Our arrival in a very wet Bulgaria

Our arrival in Bulgaria to start our new life was not the most welcoming. Firstly the seats on the flight over were the most tightly packed we had ever experienced. So tightly packed that it was difficult to bring the tray down comfortably.  Secondly, our flight bought us into Sofia at 2.30 in the morning where it was predictably raining. At least the car hire guy was waiting for us to take us to our hire car. However, it was absolutely chucking it down with rain, making it difficult to see the road. After one wrong turn we pulled into a petrol station and spent the rest of the night there trying to get some sleep in the car. At 7am in the gloomy morning light and after an uninspiring cup of tea in the petrol station café (coffee was off because the waitress had only just walked across the fields to work and had not yet had the chance to enjoy her morning fag before even thinking of switching the coffee machine on). At least it had now stopped raining and an hour down the motorway we got a more welcoming coffee and pastry before heading to our village.

The sun finally out. Heading to our village. On a previous blog five weeks ago this field was covered in snow

When we arrived in Slaveikovo a large gathering was outside The Thirsty Lizard bar. This was the support team for the charity walk that was taking place today. Too tired to stay and chat for long, we picked up the keys to JPs house and headed down there for a sleep. Driving past Arkadia, we saw the impressive new roof on the house but did not stop to inspect further. Sleep was calling us.  After a trip into Gabrovo to shop for food, we eventually ventured into the garden of Arkadia to see what work had actually been done. What a change from last time when we bounced through the gate to inspect the work. This time we were rather nervous about the whole affair, partly because we were worried that work might not have been done to our instructions.

On the down side, internal work that we took for granted that would have been completed had not yet even been thought about being started. On that note we were a bit disappointed.  However, of the work that had been done, we were very pleased with. We liked the windows from the rooms that they had been put into, the tiling in the bathroom was as we had asked and they had made a good job of it. Hopefully it would not be too long before we could move in upstairs. We are hoping two weeks at the most.

 Our bedroom wardrobe knocked through and in the process of being rendered

 

The old cupboard door now bricked up

 The bedroom French doors put in. This one looks out onto our upstairs terrace

 

 The doors open

 

 The views walking out onto the terrace. Note how lush and green everything has become

 

 The bedroom French doors looking out towards the road

 

 The bathroom French doors with the walls and floor tiled ready to fit the bathroom fixtures and fittings

 

 The view from the bathtub when it is eventually fitted

 

 Meanwhile downstairs there is still much to do. We do have a temporary ladder to get upstairs though

 The view of the house from the bottom of the garden

 Our new upstairs windows put in. View from the green

 

 A closer view. Eventually we will get an iron work balcony made

 

Looking up towards the village square. The old town hall recently painted but they ran out of green paint in the top left corner and it has stayed like that ever since!

Of course our most pressing problems were our cats and tortoise which we wanted to move into their new home and our kitchen which was originally scheduled to be put in late may. The room it is going into has not even been touched since last time we were there and the old roof is still on. And most urgently, we needed a place to store our furniture arriving in two days time. A new update soon. By which our furniture will hopefully be stored somewhere!