So here we are. In Bulgaria. 06/09/09
In Veliko Tarnovo, in fact. Seat of the medieval Tsars and setting for two chapters of Invictus. We spent yesterday afternoon wandering around the remains of the fortress while I planned rewrites- I have absolutely everything wrong from the geography (it's on an really steep hill) to the climate (lots of little lizards and about 90 degrees.) And no dungeons. Took lots of photos of the Bulgarian information signs to puzzle over at my leisure. There was a sound and light show in the evening where they basically turned the whole hillside into a disco- it was great, in a mindboggling sort of way.
Off to the archeological museum today then Athens, by train, this evening (and tonight and tomorrow morning- 18 hours total, of which we have 5.5 booked in a sleeping car and the rest is second class seats and hope we get some.)
The trip here was pretty horrendous (train, London night bus, train, plane, taxi, looooonggg train, taxi, total 20 hours with very little sleep) but the place is incredible. We turned up at our hotel to find that the owners were leaving, and the new ones not arriving for a couple of days. So instead of our twin room and breakfast they gave us the sleeps six fully fitted apartment which has been great and told us to stick the key through the letterbox when we're done. The food is incredibly nice and we've used barely half of our budget of 25 quid each a day. Most people in the cafes and tourist places speak some sort of English which is weird but nice since my Bulgarian has got no further than please and thankyou (the word for hello steadfastly refuses to stay in my head). The shop keepers don't though, except the souvenir ones. Have run into a couple of other English speaking tourists here and overheard a lot of German ones and a French couple. Apparently they get lots of Russians but I wouldn't be able to spot those.
The modern town is about a quarter westernised (there's a Hush Puppy store, for heaven's sake). I wonder whether in 50 years time everywhere will look pretty much the same. In which case we might be the last couple of generations to go abroad and find things much different.
Had an argument with a taxi driver (which I lost) about whether the 10 we agreed at the start of the journey was lev or euros (worth twice as much). But what the hell- I am unimpressed by people who travel to places where everything is cheap and then grumble about being ripped off and having to pay something like what they would normally for things. This place is poor- not Veliko itself, which is prospering off tourists from all over, but everywhere we came through by train. I kept seeing what I thought were derelict houses then seeing people obviously living in them.
Athens tomorrow, which will no doubt also be hot but I am looking forward to it. Hoping to get Coming Apart pt 3 finished on the train (if it's not standing all the way!)
Son, my travelling companion, would clearly rather be at home but is manfully not complaining and keeping my spirits buoyed. He's happier now he's sat in front of a computer screen!)
Oh, and the mountains from the train were just beautiful (and require a rewrite of the previous chapter!)
Home on Wednesday, late.
Off to the archeological museum today then Athens, by train, this evening (and tonight and tomorrow morning- 18 hours total, of which we have 5.5 booked in a sleeping car and the rest is second class seats and hope we get some.)
The trip here was pretty horrendous (train, London night bus, train, plane, taxi, looooonggg train, taxi, total 20 hours with very little sleep) but the place is incredible. We turned up at our hotel to find that the owners were leaving, and the new ones not arriving for a couple of days. So instead of our twin room and breakfast they gave us the sleeps six fully fitted apartment which has been great and told us to stick the key through the letterbox when we're done. The food is incredibly nice and we've used barely half of our budget of 25 quid each a day. Most people in the cafes and tourist places speak some sort of English which is weird but nice since my Bulgarian has got no further than please and thankyou (the word for hello steadfastly refuses to stay in my head). The shop keepers don't though, except the souvenir ones. Have run into a couple of other English speaking tourists here and overheard a lot of German ones and a French couple. Apparently they get lots of Russians but I wouldn't be able to spot those.
The modern town is about a quarter westernised (there's a Hush Puppy store, for heaven's sake). I wonder whether in 50 years time everywhere will look pretty much the same. In which case we might be the last couple of generations to go abroad and find things much different.
Had an argument with a taxi driver (which I lost) about whether the 10 we agreed at the start of the journey was lev or euros (worth twice as much). But what the hell- I am unimpressed by people who travel to places where everything is cheap and then grumble about being ripped off and having to pay something like what they would normally for things. This place is poor- not Veliko itself, which is prospering off tourists from all over, but everywhere we came through by train. I kept seeing what I thought were derelict houses then seeing people obviously living in them.
Athens tomorrow, which will no doubt also be hot but I am looking forward to it. Hoping to get Coming Apart pt 3 finished on the train (if it's not standing all the way!)
Son, my travelling companion, would clearly rather be at home but is manfully not complaining and keeping my spirits buoyed. He's happier now he's sat in front of a computer screen!)
Oh, and the mountains from the train were just beautiful (and require a rewrite of the previous chapter!)
Home on Wednesday, late.