Ellinis Varna

... a "seller". I asked him what he sold..."fruit?" "vegetables?" I offered... he looked confused and repeated that he was "a seller". I, thinking he was deaf, offered the possibility that perhaps he sold "clothes". He looked even more confused and started reeling off the names of towns: "Liverpool, Dublin, London, etc" A sailor, he was a sailor. No wonder he looked confused, the very idea of sailing a banana!!<br><br>We cycled out of Varna across a two-kilometre, four-lane ...

... adequate meal was set out for us inside their property which was an old and well developed small plot with lots of vegetables, chooks, a rabbit, corn and onions drying on the walls, grapes hanging in ripening clusters, lots of colourful flowers and an all pervasive smell of rural living. <br>I was amazed to see lamingtons cut into wedges were part of the fare.<br>Local wine was provided and we were entertained by the musicians as well as an old ...

I met Albena last Christmas, she is married to Rick Harper a Washington National Guard Soldier and contractor at Fort Lewis. They had had moved from Virgina, and Albena was not yet working and had not met many people.<br><br>She grew up in the beautiful coastal city of Varna Bulgaria, and all her family was still ...

A very nice place and quiet resort, is ideal target for family with kids, food and drinks very cheap and the people are friendly. About the security reasons I saw all the time the officers from Security companies -armed- and Police patrols on the street, here you need just to choose the proper location and enjoy the time.<br>

... where the hot, fresh water and the cold(ish) Salty water meet, and the kiddos splash around and the old people soak their bones. Cute. There is also a natural hot bath along at the end of the beach where I went one night for a soak. Its the little things in life. <br><br>A strange tradition that we stumbled on in Varna is called July Morning, which is based on a song by Uriah Heap by the same name. Apparently, since the end of communism, everyone in Varna, and along the ...

... us all out at 9.30 to go and drink on the beach together. <br><br>We really haven't seen anything in Varna just sat on the beaches during the day and drunk at night time. We have in the end enjoyed our time here in Varna just there aren't many stories to tell or write about, it was just like hanging out with our mates from home. We didn't even manage to take a single photo. <br><br>To Istanbul we go.

... breakfast for the grand total of $24A for the night &#8211; bargain! We had lunch and then walked down to the beach via the usual souvenir shops. The specialty here seems to be old fashioned dress-up photos and to have your portrait drawn (they were actually very good). We arrived at the beach and wandered along the water's edge (it was too hot on the sand) past the many umbrellas and chairs set out for rent. We ...

... to various locations and countries that need an extra bit of security. Here in the foto one can be seen working at the Botanical Gardens in Balckik, Bulgaria. \his job is to stop the squirrels from pinching all the nuts off the oak trees. He looks very happy about it.

... and caught a bus to Golden Sands where the dive center was, it was owned by a guy called Harry who was a little bit 'happy'. It was a nice dive though it was just to a small coral reef instead of the wreck dive we were going to do due to poor visibility but as i hadn't dived in about 4 or 5 years it was probably for the best. I did get to sea lots of fish and things and i collected a few shells so it was all good. Dossed around ...

... I was told that if a few sketchy individuals started lurking about me, to jump in the nearest cab. I've been warned about ATM machines that steal your code. I was warned about Romanian taxi schemes, pickpockets, wild dogs, and I have read about unexploded landmines in Serbia and Bosnia (this one I take seriously). I am not saying that one shouldn't be careful and aware of their surroundings, particularly at night, but I have ...