Most days this week we have been pottering around doing odd jobs. On Monday Pamela has a go at rebuilding the foot of the chimney. It is made of sandstone and a number of blocks are missing so we use some of the rock freed up from making the hole for the window in the basement bedroom for the repairs. Not a perfect job but looks good and fills the crevices.
Pamela repairs the chimney
Marple with a toy, waiting to see who comes through the gate first to play with her
Tuesday and off to Ruse for furniture shopping. As Borko and the guys are getting on so quickly downstairs we need to order a kitchen and some bedroom furniture as delivery dates are uncertain. It is a cold miserable day and we see our first rain in about 2 months. Monica and Borko meet us at the store and it turns out the furniture will be ready within a few weeks. Whoops. We were expecting a month at least, so now will have to do some restacking in the Holistic Barn as all our other available space is already full of furniture ready to go into the new rooms. Whilst in Ruse there is a light fluttering of snow.
Wednesday sees the weather turn even colder. Daytime temperatures are around minus 10 dropping to minus 14 at night. Despite the temperatures it is still sunny. First thing in the morning I pop down to the local shop to pick up some fresh bread and eggs. I meet the local turkey herder who invites me for coffee and Rakia. So kind of him and a nip of Rakia will help keep the cold out. I am gone a good hour and Pamela thinks I have been kidnapped!!
We can get a few jobs done outside but it is starting to get uncomfortable. We have had some post recently so I decide to make a postbox out of odd bits of wood. When it is warmer I'll paint it properly.
Crude but functional
Pamela has developed a stinking cold, the first she has had in years so is wrapped up on the sofa watching DVD's. As she has not had the opportunity to do self Reiki recently we think this is why she has now caught a cold. The builders have finished plasterboarding the downstairs but it is too cold to plaster so work is going to be slow for a while now. Here they do not plaster the whole boards just the joints. It seems to give a far better finish than skimming and is also a lot cheaper. The Palace will almost definitely have to wait till spring to be finished but that is not a problem as the washing machine and dryer are both functional.
Downstairs living room looks great. Shame we had to cover all the beams though
Despite double glazing and inches of insulation ice still forms on the inside of the window
at minus 14
Thick ice on the inside of the garage
Maizie keeps herself occupied. She takes her ball to the top of the steps, drops it, then chases after it. She spends hours doing this.
New Years Eve and the guys have a day or so off now. It is nice to be on our own but also very strange. If we ever get this project finished we are really going to miss the builders. Maizie and Marple definitely will. Pamela is still really ill so we have a very quiet evening watching films. We have a few glasses of wine and an early night. Midnight and the village is lit up by a large number of fireworks. Far more than we expected but it does seem to be an important celebration here.
It feels slightly surreal to be here in Bulgaria at the end of the year. We spent three years planning this and are finally here living our dream. Happy New Year.
New Years day is again spent on the sofa wrapped up against the cold. We watch a TV series on YouTube called 'back in time for dinner'. It is about a family who experience mealtimes though 1950 to present day, even the house is changed to reflect the year the meal is in. We can totally relate to the 1950's experience they have on the show. We only eat what we can get or is in season from the market. There are no mod cons in the kitchen, everything is functional and robust. Most importantly we sit at a table and talk over a meal, making it an event. The family in the show reflected that as food became more convenient so family unity was affected. It was really interesting for us to note that we do not miss convenience foods or the consumerism of our previous life. We have never watched much TV and do not have one here but it highlighted how that also affected the family unit when they were invented. An interesting few hours entertainment.
The snow has finally arrived. We woke this morning to a light dusting but as the day is progressing it is snowing heavier. It is forecast for all week now. The local shop has never been so stocked up and they have a few local fresh vegetables. We get a few kilos of each so at least we can make soup to keep warm. We suspect they stock up like this just in case we get snowed in and no supplies can get to the village. We'll see, although we have seen plenty of snow ploughs around and they are obviously well prepared for these conditions. Pamela and I are each wearing our thermals and have about three layers on. Even so the air is cutting and stings any exposed flesh. We both have stinking colds now!! Even Maizie and Marple have decided it is too cold to play outside and have curled up in front of the electric heater. I have found a couple of old wooden sledges in one of the barns, cannot wait for the snow to be deep enough to try them out. Hopefully I won't get arrested or break any bones!!
Early morning walk
The church
View from the kitchen
Just read your blog through and I am amazed (and delighted for you) that you have got so much done in such a short time. Good on Monica. We bought through Stara Planina too (VT) and as you say, great service. Better than others I know about.
ReplyDeleteWe drove out with two dogs too, but booked hotels en route, amazing how many will take dogs, but had the same trouble with street dogs when the girls needed a pee. They were brilliant though, we were very proud of how they coped and behaved.
By now you are well covered with snow. But so different to the UK and the sun will soon be out again even if it stays cold.
I am really impressed with how you have got on with the garden....no-one who has not been here realises how strong and fast the weeds grow...ongoing during summer.
Good luck with your new life/business. As you have found this is a wonderful country with many wonderful, generous and helpful Bulgarians....despite what they say in Romania!
Thank you for reading the blog. Just found your blog so lots of reading to do!! Stay safe & warm.
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