. I am not going to look at official statistics or anything, I will just be sharing personal experience.

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I had few reasons to come this way on just a couple of occasions and not exactly where I am going to take you along with me on a photo walk. But now I moved here. Places are cheaper around. Because we're at the rim of the city. Well, everything comes with its positive and negative sides and it's up to us to focus on what we choose. I am a photographer so I try to take advantage of what's not so cool for some. But it's still interesting for me. Also, my loft is on the 13th floor so I have some view from my high position. I can almost see the buildings close to the center of the city (but not quite).

So, I am now in Obelya, to the North-West. My windows look to the South. But I can turn to the East and see past the graveyard, along a tram path, perpendicular to the tube of the subway, which makes a large detour here. That tram line was something I first saw on the map and then peeking through a window and I saw a path going alongside so that I could reach the zone to the East without following the main road and making huge detours, too. Walking where no sidewalks are available. No thanks. I am happy with the path near the graveyard and through a meadow. I even though I might be able to see some wildlife there. And the railroad is...well, photographers love the iron tracks in general. All kinds of tracks, but iron is what we have here.

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Here I was, shooting from the low position on the path itself.


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From the bridge, looking to my left, I found the polluted river I was expecting but also a strange behaving dog. It just stood there. And it was not a hot day. It just kept that pose, still as a statue for the whole duration of my dog watching session.

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As I continued, trams came and went, one in each direction every ten to fifteen minutes.

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Not too often, though. So I just had to tell my visual lie there.

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After reaching the middle of the path I took some shots at what I saw behind - my neighborhood with the old architecture of flats upon flats upon flats of concrete. Typical for former Socialist cities and other places with not enough
space.

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Continuing towards the other end, I leave the graveyard to my right and then behind.

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And the junkyard

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And the swamp.

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How can people tolerate such scenery? They just lift their heads up and it all looks a bit more modern. This is an open section of the subway coming above ground. No point digging tunnels where there's nothing above...yet. Right?

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And finally, looking on my right again, but on my way back (so that would be left in relation to the previous images...or North) I am rewarded. With a stray dog of the tiger-stripes variety. An adequate model for the settings. Already shared in black and white. Now time to show it in color, too

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I told you there be Blues ;)

Thanks for coming on that short walk with me. What did you like the most?

Although, if you're not into rust and ruin, this is a dumb question.

Take care and see you next time!

Yours,

Manol

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Hey @manoldonchev. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have been to Sofia only once, and I didn't have the chance to see the city I must admit. But the center of the city seemed very impressive back then. It was almost 10 years ago :)

What I like about your story is especially this part:

Well, everything comes with its positive and negative sides and it's up to us to focus on what we choose.

That is so true! And I am glad you look at life like this!

I don't see a lot of people in your photos. Was it a quite day? Or was everyone at work?

Yeah, a city has many faces ;)

There were people. A few. They were, for the most part, not of this story ;)

Indeed :)
Thanks for the shots!

Nice industrial suburbian flair!

Right? That's probably the beginning of something more.

Thank you for this story and your pictures Manol. I believe many big cities have much in common, block houses, the evidence of human life, that sometimes we just do not care to clean after ourselves and leave it for somebody, who we hope will come and clean after us. The big cities have also many other attractive things but this side that you presented in your photo series is something that we need to be reminded on and off. Well done!

Thank you! I think it's a new found truth - not avoid showing some stuff a lot of people would avoid. The more experience one has, the more one accepts some stuff. It's there.

Hey, I just thought of a line for next @steemfiction book we work on ;) Let me write it down... somewhere else.

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wowo, I liked this very much, thanks for sharing. I'm very curious to see more of Eastern Europe since it is a place I know very little about. Looking forward to more of this sort of posts!

Oh, thanks, there will be more :)

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What wonderful photographs you share with us. To suggest that the world could be better if socialism ceased to exist. I want to say that I am from Venezuela and our politicians sold the idea that socialism is the right way to lead a nation but is not true. Well I love the way you tell us your life in Sofia. Well done

Well, what exists, exists. The world is good, it's what we make of what's given to us. Of course, individuals have little control sometimes. I can't reshape a street or neighborhood to my liking. I can reshape my liking to the street in a way, though.

I can't reshape a street to my liking. I can reshape my liking to the street in a way, though.<- I loved this phrase. I think it will be my new mantra

You really catch well that feeling of the outskirts of big cities, where most is forgotten because nobody is really expected to look. That's why I love that you do look!

Thank you! I like looking, it's one of the best things I can think of doing ;) Well, sometimes after that comes acting. If I have a goal. But looking can be active, too, right?

Seems to be a less densely populated area with sime abandoned places to roam around, you can get a piece of mind away from all the hustling and bustling busy streets within the city centers.

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Yeah, I felt like some Charles Dickens taking a stroll through the countryside.

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