by Mel Barber
Mel Barber fell in love with Bulgaria, the Bulgarian people and the Bulgarian way of life almost straight after coming to the country. After spending only a month in their recently-bought holiday house in Bulgaria, Mel and her boyfriend decided to move to the country permanently. Today, five years later, they enjoy life in the Bulgarian countryside and appreciate every moment they spend for – as they call them – “important things”.
“If anyone would have suggested I would be running a mini farm when I lived in the UK, I would have laughed yet here I am. It’s so very different from England, but in a nice way.” – Mel Barber
When we arrived in Bulgaria (with our friends who had bought a cheap holiday home) we soon realised that it was very like Great Britain 20+ years ago. The pace of life is so much slower, people take time to do important things, like stop in the street to chat rather than dashing past one another. Sit and have coffee and pass the day.
We asked for directions in the town on the coast where we’d booked a guest house, the lady tried to point me the right way, quickly realised that I had no clue so insisted on getting in the car and taking us there… even though it was completely the wrong end of town to where she was. When we arrived she got out of the car and took us to the exact building before waving and wandering off on her way back to where we’d scooped her up from! She made the time to make us feel welcome in her country and wish us well.
The village where our friends had bought was super cute… but very basic to say the least. Most of the villages here are the same, there are remnants of what has been, the beautiful architecture that is now crumbling, facades broken, paint gone, it’s a bit sad. In between the cracked buildings there are newly renovated houses though, springing to life with immaculate gardens and hope growing strongly.
We went to visit the lady who’d sold our friend’s their property, she told us she’d hired a guy to lay some paving stones and do some landscaping in her garden from more than 2 hours drive away…“ping”… up go my ears… that’s what my fella did in the UK… how many clients have you sold to locally…more than 20? Count us in… there’s an instant job! He’d be earning less but spending less and having a better lifestyle.
We viewed many houses, one which was right for me, one for him, lots that weren’t and one that I considered putting on my credit card for a rainy day… all in all, no go. We went home and thought it would be a holiday pipe dream till she emailed me in the December with a picture of a house saying “I found it…this is the one” and it was!
We intended to have it as a holiday home for a few years, until we’d eventually move here maybe, but after a month here the first summer we fell in love and wanted to stay.
We’ve now lived here 5 years, in a small village in Central Bulgaria half way between the capital Sofia and the Black Sea Coast. We have a mountain range on both sides of us, and we live in The Valley of the Roses, named that from the rose oil produced here. Our village only has 300 inhabitants, a figure which sadly seems be declining, as we hear the bell tolling regularly.
Everyone has made an effort to welcome us, and make us feel wanted, which is lovely. They’re all rather curious as to what on earth we’re doing here, but we look around and tell them it’s so beautiful, England is too busy, too many people, and far too expensive to enjoy. Everyone works 24/7 just to stand still.
Now, we grow our own veggies and make preserves like the old babas do in the village. We also have egg chickens, meat chickens, meat rabbits, geese, and pigs.
If anyone would have suggested I would be running a mini farm when I lived in the UK I would have laughed, yet here I am. It’s so very different from England, but in a nice way. I know that if I’m struggling with doing something in my garden, or with my animals that I can call on a neighbour and they will come to help me straight away. I could never say that about England, most people don’t know their neighbours any more, which is sad. Now if only I can learn some more language I’ll have it cracked!