My dAd and sister came to visit me after final exams. I was busy finishing things up--grades, packing up my classroom and saying goodbye to colleagues. They were busy being jet-lagged. It was perfect.

I went to work; they slept.
<a title="My dad and sister in front of TZUM by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968236316/"><img alt="My dad and sister in front of TZUM" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/9968236316_9a0a0b7703_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
We spent their first weekend in Bulgaria close to home. I wanted my family to get a sense of Sofia the city lived in and called home for the past five years. I know that it's not actually possible to do something like this in just a weekend but I think that they got a taste of the city.
<a title="Banitsa by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968248366/"><img alt="Banitsa" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/9968248366_1ca5e6c20e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Saturday morning we ate banitsa, drank coffee and went on a <a href="http://www.freesofiatour.com/" target="_blank">Free Sofia Tour</a> because <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/04/23/sofia-and-easter-weekend/" target="_blank">I LOVE the free walking tour</a>. This is also when I got my dAd and sister hooked on free tours. They liked the one in Sofia so much that we also went on the Plodiv tour and the Varna tour.

It's amazing seeing a city that you know through someone else's eyes.
<a title="Couch on the street with flowers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968220384/"><img alt="Couch on the street with flowers" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9968220384_bce34f885a_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Window flowers on Strumitsa by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968218394/"><img alt="Window flowers on Strumitsa" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/9968218394_cce7c349fb_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Fence on Strumitsa by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968185385/"><img alt="Fence on Strumitsa" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5516/9968185385_6602828d97_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>

At first I was surprised. I'd think to myself: it will take 20 minutes to walk to X-spot in the city but with my dAd and sister it would take 30. At first I was annoyed. Then I realized it was because my dAd and sister were <em>actually</em> looking at everything. Oh and my dAd was taking hundreds of photos.

Before the tour started we made a loop through the first neighborhood I lived in Strumitsa Street. I adore this little horse-shoe shaped street and the larger neighborhood. I was so lucky to live in the heart of the city my first year. I lived at No. 3 Strumitsa.
<a title="No. 3 Strumitsa by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968184205/"><img alt="No. 3 Strumitsa" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3789/9968184205_4c65dccbc1_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Graffiti downtown Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968249896/"><img alt="Graffiti downtown Sofia" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/9968249896_8431e5468e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>

But that's the thing, when you slow down and actually look at things you get to see the world in a new way. I realized that in many ways Sofia had become average, everyday, to me. Sure I noticed the big changes but I'd stopped seeing the little things and my dAd and sister couldn't stop seeing everything.

The free tour starts at the National Court which is where these lions are. Then the tour makes a loop through the downtown.
<a title="Lion in front of the National Courts in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968179985/"><img alt="Lion in front of the National Courts in Sofia" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5343/9968179985_f50fcb0c31_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Zona by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968245776/"><img alt="Zona" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/9968245776_7c2a78893e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="St. Nedelya by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968207904/"><img alt="St. Nedelya" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5350/9968207904_046de40a0b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
On the Free Sofia Tour, we were always at the back. I am afraid that the tour guide was annoyed with us  but I told her not to worry that we'd catch up and that I knew the basic route. I am not sure that this really helped the situation but it made me feel better.
<a title="Central Department Store (TZUM) and St Petka Church by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968241916/"><img alt="Central Department Store (TZUM) and St Petka Church" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/9968241916_87b68f940f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="TZUM Central Department Store in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968312803/"><img alt="TZUM Central Department Store in Sofia" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/9968312803_73a65888e4_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Sofia Baths by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968239466/"><img alt="Sofia Baths" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/9968239466_f511b321aa_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Close up of the Sofia Baths by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968170665/"><img alt="Close up of the Sofia Baths" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/9968170665_1043999175_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
I like the Free Sofia Tour so I always recommend that people go on it. There is a really good mix of history, culture and personal stories about life in Bulgaria. I've been on the tour a few times but the thing that stood out to me this time was how people were on the tour. When we showed up it was the last weekend in June/first weekend in July and I think that there were nearly 100 people at the tour. Wow!
<a title="Lions on the doors by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968198944/"><img alt="Lions on the doors" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/9968198944_20770c854f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="St George's Church Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968165675/"><img alt="St George's Church Sofia" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2832/9968165675_debded53c5_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="My sister in the Park in front of Ivan Vazov Theater by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968231466/"><img alt="My sister in the Park in front of Ivan Vazov Theater" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/9968231466_6e367ce9cb_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="in the Park in front of Ivan Vazov Theater by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968193444/"><img alt="in the Park in front of Ivan Vazov Theater" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/9968193444_6319395293_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Ivan Vazov Theater by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968159895/"><img alt="Ivan Vazov Theater" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/9968159895_a0dbed7513_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
It's super exciting to think that so many people are visiting Sofia.  What's best? There was such an interesting mix of tourists both young and old.
<a title="National Bank by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968191174/"><img alt="National Bank" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7426/9968191174_72883d8005_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Sofia Architecture by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968223886/"><img alt="Sofia Architecture" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/9968223886_efc84b7800_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>

I won't pretend to know exactly what my dAd or sister were thinking about the city nor will I put words in their mouths but I had a great time. Sofia was looking great on this bright sunny day.
<a title="Dad, Char and Me in front of Nevski by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968294133/"><img alt="Dad, Char and Me in front of Nevski" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/9968294133_b67f24141f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Alexander Nevski by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968153165/"><img alt="Alexander Nevski" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/9968153165_277c95a70f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968190285/"><img alt="Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, Bulgaria" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/9968190285_b19d40fc7f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="In front of the National Parliament by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/9968191434/"><img alt="In front of the National Parliament" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/9968191434_59d8d5ddb1_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" /></a>
I know that I've done a poor job narrating the photos in this post but if you click through to flickr you can read all of the descriptive title I've given the photos. If you have more question, just let me know. 