Back in bleak old January, we booked a little something
to look forward to for August – a week in a small guesthouse in Sinemorets. By
March, when we went into lockdown, we were already resigning ourselves to the
fact that we probably wouldn’t go. By June, much as we love our home and
garden, we were beginning to crave a change of scenery. By August, we were
absolutely desperate for one.
So we went. And it was great. We took our own
food to the beach every day and only ate out in the evenings (all the restaurants
have outdoor dining anyway). Everyone was being very good and wearing their
masks (properly) in the (few) shops. So it felt pretty safe and relaxed.
I will say the resort was busier than normal,
which we kind of expected seeing as more Bulgarians are holidaying in Bulgaria
this summer. (Sinemorets generally doesn’t attract much in the way of Brit
tourists, who rarely venture further south than Sunny Beach or, at a push,
Sozopol.) But our usual spot on the Veleka Beach (or North Beach), overlooking
the river and nature reserve, was as peaceful as ever.
So that was it really. We went to the beach, lolloped
around, swam in the river, read our books, had a beach picnic (complete with
bottle of wine), and ate the same few vegan-friendly dinners. Every. Day. It
was delightfully boring and restful.
And now it’s September, which, even as a child-free 40-year-old, always feels like the start of a new school year. A fresh start. Much
more so than January. A milestone in every year that never fails to induce a
mild sense of panic, excitement, nerves and mad list-writing of the
what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life variety.
Speaking of which, I’m taking a break from the
blog for a month or so. Auntie Bulgaria has not changed since 2010 (the site,
that is, not me. I’ve developed several new chin hairs and aches and pains
since 2010), and it’s long overdue a revamp. So I’m taking some time to give this
joint a fresh face – a little nip and tuck to celebrate 10 years together. Much
like an ageing tycoon might buy his beauty queen wife a new set of tits for
their 10-year anniversary. Romantic, like.
Then we can kick off the next 10 years of
blogging in style. Or however many years there are left in this thing. Christ,
by 2030, we’ll probably all be permanently plugged into a virtual reality
universe while the real world burns around us.
On that cheery note, bye for now.
Claire x