[caption id="attachment_996" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Awesome new coffee shop"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-996" title="Colours and Flavours " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09155.jpg?w=225" alt="Awesome new coffee shop" width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

I've just stared going to a great new coffee shop in Sofia: Colours &amp; Flavours. (Take that Starbucks!)  They are super-duper friendly and they make great coffee.  Really what could be better than that? Well, the only thing that would be better if they were right around the corner from my house instead of closer to the post office but I really can't complain (because that would make me just lazy).

Back to the point as I said: great coffee.

Oh, yeah and a good price.

Um, and they are friendly.  Yes, friendly. In Sofia. They also speak English but that's a far second to being friendly.  For example, today one of the guys who works there remembered me and asked about my blog and the concert I went to on Sunday night (by the way, Shantel=awesome).

What!?! You listen to all of the stupid things I say <em>and</em> you make a great cup of coffee? Man.  <!--more-->

[caption id="attachment_997" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Me at Colours &amp; Flavours "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-997" title="coffee Shop " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09161.jpg?w=300" alt="Colours &amp; Flavours " width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

So what's the deal? Well the owner is Greek and he's just opened this shop at the corner of Gen. Yosif V Gurko and Dyakon Ignatiy.  It's down the block from the central post office in downtown Sofia and right before the park that hosts the National Theater (I am sure this park has a name but for the life of me I don't know it or can't remember it and it's not marked on my 2008 Domino map of Sofia).

It's right on the corner and has a row of tables and chairs out front.  I think it's pretty impossible to miss.  The shop has been open for two months.  They sell standard coffee shop things: drinks (hot and iced), frozen and blended drinks as well as pastries and sandwiches but they also have a shop next door where they sell bulk tea, mugs, gifts and a range of olive oil beauty products.

There are two things.  One more serious than the other.   First, I am not sure what will happen when it turns cold. They don't have any indoor seating.  All I can say is that I hope they have a big enough following that customers are willing to walk by, stand in the cold and take their coffee to go. And frankly,  I wouldn't be surprised if they can make this happen given how affable everyone working there is.

The second thing is that somehow a couple of errant "u"s sunk into the name of the coffee shop: Colours and Flavours.  It's funny because I thought only Americans could make coffee this good... um... joking.  I think that the Italians have us beat by miles when it comes to espresso and all of Europe as a better cafe culture than we do in the States.  I guess that we're just good at marketing a product and a need (thanks, capitalism and Starbucks.  I never knew that I needed a venti latte until you put it on the menu).