Gentler start to the day today. My team-mates wanted to attempt the pole in Serbia that we skipped the day before but I decided to stick with the plan hanging about in Sofia for the day. Caught up on work before heading out to see a friend’s family and their new baby daughter! She is jsut a few weeks old but i was so happy to be able to share a Naina doll with/for her! Cant ever be too young to learn about @inclusiveduniya though given the warm welcome I received from her parents, she will be learning those values at home well enough! As someone who cherishes active engagement with the local community, this experience made me feel included and welcomed.

After a great coffee and chat, armed with a local’s suggestions, I started my walkabout the city, its cathedrals, university, museums and parks. A great reminder of everything that is sunny, bright and beautiful about European summers.

Walking about I passed the Museum of Illusions. Had seen one in Dibrovnik too! Interesting how a place where the boundaries of perception blur, and illusions merge with scientific inventions and artistic wonders, with little or no connection to the local place, ends up being such a tourist attraction! What makes a potentially disorienting experience so interesting?

Learnt autistic folk perceive and interpret optical illusions differently than neurotypical individuals. Their unique sensory processing and cognitive patterns can shape their perception of depth, movement, and visual stimuli, creating a distinct experience of these captivating illusions.

Studies have shown that the brains process illusory shapes differently, revealing unique processing pathways due to autism