First/Second Day, submitted by Heather Bartlett

From Heather Bartlett:
We (the Germans) would like to have our own experiences about the first/second day done so here goes: The day had finally arrived and we were on our way. Sitting in coach reminded me/us that upgrading is always a good choice especially when small children are allowed on the plane :) We landed in Germany and walked around looking for a place to get a quick breakfast. We ended up eating at McDonald's getting ready for our cultural experiences:) We also vowed not to eat there until we got back to Germany. As we eat Shirley drew the people around us. The airport was truly international. There were people everywhere speaking different languages and dressing in cultural gear. As we waited for our gate number to be posted, we shared stories and created bonds of friendship. We were discussing the tomatoes and how we were looking forward to tasting them. We had a choice when boarding the plane, from the front or back. Since I have never boarded a plane from the back before, Julie, Anne, and I boarded from the back even though we were row seven. I know no how salmon feel. As we flew, Anne showed our itinerary to a Bulgarian man. He looked at it and kept on using different adjectives to describe excellent. "This is really good!" He kept on saying. He kissed his fingers when he saw we were traveling to the Rila National Park. This made us even more excited to get there. Landing in Bulgaria, we had no problems finding our way through the airport and customs. We were greeted by Nadia, our American University contact. It was great to see a sign and a smiling face waiting for us. We knew we were in good hands. Nadia even commented about the tomatoes. The Paris flight was delayed so some of the original German flight leg went to sit on the bus. Anne and I hung around the airport with signs looking forward to greeting our delayed travelers. Karen from D.C. took her own flight out and was flying solo. We raced to find her as she exited the gate. I don't know how she felt with four people running in her direction with American University signs. It was great to meet her. As we watched the gate swing open each time a traveler arrived, we enjoyed the families waiting to greet the travelers. As the gate opened, it was like Christmas. Both the traveler and the waiters greeted each other as though they had just received the biggest gift as to see each other. It was quite touching knowing that on our journey home we will be on the travelers end greeting our loved ones. The Paris grouped arrived and we were once again a whole all 16 of us. We boarded the bus tired and weary from our travels but excited to experience Bulgaria. As we headed to the hotel in Sofia, we watched the cars traveling in every direction but the right one. The Communist bloc building displayed dreariness but the different clothes hanging from the buildings provided a sense of renewal. We arrived in the art hotel to drop off our stuff and take a walking tour of the city. At first Sophia seemed confusing, but after 30 minutes the city seemed to own us and we her. We saw the highlights of the city including the statue of wisdom (Sophia means wisdom), the Russian church, and the Alexander S. church. We then headed back for a traditional Bulgarian meal. The restaurant was in the basement of the building decorated with traditional Bulgarian patterns. The sign outside even included 3-D colorful Roma wagon. The meal was unbelievable. Everyone ordered a skopta salad and experience the excellent Bulgarian tomatoes for the first time. We were then serenaded by musicians at the restaurant. They even sang "O' Sole Mio". It was truly an international event. As we headed back to the hotel with our stomachs full, we looked forward to resting our heads and dreaming of what tomorrow may bring.