Bulgaria day 4: The hangover

I wake up god knows when, and quickly crawl to the pool for my morning dip. No sooner have I hit the water, than Obi Wan runs round the corner shouting my name. Although he was still going strong until the early hours, it's clear he's been up since the arse crack of dawn waiting for people to wake up from Rakia imposed stupors. I seem to have been the first person up.

My hangover is not bad. It's certainly more interesting and has far more texture that a traditional Heineken/Tennant's hangover, the sugary sickness of too many jack daniels and coke or even the once in a life time "What happened after I drank that pink thing" hangover. This one has given me an aversion to the sun light which seems to be shining slightly brighter, and a mild pain at the back of my skull and a strange sensation in my right eye lid which makes it feel like it's not fully open, but otherwise I'm doing okay. What it has not given me is a way to make the smile look genuine when Obi Wan starts throwing toys into the pool and telling me what a great day we are going to have messing about in the pool. I explain that I have a hangover and need to do 15 lengths of the pool before I can speak to him. He counts them.

My front crawl based meditation has worked wonders. "Lets go to the terrarium and see the reptiles!!". He takes some convincing, and also his grandparents are in charge of him today. I tell him that he needs to ask his grandfather is this is okay. His grandfather comes over and I give my standard "Dobri Utro" for good morning and "Kak si?" for how are you. Our conversations tend to get a little boring after that. Obi wan and him talk for about 10 minutes in Bulgarian. He then goes back to their breakfast table and Obi wan immediately dives in the pool. I catch up with him and ask him what his grandfather said:

OW: Did you not understand?
ME: No. I don't speak Bulgarian.
(OW disappears under water)
Me: What did he say? Is it okay?
OW: It sounds a little like Russian.
Me What does?
(OW disappears under water)
OW: Bulgarian
ME: So do we go to the Zoo or not?
OW: Yeah

This boy is developing a wit and a joy for teasing people which could get really frustrating in the future.

Anyway, we head off to the Terrarium, with me wondering why my sunglasses don't seem to work as well today. The terrarium is about 400 yards from the Hotel, and has an iguana sitting outside which children get to stroke.

I had expected Obi Wan to be bowled over by the concept of big scary snakes, spiders ad lizards, but actually the first thing that really has him going is a cage of hamsters. Eventually, he moves on and we look at the snakes, the turtles, the terrapins and various sorts of lizard. It’s a pretty good little place to go and see, and I really start to enjoy my “hangover” day.

Between the heat outside and the heat in the reptile cases, the sweat is literally dripping off my nose. Scotsmen aren’t designed for hot weather, I think we may be Eskimos who lost our way and ended up on the fringes of Europe.

Up the stairs in the the little terrarium are all the spiders. These are amazing animals, and there shapes and sizes and structures are great:



The signs in the Terrarium are in Bulgarian, and also badly translated English where possible. Obi Wan is really interested in what they eat and what not, so we do a lot of reading of signs. Sometimes this requires me to read Bulgarian words really badly and ask him what they mean, but generally we get through it pretty well. Near the end of our tour, we come across a little spider with long legs and a fat body. I’m quite interested in this one cos the description says that it predicts the weather by taking in it’s web before it rains. The wonder of nature…

Obi Wan is annoying me in my ear:

OW: What does it eat??
ME: Give me a second – I’m reading
OW: What does it eat??
ME: Momentje.. I’m reading
OW: I really need to know what it eats
ME: It doesn’t say. I’ll look at the Bulgarian
(I look at the Bulgarian for obvious words which mean food like Shopska Salata)
OW: What does it eat?
ME: I don’t know why is it so important?
OW: Because there are two on the wall behind us.

Right enough these are common Bulgarian spiders, and they are dotted around the room. Luckily I don’t think it eats cheeky 7 year olds or hungover Scotsmen.

We’re now finished our trip round the terrarium. I said we’d be back at 3 o’clock so the day is yet young. we head on into primorski. The zoo is pretty close so we decide to continue on an animal theme, but only via a small stall to give me some more fluids to sweat.

When we get to the zoo, the sign tells us that it’s 0.50 Leva for Bulgarians and 1.50 for foreigners. This double pricing is very common in Bulgaria. I don’t really mind it, but I decide that I am integrating enough that I can chance my arm. I tell Obi wan that he has to speak Bulgarian:

ME: It costs more if we speak English. Ask for one adult and one child.
OW: No
ME: You need to speak Bulgarian, and then we save money
OW: Listen. You are a big person and I am a little person, it looks stupid if I speak and you don’t . They will understand English
ME: That’s not the point speak Bulgarian.
OW “Govorite li Anglayski”
Ticket man: Da
OW: My friend wants to speak to you. I spoke Bulgarian

He’s right. He did. Completely defeated the purpose, but he did speak Bulgarian.

We head round the zoo. Obi Wan’s already been so he’s giving me the tour. I don’t really like zoos, it’s the influence of my animal loving sister. This is not a good examples of a zoo. All the animals sulk with a lethargy and depression. It’s just like Glasgow zoo. There’s very little to see, the big cats are hiding in their indoor enclosures and pacing back and forth. The Bears are out cold asleep. The emu is hilarious. They seem to have this constantly confused look on their faces:



Obi Wan says that we should go and see the “sheeps that are not sheeps”. I’m confused. He says that when he was here last the sheeps that are not sheeps have got a baby and it’s very good fun. I’m utterly confused. Eventually I catch up with speedy Gonzalez and realise that Sheeps that are not sheeps are goats. I would say it was my problem not his. If you don’t know the word goat, it’s not a bad description.

He’s right, the kids of the goat family are the most animated in the zoo.

We head out of the zoo and back to the hotel. I’m now set up for an afternoon in the pool, but it turns out that everyone is heading to the beach. I’ve been here 4 days and today is going to be m y first trip to the beach. We fill about two cars and head off to the City beach of Varna. Everyone is pretty lazy due to hangovers and late nights. The Bride even manages to just wrap herself in a Brazilian flag and sleep fall fast asleep. The weather is not too good, but it feels good having nothing else to do except jump waves, lie on the beach and read books:





Eventually, it gets to about 6pm and it’s too cold and windy to lie on the beach much longer. We agree to depart to various homes and hotels and then meet up later at a restaurant.
We pop in to a bar which is new to me to say hello to some of the Bulgarian Amsterdammers. The bar is apparently the best place for salads and beers of an evening. We’ll return to here later. But first we are heading off to a Bulgarian flat to eat up all the leftovers from the wedding buffet. We walk through the town with various plates of food and head to a flat of one of the Groom’s mates. I really enjoy this evening. A bunch of mates sitting round the telly drinking beers and eating food. It has a really homely atmosphere, and I really feel like I am getting a taste of real Bulgarians. The bride and groom have managed to recreate this in Amsterdam and I appreciate how much importance they put on family and friend get togethers.

This is also when the Bride presents me with a tomato grown in the mountains by the groom’s father. It’s about half the size of a football and takes tomatoes to a new dimension. I have half of it with salt, and the lush flavour just fills your mouth as you bite into it. It is absolutely delicious. Now I understand why I enjoy the salads over here so much. The tomatoes in this area of the world have flavour!



Eventually we head back to the salad and beer bar. It’s called Alba. It’s an anceitn name for Scotland, so I feel quite at home. This bar has staropramen the Czech beer on tap, for about 50 euro cents a pint:



Even though we’ve had our fill of leftovers, we still have salads brought to the table. I’ve known these Bulgarians for a long time, but I still don’t trust them I am sure that they are cannibals who are fattening me up for later. The salads taste so good that you can’t avoid digging in. It’s full of feta cheese and olives and oils, and the luscious tomatoes, sso it’s hardly light.

Finally we have had our fill and the ten of us pay about 10 euros for a night of wonderful beer, food and conversation. It’s one of the darkest outdoor bars I’ve ever been in, so the atmosphere is excellent for conversation and drinks - a real social gathering like they should be.

I get the locals to order me a taxi to avoid me as a foreigner being humped by the taxi drivers who are famously dodgy when it comes to diddling tourists. Then it’s off to bed. For a hungover day it was pretty fun filled…..

Bulgaria Day 3: The Wedding

The day of the wedding started pretty slowly. There was no one around when I woke up, so I had a my swim in to pool to wake up. Soon enough Obi Wan Kenobov jumped in to join me. In the last 3 months or so, he has went from a doggy paddler to being a full fledged diving, bombing, sumersaulting water lover. At this time in the morning, however, I am swimming a few lengths and going for breakfast. We head off to the little cafe accross the road from, the hotel and have a Toastie, on the way we meet the Dutch guy from yesterday who joins us.

The toasties are pretty large and filling, but at 10am, it';s already pretty hot so some food, a coffee and some nice cold water are very welcome. We sit here for ages, chilling out, maxing and acting all cool - we didn't get round to shooting some B-Ball outside of the school.

Before long it's back to the poolside. No one seems to know the plan for the day - least of all Obi Wan. I have descerned that the Ceremony is at 4pm, but other than that, it doesn't really feel like the day of a wedding. We continue to act like nutter, splashing chasing, jumping in the water etc. Eventually the bride arives and tells us the plan. We will get take to the wedding at around 3.30pm from the hotel.

It's now about lunch time, and we've managed to do nothing for the whole morning. No one is around. But I'm pretty sure that once I'm in my kilt, it could bne a while till we eat again. I take Obi wan and the dutch guy down to the beach so that we can fill our bellies. There's a little cafe by the beach, and Obi wan does the talking in order to get us some chips, shopska salda and some burgers. I have a refreshing beer, and lhe orders himself a fanta. He then heads off to the swings while we wait. Before long the food is there and we shout him over. He's a little pissed off. He ordered a fanta, and they have brought him some cheap equivalent. What follows has me in stitches.....

A 7 yr old in a pair of speedos goes up to the bar and shouts in Bulgarian that he ordered a fanta. She tells him it's the same thing and then he tells her it's not, goes behind the bar and starts opening there fridge and looking through it. The bar girls think this is hilarious. when he discovers theres no fanta in the fridge, he tells him that they shouldn't say they have fanta when they don't. He comes back to the table and tells us how ridiculous it is. He's his mother's son!!!

By the time we've had food, it's time to get back up to the hotel. It was good to get the waiting out of the way, but now I have to get into my kilt, which includes so many footery things that I needed to give myself time.

Having carted the kilt all the way from Amsterdam, and having it staring at me from the wardrobe, I was really looking forward to getting togged up. I've decided to go for a bit of a Summer casual kilt look. This is for several reasons; I don't have the full jacket style kilt, Its extremely hot in the middle of August, and I'm pretty sure, that no one will notice if it's not that traditional. So my getup for the evening includes:

Family Crest Kilt Pin(One in picture is the wrong crest)



Kilt Belt with Celtic style buckle:



Sgian Dubh:



Kilt socks:(Wooly and itchy)



Ghillie Shirt:



Pair of big Heavy boots:



and a Sporran:



Once I am kilted and ready to go I come out of my room. The Hotel staff are over the moon, and flock around me. It's hilarious what a bit of national dress will bring out in people. I'm now not sure when I am getting picked up and there seems to be no one around, so I knock what I think is the door of the Spanish-Bulgarian couple in preperation of acertaining a time of departure by murdering a few phrases in Spanish or Bulgarian. I knock the wrong door, and a girl of about 14 comes to the door. She says hello in Bulgarian, so I assume she can't speak english and pull out one of my Bulgarian phrases:

"Ahs Sham ot Schotlandya"

"I am Scottish" It was more useful than "Can I have a Salad please", but probably less useful than "Do you speak english". It turns out she is English-Bulgarian living in England, so fluent in both. She retorts with " That sir, is perfectly obvious". I step outside to see if I can see anyone who knows what's happening.

It is Roasting!!!! I am walking extremly slowly in order to not drip with sweat. Scotland's finest sheep wool layer a number of times around your body is not the best way to enjoy August heat on the Black Sea.

Eventually. People start to trickle out, and for want of something better to do, I head off into the centre with the Video Camera crew. It's good, cos they speak good english. We get to the church:

St. Nikolai Church, Varna:



In the process of parking, the girl driving reverses without looking and crashes into a car behind her. She waves at the driver and he waves back - problem solved. I can't help think that in Glasgow there would have a been a few more gestures, words, insurance details, fists and explitives exchanged.

People have started to congregate outside of the church. I know quite a few of them from Amsterdam, and they are pretty pleased to see me in the kilt. Theres also several locals, ask me to pose with them for a photo, and ask various questions. What's in your sporran? What's under the kilt? Where are you from?(This is a very strange on). I'm pretty glad I came out early cos they have time to get used to the big hairy scotsman before I steal the limelight from the bride.

Eventually, we make our way into the church. The "Pop"(Bulgarian paster) just looks me up and down. I'm really not sure what he thinks of having a savage in his little church. At least he seems to appreciatte that whatever he says to me in Bulgarian, I probably wouldn't understand. I do my best to walk in looking subdued and inoffensive.

The chruch is beautiful. It's got all the old Bulgarian ikons on the walls and this kind of stuff, but this is a working church, so they aren't as touristy and clean as else where. Everyone else is taking photos, so I get a few while everyone is congregating,





One thing which I immediattly find strange is that the congregation all stand. There are no seats. The 30 or so guests stand around the alter as the Pop, brid and groom stay at the door. The pop says a few words to start the proceedings. It's in the same style as a latin benadiction; monotone "ooey ahey eey ooey ee ah o" this is then repeated by a choir who had been hiding in the rafters. I looked up and still couldn't see them, but they do an answer and call thing for the whole ceremony which is strange, but given the beautiful surroundings is quite lovely. I don't understand any of the words, so as far as I know they could be saying "Who is the hairy transvestite in the skirt? Why is he in my church", but I'm sure it's closer to what it would be if it was in English.

The happy couple enter the church and walk up to the alter with candles in their hand. Theres then lots of talking, praying, and kissing of crosses. They then put on a crown each and there's more kissing of crosses and then they are married and make their way outside. Everyone follows them out, and despite them being out first, I try to distribute rice to everyone. The photos and congratulations then start, and it's a really nice feeling, to be part of this happiness, wearing a kilt, on a beautiful day, in an exotic country.

I meet up with the Bulgarian's I know from Amsterdam, who I hadn't seen until the day of the wedding, and we head off in a Taxi back to our hotel, where the reception will be.

Obi Wan Kenobev and his dutch school friend have now realised that I have a dagger in my sock. They take it in turns to marvel at it. They think this is really cool, but seem to be a little confused as to why I have a skirt on. We wait around for a while while the Married couple head off and get some photos. I even get time to dip my tired feet in the pool:



Before long, the newly weds arrive and the party ensues. Each table has bootles, of beer, water and Rakiya:



Let the games begin!!!

The wedding reception starts with a few traditions. The grooms mother cooks bread for the bride and feeds her some bread. This is then brought round and fed to the guests. Incidently, if Mrs Groom is reading, the bread was very Dobri!

There is then something about tasting wine, and whether the wine is sour or not. I didn't really understand this one, but it caused quite a lot of hilarity among the people in the know.

The dancing then starts with Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. I can't help finding it bizarre watching the parents of the bride and the groom slow dancing to Metallica. Maybe you have to knwo who Metallica are to find that so bizarre, or maybe I'd got to the giggley stage of a Rakia drunk.

Eventually the food arrives, it's perfect fingerfood for drinkiing dancing and having fun to, and quite tasty. I overdose on the starters of peppers and deep fried pieces of feta, so by the time the meat arrives, I'm adjusting the belt on my kilt.

My basic rule with rakia is to avoid it at all costs. It doesn't get me as drunk as other spirits, but it leaves me with a splitting ehad in the morning. I always try to take whatever else is on offer. In this case beer. Although they've given us a plentiful supply of beers, they have neglected to provide us with a bottle opener, so my Sgian Dubh is taking care of bottle opening.

So far, I've not hit the dance floor, as it seems cringe worthy, but eventuaally, I realise that it's bound to happen sooner or later. "walk this way" comes on and I know its time for the kilted warrior to hit the dancefloor. It is of course a resounding success, helped along by the fact that the best man is nearly as crazy as I am:





I have broken the seal. Now I'm up for any song I like, and the other guest's are less astounded that the man in the skirt dances. I head into the toilet and all the girls working there request their photo with me. I get a good one of all of us showing our legs, but I forgot to get it with my camera. Hopefully it will remain on the wall of a bar in Varna long after our trip, and they can remember when the scotsman was in town. I get a similar photo with the bride:



I recall at some point dancing to "No one knows" by Queens of the Stone age and "Teen spirit" by Nirvana, making this not bad wedding music:





Eventually, we get some more culture(Well stuff thats not in music collection), we are asked to dance a traditional Bulgarian dance. I'm well up for this, so join into a line of people holding hands. We then dance quite a simple step and move around the pool, so that we are dancing in a circle and weaving in and out of the venue repeatedly. Tradional dancing is what kilts were made for, and I give the full bounce and vigor to every step:



What my dance instructer(A Bulgarian girl I knwo from Amsterdam) failed to tell me is that not only does the dance get faster as it progresses, it lasts for about 45 minutes! Now it's night time and a little cooler, but I'm wearing wool!, I assumed it was a three minute traditional folk song, not a 45 minute tantric dance session. I should clearly have paced myself like everyone else and not bounced to the beat. After about 20 minutes, I decide that I am so knackered that dancing around a swimming pool was going to result in me pulling a line of dancing people in after me. I decline to join those that are left on the dance florr where the dance seems to get a little more complicated. Luckily I'm not the only one, so take a well earned rest and beer with my pride intact.

Theres another few boogying songs, and before long the inevitable happens. It's a warm night, drink has been taken, people are merry, it's time to jump in the pool with your good clothes on:



Now I'm not stupid, I nip off and get some swimming shorts, as I don't want to miss the revellry. Even though I've been drinking rakia, jumping into a swimming pool wearing a very old wollen skirt seems like a bad idea!!

Rekilted, i return to my table. Many guests have fallen by the way side and headed home. The dance floor is much quieter and the music reflects this, some slower songs and generally things are tailling off. It's now a quiet seat, some good conversation and a slow rakia to while away the night.

The time stamp on my last photo is around 2am, so I can only assume that that's when I finally decided that I was the only person not understanding bulgarian at my table and that I should head off to bed. I knew that a wedding in Bulgaria was going to be an experience, but I had no idea how. I'm quite impressed by the results.....

.....Onto more adventures tomorrow, but its unlikely I'll have a day in Bulgaria which tops today.......

Bulgaria Day 2: Lonely Planet tourist mode.

I wake up very early. It's so long since I've had a long lie, that I wake up with the sun now. I'm sure I'll get back to being a lazy bugger when I'm settled back into working life in Amsterdam.

I start with a few lengths of the pool:



I love swimming first thing in the morning. It's an exercise that wakes you up and that you don't mind doing because the water is so refreshing. I attempt to swim lengths of the very small pool until I'm tired enough to feel exercised and then go for a shower.

Today, I've decided to head into town and do the touristy sites to get them over and done with. I have the lonely planet of Bulgaria and I'm going to have a look at some of the historical monuments it describes:


Clichéd as the lonely planets have become, it's a good way to have information at hand when you're exploring. The information is usually pretty honest, and you can get a little history lesson without getting too bored. The map's alone were worth it for Varna and eventually I was giving directions to Bulgarians.

I've decided to walk into the town along the beach. It's still early, so the sea looks lovely with a morning haze:



The path slowly winds down the hill towards the beach, where I walk along and see the various bars, which sit along this stretch of beach - they are all closed and cleaning up ready for a day of business:



On the beach theres already people lazing around, and groups of older people sitting in the fresh mineral springs:



They look quite refreshing, but the chemicals which pump through them stink of eggs.

From here I head up to the park. It's called Primorski(Which I think means "sea garden"). The park is huge, and full of things for people to do. Today appears to be the lac market, and theres lots of old women selling doillies and tablecloths:



I wander through while my iPod feeds me with a little Soundgarden. It's starting to get really hot.



I come accross the Copernicus Observatory. I don't go in, cos it's all in Bulgarian, but I take a photo of the Copernicus statue outside which can go beside my similar photo from Warsaw:



Eventually, I pop out of Primorska and get the map out to find my bearings and work out where I can go and see. I've popped out at Place Ekzarth Josef, where I refill my water bottle at a fresh spring, Then I head up a street which appears to be called "the 27th of July". From here I get out onto Knyaz Boris I. I know this street from yesterday. It's the main shopping street, and has, at it's centre, St Nikolai Church where the wedding will be tomorrow. I'm now hungry, so despite being tempted by the easiness of MacDonalds,:



, I head into BMS, where we ate yesterday. I start with "govorite li angliyski?". i'm in at the deep end. None of thr four staff speak English. I prepare my requests in the queue. I successfully order Shopska Salata and Shkembe Chorba, with some khlyap(Bread) and a beer to wash it down.:





After some food, I'm ready to continue the Lonely Planet tour of Varna. I head up to the Archeaological Museum. The father of the Dutch family raved about it at dinner last night, and the lonely planet describe it as a must see. The building is a very regal and imposing structure and is a relic in itself. I'm still lapping up the cyrillic, and the sign looks great:



Inside are various relics which have been found in and around Varna during the past 9000 years or so. The exhibits are in chronological order and there are old tools and recepticles from the first settlers. These then blend into bronze tools and more sophisticated patterns from when the Greek empire swallowed up Bulgaria.

The museum is a little dull(Lighting wise), but the relics are quite interesting. Maybe I've overdosed on museums too many times in my life to get to excited by how old a coin or a spear tip is. Eventually we get into recognisable things. You're not mean to take photos, but heres, one of some headstones which used to decorate buildings in memory of the dead:



The real stuff in this museum is the gold which they have. The gold is reported to eb the oldest gold worked by human hands in the world. Theres loads of it, and what makes it really amazing is the detail. It's from about 4000BC, and they seem to have had an ability to make microscopic detail on jewellry.:





In particular there is an Angel which needs a Microscope to see the detail. You don't imagine people in 4000BC being so cosmetically minded.

After this, nothing is that impressive, and I'm glad to get outside to some light again.

One more tick on the Lonely Planet, and it's back to wandering again.

I walk back across the centre of town aiming for the Roman thermae remians of some baths. They are not however the Roman baths, which are a seperate set of ruins that I've yet to get to. Wandering done the little streets stryingt o find the entrance, I wonder if I'm already there, as all the streets are dug up and everything seems to be in ruins:



Eventually, I come across a sleepy little ticket booth which is surrounded by the Roman ruins. I pay for my ticket an guide leaflet over a sleeping kitten, which doesn't wake up even though I'm paying over the top of it, and the woman sat the leaflet on it. This kind of sums up the sleepy aspect of my day touring and Varna in general:



I seem to be the only person in the whole grounds. It really feels strange being a tourist here, you hardly see anyone else as white as a scotsman or walking around with a lonely planet. The beggars seem to have noticed this to. I see them looking at the whiteness of my calves and then making a beeline for me.

Anyway. I wander round the ruins of the various parts which make up a Thermae; Tepidarium, Frigidarium, Caldarium. The Romans were very advanced, we just have big pool for lane swimming and childrens pool. The most impressive thing about the ruins are their age. There isn't really that much to see. The most impressive thing is their age(200 AD). Nonetheless it's really peacful walkinga round these vast structures of a civilisation long gone:

















After this peacfulness, I tick off my lonely planet and head further down the street. The Roman baths are down here. They are not as old as the Thermae, and consist of little more than foundations. It's amazing how blase the Bulgarians(And now I) am about ancient relics when the pickings are so rich. I tick it off anyway:





From here, I walk towards the cranes, and get down to the path which leads along beside the beach. This then leads into primoski, and lets me head back to the hotel. It's coming up on 2pm, and I've already seen most of the major Lonely Planet attractions.

It's a 45 minute walk back to Morskata Gradina where we are staying, but my iPod still has ibattery, so I enjoy the iWalk with a little Silverchair:



When I get back to Villa Maxim, almost everyone is around the pool and wonder where I've been all day. Various people have been arrivinga ll day, and theres a now a dutch friend of the bride's who I have met a few times in Amsterdam. Obi Wan and his dutch mate are very pleased when I quickly change into my swimming shorts and jump in the pool for a refreshing dip. We then mess around in the pool playing with the kids until it's time for dinner:



Dinner is a quick trip into town while The bride sorts out some last minute wedding things, and we get a bite to eat in BSM again. I don't mind having eaten here so many times in such a short space of time, cos they have a great selection of fresh food, and it feels truely Bulgarian, also at about 8 Euros for four people to eat dinner, you can't complain about the price either.

Once we get back to the hotel, we head down to the bars and clubs around the beach where I'd been that morning for some drinks. While I'm waiting for everyone to get ready, I bump into the Groom's family. I know the Groom's brother from Amsterdam, but I now get introduced to the Groom's mother and Father and the brother's girlfriend. They are all great fun, very friendly. There is little English spoken by anyone except the brother and his girlfriend, but we manage to speak about Bagpips, kilts, and Veliko Tarnavo where they are from:



It is famously beautiful, and one of the reason's I want to go back to Bulgaria; I know that there is so much more to see. I have been invited by the father to visit them, but only on the condition I bring a Bulgarian bride to translate. I'll do my best!

We make it to a club/bar called the Copa Cobana. We are joined by a Spanish Bulgarian couple who have just arrived. They live in Valencia, and speak only Spanish and Bulgarian. They are however very friendly and great fun - despite the langauge barriers. We are also joined by many of the groom's friends who I hadn't met until now. They are great fun, and real seem to know how party. Eventually we decide to hit the hay, but only after the groom has shown me a pop corn stall that him and his mate(Who I now know in Amsterdam) set up about 5 years previous. It was meant to make them money on the side when they were students. Once they left varna, they put a padlock on it and assumed they'd be back. The stall still sits there untouched with the same padlock on it. They still have the keys so I imagine it could be very funy to just turn up one day and opne up for business again. The people who have built bars around it since would be shocked.

Life seems to be very free and easy here.....