Sunday 13th September

What a lovely day.  What started out as being a coffee and cake afternoon to celebrate Angela's birthday turned into a red wine and Indian takeaway by the warmth and light of a new chiminea.  The air was cooling and I spotted the new birthday present so we set about sorting wood and instructed John to get out the saw and start getting bigger stuff together.  This was achieved and we all came over with this toasty feeling that you get when the air is cool but the body is warm.  It could have been credited to the red wine but I like to belive it was the warmth from the stove.

It is also a big weekend for her.  She has just retired after spending twenty eight years with the same company so is feeling unsure of how her life is going to pan out.  She's going to Ireland for a few days and would be coming to Bulgaria but being civilised, she requires full toilet and shower facilities, both of which are yet to be established in my abodes.  

I changed my Easy Jet booking to include a hold bag instead of my usual rucksack and did shopping for my car angel.  You just can't get cigarette papers and Araldite in BG!!  Also required were a couple of Landrover magazines that he just couldn't live without.

Monday 14th September

Got up from my Pit nice and early and the washing machine is already going.  Princess just dropped in signed Peter James through the letterbox but I don't believe any lasting damage was done.

It's going to be a 'Do I need' and 'Do I need to buy' day.  I can tell already and it's not even 9.00.  Of course I now realise that the chiminea has it's downside.  My sweatshirt smells of wood smoke as does my hair.  Both need attending to.

What a good day it turned out to be.  I got all the things that I intended buying and more so tomorrow is a 'let's see it it fits' day which is better than still trying to source thank you gifts.

I found a rather good Australian liquor wine today in Asda and it is really mellow going down.  I'm not sure if it will survive for tomorrow but there again, I have booked the taxi for Wednesday morning for 4.30 so I shall certainly need my wits about me for then so I might as well drink it all tonight.

Lecka nosht!!

Elsa,hi,hope you are well,sorry we missed,always another day i feel,good luck with all talk again soon,bye for now.

Monday 14th September, PM

Well hello John D and I hope you are fully recovered.  I was up your neck of the woods last weekend but having full control, or close to full control of the children while my son and his wife tripped the life fantastic.  And to the Noodle Bar in Greenwich for late lunch early supper.  We will catch up one of these days!!

Peter James has answered one of my tweets about the black cap and the debacle I left in the back room at the Lewes Courts open day,  He has a very busy life, does loads for charity and has so much stamina.  Mine's waning tonight and since I've said Lecka Nosht once tonight I'll follow it up with 'Goodnight' for those that don't understand Bulgarian.....

Tuesday 15th September

Well I had panics this morning and had to check the flight details.  I somehow got mixed up between the 15th and 16th and yes, it is for tomorrow.  Phewwww and now I must check that it is my passport and not CJ's.

I'm off to B&Q for last minute things that it is difficult to source in BG.  Yes they are there but it's finding the local equivalent.  

Well that's it.  What is forgotten is forgotten and can be purchased out there......Now it's a trip to say farewell to Princess, CJ and her hubbie and I think it is likely to be fish and chips for supper with lashings of vinegar.  It just has to be done.

Updates may be a bit scarce at first so please forgive me.  I promise to start loading pickies of the abodes as the work progresses.

Saturday 19th September

I am on the Internet at long last and can now at least post an update.

The flight was delayed because the booking in system had collapsed at Gatwick but the Easy Jet staff worked relentlessly to move the backlog.  One poor man must have been hoarse shouting for check in queues to move to the next desk and our queue was decreased leaving only the Sofia subjects waiting for check in.

The house had had a flood while we had been away and the Water board has been called out.  I’m not sure if evil was at work or not but it was OK when I left.  Yes it was my fault!!  I should have checked that it was switched off at the clock box but I left in such a panic with my head only half screwed on…..such is the aging process and the result of labrynthitus.

I had a good day at the house but I have a problem with my neighbours.  They keep providing me with food!!  Now they don’t get fat and I’ve told them no more.  Otherwise I shall be a chunky monkey.

We’ve found a super close restaurant where four beers, cheesy chips, local salad and a meat dish are served for approximately eight / nine pounds and delicious to boot.  Sunday tomorrow…day of rest but not if I have anything to do with it.  We’ve got to make the place so that we can leave things there.  I am tired of having my wheelbarrow and workmate in the back of the beast.

Lega nosht….I am tired but calm and ready to put my weary head on my pillow.

Sunday 20th September

Got up from my illustrious pit really early and cleaned out the beast.  We had packed the tools in darkness by the light, or so they call it, of Cooper's  wind-up lamps.  I think we used more energy winding the things than was ever converted to a light source.

Breakfast this morning is going to be the same as every other morning.  Banitsas which are made out of soft cheese and filo pastry and local coffee.  This ensures that the body feels sufficiently full until my local food army arrive with lots of pastries and jam to dip them in.  Once more, off to face the foe!!!!

I'll update at the end of what could be a long day.

A-ha my bedtime stories have started again i'm glad to see  

Life's better with pictures!  

greetings from the broomes...all organised for next wednesday 30th september..funeral is at st lukes  at 1.30pm..look forward to seeing you ..lots love linz xx

Tuesday 22nd September

As you can gather from the previous message, unfortunately my brother in law passed away unexpectedly a couple of days ago.  Princess let me know and now I am frantically making plans to go back to the UK for the funeral.  Sorry Mikey B...looks like you will have to find some other bedtime reading....I'm sure you have some lying around.

What a day today.  We took the beast to Momchilgrad so that we could go and see the electricity board to get the connection to the house sorted.  It was a holiday and the square was shut off with lots of kiddie rides etc.  I then went to see the house up with the eagles and found an old portable fire of the pre-everything vintage and then to the wood yard for more supplies.  I think Alli my woodman thinks that all his dreams have just come true and now I am the proud owner of a splendid table but as to yet no chairs or a bench.  That is on the agenda for tomorrow.  Today was the first day that no one arrived clutching a tray of food that had to be eaten before they departed.  Yesterday we had a hot cake but it tasted much better cold.  Tonight we went to our usual restaurant and had speciality of the house along with a dish of chicken livers and one of pork with salad and cheesy chips washed down with beer.  Total cost of the meal.....approximately £7.50....and you wouldn't grumble at that.  That's only the beers sorted in England.  And now to bed.....Leka nosht ...