8th December 2023

A light sprinkling of snow had fallen overnight.

Neither of us was keen to make an early start, so I took Ritya for a walk down the lane before branching off along a trail through the woods, which loosely followed one of the power lines. Light snow continued to fall, though it refused to settle; presumably, the temperature was hovering just above freezing. We saw and heard no one on our ramble; the only sound was the crunch of frozen twigs underfoot. Even the usual hum of aircraft at 32,000 feet was notably absent.

Eventually, our route was blocked by a mound of broken branches, and we retraced our steps to David’s. As per routine, Ritya was given her morning slice of bread and promptly trotted off down the lane with it in her mouth, just as she had done each morning since we met her.

Shortly after 10 a.m., with the snow falling a little thicker, David ventured outside to continue his campaign against the thorny hordes of vegetation at the rear of the property. Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the pressure washer. With the help of a YouTube video, I managed to work out how David had dismantled the carburettor and successfully reassembled it.

Just before lunch, a Greek salad with chips, I set to work with a steam mop and removed three weeks’ worth of walked-in grime from the two tiled kitchen floors. I was impressed by how effectively the little machine tackled even the most stubborn stains. It’s a pity the company that made it didn’t have a film crew on hand; my efforts could’ve been turned into a blockbuster advertisement.

By the afternoon, the morning’s light snow showers had petered out, and the thin covering soon melted. We both turned our attention to hacking away the final remnants of the thorny army, eventually completing the task as daylight faded.

For supper, we contented ourselves with cheese, tomato, and onion sandwiches. We watched another episode of The Pacific, then rounded off the evening by taking turns choosing YouTube music videos. With similar tastes in bands and genres, neither of us had to endure a tune we disliked.

9th December 2023

It was a bitterly cold start to the day and remained so until nightfall. The forecast warned of temperatures dropping to -7°C overnight.

When we eventually emerged, Ritya was waiting patiently outside the gate. After munching her way through a bag of dog chews, we set off to explore the large field behind the house, land belonging to David. Progress was difficult for both dog and man. Shrubs and vines had reclaimed much of the space, and last week’s snowfall had bent many of them low, blocking the few remaining clear paths. Treading carefully, we squeezed our way to the centre of what had once been a fruit orchard, only to concede defeat and turn back.

We then headed into the opposite field, which lay alongside Mark’s property. The terrain here was a little easier, but the route still required careful navigation. Again, after about 100 metres, we had to abandon the attempt. As I was just a few steps from the lane, a sharp stabbing pain shot through my left foot; one of the metatarsals had evidently objected to the uneven ground and moved independently of its neighbours. The pain dropped me to the ground, and Ritya, sensing something was wrong, immediately came over to sniff and lick my shoe.

Fearing the worst, I sat there for around ten minutes, comforted by my canine companion, until the pain began to ease. Gradually, I managed to stand and limp back to the house. Perhaps the bone had briefly dislocated? After a couple of anti-inflammatory tablets and some ibuprofen cream, I laced up my trainers and found I could move about more comfortably. Still, any heavy lifting was firmly off the agenda for the rest of the day.

While I was out walking Ritya, I had left David to continue assembling the pressure washer. On my return, we completed the task and managed to get the machine running. Previously, it had refused to draw water from the tub, pressurise it, or spray from the nozzle. It took us another half an hour to identify the issue, but eventually, David was able to get into the pool and begin blasting away four years’ worth of detritus from the tiles.

We paused for another lunch of Greek salad and chips. Afterwards, David drove into Dryanovo to fetch more fuel for the washer, as we’d gone through a full 5-litre can over the past couple of days, mostly while using the chainsaw. Work on the pool resumed until the light faded and the cold set in.

We watched another episode of The Pacific in the evening, followed by a long conversation about what still needed doing on our final full day in Ritya, before eventually rolling into bed around midnight.

10th December 2023

A hard frost overnight had frozen any standing water outside, including the residual water in the hosepipes we’d been using the day before.

I was up and about by 9:00 a.m., having taken Ritya for a slightly shorter walk than usual and fed her the scraps from last night’s meal, along with a few dog chews. We spent a while playing fetch with the ‘honking’ rubber chicken before David eventually emerged around 10:00 a.m. and set to work repairing his two pairs of boots. The soles had come away after several days of being thoroughly soaked, then dried overnight by the wood burner. Having located some epoxy glue, he stuck them back together and bound them with tape to dry.

As I covered a skylight in Genya’s garden shed, which David was convinced had provided an entry point for rats, he prepared for another session of jet washing the pool. Unfortunately, the valve on the garden water tank that fed the pressure washer had been left open overnight, leaving the tank completely empty. By the time we’d rigged up a makeshift solution using a hose from the downstairs shower to supply water to the machine, it was already midday.

We paused at 1 p.m. for a lunch of cheesy banitsa and chips, eaten outside in the sunshine. It had turned into a bright but cold day, perfect for walking or other vigorous activity, but less ideal for standing around being soaked by spray from the pressure washer.

With most of the pool walls and steps having been cleared of the heavy calcium deposits that had built up over four years, only parts of the base remained when the washer ran out of fuel. With daylight fading, we turned our attention to a more pressing task: clearing the garden of tools and equipment and storing everything away for the winter. A bonfire was lit, and any remaining rubbish that hadn’t already been burned was gathered and incinerated.

Late in the afternoon, a thick fog rolled in, and the cold began to bite. Ritya appeared for one last play and a few more dog chews before we closed the gate behind her and retired indoors to begin tidying up the evidence of our four-week sojourn.

Our final meal was the predictable choice of omelette and chips, accompanied by the remains of a large Bulgarian sausage and washed down with our last bottle of beer. We enjoyed this rustic banquet while watching Netflix.

Once the evening’s entertainment came to an end, we showered, changed into our travelling clothes for Sofia, and packed our cases with everything that was making the journey back to the UK.

11th December 2023

We were up early and busy with the task of shutting down the house for the winter months. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and the chill of the previous days had been replaced by a gentle, warming breeze.

The rooms were vacuumed, surfaces sprayed and wiped, crockery washed and put away, the barns locked, and the water supply drained from the central heating system and turned off.

Ritya was waiting for us at the gate and gratefully received the last of the dog chews, a bowl of milk, and what remained of the butter tub. She was given a final ear and tummy scratch, and a farewell pat on the head.

David made a quick visit to see Mark before switching off the power, locking up the house and garden gate, and driving us down the lane for the final time.

The journey to Sofia took two and a half hours, along a road that, for the most part, was relatively free of traffic. The scenery through the mountains, their snow-capped peaks sparkling beneath an azure sky and the winter sun, was enchanting. As the year wears on and the snowline inevitably creeps lower, I could well imagine how harsh the conditions must become, yet how elusively beautiful they remain.

We stopped briefly at the car hire head office to complete some necessary paperwork before driving across the city to our accommodation for the next two nights, the Hotel Astra. Our room was comfortable, albeit very basic, but we had chosen the hotel for its proximity to the airport in preparation for our Wednesday flight, and that was what mattered most.

Around 5 p.m., we located the nearest restaurant on Google Maps and, after confirming directions with the concierge, set off on a twenty-minute walk to the Oasis. It was a family-oriented restaurant serving several nearby blocks of flats. The menu was entirely in Bulgarian, but thankfully included pictures of the dishes. When the food arrived, it was both tasty and generous in portion. We each struggled to finish our meals and left thoroughly satisfied.

Back at the hotel, we rounded off the evening by browsing the internet, sipping beer, and watching satellite TV.

12th December 2023

We both had a reasonable night’s sleep, though I had to close the window due to a strong smell of woodsmoke, seemingly belching from a tall chimney some distance away. Yesterday, on our descent into Sofia from the mountains, we had noticed a thick haze hanging over the city, pollution from traffic and heating systems. Overnight, as the air cooled, this smog must have settled lower, and from our third-floor room, we were firmly in its clutches.

After showering, we headed to breakfast at 8:30 a.m. At that time of morning, we were the only guests and were soon presented with a small coffee served in an extremely flimsy plastic cup, followed by a tray of chilled fried egg, sliced cucumber, various cheeses, processed ham, and bread, which we toasted. An adequate breakfast overall, though the chilled fried egg was a unique experience I won’t be repeating. A request for a second cup of equally flimsy coffee was refused; it wasn’t included in the breakfast deal!

We spent the rest of the morning chatting in the room until midday, when we drove into the city to acquire a Bulgarian SIM card for David so he could access his Bulgarian bank and its app. The AI Mobile shop was located in a large shopping mall, and after purchasing the SIM, we grabbed lunch from a food outlet offering dozens of dishes in large trays. The contents were spooned into plastic cartons of various sizes and prices. We ate in the car with a surprisingly decent cup of coffee.

Driving further into the city, we found a branch of FIBANK and parked right outside. It took a while to find an ‘Angliski’-speaking employee, so I entertained myself with a handful of free strawberry-flavoured sweets laid out for customers, something UK banks should definitely consider, while David went through his paperwork and rehearsed what he would say. Once the multilingual assistant arrived, the business was concluded in under ten minutes. We then took a short stroll around the area, buying a bottle of beer to enjoy later back at the hotel.

After nearly four weeks in Bulgaria, many of which we spent entirely within David’s property in Ritya, I’ve noticed that the majority of Bulgarians we encountered seemed morose, joyless, and reluctant to make eye contact. Exceptions included James in Ritya, the male hotel receptionist, and a young girl laughing in the street as we passed by in the car. Most waitresses, shop assistants, and passersby wore long faces and appeared resigned to some grim fate. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Bulgaria ranks as the unhappiest nation in Europe, in stark contrast to Finland, the world’s happiest.

Back at the Astra Hotel, we relaxed until 7 p.m., when we again walked to the Oasis for our evening meal. The previous meal had been hearty and filling, and this time we opted for salads and cheesy palenka (flatbread). My chicken, salad leaf, and fig salad was one of the best I’ve ever had, bursting with flavour thanks to an exceptional dressing.

We finished the evening with the beer we’d bought earlier and a bit of satellite TV.

13th December 2023

Today, we left Sofia and flew back to Manchester on the 1:05 p.m. EasyJet flight. We were at breakfast for 8 a.m., expecting another cold spread of meats and cheeses, and we were not disappointed. Thankfully, the chilled fried egg was not repeated; instead, we were presented with half a chilled hot dog sausage, which I promptly placed on David’s plate. He has a remarkable tolerance for anything vaguely edible and in large quantities.

With our appetite suitably dulled, we rechecked our baggage and then checked out of the Astra Hotel. As a budget hotel near the airport, the Astra is convenient and inexpensive, and the inclusion of a basic breakfast makes it a fair value. However, the staff might benefit from a course in hospitality: a smile, a welcoming attitude, and a willingness to help would go a long way. They seemed actively irritated by the need to interact with guests, an attitude that appears to be mirrored throughout much of the population, perhaps explaining why Bulgaria ranks lowest in Europe for happiness.

We returned the hire car at the airport, completed the checks and paperwork quickly, and were through security and passport control by 10:30 a.m.

We boarded the plane on time and were airborne by 1:20 p.m. Unlike our inbound journey, we had to share a row of three seats, but the three-and-a-half-hour flight passed swiftly. From 32,000 feet, we could see flooded fields across the British landscape, the result of the heavy and persistent rainstorms that had plagued the country during our absence.

We landed on time at 4:20 p.m. UK time and passed through customs without delay. At the airport train station, we said our goodbyes, David heading for Drigg (despite one cancelled connection due to flooding) and I for Manchester Piccadilly, then onward to Nottingham and finally Market Harborough. Both of us were home before 7 p.m., each enjoying a familiar and comforting scene: a warming drink in front of a wood burner.