First topic message reminder :

Halfway between Varna & Albena lies the picturesque village of Klimentovo with its orange roofed dwellings each boasting vegetable gardens 'galore' where well cared for flower beds adorn every available verge..woodlands encapsulate the village sheltering its abundance of wildlife.. a stream (the life blood of the community) trickles its way down the small creek on its way to the village square where the eagerly awaiting village pets sit patiently for their daily lap of fresh cold water before embarking on another days adventure.

An idyllic scene you might think reminiscent of your own village or at the very least a village that you may know or have visited here in Bulgaria..a place that attracts the obligatory foreigner who seeks out the quiet life away from the mundane pressures of yesteryear... to engage their fantasies by growing their own vegetables or making wine from their own grapes to creating a garden fit for a gnome..some may even envisage being the village squire.. the list is endless but none the less endearing.

But reality tell us a different story & in the case of Klimentovo it hides the real truth behind its facade with a crime rate in percentage terms equal to any large town, to date it has in the last six months 10 house robberies.. the majority belonging to foreigners..the robbers seem to operate with impunity in their quest to turn this rural retreat into a thieves haven,they leave their victims utterly devastated knowing that someone can enter their property almost at will leaving them helpless & alone with no attempt by the law enforcement agencies to even investigate their plight, The village Mayor seems to be oblivious to what is happening.. or maybe he is just reluctant to get involved ?..The stain left by the thieves on this community is incalculable..who would want crime of this consistency on their doorstep..is it the aim of the robbers to see foreigners vacate their homes for pastures new carrying with them the knowledge that in Bulgaria crime pays ? Some of us have left foreign soil & come to Bulgaria because of rampant crime in our own countries, We hoped & believed we had left it behind but alas that does not seem to be the case.

While writing this posting i have been informed that there has just been another robbery in Klimentovo..an English couple came home to find find their house had been broken into & various items inc cash have been stolen..yet another victim who once had a dream.. only to see that dream smashed into a million pieces !..to all the victims you have my heartfelt sympathy.. as for the Mayor of this community & the contempt shown for its residence..you have helped turn the once peaceful little gem into a thieves paradise & your services should no longer be required. MJC

We are very lucky in where we live, great area, near the sea, near Burgas, everything that you could wish for. We came to live here not through choice but because we had to. Firstly I loved the Bulgaria that I moved to 13 years ago, life was how can I say almost at a stand still, and we never knew if we would be able to stay or thrown out, that was all part of the excitment. We have probably in our area seen the biggest change to an area, from Sunny Beach being a large but not massive summer resort to now being given city status (only due to how many beds are in the resort not number of people as such) but this is not the real Bulgaria. The real Bulgaria in my mind has died in many areas as people move to areas that can offer work. When we purchased our house there were no estate agents as such, but something someone said to me was dont buy a house in a village that is dying or died. Buy in a working village. For people that have lived in the UK to be able to buy a house with views and land which is almost impossible in the UK I can see the attraction of wanting to buy something like this in Bulgaria but to be isolated in Bulgaria brings its problems as well. To have a renovated house in an area that is poor offers the attraction of being broken into, there are many people in villages that dont have TV etc the things that we as British take for granted to be honest some dont even have running water or electric. Do people have the right to break in and take these things NO but do I see why they do it YES. Change is coming to Bulgaria very slowly do we as British living here have the right to say how its done NO, but we can guide which is very different. We are guests in this country Immigrants if you wish to put it that way, I have read on many forums why people have left the UK one being how things have changed to due mass immigration, we are those immigrants now in a different country.

Now to answer the question if you dont like it get out, I cant answer that one will I stay here have not idea yes I will still be here for the next 10 years after that I have no idea.

Hi all,

I have to agree with June in all aspects. But it is up to us to help bring change here for the better for all. Yes, big question, "
Why did we leave the UK"
Probably all of us for the same reasons, we hated living there.

This country is like a frontier country and yes you can see and understand why BG's are doing what they do to us. As June says, that is the same here in Kesarevo, no different.

Best to all

Hi all looking at this topic it seems to be with mixed opinions? about Bulgaria and Bulgarians, I think it could be a good idea if we all talked about our own villages and the experience we have had there? rather than a blanket over the whole of Bulgaria and the Bulgarians as some of you have said there are some good Bulgarians and some not so good ? well this is no surprise as this is what the world is made of ? GOOD & BAD, but form what I read here is that most of you love Bulgaria, so that's something also to talk about? while I accept that there is a bigger picture lets have all the picture? it would be good to hear about that and the things that make you want to stay? what it is you love about some of the Bulgarians ? etc etc that way it will give a balanced insight to others, I'm not saying its all Rosy out there but its by no means all bad either

:Salute:

Agree with you Ashley although there are problems in Bulgaria as there is elsewhere in the world, it would be nice to hear about some of the better bits and how to overcome the the bits that some don't like or can't deal with :Congrats:

Ok, as Ashley said, I think it is a good idea if we talk about the area we know. I try to point out that my feelings are about life in Kesarevo. In Strazhitsa, just down the road, we have no problrms at all. I have friendly relations with all I and Aneta meet there. We are both very well known there and enjoy going there for relaxation and our coffee's

I for one have put everything I have into living in BG. I have nothing in the UK and If I left here, I would be living as a tramp anywhere else. So I have put my money where my mouth is and am commited to making a good life for Aneta and I here. I can not put any more than I have into doing my bit to make BG a better country, even if it is fighting me all the way.

I'm trying very hard to make a business, that will give employment to BG's and money for Aneta and I to live on. I have done all I possibly can to make a big contribution to BG.

But my Problems are in Kesarevo, no other place. But I do read that other places are just like it is here for me. I have done as much as anyone can do, to make a new life and future here. I have spent over 50,000 pounds coming to live here and now we are down to 1000 GBP to live on. when that is gone in 2 months I have no idea what we will do, but I can tell you that many people here, although knowing Aneta and I have a financial problem, just like they do. Are still trying very hard to rip us off and cause us many big problems.

It seems to have really kicked of in this recession, although it was bad before, but not so bad as it is now.

OK, what is it that I love about BG, well, the freedom, not that there is much freedom in the UK these days. I love the beauty, undeveloped and the freedom to go anywhere I want with no problems or a farmer coming after me with a shotgun telling me I'm on his land. Sadly that will change as Brits buy up all the land and make it impossible for us all to be free and wander all around the beautifull country.

It is a most wonderful country, and all of us feel it when we come here, can anyone give a complete answer to why we love it here, I doubt it very much. It is just a wonderful feeling, being here. I for one am feeling more healthy here than I have in the UK. For me is a new and better life, even with all the problems Aneta and I have. I have heaven in my life and Aneta is my heaven, so that is my answer, I came here looking to find heaven and I did. I live with her everyday

An interesting read, the Dobrich area also seems to be under seige at the moment.

In our village one English house has recently been burgled and in the surrounding villages at least five burglaries and one attempted in recent weeks.

Blame does seem to lie in the Turkish community and all affected properties are English owned, some as holiday properties and some with full-time occupants.

Reluctantly we have upped the anti, fitting security lighting to the front of the house and bars on the windows and door!! If they are still feeling brave they will have to deal with our Staffordshire Bull Terrier, though he would probably lick them to death!! but our American Staffordshire Terrier would de-limb anyone not invited in by us or accompanied by us in seconds!!

trouble is thieving is not just on and into peoples property ...but on buying peoples property too...I.E. as in shortchanging on the asking price on pay day...as some of you on here are well aware !!

Yes indeed plenty of devious people these days that will try any little con to save themselves a lev or two. Sad they don't realise the long term damage they do to their reputation/business and the fact that in a short period of time they can end up with no customers/income.

Just returned and read this topic, it's rather thought provoking. We were told by local (Bulgarian) friends, "
Don't leave anything in your house till you have made it secure"
- i.e. new bars on the windows and new UK locks on the door. I wasn't sure how long that would deter determined thieves? I'm wondering is there a way round this, for me at least, even if it wouldn't suit anyone else. Principally, what I seek in BG is the warmth, and the chance for both of us to retire which we can't afford to do here in the UK, and a big garden ditto. Also to be able to travel around by public transport and not need to run a car. My question is therefore (to myself) 'Do I need anything the local villagers don't have?

Yes their accommodation is basic (we know, we stayed in it for 12 days) and their good humoured friendliness and our enjoyment of their company far outweighed any shortcomings in the fixtures, fittings and furnishings. So, if I have a shower I only need it to work, I don't need it to be a gleaming new enviable appliance. Theirs wasn't but it did the job, apart from being a bit badly placed so as to spray more over the toilet pan than ourselves! Do I need a smart kitchen? What for? If I treat the old cupboards left behind against the woodworm and paint them up, they will hold what I need to cook with. If I buy old crockery from a local we know who has some to spare, it will serve us perfectly well to eat off. I may have some new pans but probably make a hidey hole for them somewhere and have old ones visible through the window. If I pay a villager to wash what I don't want to do by hand, we don't need a washer.

If we go somewhere warmer during the coldest months, we won't need insulation and central heating. I can cook on a wood-burner or an old stove so long as it's safe, or a fire in the garden, I'm not fussy! I've made tasty dishes on campfires in the past. If I can get a new pesht oven built it would be hard to steal. I may pass on the plastic flowers and dusty ribbons etc, (I prefer dried grasses and seed-heads and the like and may grow the 'everlasting' flowers too) so what I'm saying is so long as I can make it convenient and easy to clean, and we can sit and lie in comfort, need I have anything anyone would want to steal? I can take my laptop when I go out, and if my better half can't live without TV (as I would) he'll just have to take that too or build it into the house structure in some kind of major way. Anything portable worth stealing we can leave with our friends when we are not in BG. You see, I'd be coming mostly for what I can do there, not what I can have, apart from the big garden!

So what I'm asking you experienced folks is this: if the thieves see nothing they want through the windows but break in anyway and find no valuables hidden, will they trash the place out of spite or just leave to seek richer pickings elsewhere? Will they take old miss-matched crockery and bedding? When we left we unscrewed the tap we bought for the kitchen sink and left that with our friends. If we leave internal doors open so what is there can be seen, and make it hard to get in, will they bother coming in for the bathroom wash-basin if it's not a fancy one? Will it be possible to have nothing they want, and still be comfortable? I know I can happily live as our friends there do, but will the thieves still take whatever is portable anyway?

Hi Fruitlover

Well now there's the question 'what if i were to' I would be rather interested in the question 'why should you have to change all your comforts in life to accommodate a thief' To be quite frank with you, it would not make a blind bit of difference what you had in your house, if a thief wanted access they will get in. We have high security in our house, yet they still managed to get through a 10 lock metal door. We also have an empty house in Sliven (well it is empty now) it did have an old household of furniture left behind from the seller. It also had doors and windows and a garage, but the last set of photos we had of it showed it was stripped clean only a shell left. I suppose the best form of prevention is to live in the house and when you are not there get someone else to live in it. Life is life and Bulgaria is not much different from any other county.

Oddy

Thank you for this Oddy, it certainly clarifies things for us. Getting someone else to live in it when we're not there sounds sensible, but I wonder how that would work - we might want to come and go at fairly short notice. It would have to be somebody flexible who had somewhere else they could stay when we were in residence. Much as I love the place, we may have to look for something in a different, safer area instead, or a semi-detatched or well overlooked place that the neighbours will keep an eye on. Does that sound feasible? Does anybody have a method that works? Perhaps we need a place with an annex, and put a caretaker in.

You have the right idea Fruitlover. Reading your posts its seems that you would not be giving up your 'creature comforts' too much as you seem to believe that possessions are less important than happiness.
I would suggest that 'conspicuous consumerism' is the root cause of thieving in any country in the world which includes Britain. Recession is hitting the world over so its not surprising that Bulgaria - the poorest country in the EU - has a lot of theft. There are safer villages but I would doubt that anywhere has no theft at all out here. However, our village seems very safe from thieving the only minor infringements have been break-ins for outside stuff mainly wood and building items taken from empty/ derelict properties.
If someone buys a property in a poor village and renovates completely to an English standard and then parks a shiny top of the range 4x4 outside wouldn't this attract attention? Human nature anywhere.
The answer, only my opinion of course, is to integrate as much as you can into village life. Be helpful and caring and become 'one of the chaps'.
Sensitivity to the plight of others never goes amiss. As far as professional 'security' goes, it doesn't work unless you pay a lot of money and even then, thieves will be away before anyone arrives.

I had a few houses at one time - all empty. Someone tried to break into one but they were spotted by the neighbour and had to abandon the break in.

It is very important to build bridges with Bulgarian neighbours who will keep their eye on your property. I paid the neighbour to tend to the garden as well and they considered house watching part of the deal. Sometimes English people are 'seen' as rich and can become targets although the crime rate is far lower than the UK.

The only time I have been a victim of crime was during visits to Sofia. Pick pockets are a real problem there and I advise any visitors to take sensible precautions ie only carry small amounts of money etc.

Mobile phones are another target. When traveling I use a £10 mobile bought from eBay. Nobody will nick it but flash an i-phone about and it goes quicker than my bottle of Rakia !

Rakiaplease. Just a thought
You say:- although the crime rate is far lower than the UK.
I hope it is because you can't compare the 7.3 million population of Bulgaria against the 63 million living in the UK

Hello Willowsend

Any comparson would have to be per 100,000 of the population. I would imagine that violent crime, for example, is much higher in the UK. The other factor to consider is that crime statistics are only based on 'recorded crime'. I think corruption and a weak judicial system in Bulgaria might hide the true figures ?

What are your thoughts ?