Feeling decidedly cheerier…..bit of hard work, a few more glasses of fine Bulgarian wine and a big chat to Jillian on the phone has made a huge difference to my frame of mind.
I got rescued from my gloom on Monday when I was visited by a couple of English guys, father & son, John & Lee, who have bought in a village just down the road from me. I was in the middle of painting and looked like someone had dropped a bomb on me, but they shooed me off to get cleaned up and took me into Yambol for a meal and a few large drinkettes. Did me the world of good…..
And lots has been happening……I met the Mayor today, and my, my what a handsome devil he is. And why, you may ask, was I being visited by the Mayor ? Well, had a bit of an incident here last night….one of the locals, pissed to the eyeballs, decided to come a banging on my door at 10.30pm. Now, I’m perfectly happy to welcome any of the locals here but not at 10.30 at night and not pissed….so armed with a shovel, I stood at the top of the stairs and firmly told him to F*** off. He was a tad reluctant to go and it was sometime before he did, which left me slightly unnerved.
Got up this morning and rang the agent to tell him what had occurred. Next thing, there’s a knock on my door and there stood this very handsome fella who made himself known to me as Dimitri, the Mayor of the village, and he was here to sort out my wee problem. He had another guy with him to translate (yep, no English) and once I described the man and what had occurred, I was assured that it wouldn’t happen again but if it does, I now have the Mayors home phone number and I’m to call him .….how’s that for service!! Mind you, given that we can’t understand each other, if I do have to call him, I assume that he’ll know it’s me by the sound of my voice.
I’ve no doubt that neither the Mayor of Edinburgh or the Mayor of Albany would have called on me if I’d been disturbed by a drunk in the middle of the night… :o)
Apparently the Municipal representative in these small villages carries an enormous amount of weight and is respected by one & all….even the ne’er do wells.
And I’m feeling much more comfortable about the whole situation.
House painting is going well….I’ve completed another room and the second is ready for me to start on tomorrow. Took myself off to Yambol again today and returned with another 50 litres of cream paint and 10 litres of various colour for the odd splashes that I’m putting around the house…. so it’s not wall to wall beige. Spent the princely sum of 200lv..and that included three brushes, a roller and three tubs of polyfill and I now certainly have enough of everything to keep me more than busy for a few days…
Spent some time with the builders, who tell me the rendering and roof repairs are due to start late in September. They’re waiting for the temperature to drop a little…apparently it can’t be done when it’s too hot or it cracks, and it can’t be done when it’s too cold…or it cracks…so September/ October are the best months.
Also took me off to the wrought iron guy and have sorted out security grills for the ground floor (after last nights occurrence) and chosen the ballistrading for the many balconies…hit him for a bulk discount price as well. This will be a big order for him and though he looked a little surprised when I asked, he did say that ‘of course there would be a discount’, but I guess that remains to be seen. People here don’t ask for discount, but I figure, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’ve also discussed with them all my ideas for the ground floor, and so far, it looks like everything can happen…..I’m still managing to remain very excited about the impending work and what the place will look like when finished.
AND Doncho says I should have a kitchen sometime next week……..I can cook again…Yipee !!!
Also went to my favourite markets and spent 15 lvs on five metres of beautiful lace curtainy stuff which I’m nailing around doors and windows until I get proper flyscreens….necessity is the mother of invention, and I’m gunna beat these bloody insects if it kills me.
When I arrived home from Yambol, I had a visit from my mate Nicholai who invited me to his grandmothers, Maria, for a visit. His sister, Danni (Udanka) and his mother, Julia, cousin Metko and grandfather, Dimitor, were all there. I was treated to a grand tour of their very lovely property, a delicious shropka salad, granddads truly fabulous home made cheese and yoghurt and his very nice home made Rakia…..a much nicer drop than the firewater I was given the other day. Perhaps I could develop a taste for it after all.
They have a great range of livestock, including a sow with a mob of the cutest piglets you’ve ever seen…and yes, they are all destined for the freezer. Perhaps if I play my cards right, one of those little cuties might find it’s way into mine :o)
And just the one lonely little sheep. ‘Only the one?’ I asked…no, there were three, but two are now resident in the freezer. No point getting sentimental here…..
I asked the grandfather about the heavily forested mountains behind my house and I’ve been told that there are wolves and bears in there (and a chair as well?) and though you can go walking in the area, he doesn’t advise going alone or venturing too far into the forest….Eeek. Danni told me that every now and again, a wolf will roam into the village. Now, they are one of my favourite animals on the planet, but I don’t think I really want to come face to face with one in the street….something to look forward to?
Both the kids spoke very good English and this obviously made it much easier. I’ve had a really enjoyable evening and they all walked me home at the end of it. It was only about 400 metres, but they insisted…nothing is too much trouble for them.
A number of the villagers appear to have found out about my unpleasant experience last night and are very angry about it. They all know the man in question and apparently he’s known for his behaviour and it makes him very unpopular with everyone. I now have all their phone numbers as well and have been told I must call if I find myself in that situation again…….
I’ve found out that I’m the only person in the village with a computer and the first to ever try and get connected to the internet…if I succeed, I’ll be a legend in my own lunch time :o)
Dropped into the café today and had another English/Bulgarian conversation with Michail…..it also seems that I’m the first person in the village to get an air conditioner and a satellite dish….talk of the town apparently ….starting to feel like a bit of a freak here….
Observations on Bulgaria and Miladinovtsi:
Girls, never put your handbag on the floor at someone’s house…it’s considered bad luck…I did at Maria’s house. There was a brief moment of rapid speaking, a bit of a flurry and it was quickly picked up and placed up on a shelf. I’m sitting there going ‘what, what??’ and was informed by Danni it was bad luck and therefore not the thing to do….Ooops!
I appear to be the only woman in Miladinotzi, and surrounding villages, that owns, and wears a bra…
Many men in Bulgaria still have a great affection for the classic, 70s, porn star moustache…Ah yes, they’re quite common here and there’s much ‘tach stroking going on. I watched a big brute of a man in a café the other day, drinking his very large something and stroking his truly enormous ‘tach, looking every inch the arch villain….fab. If I was braver, I’d be taking pics, but he did look a wee bit foreboding so I restrained myself.
Well, that’s me for another day……it’s getting late and I have a big days painting ahead of me tomorrow…
and no late night visitors so far, a good sign I’m thinking…
