Wednesday 1st July

Into the new month and le't see what joys this will bring.  Thankfully I am feeling better today and the dreaded lurgy seems to be lifting.  It's early yet.  I'm waiting for Mrs Kitty to return to her three new kittens born on Monday.  She decided to take time out from the little beauties but is already getting chased by the ginger tom so decided that feeding and hiding in her'nest' is a much better option.  She has safely returned.

More to follow later...I'm just going to unload the wood from the beast and see what I fancy doing for the rest of the day.  Well I unloaded it and decided that I was going to do nothing for the rest of the day.  The thunder started to roll and since the four dogs have a tendency to freak and Suzi was out playing for the day, I dog sat in the house.

Wednesday continued....

Now I have the photos from Suzi's camera that I promised at the end of last month.  It took a while to get them off...as I said the health on the hill has not been in top form but here we go.

The first few are of the evening bash in aid of the local party due to go for elections this month.  About 150 women gathered at the local school all paid for by the candidate.  Music, dancing and food and only the two Anglachankers present, yes Suzi and myself and we seem to get invited now as a matter of course.

Wednesday continued yet again....

These are the photos of my hospital visit again promised and only just fulfulled.  Pepe is the translator, Suzi the photographer and me.....I'm only the patient but the specialists at least found it funny that it took three of us.  Pepe to translate into a mixture of Bulgarian and Greek to Suzi who converted it to English.  I'm just confused by the whole thing and feel like....well you can guess how I felt.

Thursday 2nd July

I was going into Kardjali today but instead ended up in Dzebel at my garage.  I had a problem with the Plugs and eventually we sorted it out speaking in Spanish of all things.  Just keep trying all the languages you know and there has to be one means of communication.  It turned out that he had worked there about four years ago and I dread to think how long it has been since I was using it regularly but we remembered the 'palabras' (words) and we got there in the end.

Walking along the main street on my way to the chemist for some more tablets to clear this 'bugly' I met my local KMET or village representative.  I had only met him once before when I had to go and get my documents for my electricity but he recognised me, I looked at him and eventually put him into place.  We tried to talk to each other but he didn't speak any English at all and my Bulgarian seemed to become more restricted the harder I tried.  Eventually he took me by the hand and we went into his office and 'dug out' a lady with limited English but I now have an appointment with both of them at 10.00 tomorrow morning.  It all started when I tried to ask him if he knew the address of my house in Dushinkovo so that I would be able to put in on my mail.  Not like England....what exactly is my postal address??  Here if it's not written exactly you don't get it.  They don't mess around.  Tomorrow all will be revealed.

And then yes, I drove home in a thunderstorm.  It's cleared now but the joke is wearing a bit thin especially when you are all enjoying a heat wave and you shouldn't be because it is Wimbledon.

Early night for me.  I haven't had an afternoon nap today so early to bed, etc. and head into a good book before I rest my weary head and the rest of me.  Lecka Nosht.

Friday 3rd July

I was there at the appointed hour, in the right place and the right time. When I asked the security guard in my Bulgarian replied in English that it was OK for me to go the office.  

I went to the office and was informed in a mixture of German and Bulgarian that the KMET wouldn't be there for another 25 minutes.  So I went for a coffee.  On my way back the security guard was standing taking the sun outside of the building and I jokingly said that in England, ten o'clock is ten o'clock and he asked me if I was on English time.  He obviously didn't get my meaning first time round and then I said it again and added that in Bulgaria ten o'clock might me ten thirty, two thirty or maybe not even that day.  The he got the joke.

The KMET did arrive at the newly arranged time and then said that he had got to go to Kardjali and could we make a new appointment.  I said that it was not that important and for him to enjoy his day.  I decided that it would be better to leave my card with my telephone numbers on in his office in Dushinkovo and we could take it from there.  It was too hot to get bogged down in detail.

From there I went to the house and did a bit more measuring and then decided that it was too hot in my present state of health to get anymore sun so went back to the caravan and read my book until I felt it was time for an afternoon nap.

Just finished supper, washed up, about to have a shower and wash my hair and an early nght for me again.  These new tablets seem to knock me out.

Saturday 4th July

And yet another thunderstorm so the hoover had to be put away for another day.  We switched the electrics off completely but suddenly there was a loud bang and the light switch hummed and it wasn't a tune that we recognised!!  It hailed so much that we couldn't see the Greek mountains at all and various pieces of garden furniture found themselves relocated.  They have now been returned to their alloted positions.

There is a buzz in the village.  It is the local elections tomorrow and there is excitement in the camp.  It is reported that there are going to be several coachloads of 'out of towners' who are coming to put their crosses in the appropriate boxes.  I think it will be good to be down there with a camera to snap the happy scene.

The air has cleared.  The temperature has dropped and let's hope for a better day tomorrow, weatherwise.

HI,

We have just read your blog, just had an indian in the garden. not a real one.

Hope you feel better soon.  Lecka Nosht


Angela

Sunday 5th July

Today I woke up and felt better than I have for the last few days. I think this bugly has at last decided to move on and about time to.

Election day.  The local KMET's office was the designated polling station and we were invited in to have a look at how it was done.  People had come from all around including Turkey.  Not so very long ago, this group of Bulgarian / Turkish or Turkish / Bulgarians were not recognised and had to use Bulgarian names.  They have only just got back their rights and their party is to signify this fact.  They come to vote so that they have a representative in government to maintain their rights.  

It was very somber in the hall with some very serious official faces looking back at us.  There was another room separated by a curtain where the votes were cast.  Unfortunately there was a worry that some of the older people wouldn't understand the procedure and there were a few spoilt papers so we hear.  We ended up at the local cafe and watched the procedings from there.  The locals have come a long way in a short space of time.

This afternoon I decided that I would get my tools out and cut the pieces for the table that I'm making for the kitchen that I shall have one day soon.   It's all done but looks nothing like those you buy ready to assemble from B & Q.  No instructions and my woodworking skills were learned a long time ago so I'm dredging the memory banks.  I did purchase one of the local hammer/axes and today learnt how to use it.  Felt quite proud of myself and now I have an old barrel that the locals used to salt meat, etc and it is now ready to have a circular wooden top.  It is going to be a hall table, that's when I have a hall.  Well it's as well to be prepared for that eventful day.

No thunderstorms today.....yet....and it looks like being a lovely night just to sit and watch the sun go down.  And it was.  The moon is full, golden with a hint of peach in a black velvet sky.

Monday 6th July

Today was a day for documents.  Documents here are so complicated that even the locals do not know their way through the system.  Today's task if I chose to accept it was to pay the local tax on my car.  I had already paid the Ecotax when it was registered and I thought it could be done in Kirkovo but no it had to be carried out in Kardjali.  So off I go down to the motel to meet Manev who was going to take me through the different offices that we needed to go to and on the way I teach him English and he teaches me Bulgarian.  It passes the time on the way to Kardjali.  So when we get there we go to one office that calculates the tax and I pay over about 25BGN which is far less that I was lead to believe and I'm feeling OK. Manev then decides that I need a 'residencia' so that the car can be registered to me in Dushinkovo and not to the company but this proves more difficult that enough.  We make our way to the Post Bank and I hand over the tax while they take copies of what seems to be every document that I possess.  The passport is not deemed to be adequate and the only thing that I have with a picture and my full name is my....wait for it.....my Brighton bus pass and hey it did the job.

Unfortunately I still have to go back on Wednesday to complete this part of the task.  This is Bulgaria for you.  Just when you think you are almost there...hey presto.....there is another tax to pay.  

I got back to the ranch to see Suzi finishing painting the bathroom, we've just eaten, I'm on the Ariana beer tonight and I'm hoping that I sleep better than last night.  I went to bed at about 10.30 and at 11.00 I was lying there so decided to get my head into a book and still there at approximately 2.00 this morning.  Let's just hope for a better night.

Guess what...just for a change it thundered, lightened and rained.....just for a change......

Glad you're feeling a little better EP  

Also good to see more regular updates too! Any news on the builders being set free by their wives yet to start on the house?

M xxx