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 My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG

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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 12:47 pm

Would love to hear your feedback about my latest blog written for the British Embassy about how I ended up in Bulgaria T
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... -on-earth/
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BGTRAVELLER
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 12:51 pm

Just looked at your first post and Dave's reply, I think what he is saying is 'Why don't you post the blog on here directly' and some of the members will give you some feedback rather than going off onto different links etc. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 739492727
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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 12:55 pm

My first trip to Bulgaria was during the summer of 2012. I had met my boyfriend who’s from Sofia while he was studying in the UK and he talked so fondly of his home that I couldn’t wait to visit. Prior to meeting him I had little knowledge of Bulgaria or the culture so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. We booked one week in Sozopol and one week in Sofia so I could experience both the seaside and the city. When we arrived I was stunned. I don’t know why but when I had tried to picture Bulgaria I had never imagined such a beautiful place, I had visions of a cold communist country which were so wrong! As we drove along the coast to our resort, perfect scenery, sun shining, music playing;
I knew immediately I was going to like it here.

After a relaxing day on the beach I was amazed once again when we went for dinner in the old town of Sozopol. The little souvenir shops tucked away in the cobbled streets were selling all sorts of treasures including handmade jewellery and the famous rose oil and I found myself wanting to buy everything! After purchasing as many gifts as we could carry, we sat down on the sea front to enjoy dinner. Another surprise, Bulgarian wine is absolutely delicious and the fresh fish is incredible. So, after just one day in Bulgaria I was already in love. I’d found my little piece of heaven on earth.

My week in Sofia was equally as enjoyable and equally surprising. I wasn’t expecting to see such modern shopping malls or such a glamorous nightlife! One week wasn’t enough but we crammed in as much as possible, seeing the sights such as the magnificent Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, visiting the parks and eating in restaurants serving traditional Bulgarian food with Rakia. We even managed to spend one day and night in Koprivshtitsa where I was truly taken back in time to 19th century Bulgaria.

My holiday came to an end but I knew that one day I would be returning to Bulgaria to stay, and, two years later here I am! We’d been living in London and as nice as it is, we were looking for somewhere new and exciting. We were offered an amazing opportunity to work in the Caribbean so we packed our bags and said goodbye to the UK!

It was great but I always felt like I was just too far away from home, I like to travel and I’ve also lived in Dubai but ten hours flight was just too far for me. When we decided to leave a year later we hadn’t really made plans about what we would do but my boyfriend had received a job offer in Sofia so it seemed the perfect time to re-locate to Bulgaria. Fortunately for me there was another position open in the same company so I didn’t have to worry about searching for a job and started working one week after I’d arrived!

Of course, my biggest worry was not speaking the language, however, my role is in sales and my clients are in the UK and all over Europe so aside from some slightly awkward office meetings, it wasn’t going to affect my work at all. After several visits to government offices to organise residence documents and signing what felt like hundreds of pieces of paper at the bank I was official. Now, six months in and I am still so in love with Bulgaria.

I go along to networking events for foreigners where I meet lots of interesting people who have moved here from all over the world and I even make new friends on twitter! I’m still not speaking Bulgarian although I am starting to understand and can get by with some basic conversation. I do want to learn and I will be taking the time to study very soon, I’ve just been a little bit lazy as I can get by with English almost everywhere in Sofia! I even teach English to my colleagues once a week and they really enjoy practicing with a native!

Bulgaria continues to surprise me and I have only seen a fraction of what there is. I’ve climbed to the Cherni Vrah peak of Mount Vitosha and started learning to ski in Pamporovo, two things I never thought I would do! Since I arrived, every time I would meet someone new they’d tell me about another amazing place that I have to visit. I found myself making lists because there are honestly so many!

I must visit Veliko Tarnovo or the Rose Valley or the Seven Rila Lakes, the list just went on and on. I thought more about my lists and then thought how great it would be if I put everything together in a website. Rather than just regular tourist information I wanted to make a site where I can write about all of the wonderful places I visit and share my photos and my experiences of living in Bulgaria with the world.

I searched but couldn’t find anything quite the same so I started working on eatstaylovebulgaria.com. It perfectly sums up Bulgaria for me, you will eat delicious food, you will want to stay and you will fall in love! Because there are so many fantastic places here I don’t think I will ever stop adding to it and I’m also asking friends and visitors to the site to share any photos or stories they have with us too. Ultimately I want to make a complete guide to travel and lifestyle in Bulgaria that captures everything this very special place has to offer. Then, maybe more people will choose to visit Bulgaria and see the beauty that I see every day!

Wish you were here!
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BGTRAVELLER
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 1:01 pm

What a lovely story and its good to read something positive about not only Sofia but also the places you have visited but believe me there are hundreds of lovely places to visit as I'm sure you will eventually especially having the advantage of a Bulgarian partner which will help immensely. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 739492727
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davshaz
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 1:06 pm

Don't know if I'm coming or going :Very funny 2:Just read it on the other site and yes I agree with what has already been said but its very easy to only look at the upside of Bulgaria? just as it is with other countries there is always a down side and Bulgaria does have its share of them to. If you have a read on this forum you will get a real sense of what Bulgaria is like, its not for everyone either as for my I love it here and would never go back to the uk or anywhere else for that matter, the people here are wonderfully war and generous and the food quality is excellent once you know what to do with it. Good luck with your site and welcome to Bulgaria as they say. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2581928987
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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 1:19 pm

davshaz wrote:
Don't know if I'm coming or going :Very funny 2:Just read it on the other site and yes I agree with what has already been said but its very easy to only look at the upside of Bulgaria? just as it is with other countries there is always a down side and Bulgaria does have its share of them to. If you have a read on this forum you will get a real sense of what Bulgaria is like, its not for everyone either as for my I love it here and would never go back to the uk or anywhere else for that matter, the people here are wonderfully war and generous and the food quality is excellent once you know what to do with it. Good luck with your site and welcome to Bulgaria as they say. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2581928987

:LMHO:I agree that every place has it's down side and you can always find problems however having travelled a fair bit I'm aware of that and realise that not one place can be absolutely perfect. When I lived in the Caribbean my friends would tell me how jealous they were and how they couldn't believe that I chose to leave after a year however, they saw only the pictures of the beach. What they didn't see was my office in the city where I was bitten by mosquitos all day My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 1865348797

What I look for is a balance of good lifestyle, opportunity and comfort. If I have those things I am happy. I'm close enough to the UK to visit often so I don't miss home and I'm also well connected to continue travelling (this year I'm going to Romania, Cyprus and Dubai). I also believe that Sofia has a lot of opportunity to become a hub of activity for businesses all over Europe so I'm excited to be based here right now!
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Blink
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 1:33 pm

We were first introduced to Bulgaria about 5 years ago. We attended an exhibition selling holidays and property abroad. Our main interest at that time was France, and whilst the assistant was busy talking to a customer we strolled to the next exhibit where they were selling property in Bulgaria. The assistant was very informative and enthusiastic about the country. They had put together a deal, for a set fee, there was a flight out to Bulgaria, a hotel for the week, 3 days viewing properties and they promised we would be hand held from the time we landed in Sofia until they put us back on the plane again.

Our one problem was what area of Bulgaria should we visit. We live in the Vale of Evesham, and many students from Bulgaria come here to work. When we asked the students where we should visit they all suggested their own area. Every one of them said their town or village was the best. We were amazed, if you ask an English child where they were born and breed they will always say it is or was a dreadful place, and go somewhere else. Well we decided on Veliko Turnovo, and like many people on this forum we used the web sites to view the area and see what was what.

We were both buoyed up with enthusiasm at this new adventure, when a week before we were due to go, I spoke to some one who had just spent a week out there, oh dear. They said the place was dreadful, the people were unfriendly, they shook their fists at you, or ignored you, and as for the food it was inedible, take some with you. No matter what topic of the country I brought up, they decried it. My stomach was in knots, should we now go, after all this person had just come back, they must know what they were talking about. Well with a suitcase packed half with clothes and a goodly quantity of food we set off.

We were collected at the airport, by the boss and his wife of the agency. They made us most welcome, and explained exactly what would be our itinerary. They put us on the coach and told the driver where we were to be “put off”. That made me smile, rather like being a child again, and mother explaining to the bus driver that I would be collected at the end of the journey and by whomJ

At VT we were deposited and collected again and taken to our hotel, which was wonderful. The young man who showed us the properties worked very hard. The FOOD was out of this world;
we ate everything they put before us. We were in serious trouble of over eating. We saw the property we liked during the course of the week and bought it, everything went smoothly.

We have made many friends out here, the natives are very friendly, and when I bring out my dictionary to try and explain myself, everyone wears a smile, they know they are in for an interesting time. If you are a clock-watcher, you will not enjoy your time out there, it is slower and more sedate and courteous.
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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeMon Apr 14, 2014 1:38 pm

I still have to visit VT as I have friends who tell me it's beautiful! I'm so glad you didn't listen to those people at the start, where had they even been because that doesn't sound like Bulgaria at all! It's true that it's not for everyone but I think it has a lot of good points.

p.s. I do over eat here and will be heading off to they gym shortly as I have to do at least 3 times a week to enable me to keep eating all this lovely food! My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 1865348797
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itchyfeet
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeWed Apr 16, 2014 6:21 pm

eatstaylove wrote:
My first trip to Bulgaria was during the summer of 2012. I had met my boyfriend who’s from Sofia while he was studying in the UK and he talked so fondly of his home that I couldn’t wait to visit. Prior to meeting him I had little knowledge of Bulgaria or the culture so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. We booked one week in Sozopol and one week in Sofia so I could experience both the seaside and the city. When we arrived I was stunned. I don’t know why but when I had tried to picture Bulgaria I had never imagined such a beautiful place, I had visions of a cold communist country which were so wrong! As we drove along the coast to our resort, perfect scenery, sun shining, music playing;
I knew immediately I was going to like it here.

After a relaxing day on the beach I was amazed once again when we went for dinner in the old town of Sozopol. The little souvenir shops tucked away in the cobbled streets were selling all sorts of treasures including handmade jewellery and the famous rose oil and I found myself wanting to buy everything! After purchasing as many gifts as we could carry, we sat down on the sea front to enjoy dinner. Another surprise, Bulgarian wine is absolutely delicious and the fresh fish is incredible. So, after just one day in Bulgaria I was already in love. I’d found my little piece of heaven on earth.

My week in Sofia was equally as enjoyable and equally surprising. I wasn’t expecting to see such modern shopping malls or such a glamorous nightlife! One week wasn’t enough but we crammed in as much as possible, seeing the sights such as the magnificent Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, visiting the parks and eating in restaurants serving traditional Bulgarian food with Rakia. We even managed to spend one day and night in Koprivshtitsa where I was truly taken back in time to 19th century Bulgaria.

My holiday came to an end but I knew that one day I would be returning to Bulgaria to stay, and, two years later here I am! We’d been living in London and as nice as it is, we were looking for somewhere new and exciting. We were offered an amazing opportunity to work in the Caribbean so we packed our bags and said goodbye to the UK!

It was great but I always felt like I was just too far away from home, I like to travel and I’ve also lived in Dubai but ten hours flight was just too far for me. When we decided to leave a year later we hadn’t really made plans about what we would do but my boyfriend had received a job offer in Sofia so it seemed the perfect time to re-locate to Bulgaria. Fortunately for me there was another position open in the same company so I didn’t have to worry about searching for a job and started working one week after I’d arrived!

Of course, my biggest worry was not speaking the language, however, my role is in sales and my clients are in the UK and all over Europe so aside from some slightly awkward office meetings, it wasn’t going to affect my work at all. After several visits to government offices to organise residence documents and signing what felt like hundreds of pieces of paper at the bank I was official. Now, six months in and I am still so in love with Bulgaria.

I go along to networking events for foreigners where I meet lots of interesting people who have moved here from all over the world and I even make new friends on twitter! I’m still not speaking Bulgarian although I am starting to understand and can get by with some basic conversation. I do want to learn and I will be taking the time to study very soon, I’ve just been a little bit lazy as I can get by with English almost everywhere in Sofia! I even teach English to my colleagues once a week and they really enjoy practicing with a native!

Bulgaria continues to surprise me and I have only seen a fraction of what there is. I’ve climbed to the Cherni Vrah peak of Mount Vitosha and started learning to ski in Pamporovo, two things I never thought I would do! Since I arrived, every time I would meet someone new they’d tell me about another amazing place that I have to visit. I found myself making lists because there are honestly so many!

I must visit Veliko Tarnovo or the Rose Valley or the Seven Rila Lakes, the list just went on and on. I thought more about my lists and then thought how great it would be if I put everything together in a website. Rather than just regular tourist information I wanted to make a site where I can write about all of the wonderful places I visit and share my photos and my experiences of living in Bulgaria with the world.

I searched but couldn’t find anything quite the same so I started working on eatstaylovebulgaria.com. It perfectly sums up Bulgaria for me, you will eat delicious food, you will want to stay and you will fall in love! Because there are so many fantastic places here I don’t think I will ever stop adding to it and I’m also asking friends and visitors to the site to share any photos or stories they have with us too. Ultimately I want to make a complete guide to travel and lifestyle in Bulgaria that captures everything this very special place has to offer. Then, maybe more people will choose to visit Bulgaria and see the beauty that I see every day!

Wish you were here!

A really nice blog, keep them coming, we all enjoy a good read.

My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2706089290 g My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2581928987
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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: My life in Bulgaria so far   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 8:34 am

Hi all, it's been almost 7 months that I've been living in Sofia now and I can honestly stay I'm still enjoying life here very much!

I'm fortunate that I get to pop back to London to visit family quite often and it's nice and easy from Sofia so I'm sure that helps but even so, i feel like Bulgaria is a great place to be based. I'm still working on my blog/website in my spare time too which is great as it means I get to do lots of exciting things and then write about them!I have so many things planned for this year here, I'm thinking maybe a skydive and a bungee jump next g

My lastest adventure was rafting on the struma river and was wonderful - I've written about it here if you'd like to have a look [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... river.html

If anyone has any suggestions for something I should try out I'd love to hear about them T
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 10:04 am

Just an observation! I just looked at your website and thought I would look at your reviews on restaurants only to find that 12 out of the 14 links go to Tripadvisor which I would say 99.9% of people know of, so is there really any point in that? As I said just an observation My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 739492727
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davshaz
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 10:06 am

I looked on there once before and the majority are only links to either Facebook or Tripadvisor which I found to be a bit pointless. Oh well happy days. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2581928987
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eatstaylove
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 10:20 am

Thanks for your comments both.

The idea behind the site was to share my Bulgaria experiences with friends/family etc. I wanted to build a website around my blog as I love to write and want to share the experiences I enjoy here (learning to ski and rafting etc). None of my friends know anything at all about Bulgaria so this is a way of gathering everything together in one place.

I'm adding info sections for restaurants and bars etc as a way of listing places I like ... eventually, when I have the time I will write a personal recommendation for each place I've visited, but for now, I have a full time job so this is a hobby which I work on when I have the time. That's why I have the places with the links to their own sites or tripadvisor. Made sense to link them there rather than no link at all in my opinion! For someone that hasn't visited the idea is to give some general info about Bulgaria and what's on offer. I know I would have found it interesting before I moved here to see what a great choice of activities and places there are to see.

Perhaps for people who've lived here for years it's completely pointless and that's fine. I like sharing my stories with my friends who enjoy reading them and as time goes on I hope to develop the site into something useful for many people. We will see what happens but better to work on this than waste my spare time watching rubbish TV or reading gossip magazines!
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 10:28 am

If that's the case then maybe you should ask your friends to come and read about Bulgaria on here too where they can ask questions of real people who have been here many many years and have the experience to help perhaps even persuade them to move over here. My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG 2581928987
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PostSubject: Re: My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG   My blog about life in Bulgaria for 100UKBG Icon_minitimeThu May 15, 2014 10:31 am

I agree with Dave and BGT on all points and yes why don't you invite your friends along to join us all here, just a thought.
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