Haha, I was totally surprised by you writing about a surprise pickle :D
Anyway, read what the people are saying - there are other 'salads' in the winter, we're not just shopska salad people ;)
Also I think you should accept the fact that there aren't any sidewalks in Sofia at all. It's just some rough ground. Don't think like it was ever intended to be for you to walk on it. And then when you find some sidewalk that is not there to kill you, you'd feel better :)
And one last piece of advice that has served me quite well - the secret to waiting in line is to lean against something. That's it. When you lean against the wall or wherever you get tired a lot less and also you can concentrate better on your thoughts or just about anything other than the line. At least I do :) If there isn't a wall or something nearby you can always ask to lean against the person in front of you - it worked once :D
Oh, and I love Sofia in the fall, too :)