Having spent the two previous nights in hotels where only Bulgarian was spoken, it was a delight to be greeted by Krasimir and Maria, the owners of the Hotel Rahoff. Passport details were taken, we were introduced to the hotel’s facilities, and asked whether we would like pork, fish or chicken for dinner which was included on the first of our two nights. We were then shown up to the first floor and room 11, one of 35 in the hotel, at the top of an open staircase. Each wooden step had individual mats which were not fixed and so we walked extremely carefully.
The good-size room had a double bed, duvet and two pillows each. There were bedside tables, lights and charging points, a TV, chest of drawers and wardrobe with slippers. Stripey mats covering the wooden and tiled floor gave it a homely feel. There was a mini bar, but no tea and coffee making facilities. Our balcony, with two chairs, provided mountain views.
The bathroom had a wet-room style shower, but as the curtain incorporated the loo as well, it got wet and had to be wiped down. However, the water was hot and powerful, there was a small cabinet with complimentary toiletries and a hairdryer which could be plugged in near a mirror in the bedroom.
On the ground floor was a cosy communal area with various sofas, a piano and an honesty fridge with beers and soft drinks. The hotel’s main business is during the ski season, and it was easy to see how inviting it would be when the fire was lit on a cold day.
Dinner was served in the basement restaurant where there were several large communal tables, lots of object d’art, a fireplace and a small bar. Places were laid for us at a big oval table and we were asked if we would like wine: Krasimir’s home-made red, or bottled white from the supermarket, and opting for the former, two large glasses were poured from a decorative pewter jug. Our starter was a plate with slices of cucumber, and beef tomato with pesto, black olives, feta cheese and a roasted red pepper. Dressed with oil and vinegar, it was delicious, especially with a basket of brown bread to mop up the lovely juices. This was followed by a large pork steak, with chips and a red apple sauce on the side. We had a second glass of the red, and two scoops of ice cream, followed by Krasimir’s home-made 40% proof raki, served from an oak barrel in a ¼ litre jug with two shot glasses. As there were only two other guests who finished before us, both Krasimir and Maria ate their meal near us and during our chat, we learned Krasimir was a member of the Bulgarian National Ski Team in his youth.
At our pre-arranged 8am breakfast, our table was laid with a plate of cucumber slices, two types of tomatoes, various meats and cheeses, a basket of brown and white bread with jam, and a plate of assorted melon. A heated cabinet on the table kept two pancakes, and two pastries warm whilst on the side were yoghurt and cereals, jugs of three types of juice, and a coffee machine. It was already a feast until Krasimir brought out two fried and two hardboiled eggs. The following day there were more guests, and breakfast was served buffet style, which suited us better as there was less waste.
On our second night we ate out and on arrival back, ventured into the restaurant to arrange a slightly later breakfast. We found a large group of Spanish guests who were just about to begin dancing to celebrate the National Day of Catalonia, before learning traditional Bulgarian moves. It looked very entertaining, and we sat with a glass of Krasimir’s home-made red, and watched. Eventually Krasimir and Maria came and ate their dinner with us, insisting we try a small portion of their moussaka.
The following day, our bill for one beer, six glasses of red and the raki came to 46 Lev or £20.10 and just as we were leaving, Maria presented us with a pack of warm home-made biscuits for our train journey. They were truly exceptional hosts.