Sunday 2nd May
What a scorcher...but since the house is stone it is very pleasant.  I've sorted out the rooms so that the lounge is available for the next stage.  The outside wall is going to be removed and two columns and two very large windows and a door are going in.  This will give a wonderful view of the mountains and it will be the same set up as in south facing bedroom.

I tested out the hoover with the cement dust and yes, it picks it up but boy do I have to keep emptying the bag.  Probably not very good for the filters either but it does say that you can wash them out so that's on the list for tomorrow.  It's beginning to feel more like a house and less like a building site.  Just a few adjustments.

I planted some tobacco seeds yesterday, but not the sort that they plant round here.  Mine are the Mexican sweet smelling variety  and yes, you probably could smoke them but not having tried it for about 40 years, I don't think I'll start now.  So when they ask if I am growing tobacco I shall be able to answer yes.  I've also got Busy Lizzies and some everlasting flowers to get in and the veg can wait for this year....there seems to be plenty on offer.  Enough, I want to catch the last of the sun...

Tuesday 4th May

True Bulgarian form I was expecting to meet the previous, previous owner of the Clio to have it transferred over to my name this morning at 10.00 in the cafe....and it was a no show so instead I decided that my mission would be to pay the taxes for my house.  This was achieved and for the year I have just shelled out the princely sum of 52.19 Bulgarian Leva.  Now roughly translated that's about £25 so now I am legal once more.

My second task that became more difficult was to get a post office box.  Living in the village mail doesn't get delivered but after having someone write down my request....nyama clutch....we have no keys so with a quick 'postley' or later it is now on the back burner.

Now I'm saying this not too loudly....my man is working on my electrics in the kitchen and before the end of the day I should be up and running which will save us both tripping over extension leads.....I'll keep you updated...

Wednesday 5th May

Just to let you know that I might be going off line for a couple of days.  I am transferring over to a different server and this could mean that normal service might take a while to get going.  Never fear...it is all backed up.

Today was a good day...that man with the screwdriver has provided me with electricity in the kitchen (sockets and lights), bathroom and hallway and I even have an outside light.  The lady from Evian said yes and he came round this afternoon to fix the cable from the pole to the house and then it was plain sailing from then on.

I was quite surprised today...I had guests....and it was the daughter from the man that I bought the house from.  Now there were tears and I was unsure if it was because I had done all manner of things or that she was just reliving old time memories and I like to think it was the latter.

She came with her husband, daughter from Turkey to visit her uncle and insisted that we had photographs so I gave her my card so that they could look at the website to see all the improvements and the stages of development.  I read back through it the other day and there are things that even I had forgotten being so close to the project.  Internet is playing up…I’m writing this in word and am going to try to upload now…LN…post pickies tomorrow,,

Friday 7th May

So yesterday I couldn't get into my site and thought it had been removed ready for the transfer over to my new server....wrong...today I can get in so I'm awaiting Pickfords for the move.  I might even host it on elsapeters.co.uk as a temporary measure but I'm just waiting for someone to let me know what is happening....

Timbo phoned today and said that they had good news that Evie P has got into the school that they wanted for her.  Unfortunately the uniform isn't pink but the education standards seem to be above par.  England and schooling seems to be a problem.  CJ has his plaster removed from the arm damaged when he decided to try the swimming pool with no water next week and everyone is OK at home.
House updates.....my hot water boiler is installed and electricity functional in the house.  I did test out the trip switch today when I ran over the cable while I was planing the wood for the kitchen.  Trip switch worked and my lovely Bekir, my meister, renewed the cable and I was off again in no time at all.  Nothing like having a man around the place who repairs things immediately without a 'put it on the list' or a 'why can't you be more careful'!!!

Now I'm into a good book.  I am showered, decided that I do not want to go to the restaurant tonight so am in for an early night....pickies will follow....I promise....LN.

Saturday 8th May

Well now almost have the complete ground floor tiled.  My maestor has been on his hands and knees all day while I swanned off into Kardjali coming back with a fridge and lots of goodies to put in it including Stilton and butter.  This morning I actually cooked a sausage, onion and potato omelette the likes of which I haven't put away for ages but it was because I decided not to grace the restaurant with my presence but got stuck into my book and had the best night's sleep that I have had for ages.  Now those pictures I promised.

Sunday 9th May

What a thunderstorm this morning but it has cleared the air and today is cloudy / sunny / brief showers and pleasant.  Friend from one of the local villages came round this morning and I had my training session with the mitre saw and router.  What beautiful pieces of equipment and it even does dovetails.  My men are going to go into raptures when they see it and will probably ask why I didn't get it sooner and to be honest I really don't know.  The cost of my lesson..three coffees and a local filo pastry and cheese thing.

We have at last found a supplier of Turps to make my beeswax polish.  We have been promised about ten kilograms of the beeswax for free so now into full scale production and maybe a little stall at the local market.  Just label it up in Bulgarian and put a pretty picture on the front and charge...two or three leva and into profit.  I think 100grams of wax cost me about five pounds in England.  Watch this space for urban enterprise.  

Washing blowing on the line, fridge purring, Barbara Streisand (or Barbara Drysand as my kiddiewinks used to say) singing in the background and me tapping away on the keys....very pleasant afternoon and now to put this machine to bed and think about constructing the kitchen worktop so that I can have my kitchen sink installed.  That's the final before I say goodbye to the hotel and make this my place.  More time to get on with things in the evening and able to get out the gin and tonic at the allotted hour when the sun is over the yardarm and not have to worry about taking the car out. Bliss, sheer bliss.....BFN  

Monday 10th May

One builder finishing off the tiling in the lounge and what a quiet time we are having?  I didn't realise but the first call that you make with you Home Phone registers the location so mine was subsequently registered to Hotel Djebel  .

Two telephone calls were received advising me that they were going to suspend the service because I was using the phone out of 'Home Location' but I was actually using it IN home location.  Quick call to customer services who addressed the problem and thank you Vodafone for providing English speakers of such a high standard that there was only the need to 'say this only once'.  I now have my home location set at my 'home' or it will be in a week or so.  
I hear it on good authority that it should reach 30 by the end of the week....suits me fine...let's just get on with completing the canalisation for the inside loo.....

Saturday 15th May

I’m up and running and has it been a long spell of absence but it’s supposed to make the heart grow fonder….well what has been happening?

I have six more windows ….fully tiled downstairs….broken through to the stairwell mainly to let the window men out without resorting to one of the upstairs door and a pole, a website transferred over to me and no longer plagued with Google adds and half way to constructing ….a bed.  The kitchen units are hopefully being farmed out to one….craftsman, a carpenter to boot who puts in a quote which is something that rarely happens in Bulgaria.  It’s usual for a shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head when questioned ‘roughly how many days will it take?  This one reckoned on seven to ten days so I am waiting for the final, final figure to take shape.  I’ve also mention the stairs so that’s a little carrot I’m dangling but work is scarce so I hope he comes in under the threshold.

Now I’ve got to back post to May…when the work began…BFN.  Just to let you know that I have also set the link up on elsapeters.co.uk….so if one goes down we’ve always got the other….yes…result

Woohoo you're back!!  

Surely that's all the windows done now??  

Kitchens and stairs sounds exciting!!

lots of love

me x