Now, where was I ?..Ah, that’s right…in Bulgaria.

Once I had put all my reservations about returning the Bulgaria to bed, I just had a terrific time with my sister and everyone else that I had time to catch up with.

When I arrived back in the village, clearly the news of my return had spread. I was welcomed back by my neighbours, the Mayor, his wife and my Bulgarian friends. I felt like a long lost daughter….I was truly moved by the experience. I knew I had friends there but was concerned that my friendships were being damaged by malicious gossip. I was right that there had been plenty of gossip. This was bought to my attention by a friend who speaks english, but it hadn’t affected the real friendships I made in Miladinovtsi, the friendships that count.

Also, I was once very good friends with a woman called Stefka…we were great friends, but a couple of issues got in the way and we ended up estranged. When I knew I was going back, and after hearing that she had had a bad run with some of the people that adversly affected my life, I decided it was time to re-establish the friendship. I contacted her from here before I left and arranged to catch up once I got settled…..

I wanted to take Jillian to all the lovely places that I had been privileged to see in Bulgaria. I planned to head for Jeravna and Sozolpol for starters and as Stefka was also on holidays, I arranged for her to come with us.

We had a fabulous time and I even managed to drag my neighbour, Christina along for at least one day out….I figured she probably deserved a day off. We squeezed into my trusty car, and after dropping a couple of village ladies in Yambol, I picked up Stefka and we headed down to beautiful Sozopol. The weather was gorgeous…not to hot…and the old town, where we were, wasn’t too busy.

We had a wonderful day…we did all the touristy things. We walked the length and breadth of the old town, we shopped, we lunched ( as ladies do), we ate icecream, we chatted …we just generally had a really nice day. And it was good to spend a little time with Christina when she wasn’t working, and it was great to get back to the good friendship that I had with Stefka.

I didn’t have nearly enough time back in BG and I knew that I wouldn’t have time to catch up with everyone I wanted to, even in the village, so I decided to throw a barbie..not the doll, the classic aussie summer feed…..

It was a cracking night !! I made the mistake though of thinking that if I invited 20 people, only ten would turn up…silly me. Everyone I asked arrived, both from within the village and from Yambol and Slavyantsi (sic) It was chaos……Jillian, Louisa, Anne, Jeremy and Gary spent half the night in the kitchen making more and more Shropska salad. I ran out of meat and had to borrow some…my poor pathetic little BBQ could hardly cope with the demand…. never worked so hard in its little life…
Thank god we didn’t run out of booze
Thank god the neighbours and various visitors from around the village had crammed my fridge full of fresh veges, cirene cheese and rakia….I had the capacity to feed the thousands…well, with veges, cirene and rakia anyway.

When we arrived in Miladinovtsi, we’d hardly had a chance to get settled before people started to arrive to welcome me back…all armed with food. As my huge fridge got more and more full, Jillian was saying ‘Susie, we’re only here for eight days..you have to tell them to stop bringing food..we’ll never get through it’ My response was that if she wanted to try and stop them, to go ahead…I wished her every success

Mind you, given the mob that turned up for the BBQ, it was a good thing that I had all that food……it certainly came in handy.

My time back in BG was starting to run out and the night after the BBQ, Christina invited Jillian and I over for an evening with her family. She had two of her sisters and her daughters there, with their partners.

Christina laid on the full feast of lamb, lamb drop sarma, shropska salad, rakia and wine….jesus, no wonder I put on weight while I was back in the country. We had a terrific night with them all. Christinas daughters live away, one in London and the other spends time working in Norway. When I left Bulgaria, both her daughters left around the same time and poor Christina was devastated that we were all disappearing at the same time to different corners of the world. It just happened that they were back in Bulgaria while I was there and it was very flattering to be included in their family gathering.

All too soon my time in Bulgaria was drawing to a close. I needed to spend time with Ivan, and in between him working with his sheep and house renovations and me running around catching up with everyone, we managed to get together…we also needed to sort a few things out because, again, wagging tongues had made difficulties between us….all sorted now though and our friendship is back where it belongs, on solid ground.

I wanted to spend time with his uncle Ivan and wife, Gospodina, which I did. I had a lovely few hours with them and though I’d only called in to say a proper goodbye, I ended up being fed and indulging in just the wee-ist of rakias. These are such good, welcoming people and I hated having to say goodbye to them again. In fact, I hated saying goodbye to any of them….I so wanted to stay there and get on with my life surrounded by these beaut folk……

Possibly the hardest goodbye was yet to come though, and that was saying goodbye to my dogs….again.

Jillian returned to Turkey on the Tuesday, as she was on her way to France to visit our friend Deb Westerberg and then onto Italy to spend time with our sister Helen. This gave me a day to tidy up some loose ends. I organised friends to mothball the house and car for me, but this doesn’t mean the house isn’t available if someone wants to rent it for a holiday. Just email me: aussiebulg@gmail.com if you think you might like a holiday in a very nice little corner of Bulgaria in a particularly special house.

Then it was time to say bye bye to my dogs. Jesus, I was a miserable cow…pretty sad old time for my last day in the country…..I did spend some very nice, though fairly miserable, time with my Gina in the house with me, and then it was time to return them all to the kennels for a few more months until they move to Bourgas. I think I actually heard and felt my heart break as I drove away, leaving them again.

And then it was time to say bye bye to Bulgaria. I’m so glad I went back, albeit for far too little time. I came away feeling exonerated, comfortable in the knowledge that I’m not the problem, it’s certain individuals around me. I’ve sorted out so much ’stuff’ and restored very important friendships and seen the important people in my Bulgarian life.

So, with very mixed emotions I returned to Australia to start another life with the ABC in Geraldton…..and that’s turning into a whole other story…..

So, here I was in Australia, working, catching up with great friends and my fab family.

The work situation was sorted…I had tossed that fateful coin and the decision to take the radio job was made. I had a start date, but I knew there was one thing I needed to do before I started the new job.

I knew in my heart I needed to return to Bulgaria to see my good friends there…to see my gorgeous dogs and to decide what I should do with my house…….and to see how I felt about the country after the rather rotten time I had before I returned to Australia.

My sister Jillian had already planned to visit me in BG and so I decided to return while she was there so I could show her a little more of the country than she saw on her first visit. It was the depths of winter when she visited in 2005 and, though she saw more snow than she could poke a stick at and some lovely winter wonderland scenes, she didn’t really see Bulgaria in all it’s glory…

So. plans were made, tickets were booked and on August third I flew into Istanbul on my way home….or is it ??

Jillian had flown in a few hours before me, so once I arrived and refreshed myself a little, we headed out to experience a little of Istanbul.

With the help of a friend here in Oz, I had got us into a really beaut little hotel slap bang in the middle of the old part of the city, the Sultanamet area. It was a great spot to be and it’s a very beautiful part of the city…..

Look at this for a breakfast view…..

And the mosques and buildings were really very beautiful

And I loved the three and four storey weatherboard buildings that dotted the area

Jillian wanted to do a wee bit of shopping, so I took a photo stroll around and got a few pics of some of those lovely bits of Sultanamet….. and of my sister, of course

The next morning we were up early for the bus to Erdine. We were to be picked up there by the lovely Dimitor and transported through to Miladinovtsi. We had a bit of a wait at Erdine and decided to have a coffee. Wandering around our feet were these two little cuties…though I suspect they were for the pot once they had gained a little more weight

We boarded the bus at lunch time and then hit the road. Gee, I felt so nervous…I guess I knew there were expats in Miladinovtsi who had caused me so much distress before I left, and according to some, were still indulging in malicious gossip while I was away, and the thought of seeing any of them made me feel a little sick, to be quite honest. I was filled with trepidation…..

And I also knew that this was crunch time…I was either going to hate being back in Bulgaria or love it.

Well, as we came over the hill into the village and I saw my house, a lot of my apprehension vanished, and when we pulled up out the front and Jillian stepped up and opened the front door…and I saw just how beautiful the place was, what a fantastic job Ivan had made of turning my ideas into a reality, I knew that Miladinovtsi and the Big House was where I belong.

Sue and Aisha had left the place in good shape and when I headed out to my vehicle, I found they had also left that sparkling….and I thank them for doing that for me and for looking after the house while I was away.

Jillian had only seen the house pre Ivan and there was a lot of Oooo-ing and Ahhh-ing ringing out around the place as she took a tour. Her reaction was important to me and I reckoned if she thought it was a good job, then it was a good job…as far as I was concerned, her positive response was a vote towards me returning to BG.

I had become so despondent before I left BG, that I think I had lost sight of just how amazing the house is and what a huge difference the work I’ve had done has made. Walking back into it was a very good experience for me….very positive.

Anyway…the next most important task was my fat bottomed girls.

I rang Maria (my vet) and organised a time to meet a the kennels. I was sooooo excited about seeing them again…you have no idea.

It was so good to see Maria again and it was so, so good to see the dogs…..and look at the size of them !!! these girls are just eight months old and still have a fair bit of growing to go.

And look at my lovely Gina…doesn’t she look fantastic.

She was vaguely suspicious about my sudden appearance and all of them were a little reluctant to leave the kennels and get into the car. Who can blame them…I’d left them for four months, and the kennels and the people who had looked after them there, including Maria and her family, had become the important people in the dogs lives.

Even though Maria is now the owner of Rosa, she decided the dogs should all be together as a family for the few days I was in town, which was very kind of her, and I think time with her mother and sister was really exciting for her…they were like a bunch of kids, even Gina.

We got them all in the car eventually and talk about a car FULL of dogs…..jesus !! There wasn’t much space left once they were all settled in, but they were all on board and off to Miladinovtsi we headed…

Again, on arrival they were a little wary…not sure what was going on, but again, once they got back amongst familiar smells and sights, they proceeded to play….and play…and play…and play. Not only are they huge for their age, but they seem to have endless energy…..

I had such a wonderful time with them. After a few days, Gina reclaimed her position in the house and got very settled indeed..and this is where my heart got broken again. When it came time for me to leave, she knew. She started following me around the house and hanging around my suitcase, checking the contents and giving me whithering looks as I put more bits and pieces in it. She just looked hangdog for the last 24 hours or so and I could hardly stop crying….

I love Mia, but I adore Gina…she’s my mate and best girl and I still feel an overwhelming sense of guilt when I think about deserting her….I just couldn’t bring myself to give them up completely, but maybe this is something I have to face in the near future. I can’t seem to make up my mind where I want to be, and that’s not fair on the dogs.

And their future ??? well, Rosa’s is in place. She has the best owner she could have in Maria and for now, the other two are being looked after by a friend of Maria’s. It’s the best possible arrangement, because if I return to Bulgaria I can have Gina and Mia back, on the condition that the guy can put his male Karakachan over her next year and he keeps the pups, and if I don’t return, I will either ship them out here to Australia….or wherever I decide to settle….or he can keep both dogs for himself. I’m bloody lucky, aren’t I ….things just seem to be falling into place for me, not matter which way I turn.

I have loads more to tell about my visit. We crammed an awful lot into eight days… Jillian and I had a beaut time and I have so much to tell about the village, the villagers, Ivan, days out with Christina and an old friend that I had lost contact with, Stefka, Stefka’s daughter and her amazing art.. Take a look at this www.inatrifonova.com

there’s stories, there’s pictures and I’ll be back with all that and more another day….

Right now, I have to make marmlade…and that’s ANOTHER story

bye for now

Mercer xxx

and so, after one week of some of the most bitterly cold weather I’ve ever experienced, it got warm !!! It’s truly bizarre…..one day freezing, next day standing out in the yard soaking up the warmth like a lizard…..God, it’s great…

And though I dont remember planting hundreds of bulbs, I must have, because right now my garden is a mass of little green points….the first peepings of numerous bulbs. It’s going to be fantastic if they all flower.

There’s a lot going on just now, and getting my back sorted out has been a big part of it. After months of injections and codiene, which was giving me nosebleeds, I eventually found the amazing Dr Dobre…Yep, Dr Good is his name….and he is. He’s made a huge difference to me and I am almost able to walk properly, which is nice. Added to this is the discovery of Bobby, the blind masseuse…..only in Bulgaria !!..but again, this guy is remarkable and is also helping me incredibley. I’ve gone from drug riddled cripple to much happier, walking nearly properly, able to stand for long periods, able to walk a fair distance…and almost getting a nights sleep..and this has happened in about three weeks…… I’ll be dancing next …NOT !!

And ..then there are my favourite girls…ever growing, ever gorgeous..and getting naughtier by the day

And still spending their days playing in the ash from the fire that I’ve dumped in the backyard….

Look at my lovely white puppies !!!!!

And, as always, when the camera appears, Gina looks on with a jaundiced eye

Apparently, these dogs are elligible to be registered with the Bulgarian National Karakachan Breeders Association..they are perdigree and come from a strong line of dogs, so I may do this in case I ever decide to breed them.

Regardless, I still love ‘em to death and just like the fact that they are great dogs…..their breeding line is actually the least of my interests.

For now, it’s time for some rest…..now my back is getting sorted, I’m having much better sleep and have a lot of catching up to do….

There’s lots happening and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…..

for now
ciao

and so we went from deep and crisp and even, to slimy, muddy, damp and downright yukky !!! And every day is now a battle against the black sticky mud that is the soil here when water is added…

The weather has actually been quite nice the last couple of days, but we had day after day after day of really heavy, wet fog last week…and it was really depressing. There just never seemed to be an end to it..then I awoke Friday morning and realised that I could see blue sky !! and a large, yellow ball in the sky, the name of which I had some difficulty remembering
I was chatting to my downstairs guests and we realised that we have not seen the sky since well before Christmas…just greyness, that’s been it. No wonder everyone’s been feeling a little low…and what a difference blue sky and some sunshine is making. The temperatures are still low, but the sun has some warmth in it and I stood out in the backyard yesterday and soaked up the warmth like a lizard on a rock…god it was good !!

and the puppies !! Holy, moly, you should see how filthy they are ….in between still being the most gorgeous creatures on gods earth just now

I’m now letting them out of their compound every day so they can burn off a little of their endless energy, and now that all that lovely white snow has gone, they’ve discovered the place where I’ve been dumping the ashes from the fire…and Oh, what a lovely place it is for them to play. I took my eyes off them for about half an hour the other day and when I went out to check on them, I was greeted by two of the blackest, dirtiest, happiest puppies you’ve ever seen….. I put them back in the compound for the night and I don’t know whether it was them rolling around in the hay or whether Gina was a very busy mother, but the next morning they were back to being lovely and snowy white…..but not for long !!! no point trying to keep them clean…..and they are just having so much fun being puppies…..truly delightful.

And Gina ?? well, I suspect in her previous life, there wasn’t a lot of play, and she now seems to be learning how to play with her pups. The first few days she wasn’t doing very well and was way to rough with them, but now, she is just having so much fun with them…and they with her. This is what I wanted for her..the chance to actually enjoy her pups. I’ve found out that the first lot she had died and the second lot she ate because she was starving, which must have been so terrible for her. She’s been the most fantastic mother, and she really does love these pups. It’s been a joy to watch her.

I bundled them all into the car the other day and took them off to the vet for their shots. I asked a friend, Sue, to come with me because I kinda thought they would be a real handful, but they weren’t. They were lovely, though one of them did get a little car sick…and I give them porridge for breakfast…….so you can imagine what I had to clean up in the car

They were fine with the vet..a little whingy, but didn’t embarrass me at all. Now, keep in mind that these guys are 8 weeks old…..Rosa is weighing in at a hefty 15 kilos !! and Mia isn’t far behind at 13 kilos…..My fat bottomed girls indeed !!

We tried to get Gina on the scales, but she was too big, but Maria (vet) estimates she’s probably around the 40-45 kilo mark and in perfect condition….so I’m very pleased and happy. She’s come back from the brink of starvation and is now a happy, healthy girl..lovely

And when I haven’t been completely and utterly engrossed in the dogs ???

Well, this year we held Babin Den at my house. I asked Donna, Christina’s sister, if Babin Den was happening at the bar and I’m not quite sure why, but it wasn’t, so I offered my house. The local ladies sorted out the inviting for me and brought all the food and I just provided the house and lots of really good chocolate…they love a chocolate in this country…and my friend, Aisha, bought a large batch of scones, which really went down a treat. I love the fact that if you produce something different at these do’s, the folk here will always give it a go. If they like it, they descend upon it and it’s gone in seconds… if they don’t, it sits, a solitary, unpopular food item….Scones were a huge hit !!
And so the local ladies arrived and we got down to the important business of eating and drinking….

god, you should see how much rakia I now have…could start my own bar with the booze they bought…
and then, I put on my Bulgarian music and the dancing commenced !!

It was a really beaut day and I thoroughly enjoyed, as did everyone here….mind you, if I do it again next year, I might have to buy a bigger house ..or knock out some walls….or something.

Before the snow thawed, we had a bit of drama across the road. I was sitting here keeping warm the other day when I heard an almighty THUMP !! I then heard Teodora, the lady across the road, wailing. I ran out of the house and, bloody hell, the weight of the snow had bought down their outhouse..which was full of their sheep. Jesus, it was awful. Karlina from next door was already running over there and I joined them to see what we could do. It was freezing cold and there was no way we could lift the roof…obviously the priority was the get the sheep out and hope that none were dead. I ran back to my house and got Gerry to run up to the bar and get men to help and I also shanghaied a few blokes that were walking past to come and help. Another brit in the village stopped and helped and eventually all the sheep were rescued..intact. This was fantastic, because when I first looked under the wreckage I could see blood and was sure that there would be casualties…..
Anyway, there we all stood afterwards and I realised that they had nowhere to put their sheep…so I offered my garage. An offer that was taken up, and a few hours and a few metres or wire later, half my garage became a temporary home to seven large, surprised looking sheep. They were only there for just over a week while Giorgie and friends sorted out the rubble of the outhouse, which then gave them access to their other outhouses, so the sheep could then be moved there, but it was rather nice to hear them out there when I was with the dogs..almost felt tempted to get some….NOT !!!

On the ‘Bugger !!!’ list…..I sometimes make mention on here, after a hard days work, that I have a Nana back….gets sore, few twinges here and there, makes strange cracking noises sometimes when I stand up, usual stuff. Well, before Christmas the problem seemed to escalate and I’ve had some really serious problems..a few days where I’ve been pretty much crippled with the pain. Once again, the Bulgaria medical system has picked up something that should have been found years ago either in Australia or Scotland, both places where I’ve had XRays and MRI scans….

My mother had a curvature of the spine and it appears that I have inherited it from her. When they told me here that I had it, I asked the question ‘how could that happen’ to which the doctor responded, ‘it didn’t just happen, you would have been born with it’
Anyway, it’s obviously been there forever and has caused a little problem here and there over the years. Now, I’ve done something…the doctor suggests perhaps lifting heavy things that I shouldn’t be lifting…and one of the vertebrae on the curvature has herniated and is pushing up against a nerve…Shit, Shit, Shit !!! And boy, am I experiencing some pain…and no, I’m not having an operation. At the moment I’m having a course of injections, which Aisha, a friend in the village, who’s a nurse, is administering. Poor woman, has to face my bum everyday…… I’m also taking some pretty good drugs and this is keeping things under control..sort of. Next Sunday I’m off to see some guy in a village near Sliven who is, apparently, a bit of a miracle worker with dodgy backs. My doctor is taking me there, so he must be OK….I hope I told my doctor that I don’t care if this guy’s a witch doctor and wants to smear me with pigs blood, as long as he fixes the problem…I want my life back and just now, this is really slowing me down…..

and just a small aside….Poor old Aisha rang me today to tell me that one of the village ladies turned up on her doorstep this afternoon, injection in hand, asking her to please administer it to her….and she’s coming back for the next one in five days !!!! So not only does she have to face my backside everyday, but now she’s got the villagers coming to her as well and presenting theirs….

God I love this country..there’s always something slightly bizarre that brings a smile to my face everyday

And last, but not least, today is Australia Day, and I was asked to do an interview for the Sofia Echo, an English language newspaper that’s produced in Sofia. They wanted an Australia perspective on living in Bulgaria..apparently. Anyway, it’s done, and I’m waiting to see what it’s like. I have no idea, but they’ve promised me a copy for me and some for my family…..so lets hope I haven’t made an idiot of myself ….

I think that’s it….If the puppies ever stop running around like whirling dervishes, I’ll get some more pics and post them, but for now, ciao, ciao

Yes, my third Christmas in Bulgaria is just a few days away …

But before myself, Sue and Aisha, a couple of good friends from here and John & Roy, a couple of young lads from Australia settle in for a few glasses of good Bulgarian wine and perhaps a small tipple of good Champagne, let me show you the last few weeks……

Last Friday I awoke to this

and this

and it really doesn’t matter how cold it is, I just love to look out my window from the warmth and safety of my bed, and see this sight 

now, this was over a week ago, but the temperatures have been cold enough for there still to be plenty of snow on the ground and visions like this around my house

Yep, they are massive stalagnites (sic) and who needs flowers in the garden and decorations on the balconies when you get displays like those…..

If the temperatures remain cold ( and methinks they will) then there will still be snow around for Christmas in Miladinovtsi….so a white Christmas is on the cards, which will be great for my friends and guests, especially the Aussies…you don’t get a lot of white Christmasses there 

And I’m all prepared as well….I’ve made a Christmas cake, I’ve even conquered my short crust pastry demons and made some fairly presentable mince pies. the christmas turkey is being slaughtered and delivered locally on Christmas eve (don’t come fresher than that), the drunken berries are festering drunkedly in a bottle, and tomorrow I make the Christmas Ice Cream

Thanks to generous contributions from friends and anyone else I could convince to bring me some, the fairy light display on the house has increased expedentially and I now have lights at the front of the house, the back of the house and down one side of the house…..and it looks fantastic…even if I say so myself     And with my slightly more mature years, I’ve adopted the ’less is more’ policy for my tree, and instead of cramming every damned decoration in Christiandom onto the tree, I’ve just put my favourite ones up plus lots of white fairy lights…….and it does look lovely…..

I’m ready !!!!  and I can hardly believe it, especially given the craziness of the last few months…..speaking of which….my doggies. my infatuation, the loves of my life 

I’ve had a new premises built for them.  I asked Ivan if he could rustle up something, as they were becoming very active and getting very hard to confine. One day Ivan’s uncle, Ivan turned up and in no time at all, the makings of the new, luxury dog apartment was underway

and just a couple of days later, through snow and sleet, this was the result

It’s got all the creature comforts…a raised floor, a good fence, that only manged to confine Gina (or Houdini, as she is now known) for 48 hours……and bales of clean, warm hay spread all over the place.  They moved in and appear to be as happy as pigs in poo…

And just take a look:

I can’t resist them……I’m wasting far too much time with them, but I just can’t help myself.  I go out to feed them and spend ages just cuddling them, and talking to them and watching their antics. They are as funny as buggery and keep me amused for ever.

Oh, and I was reluctant to name them because I wasn’t totally confident that they would live.  My fabulous vet, Maria, who I can never thank enough for her help, advice and support through all this puppy stuff, asked me what they were called.  When I told her they had no names and my reason for not naming them, she told me that if I didn’t name them, there would be no place for them in this world…so I have …and so now they’re called Rosa and Mia. Mia will be mine and Rosa is my gift to Ivan…….

The fact that they lived when I thought they weren’t going to is probably a contributing factor to my infatuation, but they are just so gorgeous…..

and I know some of these images are blurred, but trying to photograph these two is like trying to photograph a bucket of worms….

and still Gina hates me taking pics …

But even she’s providing me with amusement as I watch her dealing with the snow…….meet Gina of the Klondike

The poor thing has such huge teats and when she tries to have a wee, I can’t help but laugh as she tries to avoid resting said huge teats in the cold, cold snow.  She tippy toes around the back yard like she walking on hot coals……I thought Karakachans were designed to survive the harshest condition..perhaps I’m making her too soft with all the warmth and comfort…

and to everything else…I have rented the bottom floor of the house out to some folk who bought a property through Krassie and I. They needed somewhere to live while they start work on it, and as the bottom floor is now fully self comtained, they can live down there comfortably.  It’s a great arrangement where they look after themselves and we both have privacy.

and for winter entertainment and to keep those arteries packed, the pig killing season is underway !!

Ivan and his uncle, Ivan, despatched one the other day

And here he is, up to his elbows in guts.

This is one really lovely man, and he and his wife have been very welcoming to me.

And what are we doing here ???

We’re cleaning out the pigs intestines to make ‘Barwhoor’, a very nice, but very, very rich sausage made from pigs liver and pork meat…..you can almost hear the screams of my arteries from there, can’t you !!  But, jesus, the products that result from the pig killings are just so damned delicious……..

I think that’s probably all I have just now, except to wish everyone who reads this and gives me such great support, the very best for Christmas 2007 and a happy and fulfilling 2008 to each and everyone of you……

for now……Caio   xxxx

and busy I got……bloody hell…..I just wasn’t expecting it and when a rush of guests came from left field, I was only partially ready. I’ve had bird watchers from Scotland, the Sparrows, a really nice family from the UK, and even more Aussies. I had a really beaut couple from Queensland stay with me, Jan and Andy. 

I really enjoyed having them here and they seemed to enjoy their stay.  Their visit to me culminated in a very pleasant evening at one of the nicest restuarants in Yambol with some other friends plus Ivan and his wife.

We have mutual friends in Adele Millard and her husband, Mat.  I worked with Adele some years ago at the ABC and I’ve known her brother Nik, who’se a cameraman for the BBC, for many years  It was lovely to sit down and catch up on other aspects of life in Oz and people that I’ve not had a lot of contact with in recent times.

There are many times in this country when I rue not carrying my camera with me at all times….but sometimes I have it and I get to see some classic sights…..And ‘Men at Work’ in Bulgaria has got to be one of the great classics.  I’ve seen a number of situations that have made me laugh but for these two, I was lucky enough to get the matching pics

This was taken up in the mountains past Smoylan where one man was working like a bastard….while the rest looked on, smoked ciggies and gave lots of advice

and then, bugger me, if I didn’t look out the window the other day to see the men of Miladinovtsi doing exactly the same thing

you gotta love ‘em……..

I also found a little gem resting here quietly in Miladinovtsi.  Now, I’m not a religious person by nature, but this doesn’t mean I’m not interested in churches. I’ve wandered past the little church in Miladinovtsi many times but the doors have never been open……the other day they were, and what a wonderful vision hides behind those big doors…

It’s a truly wonderful place to visit and is beautifully maintained by Dida, the partner of the man that runs the local bar. it’s beautiful, and certainly worth a visit if you ever make it to this pleasant little village.

We’ve had Mayoral elections throughout Bulgaria and it was with great pleasure that I discovered that our encumbent Mayor and a man I consider a good friend, Dimitor Dimitroff, succeeded in getting another four year term in office. There were those who sought to manipulate the villagers and endeavour to get someone less desirable into office, but on the day, common sense prevailed and the right man was returned to the job…….

There’s probably a million things I’ve missed this month, but there’s been one occurence that has probably taken the most of my time and attention……

and here she is…

But this isn’t quite what she looked like when she came into my life…she was starved and abused and a truly pathetic sight

Her name is Gina. She’s been with me less than four weeks and her recovery has been remarkable.

up to and including her love of being in the car and her almost immediate liking to being inside the house…….

She is a most beautiful natured creature and a joy to to have around…but there’s more…

The more observant of you have probably also noticed that she’s pregnant….SHIT !!!  Yep, there’s puppies on the horizon and I suspect I’m in for a whole new experience……delivering the bloody things……. 

Rather sadly, Ivan, in a fit of pique, has taken Byal away from me. I was very sad to see him go, but also realise that with a  pregnant bitch in the house, a huge slavering, sometimes uncontrollable brute on the property (and I dont mean Ivan ) was probably not a great idea…..so he’s gone, after all these months. And I will miss him…..and so will the new friend he made here

So it’s goodbye to my old mate…..a dog I formed a great bond with. 

and hello to Gina….   

a dog I’ve paid for and who can’t be taken away from me and with whom, I am already bonding very strongly…she is just a delight and already I love her very much…fingers crossed her health is good enough to have these puppies and nothing happens to her.

I finish this month on a very, very sad note indeed. This time last year I had a Scottish couple, Jan & Harley, staying here with me while their house was being renovated. This was one couple that I admired so much.  Neither of them in great health but willing to take a chance on a new life in a strange and foreign land.  They’ve had their ups and downs here but all in all, were enjoying Bulgaria and what it had to offer them.  Sadly, Harley passed away today and it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I say goodbye, not just to this month, but to a man that I considered a very good friend indeed….and my heart goes out to Jan, who has lost her best friend and soul mate…

Caio Harley….

Here it is, only the 06th of August and I’m actually getting started on the months entry……..

Apparently, according to my neighbours, Ivan and the guys working here, I’ve had the most fantastic start to August. Let me explain……late on Wednesday evening, I was rattling around the house when I heard the insistent sound of a car horn.  I ignored it, because I couldn’t see who would be outside my place tooting a horn.  Anyway, it became even more insistent, I looked out the window and saw Ivan and the guys in his truck…..he’s tooting, tooting, tooting….and it’s really, really annoying me.  I stomped down the stairs, flung open the front door and yelled ‘WHAT!!!’, and was told to ‘come, come quickly……’  They were all pointing at the roof of the house, so out I went and looked up….sitting on my roof was not one

not two

not three

but FOUR

storks gracing my house…….

According to the boys and my neighbours, who were also very excited that I had been visited by the storks, this is a sign that I will have ‘mnogo kismet’….lots of good luck.  In fact, a couple of them said ‘mnogo, mnogo kismet’, so I’m hoping that this is one bit of superstition that’s right….I’d be very happy to experience ‘mnogo,mnogo kismet’

Mind you, they’ve done some really big poos on the roof…hopefully todays very heavy rain will wash them off.

And there’s some good news already…today, for the first time in many months, the heavens opened up.  A huge storm passed over earlier today and a massive amount of rain was dropped on us.  My garden will be very, very happy…it’s dying through lack of water, so this will be like manna from heaven for it.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that there’s been a bit of a sliva (plum) failure in this neck of the woods. Things were looking grim for the years Rakia until one of Ivans friends, who lives in Jeravna, said he had plenty, and to get on up there and pick them….so we did.  A merry little band of us set off a couple of weekends ago and spent a very pleasant, albeit sticky, day gathering plums.

It’s a real group effort starting with the spreading of plastic under the trees..you then all hold onto the plastic while one person, in this case Ivan, beats the tree with a large stick. Good idea to hold the plastic over you head, as getting rained on with plums is relatively painful, very, very sticky and leaves nasty red stains on your clothes 

When you can no longer reach the plums from below, someone small, in this case Chocko, gets to climb the tree and beat the plums from above……..

And this is what you end up with….and this exercise is repeated over and over until the trees are stripped.

Even though it was hot, sticky work, it was really enjoyable and you certainly couldn’t complain about the view we had while working.

We picked all the crap out of the plums, leaves, bits of branches etc, and then they were loaded into large plastic containers and taken back to Ivans place in Yambol for the rest of the Rakia making process to take place…..

So, onto the next step…….

Last Friday, I got to go here

The Distillery !!! It’s a cracking place and is run by a rather large bloke, who I’m guessing might just sample a few too many Rakias, judging by his girth……and Boy, the smell of Rakia is certainly enough to take your breath away……

So, now, the distilled spirit is tucked away for another twenty days…and then, I guess, it’s sipping time    I’ve ordered my supplies for the coming winter…let’s hope it’s a good, cold one.

So, that’s the important business of the month taken care of….

The other day I headed out to Ovchi Kladenets to take some pics of  friends house, where Ivan and Co were doing some work, I arrived around lunchtime, so headed to the local cafe and had lunch with the fellas.  Afterwards, when we were wandering back to the house, I was a little distance behind Ivan and his two sons.  I looked up and the words ‘ you can’t escape your genes’ flashed through my head……

Look at ‘em…..the same angle of the head, the way they walk, the way they hold themselves, their posture….facially, these blokes aren’t that similar, but there’s no escaping the fact that they all have the same DNA.

Anyway, I headed back to Miladinovtsi, taking a bit of a detour, as I sometimes do, just to have look around the countryside..and came across this

Isn’t that fantastic !!  I guess, if you’re going to build a haystack, you might as well use a little imagination and style.

and speaking of imagination and style, I can’t leave without showing you this…..

Now that’s a sporty sports car 

I think that’s a good start to the month…..now it’s time to try and get my house sorted for a bit of an onslaught of friends and family…

The bad news…the water’s gone again and no one seems to want to talk about when it’s coming back on.  I even rang the local politician this morning, because I think enough’s enough. Sadly, it seems that politicians are the same where ever you go..Yep, he hasn’t bothered to get back to me, even though he promised I’d hear from him today…..Still, I have his mobile phone number.  Does he think he’s heard the last from me ??? Silly him if he does…..

Trying to clean a house this big using bottled water is just crazy, so I’ll persist until someone gives me an answer that isn’t a string of bullshit !!  I’ll keep you posted…… 

ciao for now………