[caption id="attachment_1021" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Hotel: Sozopol Pearls"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1021" title="Pearl Hotel " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09754.jpg?w=225" alt="Sozopol Pearl" width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

I know that the Black Sea often gets a bad reputation.  I think that most often people think that the place is over built--that it's endless hotels, resort upon resort and a beach full of umbrellas and people.  But I have to say that I had a great weekend in Sozopol with my MoM and Aunt.

Sure we were there at the end of June--or just before the high season in Sozopol--but the weather was great, the people were nice and we had a great time in the sun, eating ice cream, going swimming and exploring the town.

We stayed at<a href="http://sozopol-pearls.com/" target="_blank"> Sozopol Pearls</a>.  It's a villa style hotel slightly outside of new-town Sozopol.  The best part is that the place is nearly brand new and the staff were very kind. Oh and you have your pick of a a studio (two single beds and a wonderful pull-out couch--I should know I slept on it), an apartment (sleeps four) or a two bedroom apartment (sleeps six).  The rooms also come with a kitchenette.  So you can make breakfast and even a light lunch if you wanted in your room.

[caption id="attachment_1023" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sozopol beach view at night"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1023" title="Sozopol beach " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09613.jpg?w=300" alt="Sozopol beach view at night" width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

Two beaches are near-by which was nicer than I imagined.  I am so white that I rarely tan.  Sun burn is more my thing, so I don't usually get too excited about going to the beach.  This said, the water was warm and there were tons of sea shells to be collected so I was in heaven.  I also got a kick out of actually being able to swim in the water.  After growing up in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), I am used to beaches where you run in and run out all the while hoping that the water doesn't go much above the middle of your shins.  The water in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon is cold-cold. Even in the summer.  The water in the Black Sea though--that was a different story.  It was wonderful.

<!--more-->After a morning of swimming and sunning (again, that's all I can handle), we headed into the old town to do some sight seeing (Orthodox churches and revival style houses) and to buy some tourist-kitsch.  We were successful in all of our pursuits.  Surprise, surprise.

[caption id="attachment_1022" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sozopol: craft"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1022" title="Sozopol: craft" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09726.jpg?w=300" alt="Sozopol: craft" width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

My MoM bought a great locally made (and hand made) crocheted piece from a woman in the streets of the old town.  All of her work was hanging on a line drying like linen in the backyard.  It was beautiful with the light coming though it.  One of those things that you can't really walk past and not stop to look at.  So we stopped.  Of course as soon as we did this, the older woman came right over to show us her wares.  I am not sure if my mother knew this would happen or not but she took it in stride and because she doesn't speak any Bulgarian just looked and looked while I kind-of talked to the woman.

I told her things like: yes these are beautiful.  I asked her how much they cost and then said again how pretty they were.  She seemed pretty happy just to walk me up and down the line and show me the different pieces.  Finally my MoM decided to buy one.  The pieces weren't much money but my mom doesn't really like shopping very much and I don't think that she likes the pressure of buy-buy-buy so I was surprised that she would decided buy one.

[caption id="attachment_1024" align="alignright" width="300" caption="My MoM with the craft-woman"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1024" title="Mom in Sozopol" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dsc09728.jpg?w=300" alt="My MoM with the craft-woman" width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

She clearly liked them so much that had she not bought one for herself, I was going to but that's another story.  So she bought it and then we convinced the woman and my mother to pose for a picture.  They did.  My mom asked me to tell the woman how much she liked the piece, to say thank-you and to wish her a good afternoon.  I did and the woman was in love with us.  She told me that my Bulgarian was great and then asked if I was German or Dutch.  Nope, American.  Then she had all sorts of great things to say about America.  I told her I was living in Sofia and teaching English and she kept squeezing and patting my arm and telling me how great that was.

My MoM got a hoot out of the whole thing and I still can't believe how much little old Bulgarians like me--and I don't even speak their language.  I think they like that I smile and laugh (mostly because I don't really understand everything that they are saying to me) and I say things like: thanks so much, have a great day and this is very beautiful.  And really, who doesn't love a complement after all?  Oh and I don't think it hurts that they can squeeze my arms and at laugh at me and I don't protest.  In fact, I kind of like the attention... this leads me to think that I should try to buy more things from older Bulgarians.  I like it and they like it.  That's win-win if you ask me.