Molly's Story - Real Life In <Em>Bulgaria</Em>

Real Life in Bulgaria - Molly's Story
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A neighbor's daughter one day asked if we'd like to see Tutrakan and its sweeping view of the Danube. And don't pay much attention to the bigger Bulgarian agents, who have rarely even seen the properties they advertise. Are you ready to take up organic farming, or is your partner bothered by the sounds and smells of cattle, as mine was ;)?We love this area, and access to Bucharest across the Danube from Rousse is important since the airport is much nearer than Varna or Sofia. At the time not even many Bulgarians seemed to know where it was, and the town had scant coverage in any of the conventional guidebooks. But when we saw it, we knew it was *the Place* for us, situated on high hills overlooking the river to Romania, with a still extant fishing community and a traditional fisherman's quarter which seemed ready made for an historical film set. Choose the Danube coast for orchards and low-impact tourism, such as campsites and bike or birding groups. Cottage Garden in Dolno RyakovoAs Cathi says, in "Relocating in Bulgaria" every potential buyer should carefully consider their needs, lifestyle requirements and long terms plans before choosing an area. Current Bid: $.99 Bulgaria (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE) DK Publishing NEW Current Bid: $22.88 NEW Bulgaria: The Bradt Travel Guide ... Current Bid: $14.92 NEW Rough Guide to Bulgaria ... Developers discovered its charms a few years ago, and there are plans afoot to turn it into a ‘museum town' with luxury houses. Guides)Price: $9.76List Price: $15.95Bulgaria (Country Guide)Price: $14.90List Price: $23.99 The Rough Guide to Bulgaria by Dan Richardson, Jonat... However, my husband gradually revealed himself as a city boy to the core, with no interest at all in agriculture or gardening, and I found keeping a large plot of land on my own too much work. However, there are still many small Danube villages in the outlying areas where property is very reasonable, often with fabulous orchards (apricots are a prime crop here) and empty beaches nearby. If you're a water-baby or an artistic type fond of relative isolation, this is the place for you, but don't wait -- prices have begun to rise. Most of these villages are slightly inland, with biosphere reserves along the river, perfect for fishing and birding. My husband likes fishing, and is a film production manager. One such village is Dolno Ryakovo, which is surrounded along the coast on either side by as yet unpaved Roman roads and the remains of a fort, legacy of a Legionnaire's route between the principal towns of Silistra, Tutrakan and Rousse. The views are stunning and a hiker's paradise.We encourage people interested in the Danube coast to consider getting involved in eco-tourism activities, which are much healthier and sustainable for locals than what developers have in mind. The village of Kamenovo, further inland, already has a campsite with spectacular valley views and a number UK buyers, but don't expect to find even such fancy food as olive oil in the small shops, let alone building supplies - you need to do your shopping in Kubrat or Razgrad! Towns inland from the river with rich, black Danube basin soil, such as Staro Selo and Belitsa, have magnificent agricultural potential and friendly, tight-knit communities as well as some English speaking residents, but tend to be flatter. We settled on NE Bulgaria due to research suggesting it might be more slowly affected by climate change, and one look at the beautiful valley village of Kamenovo sold us on a cottage there.