Sunday, May 17, 2026
Route: Skopje, North Macedonia → Stob Earth Pyramids → Rila Monastery → Sofia, Bulgaria

The day began with church, which sounds peaceful.

It was not immediately peaceful.

We were still in Skopje and headed to the Skopje Ward. Everything was going fine until we got close to the building and discovered that police had blocked the road one street away.

Daniel was driving. I was navigating, which means I was holding the phone and trying to sound more confident than I felt.

“Can we go around?” Daniel asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Probably.”

Probably is a dangerous word.

We took a 10-minute detour, looped around, and came back to find that the police block had disappeared. Either the situation had resolved itself, or Skopje had decided to test our commitment to church attendance.

Church Parking Gymnastics

Then came the parking.

The street in front of the church had public parking, but it was narrow. Very narrow. Cars were parked on both sides, and one car had its wheel turned out just enough to make the space feel designed by someone who enjoyed rental-car anxiety.

Daniel eased the car in. There was a small bump.

Not damage. Not a crash. Just tire-to-tire contact because the wheel was sticking out. It was less an accident and more a mechanical handshake.

“That was close,” I said.

Daniel looked at the gap.

“It still is.”

Church itself was wonderful. The Skopje Ward was friendly and excited to have visitors. There were so many people that they actually ran out of sacrament water and had to refill it, which is one of those small church moments that makes everything feel human and real.

Unfortunately, part of me spent the meeting imagining passing cars shaving paint off our tightly parked vehicle.

After church, Daniel had to get the car out.

This was worse than getting it in.

I stood outside guiding him while he performed slow-motion automotive surgery. There were maybe two centimeters on either side.

“How much room?” he asked.

“Emotionally? None.”

It took about 10 minutes, but he got out without scratches. Daniel deserved a medal, or at least a parking certificate.

Then we headed toward Bulgaria.

The Stob Pyramids and a Goat Trail

Our first stop was the Stob Earth Pyramids near the Rila Mountains. These are natural sandstone and conglomerate formations, tall earthy pinnacles with some rocks balanced on top like little hats. They look like nature got bored and started sculpting towers out of dirt.

The GPS, however, did not bring us to the proper trailhead.

It brought us to what I will politely call the agricultural entrance.

There was a goat trail.

There was goat poop.

There was the kind of path that makes you wonder whether your phone is navigating or pranking you.

Eventually, the goat-poop trail connected to the real trail, and we climbed up toward the pyramids. The hike was short but steep enough to get the heart rate going. The formations were surprisingly impressive, especially with the ridge views and the strange shapes below us.

Daniel was impressed.

“Nature can do beautiful things,” he said.

“Yes,” I said. “And Google can do confusing things.”

Rila Monastery

From there we continued to Rila Monastery, one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural and religious sites. Its roots go back over a thousand years to St. Ivan of Rila, though much of the current complex was rebuilt in the 19th century. The oldest major structure still standing is Hrelyo’s Tower, from the 14th century.

We paid for parking and walked into the courtyard. The monastery is spectacular: striped arches, bold patterns, colorful frescoes, and mountain backdrop. It feels both grand and deeply Bulgarian, as if the whole building is wearing its history on the outside.

Daniel noticed the age difference.

“So the monastery is over a thousand years old, but much of the building is newer?”

“Ancient roots, newer walls,” I said.

“That sounds like most of us.”

Fair.

We continued to Sofia and checked into a vacation rental. The neighborhood felt rough, communication was difficult, and once we carried our bags upstairs and looked around, both of us quietly reached the same conclusion.

This might not be our place.

We left our things there for the moment and went into Sofia. We saw Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the city’s major landmarks, then found a fancy Italian restaurant called Unica near the Russian Church area. The pasta was excellent, the portions small, and the waiter asked whether we wanted our water chilled or room temperature.

I looked at Daniel.

“We have officially entered sophisticated society.”

“Try not to mention the goat poop trail,” he said.

A Sofia Hotel Upgrade

After dinner, Daniel noticed the InterContinental Sofia facing the cathedral.

“We should stay there.”

I laughed.

Then he checked the rate.

Suddenly the idea became reasonable.

We booked it, returned to the first place, collected almost everything, and checked into the InterContinental.

Almost everything.

Daniel left his toiletry bag behind.

The hotel provided a toothbrush kit, saving civilization.

By then it was late, and we also discovered Bulgaria was one hour ahead. Nothing like accidentally losing an hour to make you question adulthood.

It was not a simple Sunday.

But it was a very good one.