Most people will judge Pravets an unlikely contender for a travel guide, but Anelia Zaharieva might convince you otherwise.
Saturday noon, still at work and wallowing in papers, trying to finish what has not been done during the week. The weekend is lost; the only option left, it seems, is to stay in your flat, staring blankly at the TV screen, in the confines of your kitchen, your sofa and your bed, again. A pathetic picture…
A year ago I found my own solution to the lost-weekend syndrome – Pravets.
Pravets is a small, neat and charming town, only about 70 km from Sofia, offering a number of decent places where one can eat and relax at a reasonable price. Local people are friendly, well-meaning, ingenuous; their helpfulness to tourists “from the big city” sometimes borders on obsequiousness. To me the opportunity to spend a day in a place where you are treated like a celebrity, without spending a fortune, is a temptation.
My friends and I reach Pravets before having managed to hear our favourite CD to the end, thanks to the highway, which may takes years to connect Sofia to Varna but gets you to Pravets in no time. We have a well-established “itinerary.”
First we head to the so-called Pravets Beach, which boasts two beautiful, clean, picturesque pools, with lounges, parasols and a straw-thatched bar offering multi-coloured cocktails. In our case, it is too late to sunbathe because it is almost 4pm. Even better. Why should one subject one’s overworked body to the scorching heat of the sun till achieving the complexion of a boiled lobster? It is not a treat but a torture. We prefer to have a cocktail, decorated with as many tasteless trinkets as possible, on the terrace, looking out on the pool. Yes, there is a terrace with a restaurant and a bar, with comfortable wicker arm-chairs. Just enjoy the sunset.
Finding a place to stay is easy because, as far as I know, there are only two suitable hotels – Pravets Palace (four stars) in the city centre and City University Hotel (two stars), which is used by sports people from various clubs that practice in the town.
Once that is taken care of, we stroll to the central square and sit on a bench facing the fountain, mesmerised by the view of the rhythmically bouncing water. Soon it is high time we made for the Banitsa restaurant. If you do not know where it is, ask anyone in the street. It is the local place of interest, and is near the police station.
A typical Bulgarian setting: a green shady yard with a well, a two-storey house with a wooden staircase and traditional furnishing and table cloths. Because it is Saturday evening, your chances of attending a traditional Bulgarian wedding are about 95 per cent. And if you do, do not be shy about joining the horo (traditional circular dance) – you will receive a hearty welcome. Once I even congratulated the bride when I came upon her in the ladies’ room and she was fascinated by my effusive speech.
If you order a traditional Bulgarian dish, especially if you are keen on innards (such as hearts, livers, kidneys, fried in butter and flavoured with spices) or some game (rabbits, venison, when available), you will be more than enchanted.
And when you feel tipsy enough, you can head for the Shatrata disco – in the form of a big tent. The dancing floor is spacious enough so that one could get into one’s element. And of course, you will enjoy great interest and instant popularity because you are new in town. If you are female, you are bound to attract the local playboys and be actively courted.
The next morning, after coffee, we are in the car, driving back to Sofia.
