Bulgaria day 4

Surprisingly.... I wake up late..... the morning sessions of the conference aren't relevant for me. I start the day with my standard lengths of the pool, followed by a sauna. I could get used to this:







After lunch, the conference gets more interesting with some technical presentations... after this, it's more swimming and saunaing(is sauna a verb?), before we head up the hill behind the hotel to have a farewell BBQ:



We get a table together... There is already a glass of rakia beside each salad:



There's also a couple of bottles of Melnik's finest... it could be another good night, although one course in, it;s clear that while everyone is relaxed and happy(it must be the sauna), there isn't the same energy and excitement of the previous evening.

There are two guys in the corner one on guitar and one on keyboards, they are singing various songs, some traditional, some Bulgarian, some in English, some not. By the time we have had a good fill of protein from the Barbecue, people have taken to the dance floor... a swift rakia puts me up there beside them... it's the same routine as last night....and a lot of fun....

We carry on like this... utlising the young Bulgarian girl to get us red wine refills.... SLowly various people head back to the hotel.... we have an early start tomorrow. I have taken the opportunity of a seat on a little minibus which is going to stop over in the Rila Monastery on the way to Sofia tomorrow. This makes up for me missing the excursion on he first day. There are very strict instructions concerning the buses in the morning. There will be two coaches.... and one mini bus..... those on early flights should take the white bus... we repeat... the WHITE bus..... Someone asks what I was wickedly thinking... "What colour are the other buses?" Unamused... we are informed that the bus for early travellers will definitely be white, and thats all that important.....

Within an hour, we are the only people left up on the hill.... we have watched the sun set behind the Pirin Mountains... and the food is digesting away nicely:



We've been up here for about 45 minutes on our own. I feel sorry for the musicians.. they have been sitting vamping away fro our benefit for some time..... I send our young interpreter over to tell them they should go home and not stay for our benefit. When she returns, she has a naughty smile on her face... she informs us that she is going to be playing the next song.....

We take to the stage..... she plays a nice little song... and then I get egged on to play some guitar.... To say I'm unpracticed is an understatement..... My guitar has been gathering dust for weeks. I pull out the old faithful of a couple of Pearl jam songs... I feel a little embarrassed, cos the Bulgarian guitarist was very good.



After this, the dancing starts.... We have Italian tango lessons, and then I'm asked to teach them Scottish Country dancing. I decide that since my attempt to teach our little pianist the blues failled, that my Bulgarian music descriptions aren't good enough to describe reels and jigs.... Instead I dance the Gay Gordons with a Romanian while singing the music....,. all very silly.... but a lot of fun:



We decide to call it a night and take a walk back to the hotel down the darkened hill....

All that is left of our holiday... sorry conference... is a quick few games of pool(Incidentally, a romanian finished with the shot of the conference) before bed and an early start.....



......uggggg.....Bed......

Back in the Dam: Out on the Pool

I had a really interesting night. I went, with The Kiwi, to a pool hall with some of his English work mates.

In Scotland, we waste much of our teenage and pub years playing pool. We have two scale's of "Ladness", how much you can drink, and how good a pool player you are. They aren't extremely valid currencies, and don't turn up that many CV's but they can come in pretty handy.

I enjoy a game of pool - we had a pool table in my high school, so we played quite a lot and I used to play a little bit of snooker(maximum break not much more than 8). Pool is not really that widespread in Amsterdam outside of tourist sports bars, so I was quite pleased to get invited to a pool hall to knock some balls around with the lads.

I was a little apprehensive, no matter how liberal and accepting Amsterdam is, pool is still something that's played in dodgy bars where you want to look good in front of people in order to avoid getting beaten up.

I'm pleased when I turn up and we are the only ones in the hall - this way if my pool playing has deteriorated beyond belief I put up with it for a while and then leave. Fortunately on my first shot i clear 6 of the 7 balls, and my positioning play is absolutely perfect.

The lads are suitably impressed, I'm suitably relieved and I can relax back into drinking a few quiet beers, enjoying some conversation and enjoying the luxury of not having to concentrate too much on my playing.

Drinks with British lads(And a kiwi) reminded me of the cultural differences. I felt like I was closer to home for the evening - same bad jokes, few beers, bad pool and relaxation. Couldn't hack it every night - but tonight was fun.