It’s that time of year when summer is upon us despite the serious resistance from the clouds and the mood which is one of relaxation, parties & merriment as the temperature starts to soar, the various layers of clothing Begin their removal and the desire to work and play seems to fall with every degree that temperature rises. The Town and Cities fill with people in the warm evenings and tables and chairs seem to dot the pavements outside all the Bars, Restaurant and cafÃÂ’s the parks are swarming with people and flies every evening & weekend, making the most of the warm long hours of daylight;
you will see people drinking, mingling and even the occasional dancer. The Cities and Towns are at their most vibrant and attractive with the trees in full bloom and the atmosphere during this time makes the Country most welcoming.
The current financial situation is of course having its impact on Bulgaria as much as anywhere else, but the Bulgarians are certainly hardened to the difficult economic times, compared to the darkness of the mid 90’s, this is a walk in the park,as a result the Bulgarian people are still eating out, partying and living life as normal in other words “it’s business as usual” I note that even the elections seemed to be a little quiet I think they were more distracted to the more important job of catching up with friends Cafàor Bar.
Don’t panic there seem to be a few more signs, written in the English on some major roads, and there are a few more Bulgarians, who feel confident enough to speak “English”. After all, they have been watching movies for years, with subtitles and even some petrol station attendants have university degrees. The more you’re caught in traffic jams and the harder it is to find somewhere to park, tells you that you must be in a City or large Town.
The taxi drivers hovering outside the stations are an unpredictable bunch;
check that their meters are switched on or agree a flat fare before setting.
Going by car Regardless of your point of entry, you deserve a medal for being so brave. The first thing you need to do is reduce your speed to avoid the police checks on all incoming roads. Follow the lead of other cars (but not the ones that overtake and sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road) and get in line as you will come across a traffic jam, which are becoming more and more frequent, especially during peak hours, Parking can be difficult to find in the Cities and Towns, and be careful where you park if you want to avoid a clamping or fine
Alcohol
The traditional national tipple is Rakiya, which usually comes as either grozdova rakiya (grape brandy or slivova plum). It’s usually sold in 50g or 100g shots and is drank alongside salad or some other form of light snack – waiting staff will consider you strange if you don’t order something to snack on while you’re slugging down any spirits. As far as beer is concerned, Bulgaria produces several unexciting lagers for example- Zagorka, Shumensko and Kamenitsa these are the most acceptable of the brands.
The more impressive wines are the dry red wines, especially, Cabernet Sauvignon from Svishtov and Oryahovitsa, Merlot from Stambolovo, Gumza from Novo Selo, Mavrud from Asenovgrad. name.
The Chardonnays from Veliki Preslav the best of the whites.
Bulgarian driver’s andTraffic police
Most Bulgarians turn into psychopaths when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle, having said that given the state of the road network they can hardly be blamed. Crater sized potholes, suicidal pedestrians and intoxicated cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road are just some of the things to look out for there are many others.
Roads and Streets in Bulgaria can be jammed with traffic. Road signs are hit and mis and street names are in Cyrillic, so you need to research your route on a map before you set off on your journey. In order to drive on Bulgarian roads outside the villages you’ll need to buy a vignette which must be displayed in the windscreen. These are available from border crossings, post offices and OMV and Shell gas stations.
Vignettes cost 10Lv for one week, 25Lv for one month, and 67Lv for a year.
Foreigners are well advised to obey the rules of the road Police rarely speak English and are unlikely to show any mercy Police checks on major highways are common, the Police are told to charge on the spot fines up to 50 Lv.
10 point Guideline to survival of the Bulgarian lifestyle, bars, clubs and discos
1. Try not to stare at women that are accompanied by their partners, no matter how beautiful they are, it might be misconstrued and considered an insult.
2. Try to avoid conflict if you notice Bulgarian people stare at your Partner, or at yourself, this usually means they are just curious. Remember about 20 years ago most of the Bulgarian people hadn’t even met foreigners from beyond the iron curtain, so you are still new and curios.
3. If you feel that someone is in some way being threatening or intimidating towards you, it’s best to make friends of them. In most cases locals feel threatened by foreigners and try to show themselves as tough but when you act as an equal and friends they will in most cases drop the attitude.
4. If however a conflict situation rises, leave immediately, either took your head between your legs or kiss you anus good bye or get out, Bulgarians are very social people and under a common goal a large number of mates can and will be summoned very quickly.
5. Spirits (vodka, whisky etc.) Come in measures of 50ml for a small and 100ml for a large. In some places, unless you specifically ask for small you will be given a large.
6. Rakia must only be drunk with Shopska salad, I don’t know why and neither do Bulgarians If you order one without salad you may well be looked at as if you are from another planet.
7. Bring a gas mask as many Bulgarians are heavy smokers.
8. Big fat silver chains that you could anchor a boat with are an absolute must, that’s if you want to appear young, cool, like a gangster or simply need to anchor a boat.
9. If you are going for the night and want to blend in like a local, it is essential that you Haven’t shaved for at least 4 days and dressing in black is a bonus.
10. Girls if you want to catch the attention of Bulgarian men just act natural and dress sexy.

Thanks Ash, all noted now in my little black book

Oddy