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JULY 2014  This thread currently has 12,415 views. Print
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Elsa Peters
July 27, 2014, 6:33pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 27th July

So it's not so much that I manage a lie in when my guests leave but that I can get up at six in the morning and not creep down the stairs afraid I might wake up the happy campers.  So down the stairs I did go and out to water the garden before the sun really got up.  In for breakfast of poached eggs at seven thirty and then out to the garden again to pot up some of the plants that have been lingering namely some bizzie lizzies that were given me by Mrs Gouldjan.  They'd developed huge roots in a bottle of water so in they went into potting compose closely followed by four rooted forsythia and straight into one pot to see if the roots develop further.

So in I came for a shower since it was pretty hot out there and had settled down on the pc for a little light entertainment and I heard the gate latch go.  I went down and the boys from the village had come for their sweetie allocation.  I'd been told it was on Monday so wasn't expecting them but they were all there with their polythene bags and little Jaylan that chases the sheep and is obviously in training by his elder brother had the rucksack.  Magic.  I told them to come back saying that I wanted a photo and they dutifully obliged...love 'em.

Decided the lawn was in need of a haircut so out with the mower and what could only have been described as the heat of the day.  The intention was to only do the top of the lawn but I just kept going and it's all down to a reasonable length and the garden is looking lovely again.  It was two when I came in and this afternoon has been a procession of other children from the village and the funniest was a little girl with a scooter with a basket on the front and the sweets were obviously too many for the basket and kept dropping out and the elder brother was trying to organise things.  Now this older brother is one year older so I took matters in hand, went into the house and came out with a carrier bag that I emptied all the sweets in to and hung it from the handles of the scooter...Job was a guddun...straight back home without any more mishaps.

Another quick rinse off and got some more books onto the Kindle.  I'd got nothing good on the go but found another three authors with several books to their credit so loaded them up...we shall see what we shall see.  Decided to lie on the bed for a while reading and that didn't last long and woke up suddenly at five and panicked because I thought it was morning and I was destined to pick up Gouldjan at eight thirty.  Doh....and not a drop of alcohol had past my lips.

Found some pork knuckle joints in the freezer and put two of them in the oven not knowing how much meat was on them.  I need not have bothered......there was loads and I served them with oven cooked potatoes and onions.  Out to water the garden again...it threatened rain this lunchtime and there were a few rumbles of thunder but nothing materialised so it was desperately in need  and I noticed that at last I had a white poppy...the packet said white poppy but there have been lovely pink and white ones and at long last....a pure white one.  Tonight the garden is highly perfumed with tobacco and petunias...very heady...

So now nine thirty my time...I've shut up shop and am now off to my virginal couch with my Kindle and a new book.....Kardjali tomorrow and picking up Gouldjan at eight thirty at the bus shelter...LN.....lots of things achieved but without a lot of effort today....LN  



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Elsa Peters
July 28, 2014, 5:10pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 28th July

Six start and it was a balmy night....I was pleased to get up and get that cup of coffee and then back to bed to finish the book that I started yesterday.  So nice to have another series to get in to.  The longer books are OK but I get bored reading them...low pain threshold.  Mist covered the mountains and hillsides and you couldn't see to the end of the garden.  The watery sun eventually broke through about eight but it took at least an hour to burn it off but it's been a scorcher ever since.

So went down to pick Gouldjan from the bus stop and no sign of her.  I phoned her from the bottom and she'd forgotten that I was going to give her a lift in with all of the clothes that she'd collected for distribution to the poor but five minutes later...I went from the bus stop and drove down her lane so that her father could load the car.  As I passed by Hacibe's house I noticed a lot of the local women sitting outside and I feared the worst.  Her husband must have passed over in the night and this was confirmed by Gouldjan as we drove by.  He's been ill for quite some time, had an operation and was obviously sent home to die and did.  

Gouldjan dropped off at the school and I carried on to the schoolmasters since we were on a mission to get a few things done before his lovely lady appears in Bulgaria.  Over to Kardjali and everything achieved apart from the fact that it's a holiday for Turkish businesses and my material shop was closed.  Over to Lidl....special offer on butter so stocked up and brought back a block of Cheddar cheese so lunch was sorted.  On the way back from Kardjali I noticed a gathering of storks circling, stopped just off the highway and photographed them and dropped him off, back to Djebel and picked up Gouldjan and her sister's husband, over to get some beer to stock up on supplies and some potatoes.  Dropped them off and came back and made a card for Hacibe as we would do in England.  I got Gouldjan to write up the Turkish before I deposited her at her house and have I had a laugh today with Bing and its translations.  If you know what it's supposed to mean and you do the Bing translate....not doing a good job.

Had my Cheddar and pickle sandwiches, took to my bed to read my book but that didn't last long....I dropped the Kindle so knew it was shut eye time and woke up at just gone five. Woke up and had a few messages from my ex guests now in Italy and gave them a suggested itinerary for Switzerland...the EP tourist guide......Just finished watering my garden and Hacibe came round to say thank you for the card and gave me a fruit drink and a sticky bun as is the custom here for a funeral.  Had I have been here for the event I would have had rice and meat and by the looks of the ditches around the house there were lots of people.  My only thought is why don't they take their rubbish home with them but this is Bulgaria...not in my back yard.

Lovely evening.....I'm thinking of finding a swimming pool tomorrow.....I need a day of chilling.....LN.....a little drink on the terrace would be good...LN



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Elsa Peters
July 29, 2014, 5:49pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 29th July

Well the best laid plans of mice and me went amiss.  Had a really bad night...it was so hot and sticky so at six I was up making coffee just to get out of bed and I woke up to a really cloudy sky so no point in planning the day at the pool.  

I weeded a couple of the flower beds and went out armed with fork and spade with the intention of starting to dig out for a new scrub bed at the bottom of the garden.  The space is currently taken up with a 'natural garden' of cornflowers and poppies with some super large weeds thrown in and builders rubble but I only managed to plant up the two olive trees and those hole seemed to take me ages to dig and my skin was leaking big time after about an hour out there.  The shrub garden is 'undug' and the weeds are still in evidence.  You realise out here that there is no rush to get it done...it will be still there tomorrow and maybe the weather will be kinder.  The humidity is the thing that gets you and you feel pretty listless.

So into the shower and washed my hair, lightweight cotton clothing and got out the Kindle.  Finished the second book by the 'new to me' author and only thirty more to go.  Twelve thirty and got up and made some cheddar cheese and pickle sandwiches, I'm sure the novelty will wear off probably when all the cheese or pickle is gone and a trip to Lidl will be in order.  I did manage to get my head down for about an hour sitting in the easy chair in the stairwell and and the clouds rolled over, it threatened rain, the thunder rattled around but looks like it's missed me so now it's out with the hose pipe to saturate the poor plants.

Picked six cucumbers and managed to give four away...  Hacibe was walking by and I asked her if she had any and she said she didn't so I was on it straight away and offloaded them.  Result....Watering over...met a new lady this evening out with her children on holiday from Turkey and staying with Baise's son.  She speaks a little Bulgarian but her son at the age of twelve speaks brilliant English and told me that they had come over for the holiday and are going to Greece.  He told me his mother's name and had been studying English for four years in Turkey.  Puts English education to shame.  Even in Bulgaria the little ones start to learn English at four...it's just a pity that the teachers can't speak it.

So supper is what I can find...it's too hot to cook and the appetite is depressed when it's this warm.  Almost nine my time...soon be time for bed.  Quick update on my last guest....done Greece, Italy and now avoiding Switzerland and heading for France....LN....pictures, book and bed and possibly another shower before any of it....LN





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Elsa Peters
July 30, 2014, 5:16pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 30th July

Six start and didn't even hear the early morning mosque.  Either someone has pulled the plug on the booster or the hodja has laryngitis.  Down for coffee at about six thirty and caught the dawn...it really is stunning at that time of the morning.  Back in for toast by about eight and it's been downhill all day after that.  Tell a lie...I did pot up a few of the newbies, watered the patio plants and weeded another of the beds but that was about it for today.

You know I've been going on about finding a swimming pool well Mrs Dom asked me when we were going to do it so I suggested that we made a two days of it, stayed in one of the local hotels, ate as many cheesy chips as we wanted and generally chilled out....so I booked it for tomorrow so fingers crossed that the weather is kind to us.  So today's task was to get some sun on some of those places that never see the sun to get a a bit of colour on them and jobs a guddum.  Most places are a little pink and as I would say to my daughter...it should be brown for tomorrow and I'll have to wait and see.  So clutching my confirmation we'll be up there at about one tomorrow,,,,,

Beer came out a little early today ...it really has been hot.  Supper was spare ribs with barbecue sauce followed by ice-cream.  Doesn't do much for the diet but I'll save that for another day.  Just finished watering the garden so the plants can take it all in tonight....It's a lovely calm peaceful evening...LN



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Elsa Peters
July 31, 2014, 4:28pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 31st July

We made the hotel and are having a beautiful down time.  Full report with pickles tomorrow.  L.N. very calm evening by the lake and heading for a fish supper. L.n.
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