Tuesday 24th July

This morning showed the full extent of the damage done by one cow in my garden yesterday....My Avatar was so upset when we got home from our travels and she said that she had blocked up the hole.  As I thought, that small hole by the side of the outside toilet that I thought I had blocked wasn't and through it came.  So what did it eat....all my cabbages, green beans and beetroot and flattened tomatoes and cucumbers.  Bastard bovine and today to add insult to injury I had three sheep in the garden so tomorrow it is guests out on their travels, me getting back to routine and fence building and securing the perimeter fences against attack, up with the drawbridge and fill the moat.

Really cool wind overnight and it didn't get fully up to temperature until the afternoon.  Lunch was potato salad, coleslaw, tuna and mayo with tomatoes with fresh crusty bread from the mobile shop.  I moved upstairs glass in hand but when the eyelids rested on the cheeks, I decided that it wasn't conducive to hitting the correct keys on the keyboard so a slight diversion was called for.  Yes I got my head down for a couple of hours and woke up at six, headed into the garden with the hose and then into Djebel for supper.  Arrived back about twenty minutes ago from my favourite restaurant....guest headed for the downstairs bedroom after a cooling shower and is in for an early morning start with a six hour journey ahead of him.  He's off to meet a solicitor for document signing....Did I want to go?...it took me a few seconds to decided that it was a big NO....I'm about to catch up on my peaceful life again, sheep and all.

Stories of the Shipka, Communist deserted head offices, wind turbines and man with gun will be divulged tomorrow....it was quite fun.  LN....I need some beauty sleep and I'm just about to take a bite out of this apple that a lady with a cloak gave me....LN  

Wednesday 25th July

So, the story of the gun....we went to see the Communist Headquarters deserted and sitting desolate on top of Mount something beginning with B.  Now I had travelled this road a few times and not once had it emerged from the clouds and I had no knowledge that it was there.  Over we went to Kazanlak towards the Shipka pass and it was on the road that A and myself had gone up when it was hissing down almost two years ago heading for the Shipka and because of low cloud and bad visibility we had neither found the Shipka Memorial tower, the other road down the mountain or this particular building that we were in search of now.  We made our way past the humungoulsy tall man without a name plate and off into the hills, spotted the brown 'point of interest', came to a t-junction and turned left.  The right was signposted to the hotels.  We parked the car and set off up the long climb huffing and puffing all the way and when we got there the car looked amazingly small in the lay-by but there was an amazing view of the wind farms.  We joked on the way up that there was probably a road leading to it with Taxis and we were half right...there was a road.  Made the descent, got in the car and decided that we would try to chase down the road which we did but it had a barrier across it which with care you could negotiate but I had visions of the road being mined.  Up to the top and from the top I saw a white van moving around and joked that it was probably a security car watching our movements.  We made a quick descent to the car-park but carried on on a road that appeared to be an army training ground but then the road opened up and yes...the white van was blocking our way and we were flagged down.  My companion thinks that the answer to everything is to say 'English' and it makes it alright but I was surprised when the man after getting out of his car asked if we spoke German.....so I said that I did in German but then added that I appreciated that it was a dangerous area with huge wind turbines rattling around us and said that we were about to turn round and retrace out footsteps.  I think the security guard thought it was a wise move on our parts and it wasn't until he was getting back in the car that we saw the gun....a real wise move.

Back to the Shipka tower and the Shipka Memorial church and I am now a travel guide again....stopped off at the fish restaurant in Black eyes...Chernoochie or the likes, and home by about nine on Monday and so the lack of posts.  Yesterday was a down day, out for supper last night and today my guest left at seven for his journey north and I'm back to my usual life.

Went to the library taking with me my new outside table realising that she had family coming out and needs somewhere for them all to sit for breakfast.  Tried Beauty and there was no sign of life so loaded the biggie with the table and off I set.  Got part way along the road and realised that my new insurance documents were still in the house along with my car documents so about turn before the dreaded traffic cops decided to fine me for non-compliance.  Unloaded table, sat and chatted, sorted PC, had supper, home eight fifteen, watered garden, saw the telltale sheep mess on the garden and little footprints and without I have elves with lose sphincters I can guess that I have had a visitation from my hillside friends.  First job tomorrow...fence.  Ariana is keeping me company tonight since I have no guests....must sort out the battery on Beauty tomorrow....there is no place for sheep in my garden...LN....pictures need inserting tonight.

Wednesday continued

I didn't actually chart my weekend away with my friends in Elhovo and it is in reverence to my other favourite website.  There was a get together in England and we decided that the Bulgarian arm of the forum would have it's own away day so this was set for Saturday the 21st.  I left home, we had a journey of a few kilometers and my friend was in the square to greet us.  We went to the house, lunch was 'pickies' and I'd managed to get some local cheesy bread and taken that with us and it was sit around time with a bottle of the red stuff and some beer and the pool was very inviting towards the end of the day.  Now the swim suit I borrowed shall we say fitted where it touched and it didn't touch in many places.  Getting into the pool was OK...getting out of the pool was rather like you have visions of knitted swimsuits.  I have left instructions that he is to tell his wife to lose weight so that I have a suit that fits when I visit next time.  We decided out for supper and the next day we set sail for one of the ethnological villages and had a super lunch and went on to Veliko Turnova.  We stayed the night and had pickies for supper, slept the sleep of the just and were heading for home until the urge for visiting monuments struck my guest.  Hence Shipka and the Communist Building.

Thursday 26th July

Six thirty start and on my own in the house so meander time.  No breakfast to think about so the day started with me deciding to take the flowers out of the old plastic sink and distribute them around the garden.  This being emptied my next plan was to take the routed cuttings from the lounge and transfer them to secure homes in either the said emptied container or into their own flower pots.  So how far did I get?   I didn't plant them up, the shrubs are still in the bowls waiting to be set free, I headed for the 'soon not to be a 'wreck' and finished off the sofa which is now in the lounge, ready dressed.  Fortunately my Kmet passing by in the car saw me struggling with something large, stopped his car and helped me to get it into the yard but he is so immaculately turned out that I was loathed to ask him.  Never mind....he was delivering my electricity bill so that's down to him if he feels neighbourly.

Strange one today.  I little old lady let herself in and sat down in the middle of the hall floor and I hadn't a clue who she was.  I gave her water since it was a hot day which she drank straight back but then I asked her what she was doing.  She proceeded to empty out her pockets and told me that she had Euro, Turkish and Bulgarian and that her daughter was ill, in hospital and needed an operation.  I had the feeling that her children had sent her out to do the business.  She wasn't from this village so I told her that I didn't understand what she wanted and that it was time she left.  She eyed up my box of matches but didn't pocket them but the thing that got me was that she walked straight in ignoring the fly-screen barrier.  I have enough to feel charitable towards in my village....hard but outsiders I don't consider.

Into Djebel and the Beast was again reluctant to start since I knew there would be no joy from the other.  In for my student who was so pleased to tell me that he has two new pairs of Adidas trainers with the one pair on promotion and the other for one euro if you bought two.  He's being taught the value of waiting for the right moment and that's good.

Arranged with the husband of my student that when we finished the lesson he would come back with me and pick up Beauty and take her back to the garage to find out what was wrong with her.  The plan was good but then it all started to go wrong.  Jump leads at the ready, wired it all up and then the Beast had developed its starter motor problem so wouldn't start at all.  So now we have bonnets up on both, two wired for sound and not a beep between them.  We go back to beating stick to bang the starter motor and heyho...the Beast starts but there is something still wrong in that Beauty will not fire....more fiddling...and we're off.

Now the plan is to take the little one in but now it is a toss up as to which one is designated to the sick bay and the Beast drew the short straw and left with my mechanic.  I ran Beauty down the road for a mile or so and I'm just hoping that there is enough charge to start it in the morning, not that I have anywhere to go....it is 'le weekend' but it's nice to know it's there should I need it.

Watered the garden, haven't a clue what I'm having for supper since it's been hot and sticky all day and I can't say that there is a lot of hunger lingering.  I did clean out the fridge and there were several small chunks of cheese way past sell by dates so it is destined for the bonfire tomorrow and Tommy's tummy if the burning isn't successful first time.   Just spotted three sheep in the garden so shunned out immediately, knocked together about four meters of fence that will be erected tomorrow to make sure that the buggers don't trespass again, beer glass topped on my way back to the pc and now heading back down to the kitchen now I have had a little exercise to raid the fridge for something to eat...the mood has now overtaken me.  LN....I have things to sort...

Friday 27th July

Woke up this morning at three of the clock and decided that it would be better if I was in bed and undressed instead of sitting in front of the computer....happens sometimes so closed it down and off I toddled and at six thirty felt as bright as a button.  Straight into the garden, everything watered, breakfast was boiled eggs so not effort there then and came up to the computer and it was then that I noticed three sheep about to demolish the stuff that the cow had missed.  Legged it outside, got them out quicker than they had probably come in and the fence was hoicked into the space back of the compost heap, nails at the ready and with my guest giving me a hand from the other side it was firmly fixed in place and no further visitations were made.  The did come up and view the new fixture, no comments from the assembled crowd and they sidled away to look for pastures greener than that on the outside of my fence.

Got some good shots of the humming thingy and a new butterfly that has only just started coming, potted out my rooted cuttings so let's see how they survive in the real world.  Decided to run into Djebel to top up the battery but those plans were soon scotched when the thing wouldn't start so off we went in my guest's car, down to the garage and now the Beast has a knacked solenoid and the new one is expected tomorrow and will be ready for collection at about one.  It will then be swapped for Beauty and we'll try and work out what's wrong with that.  As they say, it never rains but it pours but rain is what we could do with right now...it's been a humid scorcher all day.

Supper was honeyed pork kebabs, potato salad and stuff....a little beer to wash it down and I don't think I shall be late to bed tonight but this time straight to bed, no dropping off tonight.  LN....time I became reasonable company again..

Saturday 28th July

Woke up at six thirty and decided that there was more sleep to be had and finally made an effort to join humanity at eight thirty.  Making coffee and noticed my Avatar at my kitchen window so went out to join her.  It was obvious that she had a problem but it's like drawing teeth to get it out of her.  Eventually I found out that she was out of gas in her cooking bottle and that Djebel had run out as well.  I thought about it for a few moments and it came to me that the house that her grandchildren rented in Djebel probably had a gas bottle and bingo......we went along and brought it back so that she could get on with her cooking.

Went down to the garage and the Beast is still in bits and they were expecting the parts this afternoon...so it looks like Monday for its return.  Lunch was bitsa this and bitsa that and we finished off with some very sweet sticky biscuit thingies...nice.

Afternoon found us reading and generally chilling but then boredom overtook us and off we went to find my little house in the mountains that I hadn't seen for a few months or even longer...It hadn't moved....there was far more rubbish in it than I though there ought to be and I reckon that some gypsy family had taken out a letting without letting on.  One day I shall get up there with my workmen, sort the place out, work out what windows and door are needed and get them to patch the roof.  Waited around for the sunset that was spoilt by one great big cloud that insisted on diverting the last rays but managed to catch them as we got back to the car.  Supper more pickerty bits and washed down with a little of the local beer...it's been a hard day.....not.  LN

Elsa, the photographs are all good, but the last one is quite spectacular. I just love it.  Also love the storks from earlier in the week.    

Sunday 29th July

Quoted from 50

Elsa, the photographs are all good, but the last one is quite spectacular. I just love it.  Also love the storks from earlier in the week.    

Thank you for your kind comments....you do realise that the storks were especially for you since you said how much you liked the birds. Big hugs for you at this sad time.....but next year you'll be spotting your own storks hopefully...

Lovely photographs - how high (in the mountains not stories!)is your house because those are some lovely views.

Was a very interesting piece in the paper today(holiday section) about some pop star and his family holidaying in a villa in Gella (www.villagella.com)

Sunday 29th July

Not sure Tabs....it is just a lovely place and one day I will give it the attention that it deserves.  I'll get my tape measure out and thanks for the article...I'll give it the once over.

So today...It was a six thirty start and just couldn't get off again so out into the garden, gave it a good soaking while my guest lingered until eight thirty approximately saying that he had been doing Sudoku since seven thirty but not a sound was heard,  Eventually emerged at eight thirty and we sat about having coffee until the urge to cook breakfast took over and then we looked at ebay properties for Bulgaria, laughed at the descriptions of the properties that you know are absolute crap and the photos bear no resemblance to the area designated and you move on to the next.

Eventually we get out and head for Mishevo with the intention of going to the Devil's Bridge at Ardino.  Tom Tom behaves itself up until this point but I know where I'm going and I know who's going with me.  Eventually we start the climb to the bridge and my guest chickens out.  In my 4x4 I managed it with A and we had a lovely time.  The beauty of the bridge will remain hidden to my guest...

I ordered lunch enough for the five thousand and the bill was a staggering seventeen leva....hhhmmm.  Off we went again and headed for Nedelino but Tom Tom at this point keep telling us there was a road onwards from there to Djebel and the children of the village laughed, said it was a 'Cheren Put' which roughly translated means 'crap track' but that it was only three kilometers long.  We started the climb, got up about twenty feet and chickened...we rolled back and went back from whence we came.  I said we could do it, he said we couldn't and wanted to prove me wrong...I let him off this time.  Back via another Cheren Put to Ustra and home for about eightish....Supper was toasted cheese and onion sandwiches...not original but sufficient but we are both running short of beer...I fear a calamity about to strike.

Nuf said....I have a bonfire burning and have to check it out.  I've already sprayed the surrounding area so that I don't have to call on my neighbour, Hotfoot to stamp it out....out to the bonfire...LN...catch you tomorrow.