Yesterday, a friend of Boris’ drove us out to view the house which is 175 kilometers from Sofia. We first stopped in Plovdiv to meet Boris’ lawyer friend. I will be heading to Plovdiv tomorrow by train to complete the paper work for the company. Then I will open a bank account with an Italian owned bank, they do have a branch in Parvomay; however the house is 5 kilometers from Parvomay. The house resides in a small little village with three cafes, and some food stores; everything is one block away from the house. If your driving though on the way to Turkey, don’t blink you might miss the village. After getting the bank account I will apply for the long term visa.
The situation of the house will work, although some work is needed. Boris’ grandmother primary lived in the house, his father lived there for a time. Nobody has lived in the house for 10 years. The main house has four rooms, which one room was used as a dry kitchen. I will utilize the front room as a summer room that has two big windows looking into the yard.
The separate building with the running water is where they spent the winters; it is one room with a sink; it did have a wood stove, and the shower is in a separate room. The plan is to remove everything and paint the kitchen room; I will buy a slender cast iron wood stove and place it in the proper location in the room. The house has many rugs that will be good for the flooring. Boris has a bunch of tile for the shower room and I will buy a small boiler (hot water heater). There are many beds, blankets, and tables, so I will choose the best bed and design a desk/dining table that will fit properly. The winter dwelling is the most important, which I will have to buy wood, the entire winter should cost about 400 lev. During the summer time I will create outside sitting and a partial outside kitchen. I will store my clothes in the summer room, which there is a large wardrobe closet. I might buy an old style washer or just wash my clothes by hand.
The yard area is very private, and I think it will work out just fine, accept only one important aspect—the house lacks a toilet. The remedy to that is not that difficult now-a-days. Cabela’s has remarkable merchandise, I have been buying clothes and other items from Cabelas for over twenty years. The Thetford Porta Potti would be ideal, but the weight for my ultra reliable mail forwarding service would be costly. However, The Nature Bio-Toliet should suffice the situation, plus it is lightweight to ship. Here is the link to all the portable toilet alternatives Cabela’s offers.
After house sitting the parrot, Boris and I will began the clean up. I think it will be quite cozy; however the villagers will be a head rush. I will most likely be the gossip of the village for awhile—that is one benefit of not speaking the language.
Boris’ second cousin and great uncle (the father’s bother) lives down the street in the village. The cousin speaks good English and she is inquiring about DLS for the house and how to turn on the water; Boris left a wireless router in the house, and the electric does work. The DSL is only 20 lev a month, if I buy a car the insurance is only 300 lev a year. I guess cable TV is only 13 lev a month, but I will not have a TV.
I do have a lot to accomplish this next year; I am processing a strategy how to bring in some income through the internet.