Thursday 27th August

So today it was a six forty start and I did not the sunrise but I had the sleep of the just….nine hours for me and it was a record.

Sat out with my coffee and my painter arrived at seven forty to start his day.  I told him that he was early and he said it was because he hadn’t got a watch so he is promised one for his Christmas present…So he set out stripping the wood planks from the bench and he reckoned that my way of stripping the lacquer with a sliver of glass was better was his….I said that his way was quicker than mine and since I was paying…he should do what he does best.  At nine twenty he said that he needed wood filler and so I set off for Djebel despite the timescales and delivered so he could continue while I set off for a day of lassitude.  I arrived back at nine forty with the requirements and set off for my day of sun, swimming and cheesy chips.

Over to the hotel and coffee, water, and there was a lovely student who remembered my Librarian…and we had very cheap swimming and a lovely lunch.  I stopped off at KD of S and had a drink with them.  Back to mine …. unpacked shopping and checked that my painter had been busy and straight into the world championships.  

I’ve had a lovely day …enjoyed my sun, pool and at the end of the season topping up my tan….it has to be done.  LN…tomorrow I’m into Kardjali and topping up the fridge…LN

Friday 28th August

Again I missed dawn....sleepy valley after yesterday's exercise but did I feel good.  Watered the garden this morning to give the shrubs a fighting chance since it was forecast to be a really warm day.  My painter arrived at eight with his shorts and Kardjali day out gear and I helped him to start the assembly of the bench then he sent me inside saying that he could manage...wrong.  The last central strut on the first bench was off centre so it was easy to work out whether the struts were the fight way up.  This bench was central strut was pretty central so it was easy to put them the wrong way up....I had a shower, went out, identified that six had been mistaken for nine and we started again and eventually all was good.  My painter wanted to put them both benches together to ensure that they looked like they were a pair...and they do.  

The Librarian arrived at nine thirty and by ten the bench was finished, all the paint pots were put away and the three of us set off for Kardjali.  I was unsure whether the painter wanted to go off on his own but he decided to tag along and what a lovely day we had.  Mania for starters and I only bought some placemats.....into the shoe shop and apparently there was a notice in Bulgarian that you should not try shoes on without socks and this was pointed out to me by the painter and I joked about speaking Bulgarian but not reading it but if I'd really tried I could have managed it but I chose to ignore it.  As it turned out...I didn't buy them anyway.....and on to the next.

Billa first and they had Zagorska on at special so we purchased a couple of six packs, over to Kaufland and they had Ariana on at special and so we topped up with that and then over to Lidl where they had both beers cheaper than we'd paid but not by much so there were no tears shed.  Back to Djebel and picked up bread for lunch, unpacked the shopping, frozen stuff in the freezer and chilled in the fridge, painter home on his bicycle and the Librarian and I sat down for lunch finishing off with ice cream from the freezer.  What a star the painter has been today....so helpful and good at humping beer.  Librarian home and taking been for delivery to Mrs D of S and I got in the washing and went down to see my Avatar who had mixed plaster and was replacing some that had fallen off from the outside of her house.  What a star.  

We sat out in the garden as she wanted a rest....we were joined by three other neighbours and we had a lovely chat and Hacibar was concerned about a cow that was down the bottom of the village and the cow man's son arrived and chased it back up the road hanging on to its tail.  Lovely sunset tonight and we're in for a full moon but it was far to light to actually catch it when it came up.  It's been a lovely day.....LN

Saturday 29th August

So out this morning with the hose pipe and gave the shrubs a good watering.  I was intending having a lovely lazy morning with nothing much to do until three this afternoon.  Poached eggs on toast for breakfast dropped on top of some slices of ham, sat out and demolished a couple of nectarines, a cup of coffee and decided it was computer time before I had a shower and washed my hair.  I managed to do today's and yesterday's Daily Mail sudoku in quickstick and after my shower I sat out on my bedroom terrace in my bath towel, dried off and just took in the sun.  Got into a pair of jeans, dried my hair and settled in to watch the world athletics relay races and managed to get a couple of coats of varnish on to my nails.  As I said it was a really hard morning....not.

The Librarian arrived at just after two catching me out still in jeans and underwear so I threw on a top and left for Kardjali getting there at about two thirty.  Into Kaufland for some more beer since it's on special and off to the fete worse than death that we'd been invited to.  Now the activity was supposed to start at five but there was little or no activity in the square and I think I'll put it down to a lack of Bulgarian language on the part of my English host.  Things eventually started to warm up by eight, there was live music and fireworks, it was in full swing by ten and we left at ten thirty to drive home.  I'd been nominated from the short list of one to be the chauffeur and it was as well.  We got all the way to Djebel and were flagged down and it was a little confusing for the policeman since it was a right hand drive vehicle and he was expecting a left hand and was looking over at the Librarian.  I asked him in Bulgarian what he wanted and I think he was taken aback.  He asked me where I was going and I told him home and that I lived in Dushinkovo and by this point I reckon that he couldn't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of documents so he said goodnight and waved me on my way.  

All is safely gathered in....the Librarian is tucked up in the downstairs bedroom and I shan't be long before I crawl off to mine.  LN...another enjoyable day and if they had a hotel in the village where the even was...we would have been booked in there not here...LN

Sunday 30th August

Well I woke up at six thirty but I didn't want to make too much noise so that I didn't wake the Librarian.  As it happens when I came down stairs at seven thirty she was in the lounge with a coffee already.  We sat chatting for a while and the I heard the breadvan arrive so I legged it down the village to top up on provisions.  She didn't stay for breakfast...she'd left the dogs out last night and wanted to get back to check that everything was alright and I've heard nothing so I presume everything was OK.

Stripped the downstairs bed after the Librarian left and it's now all washed and ready for my guest tomorrow. He likes the downstairs bedroom...it maintains it's temperature and is normally cool.  It's now made up ready.  Brunch was tuna mayo sandwiches on the fresh bread from the bread van and it was delicious.  

I watered the pot plants and on to the pc to check the overnight and for a late breakfast I had tuna mayo on fresh bread and it appears to have done me all day...I'm not into eating tonight.  The beer did come out at just after twelve....I settled in to the last day of the athletics with my glass of beer and watched the afternoon's entertainment.  

Not much activity this afternoon...much too hot to do anything.  I've just finished watering the garden tonight to give them a fighting chance overnight...it's going to be as hot tomorrow.  Nice sunset tonight and managed to capture it...but no moon to date...it's a little late tonight.  LN...Filmon TV and a little beer...what could be better...LN

Monday 31st August

Really lazy start this morning and I was awakened by my phone going off and it was my new guest advising me that he was sitting on the aeroplane...gee thanks.  It did spur me into action though so I made up the bed with the newly washed sheets, made up the guest room just in case he fancied moving out of the downstairs bedroom and off I went to Gouldjan's house to get some Bank forms completed for the UK.  She was baby sitting her sister's little ones and I ended up doing a jigsaw with a two year old and going though the animal pictures on the box and making the sounds.  He now knows what noise a pig makes but since they are Muslim...maybe I chose the wrong animal.  Don't you just love little ones especially when they fill their nappy and no way are they letting you take it off to put on the new one.....took me back a few years.

The water was off today and has only just come on this evening.  I went into Kardjali at four this afternoon and arrived in plenty of time for the bus down from Sofia..I had trouble parking in the bus station and ended up doing two circular tours before I dumped it in the middle of the carpark in full view of the attendant and indicting that I would only be a couple of minutes rescuing my guest from the bus.  All went well...he'd had a long day so into Djebel, picked up a few things from the local supermarket and we say out with a bottle Ariana while supper cooked.  Chicken wings with potatoes and onions done in oven and those that have stayed here know it's a firm favourite of mine....in it goes, out it comes with very little intervention.  Washing up has been put to one side for this evening...tomorrow is another day.  First day of settling in and the invitations have already started for the rest of the week....No photos tonight, although it's a lovely moon..I've been far too busy....LN....I have a guest to see to...LN