THE TOUR  &  OUR ASSISTANCE

          Near Sofia City there is an international airport, so it is very easy to come here - regular flights are available from each point to Sofia airport, all the big companies serves this destination. Many sites for airplane tickets, soon I will give links here for some of them.

         After many hours of traveling, always nice if somebody waits for you at the airport, especially if already is too late in the night. I can say, it is one of the most exciting moment of the tour. After changing many messages, photos, after planning the tour for many months and specifying different details, no more any doubts now – you are here! and we meat each other. Will we guess who is who? Are we the same as in the photos? Yes of course!, the bicyclists always can be pick out easily among the gray crowd.

    The traffic at the Sofia airport is not heavy. No more than 120 – 150 people there in each moment, so we immediately notice our bicyclists and welcome them. Variants after are different, but we arrange the things so, that we go home as quickly as possible.

     Here are me, Maya, Ann, Laura and Marty  (12 May, 2004) – all we are fixing Steve’s bike just in front of Sofia airport building. Both me and Marty bicycled to my home after, all another came home using the urban transport attended by Maya.

       In other cases I arrange a van to transport all us & bicycles & luggage, or we use a taxi for this purpose, but not the yellow one you see just behind Marty – at the airport taxi drivers always charge more, especially foreign tourists – avoid to use them service.

        Already we are at my home. It is not big, it is not a luxury place, but me and Maya keep it clean. My bicyclists unpack the luggage, take a shower, rest for a while, and me and Maya prepare some meals for dinner. Yes, it is very very exciting time! We quickly feel no big differences between us, as if we were known always, and we have to share too much things! We begin to plan the tour! Tomorrow we will start it!

       Here we are in my kitchen – in the evening 3 hours after arriving - and Laura shows me my guitar playing and singing taped on her video – camera.  Yes, my broken funny English always makes them unable to stop laughing.

         June 2002. Stratton is fixing his recumbent in my living room – not easy task - too many parts in it. (I always was surprised by his engineering skills, having in mind he is an attorney!).  Soon both they – Susan and Stratton will cause a sensation in my town – nobody has ever seen such vehicles. We start a little bike tour in the town and stop for a while to have a cup of coffee … soon the situation will impose me to speak with natives. And can you guess:

        “Americans?! In this town ?!?! to do a tour by this … no word for it ?!?!?! – do you think somebody believes you, we are not imbeciles …”

        Well, O.K.,  these are special devices for recovering of people having some problems with joints, knees … they still can not go on your own easy, and a recovering procedure is doing under my control. Yes, the true in this case is not working.

           After no long debates, we are ready to begin our tour. Where we will head tomorrow, it depends on many things: your interest and wish, the season, the short and long term weather forecast. In the very beginning of the tour you mast believe me a little more, I will choose the best variant for the moment having in mind all that and after several days you will be sure, the tour really is going well and our  assistance seems to be useful … ?

         When the tour ends, we again have a night or two at home and after that me and Maya will see you to the airport.

         At the photo here you can see a special van purposed for transportation of window frames and glass brought all us - Jean&Jetje, Guido&Yvette - to Sofia airport 11th September 2005 .

         This moment is always sad ….  But maybe one day we will together again? YES WE BELIEVE IT !!!!

       Very often, almost everyday, I see, little different problems are arising, which must be overcome quickly – easy for us, but not for foreigners due to many reasons. Usually tourists coming here have no many days for their trip, so they need to spend only a time of pleasure. Bicyclists guided by us only enjoy the trip. So for 15 -20 days they will see almost everything interesting in this country, they will understand and feel much better our different life style in a way most tourists can not, if interesting for them of course.