Fishing In A Secret Bulgarian Lake Location

Fishing in Bulgaria is enjoyed by millions, but as a hunt for food not just sport. Many use nets and devious ways to gather fish from lakes and rivers and although a blind eye is turned to this, most decent Bulgarians, including Galia’s family and friend here look down on that as an unfair way of hunting for food. Both Galia and I love fishing, but we just never have the time to go and practice it. It must be about a year ago since we last went and that was only because her son who is a keen angler insisted we take a break from farming at the weekend.

Well this weekend her son was with us again and the plan was to go fishing early in the morning before it gets too hot. The alarm was set for 5:30 and all three for us were off by 6:00. We knew there was lots of work to do with harvesting and preparing food gathered for winter this weekend so we planned to get back by 11:00 giving us time enough to complete the chores when we got back.

Now the place we visited was not know by many people here, not even local people and I am not going to give the place away now, but only to say that it is some 3-4 kilometres off road to get there and only accessible by Lada in the dry season due to the state of the track. We found it by accident one day after getting lost and kept the location in mind. It is the most beautiful and unspoilt spot of crystal clear water and the wildlife is everywhere you look in every direction. We were the only people there and apart from a hiker who passed up remain the only anglers there all morning.

Galia’s son had boiled some wheat the evening before and this was both the ground bait and bait on the hooks on our lines, he said we were guaranteed fish with this. No sooner were our lines cast and the fish just came rolling in one after another. There was no relaxing here as we were kept active for a full three hours with fish being caught every minute or so. The fish we landed were all carp, they weren’t that big, but totally edible as the buckets we brought with us filled up. By 10:30 they were to the brim with fish.

We brought home well over 150 fish as some were given to our neighbour, some prepared for frying for this evening’s meal and the rest prepared for the freezer both here in the farmhouse and back in the town home. It took some two hours to de-scale, gut and de-head the fish, no problem with the future meals in mind when doing it.

The fish was cooked simply by dowsing the finish in flour and lightly frying in a shallow pan of oil. The flesh fell off the bone as we feasted on these fish that had such a clean pallet unlike many freshwater fish I have eaten in the UK with a muddy taste. It was a feast we all enjoyed from out labours and that made a major difference as well. Buying fish and eating it just isn’t the same. We knew where these came from and the environment was a clean as anything you can imagine and local. Food always tastes better when local in any case.

We talked now about getting me a fishing license so Galia and I can go other times when her son is not there. Before you ask, yes you do need one and Galia and I were fishing illegally, but this is what goes on in isolated areas in these parts.

The best thing of all is having a female partner (Galia) who absolutely loves fishing as well. It has always been a fight to get permission to go fishing before now and fishing with guilt has always been the case, no longer!

A Bulgarian Birthday Without Fuss

A birthday is something both Galia and I both can’t wait to get over. There is too much fuss made with it, especially that we are both getting on a bit. Bulgarians love celebrating things and birthdays is an occasion where this is more than just an excuse to have a get together with food and drink. Such an occasion was last Friday with Galia’s birthday.

Our normal plan on Friday is to zoom off to the farmhouse directly finishing work at 5:00 and even though it was Galia’s birthday that day the plan still stood for us to do that. The reason were two fold, the corps needed watering that very evening and Galia just didn’t’ want to be around as she knew there would be lots of fussing an guests on here birthday, this is something she didn’t want so the village destination was on to get away from this.

It’s never that easy as Galia’s son turned up just before we were to leave and he was to travelled with us to the farmhouse as a guest with his girlfriend joining us the following day after she finished work in the evening. Then there were more people who were crammed in the car after we had been shopping for provision. Out village neighbours and their Labrador dog clambered in the Lada with the boot full of factory farm produced peppers for barbecuing and 75 kg of ceramic tiling which our guests wanted transporting as their bathroom was being renovated this weekend. We felt every bump on the road to Skalitsa as the Lada bottomed out on each bump and there ARE LOTS OF BUMPS!

Everyone knew it was Galia’s birthday but most people just wish Happy Birthday along with wishes of good luck, business, health and love, gifts aren’t always given and to be quite honest both Galia and I are quite embarrassed with receiving them as we know money is very short here. I had paid for an item of clothing a week ago and Galia insisted that was to be all she wanted from me as a birthday gift. Although we don’t want presents we both can’t help not getting each other a little gift. That’s all she got from me as she would become upset if I bought something else, I know I’ve done it before and I felt as guilty as Galia.

The evening was spent as a threesome with Galia son and me as we sat outside in the dark night sipping rakia and salad and went inside later to present Galia with a little cake with three candles which we use again and again for every birthday in Skalitsa. A Happy Birthday song sung badly a birthday kiss and the candles blown out and that was the entirety of the birthday celebrations. We were all tuck in bed by 10:00 – The reason? We were all going to go fishing in the morning and the alarms were set for a 5:30 rise!

Galia really enjoy the little fuss that was made on this day she calls ‘unspecial’. I know what she means. Birthday celebrations to Galia and I are to be celebrated but not lavishly with massive festivities and expense. The little cake and song along with the spoken wishes were just enough put a silver lining on an ordinary day and that’s all Galia wanted.

July And August In Bulgaria - Very Hot And Usually No Rain

July and August here in Bulgaria are the dry months and apart from being unseasonably flooded out early this month we are back into the trend of no rain and sweltering temperatures. This Saturday it was 42+ C! No one was outside expect grazing animals during the day; it was just watering crops early in the morning and last thing at night.

There was no water again this weekend it would have been nice to have a shower after grafting in the fields, but we were lucky that we have the well water to rely on and a ice cold shower in the heat was to say the least certainly refreshing.

We have a problem again here with our grapes. The thieving starling wait until our backs are turned and swarms of them clamber around every bunch of ripening grapes where most of them fall to the ground. This happens every year and there is nothing we can do about it. We cannot be there all the time and it is so frustrating after al the time and effort we put into looking after the vines. It could well be that there will be no wine or rakia this season with the damage they have done. I have written about this before and the Bulgarian way of dealing with it is do nothing, just be there.

The potatoes have been invaded with thousands of little orange beetles, but that is not so much of a problem as the actual buried potatoes are now full to size and just waiting to be dug out. The foliage being eaten to smithereens now doesn’t matter so I let them get on with it, in fact their doing me a favour by devouring them, less for me to transport to the tip at the top of the hill.

Watermelons and honey melons are set and just need a little extra time to 'sweeten up'. This is the first time I have grown these and I am very excited at the prospect, although Galia is quite keen to try them, but she can’t see what the fuss it all about when she can buy one for a couple of leva that is just as good or better in the bazaar and not get her hands dirty!

We get strawberries every week now albeit smaller with only watering once a week, but they’re sweet enough. The pumpkins have taken off and their massive umbrella leave spread out and suppress weeds that now get no light. They are such a low maintenance crop to grow once the roots settle in. We have created a small reservoir by the base of the source root and fill it up before we go back to town it last five days quite well now.

The proudest crop this year in the Skalitsa village farm is the sweet corn. Again, before this year I had failure after failure, but I’ve got it right this year albeit on a much smaller scale. Next year I will more than double the crop. Once again the foliage once grown suppresses weeds and they look after themselves if doused with water once a week.

Galia isn’t with me this weekend and stayed in Yambol as she has gone down with the flu, she was much better by Sunday when I got back to Yambol. We wanted to go to the Black Sea this weekend for a little break, but the apartment we found that had a great offer on was fully booked, everything else was too expensive so w have to wait for another deal probably not until September now.

A Weekend Of Violent Storms In Skalitsa

We had a weekend of non-stop storms that scared the life out of Galia in the outback of the Bulgarian countryside based Skalitsa farmhouse. Being a town girl she is used to the protection of many building around her so when there is a violent storm she is shielded from natures extremes of weather by man made elements. This last 48 hours was a first hand experience for her of the powers of nature.

It really was a humdinger of a weekend for me, I just love the extremes of weather and was outside feeling it for the most unblocking drainage pipes during the deluge of rain that came from a seeming ocean full above. Having been through weather like this before alone I knew that there would be some damage, but is would be soon repaired or more like patched up, as it always is in Bulgarian villages. The way in which the trees bend to extremes in the almost tornado force winds is quite a feat of nature especially being born of a full set of leave that act as sails. Galia was concerned of the extent of the swaying and bending, but then if they didn’t I explained, they’d just snap!

The storms one after another last from Saturday midday through to around midnight. We counted the number of storms that cascaded upon us to around 6. Throughout that time we had no power as unbeknown to us the power cable had been severed with trees beating on them. It wasn’t until Sunday lunchtime that we realised that it was only our street in Skalitsa that had been cut off for 24 hours when an massive cherry picker came to chop down the culprit trees across the road from us to free up the electric cables that were entangled. The whole neighbourhood came along to watch on this now sunny Sunday.

Galia was concerned about the farmhouse and I was concerned about my sweet corn and melons. We had water pouring in from the ceiling of the bathroom, but that’s okay it is a wet room in any case. The septic tank had flooded and half a metre of water was standing on the concrete surface so it was out with nothing on expect a pair of underpants wading through the flood water in torrential wind and rain to clear a drainage point that have clogged up with branches that had fallen from the linden tree.

Would you believe that during these storms on Saturday afternoon we had a barbecue! The summer house has a little a metre square tin roof, but this wasn’t enough to prevent the forced rain and hailstones that hit from a vertical angle in the gusts of up to 80 mph winds. I was forced to withdraw right into the summerhouse and continue amongst the tremendous noisy of weather that was around us. I was having a ball, what fun, living a bit on the edge is something that just hits the mark, Galia thinks otherwise, but then she ate the barbecued tikvichki and pigs ears and thanked me for making the effort as we ate dinner under candle light. We went to bed at 8:30 that evening and just listened for ages at nature at work around us

The series of violent storms wasn’t the highlight of the weekend though. After the wild weather the calm and another simple yet effective food was experience on Sunday. There was Dill Potatoes, a basic dish knocked up in forty minutes of which I have given details of this dish and recipe in my Herbsways blog. Then there was the simple strawberry milk shake made from this morning’s goat’s milk from next door, freshly picked strawberries picked from from the farmhouse grounds and a touch of sugar. A bit of technology from a liquidiser once we got our electric back and Galia had her first every Strawberry milk shake. This was another weekend that was different and not expected in July, which is meant to be the dry season. My well is also very happy for the extra water, which again was taken back to Yambol with us along with all the other home grown vegetables. I won’t mention the carrot that disappeared before I could take a picture of it and I won’t mention Galia’s name!

Bulgarian Sunday Lunch In The Slow Lane

Snails are free food, but the appeal certainly isn't a favourite with most people and that’s not just vegetarians either. The thought of the slow, slimy, slippery creatures as a meal just puts many if not most people off. Snails are land lubbers where whelks are seafaring with a more popular following as a snack, but essentially they are the same in both physical looks, texture although having a more distinctive taste. So why the big ‘Yuk!’ to garden snails on the dinner plate?

It was snails on the menu this weekend for Galia and I as we stopped just outside Yambol after a night of rain together snails that large and abundant. Free food, but not restricted to Bulgaria, in the UK garden snails are edible albeit more polluted. We knew the snails we were picking up were healthy and succulent on the fresh green spring growth that had dinner written all over it for these lucky snails and the snails in turn had dinner written all over them for us. Oh the food chain is wonderful thing isn't it?

We must have picked about 30 to 40 snails and took them the farmhouse where we put them in a bucket with an iron grill off the barbecue system and weighted it down with a Skalitsa healing stone we had picked up last year whilst being healed, so any ill snails would be cured, but they couldn't escape. They could poke their heads though the grate but their shell houses couldn't be dragged through with them. To eat snails you need their digestive system to be clear and that means starving them for two days. It was Friday so they would be ready to cook on Sunday; this was our plan for Sunday lunch.

Each morning and evening I washed them out with water and put them back in the bucket. Sunday morning after their last wash they were put into some boiling water then winkled out with a skewer. Then the snail meat was fried in butter and home grown green garlic with a little rakia and turned out in a couple of ramekin bowls. Each bowl of snails was covered with breadcrumbs and grilled until brown.

Outside, Galia had set the table outside in the sunshine that had come out after the rain we had had for two days. This had some cold Sofia beer called ‘Ariana,’ waiting on the table to greet us along with the snail dishes that were ready to serve. We spend the next 20 minutes enjoying out free feed in beautiful surroundings being washed down with cold beer. Yambol snails and Sofia beer - A great combination!

I recommend snails for Sunday lunch to anyone, it is a superb no cost chemical-free food with little if no fat and no animal rights campaigners in sight! Notice I haven't mentioned the French - Oops I just did!

My own step-by-step snail recipe is being prepared in next post.

Bulgarian Storm Is No Deterrent For Bonfires

Back on the smallholding in Skalitsa I was looking forward to some outdoor work this weekend mainly weeding and general pottering around in my element as I tend to do. However, I found that Galia had a particular fascination on the farm that kept here boiling over with enthusiasm throughout the weekend.

We arrived early Friday and no time for even a cup of tea as I changed into my Bulgarian blue village clothing and got to work on those weeds. Within the space of three hour the whole area was basically weed free as the clouds gathered.

It hadn't rained here all week and the ground was like dust as I worked through the weeds leaving a dust cloud as I hit out of those unwanted green bits whose roots cling for dear live into the nutritious soil. Talking of clouds, above, they were now gathering in and looking menacing with thunder and lightning in the distance, but here doesn't mean it will rain. I've lost count of the number of times I have presumed it will rain and held off watering the crops only to find that it didn't rain. With this in mind it was full steam ahead with the water from the well giving the whole area a big soak. It was so much of a soak in fact that I had used all the reserves of water from the well and had to wait a couple of hours for it to fill up again. Of course wouldn't you know it, the heavens open up and a violent storm ensued with torrential rain on a well-water soaked ground whilst the waiting pursued!

And what was Galia doing leading up to this? Well she has a secret passion for bonfires. Last weekend I had the scythe out and cut down the long grasses on the chicken run and verges. Having no rain all week mean that the grasses had dried and was perfect for burning. I don't like burning hay but I have no livestock right now and the quality of hay isn't good enough to store anyway, which is what I'd normally do. Besides the stables are still half full of last year's hay. The grasses were bundled and stacked and the bonfire was lit and under way. Galia took the bull by the horns and became a self nominated and unanimous leader of the bonfire pack as she spent the next two days governing it and keeping it going even through thunderstorms and monsoon fashioned rain! She was on a high all weekend playing and twiddling with the bonfire looking for more stuff to burn and try and overcome the rain that kept damping it down. In fact all the plastic had now disappeared up in black smoke that had been stocked up in the stables to take to Yambol and put into the town bins. Bulgarian think nothing of burning anything that burns, besides no one is going to tell us off for bonfires in Bulgaria - Such a great joy here to be able to do so when and where we want!

There wasn't anything at all we could do on the land apart from those first few hours on the Friday as it rained continuously for two days thereon. This gave us a chance to relax for a change, apart from bonfire monitoring of course.

It is back to Yambol later today (Sunday evening) and more partying on as it is a public holiday until Thursday. Also there isn't much we can do on the City farm assuming that Yambol has had the same amount of rain.

By the way potatoes, sweetcorn, water and honey melons respectively have not truely sprouted and we are taking back with us lot os onions and garlic which Baba loves so much. The pumpkins not quite up yet, but they were only sown last weekend. The first crop of strawberries will be ready to eat in a couple of weeks along with the cherries on the tree that are intended for more rakia making. The grapes have ther first vine leave out now only a short while and we'll pick a few to use for sarmi (mince wrapped in vine leaves.) Wild spinach (Bulgarians call it laput) was also gathered from the grounds to take back to Yambol, Baba will make a meal that will last us three days with this. Free food we love it and to be quite honest couldn't manage without it!

Recession Hits Bulgarian Family Business

The recession continues to hit the world hard and here in Bulgaria we are all feeling the pressure of an economy that was frail to start with.

Up until her operation, Galia worked for her brother who owns a boiler factory. He started his business repairing boilers in his garage and then got his own premises a few years ago. He designed his own boiler systems which are wood burning/electric combination shower units and started manufacturing them with a small workforce.

It is very much a family business with his son, daughter, and sister Galia working there as well as having taken on Galia's son for a short spell last year and has even offered me work there before now.

Over the last few years the business had flourished, the workforce grew to employing over 30 people and they are the sole supplier of these units to every major town and city in Bulgaria as well as export to Greece. Romania and Russia. Over the last 18 months the business had build a new factory premises, a brand new warehouse with the aid of a 6 figure bank loan to cope with the increase in demand, this was completed just before Christmas

Today, there are worrying times for this business, the orders have diminished and the workforce is down to around 5 people. Galia, who was due to return to work this month, now has no job to go back to. Even though she is family there is no order for here to process and administer. The loans to the bank still have to be paid for the new factory and although there is still a trickle of business things are on a knife-edge.

We just all hope that things turn around and that the orders pick up again later in the year. the factory needs business to pay for the loans and of course employ a local workforce who now find themselves struggling with no work.

I have seen this develop on a day to day basis as I used drop Galia off to the factory in the morning and pick here up in the evening and even now as I work on the factory farm on a daily basis.

For someone who has worked all his life building up a small business from scratch, then to find that the carpet has been pulled from under his feet is hard to accept. We all hope and pray that the business pulls through - people do need boilers, boilers repaired and replacements. The products they manufacture are fantastic contraptions although mainly used by Balkan countries. There will always be a demand so hopefully the smaller sales won't drop further and may be enough to see them through.

It is not good news at all and just highlights what is happening not only on our doorstep here in Bulgaria, but worldwide, that fact is no comfort to anyone though.

Two Tonics in One

With Galia at home starting the long haul of recovering from her operation there isn't a lot that I can do. I think she was quite pleased that she had a little rest from my attentions as I spent a night on my own on the village farm. There were lots of jobs that needed to be done, watering the seedlings that were sown last week and planting more onions and garlic and complete the pruning of the vines while the weather was fine.

All these jobs were done as I arrived back the following morning with many aching muscles and blistered hands. Somehow being in pain made me feel a bit less guilty about Galia being in pain - Strange how the mind works.

Anyway, there was Baba who has her own problems with bad legs. She was told to rub apple vinegar on them which would ease the pain slight. So, on this Baba bumbled her way to the local shop and brought back a bottle with a picture of an apple on it. It was a funny sight seeing Baba with her trousers rolled up making her way to the bathroom to rub on the 'new wave' medicine.

Minutes later there was a distinct smell of apple in the air as she returned with here trousers still rolled up and a great smile on her face, it was a smile of anticipation as she waited for the 'old wives tale' remedy to work.

Now it is well know that Baba's eyesight isn't what it used to be and we became suspicious that the aroma that was given off wasn't an acidic smell. We looked at the bottle and found out that is wasn't apple vinegar but apple juice she had bought and rubbed on! The laughter hit the roof as Baba gave a 'Nastrave' (cheers) and gulped a mouthful of the apple juice.

The laughter never died down as we went back to the shop a bought the apple vinegar version for real as Baba repeated the application once more with a definite vinegar smell in the for the rest of the night; evidence indeed that the right treatment was made.

It's funny how the story kept getting retold all evening and the laughter remained as strong as it was from the first realisation. Not only was the vinegar tonic working on Baba now but the legacy of laughter was a great tonic for Galia.