a few more pics at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/findthebinghams/32BulgariaBlogpix
Nobody was interested in us leaving Romania and entering Bulgaria, but they did want the €14 to cross the only bridge over the Danube….
We drove through lovely countryside to get to Zahari Stoyanovo, where our friend Paul now lives. (He helped us build our house when he was a student and lived in a Commer van in our front garden). It was so great to see him and he looks really happy and contented, now that he’s ‘retired’ and left England for good, fulfilling his dream to own a piece of land, and become self-sufficient.
Later next year,
he’ll start to build a straw-bale house on the footings of this old building. Would you be surprised to know Rick plans to go back to give him a hand?
He still has his dog, Ben, and now a puppy has successfully adopted him – Briony.
Apparently, many villages in Bulgaria are stuck in a timewarp, and Paul’s is noted for being 17th
Century……. our walk round was quite an eye-opener. Rather like a farmyard with 100 houses in it. Sadly, many are now empty, as young people leave to get work in the cities. Each household produces enough for themselves, from growing food to distilling liquor.
At the moment he’s living in and renovating his sister’s house next door. There’s a lot to be done! Most of the work is basically re-building. Rick was intrigued by the wiring –as done by the electricity board!!
I’m dead impressed with his progress with learning Bulgarian after only 3 months – he’s determined to master it. We now known as POCE and RИK.
The local people seem quite intrigued by him, and they’ve made him very welcome (e.g. invitations to pig slaughtering). We were inevitably a topic of conversation in the ‘bar’. It’s like someone’s front room, with a few tables and a couple of fridges of beer. During winter, there seems to be a lot of drinking done, as the hard work outside comes to an end (at least for the men!). Puzzling, as this is predominantly a Muslim community….
Paul’s area is just beautiful (even in the snow) and the climate sounds just right (about 10 months sun and 2 of winter) – we’ll be going back to visit again!
We made our way to the Black Sea Coastal area – aka the Bulgarian Riviera. Whilst the sand and sea where lovely, the holiday villages and new apartments for foreigners seem incongruent with the poverty of some local towns.
Nessebar was used by the Byzantines as a base from which to attack Bulgaria. It’s a lovely fishing port now, with lots of well preserved 13th Century churches 
Greece next – should we go via Turkey or not?
Nobody was interested in us leaving Romania and entering Bulgaria, but they did want the €14 to cross the only bridge over the Danube….
We drove through lovely countryside to get to Zahari Stoyanovo, where our friend Paul now lives. (He helped us build our house when he was a student and lived in a Commer van in our front garden). It was so great to see him and he looks really happy and contented, now that he’s ‘retired’ and left England for good, fulfilling his dream to own a piece of land, and become self-sufficient.Later next year,
he’ll start to build a straw-bale house on the footings of this old building. Would you be surprised to know Rick plans to go back to give him a hand?
He still has his dog, Ben, and now a puppy has successfully adopted him – Briony.
Apparently, many villages in Bulgaria are stuck in a timewarp, and Paul’s is noted for being 17th
Century……. our walk round was quite an eye-opener. Rather like a farmyard with 100 houses in it. Sadly, many are now empty, as young people leave to get work in the cities. Each household produces enough for themselves, from growing food to distilling liquor.
At the moment he’s living in and renovating his sister’s house next door. There’s a lot to be done! Most of the work is basically re-building. Rick was intrigued by the wiring –as done by the electricity board!!
I’m dead impressed with his progress with learning Bulgarian after only 3 months – he’s determined to master it. We now known as POCE and RИK.
The local people seem quite intrigued by him, and they’ve made him very welcome (e.g. invitations to pig slaughtering). We were inevitably a topic of conversation in the ‘bar’. It’s like someone’s front room, with a few tables and a couple of fridges of beer. During winter, there seems to be a lot of drinking done, as the hard work outside comes to an end (at least for the men!). Puzzling, as this is predominantly a Muslim community….
Paul’s area is just beautiful (even in the snow) and the climate sounds just right (about 10 months sun and 2 of winter) – we’ll be going back to visit again!
We made our way to the Black Sea Coastal area – aka the Bulgarian Riviera. Whilst the sand and sea where lovely, the holiday villages and new apartments for foreigners seem incongruent with the poverty of some local towns.
Nessebar was used by the Byzantines as a base from which to attack Bulgaria. It’s a lovely fishing port now, with lots of well preserved 13th Century churches 
Greece next – should we go via Turkey or not?
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