M-Ag-nificent May

We’ve just had the pleasure of a visitation from Ag over the Bulgarian Orthodox Easter. Quite by accident, he booked to arrive on Ден на труда (Labour Day, 1 May – a holiday) and enjoy the full extent of Easter MkII (lots of holiday days) right through to Гергьовден (St George’s Day, 6th May – another holiday) joining in with the locals for all the downtime!

Intrepid Ag

So with a view to avoiding all holidaymakers, we spent a few days in the village. Rather alarmingly the weather wasn’t set to be great. Indeed the first couple of days did deliver the rain that was forecast, but not in the biblical amounts that had been threatened thankfully. We recalled the floods in NovoP a decade ago. We can confirm it was nothing like this:

Knee deep in the square facing Terzieva Kushta back in ’14

Ignoring all forecasts, we started with a walk to the reservoir – admittedly it was quite full after that wet April. We were however treated to the sight of a flock of cormorants, black storks (yes! plural!!) and a heron – none of whom were expecting humans to sneak up behind them!

Just beyond our back garden!

That jaunt was a mere warm-up for the next day’s explorations. We went to check out the eco-trail in Kondolovo, in the hope that the rhododendrons were in bloom. D’ya know what? They only flippin were! Yes ok it rained a little bit as we set off, but under the canopy of the trees were were fine – and very much distracted by the call of the nightingales and those blooming lovely flowers.

On a bit of a roll, we struck out beyond Primorsko later on in the week, where we found another eco-trail and did a huge circuit. Visibility was amazing right across to Kiten and further down the coast! We had spectacular views from Maslen Nos and the ‘фиордите’ (fjords – who knew we had ’em too?!) and rediscovered the ancient megalith of Beglik Tash. We were all somewhat exhausted after the 14km, but cold beers and a roast dinner sorted us right out.

Leaving the depths of the Strandzha forest, we headed into fancy Burgas one afternoon for a hearty meal as well as a look at the sea.

The main thrust of our city visit was really to try out the new e-bikes! Yup, Burgas appears to have ditched the ordinary human powered ones and switched over to some very swanky (quite heavy) electric bikes which you can hire for 2lv an hour. Wow! Needless to say Jeremy & I could barely keep up with Ag as we whizzed nearly all the way to the airport and back again.

Back in the village, it wouldn’t have been a proper visit without getting stuff done. Our bench needed a bit of tlc (ok, an entire new slat had to be procured, prepped and installed), the dreadlocked lawn was very much past its best, we needed to get some more gravel on the garden’s bald patches and it was time to plant up a few pots to encourage the arrival of spring. So Ag rolled up his sleeves and got on with a lot of that. (Thank you, Ag.)

It wasn’t all hard graft though. Of course our favourite Trivial Pursuit ‘NovoP Rules’ game made an appearance, we enjoyed a variety of films, did a spot of second hand shopping*, tasted a number of different Bulgarian wines, had a lovely dinner at Mitko’s and even introduced Ag to the joys of Ted Lasso which went down a treat. *note the TWO new shirts in the pics below

He kindly brought over a few bits for me to go through too, including heaps of sewing supplies which have already doubled my meagre stash; some Marmite, Imperial Leather soap, 75,000 packets of my 20-30 year old photos as well as the ancient suitcase it all came in! So I’ll pop off now and get on with filing some of that.

Jasper ‘helping’ sort out the new thread collection

So, Many. Photos.

Come back soon, Ag!

Vrocking Wrocław

The first word in the title gives you a little clue as to how to say the first half of this stunning Polish city’s name! Helly & I spent quite a lot of the weekend to get the hang of it ourselves: Vroh-tswarv is where we ended up.

Meeting halfway

This weekend was the first time just the two of us had spent more than a few hours on our owns together in five years, and it was splendid.

And quite chatty.

In between the gossip we managed to see quite a few things.

Arriving at Hotel

There were a few hiccups on the way from airport to Hotel Patio (my taxi driver got lost and was mortified; Helly’s didn’t speak a word of English which didn’t help when he phoned to ask her where she was) but we made it. After just a few hours sleep – admittedly we talked ourselves TO sleep – we were at breakfast working out a plan of action.

Hotel Patio’s very own dwarf

Walking & Talking

We started with a Free Walking Tour run by a Polish Michal Sheen. A good introductory overview of the city; historical back story, amusing asides and excellent food/drink recommendations, we came away bubbling over with knowledge which we spent the next couple of days referring back to. And slightly forgetting. Particularly hilarious was Michal’s excellent deployment of the phrase ‘kicked the bucket’ when recounting a historical tale.

Before we knew it we found ourselves admiring some mad 1996 architecture at Kolorowa PLOMBA and hopped on a cable car to …well we weren’t sure.

Walking & Shopping

Oooh wait. It’s not far from SHOPS! Helly had noted a couple of second hand boutiques (aka charity shops) which gobbled up the hours, and we were mesmerised by the beautiful patterns in the souvenir/folky shops. Popping to a shopping centre, we had a bite to eat and I accidentally bought a pair of trainers.

We had walked and WALKED (15km said my app), so it was about time we went back to the hotel to drop things off and head off for a well-deserved craft beer at Kontynacia.

Oof. We probably should have listened harder to the barman’s description, as when he said this beer was ‘sour’ he really meant it. Lychees? More like grapefruit. Anyway we drank it down like good girls and moved to the lovely Pod Kalambar Art Cafe. And stayed there drinking Ksiazece IPA (try pronouncing that after necking a 5.7% craft beer) all evening until we remembered to eat.

Walking Up, Down & Around

Saturday morning required a sausage sarnie before we hurtled up the St Elizabeth’s church tower. It was a staggering 304 steps and possibly a bit much for two lasses with a light hangover. Ahem. Still, Helly rescued a pigeon from being trapped indoors and the views were amazing, so it was worth it.

91 metres – 304 steps up!

From above

It turned into another day of walking. We visited the Neon Side Gallery (underwhelming in the daylight but great par nuit); found the Toy Piano Gallery closed; hunted for a beautiful mosaic Heart of Nadodrz (and were very nearly roped into a latin dance class in the process); wandered the aisles of the Hala Targowa admiring the fruit & veg and found some new coffee beans there for Jeremy.

We started an audio tour of the more run-down Nadodrze district but didn’t get on with it so ended up just wandering the streets cooing at the different architecture, found the ‘Transition’ sculpture, walked some more (16km apparently!), bumped into the stylish Renoma shopping centre and finally stopped for some late lunch.

Mmmm thank you Chatka Przy Jatkach for the very delicious and surprisingly filling pierogi and stuffed cabbage leaves (golabki) – boy, were we ready for this! Oh, and the hair of the dog of course: “dwa piwa proszę”

Dwarf Invasion

Throughout our stay we met many members of the Wrocław dwarf population which counts apparently somewhere over 1000. It’s so lovely to come across them! They have a very interesting back story commemorating the anti-communist underground movement, the Orange Alternative. Here are a few of the ones that we saw…

Walking Fleas

We couldn’t leave Wroclaw without visiting the MASSIVE flea market Dworzec Świebodzki located at the disused train station. As the temperatures pushed to 26 degrees, we trailed around some of the literally hundreds of stalls selling everything from German washing powder to plastic shoes via underwear and fish. (Fish!) It was fascinating seeing the full spectrum of locals out and about on a sunny Sunday morning.

Filling up with food from the Browar Stu Mostow gastropub and after that a pastry shop, we finally made our way to Renoma shopping centre where we caught the bus to the airport. PHEW what a weekend!

Brewery of 100 Bridges – tasting menu

A big DZIĘKUJĘ for having us Wrocław – we hope to be in you again one day!

Multi-Seasonal Break

Admittedly we hadn’t ever booked any of our previous skiing trips this late before. However, we figured that as it was still officially ski season until 7 April, we should make the most of our long Easter weekend, give it a razz and see what it’s like.

Well.

Skiing at Pampers

Electric blue skies and glittering white snow at the beginning of our first day gave us hope that maybe this trip we could ski – and sunbathe – all at once! Indeed, we did catch a glimpse of one particular chap skiing topless. (We were not tempted to follow his lead.)

For the first time we could hear a cacophony of birds as we floated silently up the ski lifts. The sun was higher in the sky than we were used, to glinting through the trees. Brightly coloured flowers were pushing through the grassy verges.

Ah, yes. Grass. There was a lot of that as well.

Wheee

Patchy

So we had a few goes around the slopes and a lovely sit just below Snezhanka peak which sits at 1926m above sea level, surveying the incredible views. Layer upon layer of hills stretched out before us. There was snow covering a couple of mountains a long way away. It was as breathtaking as ever.

Then the 14+ degrees we were enjoying started to have a somewhat detrimental effect on the snow under our feet. It seemed to be getting lumpy and turning to slush. Then ..well, it was mainly puddles.

Catching some rays!

No matter, we thought. We’ll switch things around and have ourselves a hiking holiday instead.

Wonderful Bridges!

So we had a quick burrow into some of the lesser visited corners of the internet, and the next morning we navigated ourselves to The Wonderful Bridges. The brown sign had been teasing us for years, and it had definitely been on our wish list for a while.

We are so glad we went. Despite having read about them, we had no idea what we were going to find and they really are gob-smackingly big! Naturally formed rock arches which were eroded by the once larger Erkyupriya river, they are hard to describe. Sort of like huge open caves. You can walk in them and look up, and also along the top of them to see the river below.

From below…

…and above

…and a bit more 180 from the bottom

So we had a good ol’ walk around there, and left just as the rest of Bulgaria had the same idea as us.

(Not So) Traditional Rhodopes Village – Zaburdo

Taking a wrong turn to venture to the ‘Antique Road’ this time, (we’ll save that for our next Rhodopes adventure) we decided to head to Zaburdo to eat our sarnies with a view. This village is at a dead end, and yet still manages to keep itself relevant.

Well, I say that as if a yurt, a wooden ferris wheel originally constructed in 1780 and a peace sculpture made out of soldiers’ helmets is relevant. In spite – or because – of all its strangely unrelated parts, it was a delightfully pretty mountain settlement offering spectacular views – and a couple of cats – for our lunchtime entertainment.

What’s not to love?

Peaked Before Breakfast – Eco Path Sokolitsa

On a roll now with our newly invented ‘no-ski’ skiing holiday, we decided to get up early the next day to catch a view from a mountain top just down the road. After a quick look at a couple of blogs, we got our ‘parking coordinates’ and set off as the sun was coming up.

It was a pretty woodland walk to start. Quiet enough to hear the morning birds and already warm enough to inhale the pine fresh scent as we walked through the cones and needles. The instructions told us to look out for a stone arrow on the ground.

Before the steep bit!

Which way now?

Aha!

That was when the ascent really got going. After about 20 minutes of a pretty much vertical climb, we were presented with this fabulous view IN ALL DIRECTIONS. We were above nearly everything at 1701 metres!

Imbibing the silence and the view from Sokolitsa peak for a good half an hour, we were definitely ready for breakfast when we finally got back to the hotel.

We had had an early start, so we were not so surprised that we were tired. It was only when we glanced at the clock in the car that we realised that we had completely overlooked losing an hour (phones had all reset themselves automatically) so we’d inadvertently got out of bed an HOUR EARLIER THAN WE THOUGHT.

Eco Path – Tri Smolyanski Ezera

We took a post-prandial pause to rest our rubbery legs – and claw back some sleep. Then we were all set for our next hike of the day. The Smolyan Lakes needed our attention, as we’d run out of time to do them last time we were Roaming the Rhodopes.

Apparently there used to be some 20 lakes, but today (due to global warming? It’s not clear, exactly) there are just seven. And some of these are swamps. We were off to explore the EcoTrail of three of them.

By now it was really quite warm. We were on day three of 20+ degrees – and we could only assume that the snow we swished down on the slopes just a couple of days before was now properly running off into mountain streams. We had come on a skiing holiday, so of course we had packed plenty of thermals and longjohns. Yet, as the weather turned summery, we were low on clothing choices and had to re-wear layers that had already seen some action.

What with the multi-wear clothes and our penchant for local speciality, ‘fasul’ beans, it was a very good job it was just the two of us in the middle of nowhere, really. Ahem.

We enjoyed the forest walk: nodding sagely at the aptly named ‘Grassy Lake’, cooing at the ‘Clear Lake’ and being a bit spooked by ‘Muddy Lake’ which still had a layer of ice on it. Then we were spat out at the base of another chair lift!

These chairs aren’t going anywhere

Reminiscent of the old-fashioned lift that goes up the Blue Mountains in Sliven, this one looked just as cute. And somewhat rickety. However, despite the sign suggesting otherwise, it wasn’t working at all.

Potatoes and beans (Patatnik & Fasul)

It was time for our last supper: more of those delicious Rhodope culinary treats. Our favourite restaurant in nearby Smolyan is Pamporovo House – basically an old Bulgarian house made of stone & wood. (Of course we love it, it’s a big, rambling version of ours!) It’s like eating in a museum and despite the opulent, old-fashioned setting, the prices are insanely reasonable.

We filled up with bean soup, bean stew, shopska salad, patatnik & sirmi and didn’t need to eat until the next day..

It was incredible that we’d had such a comprehensive holiday combining everything we could ask for in both a winter and a summer holiday. We’ll be back again soon!

Alright, cock?

Why the long face?

_{Hotel Sunny Days Pamporovo: 480lv 5 nights;
Black Horse Ski Rental: 30 lv pp per day
Lift pass: 75lv pp per day}

Eggs-citing Visitor

Our neighbour has a flock of unruly chickens. They’ve been commented on by people from all corners of the village. Sometimes they’re flapping across the road outside his house. Often clucking all over the roof of his now-empty pigeon house. Quite often screeching their heads off in Claire’s garden, which is a little TOO close for a pre-7am good morning cock-a-doodle-doo.

A couple have been known to stray into our garden. Brave, considering the cat count around our way.

Anyway last weekend, we were a little worried to find that one of the chickens had made herself very comfortable under our rosemary bush. She wasn’t moving at ALL. Oh dear, we thought. Has she come here for a little respite from the chaos of her family? Or is she ill? Maybe she’s come here to die??

A quick Google search doesn’t give definitive answers.

Not dead

So we go about our lives. I drop off a few cubes of courgette (gone within five minutes) and Jeremy notices she has laid a couple of eggs! Oooh!

He reaches in for a stroke and is pecked. She’s not a cat.

A couple of days later our chicken friend – Jeremy’s calling her Christine – is spotted stretching her legs. WELL! Jeremy goes to have a look to see whether she’s eaten any of the cauliflower leaves (she hasn’t) and…

…blow me down! That’s not just a couple of eggs any more – but THIRTEEN!

No wonder she was looking a bit peaky, having had to squeeze all of them out. Probably not ill at all then, just playing protective mother. Well done Christine.

And just in time for Easter too!

Silvester Sparkles & Chilled Train Travel

We are just back from Sofia where we spent New Year’s Eve – or Silvester as some of our European friends know this special evening. We were delighted to be invited to an intimate ‘gala dinner’ in central Sofia. Numerous courses, delicious food, wonderful wine, thoughtful chat – and even a pause for a short film!

As the projector was fired up, the screen rolled down and Dinner for One started playing. This is essentially a black & white two-hander sketch which originated in Britain. This particular version was recorded in front of a live audience in Hamburg back in 1963. Over the years it has become tradition to watch it every New Year’s Eve in some parts of Europe (including Germany and Denmark) despite it all being in English.

I had never heard of either of the two British comedians starring in it: Freddie Frinton or May Wardon when I had my first showing back in 1993 – in deep snow in Tübingen! We’ll gloss over the fact that that is in fact three decades ago. <gulp>

What did come to my attention was the fact that I was out-sequinned by other guests. This will clearly not do, and is something that I will be addressing as part of my new year’s resolutions.

Suffice to say that we had a magical night. We made some lovely memories and it was a fitting start to the year.

Just over 24 hours into 2024, we set off on our way home. We had decided to get the ‘express’ train back from Sofia all the way to Burgas. OK, it was a 6 hour journey but I was really looking forward to the romance of it all.

Unfortunately the heating wasn’t working in first class (see the luxury in the photo below) so we had to slum it in second class where we ended up overheating instead.

There were some tentative offers to apply for a refund of the difference in cost between first and second tickets (about 10 leva – £4) until they realised we had electronic tickets. “HOW DO I MAKE A NOTE ON THIS?!” cries the train guard pointing at our phones, wielding her Bic biro. 

She backpedalled hard after this, telling us that there was in fact no difference between first and second class actually, apart from the colour of the seats. “We are in agreement, yes?” she barked, as she left the carriage.

There was no space for argument.

Happy New Year!

Festivities Across Europe

We had a delightful last jaunt of 2023, meeting Helgi & Paul for a weekend in fancy – and very chilly Vienna. We arrived in snow; it was properly cold so certainly the right backdrop for our winter wanderings.

We stayed outside of the centre – mainly because things were quickly booking up, and ended up walking the 50 minutes to and from the hub of all the Austrian capital’s delights. We appreciated the calm away from the zillions of people who’d had the same idea to visit the Christmas markets. Goodness ME there were a lot of us!

All that walking proved to be a great way to get a look at the architecture and get a feel for the place. It also made room for all that Wiener Schnitzel and beer we were putting away. A visit to the Butterfly House and the Freud Museum each needed a debrief over Apfelstrudel & Sachertorte. Seeing the anti-aircraft ‘Flak towers’ looming over Augarten definitely warranted a Glühwein afterwards.

Zero degrees was NOT however the best of scenarios for staying in accommodation where the heating didn’t work properly. Null points to the management of Davidov Stays who showed no interest in the fact that the boiler switched itself off after 20 minutes, and not many stars for Booking.com who continue to list them (and take the commission) whilst knowing full well about all the complaints.

Of which it turns out there are many. Grr.

Burgas Sparkles!

On our return to Burgas we found a larger than ever Christmas market in the square, under Alyosha* at Troikata. By larger than ever, we mean 15 stalls rather than four.

*side note on the Russian monument which dominates this big square in Burgas: it hasn’t been lit up at night for a few months now. In past years if you lined yourself up on Aleksandrovska just so, you used to be able to put an illuminated Alyosha on top of the Christmas tree..this year this was certainly not the case. A quiet anti-Russian protest, perhaps?

It was almost like being back in Vienna! You could avail yourself of the Bulgarian equivalent of mulled wine but instead of sweet roasted almonds on the side, there were…pigs ears. Yum. We perused the stalls selling jewellery, ceramics and honey but Burgas pricing was starting to rival that of Vienna. OK not that bad, but it’s creeping up.

Oh look there’s even something for the kids! Oh, hold on. Lonely teddy bear hanging by its ear, anyone? Is this a bit dystopian, or have we been watching too many weird tv shows this year??

Let’s gloss over that for now. At this time of year our festive cup runneth over, and it’s with warm hearts that we wish you a restful break (if you are getting one) and all manner of fabulous for 2024.