My brother has been living in England for eight years. And at some point I realized that I had never visited him. Decided! I bought tickets in early January, again using points from the DSK – WIZZ credit card, and my plane was free. Otherwise, the ticket price was 40 leva in the direction of Varna – Gatwick. From there, however, I had to travel to Bristol, which is far away, about 3 hours away. My brother advised me to buy tickets online on Flixbus. The price – 29 leva per direction, their schedule suited the flights.
I'm leaving - Thursday February 13, 2025
I left Varna on an evening flight. Before that, I was at school, second shift. I took my classes and, to be on the safe side, I took a taxi to the airport. Varna Airport turned out to be under some kind of partial renovation, the entrance for "departures" was closed and there were no indications that we had to go through "arrivals". After 5 minutes of wandering, I and a few passengers got our bearings and stood in the queue for inspection. The length of my bag was a few cm longer than the allowable for hand luggage, but since it wasn't crowded, I passed through without a problem. And no one was checking. Naturally, at customs they stripped me naked again... I'm starting to think I'm chipped (hahaha). We entered the duty-free zone - dust everywhere, repairs, nylons... at one point I got lost and went around in circles. But there was time. Eventually, after a little wandering, I found the departure halls. One of them was very stuffy, full of people. I decided that was where I belonged, found a place to sit and called my husband. We chatted, I ate, and at one point the people started to move. It turned out that the queue was for the previous flight to Luton. I looked around, but I couldn't see anywhere which gate the flight to Gatwick was at. It turned out to be in the next hall, there were fewer people there, more space, it wasn't stuffy, but it was cold. I moved.
The flight went smoothly. Again, with small sips of water, I managed to save myself from the brutal ear pain upon landing. I passed through passport control. The girl I spoke to from the seat next to me was called into some booth for additional information… I passed through without a problem… no one would be surprised. I left with the flow of people. We walked, walked… and walked… there is no way out of this airport. I don’t know how many minutes we went up and down stairs, escalators, turns… finally I felt fresh air. I bought some water from a nearby store. My brother and I talked and it turned out that he might come to pick me up. So, instead of going down to the lower level and looking for the bus, I looked for a place to smoke. I stood next to a tall bucket, where I saw that there were many extinguished cigarette butts. It was drizzling lightly, so I ducked under the visor, trying not to smoke near anyone. The stream of people gradually thinned out and I was left alone with a few employees around and five or six passengers sitting on nearby benches.
I looked around. A colorful world. I decided to practice my English and asked an employee where the parking lot for private cars was. She began to explain to me in great detail, I thanked her… but to her surprise, I never left. My sister-in-law called, said they were coming. I offered to meet them, but she, knowing my ability to get lost, firmly said: “Stay where you are, we will find you”! I was fine. I remembered that we had a long way to go and decided to look for a toilet. It was already around midnight. I approached a man (Indian or Arab, I’m not sure) sitting on a nearby bench and very politely asked him: “Excuse me, where are you from?”, at which he looked at me with wide eyes and repeated in bewilderment “bedroom”? "Yes," I nod affirmatively and the next second I feel like I'm asking the man with my brilliant pronunciation where the bedroom is... "Bathroom, Elaine... it's called bathroom." At the risk of making a mistake again, curling my tongue between my teeth, I say "The toilet." He smiled condescendingly and pointed at me. Now - I know the meaning of both words, but apparently my tongue didn't find the right direction in the space between my teeth... The important thing is that I solved my problem. I went back under the visor next to the basket and lit a second cigarette, enjoying what awaited me. I didn't even feel like sleeping.
At one point I look, my people are coming. Martincho (the nephew, 8 years old) and his mother are walking and sleeping, my brother is a bit fresher. The poop is gone. Naturally. An 18-year-old girl is not going to rush to meet her aunt in the middle of the night. Niki is grinning at me from afar, which is no coincidence. Hugs, kisses and my brother is nagging me: "Can you just stand under the "No smoking" sign to smoke!?" I look and grin stupidly. The sign is up high, no one noticed me, and there were a lot of cigarette butts on the trash can...
The weather was nice. On the way we stopped at a gas station for a very short rest and arrived safely around 2:30. The sky was clear, there was a moon and plus the street lights I was able to look around. Small, detached houses in a remote neighborhood next to the forest. Clean, cozy and peaceful. We stretched out the sofa in the living room, took a quick shower and everyone was in bed.
Bristol is a city in southwest England, known for its rich maritime history, industrial past and vibrant cultural scene. It is located on the River Avon and is one of the largest cities in the region. The city has been an important maritime and trading centre since the Middle Ages. Bristol is associated with the Age of Discovery - it was the starting point for explorer John Cabot. In modern times, it is known for its shipbuilding and aviation sectors. The main attractions of the city are: Clifton Suspension Bridge – a suspension bridge over the Avon Gorge, designed by the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century, a symbol of engineering genius and one of the most recognizable images of Bristol. The bridge offers stunning views of the gorge and the city, has a pedestrian walkway and free access. The bridge was not completed during Brunel's lifetime - it was opened in 1864, 5 years after his death.
The harbor area or Harbourside – an old industrial part of Bristol, transformed into a modern cultural and tourist area. There you can see M Shed — a museum that tells the history of the city through interactive exhibitions, We The Curious — a science center with experiments and a planetarium, great for children and adults. There are ferries and cafes on the canal, street artists, musicians, bars and street food… A place that lives — combines history with modern culture.
SS Great Britain – this is an iron steamship, also designed by Brunel — one of the most innovative ships of its time. Launched in 1843, the iron steamship was the largest passenger ship in the world. It was used for trips to Australia and to transport soldiers. Today it is a museum ship, where you can climb aboard, enter the cabins, the engine room and even go below the waterline.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – Free museum with a rich collection – from Egyptian mummies and dinosaurs to modern art. Magnificent Edwardian-style building with permanent and temporary exhibitions. They often show works by Banksy.
© 2025 Iliana Dechkova