Bulgarian Life

Electricity

2009-08-18T07:10:00.003+01:00

New lamps and a couple of walls have been installed and moved. The little house is beginning to take shape, although still must modernise the windows and most importantly the central heating.
Gemma and I should be visiting BG at the begining of October so promise to return with photo's and even some of that video technology stuff.

Location,Location,Location

2009-07-27T08:42:00.003+01:00

It struck me that although everyone may have heard of Bulgaria being able to imagine it's location in the grand scheme of geography might be a little different,and have therefore attached a map so you'll be able to book your holiday flight with confidence.

Renovated Memories

2009-07-23T20:59:00.004+01:00

There are small things which make a 'renovatee' smile. This window was blocked by a leanto roof covering the kitchen extension and now I can imagine waking to the call of a scorching summers morning, pushing the window open and drinking in the good life. Of course a little romantic, even truly romantic but this picture allows the waft of fresh coffee curl it's fingers around pre made memories waiting for creation.

A little coffee news if you click the link

Beautiful Plastic

2009-07-20T14:43:00.003+01:00

Just for the posterity of it......here's a picture of the Septic Tank in it's 'grave'.
Although many of the village communities still use 'hole in the ground' toilet facilities which is ecologically sound the EU do insist on a new septic tank.It's slinky plastic skin and rigid hull will keep you safe and sewage flood free for years

Renovations

2009-07-20T14:29:00.005+01:00

The first stage of the changes have been completed, a new roof, a new leanto roof which covers the kitchen, a new EU standard septic tank which unfortunately gets covered before ever having the joy of looking at it properly, guttering and internal plumbing which is set to accept the fixtures and fittings.
Richard at varnaexpat has kept us well informed, asked questions and resolved problems which from this distance really puts us at ease.
The next stage which is a complete rewire is on schedule. New walls will be created for the upstairs wetroom and a little extension to the 'living' room downstairs will give us a L-shaped space with which to hole up in at winter time.
It's difficult not to want to be with the house during the renovations,but I suspect there will be a deal of refurbishment internally once the core work has been done to keep us busy for a while.

Theres a link to Varna Expat should you wish to find out any more information or want to get in touch with Richard Cleaver

Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory

2009-05-26T17:52:00.005+01:00

This good looking young man is Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomers who changed our view of the solar system when he published his heliocentric theory, and as well as being remembered sculpturally all around Europe, this sculpture sits outside The Astronomical Observatory in Varna Park ( really this park is huge!)
The building work started in earnest yesterday and already our 'fixer' has sent through some pictures of the channels for the new plumbing.The Universe might not rotate around a single point but when committing to renovations and such it certainly feels concentric rather than heliocentric.

Click the title for more

Kayolan The Roman Slayer

2009-05-21T17:59:00.005+01:00

This proud moustachioed statue is Ivan 1, Emporer of Bulgaria between 1197 - 1207, standing some 12 feet on a plinth to the bottom right of of The Assumption Cathedral in Varna. I have passed it a couple of times whilst meandering around the city and each time he catches my eye. Ivan is a translated as John,known as Good John he helped Crusaders by bringing Wallachians and Bulgarians to beseige Adrianople. He is buried in Veliko Tarnovo.
It appears not only do the Bulgarians have a St George but now I find a Good King John!

The title will take you to a link in Wikapeadia

Sun Sea and Sand

2009-05-18T22:03:00.003+01:00

Did I forget to mention long sandy beaches,bars along the waterfront, and heady sunlight temperatures.Maybe I didn't, but here's a little shot from Varna Beach.

The Weather

2009-05-16T10:14:00.003+01:00

As with any sea port the weather changes at the drop of a hat, especially in the transition months like April.One moment it was warm with a cool breeze and the next,this cloud came rolling in off the sea. At first I thought it was a fire somewhere in the city. Of course it cleared as quickly as it appeared.
The dome with the cross in the background is The Asssumption Cathedral.

Loo roll saves the planet?

2009-05-14T20:10:00.006+01:00

Soft,strong and very very grey.It is funny how in a natural state of relaxation your preconceptions can be challenged by the smallest of changes in your environment. Isn't loo roll always white? I can only surmise that either the toilet roll has been recycled from the legendary reams of bureaucracy which according to other blogs tend to stifle speedy transactions in Bulgaria or other well known brands have a 'whitening' process in their manufacturing which of course would involve detergents. BG Bog roll does it for the environment!

Guardian link when you click the header

Bee Keeping

2009-05-13T09:01:00.004+01:00

The newest delight which will be ours to taste will be the development of the few hives for both our own pleasure and potentially joining the Bulgarian Bee Keepers to produce co - operatively. Ideas of mead, sunflower honey and being stung for the first time are all things to be looked forward to.Articles on the internet reccomend scraping the stung area with a credit card to remove the stinger,not using tweezers, and then reducing the inflammation with lemon.(Please refer to those more qualified than I if you are stung!) There is plenty of information out there about the ancient task of Bee Husbandry - an article in QuestBG (use the link on Further Reading ) and by clicking the header will take you directly to the Bulgarian Association of Bee Keeper who's motto "Strength in Unity" revealing much about both about the keepers and the bees.

Trabant

2009-05-12T14:29:00.006+01:00

Of course our friend and ex - owner of the house had to own a Trabant. Apparently waiting 5 years for it to be issued by the Communists. Penjo, travels at least weekly from Varna to our village, a journey of about 20 miles and is always there, on the bench outside awaiting our arrival. Maybe not the prettiest car, not the most ecologically sound but I suspect for Penjo more a family member than an automobile.

Double click the header for more information about Trabants

Dreaming of a future

2009-05-12T11:21:00.003+01:00

The renovations begin in earnest two years after having bought the house on 25th May. It is with some trepidation I signed the money transfer always having 'horror stories' rap at the back of my mind. The 'fixer' has kept us in twice weekly contact and the builder's past work was surveyed from photographs, so the way of dealing with a property abroad is not without it's pitfalls but I am ever optimistic and really look forward to seeing the first round of discrete changes.

Guns of Navarone

2009-05-12T08:58:00.000+01:00

Spotted idly waiting for paratroopers or American film stars to hop out of the back dressed to spread the propaganda of the day. A classic in vehicles.

International Language

2009-05-11T16:03:00.000+01:00

So as not to appear too romantic I did make sure I took some images of the underbelly. As with all cities graffiti is everywhere - some good , some bad. I would say in all honesty this is an example of bad.Although nothing is sacred, the graffiti did appear to avoid public sculptures and merely decorated what was unused and unloved in the first place. It seem that those responsible are as agitated and disaffected with life as the 'richer' EU states.

b is for Boiler

2009-05-08T19:03:00.000+01:00

Page two of the incredible "Bulgarian to English - Visual Dictionary ". b (Bee is the second letter of the alphabet in BG) b is for Boiler - pronounced similarily although until I have a translation tool the letters will have to remain a surprise.
And a rather ecologically sound boiler too

Upstairs,Downstairs?

2009-05-07T18:14:00.000+01:00

Couldn't decide if the person on the sign was walking down the stairs or walking backwards up the stairs?

Nip and Tuck

2009-05-06T18:18:00.000+01:00

The quote is in! And Strahil,the builder, seems to have brought it in just above budget so we're happy to go with that. Complete new roof, repositioning of a leanto roof, plumbing set and ready for fixtures and fittings, spanking new septic tank and gutters all round. She might not look as if a great deal has happened but it's work enough to start bringing this girl into the 21st century.

Obituaries

2009-05-06T16:37:00.001+01:00

Most of the streets in Varna are lined with trees, all rumpling the pavement stones but on occasional trees, pinned, presumably close to home, are simple obituaries detailing the who, where and when and a simple phrase of those that have passed on. In the villages these obituaries are posted to the gate of the property and let those that knew be informed of the passing of a friend.Although strange to a UKer it doesn't feel morbid at all but a rather kind way of letting the community know.

Popcorn - A national obsession?

2009-05-05T18:56:00.000+01:00

Dotted around the high street, tucked away in corners, well virtually everywhere queues of people sometimes thirty deep wait patiently for the simple pleasure of a couple of lev's worth of popcorn. Definitely not something reserved for the young although this particular popcorn trolley would have you think otherwise.

The link below is for gourmet popcorn just in case you feel like re inventing the wheel and making popcorn your obsession.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47404/make_your_own_gourmet_popcorn.html

Central Varna

2009-05-04T13:30:00.001+01:00

And occasionally you see a place even in it's most decrepit state which inspires!

This salmon faced house stands just outside Varna Park, unfortunately the balcony now overlooks a dual carriage way rather than unbroken views down to the beach as it might have in it's hay day.

Beautiful nevertheless.

Cosmonaut's on the hill

2009-05-04T09:58:00.000+01:00

Much of my time I spent wandering rather than the cut and thrust of international property development. In that vein I swung a right through Varna Park rather than the normal left and after the childrens area under thick woodland, the park itself opened out into an avenue. Benches and heads on plinths kept an historical watch on the parents, grandparent, babes, and me as I sauntered the 1/4 mile length to the gleaming white Socialist Realism Sculpture at it's head. I shall return to the enormity of that sculpture in a future post.

It was the semi circle of peculiar headstones which caught my eye as I looked around. Without a clue and an Internet connection for research photographed a couple.

It appears they are memorial stones although not necessarily for the dead.

They remember the cosmonauts who flew into space onVostok, Soyuz and docked with Apollo Missions. The one I've pictured remembers Alexei A Leonov whom; at 31, on a 5.35 m tether became the first person to walk in space, spending 12 minutes and 9 seconds 'out there'. It was March 18th 1965. Amazing.

'Soyuz' translates as 'Salute'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Leonov

Maritime Museum

2009-05-03T18:48:00.000+01:00

I have only ever spotted the quirkyness of Varna on this trip,it's tree root molested paving slabs, the Bulgarians seeming addiction to popcorn, and the little gem of the Maritime Museum hidden, as with everything, serenely underneath the dappled light given by the acres of leaf fleshed boughs in Varna Park.

Quietly, camouflaged for ground rather than sea, the hull of a frigate juts out of it's dry dock at eye level, a green helicopter squat like a fat mechanical bug waiting for the call of evolution and stickle ended mines sit peacefully, impotent all basking in the light with a yearly coat of green paint covering their lives lived as caretakers of an armed liberation by an army of liberated caretakers.

Varna Park

2009-05-01T16:48:00.001+01:00

I couldn't decide whether this girl was stifling a yawn,blowing a kiss, being cheeky or sipping water from the palm of her hand. Varna Park is a vast tree covered space which runs the length of the main beachfront filled with curiosities, pensioners, prams and park benches. Well worth a whole day of meandering and people watching.

As it stands

2009-05-01T11:47:00.001+01:00

Monday takes me to the house itself, and thanks to the bliss of mobile google maps, we didn't get lost. The house doesn't look unloved as Penjo still visits and uses the garden, but it's not quite as ship shape as it could be and a rustic cart seems to have appeared.

Strahil measures, asks questions and pries about what we really need doing - He appears very proffesional and with his english being so good it isn't difficult to get across that currently we are looking to repair/modernise the roof, drop in a septic tank and modify the plumbing so we are ready to move when developing the inside loo and bathroom.The current facilities are a little too rustic ( photo below )although simple and ecologically sound.

I wait on the quote!

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/maps.html

Zagorka and Kamenitsa

2009-04-30T14:50:00.000+01:00

Strangely enough, with it being sunny and everything; Zagorka and Kamenitsa beers played a more integrated role in my visit this time. Zagorka, owned by the Heiniken Group, is very refreshing when served super chilled and Kamenitza, all Bulgarian, is slightly sharper lager although more widely available on draft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkD_1vdSYWs - for a Kamenitza Ad

Banking and Banitsa

2009-04-28T10:03:00.000+01:00

Having opened a bank account in BG (Bulgaria) I always found it frustrating not being able to access it from the internet. No More! The girls at Procredit Bank had used my password suggestion as my username but with undeniable efficiency and a quick ID check all has been resolved.Bliss

http://www.procreditbank.bg/main/en/

On another quite unrelated matter; I haven't had a delicious slunk of Banitsa this visit - are the old ways dying out in a wave of democratic euro food or am I going to have to learn how to make my own?

http://imagesfrombulgaria.com/ (Image by Vesselina Lazarova)
http://www.abvg.net/Foods/Feta/recipes/banitza.htm

Getting there

2009-04-27T15:27:00.001+01:00

Arrived eventually in Bulgaria; even though upon closer inspection I realised the flight Manchester had landed me at Heathrow rather than Gatwick. Fortunately a hop and a skip on a National Express leather seated tour bus put me in easy reach of the connection and I landed in Varna 8pm ish. Checked in to the Cherno More in Central Varna and scooted up to the 'Panorama Bar' - recently refurbished into a little gothic den overseen by a fierce supervisor wearing black cut-off golf gloves, killer patent black heels and a scowl - two chilled Zagorka, and bed.

(Wrong Airport!)

http://www.britishairways.com/
http://www.nationalexpress.com/
http://www-en.chernomorebg.com/

Dusk @ "The Ranch"

2009-04-24T20:02:00.000+01:00

All prepared, flights, money, passport and a rucsack full of essential adaptors for a productive meet with Strahil - the newest prospective builder.........Monday 11a.m. outside The Cherno More Hotel,Central Varna. Attached is another photo.

2009-04-23T22:44:00.001+01:00

Just whilst I'm here I thought I'd add one of the images I've been working on in the tiny epic "A is for Akoola" a visual translation of Bulgarian to English. (A is for Akoola - Shark)

Where are we now?

2009-04-23T15:57:00.000+01:00

(Our House mid summer 2008)

After a couple of visits, trying to lock down a builder which fell into our budget I am on the third trip to BG, and hopefully this time we have something. We shall see, I fly out from Manchester on saturday morning and meet up with builders, a helpful people at Kapital Real Estate in Varna and of course Penjo,Donka and their granddaughter, who has been so helpful, Plamena.

Varna has been edging up in the temperature stakes and I hope to be able to catch a few rays whilst I'm out there!

2009-04-22T19:36:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Bulgarian Life, a blog about the adventures of our life after buying a property just outside Varna on the eastern coast of Bulgaria, as we endeavour to renovate and submerge ourselves into Bulgarian way of life.

(Gemma,Casper,Donka,Penyo)

I'm Casper, I work within the Conference and Banqueting department at The Lowry Centre, Manchester and have for the past as far as I can remember been a practicing artist creating geometric paintings and sculpture, some of which I am sure I will get round to sharing with you. All in good time.
Gemma, my wife, is an angel of course, although in terms of the publishable, is the Studio Manager at an architects firm in the centre of Manchester. She also rows at Agecroft Rowing Club in Salford Quays, although mainy rowing for pleasure she also romped home to victory in the North England Championships as part of the women's 8.

Two Novembers ago we took a four day flight to Varna with the idea in mind of "looking but not touching" the property market in Bulgaria. We had done a little Internet research, booked a few appointments with some apparently reputable "property agents" and with this in mind set out to the airport.
Other than not being able to get into the apartment we had booked in Varna, the flight over was harmless enough and the city all looked good.The very next morning we hopped into the provided transport and took off into the countryside.

"Hmm" "Um" "Maybe" we're the only responses we could muster as we looked at the four properties we had chosen from the Internet. Even our most definite favorite didn't appeal. There was something missing and only when we looked out of the window in the city centre apartment, we realised it was the view.

The next company arrived a little late the next day and once again the first two properties didn't have any of the "wow" factor.
It wasn't until we reached the third and an old man came bounding up the pathway in a freshly ironed uber happy stripe shirt. Whatever he said I don't know but it was welcoming, very welcoming........in his actions it appeared to be something like

"Come Come , this is my house, MY home, welcome.....look around, anywhere, everywhere......any questions? No problem"

We bought the house the very same day