It has been an absolutely wonderful day today both in terms of activity and company. It isn't fully over yet as I type this, it is nearly time to take the men home, but it's good to get these things started isn't it.
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| Beautiful night sky - it was lovely all the way |
This update starts last night.after my early post. I went to take the men slightly early as you know and got back in time to both capture the sunset and eat dinner before we had to leave for the airport. We had hoped to try and get a bulb for the new bed side lamp which I found didn't have one in it, and had a different fitting to the normal bulbs, but the shop was shut on the way through the main town and when we got to the airport and tried the one shop that was open it didn't sell any of those type of bulbs. The journey over was uneventful apart from a tree having blown down into the road which I stopped to try and shift but it was still rooted so I couldn't. Cjc and Fi's plane landed half an hour early and we could see it pulled up at the gate as we drove round. They were so quick through (about 3 minutes after we sat down) that we almost didn't have to pay for parking but the queue was so long it pushed us just over the limit. We then drove back and stopped right on top of the mountain pass just for a few minutes to enjoy the amazing star cover however it was quite chill up there so we didn't stop for long. When we got back there was some refreshment and conversation but pretty quickly everyone was in bed.
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| It has come back round again |
I slept pretty well, just waking the once but bashing my toe really badly on the way to the toilet so now it is bloody, and when the alarm went off there was the usual slightly slow reaction before jumping out of bed. The colour of the sky was once again lovely so while A put the kettle on I took the camera onto the balcony for the normal photograph.
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| Feeling British for a change |
One of the gifts that Cjc brought me was a box of special tea - he knows me well. I did have some last night but this morning I also gathered my loose tea equipment and made a lovely cup of tea for myself. I didn't just make my own brew but A's was ready for her also when she joined me in Room 13 and we sat there gently waking up before she went out to feed the dogs and I carried on sitting cuddling my brew.
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| Ralf sitting on Cjc's feet |
Not long after this Cjc emerged with Fi and I made them a brew which Fi sensibly took back to bed as it was still 5am in her body clock. Cjc sat up chatting away and met Ralf properly whereby Ralf figured he had met a new friend and was really cute at him for quite a long time. Cjc is good with animals and was able to quickly train him to not jump up at him and after a while Ralf just decided to sit on his feet.
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| The stray dog chilling out |
We took a short turn outside after I noticed a dog trot up the side path and then settle itself in on the top bank past the fence. I took this picture with the zoom lens and I'm glad I did so as it ran away as soon as we started walking towards it. While we were up there a hawk flew out of the trees and across but it moved too fast to get the camera on and pointed at it. The morning was quite chilly at this point so we didn't stay out long and returned inside to be a bit warmer. A arrived not long after with the men but didn't want breakfast so I started cooking bacon and eggs and the smell encouraged Cjc to change his mind and join me in a butty. Lovely.
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| They're communicating |
The morning was super relaxing as Fi rested and we chatted and read and I did some paid work and we just enjoyed having a nice lazy start to the day. After a bit Fi woke again so I provided the requisite coffee as she made friends with Ralf. All the exciting new people for him to meet. Our plan today was a road trip up towards The House which I have always wanted. Before this we went for the all important guided tour around the house and gardens which was a pleasure with the nice new tidy house. There is a lot we don't know "this room will be something" but the plans we do have are really feeling good and fit with the flow.
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| Chook and her chicks |
With the tour complete we got in the car and set off for our day out. The first stop was a place I had stopped with my parents; the amphitheatre in the village. We piled out the car to check it out and were confronted by a mother chicken with a brood of chicks peeping around her ankles. They were super cute and we spent ages watching them, particularly a bit later when they went up the steps and the chicks made use of the some stones that had been placed there to help them out.
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| Lovely town centre for lunch |
From there we carried on up the pass over towards The House, stopping briefly again at my favourite view point to stand and marvel at the peace sounds and smells of the Bulgarian countryside. There were loads of butterflies all over and also dragonflies however none of the pictures really came out well enough for here. It was stunning. We parked up in the town below The House for lunch as it had got quite late and we found the same street cafe that I had been with George all those years ago on a house viewing trip over this way. Cjc and Fi expressed how much they were enjoying their day which was lovely to hear as my enthusiasm for the place can sometimes cause me to miss other people not being quite as taken. They certainly seemed to be enjoying it.
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| Enjoying the view |
With lunch completed (chips, salad, kebabs and toasted bread - lovely) we made our way back to the car and drove up the really windy road through the forest to the top of the mountain and The House. Again we stopped briefly at the place my parents and I had enjoyed our picnic the previous time I had been here but pretty soon we were at the turnoff and this time we didn't walk but I put Thomas into 4x4 and we drove down. This was a good choice as the road was really wet and muddy and it wouldn't have been fun walking it today.
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| A rose between two thistles |
We spent a lovely few minutes walking around The House again, talking about its merits and seeing how it has become more derelict even than when I was here with my parents. I think another three or four years and it will have fallen in completely. A (who hadn't been up here before) really loved it as did Cjc and Fi and it has put the idea of trying again to track the owners down back into my head. We shall see. It really is a lovely spot. I harvested a load of really juicy rose hip fruit from the bushes there and filled one pocket up, and then A found a thistle or two that were taller than her which didn't impress her at all.
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| Colourful frog in a puddle |
As we were leaving and turning the car in the turning circle which always seems to have a pond in the middle A noticed a colourful frog swimming around. This was shot from inside the car but you can see just how lovely this one was. Much more beautiful than the toads we get at our house.
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| View from the road home |
The drive back home was much longer than anticipated as I took us what I thought would be a quicker route direct from one main town to the next but turned out to be far longer than I remembered. It was a really lovely route however so this wasn't such a bad thing apart from I was starting to feel quite tired from the driving and the altitude (The House is very high up) and the delayed reaction from the excitement of guests.
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| The sun starts to set |
Upon arriving home the kettle was put on but we were all pretty exhausted so all of us bar Cjc headed for a nap. I woke with a start at 5.30 and woke A up as we were planning a BBQ tonight and had hoped to get it going by now so we weren't eating so late. Oh well, I certainly needed the rest and so did Fi and A. I drank half my cup of tea before it was time to take the men home and it was such an easy trip that the brew was still warm when I got back. The sun was just starting to set when I went out to walk the rounds with Cjc to check out the progress.
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| Another whole side is tiled |
As we haven't been here all day there are no pictures of the men working today however they have done an amazing amount again. None of this side of the roof was tiled thus morning yet now it is completed. Tomorrow I have the remaining tiles being delivered which is pretty exciting but will be expensive so a trip to the bank will be in order.
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| Just starting the burgers |
And so the BBQ was lit and burgers made and corn slathered in butter and wrapped in tin foil and A was working like a trouper to get all of this done while I was taking the men and then sitting here typing this blog. They are all out on the balcony right now laughing away so I'm going to wrap this up itself quite quickly.
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| Leka Nosht |
I will leave you with the glow of the sun as it set tonight. Ciao.
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