Now barely visible in places due to their age and weight of traffic the yellow cobblestones which stretch from the city centre to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, were given to King Ferdinand I as a wedding present back in 1893.

At the time Sofia was not well developed, just rising from hard won independence from the Ottoman Empire; there was not even have a single paved road, just mud in the wet and dry dusty tracks in the dry.

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The construction of these yellow paved roads in 1907 was intended to transform Sofia into a fashionable city, maybe it did maybe it didn't.

Caution: Slippy when wet!

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Church of Saint George

Hidden from view, now, surrounded on all sides by hi-rise buildings, including the presidential building, and the national archeological building, St George's is widely accepted as the oldest standing building in Sofia

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Restored over the centuries the church was first constructed during the 4th century of the common era. It is still used as a place of worship today

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Constructed of simple red bricks, with still visible frescoes dating back to the 10th century

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So, waving farewell to St. Sophia, it is time to say.....wait for it.....I was wondering when I would get this in......

"Goodbye yellow brick road"

It is time to go native and wander the back streets back to my hotel.

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What a wonderful maze of tired worn out buildings, run down shop fronts
and people on the streets this old market place turned out to be. The Ladies Bazar in existence for over 130 years, but not a lot happening today.

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BATE KYŠI & SON, Locksmith and key maker

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The money tourism generates for a city never seems to filter down.

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Slowly coming back to cleaner streets, the words of Ralph Mc'Tell slowly awakening in my head, different city but same sentiment.

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No I haven't teleported

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My God! where did all this lot come from all of a sudden.