and so to Australia

For that is where I will be this time next week…….

But first, I have to talk about the fantastic time I had with this man

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and the woman he’s holding onto on the Road to the Republic

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Peter and Liz Watson made the trek across  Europe to pay me a visit and what a grand old time we had.  They were only supposed to be here for a couple of days, but I think, because they liked it so much, they extended and ended up spending almost ten days with me.

Peter’s my old radio colleague…he presented the sport and I was the antithesis of sport…..we worked fabulously together and had years of fun on air.  I was very excited indeed when they said they were coming and even though Pete’s gone over to the dark side ( he’s become a politician) he’s still the same fabulous, warm and funny soul that I knew all those years ago.  I spent their days here laughing and just generally having a very funny time…and how good was that for my soul at the moment !!

They enjoyed Miladinovtsi hugely, from what I could gather, and were perfectly happy to wander around the place making themselves known to the locals, doing their own shopping at the village shop and just generally enjoying what this wonderful little place has to offer.

You remember I told you about all the cute little lambs ?  Well, Peter, Liz & I were wandering around the village one afternoon and found Ivan at his mums. We were able to go in and view the eighteen little darlings that his sheep have had ….

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Oh my giddy aunt, they are just too cute for words.  Though the only emotion they evoke from Ivan is a smacking of lips and the words ‘ Very nice BBQ…’.   Mind you, I have to admit, I’m starting to look at these animals in a completely different light.  The plumpness of their haunches is probably far more appealing than their cute little faces and plaintive bleatings these days…..  🙂

Anyway, had a great time with Pete and Liz including a trip to Veliko Turnovo, a place I haven’t visited since before I became ill all that time ago. 

I managed to drink very large beers…

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and see plenty of sites…including this man praying on the side of the Road to the Republic.

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Interestingly enough, he had passed me earlier on the road driving like a complete bastard….so perhaps praying was a damned good idea for him.  It was a rather spectacular place for him to be doing his one o’clock prayers though and maybe more spiritual than being closed up in mosque.

We returned to Miladinovtsi via the Shipka Pass.  I really wanted them to see this place, both for it’s incredible beauty and it’s great history.  Sadly, we couldn’t get to the very top because of hard packed snow, but it did give Pete his first actual encounter with snow since arriving in Bulgaria.  Poor bugger was desperate to see snow falling but, unfortunately, with the extemely mild winter we’re experiencing, it just wasn’t going to happen.  He could, however, dream of great skiing feats…..

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Now, when we came down the other side of the pass, Liz noticed something tucked away in the trees…we stopped, and this is what we saw

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We headed of in the general direction of the spires and went looking for what was beneath them.  This is what we found..

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It is the most spectacular building, built by the Russians to commemorate the defeat of the Turks by the Russians and the Bulgarians.  It’s truly magnificent and I’m so glad Liz was sharp eyed enough to spot it.

I had the Watsons with me for a few more days and we managed to squeeze in a fun dinner party

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before I put them on the bus….. and it was with a rather large tear in my eye that I waved them off on the 22nd.

Pete & Liz, I know you will read this and want you to know just how much I enjoyed your stay and how good it was for my frame of mind to have you here……..one of my nephews says I need to be with people who care about me and love me and I think you two are certainly in that group…you showed me great warmth and affection, something I needed just now

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No time to lounge about resting on my laurels however as I had three guests coming in and a house that looked like a bomb had been dropped in the middle of it……

And just in case I thought I might have time to scratch myself,  Something happens that may just allow me to realise a wish I’ve had for some time……to write, and possibly even make a little money out of it.  I may have mentioned some time ago that I had the opportunity to write bits and pieces for a new, fabulous glossy, mag about Bulgaria and everything it has to offer. Well, now I’m allowed to talk about it.  The magazine is called ‘Just Bulgaria’ and the taster issue is due out about now.  It’s owned and run by a couple of fab people, Kate & Bill, who came into my life rather unexpectedly last year…or should I say they came into my life and I disappeared out of theirs when I was carted off to hospital.  Kate & Bill were downstairs asleep when I was taken away, and awoke the next morning to an empty house and no breakfast.  Not only do they still talk to me, but they’ve offered me work…….not only am I to write a monthly piece for them, but I’ve been asked to travel around the country interviewing folk, both expats and Bulgarians.  If anyone out there knows anyone that they think would be good material, contact me.  I’d love to hear from you.

And if you want to know more about the Mag, here’s the site http://www.justbulgariamagazine.co.uk/

I’m very excited about this and hope I can live up to Kate & Bills expectations…..

Does this mean I’m staying in Bulgaria ???????  Funnily enough, I’m still not sure….which brings me to my next adventure……

Thanks to the generousity of one of my brothers, I’m going to Australia this weekend…….Am I excited ???  Bloody oath I am !!!!  God, I get to see my family and my friends and I get to attend the wedding of James, one my fantastic nephews……..I really need this and it’s going to go along way to helping me make decisions about my future…in Bulgaria or otherwise.

Mind you, it’s hard to leave a village where the Mayor offers to take care of your potplants while you’re away though.  Got a phone call today telling me to bring all my plants up to his office so that they can be cared for and don’t die in the cold weather that’s being forecast for February……I must be doing something right to be getting offers like that  🙂

While I’m gone, the house is being cared for by friends and a rather large Karakachan, that’s being ensconced in the back yard by my mate Ivan….so no worries there.  🙂

I’m still all over the place like a mad womans broom……hopefully this trip will settle me down and help me see things clearly. Things do seem to be picking up here. Business is increasing, I’ve managed to sell another house and now have the magazine to think about.. Oh, and a  series of radio interviews with my old colleague, Ron Tait, for the ABC in Australia…In fact, I did the first one last night and managed not to say Fuck once !!!  Which is pretty spectacular for me  🙂

It’s all happening, but I’m still not sure what’s my arse and what’s my elbow…..

Mozhe Bi I’ll feel like doing an entry from down under………or maybe not.  Depends on how much fun I’m having I guess.

For now, the suitcase has been dragged down off the top of the wardrobe, and because the temperatures in Perth are sitting in the 40s, I’ve had a haircut that has me looking very much like a ‘woman in comfortable shoes’.  Do I give a damn ? Do I F***…I’m just happy to be above the ground and happy to be going to my family…prickly head and all  🙂

I guess I’ll be back here….maybe from an air conditioned room in the house of one of my family……

for now, dovishdane

mercer