Our Bulgarian Adventure

September 2009 Your Say

2009-10-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

Well here we are at the end of September. This month I thought it would be great to get some feed back from you guys that read the blog. So here is your chance to take part ..........

Post me a question? request what you would like to see in the blog in future, any ideas welcome.

Maybe you would like to just ask about something you think I have missed about life here in Bulgaria.

Please post as a comment and we will take it from there. Don't be shy ask away or comment.

Thanks in advance let's have some fun with this one.

August 2009 out and about in Bulgaria

2009-09-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

A pretty mountain village

The sunset over Rock House

Looking for salmon

The start of a new day........

Well here we are at the end of August where does the time go? September is upon us and the autumn is just around the corner. We had our first rain in months two days ago but it only lasted for a couple of hours. We have all our crops in now nothing left in the garden. I am afraid some of the crops suffered from a lack of water. However we have a freezer full of our garden produce, and a store cupboard full with preserves, jams, compote, sauces, and chutney. It is always very rewarding to know you have planted grown and picked everything and then made food for the winter months.
It was not all work here in August we took some time out and went to see more of Bulgaria. We drove to some very pretty areas with the most beautiful mountains. Again we visited some of the spa resorts. Such pretty places and reasonable prices to indulge yourself in the waters & treatments. All this to do and see right here in our area. We have enjoyed seeing more of this beautiful country and all it has to offer. The Bulgarian people remain warm and friendly and inspirational. They have taught us so much since we arrived here 27 months ago. We are still learning, this year my wood pile did not fall down thanks to being shown the correct way to stack my logs. Yes there is a right and wrong way............................................... Well my friends that is all for this month. We will see you at the end of September.

July 2009 Out and about in Bulgaria

2009-07-31T04:34:00.000-07:00

The Mountains

Pretty Village Church

The Family in the Barn

The Only way to eat in this heat!!!!!

Signs of progress

Here we are at the end of July where does the time go? As you all know we at Rock House took a break. We went out and about. We thought it was time to have a break and see some different areas. We have enjoyed our time away from the house and garden. Although we only did day trips as we still have our animals to think about. This summer there has been some very strange weather. We have had many thunder storms and some very heavy rains. After these it became very hot, however this year the heat came with much humidity. Even our Bulgarian neighours were saying how different this years weather has been. On our travels we visited some beautiful countryside in the Stara Planina and Sredna Gora mountains. It was beautiful to see the mountains ,in this area there are many Spa Resorts. The waters are taken for healing many aliments, the air is fresh and clean. There are many pretty villages nestling in the foothills. Closer to home we have had many different creatures appear this year many insects we have not seen before. We have seen locust here in Bulgaria for the first time. Our own animals have been finding the heat of the day difficult to cope with. However they are clever they find the shade in the day and sleep and go out and about at night. The crops in the garden have been harvested and we have made the preserves for Winter. Our freezer stock is making good progress. The vegetables are all gathered and stored in the freezer for Winter. It is hard to think about Winter when it is so very hot, but we are making plans for the Winter stores of food and logs it will soon be here and the snows will return. The birds have had their young and are making sure the new little ones are feed and ready for the long flights to warmer climates in the Winter. We are going into our third August here in Bulgaria, we have seen changes and progress over this time. The beauty of the country is still a source of amazement to us there is so much to see and we will try to see more of the country very soon. Until next time take care all of you.

June 2009 We are taking a break.

2009-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all of you out there. We at Rock House are taking a break at the moment. We will be back at the end of July.

May 2009 times of Change in the Village

2009-05-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Children Entertain

The Work Starts

The Digger with champagne

The Village Singing Group

A Poppy Field

May this year has been a bit different with the weather. We have had some very nice warm days but mainly humid with some showers. The thunder storms in Bulgaria are spectacular, we get our very own light show. Also the stars in the sky here are awesome, we never knew there were so many stars up there. No light pollution here to distract form the beauty of the night sky.
We in the village are excited because we have a new water main being put in and this menas the water shortage will be much alleviated for all the village. Last week we had a village celebrations to mark the pipeline work. It was well attended and dignitaries form surround villages came to celebrate with our own mayor and the villagers. The digger was launched with a bottle of champagne and the trench was started by some of the visiting dignitaries. The village singing group preformed for us and also the kindergarten children preformed it was a really nice morning in the village old and young and everyone in between turned out and had a enjoyable time. This is what makes village life so interesting. Everyone meeting and getting along together regardless of age.
We have guests in at Rock House at the moment and it is nice to have people around and about the house. We are enjoying the company and hope our guests are enjoying the village.
The crops in the garden are starting to show and soon it will be harvest time and then the work will start preparing for Winter. So much cooking, preserving etc etc. We enjoy this and the fruits are out the mulberries are sweet and juice, the strawberries are delicious, the cherries glisten in the sun and are very sweet, and most other fruits will be along soon. The grape vines were cut back hard this year and are looking as if we will have a bumper crops. May be this year we will try and make our own wine. We are sure the locals will point us in the right direction of how to do this. This is another joy of village life there is always someone ready and willing to share knowledge with us. After all these people have been doing this for years. Our fig tree is laden this year and we are looking forward to picking fresh figs. Our animals are all suffering from the humidity and spend most of the day sleeping and seem to come alive again at night. Our chickens are still giving us wonderful eggs each day. How different an egg fresh from the chicken tastes.
I hope June will be a wonderful month for us here and you where ever you are in the world. We look forward to your company again next month until then we wish you all much happiness. Thanks for visiting.

April 2009 Work on the Gardens Start

2009-05-03T01:58:00.000-07:00

Veliko Tarnovo

The Blosoms

Horse and Plough

The Horse at Work

April has been a very cold and sometimes wet month. We have had a long Winter here in Bulgaria this year. Our snows did not leave us until March. This being the case we are behind with planting in the garden. Work has just started after having the veggie plot ploughed twice it is now ready for planting. April did see the blossoms out and this year it has been really pretty the mountain awash with blossom, whites, pinks and dark purples. All the spring flowers are out and looking beautiful. The birds are also here preparing for nesting. We have a pair of nesting storks at the bottom of the garden, they are really amazing birds. The wood peckers are also in our garden along with many other small birds. They all fly with amazing accuracy and keep us amused with their antics.
Our chicken keep us well supplied with eggs and we have four fresh eggs each day. Unfortunately we lost two of our hens to birds of prey. We were so sorry to have this happen but being so near the mountain where the birds of prey are, sometimes it is inevitable that this may happen. We keep a close watch on them at all times now and don't leave them out in the garden if we are not there to watch for them. Life here is really hard sometimes and we have learnt many hard lessons along the way. We would not change a thing all the happenings are all part of life's rich tapestry. We are so looking forward to some warmer weather. When we can spend time on the land and grow our fruits and veg. We have come along way with our adventure, our animals the cats, the dog, the chicken all live here at Rock House in harmony, each having a healthy respect for each other. We took a trip to the beautiful city of Veliko Tarnovo not so long along. The drive up through the mountains was amazing and the city itself is very beautiful. Rich in culture and a wonderful panorama.
Well my friends that is about all for this month. We hope you will all keep well. Until next time our good wishes to you all.

February and March 2009 Spring is on it's way......

2009-04-05T02:17:00.000-07:00

Village horse race winner

1st March Celebrations

1st March Baba Marta Day

February icicle

Here we are at the start of April and no post from us for February or March. Well let me explain February was a very dull and cold month with much snow that lasted for a long time so we did not get the chance to get out at all much so nothing much to report to you. We did have a village horse race to celebrate horse and donkey day. On the 1 March we went to the Baba Marta celebrations in Stara Zagora it was a fine day and the celebration was better than last year. Many more people where there and many more taking part there were also visitors from other countries at the celebration and this was splendid. The day turned out to be warm and sunny and everyone from young to old enjoyed the festivities. Baba Marta has seen fit since then to deposit more snow on us in March and the last snows where here until 22 March. Funny really the Storks come back to Bulgaria in March and they usually arrive to sunny warm weather but this year they arrived back on the 19 march to snow on the ground. What a welcome when they had flown all the way from Africa to be meet with snow in Bulgaria. April has had a much better start and the days have been warm and sunny long may it continue is what we say. The Credit Crunch and the global financial climate is taking it's toll here for the ex pats in Bulgaria. Those who came here and were living from the interest of saved money are now finding it a bit of a struggle. Many are reported to be heading back the UK. We are no different than many and we are having to rethink what we do and the way we do things. No way do we wish to return to the UK so much of our time in the last month or so has been planing what and when we can do things to make it better for us to survive here in the current financial climate. I will keep you posted on what happens in the next few months . The blossoms are fantastic and the mountains are a wash with colour from all the blossoms and the little plants that show themselves this time of year. yellows, whites, pinks, and purple plants adorn the mountain and the birds are singing, as are the frog that are now in the pond at the back of the house. The noise from them at night is really something. So all in all the spring is here and the thoughts turn to long hot summer days to come ( we hope). Hilary is taking a trip back to visit family in April so we will return with the blog after her return to Rock House mid April. We have been lucky also we have a long term rental coming in April so this will be pleasant to have guests about Rock House all summer. Well until next time take care and enjoy spring or whatever season it is where you are. See you all at the end of April.

January 2009 A New Year Starts

2009-02-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

Light Tricks on the Mountain

The Brits joining in Baba Den Evening.

A January Full Moon

Here we are at the start of a New Year 2009 thoughts go to where this year will take us. We have been lucky this Winter it has been mild in temperature and the snows were only small compared with last year. Also they did not last so long. maybe there will be more to come who knows? We have enjoyed this Winter as we have things all in place and got it right this year. The logs were dry having had all year to dry out. This meant we got a better burn from them and they produced much more heat. Our store cupboard was full and so were the freezers and we still have plenty of food so no need to shop for some time. We still watch look and listen to our Bulgarian neighbours and the learning never stops. The ladies of the village celebrated Baba Den which in English terms would mean Grandmother Day. We all went on the coach to the local restaurant, we played games, danced and sang just the ladies no men allowed. We had a great time and made our way back to the village well after midnight. The time has come to start thinking about planting for this years crops. Planning is vital again we are more prepared this year. We at Rock House wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year. See you in February.

December 2008 A New Year Just Around the Corner

2008-12-29T01:19:00.000-08:00

Ever Changing Landscape

Our Morning Walk in the Snow

Snow on the Mountain

The Wind Turbines

December this year has been very different than last year. We have had some mild weather up until the last few days of this month. The snows came but only very little, compared to the 3/4 foot we had this time last year. We have now got some low temperatures and the snow has taken on the appearance of glistening gems. Each day we walk on the mountains with Bailey, it is like a winter wonder land. The snow and ice capped rocks all take on different forms ever changing in there beauty. We spent a quiet Christmas day at home and ate a Christmas dinner from all our own produce. Boxing day we spent time with Bulgarian friends in true Bulgarian style the dish of the day was pork. We are looking towards a New Year and all that it will bring. No matter where in the world you are we think that 2009 will bring many more challenges not just for us here in Bulgaria but around the world. Progress here is taking place and we await the turning on of the wind turbines that have sprung up on the hillside just outside the village. We now also have a regular dustbin collect at the house not the communal bins that were once used. It is so much better not to have to walk to take your rubbish to the bin. Bulgaria is changing it will take time but the signs are there.
We at Rock House wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year.Take care all of you and we will return at the end of January.

November 2008 Countdown To Christmas

2008-11-30T01:47:00.000-08:00

The First Winter Snow

Greek Countryside

The Beauty of Bulgaria

Winter Storm Clouds

We have had our first snow this year. Although it was not much and it has now gone. We are sure there is much more to come and are thinking that we shall have another White Christmas.........
We have been busy making sure that everything here at Rock House is Winter proof. All the delicate plants and shrubs have been potted up and have been taken inside for Winter. We took a day out a week or so ago and went to Greece for the day. Yes just the day it was a warm sunny day and the drive was so pretty just over an hour from our home. The Greek countryside is very similar to Bulgaria. We visited a town called Orestiados it was a very nice town and we had a wonderful day out. We are planning when the weather is better to also take a day trip to Turkey. This also is only an hours drive from our home. We are lucky to be able to go to other countries just for day trips. The landscape here is changing almost everyday as winter arrives. Every season brings it's own beauty here in Bulgaria. The clear nights are amazing we never knew there were so many stars to be seen in the night sky. There is no light pollution here in the foot of the mountains we stargaze and it is awesome to see so many stars. This leads me to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas Season. Many blessings to you all. We will see you at the end of December Take care.

The End of October Where Does The Time Go?

2008-10-30T02:56:00.000-07:00

Horse and Donkey off to a new home

Pigs off to Market

A Bulgarian alternative to a Wheelchair

Our New Addition Bailey

Well here we are at the end of October. Where does the time go? Eight weeks to Christmas can you believe it. We are having some pleasant days with sunshine, but the evenings are chilly. We have not had to light the log burner yet so that is a good sign. We have a new addition to the family here at Rock House. Her name is Bailey she is a ten month old dog. Her owner had to return to the UK and could not take Bailey with her. We are pleased to have her here, although the cat's might not feel the same yet!!!! They will all get along after a while just like the chickens did. Cats and chicken live in total harmony now and we are sure that Bailey and Mitzy and Jasper eventually will get along just fine. I thought this month I would make you smile with some different modes of transport you see here in the villages of Bulgaria. We often stop and smile at things that to us seem a little strange. This month also is the month for your pumpkins to be used or stored so that fist well with Halloween, Pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread will be made in this house and maybe some pumpkin pie. There is little left in the garden now the odd cabbage or two. Then the ground will be ploughed ready for the spring. That I think is about it for this month. Take care be well all of you. We will see you again at the end of November.

September 2008 Autumn has arrived

2008-10-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Village Crafts

Village Children Entertain

Cats and Chicken in Harmony

The long hot days of Summer have gone now and autumn is here. Chilly mornings and evenings and just warm sun during the days. We have been able to make use of the warm days and are busy turning the ground ready for the winter. We have our log pile all finished now so we have dry logs to burn on the log burner all Winter. This month has been mostly about the animals. We have found out that out of our eleven chickens there are now five cockerels, not really what we wanted as the chickens were for eggs. The breeder we bought them from was phoned but he really was not interested that we had ended up with 5 male birds. So we have sent four of them to live with our friends as they were disruptive towards the hens. So all being well we will now get some eggs. Unless of course more turn out to be male birds. Lets hope not. September sees most of the locals gathering winter fodder for the animals as pasture will be hard to find . Also now the hard work is over in the gardens and all the crops are gathered in, the village starts to have celebrations in September and October. So over the next few weeks there will be parties and dancing singing and everybody having a nice time. I will try and get some nice pictures to post so you can share in the true Bulgarian culture. Now is the time for the local ladies to pursue their handcraft work. These are true works of art. They are very talented and make some amazing items. Until next month take care each and everyone of you.

August 2008 Celebrations and Heatwave

2008-08-30T05:15:00.000-07:00

Village Rush Hour

Bee Keeping Bulgarian Style

Our Good Friend in Bulgarian Costume

Once again this month has been very hot. Also it is a quiet month as many Bulgarians take holidays in the month of August. With the heat comes a few problems one of which is a lack of water. The other problem is there have been some fires. Everything is very dry and one careless move can cause a nasty fire. There was one such fire about 38k from where we live it was a big fire that took the army to help to control. Because of the lack of water we have had to let some of our crops go, this is a shame but we had to make some harsh decisions . It is all part of the learning for us. We know next year we have to get our irrigation system for our crops sorted out. This we can do with the help and advice of our Bulgarian friends and neighbours.
The Chickens here at Rock House are doing well but still no eggs come on girls it must soon be time for that egg. I will keep you posted. This month we celebrated our good friends name day it was fun and Hilary also had a birthday so it was a joint celebration. We ate and drank outside in true Bulgarian fashion. A great time was had by all of us.
Here in Bulgaria there is some of the best honey we have ever tasted. Our friend and neighbour has hives in a field at the back of our house. I am showing you the way he does his bee keeping here in Bulgaria!!!!!!!!.

July 2008 We are still busy at Rock House

2008-07-31T03:22:00.000-07:00

Hummingbird hawk moth

Mitzy meets Goldie

The Onions in Store

The Winter Preserves

This month saw the start of some very warm weather indeed 46c that is hot. We follow the locals and get our chores done early, and spend the afternoon inside. We have now almost got all our crops in. This meant that we had work to be done again in the kitchen, and in the store shed. Our onions are dried and we have strung them to hang ready for winter use likewise our garlic. We had a stringing lesson from one of our Bulgarian friends, thank goodness our strings passed the test.......... if they failed it was back to square one.
The chickens are growing fast and our two boys are starting to crow in the mornings. They are still young and have not quite got the hang of the cock-a doodle-loo we get some funny variations of it.
Our holiday apartment rental has been very slow this year, so it was with some excitement that we received a bookings for early August and late August. We are looking forward to having guests to stay. We can feel the barbecue calling, it will be fun to have an evening on the patio with our guests.
As August approaches we really have to start making plans for our winter. Hard to think about cold and snow with the heat here at the moment, however it's time to plan and plan we will. Please call back the end of August for more tales from Rock House.

June 2008 A mixed month indeed

2008-07-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

The New Arrivals

The sunflowers in Bloom

The Stork

A Gift from our Bulgarian Friend

June 2008 is very different than June last year. We have had some hot weather, however this year it has been humid with many thunder storms. The crops have loved the water and most things are showing early this year. We have picked many of our crops and prepared them ready for winter. This entailed much activity in the kitchen, jam making, pickling, bottling , freezing, drying and baking. Unfortunately we lost our entire crop of peas to the pea moth. This is something you have to expect as it is our first year of growing, and we have chosen not to use any pesticides on our crops. We grew English peas and next year we shall grow Bulgarian peas as none of our neighbours had a problem. Another lesson learnt. We have some new arrivals here at Rock House. We are the proud owners of eleven chickens they are settling in very well, we watch them with great interest, each of them forming its own character. We are looking forward to having our own eggs later in the year Jasper and mitzy also watch them with interest, but we are sure for very diffrent reasons. Hopefully in time both chicken and cats will lead a full an happy life here in harmony.

May 2008 One Year On

2008-06-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

The veggie Garden Now

The Patio

The Back Garden Flower Bed

The House

Where did that year go. We have had our ups and downs but would not have missed the journey for one moment. Would we leave our bit of paradise NO NO NO is the answer to that. Life here is different and can at times be a real challenge but we love everything about our new life the ups and downs make you even more stronger to strive to get things right in the future. We are growing all our own veg, and we both feel so much healthier we pick we cook we eat. We lead our lives at our own pace and are so much more relaxed. We do work hard and sometimes the challenges are not easy to meet. We work as a team and if we really are stuck we know there is always someone that will help and advise us. The locals are a warm and friendly people and we are privileged to call them our friends. The weather now is beautiful and we are looking forward to a long hot summer. I will post once a month to keep you updated with our progress as we head for year two.

April 2008 Showers come to Bulgaria

2008-05-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

The bulgarain Lawn Mower

The Veggie Garden in the Making

The Flower Bed in the making

April showers come to Bulgaria just as they do in the UK. March saw changeable weather with some high winds and now we have showers. We are not altogether unhappy about some rain. We know that in the following months every drop of water will be needed to tend our gardens. Sometimes we suffer for water shortages in the villages so any water we we can save now will help with this situation. We have had a back up tank installed in our home so that when we have mains water the tank fills up and allows us to have water in the house even when the mains is not working. We take running water for granted in the UK but here we have learnt to save water where ever possible. We recycle whatever water we can, also we have a working well in the garden and this is used to water the veggies with.

March 2008 the Month of Change.

2008-05-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

March the 1st Celebrations Stara Zagora

The 1st of March sees Baba Marta Day here in Bulgaria. March 1st is probably our most intrinsic holiday because it is unique to Bulgaria. The custom of wearing martenitsas (red-and-white threads worn as a decoration) is only popular in Bulgaria and it is perhaps the most positive one in all our folklore. The traditions related to March 1st as well as the martenitsas themselves are associated with optimism and anticipation of warmer weather, fertility and well-being. This tradition is based upon the founding of Bulgaria in 681 AD. The name March comes from the Latin Martius, i.e. ‘of Mars’, the god of war, son of Jupiter and Junona. Old Bulgarians called it “birch month” – because the birch trees begin to grow leaves and give sap. Other traditions connected with March include that very early in the morning, even before the month begins, the young ones must be the first to meet the willful old woman. Thus she will be smiling and merry, the weather will be good and sunny. People wear the martenitsas until they see a stork. Then they tie it on a fruit-tree branch, make a wish and are sure that it will come true.

February 2008 and the Snow has Gone.

2008-05-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

You can't See Me

A Good sleeping Place

The Boy's Relaxing

The snow has gone now but the temperature is still low and cold. We have been out and done some shopping. Just to top up the cupboards in case we get more bad weather. We are busy planning the veggie plot. Again we are making a journal of what we want to grow and where the best possible place to put everything is going to be. We are also planning on having some chickens so we are getting plans down for making the hen house ready for our new arrivals. We are not sure how our two cats will feel about having some feathered friends around only time will tell. We are sure that they will cope with them very well. Mitzy & Jasper our two cats have been with us since September and are really part of the family now. Our Bulgarian neighbours say they are lucky cats to be spoiled the way they are. We don't think they are spoilt we just think they are well loved.

January 2008 and Still the Snow is here

2008-05-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

The Village Church
The Village School
The Park
One of the Village Streets

Christmas has come and gone and still we have snow and lots of it. We have not been able to get out of the village for some 3 weeks now even with the 4x4. We spend our days chilling(no pun intended) We use the time to relax and prepare for the busy spring and summer months. We keep a journal of things we have learnt this winter to make next winter even more cosy. We pride ourselves that we have not run out of food or any essentials. So we got something right. Our Bulgarian is coming on slow but sure. We have spent time with friends in the village over the winter and all this helps us to learn. We are told by the village people that the snows will last a couple more weeks then things should get better. We have taken many pictures of the village in the snow it really is very pretty. Not many adjustments to make for next winter just a couple of things to make us even more cosy.

December 2007 Christmas is almost here

2008-05-26T07:16:00.001-07:00

The First Snow

Our Village in the First Snow

Well we had the first snows and it was not so bad we could still get about, having the 4x4 jeep was great as we could drive it in the snow without much trouble. The whole landscape has changed now and we are seeing yet another side of Bulgaria. It is still beautiful and we love the ever changing scenes outside. We are both feeling a bit strange not being with our family at Christmas. The first one we have spent away from them in many a year. We have the Internet so we can keep in touch and speak with them on Christmas Day. Here in Bulgaria the main celebration is Christmas Eve. Everyone meets up and families spend time together and have a meal on Christmas Eve. Tony and I spend Christmas in our house it is cold outside and we have had yet more snow this time lots of it. Everywhere you look is white it is very pretty and here the snow is different very clean powdery and fine. Our two cats have been playing in the white stuff and looking with amazement at it. I guess this is the first time they have seen snow. New years Eve is celebrated with many parties, lots of food and drink and at midnight fireworks are let off. Not really much different than in the UK.

November 2007 and the First Signs of Winter

2008-05-26T04:42:00.001-07:00

The Sky at Night

It is now November and the weather is changing the days and nights are much colder. We have learnt to start and make our fire. We light the fire in the afternoons to warm the house soon I think it will need to be lit in the mornings. We have taken stock of the store cupboard and the freezer. We are sure that we have enough food to see us through the winter if we are unable to get out for a few weeks. We have Bulgarian socks at the ready they are fantastic keep your feet really warm. Hilary has been watching the ladies buying woollen tights on the market so has now got a stock of her own. Yes they go under your trousers and come down to your ankles, not the height of fashion but so warm. The secret is to wear layers and a hat and scarf. We have been told that the first snows could well be on the way. The night sky is just awesome.

October 2007 One Year ago we Bought our House

2008-05-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

From this ................................

To this ...............................

The Kittens are Growing Up

It is now one year since we bought our house. How time goes past so very fast. We are still making plans for the winter. Although at the moment the weather is still good. It is hard to imagine what our first winter here will be like. We know that last year there was very little snow and this is very very unusual for Bulgaria. Again we are just hoping that we have done enough to prepare for what ever the weather throws at us. We have had to move our freezer upstairs into the apartment as we have been told not to leave it in the utility room as it will be to cold for it there. How strange!!!!! but apparently if the temp falls below 10 degrees it will ruin your freezer. Well they do say you learn something new every day and that is just the case here in Bulgaria you learn at least one new thing a day. Another thing we learnt today after a visit from the local vet is that we have two boys Mitzy is a boy oh!!!! dear to late to change his name so he will have to be Mr Mitzy from now on.

September 2007 Grape Time.

2008-05-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

The Grapes are Ready

From this ....................

To this ....................

The Kittens 7 weeks old

September sees harvest of the grapes and many other fruits and vegetables. We are over whelmed with the amount of gifts in the way of fruit & veg from our Bulgarian neighbours. Hilary is busy in the kitchen making sauces, blanching and freezing the gifts we have received. Most Bulgarian homes will be a hive of activity with the women preparing food for the winter. Pickling, preserving and freezing. We hope that next year we will be doing all of this with our own produce from our garden. We are making plans for the winter now. We have no idea how bad the winter snows will be so it is time to think ahead. We have logs delivered that need to be cut, split and stacked. Wow that is a job in it's self. How do the Bulgarians get such neat and tidy log piles? years of practice is the answer. Albeit wobbly and not so straight we manage to make a log pile for the winter and between now and December every trip to the supermarket we buy just a little extra for the food store. Tony and I are now the proud owners of two very sweet little kittens Mitzy & Jasper one boy and one girl.

August 2007 The End of the Renovation is in Sight

2008-05-23T03:13:00.000-07:00

One of many parties

The House is looking good

What a difference

We have been in Bulgaria for just over 2 and a bit months. We are really enjoying the village and the new friends we have made. The locals have made us feel most welcome. We have been invited to many celebrations in the neighbourhood. Here in Bulgaria they celebrate their name day, it's a little like a birthday but it is to celebrate their name. The locals are watching with interest our house developing. Often one or two of the villagers can be found wandering around the house looking at how a western house looks and exchanging the odd joke with our builders. They are all intrigued with some of the reshaping that has been going on in the house. For example they are amazed that the once dark and damp store room in the bottom half of our house is now a bedroom. We have been told that the moving in date for us will now be the 14th August great news we can't wait to get into our new home.

July 2007 the Heat Continues

2008-05-23T02:02:00.000-07:00

The Grapevine

The Goats having a free Meal

July was even hotter and we are still camping out in our friends house. The days are very very hot and we are taking a time to adjust. We have both managed to avoid getting sunburn. We have followed the locals up early in the morning and get your chores done. By midday it is time to go inside and catch up on the chores inside. The time to come back out is around 5 pm when the heat is not so fierce. The evenings are warm and very pleasant the only annoying thing is the bugs and mosquitoes. If you are unfortunate enough to get bitten by a mosquito the cure is at hand with the traditional Bulgaria drink of Rakia. No no you don't drink it you water it down and apply it to your bite and soon it will be soothed and feeling much better. Rakia is made from many different things here grapes,fruits etc. It is very much like a whisky neither of us like it and we laugh with the locals that try their best to get us to drink it. We decline telling them that for us it is like " FIRE WATER" they laugh and nod, and still try to get us to drink it. The local wine is very different we have tasted some absolutely beautiful wines made by our friends and neighbours. Our mission in 2008 is to make our own wine from our own grapes. I will keep you posted.

June 2007 Heatwave and Still waiting for the Renovation to Finish

2008-05-23T01:50:00.000-07:00

The Renovation in Progress

June came in with a flourish of very hot weather, something we in the UK are really not use to so again it was watch the locals and follow them as much as possible. When you enter into a new culture my best advice is to watch, learn, and listen. Watching is easy, learning by watching is easy, however listening is not quite so easy when you don't speak the language. This is something else one should take into account when thinking of living in a different country. We set about trying to learn Bulgarian. Not an easy task but we try our best and the locals are such friendly and helpful people, if you show them you are trying they will offer you all the help they can. When all else fails explanation and demonstration always come in handy. Sometimes much hand waving and charade type actions and much laughter would get the point across. We don't beat ourselves up that the learning process of the language is a slow one. Each day we try hard to learn another word or two. We know it will be a long and sometimes frustrating process. Having said this the joy of learning a word and using it and being understood is worth all the effort. the locals are by now getting to know us and us them. We feel very much at home and are still keeping a close eye on our house renovation.

Where we were last May

2008-05-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

The VW Camper we drove across Europe

As I write this a year on thoughts go back to may 2007 the 23rd of May to be exact found us crossing the border from Romania into Bulgaria and the start of our new life in a new country. We had travelled across Europe in our VW camper van enjoying the ride and smelling the roses on the way. Always bear in mind any journey you take in life is that much more enjoyable if you take time to smell the roses along the way. We lost a fan belt in France so we were delayed by a day. Belgium,Germany, Austria,Hungry,Romania, and Bulgaria a great five day trip. We travelled and took time to look around. A tip if your travelling across Europe night stops were always taken near or with the lorry drivers. They make great night time companions looking out for you and each other. We arrived in our village to find our house was way off completion this is not uncommon in Bulgaria. So what next well we set up camp in the garden of some friends. They were soon to return to the UK and offered us the use of their house. The house was typical Bulgarian no running water inside, toilet or bathroom, just a shell, and so the adventure began. Unknown to us the villages can suffer from lack of water so our first lesson is to find the local spring and get water in bottles to use for household chores etc. I set to and did my washing in a bowl outside much to the approval of the local ladies. They would stop at the gate and shout BRAVO and clap. They approved of the English woman that did what many of them had been doing for years. We had to walk from the house we were staying in to our house to use the outside toilet yes that is right you read it correct the "outside toilet" funny to think back now we did this for almost 3 months while our renovation took place.

How our Adventure started

2008-05-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Bulgarian Sunset

We lived in South Wales in the United kingdom, Tony was a professional painter and decorator and Hilary was an Administrator. We both worked full time and Tony's trade took him away from home for weeks at a time. In my spare time I handcrafted and sold jewellery. This is something I still do here in Bulgaria. Quality time together was few and far between. Our working lives and commitments always seem to get in the way. We took holidays and often while abroad we would think about what it would be like to live in a different Country. We took a month off in 2006 and travelled about looking at different places. In October 2006 we visited Bulgaria and fell in love with the country, the people, and the wonderful flora and fauna. The breathtaking countryside and the culture. How beautiful is this sunset?

A Look Back Over our First Year in Bulgaria

2008-05-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Our Home in Bulgaria

Rock house is our home here in Bulgaria this is the story of how we got here. The ups the downs, the laughter and the tears. We are Tony and Hilary an English couple who have chosen to make Bulgaria and the village of Glavan our home.