Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
FEBRUARY 2010
Forum Login
Login Name: Create a new account
Password:     Forgot password

Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria    General Boards    My Diary by Elsa Peters  ›  FEBRUARY 2010
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 26 Guests

FEBRUARY 2010  This thread currently has 4,967 views. Print
2 Pages « 1 2 All Recommend Thread
Elsa Peters
February 16, 2010, 8:52pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Tuesday 16th February

Well have I been busy.  One grandchild...fed water and entertained for the last two days.  I thought that Princess deserved a rest after sorting out her little beauties all last term.  I have been to places on the internet such as Phun and learnt how to create and destroy all manner of things.  Fun...in the extreme sense of the word.

Whe CJ was growing up we did nothing until there was a 7 on the clock in the morning.  He reminded me of this when he came in and said that we only had 5 minutes before there was a 7 on the clock.  This took me back a few years and brought back fond memories....how quick we forget during the growing up period...

I checked out my packing and although I don't have much to take this time it seems to be full already.  The suitcase police will be here just before the taxi at a guess.  Good night for now...early to bed...early to rise...must have glucose drip available for the postman after he has delivered the birthday mail tomorrow....my special day!!
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 10 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 17, 2010, 5:43pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Wednesday 17th February

Postman delivered and looked relieved as he pushed the cards through the letter box.  Nice to be remembered!!

Went out with Princess and junior frog today to see AM and get the last minute items to bang into the travel bag.  It's packed, it's unpacked, it's packed, it's too heavy.  I'll be pleased when I'm on the plane.  At that point it's too late and we all somehow make do.

My taxi arrives at 4.00 in the morning and it will be downhill from there.  One thing I'll miss...who killed Archie...to be revealed on Friday.  Must remind Princess to text me the details

Going, going gone now.....back to the packing or I won't even be able to get my head down before the taxi arrives...lecka nosht.

Next post...BG
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 11 - 18
MikeyB
February 24, 2010, 8:45am Report to Moderator

Big Poster
Posts: 75
Gender: Male
Posts Per Day: 0.01
Location: South of the City
>>Coughs<<

It's been a week young lady since your last update!!  

I'll make up my own stories soon  
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 12 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 24, 2010, 6:15pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Wednesday 24th February

And this isn't after being chastised Mikey B.....bloody laptops and internet connections.  I'll be glad when I get down to my little Kushta and can have my own connection and not depend on the hotel....

So here we go.  Flight got in early and arrived in Sofia at approx 11.35 and caught my trusty bus for my four hour journey at the princely sum of 20 BGN (works our to about £10 there abouts.)  Now I tried using my phone and they have this new system that all PAYG have to be registered or no game play.  Now I did register mine in Kardjali in December but obviously the British Passport is not good enough but the message to tell me that I need to register was in Bulgarian so me no understand.  This left me with another problem.  I normally phone a good friend to say that my bus has arrived at the Bus Station but no phone, no friend and couldn't find a carrier pidgeon so I'm standing there with a very large travel bag but fortunately spotted the local bus, apologised for my large suitcase which he loaded in the boot.  I think it brought the average speed down to 20KPH.

Got to the hotel, money from the cash point, down to the garage next day to see which one was roadworthy so I settled for the Clio.  Had to road tax and insure it so that I was legal and phoned the men on Saturday and yes the weather was good enough for them to work.

Almost have a kitchen with full electrics in two and a half days and spent the day stripping off old plaster from the walls and now am a whiter shade of pale and about to head for the shower.....  the rest of the work is coming along fine and we have had warm weather from Greece for the last few days.  and just to confirm the border crossing is open at a town called Zlatograd and it is approx 80K to Kavala....now there's a thing and great if you fancy island hopping...

My shower calls....and I promise that I shall update regularly and put some new pickies on.

Lovely surprises today....I got three of them.  My tall builder picked me a snowdrop from the garden, my old man from next door gave me a candlestick that he had made a long time ago when he lived in Turkey and one of my female Turkish neighours tied some sheeps wool onto my bracelet heading up to the March Womens' Festival.  I must get to read up on it....welcome back.....Lecka nosht especially to you Mikey B....
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 13 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 25, 2010, 7:45pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Thursday 25th February

Picked up my men this morning, lit the fire for them, hung out my washing and made them coffee and prepared myself for a day out in Haskovo.  Little trip up the road with my mate Richard with the intention of seeing my solicitor friend of a friend so that I can get the company re-registered and my end of year tax documents for submission.  Now each year I have done this I have declared business trading as 00.00 but we still have to submit about an inch thick of documents and you have to sign each section.  Urmmm, now there's a way to waste a couple of hours and the will to live but the penalty of not doing it is around 500 BGN.  Stiff egh.  

Now the intention was to spend a couple of hours in Haskovo, have lunch and a meander around the shops but did it rain!!  Poured it down so we headed back to Kardjali, took back the D-Link that had caused me all the problems while it was still under guarantee with 10 more years to go on it and explained the issues.  Lots of smiles and nods and after signing yet more documentation we left it in the store to be returned for investigation.

Back at the house, my old next door neigbour is still supplying antique tools so that we can remove old plaster from walls ready for a new covering.  Bathroom tiles have been removed and that looks like new pipework to me...urm it is.  This could be the shower cum downstairs loo that is in progress.....don't you just love it when you see a plan coming together...

Now just re-equipped the hotel room with more tonic to go with the gin, munching on cashew nuts and about to finish off emails and jump into my little pit ready for the 8.00 pickup of my workers....Lecka nosht...tout le monde



Attachment: spring_day_1289.jpg
Size: 69.15 KB

Attachment: first_snowdrop_96.jpg
Size: 47.97 KB

Attachment: neighbour_in_his_garden_6523.jpg
Size: 119.29 KB

Attachment: man_at_work_2220.jpg
Size: 34.45 KB

Attachment: another_man_at_work_7320.jpg
Size: 66.33 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 14 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 25, 2010, 7:50pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Thursday continued...

Sorry....forgot to post the picture of the candlestick that was a present from my old man next door...that would never do.



Attachment: treasured_candle_stick_5615.jpg
Size: 17.23 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 15 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 26, 2010, 5:18am Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Friday 26th February....

Sleep would not stay after 5.15 this morning so just got Skyped up to cut down on my phone bills to UK.  Anybody out there at 3.30 UK time with the time zone difference?

This turned out to be an interesting evening.  Went round to my usual restaurant and again the only women in there were cooking and waiting on tables and it was very busy.  Who should be in there but my police support guy Oggie (if you get stopped call me and we communicate in...wait for it...French) but to date have never needed his services.  Also in there, Oggie's boss, chief of police and senior detective so now over a couple of beers I have new found friends.  It works out that the detective is the husband of the wife that I am on jovial terms who owns the shop next to the hotel and is also brother in law to the lady who cooks in the restaurant.  Complicated??  Take care in Dzebel...everyone is related to someone in some way of another....Again I was asked how old I was which seems to be the first question asked and if you mention you are a pensioner they want to know how much you make in a month.  Now my age I disclose but the other I leave well alone
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 16 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 27, 2010, 11:56pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Saturday 27th February

We all had a day off today.  I think the men are under pressure from the wives....the tobacco season cometh...so they are trying to keep the women happy including me.  That lie in I thought I would have did not happen. The inner clock dictated that I spring to life at 6.30 but I made the most of it.  Had a long shower and tidied the hotel room and then went looking for kitchen worktops....an exercise in itself.

I decided to hit Billa instead and stocked up on essentials that come in a bottle and 4 ltr cardboard boxes and I obviously mean fruit juice and tonic water   Got some really smelly cheese that you can't get in Dzebel and two for the price of one Heinz, yes I repeat, Heinz backed beans and having acquired a toaster from Richard I am having beans on toast for breakfast.  Perhaps that's why I'm wide awake at 1.30 in the morning...it's the excitement.  I'll let you know if they are real or imported seconds tomorrow
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 17 - 18
Elsa Peters
February 28, 2010, 8:06am Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Sunday 28th February

Great moon last night, beautiful morning....let's see what the rest of the day brings...catch you later...

So here is catching you later. Grabbed a coffee this morning with H and S my German friends who have just got an apartment here and I handed over my notebook to the expert to get it sorted so that it can pick up the internet from the hotel.  My laptop is ok but it's useful to have one in reserve after the problems I've encountered recently.  Good news, it's fixed and if I had read the manual I could probably have achieved it....who reads the manual I ask.

Went out for a drive today with one of my local compatriots and we had lunch in Momchilgrad at the pizza restaurant.  Now as you have gathered, some things get lost in translation and this was one of them.  This pizza was supposed to contain, cheese, ham, mushrooms and pepperami and it came with....ham, sweetcorn, red peppers and I can't say that I noticed much cheese either.  So part of the entertainment was picking out the red peppers...me no likey.  

The area around Momchilgrad is really beautiful with very high rolling hills that look stunning with the sun shining on them.  It's so different than the hard backdrop of the Greek mountains.  Part of the amusement was missing the potholes that have appeared after the snow and my friend has a phrase for most things 'This is Bulgaria' closedly followed when I hit a pothole and she shuddered on impact by 'This is my car'.

Got back to the hotel at about 4.00 this afternoon and decided that a little kip was in order and woke up about an hour ago...yes missed the night's entertainment so decided to get undressed, check out my emails and just catch up with the blog.  Now it's done....Lecka nosht...it's shut eye time.
Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 18 - 18
2 Pages « 1 2 All Recommend Thread
Print

My Diary by Elsa Peters (only location)

Thread Rating
There is currently no rating for this thread