Well, there obviously is a patron saint of chimneys and chimney sweeps……the guys turned up this morning, two hours earlier than expected and this is the result….
Go the Bulgarian rough :o) 
Leslie…warm at last.
Doesn’t that just look fantastic !!! Wee bit of a smoke problem, but that may well have been caused by me putting the vents in upside down when I painted the fireplace. Bill’s turned them up the right way and the air seems to be clearing nicely…honestly, sometimes I think if I had a brain, I’d be dangerous.
I was out when the guys arrived and came home to see the wee guy in the green overalls (German….his name, not the country) wandering around on my very steep roof, 50ft above the ground with absolutely no safety equipment at all….he may well have had a leather belt around his waist, but that was attached to nothing at all…except him.
Holy Mother of God….. I was horrified and couldn’t bring myself to watch.
Still, he’s made it out alive AND he sorted the problem. The house is lovely and toasty tonight, though the fire is about to be put to a real test…there’s some mighty cold weather forecast over the next few days.
Here’s a classic Bulgarian moment though……when Ivan finished the fireplace the other day and was lighting the fire to see if it worked, he asked me if I had any Rakia or Whiskey to get it started…….I offered him the local Czech firewater, Becherovka, a bottle of which has been lurking about in my drinks cabinet for years. He poured some over the kindling and it got the fire started very well indeed….even though the chimney wasn’t drawing.
Today German asked me the same question and I proffered the same bottle of alcohol…which he and the other two promptly proceeded to polish off!!!…then after a bit of a discussion amongst themselves about the merits (or not) of the Becherovka, he then lit the fire using just paper and kindling :o)
Anyway, I now have a reasonable fire, and with the air conditioners installed in the downstairs bedrooms, the place is actually becoming a very civilised place to be on a cold winters night :o)
Now, if I can just find some electric blankets……….which don’t seem to be an easy find here…bit surprising given the winters they have. I have located some 150ks away in Plovdiv, and if needs be, I’ll head up there and get them….pre-requistie for winter I think….especially for the family coming in December and January. They’re coming from a blistering hot Perth summer to the very cold, wilds of Bulgaria.
Still no sign of the garden clearers…..but I may have someone to build my wall for me. Young chap wandered in today…not a word of English but I managed to find out that he lives in Miladinovtsi and can do plastering, tiling, brickwork and rendering……so I’ve asked for a quote for the wall, and with any luck he’ll come in with a good price and I’ll get something done around here….and it would be nice to actually put a bit of my money into the village, instead of into Yambol. And I’ll have something to keep the weeds encased…given that I don’t seem to be able to get anyone here to get rid of them….
Feeling very tired tonight…last night was the first really windy night since I moved in to the house and I had a very disturbed nights sleep. Every creak and groan of the house (and there were plenty of them) had me bolt upright in my bed…things are decidely calmer tonight so hopefully I’ll get a nice long sleep.
Until next time Leka nosht
