Hello

I have just spent 3 days reading through all your back posts (recommended to you by OldHolborn); you have had an amazing journey and I can't tell you how jealous I am that you are there living your dream (and mine!).  So thank you very much for this blog, and for the inspiration and energy that you have given me  

In a month myself and my girlfriend are making our first trip to Bulgaria, after months and months of talking about it and discussing it. We hope to make the plunge and buy somewhere in the Rhodope region at some point this year or early next year. Very very exciting times!

Anyway, I just wanted to greet you and thank you

Peace

Andrew

Tuesday 24th January

Well thank you Andrew.....what an accolade and I'm pleased you enjoy it.....but can I ask one thing?  Please don't tell too many people about the South of Bulgaria....we want to keep it our little secret...

Cold this morning...woke up at six to visit the 'wee' room and saw that there was a glimmer from the biggie so threw a log on and went back to the nest to carry on reading.  I did look out and everything was as black as black.  Not even any twinkling lights on the houses in the next valley.  Decided to keep the curtains closed and at eightish realised that that sun was putting in a brief appearance but looking at the sky, that was probably all that I would be seeing of it.  It's grey, cold and my shrike is up there keeping watch on the territory.  

'The assault was to take place just after morning coffee.  The soldiers were lined up waiting for the moment they were called into action.  The targets had been heat blasted but  seemed smaller than usual but no adjustments were made for size.  The artillery had been brought in to remove the lids but all attempts by the soldiers to penetrate the interior were to no avail.....the bloody boiled egg yolks were hard as you like.....' or don't like. Yep, those five minute eggs should have been four and a half minutes ....what a rotten start to the day.

Trying to get a suitable text for my student this afternoon....why do they all want my money to download stuff....

Tuesday continued

Just before I went out to my student today I looked at the roof and was amazed at a kitten traversing the upper echelons...no crampons, no ice pics, and appearing to have forgotten how the hell it got up there.  The rules of nature I left her to it.  Latterly what could have been the mother/father appeared in the garden and shot me daggers as it eyed up my tobacco bed.

Suddenly there was a huge bang that make my entrance door vibrate and I wondered what the hell it was.  I looked over to the mountains and realised that they must have been detonating the rocks to put in the new road to Greece and this was confirmed when I saw the yellow haze....look closely it's there.  Hope they don't get much nearer with the blasting...I have lots of windows up here on my hilltop....

So went in today for my student and afterwards went to the post office to buy my road tax for my two vehicles for the year....one hundred and thirty four leva....approximately seventy pounds for the two for the year...now that's what it should be in the UK and if everybody bought it, it probably would be....

Back home...fires livened up and supper tonight was one leek, four potatoes into the remains of last night's curry with a little water added.  I went back to my book and realised I could smell something 'singeing' in the kitchen but managed to salvage it and it was just at the point of giving up the ghost...delicious.

Now back to my book with a glass of the red wine to hand....eight o'clock here and two more hours or reading and then I hit the sack for hopefully a good night's kip.  Not much planed for tomorrow...I'll see what the day brings...LN...I have a glass to fill....

Haha we are both with you on that one. We are hoping to find a nice quiet village with no other English in it where we can fit in and join the local culture; the last thing we want is to be surrounded by "ex pats" who don't seem to understand what the "ex" means.

We've started learning the language in preparation (it is very useful having a Bulgarian working with me here) ...

Dovejdane

Wednesday 25th January

Six forty, rescued fire although the temperature had gone up overnight, it was one of those damp, murky mornings with fog hanging over the hillsides and then it started to rain but only a little.  I read my book this morning thinking that I hadn't much to do and since any time that I waste is mine....all mine...so I can do what I like.  

Went up on the computer and did the emails and stuff that needs to be checked out and then settled in to a few games of Freecell and that's one that I never seem to tire of.  I have a mathematical brain and enjoy the challenge and once working in Denmark I spent approximately two days working on one that seemed impossible to do.  I seemed to go straight up the same rabbit hole if you get my drift.

One thirty brought a different perspective on the day.  My fourth musketeer from down the village, the one with the donkey, let herself in and I bounded down the stairs.  I gave her her Christmas present since she was in Turkey for the festivities and she asked me if I was doing anything and I replied not much.  She went into a monologue of which I sort of got the drift but she kept mentioning Gabrovo.  Now the only Gabrovo I know is heading north, is rather a large city and last year I did the May festival there.  No, no, no she said...the village of Gabrovo and that mean nothing so I got my maps out and we identified that it was near 'Blackeyes' on the way to Haskovo...it was suddenly getting nearer and manageable.  

She wanted to go there and it was all to do with her daughter and granddaughter that were there and I wasn't sure whether they were coming back with us or not.  Apparently she lives in Turkey but was visiting her father-in-law in Gaborvo....so ten minutes later we are in the Beast and setting off.  Yes we found the house, they immediately settled into Turkish, the wood-burner was giving out as if there was four feet of snow and there were mumbling about having to see the cmet about some document or other before we could leave.  So when the luggage appeared...I was so glad that we were in the Beast...Beauty would not have even managed to get it all in.  Had to stop off in Djebel for some food for them so they could eat tonight and dropped them off and there was a chorus of 'How much?'  Now I'm not a taxi and I haven't a clue so I said that we could do it later....but since her husband is the one with the chain saw that did some of my ten cubits of wood, I think the deal should be that he can work for a day for me when I get the next load....I really haven't got a clue.

Home...fire brought to life, chicken is waiting for attention in the kitchen so it's a goodnight from me....I have to get on ...LN

Goodwill goes quite far I always feel, we are reaping many a benefit now. Not that you need to know that of course, you seem well enough practised in the good will gesture department  

Thursday 26th January

Quoted from Joanna

Goodwill goes quite far I always feel, we are reaping many a benefit now. Not that you need to know that of course, you seem well enough practised in the good will gesture department  

Like me Joanna, you probably realise that in the villages where there is so much unemployment...time is easier to come by than money.  The gifts I get are of their labour. Yogurt, veg in the summer, bottled stuff in the winter, meat from their own animals that get killed for high days and holidays.  They give where they can....I just help where I can...with trips to hospitals etc.  

So again we are covered with the 'white stuff'.  I've cleared the kitchen terrace this morning but it has already got another ten centimeters on it...reckon I'll leave it alone.  Two fires going and wood already in but feel like being creative today so I'm getting the brain cells going to see what I can come up with and it will probably be sewing or knitting.  Update on my freasias...coming along nicely as you can see and the second bucketful should take over when the first one fades....

Firstly a coffee, breakfast and then see how the mood takes me....

Thursday continued

I've just had the deputation and I noticed that they didn't bring Securicor with them to pay for the journey yesterday.  They came in, sat down on the sofa and I explained that I didn't want cash and that it would be better for me to have a day's work out of her husband/father with his chain saw.  So she was trying to arrange it and I said that there was no need.  I had enough wood but that we could save it for a later date.  She obviously felt indebted to me and I had to be quite insistent that it could wait...so it will.  Secondly they asked me if I could take a picture of all of them so I sat them down in the lounge, got it up on the screen and printed off a couple of copies of each and sent them via email already to the father who remains in Turkey keeping the home fires burning.  Me thinks I might be taking a trip to Bursa later this year.... three generation in one photo..

Just been out and cleared a path to the wood store, the Beast and the road.  I'm hoping that bloody snow plough remembers to lift its bucket when it gets near to my house...please don't block it again....

Thursday continued

Well that snow plough did it again and now I can't get out not that I really want to.  I scraped the snow off the terrace and yet again and make it to the road but the temperature is now dropping rapidly and we are promised minus seven tonight, minus eight tomorrow and minus eleven on Saturday...so I have been given fair warning.

I made my winter tincture this evening while I was waiting for the pasta to cook...take some 'bee clay' and I know no more than they only that when I mentioned it Bekir came up with the goodies.  Grate and add to some 'spiritus' again obtained from the abteka (chemist), shake well and take a little of the tincture each day.  One for each year for children....but I don't suppose it applies for adults.  Just a spoonful seems adequate.  I'm local now.

Supper tonight was sacrificial meat from the freezer made into a spaghetti bolognaise with pasta and there's enough for tomorrow night so 'let it snow, let it snow, let it snow'.....Curtains drawn, fires belting out, still on that book that I shall tell you all about when I come to the end of the sixth in the series, LN....

Friday 27th January

Big HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish to CJ enjoying his birthday today....well probably not yet, it's early...the card's in the post...pressie is in an email and have a wonderful day.

Cold overnight, like minus ten but the sun's now popped its little head up but for how long is anybody's guess.  Forecast is white cloud so while it's shining I'm heading out to undo the work of yesterday's snow plough and clear my access again....and to get some logs in.  A woodpecker has just tried to beat seven bells out of my special tree.  I think I saw it's beak bending...that'll teach him....catch you later...