This is my blog about emigrating to Bulgaria. It starts with the idea and will take you through all the steps I am taking to create my new life in this wonderful idyllic country. Thank you for reading.
Please make use of the comments box to ask questions or suggest blog subjects too :)
Another weekend passes, and another Monday update that will be super short about Monday, but with lots about the weekend.
Chilly start
Rosie watches the chickens
Shadow people
Rosie splashing in the water
A beautiful view here
Rosie playing in the leaves
So to Saturday and pretty well straight after breakfast I was out in Thomas with Rosie to go to the garage to get his winter tyres swapped on; it was cold enough when we got on the road and Rosie was wrapped up well when we got there and went for our walk to find the river. We made a few false starts, meeting a puppy and some chickens but eventually found our way down there and Rosie had great fun splashing and watching the running water and getting soaked. When I took her back to the car I changed her as Angela had wisely put a change of trousers in. It was a lovely morning and an awesome way to spend the time while the tyres were being done. The rest of the day was almost entirely Rosie as well, with brief breaks to do little bits on the Santa's Express, and we had a lot of fun playing in the leaves and running around outside. A good day all round.
A cloudy but interesting start to the day
Rosie helping me with the leaves
Angela gets some seedlings separated
Sunday started off cloudy but was an OK day in the end; not as glorious as Saturday. It was again a day for Rosie but we got some chores done around the place. I found the toilet was broken again, the fan not running and therefore the reservoir was totally full, but worked out it was the socket broken, not the fan. This reservoir has never been a good thing in my eyes and next year I think we'll do something else and get rid of it. I have never liked it. Anyway before that I spent some fun time with Rosie in the garden raking up leaves and taking them in the wheelbarrow, with her sat on top to stop them blowing away, to both put on the garden and also collect to make leaf compost. After I found out about the toilet I raked and stashed as much as I could in the big leaf box and put it in the garage as we are back on the old humanure for a while until the new toilets fix themselves. If they do. Angela got some time as well to split the carrots in their pots as they are doing really well in the glass house. It was another good day, and ended with me getting a full evening to paint.
A horrible miserable day all day
Painting the steel
Warm by the fire for coffee break
And we reach today. Today has been miserable. It has rained all day (apparently right now it is snowing) and has been grey and horrible and the worst of weather. I really dislike miserable days; I thrive on sun, never mind the temperature. The men had balcony work but other than cleaning up a bit they were able to work inside all day as Bekir and I got out to order wood and metal for the weatherproofing of the windows (very much needed) and then they were in the garage all day treating the wood and painting the L profile steel that will seal between the windows and the other framing. They lit the fire in the workshop while they were working in there, and also for their breaks. Very sensible. Our wormery arrived and, as feared, all the worms were Dead on Arrival so tomorrow Angela will be on the hunt for some local worms from the fishing shops. She had the first day of the next five weeks with the school shut with Rosie at home and did so well keeping her entertained; I am so proud of her. It is SO difficult with Rosie when it's so nasty outside you can't even wrap her up warm and let her outside. There was hopscotch done in tape on the kitchen floor and lots of drumming. Wonderful work!
There it is; another day done. Tomorrow is forecast sunny and cold which is MUCH more my type of weather and Bekir and Halil should be out fitting the things they painted today. The window people will come back this week to fit the rest of the windows and then we'll be weatherproof out there finally! Thanks for reading.
Welcome to the end of the week; today has been quite an exciting day but also a painful one for Angela as she had her second dentist visit and is now in a lot of pain; it's so horrible to see however I think now the problem is finally resolved. Also today was the last day of Rosie at school until at the earliest January - full lock down goes into effect tonight.
Morning sun through the trees
Bringing in the glass
Halil starts to plaster
Lovely glazing
Puppies by the fire
Bekir working on electrics
It was another cold one last night but a lovely sunrise through the trees, and today Angela dropped Rosie down while I got started in work. Bekir and Halil went onto the balcony to do the finishing outside the frames when the window people arrived so they have been working inside today; no complaints as getting the windows in is a huge excitement and they look about 10000 times better than I expected so I'm very happy. While they were working there Halil started to plaster the plasterboard wall and Bekir was doing the electrics and light fittings on the stairs. Angela lit the fire for the puppies and they were so very happy about this.
Water from the spring
Bekir fitting lights
Halil finishing the first plastering coat
Outside light being fitted
Plug on the stairs
Windows in, measuring the top
Cleaning the stairs
Panorama of the balcony
After my morning meeting I went out with Bekir to talk to the water people as our water is absolutely filthy again; we got to the office and there was no one there. It was all open, even the workshop, but totally empty. They really are useless. We headed after this to fill up a load of bottles with water from a free spring so at least we can drink now. I think our borehole is closer than ever now. The rest of the day was taken up with Bekir working on lights and electrics (it is all done now, even the outside light and the plug on the stairs) and Halil, when he wasn't footing the ladder (something I've never seen them do before!) finished the first skim of the plastering. We are so close to completed for the year now! The window people finished fitting all the glass they had (two panes were damaged so they took them away again) and they measured for the top triangular pieces which will be fitted next week. It's an awesome space! Bekir and Halil cleaned up after themselves and the window people and now it's the weekend.
Thanks for reading; I'm going to go and work on Santa's Express a little more. Very nearly done now!
It's going to be a short one tonight for a couple of reasons, mainly because I had a lovely evening for beer and a pizza with Dincher and I'm tired and want to go to bed!
A frosty start to the day
Trimming down the insulation
Securing the battens
Cement goes in
Another pylon is raised
It was once again a frosty morning this morning but Rosie was again good to be dropped to school; when I got back from that the men were on the balcony working already, firstly finishing the preparations for the cement which included trimming back some of the insulation and then putting temporary dams in place to prevent the cement poured inside from spilling right through underneath the windows. They got all the cement done out there and left it to go off over night and will go back out to finish tomorrow. The next pylon was also being raised today; they are huge!
Starting to fit the lights
Halil up the dodgy scaffold
Plastering and wiring
A tasty pizza for dinner
With everything done on the balcony Bekir and Halil came inside and got to work on that task; Halil up the scaffold doing the plastering on the ceiling with Bekir working on sorting the lights out. It is good they are able to be flexible enough to switch jobs like this. I've kept working on the model railway for Santa's Express though no extra picture yet and this evening, as I've mentioned, I went for a nice meal with Dincher before walking home just now.
So there you are; final day of school for Rosie tomorrow before the lockdown shuts the school - I'm so gutted for her! Thanks for reading.
After no update yesterday we're back as yesterday we had no power and no men and today we had men but no power.
Sunrise from Room 13 window
Breakfast on the sofa in Room 13
Louise trying to climb a tree
Fun on the lawn with Mummy
It really has turned cold now with frosts every night, but beautiful cloudless days to follow. It was a big foggy yesterday morning but it burned off quickly, just giving me a lovely sunrise shot to photograph. The power went before breakfast and so Angela and Rosie brought the toaster up to plug in to the generator power in Room 13 and sat and had breakfast with me; it was really lovely! After that I had a very busy day, and Angela and Rosie did as well. It was a cold day but still they got outside a lot and I tried to get out for a few minutes when I could. After work Louise was barking up a tree and trying to climb it and Rosie was running around chasing us, being chased by us, and jumping out saying "boo!". A good day indeed.
Bekir and Halil back on the balcony
Lots of squirty foam to be removed
The (dormant) hornet nest
Chipping away at the tiles
Ready for cement
Happy times at the restaurant
Santa's Express is getting ready for departure
Today the men were in early, they were already here when I got back from dropping Rosie at school, and we discussed what to do on the balcony. After a bit of chat it was decided that popping every tile was the correct choice and so they set to. I did feel bad as they'd only just put them on but they were pretty adamant it was the best decision. It took all day, and by the end they are ready for pouring concrete in the morning. At lunch Bekir checked out the hornet nest in the Green Building and it looks like it is abandoned, having been very active only a week ago. This evening we went out for dinner as the country locks down at the end of the week and it will be our last chance to go. It was really lovely, and Rosie had a great time in the play area catching balloons and being awesome. I have also made great progress on the track scenery for the Santa's Express which will be going round the tree.
What a day today has been; another day without power and it is nearly 11pm now as I do this as I wanted to get the things done I had planned to do earlier today (and I haven't managed to finish it all). Onwards, as fast as possible!
Sandpit in any weather
Playing with the abacus
Making a start on the Santa's Express ring
Lovely lights on Rosie's Hobbit Hole
Saved from the forecast frost
So first of all the weekend (I'd even forgotten it was a Monday until just then!) this consisted of me having a headache, lots of time with Rosie, painting in the painting room with the fire blazing on a zoom call with a good mate, good food, starting the Santa's Express terrain for around the Christmas Tree (this is what I've been doing this evening as well) and admiring the Christmas Lights that Angela put on Rosie's Hobbit hole. It was also forecast to frost so I pulled the plants in off the balcony.
Beautiful start to the day
Frosty view up the back bank to the village
Crystals on the winter veg on the balcony
It was a good thing that I did pull the plants in as it was very cold and a heavy frost. I went to bed with a horrendous headache, early, and woke thankfully feeling a huge amount better, and very grateful to Angela for letting me have a little lay in. I was up in time to say goodbye to Rosie who was at school today before I headed up to work. Until the power cut off again at 8:55. I was not impressed.
Workmen putting up the pylon
Heating up lunch on the stove
The men had turned up and were working but I didn't get any pictures as I was using the battery on my laptop and when that finished I went to collect the generator from the menders. I also got a few things fixed on Thomas and then came back, plugged everything in, and was in time for my morning meeting which was long and I wish I'd missed. Anyway, the generator powered me all day until 4.30 when the power came back again so at least now that is sorted. I cooked my lunch on the petchka and Angela went to the dentist again and came back with the first problem sorted and more appointments in the coming days.
Bekir working on the landing
Halil working on the stairs
Window people fitting the huuuuge window
So what have the workmen got up to. I'm not totally sure as I was so busy after I got power back but there's been progress on the landing and stairs with plastering and other bits and pieces but the most exciting, unexpected (and partially frustrating) part of the day was the window people arriving to fit the windows on the balcony. It turns out we should have popped ALL the tiles off the wall before the windows were fitted as now we have some tiles flush with the bottom of the windows and some not and it's going to be a huge task (days at least) to solve it by popping them, sliding them out, putting cement, then retiling. It needs doing before winter, though, and this is why we REALLY wanted this done earlier in the year. No matter, it's awesome to see them done and how lovely it will be; I'm over my initial shock at the size of the gaps being filled, having been so insistent on "to the mm, please" and hope the work Bekir will do making good will give a good result. There's more welding, cement work, tiling needed and the weather is not on our side.
The window people will be back tomorrow to complete the installation, including glass and the triangular sections, then Bekir will need to be straight out there to finish it off; more delays on the library and the landing and at this rate they'll be working into the new year; not ideal but that's life I suppose (of course, presuming they aren't locked down and CAN'T come, which would mean no library or model railway this year. What happens, happens). Thanks for reading.
