And so after delays caused by the terrorist threats to British Airways, Deb, Marshall & Deb managed to get to Bulgaria.
When they got stopped the first time as they were trying to depart, I was devastated. I had been so looking forward to their arrival and to have the rug pulled out from under us at the last minute was almost more than I could bear.
These are old friends I’m talking about here. Deb Westy and I have known each other for nigh on 40 years now, and though we had a wee glitch in our relationship, that’s all been sorted now and our very old and very strong friendship is thankfully back on track. Deb K And Marshall I’ve known for 20 years and I hadn’t seen them for some time now and was very excited to be catching up with them all at last.
Anyway, they managed to rebook flights and arrived here just a week later than planned. I headed into Yambol to pick them up and watching them all alight from the bus was enough to see my eyes a’leaking.
Got them settled into the house and so started ten very funny, very enjoyable days.
I think the rural-ness was a big adjustment for them but Marshall in particular took to it like a fish to water. He appeared completely enamoured with the local donkies and spent a good deal of his mornings feeding the fella next door, who he renamed Pinto…no idea why, but Pinto it was.
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The donkey became so attached to Marshall that whenever any of us went out into the garden at the side of the house, Pinto would start braying until Marshall bought him some tit bit from the kitchen…it was really quite bizarre. In fact, after everyone left, the donkey continued to stand at the side fence and call…it was actually quite sad.
He also managed to talk one of the locals into letting him have a donkey ride
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The villagers seemed amused by his antics but also seemed very happy to oblige when he wanted rides, pics, whatever really.
The weather while they were here was absolutley scorching…high 30s and low 40s and what happens ?? the bloody water keeps going off. Now, I can deal when on my own, but with a houseful of people and blistering temperatures it really was a pain in the arse. We were going to Insovo and filling large numbers of large plastic bottle each day and made one beneficial discovery…the spring water was icy, icy cold, so where were we to be found on the hottest of days ? Well, here of course…
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A lot of our time was spent downing the odd cold beer and just generally doing a lot of talking…in between carting bloody water, of course.
I did pile everyone into the car and take them to Jeravna for a night. Ivan arranged the accomodation with his friend, Ivan and we headed up to take a good look at the village. Gary & Louisa were meeting us up there and the hardier members of the group intended going horse riding..and No, I am not one of the hardier ones. All the horses were out, so we had a big walk around the village taking in the beauty of the place
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and then found our way to a pub for a coldie. Hey, it was damned hot. 🙂
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If you find yourself in Jeravno at any time, avoid this pub though
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The cheeky sods slugged us 4 lev for a beer……and before any of you say ‘that’s cheap’ remember, here in Miladinovtsi, a beer costs around 70 stotinki and even in bigger centres like Yambol and beyond, you’re not paying more than about a lev for one, so this pub in Jeravna was really take the piss. The words ‘Tourist Trap’ come to mind.
We returned to our accomodation place and found Ivan ( the builder) there waiting for us, having decided to come up and join us for dinner….and what a dinner we had. Varnya (sic) wife of Ivan (the hotelier) is a fabulous cook and we were treated to a wonderful spread of Bulgarian fare washed down with far too many gallons of various alcoholic beverages. Gawd, I have to stop doing this……not just for my health but for the fact that I appear to turn into the dancing fool when I have a few drinks nowadays.
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A year ago, wild horses couldn’t have dragged me onto any dance floor anywhere in the world. Suddenly I’m at it all the time…is it the Rakia, is it Bulgaria ?? I don’t know but the incriminating photographs are starting to build into an album.
And the slightly less than respectable behaviour seems to be on the increase as well when I’ve had a couple of drinks. There was the ice-cream incident in Sliven and last week I was at Jeravna again, drinking, dancing AND slapping my builder on the arse !! I’m turning into a hideous old woman who behaves badly when she’s had a few bevies. 🙂 Still, at least I don’t have children to embarrass.
Anyway, the hardy souls got up the next morning and headed off horse riding…..I sat quietly drinking coffee and catching up a spot of reading, just what the doctor ordered.
We headed back towards home calling into Gary and Louisas house on the way to view their chickens and ducks…..Jeez, I want some poultry. These guys have got some of the finest chooks and most handsome roosters I’ve ever seen and a clutch of really cute ducks… and I can only dream of having such things when i eventually get my backyard sorted out and a decent hen house built.
We also wanted the check out their house and the work that’s underway. Deb W is intending to purchase in France and was interested in seeing how we’re all doing it, Me, Gary and Louise and Stewart (Miladinovtsi School). G & L are really doing it the hard way, doing most of the work themselves, but they’re young and have great enthusiasm, so I reckon they’ll be fine.
We did get the keys to Stewarts place so she could get an idea of a huge premises..couldn’t resist doing the Dallas ladies bit on the stairs…OK, we may not have had the fine clothes but then we weren’t exactly in South Fork 🙂
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There were BBQs with the house full of guests enjoying much food and wine, there were nights out to dinner, enjoying much food and wine, there was much laughter and many liquers…. and there were quiet and reflective moments with great friends.
Some years ago the four of us went on a ‘Cruise to Nowhere’…this time the four of us were together in the ‘Middle of Nowhere’ ..We had a damned good time on the cruise and certainly more than repeated the experience here.
After they had left however, a great sadness descended upon Pirin 16 and many tears were shed. Again I questioned my decision to be here, away from everything I know and love. I am making some wonderful friends here, but nothing can replace the old friends, nothing can replace family, the people who know you best. Because of her intention to do what I’m doing, but in France, Deb was curious about how I cope alone. I was very honest with her and talked about the good and the bad….And I confessed to her that after she and the others had gone, I spent about a week in floods of tears…but I guess that’s another part of the experience, the life I’ve chosen to live…and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 🙂
Here’s a toast to old friends and new lives
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Nazdrave !!!
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