Bulgaria Away - 6th June 2009

**JT,New'09** · 03/06/2009, 1:01 PM

Originally Posted by gufct

Were flying to Gatwick in 6 hours yahhhhhhooooooooooo.Then the Easyjet early flight 6.40am to Sofia roll on 5 pm.

Are you all planning on sitting in the gar in gatwick all night !! u will be all on a mad one !

sorry meant BAR not gar !

**NeilMcD** · 03/06/2009, 1:34 PM

Have you ever sat on Gar all night.

**Paddser** · 03/06/2009, 2:19 PM

Saw this map posted over on YBIG. It has the Sveta, Rodina and Radisson Hotels marked off, and then all the Irish Bars. Might be handy to print off and point to when you get bamboozled trying to read the signposts!

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF...7466&z=15&pw=2

**NeilMcD** · 03/06/2009, 2:57 PM

Fair play Paddser, just a comment for anybody that the map when printed out needs to have a key with it so you can match the Post with the name of the hotel or bar.

**Paddser** · 03/06/2009, 3:02 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Fair play Paddser, just a comment for anybody that the map when printed out needs to have a key with it so you can match the Post with the name of the hotel or bar.

Yea i just scribbled in a 1-8 beside each marker and wrote it down the bottom.

Very Junior Cert geography-esque

**paul_oshea** · 03/06/2009, 3:23 PM

how can you colour co-ordinate the arrow thingies i know it can be done as ive seen it before....?!

**eaststand85** · 03/06/2009, 3:25 PM

Originally Posted by HarpoJoyce

That's known as Yuzhen park aswell. Is there anything special arranged for there on the Saturday? Whatever about organised meetings, alot of locals will be hanging out around the city centre on Batenburg. Its where the yellow cobbled stones are on the top of Bul. Osvoboditel. There's alot of fountains and chill out areas. You may have to tolerate some skateboarders around there aswell though. Also heard that an outdoor bar is set-up there in the summer.

Harpo, which end of the Bul. Osvoboditel is Batenburg, couldn't find it on Google Map. Is it North end or South towards the stadium? Sounds like a good central meeting point for Friday?

Also, anyone hear anything more about the possible fan zone for Saturday mentioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs in their Travel Advice (as below)?

"As Sofia has quite a small city centre, the local Municipality are considering setting up a �fanzone� area for the Irish fans on the day of the match. Although this has not been confirmed yet, the probable location of the �fanzone� is marked below."

Fanzone.JPG

**Sligo Hornet** · 03/06/2009, 3:31 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

how can you colour co-ordinate the arrow thingies i know it can be done as ive seen it before....?!

With coloured felt pens

**paul_oshea** · 03/06/2009, 3:33 PM

Originally Posted by Sligo Hornet

With coloured felt pens

Less of your cheek, and less of your mexican waves as well unlike down in the hammersmith end last week, where i spotted ye as chief instigator.

**NeilMcD** · 03/06/2009, 3:34 PM

Originally Posted by eaststand85

Harpo, which end of the Bul. Osvoboditel is Batenburg, couldn't find it on Google Map. Is it North end or South towards the stadium? Sounds like a good central meeting point for Friday?

Also, anyone hear anything more about the possible fan zone for Saturday mentioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs in their Travel Advice (as below)?

"As Sofia has quite a small city centre, the local Municipality are considering setting up a �fanzone� area for the Irish fans on the day of the match. Although this has not been confirmed yet, the probable location of the �fanzone� is marked below."

Fanzone.JPG

The fan zone appears to be just outside the stadium. The walk from city centre to the ground most be one of the easiest, after Cardiff. A straight walk basically from where we will all be drinking. Cant wait for the trip now. Should be a great one. Just about to leave work now. Not too early flight tomorrow but its going to be a long day travelling but should be great.

6 pairs of boxers or 5 lads thats the decision.

**Paddser** · 03/06/2009, 3:38 PM

Originally Posted by Sligo Hornet

With coloured felt pens

**eaststand85** · 03/06/2009, 3:38 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

The fan zone appears to be just outside the stadium. The walk from city centre to the ground most be one of the easiest, after Cardiff. A straight walk basically from where we will all be drinking. Cant wait for the trip now. Should be a great one. Just about to leave work now. Not too early flight tomorrow but its going to be a long day travelling but should be great.

6 pairs of boxers or 5 lads thats the decision.

So they've confirmed there will be one? Not that pushed really but handy to know.

Go with the 6 pairs Neil, 29 degrees and �1 pints after all!!!

**NeilMcD** · 03/06/2009, 5:21 PM

Originally Posted by eaststand85

So they've confirmed there will be one? Not that pushed really but handy to know.

Go with the 6 pairs Neil, 29 degrees and �1 pints after all!!!

No I am not confirming one just from your map with the circle is near the ground. I went with the 7 pairs in the end.

**HarpoJoyce** · 03/06/2009, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by eaststand85

Harpo, which end of the Bul. Osvoboditel is Batenburg, couldn't find it on Google Map. Is it North end or South towards the stadium? Sounds like a good central meeting point for Friday?

Also, anyone hear anything more about the possible fan zone for Saturday mentioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs in their Travel Advice (as below)?

"As Sofia has quite a small city centre, the local Municipality are considering setting up a �fanzone� area for the Irish fans on the day of the match. Although this has not been confirmed yet, the probable location of the �fanzone� is marked below."

Fanzone.JPG

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/bulgaria/sofia/
The map above, City Garden/Bul Osvoboditel/Ploshtad Battenburg are in the centre. Stadium is bottom right and the beginning of Yushen Park/ Nat. Palace of Cuture (NDK) bottom left. The NDK is a specific place within the park also. The further south you go in this park the more wild and intimate it gets. This park and the one surrounding the stadium (Borisova Gradina/Park Na Sobodata(?)) are both apparently chill out areas in the evening.

As NeilMcD and others suggest, everything appears to be 15 minute walk from everywhere else (give it a little longer for the heat.)

The City Garden may be more flower beds than green lawn to stretch out on but around there there are a few fountains and wide spaces, but these may be considered too fragmented for huge groups.

That 'fan area' does include an open area with plenty of room for overspill.

I'm bringing bug spray with me aswell.