Some things are genetic... others just flow from inspiration!
The local masseuse
Trust me, I'm very good...
Anticellulite Massage, Shiatsu, Reiki, Sprain, Migraine.
Solids
I Love Daddy's porridgeRaphael is just starting to eat solids. He loves apples, pears, grapefruit weirdly enough, as well as multi-nut porridge and veggies. He also absolutely loves Mummy's bread.
When he eats more food ends up behind his ears than in his mouth, a work of art!
When he eats more food ends up behind his ears than in his mouth, a work of art!
Yoghurt
Home-made yoghurtWe make our own home-made Bulgarian yoghurt with fresh milk straight from the cow's udders, or nearly. In Bulgarian it is called kiselo mlako, sour milk, made with Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
Merilyn
The harmony of contradictionsIn Bulgaria you can see men smoking super slim lady's cigarettes. Rough, untrimmed, macho men puffing gently on long-thin vanilla flavoured slims. And even by Chi's standards they're not gay.
In general Bulgarian men are more of the hairy Mediterranean type. They like to look rough and tough whilst maintaing a polished Neanderthal look by trimming their 3-day beard and plucking their eyebrows. It's often their girlfriend who does the plucking so you can meet a couple with exactly the same eyebrows....
The Torshia Economy
Torshia, pickled vegetablesMost people in Bulgaria have land in the countryside and mountains where they grow fruit and vegetables. In the autumn the mums and grandmas prepare conserves, jams and pickles in large enough quantities to last till the following spring. Meat is dried to keep for months. Natural yoghurt made with the famous lactobacteria bulgaricus keeps for weeks. Real apples and pears as well as cabbage, leaks and onions retain their flavour for weeks, even months.
In the houses one room is devoted to storage of food. Shelves are filled with all sizes of jars. Meats hang from the ceiling. With the exception of bread families have enough food to last through the winter. The culinary cave of Ali Baba smells of herbs, fruit, salt and spices mixing in the cold dry air.
Many people live outside the cash economy. Families can survive here without a regular source of income. The parents don't have jobs, the children are at school. Life is not easy but not that bad because they have a reliable supply of healthy food.
The economic crisis is more acute here in Bulgaria than in most European countries. But people can survive the turmoil of global financial markets because they don't depend on them.
In the houses one room is devoted to storage of food. Shelves are filled with all sizes of jars. Meats hang from the ceiling. With the exception of bread families have enough food to last through the winter. The culinary cave of Ali Baba smells of herbs, fruit, salt and spices mixing in the cold dry air.
Many people live outside the cash economy. Families can survive here without a regular source of income. The parents don't have jobs, the children are at school. Life is not easy but not that bad because they have a reliable supply of healthy food.
The economic crisis is more acute here in Bulgaria than in most European countries. But people can survive the turmoil of global financial markets because they don't depend on them.
Tune for Fred
Remember the days when we use to ride bicycles and borrowed mopeds....
The lyrics are a mix of Romani (the kids) and Turkish (the female vocalist).
Baro chucha means big titties in Romani.
Thanks for the translation Itso!
Morning view
Mount Botev is the highest peak in the central mountain and second highest in Bulgaria, 2376 metres + a bit of snow and ice.
Morning walks
Enjoying a stroll in the morning while mum's catching up on sleep after the night shift breast feeding and nappy changing.
Survival in the mountains
Home made breadOne of the only things we were missing apart from good cocoa was wholemeal bread. Now thanks to Mariya's family who gave us a bread maker for Xmas we make better bread than what we could find in London. Hurrah!!
As a present for Xmas we bought them the same bread maker. Hurrah!!
Mum & Baby Tea
Fennel TeaRaphael is going through a growth spurt at the moment and with the cold he is eating even more. I prepared a Fennel, Nettle and Yellow Dock tea for Mariya with a few other herbs to increase milk flow and maintain energy levels.
Front of house
Our front porchWe just want to re-assure you that all the trees were treated humanely. They were certified dead and dried before being burnt. The re-usable nappies are our contribution to saving the planet.
Dan of Bulgaria
Dan KolovThis is no communist homo-erotic beast, a somewhat Bulgarian Tom of Finland. It is Dan Kolov a national sports hero. A wrestler, think what you may... He first became famous as a circus artist by twisting railtracks around his neck. Then as a wrestler he remained undefeated for 9 years winning 1,500 matches.
It is always interesting to see how innocent minds can create the ultimate triggers of perversion. Choose what side you sit on when you look at a church mural or read Kubla Khan...
It is always interesting to see how innocent minds can create the ultimate triggers of perversion. Choose what side you sit on when you look at a church mural or read Kubla Khan...
So twice five miles of fertile ground... sweet innocence and demonic perversion, so far and yet so close to help you find your way.
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !
Staying warm
The priority when we arrived was to make the place warm. We changed the antique stove. Temperatures before Xmas dropped to minus 17 celsius. Now we have a deluxe hotter than hot stove that doubles up as cooker and water boiler.
Granny's bed
Our only roomWhen we were cleaning the room we found old granny's clothes under the mattress. Grannies put their old clothes under the mattress to protect it from the bed springs.
The house had not been cleaned since the death of his great aunt. We found lots of cob webs, dust and a dead mouse.
Now we've done a complete make-over and transformed the place into an African hunting lodge.
We live in one room with a kitchen corner and an ajoining ice-cold washroom/toilet.
The house had not been cleaned since the death of his great aunt. We found lots of cob webs, dust and a dead mouse.
Now we've done a complete make-over and transformed the place into an African hunting lodge.
We live in one room with a kitchen corner and an ajoining ice-cold washroom/toilet.
Where we live
It's all about the journey
Zara could tell you that we can cross Europe with all our belongings without knowing where we will land.
In Istambul a few years ago we went to the harbour to eat a fried mackerel sandwich, a local tradition. We saw people scurrying through the crowd to jump on ferry boats. It was late in the afternoon. We just followed everybody else and jumped on one the ferries as it was leaving. It pulled away full with passengers. People made space for us to sit on a bench. The boat took us straight into the sea. Our excitement turned to silent concern as we lost sight of the Sulemaniye. Ahead of us we could only distiguish a few lights in the very far distance.
We left London in the same way without knowing where we would live. We knew that we wanted to live in the mountains in Bulgaria. We had an idea of the region where we wanted to be but nowhere to land. Mariya had spoken to people we had never met, contacts of contacts, who said that they might have a place for us to stay. But it wasn't ready for the rough balkan winter.
After 2 weeks living in the camper van we were happy to find this unfinished house to have a break. We soon realised that Camila was cleaner and more comfortable. Yet we were grateful for what we had. We could finally unload the trailor box and the camper. We made the best of what we had and started right away cleaning, re-organising and searching for something better. We were happy to be here. The rest we could sort out.
In Istambul our impulse led us to discover a small island in the middle of the Marmara Sea. It was so calm and peaceful. There were no cars. Houses were clean and stylish. The pace of life was relaxed like a weekend resort. There was a power cut. The restaurants on the shore lit up candles for each table. The silent island was surrounded by a black oily sea with in the far distance the city lights like a ring of fire.
We managed to get back to the European side of Istambul with the last ferry. Mariya and Zara fell asleep on the boat.
And our journey continues...
Happy New Year
Raphael's first whipping... and he got paid for it!And Chi thought he was having all the fun for NYE.
It's a Bulgarian tradition on 1st January for the youngest to whip the eldest in the family with a branch decorated with coloured threads, mini gevrek and horse shoes to bring good fortune. And the elders give him money to wish him health and prosperity. Raphael whipped both his parents, grand-parents and his great grandma. No respect, that's my boy!
It's a Bulgarian tradition on 1st January for the youngest to whip the eldest in the family with a branch decorated with coloured threads, mini gevrek and horse shoes to bring good fortune. And the elders give him money to wish him health and prosperity. Raphael whipped both his parents, grand-parents and his great grandma. No respect, that's my boy!
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