Tuesday 30th April

Bed at eleven last night and slept through until six so not bad at all.  It was a dull cold miserable morning and it's a dull cold miserable night so very little has changed except that the rain is at full pelt here.  I think that our spring came early in March resembling summer at times and my suntan was definitely something I would normally acquire in May.  Today it could be looked on as 'rust' and I've dug out the fleece jumper and a sweatshirt for good measure.

I was in the Nipper for eight thirty heading for my bank in Momchilgrad, I was paying for my holiday this morning.  Only one person being attended to and that didn't take long to deal with and I think the cashier was dreading what my next query would be.  As it was, she was able to deal with it very efficiently, the payment went through swiftly, I signed, was handed the documentation and all I had to do was to send a copy of the payment to the travel company.  I got a little confused last night as to which documents had to be scanned and sent back so I decided to stop of at my old student's home, she's on a paid sabbatical at the moment and I knew she would help me.  Mother and father were at work so we got down to business pretty rapidly and identified the said documents but she I asked her to phone the company since my passport details didn't appear anywhere on the contract documents and no start or end date was noted even though I'd sent her this information in our first email.  When my friend phoned, and it was much better that it was conducted in Bulgarian, the lady issuing the first one I think was working from home but the message was passed on to her so she sent me through another contract but this didn't solve the matter.  This time we got the passport number but not issue and expiry dates and I don't want any problems at the airport when boarding passes are issued.  

Her sister phoned to say that she would be coming for lunch and asking what was on the menu and she prepared three cheese omelettes and we had lunch together.  Sister went back to work and mother arrived so another omelette was prepared. I offered to wash up but the suggestion was refused so I sat talking to mum discussing her medical problems.  Father was coming back at two so my student was on kitchen duties for two hours more or less....I think she's ready to go back to work.  I drove home for one thirty, spoke to the travel company again pointing out that there were no issue and expiry details and was assured that there was another contract on its way.  Booking holidays in England is just so simple....here it's a nightmare.  Tomorrow I'll check them over again, scan them in and send them off and hopefully that will be the end of the admin.

Back to Djebel for my student. we started the new book, James and the Giant Peach and managed forty pages, he reading and me listening and correcting some of the words that he mispronounced and explaining the jokes to him.  One was that someone said to the centipede that he was having his leg pulled and someone questioned which one.  It wasn't obvious to my student at first but when I explained that the centipede has a hundred legs, which leg was being pulled?..Lesson over I rejoined his mother in the shop, my student followed me down from the apartment and I said that he'd managed forty pages and him mother asked him to pracie what he'd read and he did with very little prompting from me.  I happened to mention that my windscreen wipers were making a heck of a noise so she went out to look at them, found they were in stock, fitted the new ones for me all for nineteen leva...they're so cheap here.  Home for six thirty, I'd set the fire so torched it, cold chicken and frozen chippies in the air-fryer, supper was served, now eaten and the rest of the cold chicken can go out for the cat.  

It's been a busy few days and tomorrow is finalising the documents and making sure that the company has all it needs for me sail through the airport.  Only thing to arrange is whether I go to Sofia by car or on the bus which depends on the time of the flight or if in fact I need an overnight in Sofia.  All will be revealed next week, Friday and Monday are bank holidays rather like in the UK but may be some one is working somewhere.  I don't go until the twelfth...so I've got time.  LN...No pickies...didn't want to depress you all......LN