Enjoyed Bulgaria

I was in Bulgaria and, briefly, Romania for ten days and nine nights during the last half of May 2016. I joined a week-long tour but first spent two days in Sofia, adjusting to the time zone and also going on a day tour to Rila. Half of my trip was in the Rhodope Mountains and half in the Black Sea coastal area and countryside.

Bulgaria was enjoyable — in parts like time travel to horse-and-cart days — and inexpensive. Sofia was modern, but there was lots of traffic. Rila was wonderful. The Rhodope Mountains, located near the border of Greece, are a very scenic part of the country. 

I was on a bird-and-nature trip with Limosa (www.limosaholidays.co.uk), a British-based birding-tour company, so I saw lots of nontourist areas. Most of those on the Limosa tour were, like me, a little older and slower.

I flew Turkish Airlines. In economy class on the plane, we had real silverware, warm-towel service and fresh-squeezed lemonade and orange juice. 

DAVID SMITH

Bend, OR