The Unique Architecture in the Historic District of Plovdiv in Bulgaria

On January 26, 2023January 26, 2023 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Turkey3 Comments

It is a full-day trip to visit the historic town of Plovdiv in Bulgaria from the capital city of Sofia, but it is definitely worth the time that it takes. The town, like so much of the region, has a history that goes back to the Trojans, then the Greeks, followed by the Romans, and eventually the Turks, not taking into account the modern occupations including the Soviet Union. That history and amalgamation of cultures is part of what makes a tour of Plovdiv fascinating, but today it is also a vibrant shopping area with lots of shops and restaurants literally built on top of the ruins of an enormous, ancient sports arena. Bring comfortable shoes with you as you will be doing a fair amount of walking up and down the hills on which the city center is built.

Ornate Window on a Historic House in the Old Town

The first thing that you will notice is the striking architecture of the local homes that line the cobblestone streets. They have a definitive style based on the Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style and often feature vibrant colors and details around the windows that overlook the street. After walking through the ancient streets of the city’s old town, you will reach the large Roman amphitheater, which is remarkably well preserved. It is still used for concerts and events today and the college for the arts is located next to the entrance to the amphitheater.

As you continue to the main street that runs the length of the old town, you will be walking above the ruins of a huge stadium where chariot races were once held. There are various points along the street where you can see and even walk down into the ruins in order to get a closer look. The original stadium actually stretched the entire length of the street with the shops above, which gives you an idea of just how large the stadium was back when it was in use. We stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and enjoyed watching all of the tourists that were walking the street on a very busy day in Plovdiv.

Walking Up the Hill Towards the Heart of Old Town

It takes 8 to 10 hours roundtrip to get to Plovdiv from Sofia since Plovdiv is located in central Bulgaria while Sofia is located in western Bulgaria. As with many places in Europe, Plovdiv is a combination of historic sites and a modern city. If it were possible, we would recommend planning your trip at a time when a concert was taking place in the amphitheater as it would make for a really unique experience. We certainly enjoyed our time walking the streets of the historic old town and seeing all of the interesting sites and buildings that are located there.

Seats for the Stadium that are Exposed Along the Street

Making the Most of a Short Stay in Lima, Peru

On June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn South America5 Comments

We didn’t have a lot of time during our visit to Lima, the capital of Peru, but we certainly made the most of the time that we did have. Our hotel was located next to the beaches on the coastline of the city, but we also took time to get into the historic district as well. The two locations couldn’t be more different, but they were definitely equally interesting for their own reasons. It was also our first experience in South America and we really enjoyed seeing some of the indigenous Quechua people in their traditional clothing, something that we would learn even more about during our time in Bolivia. Regardless of how much time you have when visiting Lima, these should certainly be on your itinerary when visiting this wonderful city.

Walking the Crowded Streets of the Historical Center

The Historical Center of Lima – Old town in Lima, also referred to as the Historical Center, is probably most known for its colorful colonial buildings with their fascinating balconies, but there is certainly much more to see than just the architecture. To make the most of your time in the downtown area we would suggest starting out at the Plaza Mayor or the Main Square and then exploring out from there. There are palaces, the cathedral, official buildings, and other churches in the area, each uniquely beautiful. It is very walk-able and you will also find stores carrying tourist items as well as many different restaurants and cafés in the area.

The Upscale Miraflores District – If you visit Lima, Peru, we would suggest staying in the Miraflores district. Miraflores is an upscale district that sits along the Pacific coastline with beautiful beaches, excellent restaurant choices, nice hotels, and it isn’t far from downtown Lima. Obviously, many people visiting Lima come specifically to enjoy the beaches and take advantage of the festive nightlife that is found in the area. Although we weren’t in Lima for a beach vacation, we did enjoy walking down to the beach, soaking up some sun, and grabbing a meal at one of the many outdoor restaurant patios.

Enjoying the Fusion Food and a Traditional Pisco Sour – Lima has become a “foodies” destination because of its reputation for wonderful food and celebrated chefs. One of the reasons that the food has become so popular is because many of the restaurants have taken traditional food of the region and blended it with food from around the world. There are so many options of restaurants to visit that we’d recommend talking to the locals and finding out where they’d recommend you eat. In addition to the food, having a traditional pisco sour is a perfect way to end your day or to start your evening festivities.

Peruvian Quechua Woman in Traditional Clothing

Many people fly into Lima as they begin their adventure into Peru and make their way down to visit Machu Picchu. It is definitely worth taking the time to see the capital city of Lima, especially the wonderful architecture of the historical center. Although we didn’t have a lot of time in Lima, we certainly used our opportunity to see as much as we possibly could.

Mixing the Old with the New in Historic Cities

On May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Photo Challenge5 Comments

In almost every historic city that you visit, there will be an old town area where the buildings have been preserved. There is often another part of the city that is new and modern and they are usually in different parts of the city so that the traffic associated to tourists and that of the businesses can be kept separate from one another. Every now and then, though, you will find a historic building right in the middle of the modern skyscrapers. It is often a church, but not always as it could just be a historic landmark. The juxtaposition of the two can sometimes be visually interesting.

Church in Chicago with a Skyscraper Rising next to the Bell Tower

Old and New Side-by-Side in Cologne, Germany

Modern Paris as Seen from the Eiffel Tower

We have seen several examples throughout our travels, especially in Germany where so much of the cities were rebuilt after WWII, but it certainly isn’t limited to European cities. We have seen many interesting examples here in the United States, especially in Chicago, which is a city with a rich history of its own. We find the contrasts to be so striking that we often pause to take a variety of photographs to capture the differences and similarities between the old and the new.