Half a dozen cates within the city

There are about half a dozen cates within the city, that are frequented by the standard of Sofia. In direction of 5 o’clock these cates are at their fullest, and by seven they’re fairly properly abandoned. A girl is seldom seen in any of them. If one seems there by probability, chances are you’ll be fairly certain she is a foreigner. The male prospects drink beer or mastic, a local beverage resembling in style a combination of brandy and absinthe; the spirit, nonetheless, is unadulterated and isn’t, I ought to say, very potent The native beer is flat and bitter, however the German beer, which is named right here prokesh, and which is manufactured within the nation by German brewers, is pretty good lager. The habitats of the cates go their time smoking, studying papers, and taking part in playing cards; however normal dialog could be very uncommon. Certainly, a stranger in these cates can not keep away from being impressed by the intense quiet and taciturnity of the purchasers. There isn’t a loud speaking, no disputing, no screaming on the prime of the voice. No one appears a lot to note who is available in or who goes out. Everyone is intent on his personal occupation, whether or not it’s studying, smoking, or card-playing. In these respects the cates of Bulgaria and of the Levant are totally in contrast to; their solely level of resemblance is that they’re each shabby, soiled, and malodorous.

There may be a great deal of card-playing on the caffs, and I consider that in the course of the Russian period excessive play used to go on continuously within the chief motels. However in so far as I might observe, the stakes performed for on the caffs within the current day will not be excessive ; and no nice pleasure is seen amidst the card-players. The video games mostly performed are bresch, cayenne, mis£re, and others of the various Continental variations of dummy whist. Billiards are performed right here, as in France, by the cannon sport; however the ingredient of luck provided by pockets is supplied for by various small ninepins being positioned within the centre of the desk. If, along with making a cannon, you hit down a number of of those ninepins, you rating so many factors in your favour in proportion to the variety of ninepins knocked down.

Nice sensation was produced by the suicide

I’m informed that although the stakes performed for could also be low, in line with English concepts, they aren’t low compared with the technique of the gamers. Whereas I used to be staying at Sofia a terrific sensation was produced by the suicide of an eminent medical man, who killed himself one high quality morning after having misplaced, on the night earlier than not solely all the cash he possessed, however 40,000 francs which he had no technique of paying.