A chilly Sunday afternoon at the last bus stop of lines 94 and 280 in the Student Town district of Sofia. The wind wails around the buildings and chases the occasional snowflakes falling from the low grey clouds.
A loud bunch of teenagers gets off the bus and rushes through one of the gates of the Winter Palace. The lobby is crowded with people waiting for the skating rink to open for the second session of the day. In front of the cashiers there is a long queue somewhat impatiently waiting to pay the two leva entrance fee and another two leva rent for the skates.
There is also a small crowd at the cloakroom at the other end of the lobby. The late arrivals come only to find out that there are no more skates to rent. The lucky ones have already put on their skates and are ready for some fun, impatiently tapping with their blades around the barrier's gates.
At last the ice machine leaves the shiny ice and the first skaters step on the rink. The music plays louder and louder. Almost everyone is already on the ice. The most skilful and courageous skaters glide to the less crowded middle of the rink and start doing pirouettes and other intricate figures.
The crowd gets thicker and thicker especially near the safety of the barrier. People skate in couples or larger groups, tightly holding hands and trying to keep balance. There are little children thickly wrapped in scarves and jackets adventurously skating under the somewhat frightened eyes of their parents who did not have the courage to put on the skates. Others are too frightened and hold on tightly to the fence.
One little girl reaches out and her dad steps on the ice in his shoes to encourage her.
The shoes leave dirty tracks on the white ice and win dad some disapproving glances from the skaters. Slowly the little girl gains courage and soon dad is left somewhere behind.
A big bunch of teenagers with hockey skates zigzags at tremendous speed through the crowd chasing a snowball. The group wreaks havoc through the ranks of the slower skaters. Some panic, lose their balance and fall but are soon back on their skates, nervously rubbing their bottoms. The hockey teenagers are back again, this time entertaining themselves by jumping over the heads of the smaller children.
Time on the rink passes by fast and soon the hour and a half draws to an end. The gate opens and the ice machine starts honking its horn in order to chase out the most insatiable skaters who still linger on the rink.
A loud bunch of teenagers gets off the bus and rushes through one of the gates of the Winter Palace. The lobby is crowded with people waiting for the skating rink to open for the second session of the day. In front of the cashiers there is a long queue somewhat impatiently waiting to pay the two leva entrance fee and another two leva rent for the skates.
There is also a small crowd at the cloakroom at the other end of the lobby. The late arrivals come only to find out that there are no more skates to rent. The lucky ones have already put on their skates and are ready for some fun, impatiently tapping with their blades around the barrier's gates.
At last the ice machine leaves the shiny ice and the first skaters step on the rink. The music plays louder and louder. Almost everyone is already on the ice. The most skilful and courageous skaters glide to the less crowded middle of the rink and start doing pirouettes and other intricate figures.
The crowd gets thicker and thicker especially near the safety of the barrier. People skate in couples or larger groups, tightly holding hands and trying to keep balance. There are little children thickly wrapped in scarves and jackets adventurously skating under the somewhat frightened eyes of their parents who did not have the courage to put on the skates. Others are too frightened and hold on tightly to the fence.
One little girl reaches out and her dad steps on the ice in his shoes to encourage her.
The shoes leave dirty tracks on the white ice and win dad some disapproving glances from the skaters. Slowly the little girl gains courage and soon dad is left somewhere behind.
A big bunch of teenagers with hockey skates zigzags at tremendous speed through the crowd chasing a snowball. The group wreaks havoc through the ranks of the slower skaters. Some panic, lose their balance and fall but are soon back on their skates, nervously rubbing their bottoms. The hockey teenagers are back again, this time entertaining themselves by jumping over the heads of the smaller children.
Time on the rink passes by fast and soon the hour and a half draws to an end. The gate opens and the ice machine starts honking its horn in order to chase out the most insatiable skaters who still linger on the rink.
