What do you like the most in Bulgaria?

I haven't moved there yet but I have just bought a house near Veliko Tarnovo and I hope to be there permanently by June or July next year.

There are many things that appeal to me but mainly the climate (not perfect but a million times better than England this summer/year) and the fact that by living there I can afford to retire from work about eight years earlier than I would have done.

I know there will be complications but I haven't been as excited as this since my three kids were born or since Leeds United won the FA Cup.

Some advantages in no particular order:
1) Being able to retire much earlier.
2) The cost of living.
3) The climate.
4) The change of environment (familiarity breeds contempt).
5) Beautiful women (no offence to anyone, just my humble opinion).

The weather and the food that's the best experience in Bulgaria and the beautiful places in amaze that I experience the historical country in Europe...thanks...

Hi there Terry. I have now lived in Bulgaria for just over 5 years and I love it. When I lived in England my wife died and this was the greatest contributing factor to my leaving the UK. It resulted in my viewing a house in the village of Kabile, close to Yambol, and ultimately purchasing it. Also since being here I have remarried to a Bulgarian woman 40 years may junior and I love her very dearly. I had always said I would not marry again but I am glad I changed my mind even though my children have fallen out with me. The 3 of them are all older than my new wife.
I like the weather here and the cost of living is great for a pensioner such as myself. I am positive that you will not regret your move. And when you get here we can possibly enjoy a beer or two together. We have a large 4 bedroomed house and you could always stay with us for a few days and visit the village bars where draft is 1.20 leva a pint, 50 Cl really but there's not much difference.
You have mentioned your 3 children but not your wife. Will she be coming with you?
If you fancy what I suggested let me know.

Just read your blog 'Fancy a pint/' So my suggestion of having a beer will certainly not go astray.

All because of a balloon.

Almost 30 years ago my youngest daughter let go of a balloon in Holland with an address card attached to it. The balloon travelled overnight to the South of Wales and ended up in a tree, and this was the start of a special friendship with the Welsh couple who found it. As a result as a family we visited them regularly in Burry Port, a lovely village on the Welsh coast. At that time our friends were in their early fifty's and dreaming about a place under the sun when they retired. Some years later they decided to buy a house in Bulgaria and instead of visiting them in Wales I spent my holidays in Melnitsa, a small village close to the Turkish border in SE Bulgaria, and right from the beginning I loved it there.

Unfortunate in 2002 my parents passed away a short time after each other and left me a small inheritance; enough to buy a house in Bulgaria near my friends in Melnitsa. The village is like a huge farm yard, so different from my life in Holland, and what I like the most is the feeling of going back in time' and the impulse of ‘seize the day' (carpe diem…..). The first job was to learn some Bulgarian but even this is a bit tricky in a small village because you don't realise in the beginning that you are speaking with the village dialect. Mistakes with the pronunciation of words like asking for the bill; smetka and I shout to the waiter “Smatka”, that means “Idiot”; not the way to make friends!

I can't claim to have green fingers but I started experimenting in the garden. First job growing cherry tomatoes, instead of the big juicy beef tomatoes. My neighbour Radka came in the garden with a big question mark on her face while I was picking the mini tomatoes. In disbelief she stared for a long time in my basket of cherry tomatoes. “What is that?” I explain in my pigeon Bulgarian: “Very special tomato's Radka” She couldn't stop laughing and was convinced that I did something wrong for them to be so small and didn't even want to taste them.

The next experiment was making wine and at the same time apricot brandy. For a bit of fun I wanted to crush the grapes in an old fashioned way so I stamped on them in a big plastic bowl bare foot. It wasn't such a good idea, and in a very short time loads of wasps were joining in and I had to hide in my house. After 40 days of stirring daily the apricots, sugar and vodka mix (I know it has nothing to do with brandy, but Google gave me this recipe) it was ready for bottling, the taste was lovely and I was very proud of my job…… Can't say that about my wine making, the result of which was a big barrel full of a nice quality wine vinegar and enough for the rest of my life, but I had my treat for the winter; ten bottles of apricot brandy! Unfortunately after one week bottle after bottle exploded as I didn't realise that it was still fermenting! Ce la vie!

Anyway I love the village life. Nice for a change to go for a day to Burgas, Sliven, Starra Zagora etc. but for me nothing can beat the quietness of the village. More than two months ago I moved to another lovely village because I met Mr Wright! I am now a very happy woman! And what I like most of Bulgaria is the weather. Still lovely autumn weather as I write and I hope for another mild winter, but I have no problems with tropical temperatures and in small doses snow, as long as it's outside and I'm inside in our nice warm house.
I wish you all a very happy life in Bulgaria!

Mrs Bean

hi Terry
We are about to go to Bulgaria (around early Jan ) We (thats the wife and i)   to look at properties around VT area. Do you any places to keep away from? We are living in Perth Australia at present , originally from uk. Every thing we have read about Bulgaria sound just right for us to be able to retire early on a small pension. ANY advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

I have never been as excited since Grimsby town won a game lol

Sorry duplicated message

Hi finger
Phil here. My wife and I are going over to Bulgaria early January to hopfully buy a property. We have done lots of research on lots of areas to live in. Could you suggest places to live and NOT to live? We will be living on a small pension but will be able to buy a property outright. There's a beer in it for you (or 2 or 3) ANY information would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance

In  May 2009 I randomly bought a small bungalow on the famous internet auction site in the small village of Furen. I had aimed to leave England with my beloved Mum and allow her to finish her days in a beautiful place! A month later I was involved in an almost fatal RTC when a young drunk rammed me at 40 mph as I drove through a cross roads. I spent three years recovering from brain trauma and then my dear Mum was diagnosed as terminal with ALS moror neuron disease. So I nursed her and she went home to spirit in January 2014. This left me suffering from Social Anxiety, Clinical depression and PTSD. I am now the last of my line, even my children are gone before me.

So, with my life in tatters I decided to bite the bullet and will undertake the many thousands of miles back and forth to my little new home, as I move my life to the sun and leave all the pain behind, before Christmas! I will perhaps be the only ex pat in my village and the only one who speaks English. I will however finally find the peace I seek.

It was and still may be my aim to open a healing sanctuary. I am a multi skilled tradesman and look forward to making new friends and building a new life which might hopefully give me the motivation to carry on this life!

Bijzonder verhaal

Good luck!

Hello Gadge.
I am by no means the greatest authority on Bulgaria but I'll just mention a few things to you.
Properties in coastal resorts that are frequented by tourists are more expensive. If you feel you must be by the sea or up in the mountains then so be it. Do realise that Bulgaria is noted for its skiing and you are liable to be snowed in during the winter period and be extremely cold.
I would recommend being in a village close to a city. Being close to the city you will be easily able to access doctors and hospitals. Plus you will have easy access to government offices. It is also better to have a village with shops and decent bars if you like a beer.
The village in which I live is 6km from the city of Yambol and has 2 decent bars and 3 shops. We are 100km from Burgas airport and around 290km from Sofa.
I know there are at least 2 properties for sale in the village and there may be others. If you are interested you could always stay with me and my wife, she is Bulgarian, for a few days whilst you reconnoitre.
There are other villages close by but none as near to Yambol as the village in which my wife and I reside.
Do avoid villages with high gypsy populations as they are likely to have high crime rates.

Hi mate
thank you for all the information. We are looking for a house, in or very near a large village. We have been scouring a few areas but there is so many. How could i find out the gypsy population in villages? Thank you so much for the offer of us staying with you. Are the houses that are for sale near you on any web site?  We  live in Perth Australia at the moment. Going to the uk for xmas then going to Bulgaria begining of Jan 2016. Hopefully to buy a house. We still have to decide on a couple of areas before we come.
could I ask which village you are in?
Thanks again for your time to reply to us.
Phil and Les

Hi...in every village you will find a gypsy neighborhood and a "dump place". This is inevitable.... Except if you move in to very expensive places in Sofia. Plovdiv or Varna/Bourgas...  Ps : All gypsies aren't bad, some are even better than ethnic Bulgarians....  Just avoid of course gypsy ghettos.....

Hummm every village that I've been to has had no gypsies, not that I've been to many but there are deffinatelly a lot of villages that have no gupsies in them.

Well I suggest you to ask local people than because I found gypsies in every single village..... and I visited a lot of them.

Hello Phil & Les,
The village in which we live is Kabile, which in Roman times was the capital of Bulgaria, close to the city of Yambol. It has a population of around 1500 and is looked upon, by Bulgarians and others alike, as a prestigious location. In Kabile  there are very few resident gypsies. We get a few itenerant ones collecting plastic bottles and other rubbish that can be recycled.
I expect there are properties on the internet which are in Kabile and the 2 I mentioned to you in my previous correspondence are. I have since found out that they are on the same piece of land and they are being offered as a pair. No price was mentioned.. However I understand they are being sold furnished so are ready for occupation.
Another source of information on properties for sale is the local mayor and he is quite approachable but you will require a translator as he speaks no english.
I'll revert to arbra's post where it is stated that every village has a gypsy neighbourhood and 'dump place.' This is not true and there is no such place in Kabile.
Whilst I mainly travel by car there is a regular bus service between the village and Yambol. Similarly taxis are not expensive. A taxi to Yambol would cost around 7 BGlev, the eqivalent of GBP 2.50. The bus fare is 0.80 lev.
Living in Bulgaria on a pension is good value for money and I am sure you won't regret it.
Regards Ken & Tedi.

Hello again Phil & Les,
In the last post I made to you I did not answer your question on how you would find out about the total gypsy population. Another post suggested you enquire of the local Bulgarian residents which is a good idea. Also do not forget the mayor. He will be happy to give you all the local gossip.
Ken & Tedi.

I also want to add although the mayor may not speak English he'll know someone that does out will come his Nokia and a little voice will speak speak to you, normally it goes something like this............................................
"Hello, who are you, and why are you here?"
On first impressions not that friendly but in hindsight it feels more of a concerned approach to an opening conversation, speaking from personal experiences I had when the mayor came and found me and introduced himself to me, he had his secretary speak to me, he then added any problems you go direct to him?
They may have opportunists that will lift anything that's not nailed down but if they get caught they run a risk of a heavy reprimand!

Stepool I have spoken to the mayor in our village on many occasions and this has never happened. I always had to get the services of an interpreter until I married a Bulgarian and my wife now acts in that capacity. The mayor in your village is obviously more up to date with electronic communications.

Fingers wrote:

Stepool I have spoken to the mayor in our village on many occasions and this has never happened. I always had to get the services of an interpreter until I married a Bulgarian and my wife now acts in that capacity. The mayor in your village is obviously more up to date with electronic communications.

Maybe so? He also drive a big blacked out BMW shaved head and weighed around 18 stone, I can see why people respect his word in his village.
I've had a phone passed over a few times now in Bulgaria, my neighbor did it, a B&B owner did it this August, I carry a translator and pocket phrase book but I'm not really getting far with the language barrier it's more a point and nod experience that seem's to work!

Respects to your suggestions but I think I will stick with the wife.