Bulgaria - British Expat Forum

Hiya JoshUK

The new water pipes are now connected and are currently being tested. We do not know when they will actually be in full service but it should be very soon.
We have had an inconvenient summer as far as water is concerned but this is not unique to this village, you could experience this in any village in Bulgaria.
I finally snapped a few weeks ago and invested 200 leva in a hydro pump which I have connected to a water storage tank in the garden. This took me an hour to set up and I can now shower, flush the toilet and use the washing machine. The only thing we do not do is drink it.
Don't let the water put you off the village, most things can be sorted with a little thought and investment
Good Luck with the house hunting.

Thank you, to you both, for getting back to me so swiftly.

Yes, occasional cuts in water supply is to be expected and I guess it'll be interesting to see how successful the new pipes etc will be. Were the old pipes rotten or are the new pipes/system, to help improve water pressure to the heights of the village?

Looked at Yantra too. Lovely church!! Guess at the valley floor, water cuts are not a problem. Ha

Is the village a friendly place to be? I'm going to learn Bulgarian over the winter, after my visit last week. Obviously, I would like to integrate myself, fully, in to the community

Thanks again.

Josh

I've found the people near my house have been really friendly and welcoming. One old lady brings food or flowers nearly every day that I'm there. Everyone who passes the house says hello and you soon get to recognise the regulars. I've been trying to learn Bulgarian and although I find it REALLY hard to follow what they are saying we do manage to say one or two simple things to each other which is great. I think they appreciate it if you do try and communicate even if you might sound like a 3 year old ('me go shop') . Last time I managed to understand from a neighbour a few doors away that his dog barks if anyone walks past and he (the neighbour) has a look straightaway to see if anyones messing about near my house. Even though I've got someone looking after the house it's always nice to know the neighbours are being watchful too. One thing I find a bit hard to get to grips with is the local shop! I'm never sure if the person in front of me is just having a chat to the shop keeper or is in the process of buying something so I usually end up loitering in there until it's empty and then buying stuff!

Julieee,

'Me go shop', made me laugh. But at least you said what you meant to say. It's much better than my attempt last week. Instead of saying 'Hello. I would like two loaves of bread, thank you'. I said, 'Hello. I am two loves of bread, thank you'. I was given two loaves of bread. Which was great. It was only later, when I was telling my friends, who do live there, that they told me what i'd actually said. Just one letter made all the difference. 'Iskum', 'Askum'. Or something like that. It's all good fun.

Anyway, thank you for getting back to me about the village. I feel reassured and may be looking out there soon??

Josh