....................

Lazar Pashov doesn’t speak much English, but his enthusiasm and love for his city were evident. As he explained some things to see around the city, we took in the buildings scaling the cliffs and the bumpety cobbled lanes, marvelling that cars were permitted to drive down them. Our room was on the side of the house that has exit onto Gurko Street, where there is a large patio shared among the guests. Four beds (one a bunk), a small desk, cabinet and two folding chairs furnished our crisp-clean room. Nothing fancy, but very comfortable and welcoming. And, despite the heat and humidity of the day, it was very cool inside. The large WC was a wet room, and was also very clean and new looking. Talking to Lazar and his wife Anelia, who speaks good English, the next day, we found that the house had been in his family since it was built some 150-200 years ago, though it was only about two years ago that the couple decided to restore it and turn it into a guesthouse (it’s not a typical sardine-like hostel. Family inn or guesthouse suits it more.). Hostel Pashov opened a year-and-a-half ago. It has five rooms: two, on the first storey, with private baths and three, on the second, with a shared.

.....

Thanking the Pashovs for the lovely accomodations, we were driven to Hotel Etur, from which our bus departed back to Sofia. Our outing just ended, we already talk again of returning to Bulgaria’s medieval capital.