Monday 27th August

As I said, we were off at eight this morning and met up with one of the sales people from one of the bigger companies.  Very impressed, he arrived on time.  

So off we trundled forgetting all about breakfast until we had seen the first and was on out way to the second property near the town of Ardino.  We'd looked round this town on Saturday when the other sales person had let us down.  So stopped off for breakfast and settled for hamburgers and yogurt drink while the sales person did a little 'business' at Ardino council offices, then on to one of the properties over near Devil's Bridge and finally to the other properties where we had also visited on Saturday.  The hike to the last two was carried out in the rain and I stayed in the car.  After the visit they reported back that the road had ended abruptly and the rest of the trip should have been aided with a machete which unfortunately wasn't to hand.

Back to Kardjali, one dropped off but another sales person standing in the wings in Momchilgrad so we found ourselves looking at a property that we had knowledge of already and we were surprised when we were taken there.  Having said that I got talking to one of the locals and I'll publish the results at a later date...just a little more work to do on it.

Dropped off the man, drove to Kingdom's house to retrieve my car, supper was underway and ready within an hour of arriving back.  Wind has got up tonight so the doors are closed and the temperature sure has dropped and there was even a touch of thunder and lightening this afternoon.  All cushions have been brought inside tonight just in case and I'm really hoping for a good downpour.  LN....just a few more pickies from Saturday.

Hiya Elsa, Just some Aussie advice................ spray the bedroom about 1 hour before you go to bed for the mozzies, and when you hear the tzzz they have already bit or got at you somewhere.... so prevent this prior to going to bed. If you get bitten, a small MUM rollon works a treat for the bites and its more inexpensive than the other bitey products if you can buy in your village or town. If not yell out and I will send you some. lol. But they must be getting in somewhere, they are attracted to body heat....hehehehe. bit hard not to be hot in summer months like here.xxxx

Tuesday 28th August

Thanks Linda...I didn't know that the dastardly deed had already been done when you hear the drone....as for being sweet...I think it's the alcohol that they can smell...   Thanks also for the advice on Mum deodorant...never heard of that one before.

Didn't mention it but the night of the little shindig I went into the bathroom and slipped on the bathroom tiles cracking my back ribs on the edge of the toilet.  Not such a good move.  Didn't complain much at the time, left the gathering and headed to the bedroom but had a bit of a rotten night last night even after dosing myself up with pain killers but the trouble is that over the counter things are just not strong enough for that sort of pain.  Had to steel myself to get out of bed this morning and spent about twenty minutes trying to work out the best way to angle the body to evoke the least amount of pain and in the end it was soddit....and suffered for my art.

I was doing alright and gently moving until my guest decided to give me a hug as he left thanking me for the time he spent here....I screamed out...he was saying sorry, he had forgotten but there was a smile on his face and so my immediate response was to ask him if that was how he looked when he was sorry.  So at two he left, at two thirty I was in my car and off to my student who was in a playful mood, had done his homework or at least part of it saying that he had missed the second part it....

Wind has died down tonight and it's beautifully calm after a very windy and at times, cloudy day but it refused to rain.  I was hoping for a good downpour to give the garden a good soaking, this morning felt positively 'autumn' but now it's summer night again.  The wind removed a lot of leaves but six weeks of drought conditions can't be doing them much good.  Several people have lost fruit trees because of it.

Not feeling up to much tonight.  Got some Arnica from the chemist and gave it a liberal dosing...two lots of tablets and on translation one is suitable for gout so maybe I'll print off the instructions in English and leave them in the box...well you never know do you Norman as the advert goes.  The others are anti-inflammatory but they don't seem to be touching it at all so tomorrow I might wend my way to the hospital for an X-ray just to see if any real damage was done....at least then I'll get tablets to ease the pain.  X-rays delivered on demand for about ten leva privately and then down to the pharmacy.

Supper is going to be a simple affair...I am back to cooking for one.  LN...off to be inspired.

Wednesday 29th August

So at two thirty this morning I was up and taking more tablets for the pain and in complete agony.  So much for over the counter drugs...no power in them at all.  Decided that I had to check out the local hospital and my librarian who has taken more locals than she cares to think about through the procedure came round at nine this morning and we were on our way to Kardjali by nine thirty.  Into the main hospital, I handed over my residency card, my passport and my English health document and offered to pay for anything that needed to be paid for and expected to be treated privately.  As for the service...fantastic.

I explained what had happened and showed the area that hurt to the doctor and I got prodded, poked, my spine fully examined, blood pressure was taken and a water sample handed over in a coffee cup.  Out came the wheelchair and I was taken up to X-ray, and two were taken.  I had to wait for the doctor to arrive and he went through the X-rays on the screen, he did an ultra sound scan of kidneys, liver, lungs and anything else that is stored in the cavity, did several screen grabs that he printed out for me, and typed up his notes using a very fast two fingered technique.  Out with my docket and X-Rays and back to the admissions desk.  The paperwork was completed, I saw the specialist who confirmed that I had fractured rib number seven and I was given an injection to dull the pain and asked if I wanted to be admitted under observation.  I declined the offer but was told that if there is any problem with my breathing that I am to go back immediately and take all my documents and X-rays with me.  I was also warned that I am not to do anything for the next couple of weeks that might cause it to impact on the lungs.  Impressed!!  I was and I was handed a prescription for two weeks of tablets that I took to the on-site pharmacy at a grand cost of twenty leva for the two boxes.  Cost for the treatment....absolutely nothing.  Everything so organised and it might not be a new hospital but everybody worked with urgency and it was really clean.  So the injection has kicked in and the pain is now manageable...food tonight and then a tablet to go to bed with and hopefully a better night will be had.

I forgot to mention that we also had lunch in the hospital and two Fanta lemons, two bottles of water, pan fried pork and potatoes came to ten leva...cheap at half the price.

Now for supper...it's beginning to hurt a bit and I've checked it out and I have two beautiful bright blue / purple bruises just above waist level but nice to know that everything else seems to be working OK....LN...to the kitchen and the apothecary.   I wonder how long it would take me to go through the system in England?

Sorry to hear about your fall but very Glad to know your ok Elsa   and the fantastic care from the hospital  
On a lighter note as my old grandma used to say" try taking more water with it "   only joking I know it hurts like hell   take care and look after your self  love and best wises to you   Jackie

Thursday 30th August

Thanks for the sympathy Jackie.  My daughter always used to say that it you wanted it you could find it between sex and syphilis in the dictionary...just out little joke. It wasn't more water that I wanted with it, there appeared to be too much on the bathroom floor hence the death dive into the toilet and without a safety net.

Managed to sleep until five this morning and got up, ate a slice of bread since these tablets have to be taken after meals and I thought that would put down the ballast, did a couple of Sudoko on my DS and then back off again until eight.  Just managed to water my garden using a length of plastic to pick the hose pipe off the floor and now necessity has become the mother of invention in my humble abode.  I'm going to have to think of ways of doing things to cause the least amount of pressure and distress to that seventh rib and the surrounding tissue.

Caught the moon just going down at five this morning... beautiful and it should be more or less full when it rises tonight.  Tried to take a picture of the bruising but it came out looking like a space shot of a different galaxy and so I'll leave it to your imaginations.

Onward and upwards so they say...let's see what I can manage to get away with today...

Thursday continued

Decided not to go to see my student today....just didn't feel up to it but I did manage to get a line of washing out though and very gingerly pegged it out.

I phoned Bekir about the windows and I'm picking him up at the cafe with the intention of checking out the height of the doors bearing in mind that they still have to screed the floors.  After that I suppose we'll go to Momchilgrad to adjust the measurements that they took the other day.

Sat outside at about seven tonight and had chilli bolognaise with pasta accompanied by a glass of ....water.  I've got to shed a few pounds before holiday and so out with the beer, in with the water and now that I can't exercise for the next few weeks I really will have to watch my food.

So off to bed.  I've had my horse pill and hoping that it does the trick and I'm able to sleep through until sevenish.  I was right...that moon is beautiful tonight but unfortunately I left the camera on the PC and it doesn't recharge the battery, only drains it so it's on charge as we speak.  LN....Another water before I go....and the tablets don't even say to avoid alcohol...   

Friday 31st August

Now I had a really rotten night but I was just settling off beautifully when there was a car radio at full volume and a crunch of tyres outside my house.  So much so that I got out of bed to see what the racket was all about.  Now it's not normal but this individual has been working in Sweden, land of the midnight sun and seems to have lost his regard for others.  It was Hacebar's youngest and if he carried on like that she might just lose him and not just to Sweden working, for a lot longer and permanently.  I wasn't at all amused and if he tries it tonight....I'll be waiting with a fire cracker or a breathalyser.  Moan over.

Boots blacked, took another tablet this morning just to make the day go round and got out to watch the morning sun come up with a coffee at the ready.  Lovely time of the morning, peaceful and calm and no bloody radios blaring out.  Came in and did my emails and checked out Facebook, into the car and to the restaurant and Bekir was like a shot out of a gun and into the car.  Back to the house, measured the windows and the doors as a double check, down to Djebel to see if the wood there was any good but found out that the man selling it was the one that stitched me up with rotten wood and high delivery charges my first winter here.  Back into the car.....over to Momchilgrad and sorted the windows....through to Fotinovo via the river bed which was exciting and where is that camera when you need one......to the builder's yard and I have ordered eight cubic of oak at eighty three and ready for burning.  With going away I won't be here to organise the chainsawing etc....so I want it ready cut and stored so that it's here for when I get back.  I shall still order some acacia from the Gorska but I am told that even that has gone up in price and so it's worth the extra.  

Saw the man that has a house for sale at the edge of one of the small villages near to Bekir's house and went for an impromptu viewing.  Nice location, wouldn't take much to pull round and he deals in leva.  Unfortunately no documents but Bekir let him know in no uncertain terms that no documents, no deal so he is waiting for a firm offer and then he will set about getting them so he said.  Down to Bekir's village cafe and had a little chinwag, home and surprised how the day had gone.  Avatar came round and I have a shopping list for Monday for lots of kilos of fruit so that she can 'compote' it and then on the PC to get insurance for my holiday which was cheap at half the price.

Eight o'clock now....can't say that I am all that hungry but I suppose I have to have something before I get my next tablet.  The pain has eased until I sneeze and I hear the shout from those very close friends,'well don't sneeze then'.

Garden watered since it has been another scorching day. sun's down or will be in a few moments. moon's up and another biggie but last night's pickies were crubbish.  I'll be looking out for white rabbits tomorrow....or the 'hare' of the dog.  LN...I think it will be 'fish to fry' or their fingers at least...well it is Friday...LN