74.

Welcome to our village

Hi all! It's been another slow week this week and we've been feeling a bit de-motivated as we still haven't got our van back and upstairs renovations have come to a halt. This is especially annoying as we have guests coming now and would have liked to have had a lot more done. Oh well - c'est la vie I suppose! On the plus side it has been Pete's birthday this week and we have been very sociable and seen a lot of friends. And, even better, we have a friend from home arriving today to stay for 2 weeks, which is great!!

 

Sunday 4th

 

We had a bit of a chilled day today - I pottered about doing washing and cleaning up the house etc. whilst Pete was upstairs cooking a few pizzas and breads for a party this evening. Pete also cut up and de-seeded a load of very hot peppers, which I then stringed up for him - ready to smoke (he wants to smoke them, dry them out and grind them up to make homemade smoked paprika.)

Chilli's ready for smoking

 

In the evening we got ready to go out and had a pre-party Pimms in the sunshine (another lovely gift from our English friends who are visiting.) We then went out to SG to see, yet more, English friends who were here for a holiday. It was a BYO food party, so there was a huge feast on offer and we had a great night.

Lovely Pimms (no fruit though :( )

Everyone digging in

Monday 5th

 

This morning we got the woodburner going in the bedroom - which, because of the very hot weather, made it a very unpleasant place to be! But it meant that the chimney was nice and smoky so Pete could get up on the roof and hang the chilli's over it.

It is way too hot for this

Chilli's going over the chimney

 

We left them smoking for a several hours and in the meantime decided to start work on making a frame for a concrete step under the front door downstairs. Until now there has just been a gap there which has meant that our house gets very dusty very quickly and water starts to seep in when it rains (not that that has been an issue recently, of course.) Because of the sloping and uneven ground this took a while to get right, but we got there eventually. We finished with time to actually concrete it, but realised we didn't have enough cement in the house to do so. Argh!

Pete cleaning up

Framework in..

 

In the afternoon we chilled out and I was in the kitchen making birthday cakes. I made fig and walnut cakes (plural) because we've heard that it is tradition in Bulgaria to offer a gift to your friends and neighbours on your birthday, so wanted to do that this year.

 

At about 6.30 S & G very kindly came to pick us up and take us to Chirpan to do some shopping for bits we needed. We stocked up on food and managed to get a few building materials, including cement. We also stopped for a beer, and to pick up a take-away pizza, and then came home to watch a film.

Watching hilarious Bulgarian music videos and having a beer at the pizzeria.

Tuesday 6th

 

Pete's birthday! We had a bit of a lie in and a cuppa in bed and then I got up to make breakfast whilst Pete skyped his mum. We then had a lovely long and relaxed brekkie. Pete wasn't feeling too excited about his birthday this year (getting old!) and so insisted that he wanted just to hang out at home and tto get the concrete step finished! The step only took a couple of hours anyway and was an easy, but useful, job.

Breakfast time

The step is concreted

 

Once that was done we chilled out in the garden and had Pimms and birthday cake and played Bananagrams all afternoon. I then started to prepare dinner - I got everything set up for a BBQ but then it started raining - boo! So, instead, the chicken and veggies went in the oven and we skyped my parents and Pete's dad so they could say happy birthday too. The rain did stop and we ended up being able to eat outside and then went inside to drink wine and listen to music. A very lovely evening in the end! :)

Birthday cake and Pimms

Bulgarian Bananagrams!

Wednesday 7th

 

Today we were unsure of what work to do, but decided to get back upstairs to try and make some progress with what we could. We had enough materials to make up some render so Pete finished rendering the bottom of the stone wall which will be covered. I decided to clean out the small room upstairs - which we haven't touched since moving here nearly a year and a half ago! The room seems to have been used for storage or a small workshop and has only one tiny window so is very dark and horrible (we will eventually make it into our larder.) I didn't completely clean it but I went through everything in there, organised it/threw stuff away and gave it a good sweeping. It can now be used as storage, which is very useful, and it's shown us how big the space is too. This was good to get done actually as it's now ready for further demolition in the future!



Framework off and the step is done (until we tile it.)

Pete on the rendering

Before

 After

 

In the room was a whole box of blue and white tiles which we'll use in the kitchen.

 

In the afternoon we took Lucy out for a walk and on the way gave Baba V a slice of Bday cake. We then came home and decided to have an early dinner and watch a film. Whilst we were inside watching telly Hristo popped over to tell us that our rakia was ready now to bottle up (how did he know!?) so, under Hristo's supervision, we decanted the fruity liquid into large plastic bottles, leaving the plum stones in the barrel. We still have two more barrels that will need to be done in a few days. Then it was back to the film and an early night.

Slice of cake for Baba V

A hot but cloudy day

Hristo helping with the rakia

Thursday 8th

 

This morning we needed to go over to SG to mow a friend's lawn for them. G was going over to SG first thing so kindly offered to pick us up. We actually decided it made more sense for just Pete to go, as there would be nothing for me to do anyway, so I waved him off in the morning and then went into the village centre to get some veg. There is a man who comes every Thursday to sell veg out the back of his car but we have never been before as we always go into Chirpan. I sat around for half an hour or so waiting for the guy to start selling the veg (he was apparently more interested in chatting to his mates than making money!) and after a stop at the shop as well I headed home. I did a few chores and then started work on clearing the front entrance to the house/garden. As we've been accessing the house through the walnut orchard the front gate has been neglected and was looking a complete mess. It took a couple of hours to clean it all up, move some wood and stones around, get a few pretty ornaments in place and voila! A pretty entrance way at last.

The village veg stall

Before and after 

Objects from the house, a boar skull and my brothers bird house in the tree :)

 

Just as I sat down to have a coffee a big 4x4 came rolling into the walnut orchard - it was Pete driving back with our friend in his Land Rover! They'd driven here off road and Pete had got to drive - I was a bit jealous, I have to say!! 

 

When Pete was back we chilled out for a bit and had some lunch and then we got a phone call from our mechanic - exciting! Unfortunately the van wasn't ready - no where near in fact - he'd only just looked at it now and had found the problem. He wanted us to come and have a look at the problem and choose what price we'd like to pay for the new part. We tried to explain that we didn't need to see it and we didn't mind the price, but the mechanic insisted we needed to come and have a look! So we locked up and went down to the village shop to order a taxi. 3/4 of an hour later we were in Chirpan being shown a problem we have no idea about and said we'd pay the price for the new part - and that was it! As the taxi had been quite expensive we decided we'd try and hitchhike back - this is not unusual around here as many of the villagers hitchhike to get to and from Chirpan as well. We walked to the edge of Chirpan, with our thumbs out, and in no time were picked up. It was two young guys who spoke perfect English - one of which we'd actually met before. One of them had to stop off to do a quick job in the local hotel (they work for an internet company) so we went with them and 3 of us had a beer whilst we waited. They then took us all the way into our garden and said that they'd like to come camping here next summer!    

These two live down the road and they are SO BLOODY CUTE

 

We then spent the next hour or so relaxing and getting ready to go out for dinner with our friends Z & T. We all got a taxi from our village and went to the local hotel (second time today!) and had a fab evening of lovely company, food and wine.  

A bit of a dark photo - but a lovely dinner at the hotel

Friday 9th

 

As we have guests arriving this week we wanted to get to the market today to do a big veg shop, and we were feeling confident after our hitchhiking yesterday. Also, Z & T were getting a taxi into Chirpan at 9 so offered us a lift in the morning - result! :D So it was the usual morning spent at the market, but even better as we bumped into our friend DW, who used to live here but was now here on holiday for a few weeks (some of you may remember her from last year!) So we arranged to meet her for a coffee after we'd done our shopping. We had done quite a big shop, with four big, heavy bags and were just on our way to meet DW when a neighbour from the village pulled up and asked if we wanted a lift. Unfortunately we couldn't take her up on it, but amazingly she offered to take our shopping for us so we could pick it up when we got back to Izvorovo! People here are so nice! Of course we took her up on the offer and went to meet DW empty handed.

Coffee shop

 

After a quick catch up over coffee we said goodbye to DW and headed to the bus stop - we weren't aware of this but apparently there is one bus to our village on a Friday afternoon. So we were waiting at the bus stop, slightly unsure if there would be a bus at all, when another neighbour from our village pulled up and told us to get in! We should really do this hitchhiking thing more often - it would save us hundreds on fuel money!! I didn't get a photo but the car this guy was driving was awesome - it was an old Russian Trabant (or like one at least) and was made in 1970! But it was shiny and red and very well looked after. Anyway, we got home in no time and walked round the corner to pick up our shopping. Of course you can't just stop by for one second at a Bulgarian's house and we were invited in for tea and cake. Then, whilst we were there, the friend who's house we were at got a phone call saying her new nephew had just been born - so, of course, the wine, rakia and plates of meat and cheese were bought out to celebrate! Even the plumber, who'd dropped by to fix a tap, got involved in the party!! After a couple of hours we said our goodbyes, thankyous and congratulations and walked home with our shopping. I have to say that hitchhiking is way more fun (but way more time consuming) than driving the van! 

Eating fresh hazelnuts at the neighbours

 

Back home we unpacked the shopping and just faffed about for the rest of the afternoon. We had another BYO food party to go to tonight so we got a veggie chilli on the go and some friends popped by to have a coffee and say goodbye before heading back to the UK after their holiday. Now is the time that a lot of 'expats' leave to go back home for winter. As well as them many of the Bulgarians with summer houses in villages are also leaving back to the cities - we've learnt this week that our village has a population of nearly 200 in summer but only 45 in winter! It's a bit sad really as over summer there are many children around our village which really brings it to life, and it definitely means that winter is on it's way.

Look at these lovely aubergines - normal here in BG

 

In the evening we went over to Spasovo for (yet another) friend's leaving party. It was a really lovely evening but we didn't stay late and were home before midnight.

 

Saturday 10th

We spent the morning doing the usual chores - picking figs (the freezer is nearly full with figs now), washing up, watering the garden and I planted the huge basil plats a friend had dropped round for us yesterday. I also organised the dozens of jars of spices that another friend had given us - everyone is so generous! In the afternoon We decided to extend the air vent from our septic tank, which, until now, had been too short and kept wafting into the upstairs rooms - which wasn't very pleasant at all. This took a while to do as Pete had to drill into very hard stone whilst standing on a very tall ladder, which was a bit dodgy. It doesn't look very good at all, but at least for now it is practical and has stopped our house and garden occasionally smelling of sewage.

Huge basil plants

More spices to organise

Upstairs smells no longer

In the evening we had dinner, watched a movie and had an early night.

Sunday 11th

Pete was off to Sofia today to go and meet his friend from the airport and spend a night there. Our friend George had offered him a lift to the train station, so we got up early to pack and get ready and then went down to George's house at about 10. I waved Pete off and then headed home. I decided today to do a bit of work and wanted to sort out the garden fence - since we've blocked all the small gaps in the fence the crafty chickens have worked out they can slip through the ropes to get in and eat our vegetables, which is very annoying. I spent a couple of hours nailing some metal fencing behind the ropes. This doesn't look quite as nice, but from far away you can barely see it and it has worked a treat - the sneaky chickens have been trying to get through all day today and can't work it out! Muhaha!

In the afternoon I was feeling pretty tired so I had a nap and chilled out in the garden. Once I was back up I tidied up the whole house and made up the guest room. In the evening I sat out in the sunshine writing the blog and Veso popped over to give us a traditional Bulgarian folk music CD and stay for a couple of beers. Then me, Bilko and Lucy all went to bed and had a girly sleepover!

Monday 12th

This morning I have been cooking a cottage pie, so dinner is ready when 'the boys' get back, and I've hoovered the house and made the whole place look lovely (like a good housewife.) I'm now finishing the blog and waiting for Pete and his friend, Ben, to get back from Sofia. Ben is staying with us for two weeks and we are really looking forward to having friends here again. :)

(No photos from the last two days as Pete has taken the camera with him.)

Not sure if I'll update next week as I may not have time. So until next time... chao chao! xx