It's here................

Well finally our belongings have made it to Hotnitsa.  My Sister and Brother-in-law arrived to give us a hand, nice and early but the stuff arrived quite late so there was a lot of waiting around.  Then it was action stations!

As things we're so hectic this is the only glimpse of the truck we could take - lovely picture of my lilac trees though - will post a picture when they are in full bloom.

The Range Rover arrived in the articulated truck to Bulgaria but was driven from the home of the chap who organised the move so that he could use a smaller vehicle - I was wondering how an articulated truck could get down our lane?

Our first glimpse of GJs beloved car

Simon, the removal chap, walked up the drive and took a sharp intake of breath. It's a long drive he said.  I don't know why I felt so sorry for the two chaps he had working for him because GJ, Dave (the brother in law) and I all worked just as hard as they did and my sister Sara was ensconced in the straw bale house organising the drop down of boxes.

About 2% of the total haul

And the room that will eventually be my kitchen was also filled

As predicted, Elenor our neighbour came out for a look. She spotted my new cooker and asked if it was a washing machine.  Simon explained that it was a cooker and her eyes widened.  Bulgarian cookers are usually part of the fire, like a rustic version of an Aga.  She walked away muttering something about bread making and I hope she is not expecting nice loaves to pass her way - people who know me, know that I can cook quite well but not bake!

As the week progressed, the weather picked up again and the temperature gauge was showing close to 30°c in full sun so although we should be emptying boxes, more work was done in the garden.

All the way along this fence there were suckers from a tree called "tree of heaven" so called because they reach for the stars.  GJ got useful with his chain saw.

But Bracken still thinks its time to play...

  It's amazing how a green plastic bucket can keep him amused for ages.  However, we have now experienced our first rain in Bulgaria.  We went down to the local bar on Friday night where we get to talk to some ex-pats.  We stayed slightly longer than we normally do (Bulgarian beer flowing) and when we left to walk home, the heavens were opening.  Although we only live a 5 minute walk away, we got absolutely soaked as we hadn't prepared and taken an umbrella. Oh well, there are no kebab shops on the way back to shelter in (very British joke).

It now seems that Spring is in the air....

Our first crocus

and daffodils....

everywhere.

Last Sunday, even though it was Valentine's day, in Bulgaria, it was the day of the vine.  This is traditionally the day when the vines are annointed with some wine to encourage a good harvest for the forthcoming year.

Our neighbours, Radco, Pepa and their son, blessing the vines. See Radco wearing a vine hat.

If this year's yield is as good as last, then it should be good wine.  Certainly, last year's wine was good when we tasted it, or is it just that Radco is a good wine maker? 

On Wednesday we went shopping.  When we had the snow, it became apparent that I needed a much larger freezer and whilst we were in the "Technopolis" shop, we thought we had better look at an Air Conditioning unit for our bedroom (advised that it is necessary here).  On Thursday both were delivered and on Friday (today) the Air Conditioning is being fitted.  Some things happen quickly here and the fitters arrived at 8:30 and all finished by 11:30................happy days. 

Now that's what I call efficiency.

Our neighbour from opposite, Elenor, caught GJ when he was outside and handed him some more eggs (the second lot we have had from her) and some snowdrops.  In the UK, traditionally we don't pick snowdrops but Sara tells me that they are supposed to symbolise spring and it is tradition to give them to people.  They are also connected with the March festival of Martenitsa, whereby, on 1st of March, Bulgarians give one another (and the ex-pats) red and white strings to wear on their wrists or a red and white talisman to clip to their jackets.  On the last day of March or when you see your first stork, this is then hung from a tree.

 We have been looking into chicken coops.  This is what I would really like but watch this space as in the Spring GJ will be attempting to make me one like this.
(Може би)

 Maybe he is just thinking about it here...

Some random pictures:

 Bracken has been so busy!

 Spring and all the buds are showing now on the fruit trees

This is a green woodpecker - couldn't get close enough and this is taken through a window - very interested in the garden and it was joined by 2 lesser spotted woodpeckers.

and now we finally have a bench outside the gate - another important Bulgarian tradition.

Til the next time....

H, GJ and Bracken 

Weird Weather

As you will know if you have read the start of the blog, that we hale from the beautiful Lake District in the UK.  One of the reasons that it is so beautiful there, is that there is a lot of lush greenery around and this is attributed to the moist weather that prevails in those parts - I say moist but I mean damp, damn right wet and very soggy.  The climate here in Bulgaria is somewhat different.  We have had a lot of cold nights (-20°) quite a lot of snow but we have also had a lot of sunshine.  So much so that we have been working outside in our t-shirts to a barmy +20°.  Just when you think spring is around the corner, we have another dump of snow.

We are a bit frustrated because this sort of weather might have kept us indoors enough to do some decorating but as all our decorating stuff is en route to us as I write, and we cannot easily go out in Kevin the Camper Van to the local hardware shops, we have to think of other ways to amuse ourselves.

We decided to make a saw buck so that we could saw up some of the big branches that we had been chopping down before the snow.  We ferreted around the barn and came up with some slightly bent pieces of wood that appeared to have been left over from some barrel making.  In true Bulgeski style we produced this.......  It's very solid and works very efficiently.  We are thinking of patenting it.

We can now start filling the barn with kindling and logs for next year

The logs on the right are the rest of this years dry lot and we are now grading the new stuff (stacked in the centre and left) as "if I can cut it with secateurs, it gets shredded, if I can cut it with loppers, it becomes kindling and any that needs a chain saw is considered proper logs"  Following on from this, we had a trip out with Dave to find a shredder.  We have so much to shred/chop that we decided we couldn't do without one.  Eventually we found what we were looking for:

to cope with all this!

and this

The shredding is now forming a decent compost heap and we are assured by our local nurserymen www.facebook.com/MorgansPlants that after a year of festering it should be great as mulch for my plants not to mention interesting scratchings for the chickens when I get them.

Talking of plants, I have been seriously thinking about my garden produce.  I have used a UK company to order seed from, they are heritage seeds which I thought would be quite ironical to use in a different country so watch this space to see how they grow...

You can see that I have done charts and things for planting instructions - things you do when you don;t want to venture out in the snow.  But all of a sudden, we are back to 20°c and t-shirt sun again.  I think these seedlings are going to have to be hardy little buggers.

Just a few early seeds planted so far.  The water bottles (which you can only just make out with the blue tops) fit 6 plastic cups in each and act as a propagator.  In these I have sown my tomatoes and peppers and the seedlings are coming up already.  My next job will be to prepare the ground but we have to be sure that all the frosts have gone.  Everything tends to grow at least a month sooner over here, We have had snow drops and daffodils coming up for some time

And Bracken doesn't know if he is coming or going - he starts to gain his summer coat then all of a sudden its back to a thick coat again - which means of course we have tumbleweed in the form of dog hair everywhere.....

One minute there's snow...

                                    

Then it's too hot to play....

Then it's playtime again......

 Suns out so can only do snoozing now.....

Today is Wednesday and we have (in theory) all our worldly goods arriving.  We have shifted all the stuff out of the house that we don't want (car booties here we come) sent it all over to the straw bale house temporarily which will eventually make way for GJs workshop, and I sit here in the early hours typing this whilst the rest of the house is asleep - far too excited.  I'm down to my last tea bag and I know I have stashed some but in which box?  Only 154 boxes to open!!

I'll keep you posted......

Helen, GJ and Brackken

A trip back to UK

Since my last installment, we have made a trip back to the UK to organize our worldly belongings for transport to Hotnitsa.  We have been storing our belongings in two containers in Flookburgh in Cumbria and we have been adding to it by way of ordering a few bits and peices that we cannot get in Bulgaria.  Namely a cooker - yes you can get them but they don't do range type cookers which is what I'm used to.  A bed - yes they also do those but not in king size, again which is what I'm used to besides all my bedding is king size so any excuse! And curtains - well you should see the ones they sell here!

The day before departure, we had to take Bracken to my sisters house for his holidays.  Not sure it was a holiday for either Sara, Dave or the other animals!  We booked our taxi to the airport which was with a young lad called Georgi who was very friendly and kept us entertained en route, not least with his Bulgarian driving!

                                         

This is our plane

We arrived safely but I thought I had been married to a spy.  The machine that reads the micro chipped passport decided it didn't like GJ so he was ushered to a human who let him through.  He had me worried for a bit.  We were met at the airport by our good friend Paul with whom he and his wife Anne, we were spending the night.  He cooked a nice steak and ale pie - well he did the base and Anne did the rest... 

And poor Anne had had a hard day at work.

When we arrived at P & As we went to look at the car that had been parked in the field on Paul's property.  GJ re-connected the battery and tried to start it up with finger crossed.  With a few coughs and splutters, like a trooper it finally fired into life.  Safely brought around to the driveway, we spent the night boring Paul and Anne with our photos of Bulgaria and our new abode.

Next morning we headed up the motorway to Preston where GJ had ordered lots of DIY stuff from Tool Station.  We also called in to a chemist to find some anti indigestion stuff for Sara's neighbour.  She gets heartburn and can only take certain medicine with those she is already taking.  I'm not surprised because she eats a lot of pickles (see our dinner party with them on previous blog).

Further up the motorway and a quick trip to our old doctors, we then booked into The Newby Bridge Hotel which is not far from the containers. 

En Suite

Our bed

The hotel had just been updated and everything smelt nice and new but they still have a few hurdles to overcome.  One of which is the bar menu and they had no real ale which GJ was looking forward to.  Only four things to chose from so I had a burger......

And GJ had Gammon & Egg

I don't know why establishments think that deep fried roast potatoes are better than chips.  Make them skinnier and give us less!

The next night we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and eat in the restaurant.  Bad move.  Because by this time it had started snowing (they don't know the meaning of the word) the restaurant was busy because other guests had decided not to venture out and they had minimal staff working - in fact one person waiting on and the Receptionist had to come and help out.  30 minutes before we even got a drink.

I had grilled mackerel to start with sea bass for mains (very similar really) and GJ had ham hock terrine and a steak for main.  All were not particularly memorable and no photos taken. Again a poor choice on the menu.  Oh well that's the Lake District winter for you.

View from our hotel window - only a touch of snow compared with Bulgaria

We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday checking boxes, labeling and writing an inventory for our goods and chattels and on Sunday night decided to go for our last UK curry.  We were partial to a restaurant called "India" in Kendal when we lived in Cumbria but found out that it had been severely flooded when Kendal was hit by storm Desmond over Christmas.  Very sad driving through Kendal and seeing all the empty houses and furniture in skips.  In the event of "India" closure, we decided to go to our second choice of Indian restaurant in Bowness called "Mela Spice".  On a cold Sunday night in January, we were the only customers to start with and so got very good attention albeit in a very cold restaurant.

Looks Good!

King Prawn Lemon Sath for me

Chicken Jalfreze, Mushroom Barjee and Tarka Dhal

We were joined by another couple, not quite an atmosphere but an enjoyable meal all the same.  On Monday we decided to have a treat for lunch (as if we hadn't had enough treats) and just to make my Sister jealous, had fish and chips from, in my opinion one of the best chippies in the North West, Flounders in Flookburgh..............

Yum Yum - I think they twice fry their chips because they are always crispy just how I like them.

Tuesday arrived and we met the truck that was to take our stuff down to Newark....

....... where it would be loaded onto an artic ready for the trip though Europe to Hotnitsa.  We drove the Range Rover back to Paul and Anne's house where a driver took it further down to meet with the artic in Newark.  Skinny little Polish guy called Victor whom we were assured could get out of the open front window when the car was parked in the artic.  Bet that was fun!

That night we treated P & A to a Chinese takeaway (doing a lot of lasts on this trip)....

Very nice it was too.

After spending the day looking around the local shops and doing a bit of shopping, I decided to make a meal for the family.  A Jamie Oliver recipe that I still keep going back to which involves good quality sausages (without skins and turned into mince) made into a ragout and tossed into spaghetti.  Served with garlic bread for mopping up the sauce.  I completely forgot to take a photo.but there was  non left.  Paul took us to the airport the next morning at 5 am - don't see that time very much!

Back in Bulgaria and there had been significant snowfall but as ever, it does not stop movement like it does in the UK however there were a few hairy moments on the way back with Georgi and Dave and Sara managed to drive to our house with Bracken (I bet they were chuffed to get rid of him)!!  I think he was pleased to see us or was it just frolicking in the snow?

Freezing temperatures means that 6 days later and it still isn't melting but we have no broken/iced up pipes and the central heating still works so we have been very lucky.

After raiding the fridge for left over veg, I managed to knock up a Cauliflower, Broccoli and Potato soup just what you need in this weather...........

Keep warm folks!

Helen, Graham and Bracken.