They may have only been here for a short period of time, but some have done more travelling than many Bulgarians. Here is Part One of the ultimate travel guide by AUBG foreign professors.

Business Law professor Jason Levine has been in Bulgaria since September 2007. One of the very first things he did was buying a car as he loves visiting different places. Traveling is his passion – especially by train. He likes it because you can get up, walk around, have something to eat and then sit down again and just “watch the world go by.”

Levine spent his first Fall Break travelling around the country together with his wife. Among the cities they have visited so far are Sofia, Plovdiv, Melnik, Veliko Turnovo, Varna, Koprivshtitza and Sandanski. The place he enjoyed the most was Sandanski - it’s close to Blago and there are lovely spa hotels where you can relax by the pool and enjoy a lovely meal. One of the cities that he avoids visiting is Sofia - the traffic irritates him.

Journalism and Mass Communications Professor Phelps Hawkins has also been in Bulgaria since last fall. Unlike professor Levine, he hasn’t done much travelling. The main reason is that he does not own a car here. “I am dying to go to the coast. I can’t imagine being here for one year and not seeing it yet,” Hawkins said. He hopes to go during Fall Break this year.

He, however, also goes on field trips organized by History professor Evelina Kelbetcheva. The trips are mainly for students, but professors are welcome as well. The places he enjoyed the most were Boyana Church and the Sofia National History Museum. Hawkins’ father was an art history professor and that is one of the reasons why he could appreciate the “spectacular layer of frescos” to be found in the church. Sandra Earley, Hawkins’ wife and a Journalism professor herself, was fascinated by the Boyana Church. “It is magical,” she said. “The church has a tiny curved sealing and when you get inside, it’s like being in a jewel box.”

Advertising and Public Relations professor DeAnna Derosa may have only been in Bulgaria for a couple of weeks, but she’s already travelled quite a lot and hopes to continue in the future. “I like travelling more than the material things. It is an experience that nobody can take away from you,” DeRosa said. She went to Greece for a long weekend with her landlord, whom she calls her “adopted family.” He took her to Sandanski and to the Rila Monastery. DeRosa loved Sandanski for its beautiful parks and clean air and found the Rila Monastery and its surroundings amazing. “On the way there I saw the farmers selling milk and honey which I bought. There was also a lot of yoghurt. Bulgarian yoghurt is the best one in the world,” DeRosa said. Starting from Sofia and its museums, she plans to visit as many places as she can to learn more about Bulgarian culture and history.