Late afternoon trip to the heart of downtown Sofia to stock up on mineral water at the public faucets currently located across the street from the Central Bath, a building that has been “under renovation” for as long as I can remember, and, aside from the front facade, fallen into apparent disuse and decay. During the 1990’s the faucets continuously spouting the same naturally hot mineral water that used to supply the Central Bath were located in front of the building, behind the Turkish mosque (see photos below). I didn’t think to photograph the newer fountains/faucets, so busy was I filling up miscellaneous plastic bottles. This water is free to taxpayers, but mineral water is also big business here. Even so, according to Asen Lichev, head of the Water Directorate at the Environment Ministry, as of last April, 60 "of the 102 mineral water springs in Bulgaria...are not being utilized by the state or private concessionaires" and will be turned over to local municipalities over the course of the next quarter-century.
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