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

Corruption and a weak judicial system certainly helps the thief which is why introducing yourself to your Mayor and various village folks and being seen in shops buying as the villagers do will go a long way to deterring prospective thieves. It is not always the Roma who are guilty but local unemployed youth who have nothing and nothing to lose either. Yes, of course we are seen as rich and so we are by their standards even if on a pension. That UK pension is still more than any villager gets. Getting involved is the answer and not driving to the nearest supermarket in town all the time and never being seen in the village. Locals watch every move anyone makes because there is little else to do or talk about. Excepting the never-ending gardening or tending of animals.

Whilst thieving is appalling and all victims have my deepest sympathy as the experience can be deeply traumatizing, I must reiterate that taking EVERY precaution is a must. This includes paying for alarm systems and keeping dogs. Evil-looking neighbours help too. I employ a combination of all of the above and also give a little money to my neighbours, plus the use of my untended gardens, which I think is an even better incentive than the deterrent in the form of otherwise fairly vicious and loud dogs . Having said this, my rural property has been burgled although not after the house was properly wired, this is life and whilst I am certainly not condoning any form of criminal behaviour nor police indifference, for that matter, I strongly urge people to think carefully about arranging proper security for their homes be they in the centres of towns or in the sticks where the prospect of police cooperation is practically non-existent.

oldun wrote:

Excepting the never-ending gardening or tending of animals.

My two favourite topics then!