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Post by brigadier on Jan 22, 2010 18:52:34 GMT
So, Im away skiing at the moment, well, more introducing my son to skiing so I dont think Ill get much done but we thought we would try Bulgaria this time as, 1. Its cheaper than anywhere else and, 2. Its somewhere I wanted to visit.
The Long Grey Drive!
Yesterday was travel day, we got up at 2am to get to Manchester for a 6am flight. How easy is travelling at silly o clock? the roads were empty and we made great time. Our flight was fine although it was Sleasy Jet, and we actually landed early! We had booked a private transfer and a tall dark handsome chap in a plastic leather jacket waited for us at the terminal exit with a big smile and a shiny new mini bus!
Four hours travelling from Sofia to Bansko, yawn! What can I say about Bulgaria?
Its dirty, and at this time of year not very pretty, Sofia itself is flat and grey with row upon row of graffitied apartments. Think Chernobyl and you wouldn’t be far wrong! The roads are mayhem and thank goodness we were not driving as I don’t think I would be alive to type this. As we left the city we passed countless ramshackle buildings clamouring for space on haphazard hillsides, walls were broken and tiles missing from roofs, rubbish was everywhere, at roadsides and piled outside of buildings. Dogs roamed at will, chasing cars. The whole feeling of the place was cold, grey and depressing.
Eventually we saw hills and tracked a river as it wound down from the mountains. Strewn high on the riverbank was such rubbish as could only be described as sewage washed down by a recent flood. At last we saw mountains with snowy peaks and with relief we arrived in Bankso and at our hotel, curiously named Lucky Bankso.
A Very Nice Hotel!
Our room was large and well furnished, quite luxurious in fact. It’s a spa hotel and on going to use the pool facilities we were told we needed to be undressed and in our towelling robes and matching slippers which were provided in our rooms! Hubby was not impressed, he said he felt sleazy walking about in a white robe and flip flops, but hey who cares? I liked the idea and this was the best hotel pool I’ve ever used. It was warm, ridiculously so, and so was the sauna and the steam room, where they had thoughtfully provided showers at your side so you didn’t have the inconvenience of leaving the room to shower! An ice rub awaited you on exit and a cellulite shower, where firm jets of cold water pulverise your thighs (just what I need!) Then best of all, when I got back into the pool for some lazy lengths, someone had turned a switch and the whole thing turned into a huge Jacuzzi arrangement with water spouts and jet streams. Bliss! I sat on a particularly nice jet for about twenty minutes and felt like a mermaid when Id done!
Going to Lose Weight!
Sadly the dining experience didn’t quite match the pool! It was passable but four star Bulgarian food IS NOT the English equivalent! I was managing until I tasted the mashed potatoes; YUCK it was bloody SMASH! I consoled myself with sliced fresh oranges for desert, just in case the cream in the cakes wasn’t bloody cream!
And So To Bed!
Exhausted after our long journey we fell into bed. Sleep came early although our room was very cold, but all three of us snuggled up in the large bed and the z’ds were upon us.........then..........
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! MY POKER FACE, P P P POKER FACE! Lady Gaga streamed into our room, we were right above the bloody disco! It was only eleven o clock! Sure, before the little un we would have been in the disco, but at our stage in life, sleep was more important- and we were not going to get any! Well not until four am in the morning when the Lucky Bansko live music and disco shut shop!
Lets hope breakfast is decent or Im going home!
More tomorrow if you are not bored already (also why am i doing this when on holiday?) Well ski holidays are great fun during the day, then great fun at night...unless you have children...when you tend to retire to your room because your small offspring just cant keep their eyes open!
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Post by fleabitten on Jan 22, 2010 19:18:57 GMT
Thats quite a cool idea to have a sort of blog/diary of you hols actually. Thoroughly enjoyed that. ;D It was interesting reading your description of Bulgaria and all the things you did today/yesterday - a good honest insight into those sort of holidays as you go along rather than the glossy tourist brochures. Looking forward to hearing the next instalment.  |
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 22, 2010 20:16:55 GMT
PMSL - this is the most I've giggled for ages!!!! More tomorrow please   Hope you holiday improves. I toyed going skiing this year with hubby and tot (3yrs old) and thought she might be a bit young. What age is your wee boy? |
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Post by solomon on Jan 22, 2010 20:26:35 GMT
Wowee Love the sound of the spa pool, shame about the b****y disco though. Typical, hope things improve. Anyone going to ride Basil while you are away? Or is he on holiday too.
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Post by brigadier on Jan 23, 2010 8:53:17 GMT
The Curious Case of the Missing Cars!
Result! Breakfast is passable! Bacon is actually warm ham, but I like warm ham- honestly I do!
Now anyone reading this would think I was a food snob and I have to say I do like well cooked, tasty food, be it plain or fancy, my favourite is hot smoked salmon and poached eggs on granary- well I haven’t a prayer here, but I am just as happy with ground coffee and a large hunk of fresh bread, again I might struggle- but a few slices of warm ham and more of those delicious oranges will do!
Today was a double result- they have agreed to change our room, and its warmer!No more Lady Gaga in the early hours, shame really, I was beginning to like the beat!
However I do not trust these people. Four little die-cast cars are missing. I cleaned up before we left the room for the day and remember putting them on the chair arm. When we returned they were gone, we were packing again to switch rooms so I packed Stu off to check the old room thoroughly, which he did with one of the cleaners and I went to reception to report the loss. They smirked and shrugged, and looked at me in that way only parents of small children will recognise (small children loose toys- its their job) but I knew I had put the cars safe..........I explained that all I wanted was the toys back- I wasn’t making allegations as long as the toys returned!
Ten minutes later the receptionist called...hurrah! The toys were found. I skipped to reception to be met by a fierce lady! “Follow Me, Please” she barked, I clicked my heels and stood to attention, “Why?”
“Ve go to vour room and search”
So we went, passed two smirking chambermaids in the doorway and immediately discovered the cars, hiding under the bed. “See ze cars vere there all zelong” the stern commandant smirked.
“Yes they were- weren’t they” I smiled back-my eyes saying “You conniving thieving scallywags-you!”
Seriously though, we had checked under the beds, and it was so strange they went straight to their hiding place, especially after the receptionist had told me they had already been found!
Lesson for today- lock up your valuables and don’t leave anything to chance!
Actually we are finding the Bulgarian people a curious mix, some of the women are incredibly hard faced. They are fierce but not in an independent, attractive way, more a “Whats in it for me?” way.
The men want a deal, they don’t accept credit cards and in truth I wouldn’t pay with one, it would be duplicated in a shot! But any other type of currency will do, it doesn’t matter, there’s a market there that’s a darker shade of black!
But as with all people some appear warm and friendly, but there’s always that sneaky suspicion that they are grooming you for people trafficking, I know its harsh but traveller beware!
The skiing is fabulous though, at least what I can see from the top of the gondola,( as we are currently confined to the junior section,) which is easily better than any we have seen in The Alps.
If you like your skiing, are a beginner or even novice to intermediate, then from what Ive seen so far, come here. Its way way cheaper than The Alps and just as well set up. They are currently hosting the European Championships and two of the steep runs were sectioned off with cameras and spectator stands and lots of drunken men ringing cow bells, think of frenetic Morris Dancers with German accents and you get the idea! We had freebie chocolate and soup thrust into our hands (a heady combination) and there were dancing girls and fit, fierce, uber-cool young men and women of iron wandering around on skiis!
We stuck to sledging today as we were sussing it out, but tomorrow we head for the toddler slope!
And yes we are prepared for tears and tantrums......especially from me and hubby!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 23, 2010 9:07:45 GMT
PMSL - this is the most I've giggled for ages!!!! More tomorrow please Hope you holiday improves. I toyed going skiing this year with hubby and tot (3yrs old) and thought she might be a bit young. What age is your wee boy? He is four DB and we have found gear to fit him, a very helpful German chap who has a three year old fittd his boots and skis- plus a helmet-essential! We will buy him goggles (snow is in my eyes mummy!) but wished i had got some in England as they are cheaper. Lessons start for young uns at six but really this was a fact finding, try it out trip and we will just let him do what he wants. The ski facilities here are good for toddlers. Ski passes are not cheap so you are best buying a complete trip including lessons, ski hire (its expensive to take your own abroad on Sleasy Jet) and accomodation. We spoke to someone who got the lot for a week for £500 and most of the hotels have good spa facilities. If you want to splash the cash Hotel Kemplinski looks the bees knees and is in a great location. www.bulgariaski.com/bansko/kempinski.shtmlWe are at www.booking.com/hotel/bg/lucky-bansko-aparthotel.en.htmlIts good but a bit further out. We got a great deal £800 for the three of us inc flights and half board. Skiing is extra for us but we didnt know how much we would get so it wasnt worth paying up front for. Sol--- Basil is on holiday- he is full livery too and I bet his food is better than mine! |
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 23, 2010 11:51:33 GMT
I'm hooked and loving it!!! Keep it coming |
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haffyfan
Administrator 
is pressing random buttons...sorry guys
Posts: 7,391
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 23, 2010 13:25:09 GMT
Brig you have truely missed your vocation in life...you would make a wicked travel writer....I love it!!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 23, 2010 14:56:48 GMT
Uber –Daddy!  Preparing a child for skiing is rather like completing a Mensa test. You are never really sure you’ve got it right! How many layers should I use? Should I put on mittens or gloves? Shall we put snow boots or ski boots to travel on the gondola? Will I need snacks? Will he need ski poles for the first try? Which camera shall I take? The good one or the one I can abandon in case I need to throw myself in front of him on a quicker than anticipated descent? Decisions decisions. Its so hard! Sunscreen is important, factor 50 at least otherwise its red burnt face and white socket eyes. “Darling, Have you put him some sunscreen on?” I ask my impatiently waiting husband as I struggle to get my salopettes on. “No- but Ive put Vaseline on his face” ( what you blithering idiot are you trying a new way to produce pork scratching?) Actually hubby is uber-dad most of the time, but I do have to watch him like a hawk! I was a very proud mummy today, and I met a very proud Bulgarian daddy, we both grinned like loons as our mini first- timers slid their first few yards like Bambi on ice, he told me he owned a factory full of furniture but now he was going to make time for his daughter as that was more important. I nearly asked him if he wanted a new wife but then I remembered uber-daddy so I abandoned that plan. Im warming to Bulgarian people! Some are hard I think because life has made them like that, most are poor and they see us rich (in their eyes) tourists coming for hols and they want what we have. A few have learned that tourism is a service industry, but others still need to learn this! A case in point was this morning when daddy attempted to fill the little uns sport bottle with orange for breakfast. She snatched it off him and snarled that it wasn’t allowed. He explained that it was better than him having a glass and spilling it but clearly she didn’t believe him and began arguing. At that exact time the little un started coughing and spluttering as he started to choke a little on some bread. I marched across, and snatched the bottle from her, snarling in an equally “Dont mess with me” attitude, I think she got the point! However I do sympathise as most of the guests were trying to smuggle out their lunch from the breakfast buffet. I can never be bothered with that but my hubby will if I let him and countless times on holiday he will produce a hastily made croissant sandwich which has been pummelled to sweaty smithereens in his pocket! Hmm..... yum yum! Anyhow back to the slopes. It was the final of the European Skiing Cup today, I managed to get lots of pics of the winners as they received their trophies. I haven’t a clue who they are but any man with thighs of steel is worth a place in my album! Plus I got more freebie chocolate so double whammy. |
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 23, 2010 21:57:40 GMT
Never seen Uber –Daddy but will endeavour to watch it in the near future I'm glad your feeling like a proud mummy!! |
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Post by brigadier on Jan 24, 2010 20:08:57 GMT
Sunday a Day of Rest!
Well I couldnt face warm ham this morning, a bit of toast and some coffee was about my lot. We decided to spa first which was seriously lush. Then uber-dad had the idea of walking to the main snowy area (for exercise-lol) and spend a bit of time playing, sledging etc as we don’t want to push the little un too hard with the skiing. Mind you I did have another proud mummy moment in the pool when he swam his first width. His style was more reminiscent of a weed rat than an accomplished swimmer but boy he was good!
The walk was murder! It was a glorious afternoon. A light snowfall had turned the grey to a glittering palace and even the rubbish heaps looked magical. Unfortunately it was all uphill and because I was dressed for cold weather and uber daddy was yomping the exercise left me looking like a fried extra for Chicken Run!
Mind you Bansko is like Amsterdam with snow. Posters lined our walk showing skimpily clad girls with pneumatic breasts offering all sorts of delights. Luckily the little un is too young to notice these other than associating it with food so I didn’t have much explaining to do!
We spent a pleasant hour or too sledging and then caught the hotel bus back- no more exercise for me!
Feeling a severe case of cabin fever we located a bowling alley and have only just got back to our room. Tomorrow we head for the slopes again-yipee!
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Post by solomon on Jan 24, 2010 20:48:46 GMT
Sounds like you are having great fun, mostly I love reading these keep them coming.
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Post by duckles on Jan 24, 2010 21:59:53 GMT
This is a really good blog, I am enjoying it very much.
Friends of mine went to Bulgaria a few years back and said sking was great but hotels not so much and the staff weren't totally honest about stuff in rooms. Looks like that hasn't changed.
Your little boy sounds a great kid, I hope he takes to sking as much as parents do. Plus I hope you get a while on the slope yourself.
Sking is something I have always wanted to do since I was a child but I never have. I was told that people who horse ride are good at skiing- perhaps because both tend to like the outdoors and tend to be hardy. Of course it may not be true at all - both people who told me this do ride horses and tell me they are good skiiers.
Mind you I have skiied on the wii!!!(which is great fun)
Keep it up please, I am looking forward to the next installment.
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Post by spotti on Jan 25, 2010 10:30:20 GMT
Just stumbled across this...and I like it! It's like being on holiday but without having to actually go  |
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Post by florence on Jan 25, 2010 20:23:48 GMT
Really enjoying the blog! Sitting here giggling away, all on my own. |
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Post by brigadier on Jan 26, 2010 7:06:44 GMT
Breakfast was better this morning! I ate more fruit and less of the warm stuff- as its not really very warm and Im sure its given me a thingyy tummy! We decided to head for the slopes first thing- about eleven!  After the usual kerfuffle getting gear sorted we were ready! I had decided to ski today- just to help encourage the little-un along and show him how to snow plough so he can stop if needed- quite a crucial lesson! Its quite a long Gondola ride to the ski area but very scenic and Bulgaria does look very pretty covered in snow. Little un started well but after two runs he asked to go back to the hotel- I think he was a little bored going up and down the toddler area as he was managing to get his balance quite well and at times was getting a bit of speed but then we ran out of piste! Mind you the ski staff were fierce and kept asking us for our ski pass for the 20 yard lift, I think once they realised we were English they decided to give us some grief as they didn’t ask anyone else! Like a plonker I fell off the lift, its a type I’ve never used before and I went flying- there’s definitely a technique I need to learn! We fortified the little-uns tenacity with some chips and had another go. His batteries must have been running low because this time he was much happier, although we abandoned the ski- plough idea as his legs were simply not strong enough! Mind you by now mine were beginning to shake a bit as the last time I skied I was pregnant- over four years ago! There seemed to be a very attractive blue (easy) run down to the bottom. It didn’t appear that long on the map so I told uber-dad I would meet him at the bottom as he had the job of chaperoning our mini student back on the Gondola, but as soon as little-un realised I was off he started crying “I don’t want to go on the Dongloa” and wanting to come with me. I was just about to abandon my ski for the day when uber-dad announced he would be able to run alongside little-un and as long as I didn’t go too fast we would all go down! Well, it was an easy run but it was very, very long. Each bend revealed another vast expanse of glistening, undulating piste attractively lined by towering conifers. Boarders and skiers whizzed past us at an alarming rate and in truth the run needed the speed otherwise you would grind to a stop and it was not very easy to get going again. Every time I got a bit of speed up, little-un would wail and shout “Wait Mummy”, I would look behind to see uber-dad clutching one raised arm of a very pissed off child, frantically trying to balance on the slippery slope. Not one of his finest ideas it turned out. Four and a half miles (yes-four and a half bloody miles) later we eventually reached the bottom. My legs were jelly, uber-dad resembled the same extra from chicken run that I had the day before (oh sweet revenge!) and little-un showed his resilience and his ability to be bribed by immediately asking for some skittles. I don’t think we have put him off but didn’t I say, somewhere on this blog, that I didn’t want to over-face him? Well I lied! |
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Post by racaille on Jan 26, 2010 7:30:03 GMT
I'm loving this, Brig! I feel I am there with you ....... Sounds like the little 'un is ready for ski school (although too young?) - he'd like the challenge! It is really hard skiing with littlies though, isn't it? veryone has their different rhythm. My kids now leave me far far behind as they go straight down the Olympic runs and I'm dithering at the top of something easy ...... Duckles, I think there may be something in what your mate said, about skiing and riding. When you ski, you have your knees bent and acting as shock absorbers in a similar way to being in a light seat for jumping, and our tendons tend to be stretched from having our weight in our heels. Makes sense to me ;D |
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Post by brigadier on Jan 26, 2010 11:00:20 GMT
Duckles- I agree with Racaille about the knees etc also it seems to give you a sense of rhythm and balance to some degree, the only thing I struggled with a little was getting my weight a bit more forward as opposed to back, with horse riding the weight is upright and back a bit- other than jumping, but with skiing its a little more forward. Would you agree Rac? Mind you I too am not a fab skiier- I can manage blues and the odd wide red but always need to fortify my courage with a beer or three!
Duckles if you are fancying it then this place is ideal, the run we went on yesterday is perfect for a beginner and after a week you would be competent. The price of the ski lifts here is extortionate but tuition cheap, so you could supplement ski school on a package trip with a couple of private lessons then you would be good to go. The other thing I find helps with skiing is the ability to fall, as a rider you just go with the fall, so although Ive had some whoppers (touching wood) Ive not hurt myself yet.
We could book a private lesson for little-un, they are really cheap here- half the price of the Alps, but I think he would be better next year once he has been to normal school and been in a learning environment. At the moment he knows best and he quickly loses patience. We are just playing (or supposed to be- four mile treks aside!) this year but already planning something for next year!!!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 26, 2010 11:23:47 GMT
Trapped! Last night I got trapped in the sauna! Not physically you understand but verbally by a very large, very hairy Macedonian man! Once he heard my accent I was doomed. Turns out he had a girlfriend from Yorkshire fifteen years or so ago. At first i had to tell him the average populations of every area of GB he could think of. Then he wanted to know why people from England do not believe in God?  ? I explained about the Queen being the Head of the Church but he said that was stupid and it should be the Pope, I smiled and was about to leave but then he asked if my husband was a politician, I said not, he said “Good, Because zay are all a*seholes”, by now I was desperate to leave the sauna, Macedonian politics not being a strong point of mine, but still he wanted to talk. I was only saved by a gaggle of Italians entering the sauna, thank goodness their yattering drowned out his boorish rantings and I could escape. Suzanne from Yorkshire, if by a slim chance you are reading this and Borat from Macedonia contacts you on Facebook or Twitter, pretend to be washing your hair or something, he is very fat, very hairy and very opinionated, and not worth five minutes of your time. I am guessing you dumped him for these very reasons! I think we are the only English left in this hotel now. I really do get the impression that English are not liked. Or perhaps its that we English are so wrapped up in trying to be polite that we find the spontaneity of other cultures ‘pushy’. Like Macedonian politics I’m not an expert on this so would welcome other views! Im a bad mother, its official! So obsessed with protecting the little-uns face from the sun Ive caused him to have an allergic reaction to the sunscreen. He now looks like the Lizard King! So much for Vaseline and pork scratching! In despair over my failings as a parent Im going to console myself with a massage! Ive booked it for five tonight. I do hope its not like a massage I once experienced in the Dominican Republic, on that occasion I opted for a beach massage where for a fiver you could be rubbed down in suntan oil. I think there was an error in translation because my classical massage became an ‘intimate’ massage and my buttocks, inner thighs and boobs all came in for a rub. My mate who was on the next sunbed nearly wet herself laughing and strategically booked a manicure instead! Bitch! |
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Post by spotti on Jan 26, 2010 11:41:54 GMT
Ha ha ha - I LOVE this...I bet life back home will seem rather dull in comparision now |
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Post by brigadier on Jan 26, 2010 13:26:08 GMT
Ha ha ha - I LOVE this...I bet life back home will seem rather dull in comparision now Ha ha Dont you believe it!!!!!! |
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Post by dannyboy on Jan 26, 2010 13:27:47 GMT
Tena Lady at the ready and I'm not joking - I'm just loving this Brig I have been laughing out loud at work and everyone wants to no why ;D |
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Post by Jen on Jan 26, 2010 18:44:06 GMT
this is classic!!!!!!!! im loving every second of it!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 26, 2010 20:01:16 GMT
Vagaries of Men and Massage!
What did I say about watching hubby like a hawk! I let him out, un-chaperoned for three hours and he comes back with a sprained ankle. Tch! Sympathetic to a fault I suggested he have a swim with the little un whilst I had my massage!
And what a massage. There was a vast array of choice, from Relaxing (too airy fairy for me!) to Hot Stones (had one of these before and whilst good they’re very noisy with lots of gaps whilst the masseuse preps the stones! Four Hands (thats seriously warped that is- speaks of threesomes to me!) Cellulite (they only do the legs and Ive got it over my whole body!) Classical- went for this as I’m a classy sort and they’re usually quite firm (my mother always said I needed a firm hand but I don’t think she was talking massage at the time! It was all going very well, the room was warm and dimly lit, soft classical music wafted about and some vaguely lemon aroma filled the room, I knew the masseuse was in shock at her task when she got the extra large value pack of oil out, one look at my thighs and she knew she was in for a big job. In England the masseuse is very careful to keep every bit of flesh covered that she isn’t currently working on. Not so in Bulgaria, they are far less pedantic and when it came to my tummy doing I laid there, breasts fully exposed and jiggling about as she rubbed my tickle ribs until I could contain the giggles no more! It was a great massage though and I gave her a good tip!
Talking of tips- Ive finally convinced the hubby that tipping gets you everywhere in foreign countries. Hubby is from Barnsley, a strong bastion of Yorkshire stingy-ness! He is not just tight with money he is constricted and parting with it takes a mammoth effort. Well I told him the tale of a fat German fella I once saw go up to an all inclusive bar on the first night of a holiday and give the head barman a bung. That bloke got the best service possible for the next two weeks, he got poolside service, premium spirits and never queued once, while the rest of us tighter mortals stood in line like penguins, waiting for our shot of local poison. Hubby took this to heart the other night and gave the waitress 2 Euros for bringing the little un some crayons at dinner. Tonight we got water, all our drinks poured, crayons, napkins placed on our laps etc etc. I smirked my way through the meal as we got the best service possible. Poor hubby had to go up to the room and get some change so he could dole out more tips! Im not sure whether he wants to thank me or kill me!
I did get a shock earlier in the pool. An old bloke got in with dodgy flesh coloured Speedos on (surely Continental men know how much we take the piss out of Speedos?) I wasn’t sure how dodgy until he emerged, his Speedos completely transparent! Urgh! Clingfilm would have been more modest! That was just so wrong!
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Post by mossh on Jan 26, 2010 20:19:14 GMT
Loving the blog. I've been to Bulgaria and I completely agree with you about everything!
Tipping is the way to go! best service ever when I tipped them!
The cities are awful though. I flew to Varna and it was awful! I couldn't drive there, Talk about go where ever you like!
The actual resort was really nice once you were in it!
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for so much hard work we thank ye!!
? I explained about the Queen being the Head of the Church but he said that was stupid and it should be the Pope, I smiled and was about to leave but then he asked if my husband was a politician, I said not, he said “Good, Because zay are all a*seholes”, by now I was desperate to leave the sauna, Macedonian politics not being a strong point of mine, but still he wanted to talk. I was only saved by a gaggle of Italians entering the sauna, thank goodness their yattering drowned out his boorish rantings and I could escape.
