First Walk of 2014

The Route

For many of us living out here in Bulgaria, this winter seems to have been exceptionally mild. We haven't really had any snow since November, even in our garden we are left with an ever decreasing pile of snow from when I cleared the drive way. So we are now almost up to mid January, which hopefully means that any real winter will be quite a short one. Before we know it the Martenitsa stalls will be out and we will be keeping an eye out for the arrival of the Storks.

The River

With this wonderfully mild weather it was decided that it would be a shame to waste it. It's still a bit too cool to do any garden work, or DIY bits outside, but it is ideal for a walk. So during the week plans were made to have our first walk of the year on Sunday, meeting at midday. It was only intended as quite a gentle ramble, although initially it didn't seem that far in practice it proved to be maybe a little further than we had imagined. Even when we first arrived, we were faced with a dilemma, tea or coffee? Also the young lady had cooked us lunch, did we want to eat before the walk or after. The general consensus being that we would all have built up an appetite during the ramble, which seemed quite logical.

The Bridge Over The River Yantra

So with teas and coffees drunk it was time to wrestle with stout footwear which had been dragged out from under beds and the back of cupboards. Even though we have not had any real rain either we would be following the course of the river, and there were possibly going to be slippery muddy areas. Not to mention where the sheep had been. So fully booted and spurred the expedition set forth. There is a new way down towards the river and being the curious sort that we are we headed down that way, passing various springs and bizarre looking trees. You know the ones I mean, the ones that appear to have old manky bananas stuck in them. They are a form of seed pod, but with no leaves you cannot help but notice these things. One thing about taking a different route anywhere is that you do get to notice different things. Down near the river level there were small herdsman shelters with quite long barn complexes. Looking at them they haven't been used for that purpose in quite a long while, but it does make you realise how much towns have encroached into the rural setting.

Des Res in need of some TLC

The Ford

Before the onset of 'winter' some of us had noticed that there had been a digger in the middle of the river dredging channels, or that is what we assume that they had been doing. There had also been trucks going backwards and forwards across a fording area. On closer inspection it does appear somewhat deeper than I had imagined. Still we can live in hope that one day a boy racer, in his souped up Lada, will also try and cross here. For the moment the dredging work seems to have finished, and this area of the river seems to be the haunt of countless fishermen. Despite there being so many I have yet to actually see anyone catch anything. Maybe they have

The Ford

plenty of patience or I have been wrong place wrong time.

After scaling the massive mole hills, or the piles of earth and clay that the excavations have dug out, we made it to the bridge and the other side of the river. On one side of the river it was residential, but we were now in open farmland, and it did smell a bit cabbagie, but that might have been me. With it being open the breeze had picked up, and though still quite cool it did start blowing the cobwebs away.

Who Needs Modern Apprenticeships?

When you are out and about walking it is quite surprising what you notice. For example we did see this power cable going across the river to a fish farm. How long an apprenticeship do you think this electrician served before becoming fully qualified? Notice how the ends of the cables have been carefully taped together, and then positioned in such a way that moisture would run down the cable towards the bare elements. Health and Safety would have a field day with some of the things that happen here. Now that Bulgaria is supposedly fully integrated into the EU, will people now have to start worrying about falling foul of H&S directives? There was also some evidence that the high winds and the wet snow had caused some fatalities amongst the trees. The locals being the helpful sorts also seem to have been over there with chainsaws helping to minimise the problem. If anyone needs a little extra firewood I do know where there is some just laying around. We did notice that along the opposite river bank it was a hive of activity.

Picnic Spot

Posher Picnic Spot

If you happen to have a river not far from the bottom of garden, wouldn't you make the most of it and build your own picnic area? Some people do try to outdo others though. It might be more solidly built, and have a proper roof, but it is further away from the water's edge. Although during any floods, that might not be such a bad idea. Onwards, ever onwards our happy band of ramblers traipsed. It was surprisingly solid underfoot, perhaps because cars belonging to the fishermen seem to drive up and down it. The only place that it got a bit squelchy underfoot is when we got behind the railway marshaling yard. There is some good metal on some of those pylons so I am surprised that some enterprising individual has not tried helping themselves to a few bits and pieces. By now we were beginning to feel the need for a well earned drink, and we weren't even halfway.

Welly Testing

Ye Old Oak

With the scenery you could be excused for thinking that you could be in a number of places in the world. Perhaps Bulgaria wouldn't be the first country to spring to mind. Even the birds that we saw are quite universally known, Sparrows, Tits and Jays. Occasionally you could even hear a Woodpecker yammering away at a tree. Reality soon made it's presence felt again as we made our way towards the Lion Bridge. Nearly back into civilisation and a well deserved coffee at least.

Lion Bridge

We made it over the bridge and into the start of the residential area when some lady opened the door to her house and began rabbiting away. There was something about Macedonia, and did we know anyone who wanted to buy a house. Thanks but no, as we have all already got houses. Perhaps we had got muddier than any of us realised and we looked like waifs and strays. We eventually managed to sidle away, and down those back roads there are some cracking little houses, some even have proper stained glass windows. Rather than the normal glass windows which are stained. We headed into one of the local cafes, and had to settle the next dilemma. Would we manage to fight off starvation before we made it back for lunch, or did we have a quick snack? The quick snack won out, but we were very good we all shared cheesey chips. These were chips with a difference though, they were fluted, and never mind the cheese, they would be ideal for a salsa dip, or my favourite suggestion curry sauce. It looks like every supermarket that we go in now the freezer cabinets will have to be investigated. We didn't want to stay in the cafe too long as there is always the possibility of these old knees seizing up.

Red Star

So with the promise of lunch being imminently on the horizon we left the cafe. Even though we were following the main road it was possible to see evidence of previous history. Either that or we had just seen the changing rooms of Red Star Parvomaytsi. All in all a brilliant day, spent with great people. If the weather continues to hold the next ramble is planned for this coming weekend. So no fog, snow or rain please