Bourgas to Varna

While here we have discovered that prices generally are very cheap, particularly in chandleries, so we have been stocking up. Diesel fuel is about 2/3 of that in Turkey. Bulgarian wine varies in quality but some is very good and cheap, about AU$ 5 a bottle. Liquor is also very cheap. We enjoyed Bourgas in the spring as it was a beautiful green city, but the foliage masks grey buildings and in winter it would be a bleak place. A bus trip to nearby Sozopol old town was a highlight, with old Bulgarian wooden houses surrounding a pretty port and lovely crescent shaped beach. On departure we motored into a headwind to Nesebar, another old town, almost an island connected by a narrow isthmus to the nearby modern highrise resort of Sunny Beach which caters to hordes of British and European package tourists. Nesebar is a very pretty old place which is heritage listed by UNESCO. The buildings are all in traditional style and the many ruins have been partially restored. It is well worth the visit, but under the surface it is about 200 acres of souvenir shops and restaurants. From Nesebar we again motor sailed in light winds to Varna, another port city, where we berthed at the cruise ship terminal. Varna is another lovely green city with miles of pedestrian malls lined with shops and restaurants, and large green parks and beautiful squares, but again with many though not all grey buildings. Throughout Bulgaria, the Communist era infrastructure is crumbling in disrepair with many buildings unoccupied and derelict. The port Captain here in Varna likens Bulgaria`s current situation to that of a car on a long journey; having just left the dirt, the road is better but not yet a highway and the vehicle is old and in need of maintenance and it will be while before they reach the freeway and can afford a new car.