The Last Roar of the Lion

Today marks the final day of the Lev, Bulgaria's national currency. I was not sure if to call this post "The Last Day of the Lev" or to go with the current title. Lev actually means lion in Bulgarian, and I think it links nicely with the theme of the post. According to recent social … Continue reading The Last Roar of the Lion →

Jingle Bells and a bit of Chopping

It has been a quiet Christmas here in Avren. The misty and damp days that led up to the big day were in marked contrast to the couple of warm sunny days that preceded them. We were able to have a little picnic on Kamchia beach at that time. In the bleak mid-afternoon of Christmas … Continue reading Jingle Bells and a bit of Chopping →

Return to Avren

My UK Five City Tour has come to an end. Based in Kettering, I radiated to Bristol, Cambridge, Leicester, Manchester and Milton Keynes - the newest city. It was great to catch up with family and friends, to visit an Indian Restaurant, to have a takeaway fish and chip supper (or two), to sample a … Continue reading Return to Avren →

Preparing for Winter

Wallace Stevens was right about having "a mind of winter". In my last post I wrote about the beauty of autumn, but within that hinted at some of the melancholy of the season. We have enjoyed the soft and colourful parts of autumn, rather like focusing on the feathered fletching of an arrow. Now we … Continue reading Preparing for Winter →

Autumn Comes to Avren

The road to the village from the main Varna to Burgas highway is best described as serpentine. It twists and turns through the forest like a cobra rising, and it could be said we live on its hood - a plateau about 300 metres above sea level. Anyone driving to or from the village at … Continue reading Autumn Comes to Avren →

Extractor Fan and Firewood

There are many ways to be heroic and within those ways there are many degrees of heroism. Simple truths that played out in Avren over the past few days. Extractor Fan The first problem I had to prepare myself to tackle was the bathroom extractor fan that was not actually extracting. There had been strange … Continue reading Extractor Fan and Firewood →

Mindful Wood Stacking in Avren

Over the past few days I have slowly and carefully moved our winter's supply of wood from one shelter to another. The roof of the first shelter is in dire need of repair and could crash down on my head at any time. That is not conducive to mindfulness. My exploits were witnessed at times … Continue reading Mindful Wood Stacking in Avren →

The Avren Weekly Lottery

Let me introduce you to our weekly village lottery. To enter, every Tuesday evening I drag my entry ticket (Number 5) to the end of the lane and place it carefully by the side of the road. I check on Wednesday evening to see if I have been lucky. Alas, not today. I check again … Continue reading The Avren Weekly Lottery →

Why Did the Buffalo Cross the Road?

It can be quite challenging to drive along our village roads. In some areas they resemble the surface of the moon. Meanwhile, the main road connecting to the village of Zdravets and the Varna to Burgas highway benefits from random patches of resurfacing undertaken by a fleet of diggers, trucks and assorted heavy equipment operated … Continue reading Why Did the Buffalo Cross the Road? →

Meet the Village People

My earlier post mapped out the geographical aspects of the village, but it is of course the people that give meaning and texture to the terrain. I would like to introduce some of the people we have met since moving here, but I want to do this without appearing to be too disrespectful. They were … Continue reading Meet the Village People →