5th June 2024 The four hours we spent in our rather sumptuous Holiday Inn room yielded little in the way of sleep. We hit the pillows around 1 a.m. and were up again by 4 a.m. to shower, drink coffee, and prepare for another day of travelling. Despite our exhaustion, our minds continued to churn… Continue Reading

2nd June 2024 RANT: Well, well, well, twelve impartial citizens of New York have found Donald Trump guilty on all charges! It can’t have been a difficult decision, given that much of the free world had long concluded that this detestable bully is a fraud and a compulsive liar. Sadly, far too many American voters… Continue Reading

27th May 2024 We aimed to leave Ritya by midday, and that’s exactly what we did. We rose late, took our showers, and finished tidying the house and garden before David locked everything up and started the car for the three-hour drive to the capital, Sofia. It promised to be another hot, sunny day. We… Continue Reading

23rd May 2024 It had been a disturbed night of thunderstorms, croaking frogs, and a hot, humid bedroom. Nevertheless, we stuck to our plan and were up and about by 6 a.m. The rain had stopped, but the sky remained heavily overcast and threatening. Our first task was to drain the small amount of water… Continue Reading

20th May 2024 Ritya is a small village well off the beaten track. It is usually very peaceful, untouched by through traffic or the din of the modern world. During the day, you might hear the occasional bark of a dog, the cackle of geese, or perhaps the distant buzz of a chainsaw. At night,… Continue Reading

10th May 2024 Between returning from Italy and setting off on the drive to Bulgaria with David and Banjo the dog, I’ve turned my attention to planting up the allotment and garden plots with vegetables and preparing more seeds in the greenhouse. Alas, despite digging over the soil last autumn, the relentless rain throughout winter… Continue Reading

5th May 2024 After a comfortable night’s sleep, we showered and made our way downstairs to join our hosts for breakfast. It was a glorious day, with clear blue skies and a warm breeze. The view down the valley was breathtaking, scenery that simply demanded to be explored. A brief moment of excitement occurred in… Continue Reading

2nd May 2024 We had planned to visit Joan and Phil in Italy last year, but the vagaries of the NHS appointment system meant it never happened. So it was with great anticipation that our long-delayed visit to Santa Vittoria finally began on the 2nd of May. A 2 a.m. drive to Stansted Airport added… Continue Reading

19th April 2024 On the day Sue and I flew back from Albania, most of the family enjoyed a day out on the water. It happened to be the day after Jamie’s birthday; some of his clients had treated him to a meal in London, and unfortunately, he didn’t make it back in time to… Continue Reading

17th April 2024: Saranda – Mesopotam – Blue Eye – Gjirokaster This morning, we continued our journey to Gjirokaster, also known as the Stone City. Overnight, the weather had taken a dramatic turn; the temperature dropped considerably, and there had been rain. Setting off after breakfast under a cloudy, gloomy sky, we left the beautiful… Continue Reading