July part 2.

I wrote this last week so it might need some updating... but I can't do it. It's too hot. I'm melting.

12th - 24th Lucy and Gib

Lucy and Gib were here for nearly two weeks which was great as it gave us plenty of time to relax and potter about at home as well as go out on a few day trips. 

Evening stroll

In Sofia we met up in the morning and all got the bus back to Chirpan together. We just arrived home and were giving them a tour of the place when suddenly we heard a loud crash on the roof. We looked out to see it was hailing - but this was no ordinary hail! It was LITERALLY the size of golf balls. It felt like the world was ending!! Thankfully it only lasted around 10 minutes and we didn't suffer any damage (except a couple of broken buckets and a hole in our tent) but some friends got dents in their cars and roofs! 

The size of this hail!

So anyway, Lucy actually visited here when we first arrived, over two years ago, so it was nice to show her around as she can really appreciated the change - we were still in a tent the last time she was here and the spare room was just a muddy hole! 

The first few days we chilled at home and in the garden - reading, chatting, eating, drinking and swimming in the sunshine. More lovely, long, balmy evenings under the vines. We are getting far to used to this life! One afternoon it started to drizzle slightly (although was still hot) so we played Monopoly in the kitchen. We went to the Friday market and showed L & G the sights and sounds of Chirpan.  

Hammock time

BBQ

Sunset view from the kitchen

On Saturday afternoon we ventured out and went for a look around Stara Zagora. We managed to track down the massive socialist monument that Pete and I hadn't visited before but I've wanted to for ages. It was very impressively huge and the location offered some fab views out over the city and the hills. We then explored the centre and got an ice-cream before heading home.  

Monument in SZ

With views of the city

The weather was set to get a bit rainy over the next few days so on the Sunday we had a games day in the kitchen whilst it rained and stormed outside - we played so many games, it was so fun! It felt like Christmas! 

Games day

Walking in the drizzle

Sunflowers are already over

Pretty chicory - only out when the sun is in

On Monday we got up early and set off for a night in the mountains (mountains are always lovely, even in the rain.) We headed first to Asenovgrad and visited Asen's fortress. We then followed the road into the Rhodopes and went to The Wonderful Bridges. This place is stunning and was made even more magical with the low lying clouds over the trees. We'd bought a picnic which we ate on top of the bridges - a very scenic lunch! We were also lucky with the weather as it had been day all day and only just started to spit as we set off to our guesthouse. We went to the village of Orehovo and went to the same guesthouse Pete and I had visited last year. Unfortunately the owners did not offer to cook for us this time, so we headed to the shop ang got some sausages, veggies and bread to cook ourselves, on the grill. We had a really fun night drinking a few glasses of wine in the cosy communal area in the guesthouse.

The stunning Rhodopes

Asen's fortress

On the drive

Tree huggers!

At The Wonderful Bridges

Carrying Lucy over the river

Lunch with a view

Mountain village - Orehovo

A beer in the centre

Pretty village

Cooking in the guesthouse

Dinner time

The weather was much brighter today and we started the day with a strong coffee and a stroll around the village. We then drove to the pretty and traditional village of Kosovo for a little look around before heading to Bachkovo Monastery. After looking around the monastery we went in search of a walk that I'd read about to a large waterfall in the mountains (I love a waterfall!!) We found the walk easily and it was a beautiful trek into the mountains, passing an abandoned communist camp, stone ruins, open meadows and a tiny chapel surrounded by ancient trees. We also passed the waterfall but it was completely dry - never mind, it wasn't really hot enough to swim anyway! We walked for over an hour before decided to turn around and head back home. Another amazing trip in the Rhodopes - we are so privileged to live so close to these enchanting mountains. 

:-) Everyone in Kosovo

Bachkovo Monastery

Hiking from Backhovo

Sheep in the woods

Chapel in the woods

It was hotting up again for the rest of the week so there was more time just relaxing at home. We also all did a bit of work in the veggie garden - Lucy did a fab job of clearing some of the beds and Gib painted the walls of the patio area with lime wash. Tomatoes, peppers, chilies, sweetcorn and aubergines are all still doing really well. Beets and carrots are still in the ground but don't seem to be growing much as it is too dry (they are still very tasty and great for pickling though!) Salads and cucumbers are past it - although the chard is still going strong - and the courgettes are still coming but only in drips and drabs now. Sadly all my brassicas got eaten by black fly so I'll have to try again with them. I think we will be able to get another round of fast growing vegetables late summer as the autumn is so warm. There is no harm in trying anyway, so soon I will try planting more salads, spinach and maybe even beans. (Any advice appreciated!) 

Veggies

Aside from lounging at home we had one day out at the hotel swimming pool. That evening we set up two double beds in the campsite and had dinner and a bonfire up there. It was a great evening playing guitar and singing around the fire before sleeping out under the stars. As everyone has already asked I will mention that we didn't get attacked by bugs at all, the mozzies are only really bad around dusk so no one was bitten whilst sleeping out. We had covers anyway! It was soo lovely waking up in the shade of the pine trees, Pete and I definitely want to do this more often! 

Oh, we also bought and fitted a fan in the kitchen
 - it has changed our lives!

Setting up beds for the night

Camp fire area

Dinner in the orchard as the sun sets

On the Saturday we went out on an adventure day to find the 'Marble Lake' that I'd read about. It is an abandoned marble quarry that was supposedly full of water and good for swimming - although we were slightly skeptical. It was less than an hours drive and when we got there we were surprised to see several other cars parked. As it turns out there were, perhaps, 20 kids there having BBQ's and swimming. Some of them were jumping off from the sides too which looked like great fun so we got involved! We spent all day jumping in and swimming and picnicing, it was amazing. The place is very beautiful and surreal too and the water seemed pretty clean (although the same can't be said for the surrounding area which was, sadly, quite littered.) We jumped off from the first two tiers (the second one being just over 5 metres) but some of the boys there were doing some very scary and dangerous jumps from over double that - it was hair-raising just watching them! It was such a good day out and in the evening we went for a lovely meal at a traditional restaurant in Chirpan.

Marble Lake

Jumping in!

Besties! :-)

We were all feeling quite sunned from the last couple of weeks so on Sunday we hung out in the kitchen and Pete and Gib baked some bread rolls. Lucy made some courgette pakoras and for dinner I made a huge Indian feast for the last supper. The next morning we were all up early to drop L & G off in Chirpan for the 7.30 bus. What a fantastic couple of weeks we had and how sad it was to see the last of our friends visiting this year go. Thanks Lucy and Gib! It was our absolute pleasure having you here and you are always welcome again (as you know!)

Walkies in the heat of the day

Making bread and pakoras

So, that is our friends-visiting-extravaganza over for this year! What an incredible summer we are having and what amazing friends we have coming out to see us and this gorgeous country we live in! Now it's time to get on with some bloody work.......... !! ;-)

That's all for now folks. I'm off to have a cold shower. xx

Byeeee!

July part 1.

Hello everyone, welcome back! 

Girls in the sunflowers

We have been hosting guests constantly since I last updated and have really been enjoying the weather and having a proper holiday! This post will mostly be holiday snaps as we've done absolutely no work on the house - although we have, of course, been keeping up work in the veg garden. 

I've just looked over my previous post and the landscape has already changed so much in 3 weeks! The 'hose-pipe ban' I reported last time is still in place and has even lead to some villages being without water (thankfully not ours!) The surrounding countryside is scorched yellow and brown - and our veg patch is looking pretty similar. We have had some intermittent storms, but not enough to give the earth the proper drink it needs. (UPDATE - I wrote that yesterday and it has been raining all day today, so that is good news!)

I've also been trying to promote our site through social media too, so if you all could take a minute to follow us on Facebook and Instagram we would really appreciate it! (I also update regularly with pictures of what we've been doing here.)

Our FB page is ... https://www.facebook.com/kukuvitsacampingbulgaria/ 

Our Instagram is... @kukuvitsacamping 

Okay, that's enough self promotion, on with the blog... :-D

6th - 11th Mabel and Bert

My cousin and her friend were doing a bit of travelling in their summer holidays so came to stay with us for a few days. We had such a lovely time with them. The weather was unbelievably hot for the whole time they stayed so we did lots of relaxing and swimming, as well as eating the usual amazing food and strolling lazily around the village. They were fabulous guests and we hope to have them back here again soon! 

Cousins :-)

Cheers!

The first couple of days they were here we had a couple of things to do n the mornings. We went to Chirpan market on the Friday morning and showed them around the town. On the Saturday morning we had the monthly Car Boot Sale so we all set off early to sell bacon rolls. Unfortunately it was the quietest event yet - probably because it is festival and holiday season so people have other things going on. Still, we sold a few sandwiches and the girls picked up some bargains from the other sellers. On both of these days we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, reading, sunbathing and swimming by the pool at home. Every day we ate cheese, salami, salad and melon for lunch under the shade of a tree before dozing off in a hammock late afternoon - it was all very idyllic! Evenings were spent taking a walk in and around the village and then cooking and eating dinner under the vines.

Hammocking

Lunching

Early evening walk - still too hot!

Bacon day

There's nothing else for it

Pool girl!

Evening meals on the patio

Watermelon, onion, cirine and olive salad made by Bert - delicious

Cooling off in the spring

Village life

Evening walk in the light of the full moon

Sleepy cat :-)

The next day we'd lazed around enough so we decided to have an adventure day and try and find a lake or river (to laze around by!) I found an area with a river about an hours drive that looked interesting so we headed there. It is always risky to explore with guests as more often that not things don't turn out how you expected. So after our van broke down (we fixed it) and then we came to a bridge with a too short height restriction for the van we thought we'd just sat melting in the van for an hour for no reason! Luckily I found another road to our destination and we got there with no problem and parked the van in the local village. The river was certainly drier than it probably usually is, but there was some water and the area was stunning. We spent the day strolling up the river, taking dips and having a picnic. We also met a young shepherd who told us there were some small waterfalls further up. We all walked up, including the shepherd, and went for a swim in the very pretty and refreshing (but frog and foam infested) waterfall! It was a fantastic day. We would love to come back to this area in the (wetter) future.

Adventure day...

The next day we were knackered from walking so much yesterday so we had a lazy morning and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the local hotel swimming pool. It was so hot Mabel burnt her toes. 

Hotel Trendafiloff

On the 11th we just chilled out at home for the day and then all four of us set off to get the bus to Sofia. Mabel and Bert were catching an early flight to Greece the next day and Pete and I were off to meet our friends for a night out in Sofia! The bus broke down on the way to Sofia but thankfully it was quickly replaced so we got  to our hostel by about 7.30. We all quickly changed and then headed out to meet our friends - Lucy and Gib. 

Lucy is another one of my oldest and bestest friends and it was her birthday today - hence the rare night out! All six of us had a drink to catch up and cool off before heading out for a massive and fantastic dinner at restaurant Manastirska Magernitsa (I highly recommend.) We then we found an outside bar in a park with a gorgeous view of a lit up church and we stayed there until the early hours of the morning. Mabel and Bert left slightly earlier to get some sleep before their flight so we said our goodbyes to them in the evening too. Thanks for coming girls, it was our pleasure! It was a gorgeous balmy evening sitting out under the stars on beanbags - a great night.

Big dinner!

Stunning view for the evening

I had carried on writing this post for two more weeks, but it is just going to be too long. It will leave it there for tonight and do another one in a couple of days. Leka nosht! xxx

Goodnight