VT Times, May 2012

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Please take 

one 

Issue 4 • May 2012 

The English-language monthly publication for the Veliko Tarnovo Region 

PLUS all our 

usual, quizzes, 

puzzles, advice 

and information. 

In this issue: 

A Growing 

Concern 

Top 

Tips 

for earning 

Extra Cash 

Discovering 

Roman 

Remains 

Hidden Gem: 

Nikopolis ad Istrum

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E 772 

VELIKO TARNOVO 

E 772 

GABROVO 

E 85 

KAZANLAK 

55 

E 773 

E 85 

66 

STARA ZAGORA 

44 

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CHARDAFON 

E85 

BLVD. APRILOV 

YURIY VENELIN 

GABROVO

Welcome 

This is my favourite time of the year 

but then I seem to say that in every 

season! 

Everything is in blossom, the birds are singing their hearts 

out, it’s green and neither too hot nor cold. The nights are 

warm and we forgive Baba Marta the odd shower to water 

the plants. On the “spring is here” checklist, all is ticked 

… storks, blossoms, baby animals and even snakes are out 

and about. The goats in our village are back on summer 

schedule, walking past the house morning and evening 

and keeping the verges in trim. 

We can get out walking, meeting up and seeing the sites: 

and each month there seems to be more to do – check 

What’s on, on page 22. Amazingly, many children break 

up from school within the month for summer! It’s time to 

start planning some longer trips to find more hidden gems 

… see page 36 for this month’s. 

Many people coming to Bulgaria to live face challenges: 

financial and emotional. It’s a big change. So, in this issue, 

as well as profiling an interesting and inspiring expat 

entrepreneur (p.2) we look at the practicalities of setting 

up a business (p.26), ideas for making ends meet (p.10) 

and tackling boredom (p.32). 

The VT Times is blooming with the spring: we are so 

grateful to our regular and new contributors for fantastic 

material. We try to include as much as we can each 

month, so keep it coming! Please don’t be disappointed if 

your article isn’t in this issue: it just means we’ve run out of 

space and will put it in a future edition. We have our first 

classified ads and hope they inspire you to submit your 

own – you can put your items for sale, or things you want 

to buy or swap for FREE if they’re under a hundred leva. 

The VT Times is brought to you free of charge thanks to 

our advertisers. If you would like to advertise, just give 

us a ring on 088 293 1456 or email info@vttimes.net and 

please keep sending your letters, any items wanted or for 

sale and articles: editor@vttimes.net 

See you all in June! 

Disclaimer: VT Times accepts no liability for errors herein, nor 

resulting loss/damage/disappointment. You’re advised to check 

before engaging a service mentioned or attending an event. 

Firms listed do not imply recommendation. Guest articles do 

not represent the opinion of the editor. 

cover photograph © Rachel Pritchard 2012 

Contents 

1. Welcome / Contents 

2. Expat entrepreneurs 

4. Holidays and market days 

5. St George: a saint for two 

countries 

6. Gardener’s calendar 

7. A growing concern ... 

9. Useful numbers 

10. Making ends meet 

12. Handy Bulgarian 

14. Train times 

16. Hospitals 

17. Doctors, pharmacists & vets 

18. The Bulgarian kitchen 

19. In the night skies 

Internet resources – Bulgaria 

blogs 

20. VT map 

22. What’s on 

26. Legal matters: starting a business 

28. Bus times 

30. Puzzles 

32. How to tackle boredom ... 

34. Spring quiz 

35. Letters to the editor 

36. Hidden gem: Nikopolis ad Istrum 

37. Sporting fixtures 

38. Behind the words 

Last month’s puzzle answers 

39. Trade directory 

40. Distribution area 

Advertising rates 

www.vttimes.net • info@vttimes.net • 088 293 1456 

1

Each month, the 

VT Times profiles 

someone who has 

taken the plunge 

and started a 

business in Bulgaria, 

with useful lessons 

for those who may 

be thinking about 

doing the same. 

In this issue, we talk to Mark Waterhouse, who has now been 

running the Casa Adria Restaurant in Blagoevgrad for six 

months. Here, he share his experiences – good and not so good 

- of start up and those all-important first few months of trading. 

Mark comes from a hotel management and 

marketing background and has been an expat since 

1990, previously living and working in Portugal for 

five-star hotels. With wife Ina and starting a young 

family, they decided to come back to her hometown 

in Blagoevgrad, half an hour from Bansko. It 

was after 18 months that Mark finally had the 

opportunity to realise a lifelong dream: opening 

his own restaurant. “I’d never run a restaurant 

before, but with my background I knew a lot about 

the business. Friends and family always admired my 

cooking and said I should open one.” He also felt that 

Bulgaria could do with better restaurants “... and a 

decent fillet steak!” 

Then, serendipity came in to help. Ina Waterhouse 

runs a high-end beauty import business and does a 

select few clients’ nails. It was over nails, discussing 

what Mark would do in Bulgaria, that the client 

mentioned a 5-star restaurant that had closed 

down, was for rent … and she knew the owners. It 

was in a high-end, villa zone of Blagoevgrad. Mark 

arranged a meet, walked in – and immediately said 

“I’ll take it. Now … what’s the rent?!” 

Waterhouse worked long and hard to get ready 

for the grand opening: with only six weeks of lead 

time. Mark confirms “it was frenetic, working 95 

hour weeks, building up stock, doing a deep clean, 

preparing menus and sourcing the best ingredients”. 

Casa Adria had a VIP preview, with small samples 

Expat entrepreneurs ... 

the restaurant 

2 All our advertising rates are shown on page 40 

of different dishes, followed by a wonderful, packed 

gala opening in September 2011. 

Night two only brought two customers however. 

“it was the worst night of my life” Mark says wryly. 

There have been ups and downs … great nights 

when the restaurant is bursting at the seams, 

weddings, birthdays and nameday celebrations … 

but also fallow times, including January when the 

weather was so bad. Very special nights included 

Thanksgiving, where at least sixty people from 

the American University celebrated. Each month 

sees a new theme: whether Italian, Mexican, Asian 

etcetera, with the most popular dishes being 

incorporated into the permanent menu. 

The very long working hours continue for owner 

and manager Mark. He now employs two chefs 

- Lyubomir Sandev and George Mandelov - two 

waiting staff and a kitchen porter all of whom are 

local Bulgarians. Mark maintains tight quality 

control, spends much of his time in the kitchen and 

ensures the presentation in particular is spot on. All 

this work is starting to pay off … though Mark has 

lost ten kilos in the process! 

“You’ve got to have passion for 

what you’re doing” 

Mark says, especially to keep up with this kind 

of workload. There is an awful lot of admin, 

inspection and bureaucracy … the chefs even have 

to provide stool samples! “The bureaucracy is worse 

than the UK” Mark confirms. “There are things I 

would do differently in hindsight, like keeping more 

of a distance between myself and the staff. But I love 

it … and every day I remind myself I’m doing this for 

my daughters’ futures”. 

On the marketing side, social media including 

Facebook has paid big dividends. Casa Adria 

has had to do surprisingly little in terms of 

conventional advertising so far as word of mouth

spreads. With a 

student population 

of over 20,000 Mark 

focused initially 

on the American 

University – but no 

longer has to rely 

on it for his custom, 

which is excellent 

news for the future. 

But running 

costs are high, 

and Mark warns 

other budding 

restaurateurs not to 

expect a profi t for six months to a year. “It takes a 

huge amount of time – and money – to be a success” 

Mark nods. “you have to tweak opening hours, 

staffi ng levels, menus and ingredients and you MUST 

listen to other people. You may think something is a 

great idea but if your customers don’t agree: it’s not!” 

Casa Adria is now regarded as the best restaurant in 

town, has been covered on TV and has a loyal local 

clientelle. Th is is not a big expat area, unlike VT, 

so the customers are almost exclusively Bulgarian. 

Th is may change during the summer months when 

the tourists arrive around Bansko and Pirin. Th e 

menu is fi rmly international, with a huge choice 

of dishes from around the world and plenty of 

vegetarian options. 

I was fortunate enough to visit it this month and 

sample the fi ne food and atmosphere for myself. 

Th e area is indeed exclusive and residential, so 

perhaps it’s a surprise to see a restaurant there. Even 

on a Wednesday night, however, the restaurant was 

packed until the early hours of the morning. Mark 

confi rms “hardly anyone books ahead, so we never 

know what any night is going to hold!” Th e interior 

is classy without being ostentatious, welcoming and 

warm. 

Th e menu was bursting with choice and temptation. 

Th e service was excellent, the food served on hot 

plates with a big smile and superb presentation. Th e 

food was absolutely delicious: garlic king prawns on 

a bed of tagliolini in pesto made a great appetiser to 

prepare for an excellent fi llet steak in pepper sauce. 

A rich dark chocolate mousse sealed the deal! Th is 

is, quite simply, the best meal the editor has had so 

far in Bulgaria. My companion, a vegetarian, had 

a huge plate of bruschetta followed by a polenta 

and broccoli dish. Th ere is a signature dish – the 

Casa Adria salad - a home-made Parmesan basket 

overfl owing with iceberg, rocket, cherry tomatoes 

pine nuts, coated in home-made house dressing 

with two pieces of blue cheese on top. Th e portions 

were ample, the service immaculate and not 

rushed. In total we whiled away more than fi ve very 

enjoyable hours. 

Mark’s ethos is to serve the best quality products, 

in the best surroundings, by the best service and 

defi nitely slow food. “Th e fastest food you get in 

the restaurant is chicken bites … but still made with 

best quality breast of chicken, no added rubbish”. 

And when looking towards the future? Mark says 

“I’d love in the future to move forward with my 

own greenhouses and gardens where we could grow 

our own food, even a few sheep and hens would be 

good … I’d like to spend more time front of house 

eventually and would love to consult to other 

restaurants.” 

Blagoevgrad is also the perfect centre for exploring 

Pirin, Rila, Bansko and beyond … so why not take 

a long weekend? Put Casa Adria fi rmly on your list 

of fantastic places to eat! 

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3

Holidays and 

celebrations 

* = public holiday 

May 1st Tuesday* – Zamskiden (Snake Day) 

and Den Na Truda (Labour Day) 

May 6th Sunday* – St George’s Day also 

Bulgarian Army Day (see opposite) 

May 9th Wednesday – Victory Day – celebration 

of the Russian defeat over Nazi Germany 

May 11th Friday – St Cyril and St Methodius Day 

May 12th Saturday - German Gradushkar or 

German the Hailman 

May 24th Thursday - 1st Grade in schools 

finishes for the summer ... combines with ... 

May 25th Friday* – Bulgarian Education and 

Culture, and Slavonik Alphabet Day (schools 

closed) 

Both on 11th and 24-25th May, Bulgarians 

celebrate the saints who founded the Cyrillic 

alphabet – St Cyril and St Methodius. Bulgaria 

was the first country in the world to adopt 

this early alphabet, sometime between 855 

and 900 AD. The Greek brothers, who worked 

throughout their lives to develop the culture and 

language of the Slavic countries, were officially 

canonized as joint patron saints of Europe by 

Pope John Paul II in 1980 – but their day has 

been commemorated since the 11th Century 

according to many sources. The celebration of 

their incredible achievement is now a national 

holiday here in Bulgaria. They developed 

this new language in order to translate The 

Bible into a tongue that Slavic nations could 

understand, and are celebrated not only in 

Bulgaria but in Russia, Macedonia, the Czech 

Republic and Slovakia. Our very own university 

Market 

days 

Dryanovo 

vegetables, clothes, household goods, some 

livestock. Near the Park Hotel - every Saturday 

Dzhulyunitsa (Dshuljuniza) 

just off the Varna road. Agricultural, fruit & veg 

… with occasional pigs for sale - every Sunday 

Elena 

vegetables, poultry and plants just up from the 

main square also clothes etc. behind the football 

stadium - every Sunday 

Gorna Oryahovitsa 

agricultural fruit & veg market every day, clothes 

etcetera adjacent to the bus station and a flea 

market across from Kaufland - every Friday 

Pavlikeni 

various goods, tupperware, clothes, fruit and veg 

… from the main square, between M-Tel and the 

Town Hall, turn right - every Tuesday 

Polski Trambesh 

fruit & veg, clothes, bric a brac ... either side of 

the railway tracks - every Wednesday 

Sevlievo 

various goods, clothes, fruit and veg … every 

Friday 

Veliko Tarnovo 

fresh fruit & vegetable market every day 

on the corner of “Nikola Gabrovski” and 

“Bulgaria” boulevard from mother Bulgaria, 

head up the main street (turning left if your back 

is to Mother Bulgaria) and the market is at the 

major road junction, approx. five minutes walk. 

See Map, centre. 

in Veliko Tarnovo is named after the brothers. Is YOUR market not listed? 

Let us know: email editor@vttimes.net 

4 All our advertising rates are shown on page 40

St George: a saint for two countries 

Saint George enjoys a celebration in Bulgaria that is even 

more important and noticeable than the celebrations in 

England. It’s one of the biggest spring festivals and name days. 

For the saint is not just England’s patron, but the patron saint of 

herds and shepherds. There are deep-rooted, probably pagan, 

traditions associated with goats and sheep, that have combined 

with Orthodox religion to give the rituals that survive today in 

Bulgaria. While England’s pastoral lifestyle may be something of 

the past, in Bulgaria it remains very much a part of everyday life. 

This day is an ideal time to celebrate the common 

pasts and mutual aims of our two countries, 

especially for English expats living in Bulgaria. 

May 6th is known as Гергьовден - Gergyovden, also 

Gergjovden or Gergevden, or Gurgevden or even 

Jourjovden. OK, it can be a little confusing! Even 

more confusingly, St George is celebrated on April 

23rd in the UK. It’s all about the Julian and Gregorian 

calendars … and can’t be readily explained. But 

here in BG, May 6th is most definitely the day. It’s a 

name day for anyone with a derivation of “George” 

- and that’s a pretty long list. This holiday, falling on 

a Sunday this year, is a national day off. There are 

many rituals that are centred around agriculture, 

good harvests, productivity, wellbeing and health. 

In England, despite recent efforts to increase the day’s 

importance, not many people celebrate it and you 

don’t even get a day off. Maybe some will wear a rose 

or fly the flag, which England adopted in the 12th 

century. Though both Boris Johnson and Andrew 

Rosindell MP are campaigning for St. George’s Day 

to be a national holiday in England, there is a distinct 

lack of celebration in the UK. 

In Bulgaria however, traditions remain strong. 

On the night before St George’s Day, girls pick 

flowers and herbs. Three flower wreaths are made: 

one for the sheep who traditionally get their first 

milking, one for the lamb that will be sacrificed (it’s 

customary to cook an entire lamb on this day) and 

one for that first bucket with milk in it. Farmers 

decorate their homes and their livestock quarters 

with greenery. Herbs are fed to the animals and eaten 

by the farmers. Gergyovden bread is made the night 

before, see page 18 for the recipe. 

Sheep and goats are taken out to graze before sunrise 

and then brought home for the first ritual milking. 

People may roll in the morning dew, wash in or 

drink it, to bestow 

health on themselves. 

That spring’s first 

born male lamb is the one chosen to be sacrificed to 

Saint George. This is a highly ritualistic process, with 

flowers, candle and blood, but traditions vary from 

region to region. 

If it rains on May 6th it’s seen as very lucky, with 

every drop “carrying a golden coin”. 

Typically, the whole village is invited to join in a 

feast, with Gergyovden bread a central feature. 

The feast should also include the whole roasted 

lamb, fresh milk, sirene cheese, yogurt, a milk and 

rice desert, raw garlic, boiled wheat, pastry with 

butter, pork brawn, cheese banitsa and eggs. In 

some regions, children throw the crumbs from the 

Gergyovden bread and sometimes girls stand next to 

the feast: both are believed to encourage tall growth 

and fertility of the crops. The village host buries a 

red Easter egg in the fields for fertility. Sometimes, 

villages set light to any straw left over from the 

Christmas dinner, particularly on the fields. There 

are Horo dances and, in some places, a pregnant 

woman (poor thing) is supposed to dance around the 

large village table all day long waving a green frond. 

Dancing goes on into the late hours, sometimes 

in national costume. Swings are also important 

for balance and health, so get out to a children’s 

playground and enjoy! 

St George is also celebrated in Catalonia, Czech 

Republic, Ethiopia, Egypt, Georgia, Gozo, Greece, 

India, Iraq, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, 

Russia, Serbia and the Ukraine! St George also helps 

unite faiths, even if only briefly. Both Muslims and 

Christians in Bulgaria celebrate and, in the Holy 

Land, go to an eastern orthodox shrine at Beith Jala 

near Jerusalem together. Muslims believe St George 

will cure all people of madness. We can only hope so. 


5

Gardener’s calendar 

It’s time to start planting out, which is always very exciting (if you 

can see a patch of garden for weeds at this point, unlike the editor!) SuzyJ 

gives us her month by month guide … helping us each month with what to 

do, what to grow and when. 

May 

Get ready to work folks, as May is the month that 

you’ll be spending more time in the garden! 

In the ground you may already have onions, 

potatoes, garlic, peas, lettuce and radishes. Keep an 

eye out for colorado beetles and aphids. Potatoes 

need earthing up and weeds need to be kept down. 

You should be starting to harvest lettuce and radish: 

lovely Bulgarian salatka! Keep an eye on onions; warm 

weather and rainfall can make them bolt and start 

producing fl owers. Onions will be smaller as the plant 

puts more eff ort into producing fl ower heads. Cut off 

any that you see unless you are planning to collect 

onion seeds. Th is should help your onions grow better. 

You can sow cucumber, squash (all varieties), 

pumpkin, melon and courgettes in pots inside or 

under glass, plus cabbage, lettuce and radish direct in 

the garden. Water in well and leave to do their own 

thing. Choose carefully where you will be planting 

them as most squash/pumpkin varieties and also 

peppers/chillies can cross pollinate, therefore any seeds 

you save may not be true. You may end up with many 

more chillies as they seem to be more dominant. Many 

herbs can be directly sown in the garden now, although 

some germinate at a faster rate than others. If you plan 

to grow mint it’s best to sow it in a pot or corner of 

the garden you have spare as it can be very invasive. 

Strawberry runners and other soft fruits such as 

raspberry canes and gooseberries can be planted now. 

From 6th May all risk of frost has passed, so it’s time 

to get those seedlings you’ve been growing indoors 

into the ground. Prepare the land if you haven’t already, 

make sure you handle seedlings delicately and plant. 

Aft ernoon is the best time, once the hottest part of 

the day is over and the soil is warmed. Don’t forget to 

water seedlings in. 

When planting seedlings, you can 

use crushed eggshells or used coff ee 

grounds to keep away snails and slugs. 

A length of copper wire around your 

beds will also deter some of the things that will enjoy 

munching on your produce. For aphids and black fl y, a 

simple washing up liquid and water solution can help 

but if you have ladybirds they are defi nitely a bug to 

encourage - as they’ll happily eat lots of aphids. 

Whether you grow in blocks or rows is up to you, 

although some plants need support. Beans and peas 

need a trellis-like structure to climb on. Tomatoes 

benefi t from a stake and lines to hold them up as 

they tend to get very heavy once fruit is growing well. 

Cucumbers, squash and pumpkins can be grown on a 

trellis too, but heavy vegetables may need extra support. 

A trellis can be made very easily using long straight 

branches pushed into the ground across from each 

other, tied at the top to make a triangle shape. Place 

these along your vegetables and you can add string/ 

twine as the plants grow and wind themselves upwards. 

Keeping everything watered and weeded is the key 

to a good harvest. Also make sure your plants have 

enough space and light to grow and mature. Mulching 

around your plants with lawn clippings helps the soil 

conserve water and they will break down over time to 

replenish lost nutrients and keep your garden healthy. 

If you have already sown radish, lettuce, peas, garlic 

and onions outside you should be seeing them grow 

by now and it won’t be long before you can start to put 

food from the garden onto your plates. Some fruit 

trees will be producing from about mid May: just think 

of all the jams, jellies and desserts that can be made. 

Th at’s what it’s all about and shows that your hard work 

is worth it. 

by SuzyJ More about my life and garden can be found here: http://blog4bulgaria.blogspot.com/ 

Why not look me up on Twitter too: @blog4bulgaria 


A growing concern ... 

We are delighted to be able to profile Priateli-Veliko Tarnovo Foundation: our 

local VT charity run by a very dedicated group. Priateli has been working 

informally to support disadvantaged people for several years, and became a legally 

registered Bulgarian charity in 2010. Here, founder Chris Fox gives us more history 

and information on this very worthwhile cause. 

It started in a small way in 2007, providing 

Christmas presents for some sixty children in 

Balvan orphanage, then new trainers for all in 2008. 

Word spread, and soon the team were asked to help 

other institutions. This we did, including 

• disadvantaged students at Kolio Ficheto 

School in VT 

• kindergartens at Draganovo and 

Draghizhevo 

• financial support for two students from 

Penio & Maria orphanage (VT) who gained 

places at VT University 

• much-needed dental treatment for another 

youngster from Penio & Maria 

• a donation towards expensive, essential 

medication for a student in Gorna 

Oryahovitsa 

• school bags and equipment for some of the 

most needy children in Gorna Oryahovitsa 

The list goes on and on. 

One important cause is the Crisis Centre for 

Children near VT. Here, up to ten girls live at the 

centre at any time; girls as young as ten who’ve 

been removed from abusive situations – sexual, 

physical abuse or trafficking. The Centre is a secure 

unit that’s clean and warm, but sparsely furnished. 

In the last year, Priateli has provided a TV, DVD 

player, washing machine and Nintendo Wii plus 

games, arts and crafts, trainers, English textbooks 

and paint to brighten the unit. 


7

When children in care reach 18 they cease 

to be wards of state and must leave, find work, 

accommodation and support themselves. Many 

return to their families, some to the same abusive 

situations, and a few go on to university. One 

girl, whom we shall call May, turned eighteen in 

January and so had to leave the Centre. A Sofia 

based Bulgarian charity paid three months rent 

on a basic apartment and equipment for May and 

another girl. The other girl returned to her abusive 

husband, so May now lives alone. She needs to pay 

bills, rent and to feed herself, but work is scarce. 

May is intelligent and creative and wants to be a 

pathologist. Her spoken English is good and she 

intends to sit her English Matura, hoping to go to 

university in the near future. Priateli and the Real 

English School are providing English lessons and 

Oxhab - another English charity - is providing 

individual lessons. The only job available to May 

is factory work which means long hours, making 

lessons impossible. Priateli has provided financial 

support in return for May’s help in the Priateli 

shop. This, hopefully, will enable her to study while 

the viability of a university course is explored. 

Priateli’s shop, believed to be the first charity 

shop in Bulgaria, is at 29B Bulgaria Boulevard 

(going towards KAT) on the left, just below Ethno 

restaurant and next door to what was Piraeus Bank. 

Here volunteers receive and distribute donations 

of clothing and sell the items that aren’t suitable for 

the institutions supported. The money is used to 

pay the running costs of the shop with any excess 

going back into charity funds. Everyone is welcome 

for a visit or a chat, with or without a donation. 

Money is raised in many ways. Priateli’s regular 

pub quizzes and raffles are very popular. Barbecues 

and a hog roast have been held at Camping Veliko 

Tarnovo for the last two years and were a huge 

success. Alan Haywood did a sponsored bungee 

jump last year; this year Mick Weavers has offered 

to compile a number of family trees for people 

in return for a donation to Priateli … many 

people help in many ways. In addition, expats 

and Bulgarians give cash donations, including 

Vasil Dimitrov, who regularly donates 10% of his 

earnings. Priateli are incredibly grateful to all. 

Future projects 

Priateli has been offered the use of the Beer 

Garden at Dobromirka (some 40km from VT 

towards Sofia). This gives the charity a base in the 

Pavlikeni/Sevlievo area, attracting a new group of 

people and more fundraising events. 


Priateli is now in an exciting partnership with the 

department of architecture at Sheffield University. 

Students there built an adventure playground in 

Romania last year and will now raise money, then 

research and design an adventure playground/ 

sensory garden for the children at Alen Mak 

kindergarten in Gorna Oryahovitsa with Priateli’s 

support. This will enable the inclusion of disabled 

children in outdoor play at the kindergarten, in line 

with EU legislation. 

Government policy is to close all orphanages 

within the next eight years. Children will be 

fostered or returned to their natural families. The 

number of children at Balvan has halved since 

Chris first visited four years ago and, thanks to EU 

funding, the buildings have improved enormously. 

But children still need shoes, toys, Christmas 

presents and medical care beyond the basic 

‘life or death’ care provided by the government, 

together with occasional luxuries which we take 

for granted - trips to the swimming pool, bowling 

alley or cinema. Priateli will continue to support 

local orphanages and, thanks to the generosity of 

its supporters, can widen the scope of its work. 

More equipment for local kindergartens is needed 

and the Home for Disabled Women in Draganovo 

village is in need of support - amongst other things 

clothing is needed so donations of good, clean 

second-hand ladies’ clothes will be very welcome at 

the Priateli shop. 

For more information please visit www.priatelivt.com

Useful numbers 

G E N E R A L 

FREE CALL 

112 

ENGLISH, FRENCH AND GERMAN-SPEAKING OPERATORS 

Fire & rescue = 160 

Medical emergency = 150 

Emergency road service 

& roadside assistance 

= 146 

Traffic police = 165 / 166 

Pharmacy on duty = 178 

These numbers work on mobiles and landlines. 

BG Helpline - For 24-hour, 7 day-a-week 

support in English for any reason, go to 

www.bg-helpline.com 

BG Helpline provides English-language support 

for visitors and permanent residents. Help includes 

everything from medical emergency, being stopped 

by police, to negotiating with taxi drivers. 

Since 2009, the company has offered pricing from 

a euro per day for unlimited calls. Some interesting 

cases BG Helpline have tackled include: 

• helping visitors avoid traffic tickets by providing 

‘phone translation and convincing the police not 

to issue a ticket; 

• assisting people in finding hospitals and 

providing an attendee; 

• getting roadside assistance and helping roadside 

companies find the location of the accident. 

Pricing schemes range from under 10 Euro for five 

day trips to 15.99 Euro for six months. 

British Embassy / Consulate 

Tel: 02 9339 287 

Mob: 0885 606 800 

Fax: 02 9339 250 

Dialling codes 

Country prefix: +359 

Local prefixes: 

62 = VT 

610 = Pavlikeni 

618 = Gorna Oryahovitza 

631 = Svishtov 

Vehicle Recovery Services - www.uab.org 

This is the Bulgarian equivalent of the AA or 

ADAC. They operate countrywide and arrange 

recovery, repairs and services including hotel 

accommodation for stranded passengers. Their 

call centre has English and German-speaking 

operatives. Dial 02 91146 or 146. 

Previously state owned, this is now a business with 

repair centres and their own recovery vehicles. 

They also subcontract to other service centres to 

ensure countrywide coverage. 

They offer three levels of cover, from 35 leva a year for 

a basic local recovery service up to 250 leva for twelve 

months that covers you all across Europe, with hotel 

accommodation for a night and a rental car. 

With many thanks to Nick Kinson of Camping Veliko 

Tarnovo for providing this information. 


9

Make ends meet … 

Maybe you’ve come to Bulgaria to retire, maybe you’ve come here at a younger 

age and need to earn your living. Maybe a bit of both. Maybe it would just 

be really nice to make a few extra leva for treats. 

Many people ask how they can earn money out 

here in Bulgaria and – unfortunately – there’s no 

simple answer. Unless you’re resourceful and self 

starting. 

Because let’s face it, unless you’re completely 

bilingual, you’re unlikely to get a mainstream 

job with a Bulgarian firm. There are so many 

well educated (and yes bilingual) young people 

here who can’t find work and, when they do, 

the average salary is around 660 leva a month. 

But that’s the average across Bulgaria including 

the capital Sofia – and, sad to say, many young 

people around VT are working for far less … 

some 290 leva a month (the minimum wage). 

Do it yourself 

So, as an expat in a highly competitive market, 

how are you going to make your living? Well, 

there’s good news too. If you run your OWN 

business, taxation here is low. 10% for both 

personal and corporation tax. The equivalent of 

national insurance is also pretty good. See page 

26 for how to start up a business legally here. 

But what business to do? You’ve 

got to play to your strengths. 

A lot of qualified builders, electricians, joiners, 

plasterers and plumbers do manage to make a 

living here. And lets face it, most people have 

homes that require a lot of renovation and they 

may like to work with qualified specialists who 

speak their first language. Those who master the 

language and build a good reputation don’t just 

work for expats - but for Bulgarians too. There 

are a whole lot more handymen and enthusiastic 

DIYers who also do work. Be careful if going 

down this route – never sell yourself as being 

more qualified than you are. Don’t take on jobs 

that are beyond your skills. It simply doesn’t pay 

in the long run. You end up with dissatisfied 

customers and, in a small community, the word 

spreads. 


It’s the same with estate agency work. It could 

seem an easy option to set yourself up in this 

line of business, dealing with Brits who want 

to move over, communicating via the internet, 

showing them around and getting a good fee. 

Some do so brilliantly. But be aware – it’s a 

competitive market with some very good players 

out here already, the market is quite flat at 

present and the Bulgarian government is looking 

at new legislation to only allow certified and 

registered estate agents to operate. 

Getting crafty 

Maybe you’re an artist, the crafty type, 

photographer, maybe a budding writer, maybe a 

gardener? What you have done in your previous 

life … you may well be able to do here. There is 

a market for all these professions and more. All 

around VT and via the internet there are sales 

channels for your creations or services. Cottage 

and craft industries may not make you a fortune 

but can be very satisfying and make for good 

pocket money. 

Become a digital nomad 

The internet allows lots of skilled people to 

maintain a living irrespective of location. If 

yours is a transferable business such as website 

building, IT, writing articles, selling via Ebay 

or design, you should be able to communicate 

with clients back in the UK, the US or anywhere 

else in the world. Almost as easily as if you were 

still based in your home country. And you may 

well find it an advantage being two hours ahead! 

You can look SO on the ball … having clients’ 

materials with them as soon as they hit the 

office. They don’t have to know it’s already mid 

morning with you.

Work on the web 

There are also many purely internet-based 

jobs; what’s now called telecommuting. But be 

judicious in your choices. Be aware that some 

estimate as many as 80% of these ‘opportunities’ 

are scams. However, with a bit of careful 

research you can find data entry jobs, freelancers 

sites where you bid for work, and content 

creation or blog writing opportunities that help 

others optimise their search engine recognition. 

Again, it really helps if you LIKE writing and 

have some experience of creating content for 

the web … because you’ll have to do a lot of it to 

make it pay. 

Work for other expats and 

exploit your English 

There ARE jobs out there. Perhaps you could 

teach English, work for a British company, an 

estate agent, restaurant, call centre or hotel 

needing those who can speak a language other 

than Bulgarian? You’ll need to search carefully, 

but www.jobs.bg allows you to search through 

typically more than 8,000 vacancies and tailor 

your search by area and profession. You may 

find translation and teaching work and some 

companies do specifically look for native English 

speakers. But be aware: to be an English teacher, 

you need to be qualified. As with all professions, 

you can’t just walk into them without experience 

and qualifications just because you happen to 

speak a language. 

In VT, we’re lucky to have a pretty big 

community of English-speaking expats. Many 

are running companies and, though most are 

small, some may have openings at campsites 

or bars, building firms or as tourist guides and 

drivers. Ask around and you might just find a 

job opportunity. 

Of course, the best thing is to come out here 

with a job or your own business already secured, 

if you do need one. But that isn’t possible for 

everyone. But, as with anywhere in the world, it’s 

all about seeing a gap in the market and filling it. 

See our expat entrepreneur articles, this month 

on pages two to three, to get some inspiration! 


11

Handy Bulgarian 

So, for those who have borne with us since the beginning, here are the final ten 

letters of the Cyrillic alphabet for you to learn! 

To see the previous, if somewhat irreverant lessons, just download the PDF of the last two issues at: 

vttimes.net/archive-2 

Once you’ve got these under your belt – congratulations! You now know all 30 letters and should be 

able to decipher most words you see. 

But first – a quick recap. Don’t forget that you can sing these to the traditional A, B, C song children 

in the UK and USA use to learn THEIR alphabet. It does work for Bulgarian, too! 

А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У 

A B V G D Eh Sh Z Ee Ikrakto K L M N O P R S T Oo 

Write them out over and over again, practice deciphering every sign and menu you see, sing them, 

make flash cards … whatever works for you. Everyone learns in different ways. 

My view is that these last ten are the hardest, so sorry about that. But you can do it! 

– We first came across this one on a 

Ф DVD of Harry Potter and the Order of 

the феникс. Phoenix. For the Harry Potter 

fans, it looks a bit like the deathly hallows 

symbol! It’s a “f” sound. Business people 

will get a фактура. Factura, or invoice. So 

see this very distinctive letter and think 

“Phoenix”. 

Х 

– oh oh, its back to our old false 

friends I’m afraid. If you think 

of “ex”, put a big black x through your 

thoughts. It’s a “h” sound. But it’s even 

more than that. For the Scots and Welsh 

among us, it’s like the throaty “ch” in 

“loch” or the start of “chwyrndrobwll”. 

For the English? See Х and start clearing 

your throat. 

Ц 

– what a GREAT letter to have! Tz. 

Now you can say “tzar” or “tsetse 

fly” without all those annoying t’s, z’s 

and s’s everywhere. So much simpler. It 

Fitz. We gets it. Around VT, you’ll see it 

on many a sign to ЦАРАВЕЦ. Tsaravets. 

Quicker, shorter, easier. You’ve got to love 

Cyrillic. 

Ч 

– turn it upside down, it looks like a 

church with a steeple. And “Church” 

it is, “Ch”. 

Ш 

– shhh. I’m hunting wabbits. 

This one takes a long time to 

write so you have to shhh … As you start 

painstakingly with the downstrokes, say 

shhh. Ш. Shh. 

Щ 

-sht! Someone jogged my arm at 

the end! This little slip of the pen 

makes you say sht. As in smashed. 

So there’s the penultimate six for you to learn. 

None are instinctive, but all are very pretty. Add 

them on to the end of your song … 

EE A, B, V, G, D, Eh, Sh, 

Z, ee, Ikratko, K, L, M, N, 

O, P. R, S, T, Oo, F, H, tz, 

ch, sh, sht … EE 


And now we REALLY reach the crescendo! 

Ъ 

– Ug. We don’t like this one AT 

ALL. Looks like another blinking 

b. See it and say “Backwards hat, ugly 

brat”Its “u” in ugly. Evil little so and so. 

Th e last three should be taken together when 

you see and say them, for learning. 

Ь 

– I know, it’s getting worse. “Little 

b, what sound makes she?” She’s 

little, not a capital. So she’s a Youth. Y 

sound. Get your head round the Б В 

Ъ Ь diffi culties and you are SO there. 

Ю 

Я 

- you, in youff club. Looks like 

I.O: so yes - I - O – you. 

- yar. “Backwards R is a yar.” 

Th ese last three letters make yuh, 

you, yar. Say it to horrid posh yuppies. 

Write it, say it, sing it … and add it to 

your song. 

EE A, B, V, G, D, Eh, Sh, Z, 

ee, Ikratko, K, L, M, N, O, P. 

R, S, T, Oo, F, H,Tz, Sh, Sht, 

Ch, Uh, Yuh, You, Yar! EE 

Б - b with a hat is a “bee” in fact 

В - capital B, it’s a V 

Ъ - backwards hat, ugly brat 

Ь - little b, youth you see 

Yes – You have done it! Now you just need to 

practice so it becomes second nature to SEE the 

letter, SAY the letter then KNOW the letter. 

In next month’s issue? 

Well, I’m afraid we haven’t stopped. Now 

we’ll move on the vagaries of how letters 

are written in handwriting, rather than 

printing. Th ere are some really annoying 

ones, so we might as well deal with them. 

If you’ve got this far, give yourself a mighty good pat on the back! 

А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й 

A B V G D Eh Sh Z Ee Ikrakto 

К Л М Н О П Р С Т У 

K L M N O P R S T Oo 

Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ь Ю Я 

F H Ts Ch Shh Sht Uh Y You Yar 


13

Train times 

Train travel in our region is fast, cheap and oft en through beautiful countryside. Th e trains 

are old, with individual carriages. We recommend going fi rst class for the couple of extra leva 

– you’re then pretty certain to get a seat and oft en a carriage to yourselves. We don’t always 

recommend the toilets! Trains are non-smoking (however not everyone abides by this entirely). 

Th ere’s no need to book tickets in advance; just turn up at the station. 

Th e VT region has two main stations: Gorna Oryahovista to the east, and Pavlikeni to the north west. 

Th is timetable is not comprehensive, instead showing the major inter-city routes. You can also get trains to 

Gabrovo, Kardam, Kulata, Shumen, Stara Zagora and Svishtov for example. 

ALWAYS check times before travelling as they are subject to change and we cannot be held 

responsible for any errors or omissions. 

Did you know? 

The trains run on Sundays and public holidays too … though 

sometimes with a limited timetable – so check fi rst! 

Large private white house to rent 

• 3 kms from Veliko 

Tarnovo 

• To town; taxi - 4 leva, 

bus 0.70 leva 

• Great mountain views 

• Private parking 

• Good food shops and 

bars in the village 

• Suits house hunters 

and families needing 

accomodation 

• Pets welcome 


70 Euros / day (discounts available) 

Please contact 

Inclusive of: 

• Fast broadband internet 

• Large Satellite TV & Hi-Fi 

• and all utilities 

Charlie . . . . . . . . . 0886 295 999 

Mark . . . . . . . . . . 0885 293 302

To Sofia: 

Fast, direct trains only shown. Average journey time: 

3.5 hours. Average price: 12-15 leva. 

Gorna Oryahovitsa Pavlikeni Sofia 

am 

01:40 ..................02:08 ..............05:50 

02:00 ..................02:28 ..............06:20 

03:01 ..................03:28 ..............07:20 

05:00 ..................05:26 ..............09:05 

08:08 ..................08:34 ..............12:15 

pm 

17:33 ..................17:59 ..............21:24 

To Ruse: 


2 - 2.5 hours. Average price: 12-15 leva. 

Pavlikeni Gorna Oryahovitsa Ruse 

am 

00:18 .............00:49 ...................02:46 

- .................04:36 ...................06:49 

- .................07:05 ...................09:37 

- .................11:05 ...................13:33 

pm 

12:40 ............. - .....................15:25 

19:23 .............20:00 ...................21:59 

To Varna: 


3-4 hours. Average price: 10-17 leva. 

Pavlikeni 

am 

Gorna Oryahovitsa Varna 

03:40 04:15 07:44 

07:36 ............ 08:15 ...................11:40 

- .............. 10:58 ...................14:03 

pm 

13:47 ............ 14:22 ...................17:40 

17:03 ............ 17:42 ...................21:01 

- .............. 19:59 ...................23:35 

Useful vocabulary: 

From Sofia: 


3.5 hours. Average price: 12-15 leva. 

Sofia Pavlikeni Gorna Oryahovitsa 

am 

09:05 .............12:39 ...................13:05 

10:05 .............13:46 ...................14:12 

pm 

13:15 .............17:02 ...................17:30 

15:45 .............19:22 ...................19:49 

17:30 .............20:58 ...................21:25 

20:40 .............00:17 ...................00:44 

21:10 .............00:55 ...................01:22 

23:30 .............04:09 

From Ruse: 


2 - 2.5 hours. Average price: 12-15 leva. 

Ruse Gorna Oryahovitsa Pavlikeni 

am 

06:00 .............08:02 ...................08:33 

08:00 .............10:31 ..................... - 

11:05 .............13:51 ..................... - 

pm 

13:07 .............15:46 ..................... - 

15:27 .............17:26 ...................17:58 

17:58 .............20:32 ..................... - 

22:02 .............23:59 ..................... - 

23:25 .............01:35 ...................02:07 

From Varna: 


3-4 hours. Average price: 10-17 leva. 

Varna Gorna Oryahovitsa Pavlikeni 

am 

04:25 ............07:56 ........................- 

07:45 ............10:50 ........................- 

11:00 ............14:18 ....................14:53 

pm 

12:50 ............16:04 ....................16:39 

17:25 ............20:40 ....................21:10 

22:30 ............01:52 ....................02:27 

първа класа ............(purva classa). . . . . . . . . . . . first class 

двупосочен билет ......(dvuposochen bilet) ......return ticket 

еднопосочен билет .....(ednoposochen bilet) .....one-way ticket 

коловоз ................(kolovoz) ...............platform / track 


15

Hospitals with emergency departments 

VT 

Hospital Veliko Tarnovo “Dr. Stefan Cherkezov” 

in Cyrllic: МОБАЛ “Д-р Стефан Черкезов “ АД 

A&E: 24 hours 

Tel: +359 62 26 841 (or 150 in emergency) 

Address: 1 Nish Street, (Ul. Nish) Veliko Tarnovo 5000 

Directions: in the north-west of the city. 

From the west, take the 3rd exit off the 2nd (Billa/Praktiker) 

roundabout up Bul. Bulgaria. You can see the hospital blue 

cross from the roundabout. The hospital is very shortly on 

the left. 

Website: www.mobaltarnovo.com 

Gabrovo 

Multiprofile Hospital, Mnogoprofilna Bolnitsa 

Za Aktivno Lechenie 

in cyrillic: Многопрофилна Болница За Активно 

Лечение 

A&E: 24 hours 

Tel: 066 800 243 ext. 624 

Address: ul. D-r Iliev-detskiya 1 

Directions: At the first roundabout in Gabrovo, go straight 

over towards the centre on the main road. In the centre, at 

the big traffic lights (Balkan Hotel and Fusion Restaurant on 

your right), take the right and follow the small slip road up 

the hill next to the Fusion restaurant for 20 metres. At the 

top of the incline take a left on to a larger road. Follow this 

for approx. 100 meters to the first zebra crossing and take a 

right. After 30 metres take the signed left-hand turn for the 

hospital. Follow this for at least 1km through a residential 

area until you come to a park area that is a hospital. 

Website: mbalgabrovo.com 


Municipal hospital “St. Ivan Rilski”, 

Mnogoprofilna Bolnitsa za Aktivno Lechenie Sv. 

Ivan Rilski 

A&E: 24 hours 

Tel: 0618 60701 

Address: 72, Otets Paisii str., Gorna Oryahovitsa 5100 

Directions: just off the main Lyaskovets road. If coming 

from Lyaskovets, turn left before you get to the bend 

with the builder’s merchant on: before the town centre. 


Doctors 

д-р ВЕСЕ МИХАЙЛОВ (Dr. Veselin 

Mihaylov), Polyclinic / TAB-Hospital, VT 

Tel: 0888 407955 

Opposite Marno Polo park, 3rd fl oor, Rm 328. 

Speaks perfect English and accompanies expats 

to other specialists and interprets as needed. 

Dr. Latev 

Vasil Levski, 

Pavlikeni 

Tel: 0888 880609 

Opposite Notary offi ce / Raiff eisen Bank on one 

of the main shopping streets, between the town 

square and the road to the bus station. 

Vets 

Th is listing is not supported by advertising, 

but is a list of personally-recommended 

practitioners in our region. Do you have 

one to add? Email editor@vttimes.net 

Borislav Borisov, Pavlikeni 

0888 419 568 

bobi_vakka@abv.bg 

speaks good English, very reasonable rates. 

Close to the old LIDL; coming from the bus 

and train stations it’s on the left on the main 

street as you drive towards the centre square. 

ECLIPSE Vetinary Clinic, central VT 

062 604989 

simvet_vt@abv.bg 

Gulin Ganchev, Sanivet, Veliko Tarnovo 

0888 702 713 

sanivet.eu/index.php 

both vets and the nurse speak good English. 

Momchil Dobrev 

Mobile Vet covering the VT region 

0889 808 061 - highly recommended vet 

and his partner with great English, does call 

outs, minimising the trauma to your pet. 

Pharmacists 

Th ese are the pharmacies we know to have 

English-speaking staff : 

Pavlikeni – adjacent to the medical centre and 

orange café, almost opposite the Notary. 

Resen – owned by the same middle-eastern 

pharmacist. 

Veliko Tarnovo – towards Tsaravets on the main 

street, to the right (near the sex shops). Apteka 

with white fascia board and blue writing. 

Dog Tired & Cat Nap Boarding Kennels 

European Pet Transport 

REGULAR TRIPS TO AND FROM UK 

WITH PETS 

CALL US FOR DETAILS 

Large modern purpose built kennels 

o�ering high standards of hygiene and 

personal attention for your pets. 

Experienced professional driver well versed in 

pet care will transport your pet through Europe 

or locally within Bulgaria for kennelling. 

• Supported by local vets • 

• Wide range of pet services available • 

www.boardingkennelsvelikotarnovo.com 

0885519184 / 061642222 


17

Th e Bulgarian kitchen 

PASTRY WITH LAMB MEAT 

Preparation: 

A Gergyovden feast ... 

Finely chop the meat, onions and parsley. Cook the onions in the 

oil (reserving a little oil) for fi ve minutes until golden then add the 

parsley. Add the rice, then the chopped meat and cook through for 

fi ft een minutes. Cut the pastry sheets into rectangles. Th e rectangles 

should be arranged in a group of three - one on top of the other - as 

each of them is brushed with the reserved oil. On the top rectangular 

sheet put some of the fi lling, tuck in the upper and bottom ends and 

wrap into rolls. Arrange the pastries into a greased tin. Beat the egg 

and use it to coat each pastry. Cook in a preheated oven to 180° C till 

golden. 

GERGYOVDEN LOAF 

Preparation: 

Sieve the fl our into a big bowl and mix with the salt and sugar. Make 

a well in the middle. Melt half of the butter and mix it with the milk, 

letting it cool down. Dissolve the yeast in the buttermilk mixture and 

gently pour it into the fl our well. Take some of the surrounding fl our 

and make a thick paste in the well. Leave it in a warm place to work 

for thirty minutes. Add the mixed eggs and knead for ten minutes. 

Cover the dough and leave it to rest for an hour and a half or until 

it doubles in size. Put the loaf in a large greased baking tin, keeping 

some of the dough back to decorate the top of the loaf (a sheep, 

shepherd or lamb is traditional). Leave the loaf to rest again for fi ft y 

minutes then bake for thirty minutes at 190° С. 

Ingredients: 

200g left over lamb 

Filo pastry sheets 

50g cooked rice 

1 egg 

30 ml vegetable oil 

1 bunch of parsley 

1 bunch of spring onions 

Ingredients: 

450g fl our 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon sugar 

100g butter 

120ml milk 

20g fresh yeast 

3 eggs 

Th is recipe comes courtesy of Savina Savova. Do you have a seasonal Bulgarian recipe to submit? 

Just email editor@vttimes.net 


In the night skies … 

4th May - Largest full moon of the year 

Eta Aquarid meteors (will be obscured by the 

full moon, but best seen around 3am) 

6th May - Full moon 

20th May - New moon 

Annular solar eclipse … alas, we won’t see it in 

Bulgaria. If you happen to be in China, Japan or 

Texas however … it should be spectacular! 

Saturday 28th April 

World Astronomy Day! 

Worldwide, people are encouraged to look 

through a telescope or just look up at the star 

dusted skies. Perhaps this is the perfect time to 

head out into the fi elds or mountains and do 

some serious star-gazing. 

Did you know? 

Bulgaria has three observatories. 

One is at Belogradchik, out towards 

the Serbian border. Th e public 

can visit both both during the day day and 

evening for a 2 leva fee. You MUST 

ring ahead ahead however: 

Call 0878 602 682 or 0936 5 33 72. 72. 

Th ere ere is another at Shumen 

University University and a third at 

Rozhen, near near Smolyan in 

the Rhodophe Mountains 

(south (south of Plovdiv) which 

also welcomes visits 

and demonstrations by 

appointment. 

Telephone Telephone 0309 5 83 56. 

Internet resources – Bulgaria blogs 

Blogs are fascinating things. People pour their thoughts, views, experiences and feelings out onto the 

web for all to see. We’ve rounded up some that you might be interested to read. Th ey are all written 

by English-speakers living in Bulgaria and give some great insights into life out here. 

A Letter from the Back of Beyond 

Two early retirees from just north of VT write all 

about life out here, with lots of photos and humour. 

http://aletterfromthebackofb eyond.blogspot.com/ 

Blog 4 Bulgaria 

A couple living and working near VT with an organic 

smallholding and a renovation business. Suzy writes 

about life, the animals, horses and garden. 

http://blog4bulgaria.blogspot.com/ 

Phil in the Yantra 

Phil Clayton has lived and worked in VT for 

eight years. Phil writes short and pithy blogs 

about VT and the traditions of Bulgaria, also 

advertising his properties for sale. 

http://philintheyantra.blogspot.com/ 

Bulgarian Village Life 

An English couple write about their new life out 

here north of VT, with links to recipes and more. 

http://bulgarianvillagelife.blogspot.com/ 

Catherine Barber 

Catherine is the Deputy Head of Mission to 

Bulgaria for the Foreign & Commonwealth 

Offi ce, working at the Embassy in Sofi a. Her 

blogs include news from the consulate and 

embassy but also about her life. 

http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/catherinebarber/ 

Girl Meets Bulgaria 

Whitney is a 20something American, married to 

a Bulgarian gentleman. Her blogs are funny and 

oft en informative, with good photography. 

http://girlmeetsbulgaria.com/ 


19

Ul.San Stefano 

Metro 

E772 

© 2012 VT Times 

Ul. 36-tа 

TO SOFIA 

Magistraina 

Central Mall 

incl. cinema 

4 

Western Bus 

Station 

200 mtrs 

Blvd. Bulgaria 

E772 

Blvd. Nikola Gabrovski 

1,000 ft 

Veliko Tarnovo 

Dept of 

Education, VT 

N 

KAT 

office 

Palace of 

culture 

and sports 

"Vasil 

Levski" 

Ul. Maria Gabrovska 

E772 

Lidl 

Ul. Ul. Ul. Krakov Krakov Krakov 

4 

Belyakovsko shose 

Billa 

Hospital 

Praktiker 

H 

Ul. Nish 

S 

Blvd. Ni 

McD

Ul. Stoyan Mihaylovski 

tadium 

kola Gabrovski 

onalds 

E772 

Blvd. Bulgaria 

4 

Central 

Bazaar 

(market) 

Magistraina 

Municipal 

Hall 

Theatre 

Law Courts 

Police 

Bolyarka 

brewery 

Ul. Vasil Levski 

4 

Maika 

Bulgaria Bulgaria 

Southern 

Bus Station 

TO TSARAVETS 

i 

514 

Marno 

Pole 

Park 

5 

TO STARA 

ZAGORA 

Stambolovo 

Bridge 

Ul. Nezavisimos 

Ul. Hristo Botev 

E85 

E85 

Post 

Office 

514 

Information 

Etar Bus 

Departures 

5 

Assens’ 

Monument 

VT Regional 

Administration 

(Tax Office) 

Boris Denev 

Art Gallery 

E85 

4 

5 

Railway 

Station 

Yantra 

Grand 

Hotel 

Ul. Stefan Stambolov 

TO 

RUSE 

TO VARNA

What’s on 

this month: 

28th April (Saturday) 

Stara Planina Fest “Balkan Folk 2012” in VT 

Big Horo (Bulgarian folklore dance) at 6.30 pm around 

“Mother Bulgaria” monument 

2nd - 6th May: Sofia Film Fest in Veliko Tarnovo 2012 

– a whole host of international films on display in the 

big hall at the Municipality Building. 

For the full programme, see 

http://velikoturnovo.info/arte.php?Codf=12 

7th May (Monday) 

Stara Planina Fest “Balkan Folk 2012” in VT 

Big Horo (Bulgarian folklore dance) at 6.30 pm around 


8th May (Tuesday) - a free musical concert in the 

Great Hall ( Големия салон на НЧ „Братство-1884) 

in Pavlikeni at 6.30pm, featuring students from Sofia, 

celebrating a united Europe. 

9th May (Wednesday) – Good Food Fair at Camping 

Veliko Tarnovo, Dragizhevo 12.00pm – 2.00pm. 

British and International food and drink on sale with 

the café bar open. 

9th May (Wednesday) – a comedy play by Francis 

Berbier in the Great Hall ( Големия салон на НЧ 

„Братство-1884) in Pavlikeni, at 7.00pm. Tickets from 

4 to 6 leva. 

9th May (Wednesday) – The Ugly Duckling: a musical 

for children in the DMU 10.40 

10th May (Thursday) – in Pavlikeni – Celebration 

of the 136th anniversary of the April Uprising. A 

programme including the laying of wreaths in the 

main square at 8.00am, a choir concert at 7.00pm, a 

torchlit procession at 8.00pm followed by fireworks. 

All centred around the main square. 

10th May (Thursday) – Stara Planina Fest “Balkan 

Folk 2012” in VT – in Marno Pole park from 10.00am 

onwards 

10th May (Thursday) – 6.00pm – a brass band concert 

in the Marno Pole park 

12th May (Saturday) 

Clean up Bulgaria Day: get out and get clearing 

rubbish around your area! Check with your local town 

hall for events in your village or town. There is an 

event taking place at Preobrazhenie Monastery on the 

Ruse road, about 6km north of VT. 

Musina, from 7:00pm, A celebration of the 136th 

anniversary of the April Uprising. Includes a torchlit 

parade, concert band and fireworks 

13th May (Sunday) 

Stara Planina Fest “Balkan Folk 2012” in VT – in 

Marno Pole park from 10.00am onwards 

14th May (Monday) 

Stara Planina Fest “Balkan Folk 2012” in VT – Big 

Horo (Bulgarian folklore dance) at 6.30 pm around 


19th May (Saturday) – Humour Carnival / Festival of 

Humour – Gabrovo. A massive celebration with floats 

and parades … the preceding week is packed with beer 

festivals, music concerts and more. 

26th May (Saturday) – Car Treasure Hunt to raise 

funds for the It’s a VT Knockout and therefore 

equipping ambulances. 10 leva per car. Meet at 

Camping Veliko Tarnovo at noon sharp! 


27th May (Sunday) - Car Boot Sale at Camping Veliko 

Tarnovo, Dragizhevo 

09.00 am to early afternoon. BBQ grill will be serving 

home-cured bacon, home made sausages and burgers. 

The café bar will be offering a delicious selection of 

cakes and pastries along with hot and cold beverages. 

1st June (Friday) – Quiz Night to raise fund for It’s a 

Knockout and in turn to equip local ambulances. From 

5.30pm, venue to be confirmed in central VT. Only 10 

leva per team of 4, plus a raffle. Watch this space, check 

the Facebook groups or email 

editor@vttimes.net for more details.

every week: dates for your diary: 

Arts & Crafts Club 

2.00pm Wednesdays at Camping VT. More info on 

0619 42777 or 0886 877244. 

Balkan Ramblers 

Weekday and Sunday mornings(weather permitting). 

Various walks around the VT region. 

See our Facebook page for more information: 

www.facebook.com/groups/178009388950067/ or 

search ‘Balkan Ramblers Information Group’ 

Karaoke 

Every Monday night from 10.00pm at McNamara’s 

Irish Pub, Nezavisimost 25, Veliko Tarnovo 

phone 0878 812 358 or see 

www.mcnamarasirishpubvt.com for more info. 

Poker 

Every Monday night at Camping Veliko Tarnovo at 

7.30pm. Maximum stake 5 leva. Beginners welcome. 

Sunday Roast 

Back by popular demand at Camping Veliko Tarnovo 

every Sunday, with three courses from 10.5 leva. 

Advanced bookings please on 0619 42777 or 0886 877 

244. 

Yoga 

Every Thursday 11.00am - 12.00 noon 

Beginners welcome 

5 leva per class 

venue varies according to season: please contact 

Annie for more info - 0877 307282 or email 

reikirainbow7@yahoo.com 

Cinema 

From 

27th April 

Safe (crime, USA) 

4th May 

The Avengers (action/adventure, USA) 


MS1: Lockout (thriller, USA) 

Dark Shadows (horror/drama, USA … great cast!) 


The Dictator (comedy, USA) 

Men of Steel (action/thriller, USA) 


Men in Black 3 (comedy, USA) 

Cinema Arena, Central Mall 

phone 062 605205 / 0894 404 481 or visit 

www.kinoarena.com for times and tickets 

7th - 8th July - Sofia Rocks 

a two-day rock festival at the National stadium “Vasil 

Levski” featuring Guns ‘n’ Roses, Iggy and the Stooges, 

Ugly Kid Joe and many more. Two-day tickets available 

from 50 leva. 

See www.eventim.bg/en 

21st - 22nd July – It’s a VT Knockout – Camping Veliko 

Tarnovo, Draghizhevo 

A wonderful day out for you and your family, with teams 

of six contestants taking part in ground and pool games 

… bring a team or come to watch! Children’s games, 

a pub quiz, barbeque and much more … camp there 

overnight and enjoy an entire weekend. Email editor@ 

vttimes.net for more information. 

Mindya Rockfest 

usually the last weekend in August, this is a fantastic 

local event that has FREE admission and camping … 

watch this space for more details. 

1st September – Red Hot Chili Peppers 

The first time the legendary band have performed in 

Bulgaria, the Chilies are coming to Georgi Asparouhov 

stadium. Starts 8.00pm, tickets from 70 leva. 

Tickets from www.ticketpro.bg 

7th - 9th September – Farm Fest at Trinity Rocks 

Camping 

Live music and BBQ, DJs and more … right by the edge 

of the Yantra river. 

6th October - Silistra Orphanage Garden Party 

A great annual fundraising event. Contact 

Bernadette Leggett via Facebook or go to www. 

bulgariaorphanagesillistra.com to volunteer help, ideas 

for stalls or to find out more. 

Having a 

Do? 

List your event here, free of charge! 

Just email editor@vttimes.net 


23

Dining Out Special 

The next issue of the VT Times features a dining out special. 

This is a great time, with tourists and holiday home owners 

arriving, to highlight YOUR restaurant and attract new customers. 

VT Times will spotlight great places to eat, places that are family friendly or good for 

couples, and include independent customer reviews and themed articles. 

NOT intended as a comprehensive directory, this is an exclusive guide 

to the finest eateries in the region. 

“ the essential 

reference book 

for Brits in VT 

Rates start from just 65 leva for an impactful 

colour quarter page - with special offers for this 

issue 

• advertisers in the city get a FREE entry on 

our pull-out VT map 

• qualify for a FREE link from our website and 

publicity on Facebook 

• customers retain copies as reference, giving 

you a long shelf life 

• publicise your forthcoming events for FREE 

• VT Times reaches over 2,000 Englishspeaking 

readers in the region and beyond 

and is distributed in all major outlets 

including the Tourist Information Centre and 

via Yantra Today newspaper 

• this invaluable resource has a web version 

that reaches hundreds of readers abroad 

looking to relocate to the region. 

Call 088 293 1456 or email info@vttimes.net 

to reserve your space. 

Want us to review your restaurant? 

Call 088 293 1455 or email editor@vttimes.net Deadline for booking is 18th May 2012. 

24 

“ 

All our advertising rates are shown on page 40

Classifi ed ads 

For sale: 

Wooden french doors, 70cm x 187cm. Cost 

1500 leva, sell 200 leva. 

Television 16’’, 50 leva. 

Mont Blanc car roof box 100 leva. 

Buyer collects from Lesicheri near Pavlikeni. 

Telephone 0879 421 714 

For sale: 

Organic honey, produced in large village area 

near Pavlikeni, 6 leva per jar 

Homemade Rakia (made from grapes and 

apricots), 8 leva per litre. 

Telephone 0889 137 410 

place your own classifi ed ad here – your items to 

sell, buy or swap FREE for private sellers’ items 

under 100 leva! Just 10 leva for items over 100 

leva or trade adverts. 

Call 088 293 1456 or email your words to 

info@vttimes.net 

VT Translations & Advice 

translating • interpreting • advice and help 

I am British and have lived in Bulgaria for 6 years and 

speak �uent Bulgarian. I help English speaking expats 

with all aspects of settling into a new life in Bulgaria. 

Documents, registering English cars, days out, general 

info about Bulgarian services etc. 

Also van & driver for hire for removals etc. 

For more information, contact me on 

0886996312 or e-mail velikottaa@gmail.com 

sunlight properties 

low cost property agents in 

the veliko turnovo area. 

please contact 

charlie 0886 295 999 

mark 0885 293 302 

skype mark.c.moore 

email markmoore81@gmail.com 

• COMPANY FORMATION €199 

incl. all fees 

• ANNUAL COMPANY ACCOUNTS €119 

incl. all fees 

• CAR REGISTRATION ON BG PLATES €49 

this is our company fee to complete the procedure, 

there are also government fees of approx. €150 

• INTERPRETING €29 

our company fee for translation from/to 

BG-EN; BG-RO 

• AIRPORT RUNS €90 

from Veliko Tarnovo to So�a, Varna, Bourgas 

and Bucharest; experienced English speaking driver 

• RENOVATIONS AT BULGARIAN RATES 

over 7 years of experience with UK customers; 

free quotations; references from our customers 

• PROPERTY AND LETTING MANAGEMENT 10% 

commission of the monthly rental price 

COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND BUSINESSES FOR SALE 

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE ENQUIRE! 

ONLY 1.5% COMMISSION IF YOU BUY OR SELL EXCLUSIVELY WITH US 

www.selectbg.net 

+359(0)893 382 367 

43, St.Stambolov Str, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria 


25

Legal matters: Starting a business … 

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to run your own business in 

Bulgaria. You are probably now slightly concerned about the paperwork and 

administration involved. Don’t be: this guide should help you go through the 

process without too much sweating. 

Though some people prefer to work in cash 

only and avoid the taxman altogether by not 

declaring a business at all, that’s becoming 

rarer and does carry risks. For one, you are not 

avoiding tax; you’re evading it. And that’s illegal. 

Two, if you happen to run into some problem 

during your work: someone gets hurt, you get 

sued … if you don’t have a limited liability 

company (ООД) you’ve got no cover and are 

personally responsible for damage and losses. If 

your business is at all public, with customers and 

competition, the safer route is to make it legal 

and official. Just remember: there might be some 

business people out there who see you as a threat 

and it’s very easy for them to report you. 

Running a company in Bulgaria can be far 

preferable to keeping your business in the UK. 

Taxes are set at a flat 10% for both income tax 

and corporation tax – amongst the lowest in 

Europe. OK, fair play, Montenegro is 1% lower. 

And Bosnia lower still. But ... as Monty Python 

would say … APART from Montenegro and 

Bosnia, nowhere is lower. Definitely no EU 

country offers the same benefits. And if you’re 

coming from Scandinavia, it’s going to feel like 

an absolute bargain. 


EU citizens have every right under law to 

start a business here in Bulgaria, under the 

same conditions as Bulgarians and those with 

residency. There’s great news when starting a 

business in Bulgaria: you probably already have 

one! As per previous issues of the VT Times, 

you tend to need a business to buy a home, 

though this is changing and will do more in the 

next couple of years. So, actually, you’ve already 

done a lot of the work. You should even have a 

business bank account. 

When you dig out a copy of your original A4 

application to register a company, you’ll see that 

the articles tend to be cleverly written. Under 

section 6, company activity, there should be 

a long list of possible businesses you can take 

part in, ending “as well as any other activity not 

banned by the law or any other legal document.” 

Excellent. So, unless you’re planning a 

prostitution or gun-running racket, most things 

are allowed.

But to start actively trading, rather than filing 

zero returns year after year, you need to put in 

place certain things. 

• You need a Bulstat number. It’s still commonly 

referred to as that, but actually now it’s the 

ЕИК. Good news: you have one. It’s on your 

original company incorporation document, 

which is entitled УДОСТОВЕРЕНИЕ – 

meaning, quite simply “Certificate”. The 

number you want is your ЕИК (Единен 

идентификационен код) – that’s the same 

initials as per your personal ID. It’s a unique 

identification code for a company just as you 

have one for you as an individual. You can look 

up the details of any other company via their 

Bulstat number by going to https://public.brra. 

bg/CheckUps/Verifications/ActiveCondition. 

ra and find out who manages it, its capital and 

registered address. 

• You need your company stamp, for all 

withdrawals, transactions at the bank and 

invoices you raise. Again, good news! You 

should have been given this when you set up 

the company to buy your home. 

• Now something you don’t already have: a cash 

register. Since 2011, these have been connected 

directly to the National Revenue Agency 

(NRA). They cost under 300 leva including 

a contract for one years’ mobile SIM so that 

every time you do a transaction in cash, it’s sent 

through the ether direct to the NRA. Tremol 

(www.tremol.bg) manufactures these registers 

and they’re right here in Veliko Tarnovo. If 

you’re going to do any transactions that involve 

receiving cash, you need one of these. 

• Tell the tax office you’re trading. This must 

be done within seven days of your first 

transaction. The location of the tax office in 

VT is on the map, see centre pages. There are 

going to be forms to fill in, so you’ll need an 

interpreter – preferably an accountant. 

• VAT: contrary to popular opinion, you don’t 

HAVE to register for VAT. That is, until you 

hit the threshold in any twelve-month period. 

Basically, if you turn over more than 50,000 

leva a year, you must register for VAT. Within 

14 days. But if you can keep your declared 

turnover below this … you don’t. 

• When and if you do, you have to submit 

returns monthly and within 14 days following 

the previous month end. It’ll cost you more. 

• Invoicing: every invoice must be in a 

consistent, legal format. An invoice is called a 

фактура, factura, and must be stamped with 

your company stamp and signed on receipt of 

payment. Essentially, it’s more of a proforma 

than anything else until it is signed – then it 

becomes a receipt. Of course payments can be 

received into your company bank account as 

well as in cash, but each and every transaction 

should have a paper trail and invoice. You may 

want to get your accountant to produce these 

invoices in the correct style. See below! 

• OK, enough hints … you’re going to need 

an accountant. Because each month you 

need to submit a return and pay your stamp. 

In Bulgaria, you don’t just let it all go on 

happily and then sort out the books, tax 

liability and national insurance at the end 

of the year. No, you trot along to the tax 

office and do this monthly. There are several 

good Englishspeaking accountants in Veliko 

Tarnovo alone who can handle all your invoice 

production, expenses claims and monthly 

returns for a very reasonable fee. Even if you 

are totally bilingual or have a Bulgarian partner, 

an accountant is going to be almost absolutely 

necessary at some point (and probably at every 

point if you aren’t or don’t). 

• Paying your stamp: just like in the UK, there is 

a National Health Insurance Fund here and at 

least one employee per company must pay into 

it. If you employ Bulgarian staff, they need to 

be paying in too. See www.en.nhif.bg for more. 

You can do this by standing order or at the tax 

office, monthly. The minimum is currently 115 

leva per month, or there’s a higher contribution 

of 130 per month. You get free healthcare and, 

if you pay at the higher level, sick pay too. 

• Minimum wage: as of April 1st 2012, the 

minimum wage is 290 leva per month. So if 

you’re thinking of hiring people, bear that in 

mind. The minimum age for employment is 16. 

With an accountant and an understanding of the 

rules, starting to trade as a company needn’t be 

a nightmare. 


27

Bus times 

weekday times are shown. Please always check before setting out.We cannot be held responsible for errors. 

Local Buses from Veliko Tarnovo 

tickets for buses in and around VT can be bought either on the bus, or for longer routes at the 

appropriate bus station. Inside the city, tickets are valid for one journey only and cost 60 - 70 stotinki. 

To Gorna Oryahovitsa 

Number #10 bus runs frequently from 7am to 9pm, via the Ruse road, to opposite Mother Bulgaria 

To/From Tsaravets 

hop on a bus number #20, #40 or #50 

To Arbanassi 

from the marketplace 

06:30 07:30 08:15 11:45 13:15 14:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 

To Elena 

from Western Bus Station 

08:00 12:15 13:00 15:00 15:30 17:15 18:30 

To Emen 


08:30 18:00 

To Dryanovo & Gabrovo 

from Western Bus Station / marketplace 

07:30 09:00 10:30 12:00 13:30 15:00 16:30 18:00 

To Gorna Lipnitsa 

07:00 13:00 15:00 

To Hotnitsa 


07:30 09:00 13:30 15:00 17:30 

To Kilifarevo 


06:00 06:30 06:50 07:30 11:00 11:45 13:30 16:00 16:25 17:15 

19:45 

To Pavlikeni 


07:30 09:30 10:30 11:00 11:30 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:20 

17:30 18:00 18:45 19:00 

To Polski Trambesh 


07:00 07:30 07:37 08:00 09:00 09:30 

then on the hour every hour until 17:30 18:30 


To Veliko Tarnovo 

from Pavlikeni 

06:30 (via Emen) 

07:00 (via Daskot) 

07.20 (via Daskot) 

07:30 (via Mihaltsi and Musina) 

08:10 (via Pushevo) 








15:00 (via Musina) 



16:10 (via Emen) 



From Kilifarevo 

05:55 06:30 07:45 08:30 08:50 

11:40 12:50 14:32 17:30 18:46 

Long-distance - Veliko Tarnovo 

To Athens: 03:30 (direct) 

from Southern Bus Station 

To Istanbul: 09:45 (through Omurtag) 

18:45 (through Omurtag) 

20:30 

from Southern Bus Station 

ETAP long distance coaches from Veliko 

Tarnovo: 

from Hotel Etar (the Etap bus stop). See map, 

centre. 

http://www.etapgroup.com/bg/index.html 

S o fi a : 

Approx. 20 BGN one way, 3 – 3.5 hour journey 

To: 

02:15 04:15 04:30 06:15 09:00 

09:20 09:30 11:00 16:00 17:00 

17:30 19:45 21:15 

From: 

00:30 07:45 09:00 11:00 12:30 

13:30 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 

17:00 18:00 19:00 22:30 

Varna: 

Approx. 18 BGN one way, 3 – 3.5 hour journey. 

To: 

02:00 04:00 09:15 11:15 12:30 

15:00 16:00 17:15 18:45 19:30 

20:45 21:45 22:45 

From: 

00:45 05:30 06:50 08:30 11:00 

12:30 13:30 17:30 22:30 

From Gorna: 

S o fi a : 

Approx. 22 BGN one way, 3 – 3.5 hour journey. 

To: From: 

05:15 13:15 16:30 

From Gabrovo: 

S o fi a : 

Aprox. 18 BGN one way, 3 – 3.5 hour journey. 

To: From: 

16:30 08:00 

Southern Bus Station: 062 620 014 

Western Bus Station: 062 640 908/062 644 950 

Etap buses: 062 630 564 

http://www.etapgroup.com 

Is your bus not shown here? Please email editor@vttimes.net 


29

Puzzles by Kris P. Baykon 

Crossword 

1 

2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 

9 10 

11 

12 13 

14 

15 16 17 18 

36 

Sudoku 

19 20 21 

22 

23 24 

25 26 

27 28 

29 30 31 

32 33 

34 

35 


Across 

2. American University 

4. Watch pocket 

8. Colonial Govenor 

10. Arab crop 

11. 2nd letter in the Greek alphabet 

12. Wooden hammer 

14. Swear 

15. Rocky peak 

17. Mint oil 

20. Jane - - - - - , actress 

22. Snake poison 

23. Ship’s room 

25. Mule 

28. Meadow 

29. Shooting area 

33. Simplest 

34. Skin picture 

35. Cabaret 

36. Wooden - - - - - , Elvis song 

Down 

1. River island 

3. Irish Gaelic language 

5. Creature 

6. Mineral element 

7. Insignificant 

9. Desert ruminant 

13. Symbolic badge 

14. Child’sbed 

16. Stone worker 

18. Fringe 

19. Undiluted 

21. Couch 

24. Imply 

26. Highly sugared 

27. Crave 

28. Parasitic worm 

30. Declare 

31. Sporting side 

32. Discretion

Cryptic crossword 

kindly supplied by The Captain 

Across 

1 & 3 Chilean wine from original beginning gets 

moved infrequently. (4,2,1,5) 

9 Useless tracks targeted by the press. (9) 

10 Get it taken out of spitoon and it’s good for the 

cuttlery draw. (5) 

12 Not clever to put pet in bother. (5) 

13 Sir, late and unlikely to fantasise. (7) 

14 Surely missing the east in a loathesome way. (5) 

15 Still I rent out. (5) 

16 A game in which you may be suspended.(7) 

18 Sale item to be a game. (5) 

20 It’s enough that current unit goes French.(5) 

24 Province for example, turns to her. (7) 

25 Low to the south-east, a beast. (5) 

26 Shout loud,with missing student underneath. (5) 

28 Strike out lie about inmate on the run. (9) 

29 Condition forcefully made known. (7) 

30 Borrowed once a year. (4) 

Down 

1 Puts a priest in it’s place. (7) 

2 One racer around Zimbabwe capital is nuttier. (7) 

4 Large number at the top of the retail 

establishment. (6) 

5 Show Roma has a clean area.(8) 

6 Cut back in police budget. (3) 

7 Small drink for a child. (4,3) 

8 Crane found here reportedly. (6,6) 

10 Take part on screen as a mini voter on the run. 

(4,2,1,5) 

11 Food item is nothing before a vile twist.(5) 

17 Label fewer folk to be untitled.(8) 

18 With only one string, goon’s out leg before 

wicket. (4,3) 

19 Kid next to Al is everything. (5) 

21 Words before cafe opens. (7) 

22 Ask for new rent and to dine, say. (7) 

23 Ruled area for various subjects. (6) 

27 Finished playing cricket but not at home.(3) 

Find the answers to last 

month’s puzzles on p. 38 

Wordsearch 

D E Q U I N O X R Y C L V 

T U L I P B L O S S O M E 

H S E Y S P R I N G V I R 

E I M A R T E N I T S A N 

G R E E N P L H S P C Z A 

C U C K O O A E G T Y M L 

U C C I M V M Q E Z O V L 

E F R R J X B H L F N R O 

S N O W D R O P Y W X K K 

F M C T H K W J T A Q W V 

T Y U L S H O W E R S C Z 

Z A S X S U N S H I N E A 

C A D A F F O D I L Y S U 

SPRING, MARTENITSA, STORK, CROCUS, SNOWDROP, 

TULIP, DAFFODIL, CUCKOO, SUNSHINE, SHOWERS, 

LAMB, GREEN, VERNAL, EQUINOX, BLOSSOM 


31

How to tackle boredom ... 

OK ladies - let’s be honest here. Do you occasionally pine for your old home, 

your girlfriends, the grandkids or the cat you left behind? It’s alright to say 

yes. Really it is. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you’re on the brink 

of running home, tail between legs. At times, feelings of boredom and isolation are 

natural, even in your longed-for retirement or dream home. 

Even those born and bred in rural Bulgaria 

fi nd boredom can set in and look for ways to 

counteract it. 

Only the other day, I was chatting 

to my 76-year-old Bulgarian 

neighbour Elena,* who has taken 

full advantage of a recent Bulsat 

free installation off er and has never 

been happier. Each aft ernoon, her 

goats bleat uncomfortably with lopsided 

udders while her compot burns. Why? 

Because, she tells me with an uproarious 

laugh, there are two free hours of porn 

a day, of which she takes full advantage. 

She proceeds to tell me, between great 

guff aws, numerous terrifying details which 

I couldn’t possibly mention in a family 

magazine. 

Now I’m not suggesting porn, per-se. But we 

all need some ‘us’ time now and again. Self 

suffi ciency does fi ll a lot of hours, all that 

bottling and butchering, tending and chopping 

but it isn’t always very cerebral, is it? But then 

again, I’m not sure porn is? I think I’m losing my 

point here ... 

What I’m trying to say, is Elena* has been 

reinvigorated by her new interest. Two hours 

a day means she has a new hobby. For her it’s 

exciting and adventurous - an escape from her 

normal chores. 

In general, we girls aren’t good at fi nding and 

doing what makes us happy. Every expat male 

I know seems to have hobbies. In my village 

alone, they have motorbikes, bonsai, music, 

sculpting and the eternal bloody DIY. But the 

women have fewer. 

(*her name has been changed to protect the not-soinnocent) 

32 

Is it because we gave up our passions all those 

years ago to make a home and raise our kids? 

We began cooking, cleaning, organising, 

worrying … in essence we became nurturers. 

In the process, maybe we forgot how to do 

things that make just us happy, things that 

are, (gasp) completely selfi sh? 

Across Bulgaria, expats meet, the men 

talking animatedly about their particular 

passions and projects while the 

women sit discussing whether 

bleach should go down the 

septic tank or what soft ener 

smells the best. 

It’s 

almost 

like 

we’re not 

allowed to 

say we did 

something 

just for us. 

Have you heard 

any woman 

here say “We 

spent thousands 

All our advertising rates are shown on page 40

on getting my motorbikes over; now I spend 

weekends touring Bulgaria’s backroads with other 

like-minded female bikers” or “I go fi shing for 

six hours a day, because I enjoy the silence”? It’s 

uncommon, isn’t it? If we do hear these things, 

we oft en consider these women selfi sh and self 

centred. Maybe we should actually applaud and 

hail them as our role models. Th ey have retained 

their identities, their passion for life and are 

seldom bored! 

In the UK, we place our entire identity in our 

jobs and roles, (remember the introduction 

staple: “‘And what do you do?”) So perhaps we 

become non-entities when we stop working or 

nurturing. 

But is it really sensible to create an identity on 

how clean your home is or how white your 

whites are? Did you know: obsessive cleaning 

is actually a classic symptom of culture 

shock? 

Th e happiest women I know and 

admire have hobbies to get 

them excited about the 

day ahead. Some 

own horses 

and 

spend 

hours 

working 

with and 

caring for 

them. Others 

create beautiful 

and productive 

gardens. Some become 

tireless workers for 

good causes while others 

hand-make unique clothing. 

Th ese are still ‘nurturing’ 

type activities but they have 

strong elements of creativity, 

connection and investment 

in life. One amazing 73-year 

old English friend of mine is an inspiration. She 

regularly skinny dips, goes to rock concerts, has 

taken a bachelorette fl at for the summer and is 

always the fi rst up for singing and dancing at 

every party. In short, she seizes and relishes each 

and every day of her retirement. 

In Indian culture, there is a process called 

‘Vepassana’. On reaching retirement, men 

and women begin forty days of solitude and 

meditation at specialist centres. It’s designed 

to ease the transition from 

‘worker’ to ‘retiree,’ 

while encouraging a 

new zest for life and 

teaching the tools to 

make the most of the 

new beginning. Now 

I’m not suggesting you head 

for the hills for six weeks, but it 

does seem a wise idea, doesn’t it? 

To accept the transition and prepare 

to explore a whole new you, free of many 

old responsibilities yet open to all new 

possibilities. 

Coming here, our transition period is usually 

the ‘big move’ then the renovation process. It’s 

usually stressful, fraught and overwhelming. We 

more likely resemble a Bride-zilla who spend 

years planning the perfect wedding, only to sink 

into dire depression once the day has passed in 

a fl ash and mundane married life begins, than 

a enlightened Buddhist. We, like Bride-zilla, 

forget that this chaos is only the beginning and 

once the house is completed we wonder what 

the heck to do with our time. 

I say we let the men take on a bit more, delegate 

the washing or the washing up, while we down 

the marigolds and Jiff substitte for a while, and 

use summer 2012 for discovering who we are 

and what makes us laugh joyfully. What makes 

tomorrow a fresh and exciting day fi lled with 

possibilities and hope. 

And if you really can’t let go, why not 

compromise by dragging the ironing board over 

to the telly, making a cup of tea and watching 

your two free hours of porn (channels 65 and 69 

Elena* has reliably informed me!) 

Cursty Hoppe 

www.vttimes.net • info@vttimes.net • 088 293 1456 33

Spring quiz 

Kris P. Baykon’s on a quest to find all you ‘quiz saints’ out there, by George! 

1. Upon which day is St George’s Day celebrated in 

England? 

2. What colour is the cross on the flag of St George? 

3. In which year is St George usually said to have died – 

303, 903 or 1203? 

4. Which of the following countries is St George not the 

patron saint – England, Georgia, Canada, Portugal 

or Hungary? 

5. St George’s Day is a public holiday in England – True 

or false? 

6. In years gone by, what flower did people wear in their 

lapel on St George’s day? 

7. Which hymn is often sung in English churches on or 

around St George’s Day? 

8. The Queen traditionally announces new appointments 

to which royal order on St George’s Day? 

9. In which army is St George said to have served? 

10. Which famous English playwright’s life began and 

ended on St George’s Day? 

11. Which castle on the Cornish coast is purported to be 

the birthplace of King Arthur? 

12. Which folkloric hero is supposedly buried at Kirklees 

Priory in West Yorkshire? 

13. Which English composer is particularly associated 

with Malvern, Worcestershire? 

14. During WWII, fish and chips were one of the few 

foodstuffs not subject to rationing – true or false? 

15. How many years passed between the England cricket 

team’s victory in the Ashes in 2005 and their previous 

victory? 

16. The original 6th verse of the English national anthem 

begged God for assistance against which enemy? 

17. Who is supposed to have dismissed the English as ‘a 

nation of shopkeepers’? 

18. Who expected to see a non-indigenous species of 

bird over English cliffs in 1940? 

19. In which play did Shakespeare extol the virtues of 

England as ‘this sceptred isle’? 

20. According to the song, there will always be an 

England while there’s a – what? 

21. For how many years has Britain been ruled by a 

George? 

22. Which George had a notorious conversation with an 

oak tree? 

23. Which famous George was created by John Le Carre? 

24. Which George was a boyhood idol of Diego 

Maradona? 

25. What was George on Blue Peter? 

26. Which George has appeared in television adverts for 

Martini? 

27. Who starred as George of the Jungle in 1997? 

28. By what name did George O’Dowd become better 

known? 

29. Which George was linked romantically with Alfred 

de Musset, Franz Liszt and Frederic Chopin? 

30. Which George starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in 

the film Straw Dogs? 

31. Which George wrote ‘Rhapsody in Blue’? 

32. Which country honours St George in its name? 

Last month’s quiz answers 


1. Palm Sunday 2. He was crucified by the Romans 

3. He was resurrected from the dead 4. Jesus’s time in 

the wilderness 5. 12 6. Judas 7. 30 pieces of silver 8. 

Barabbas 9. Maundy Thursday 10. Money given by 

the Queen to the poor on Maundy Thursday 11. Hot 

cross buns 12. It represents the tomb Jesus rose from 

13. Passover 14. Yolk 15. Elle Macpherson 16. GLC 

17. I Am The Walrus 18. Jesus Christ Superstar 19. 

Fatal Attraction 20. The Long Good Friday 21. The 

Stone Roses 22. Jessica 23. Hibernian 24. Charlie And 

The Chocolate Factory 25. Rugby 26. Judy Garland 

27. Bonnets 28. Doe 29. Bugs Bunny 30. Coney Island 

31. 1st March 32. Daffodil 33. Land of my Fathers 34. 

Seaweed 35. Red, White and Green 36. Offa’s Dyke 

37. Llewelyn 38. Plaid Cymru 39. Bangor 40. Eat it – 

it’s a type of fruit bread 41. Green, Orange and White 

42. In Downpatrick (under Down Cathedral) 43. 

17th March 44. The Shamrock

Letters to the editor … 

Dear editor, 

I have read VT Times online and it is incredibly 

impressive. I think that it is the most informative 

and comprehensive expat magazine that BG 

has had to date. I used to subscribe to Quest 

Bulgaria in the days when it was only only 

a magazine subscription that physically got 

delivered all over the world and I loved it. This 

magazine of yours reflects all the time and effort 

you must put in to bring it off each time. So,I 

should like to thank you enormously for it. It 

is much appreciated. I love reading it and look 

forward to it now. Do keep up the good work 

and let me know if any donations are needed 

to keep it going and just how to do that from 

abroad if so. 

Frankie, London (and sometimes Karanci!) 

************* 

Dear editor, 

I am finding it very difficult to obtain copies of 

the mag. First one obtained fron Central Mall, 

no. 2 not found, no. 3 via a friend. Central Mall 

should be a very good area for distribution, 

Cafes, Pro Print Centre etc. It seems such a 

shame that all the ‘team’s’ hard work is unseen, 

as I cannot be the only one not getting regular 

copies. 

Regards 

Jeffrey 

Editors note: we are always very sorry to hear 

people are not getting their copies. There are some 

basic economic forces at work here: some outlets 

named charge to have copies available in their 

premises, others have a strict head office policy 

that does not allow for us to distribute: even 

though the VT Times is free to all. This includes 

all the major supermarket chains and many 

cafes. Obviously for a free publication we can’t 

pay outlets to allow us to put copies in. But we 

are very lucky to have many places who happily 

accept free copies: these are always listed, as soon 

as we put them in, on facebook.com/vttimes – 

in central VT, they include the Book Cave, the 

Yantra Hotel, the Tourist Information Centre, 

McNamaras Irish Pub and many more. Please 

watch the Facebook page to see exactly where 

copies are. Facebook.com/vttimes 

************* 

Hi, I’ve just received my second copy of your 

magazine. A friend of mine visits VT on a 

regular basis and brings several copies back 

with him and I have to say I’m very impressed. 

The amount of useful information packed into 

it is brilliant and I’ve really enjoyed the articles, 

particularly the ones about people setting up 

businesses out here. My wife and I have had a 

restaurant in Ravda, The Boat Inn for the last 

four years so we’re well aware of the bumpy ride 

involved. (Well worth it, though). 

I’ve still a page or two to peruse and the puzzle 

page to tackle which brings me to my only ounce 

of criticism. There’s just one thing missing … a 

cryptic crossword, so I’ve taken the opportunity 

to send you one of mine to look over! They used 

to appear on the “My B.G.” forum on the web 

every week but problems arose and nowadays I 

send them out by email. I reckon they’d sit nicely 

in your puzzle section, albeit a biased opinion! 

Come on, it’s a contribution you can’t refuse! 

Anyway, keep up the good work, and all the very 

best to all involved. 

Tony March. aka The Captain, Ravda 

Editor’s note: how could we refuse The Captain! 

Seriously, thank you very much indeed for the 

words and also the great contribution, which 

you’ll find published – of course – it’s on page 31. 

************* 


35

Hidden gem 

Our quiz meister extraordinaire Kris P. Baykon occasionally gets out, too! In 

this issue, he tells us about Nikopolis ad Istrum, a very important Roman site. 

Nikopolis ad Istrum is one of these places that tend 

to be overlooked, as it’s right on your doorstep. It 

has taken us over three years to finally get round to 

visiting these Roman ruins and we are glad that we 

have finally been. It will definitely be on our list of 

places to take the family when they next come over. 

The Roman town of Nikopolis ad Istrum was 

originally built during the rule of the Emperor 

Trajan and was in celebration of his victory over 

the Dacians. This was one of several that he ordered 

to be constructed across the Balkans. Nikopolis ad 

Istrum stands for City of Victory on the river. It was 

destroyed by Attila and his Huns in the fifth century 

but was later rebuilt as a fortress. 

On a nice warm Spring day, we pulled up outside 

of this ancient site and parked next to a dam lake. 

We were greeted by the usual official in such places, 

given a brief overview of the history and what we 

could expect to see. Unfortunately it was all in rapid 

Bulgarian, too fast for us to take it all in, but there 

are guides written in English that you can buy. The 

entrance fee was six leva a head; I think that for 

children the price is reduced. 

The entrance is through what would once have 

been the north gate and from what we could deduce 

there would once have been a moat. Even the run 

off from the town streets after a rainstorm would 

have been directed down to this point. This would 

have run through culverts beneath our feet, as we 

walked along one of the main streets. These main 

streets were paved with large slabs of stone. If you are 

visiting it is advisable to wear sensible footwear, as 

some of these slabs are no longer level and it could 

be quite easy to trip. 

In typical fashion, these Roman streets are laid 

out with regard to the cardinal compass points, N, 

S, E and W. Walking along this main street I was 

immediately struck by the peacefulness of the place. 

The only things that could be heard, apart from 

ourselves, were the droning of the bees and birdsong. 

“It must have been quite 

a peaceful place even in its 

heyday.” 

There are plenty of carvings to be observed on the 

various bits of masonry and columns that you see, so 

the stone masons would have been very busy people. 

I was surprised to find that some of the inscriptions 

are still quite legible, even after all this time. I was 

able to recognise not only Latin but also Greek 

inscriptions. On one of the grave monuments it was 

possible to see a face upon a sun: maybe a reference 

to Helios the Sun god in ancient Greek mythology? 

Although a lot of the ruins have fallen down or 

been looted over the years, it’s still an impressive 

place to visit. You can see the remains of the Odeon, 

a small theatre, surrounded by the remains of small 

shops. It’s possible to see the remains of the town’s 

square and where several civic buildings would have 

once stood. All of the valuable finds that have been 

excavated have been shipped off to museums in Sofia 

and Veliko Tarnovo, including some marble and 

bronze statues. A lot of bronze coins have also been 

unearthed, possibly because permission had been 

granted from Rome allowing Nikopolis ad Istrum to 

mint their own coinage. 

Getting there: As you leave Veliko Tarnovo 

heading for Ruse on the E85, you pass through the 

village of Polikraishte, after about 20 kms. Just after 

but before you reach the village of Kutsina, there are 

signposts for the ruins of Nikopolis ad Istrum. It lies 

near to the village of Nikyup. 

Excavations are still continuing, so it might 

be worthwhile getting in touch with the Tourist 

Information Office in VT to check that it’s open. 

Especially during the summer months. 


Sporting fi xtures 

Start times in local Bulgarian time Premiership Matches 


FA Cup Final at Wembley (17:00 K/O) 

5th - 6th May 

Guineas Horse Racing, Newmarket 


Europa Cup Final, Bucharest 


May Festival Horse Racing, Chester 


F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Catalunya 


Victoria Cup Horse Racing, Ascot 


Dante Festival Horse Racing, York 

17th - 21st May 

England v West Indies First Test Cricket, Lord’s 


Champions League Final, Munich 


F1 Monaco Grand Prix 


PGA Golf Championships, Wentworth 

27th May - 10th June 

French Open Tennis, Paris 

Did you know … 

all kick off s 17:00 Bulgarian time 

unless otherwise stated 

Tuesday 1st May 

Liverpool v Fulham (21:45 K/O) 

Wednesday 2nd May 

Chelsea v Newcastle United (21:45 K/O) 

Bolton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur (22:00 K/O) 

Saturday 5th May 

Arsenal v Norwich City (14:45 K/O) 

Sunday 6th May 

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (16:00 K/O) 

Blackburn Rovers v Wigan Athletic (16:00 K/O) 

Bolton Wand’ers v West Bromwich Albion (16:00 K/O) 

Fulham v Sunderland (16:00 K/O) 

Liverpool v Chelsea (16:00 K/O) 

Manchester United v Swansea City (16:00 K/O) 

Newcastle United v Manchester City (16:00 K/O) 

Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City (16:00 K/O) 

Wolv. Wanderers v Everton (16:00 K/O) 

Sunday 13th May 

Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers 

Everton v Newcastle United 

Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers 

Norwich City v Aston Villa 

Stoke City v Bolton Wanderers 

Sunderland v Manchester United 

Swansea City v Liverpool 

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham 

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal 

Wigan Athletic v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

You can � nd details of all the local football matches here: 

www.bfstar.hit.bg/prgint.html 


37

Behind the words 

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading some 

of Cursty Hoppe’s informative, funny 

articles in this and recent issues of the VT 

Times. 

Cursty’s writing career began in 2003, in Khartoum, 

Sudan. While teaching at the University of Juba she 

began freelance writing for UNICEF in Sudan. Later, she 

wrote and edited Sudan’s first English language ‘What’s 

On’ magazine, called ‘Al Bab’. She has the highly dubious 

title of first non-Sudanese woman to obtain a national 

publishing license. A responsibility that stalked her 

throughout the duration of the job, as any transgressions 

meant likely deportation or even imprisonment. 

Later, she became a staff writer for the United Nations 

Mission in Sudan. Lucky enough to document the 

country’s course through the transition period, she 

travelled to remote villages ravaged by decades of war 

and covered the mass movement of refugees back to 

their homelands. In 2006 she travelled the White Nile 

with the Dinka Bor Tribe, documenting the UN’s largest 

ever organised return of people and animals. 

Moving to Bulgaria with two small babies in 2010, 

to renovate a ruin (throwing copious amounts of 

money and cement into a gaping hole - on a beautiful 

hillside) saw a lull in the writing process. However with 

home now (mostly) complete, and kids (sometimes) 

sleeping through the night, she is back at the keyboard 

hammering away (well what’s left of it as Eva loves 

devouring the little pads that hold the keys on!) 

Last month’s 

puzzle answers 

Crossword 

K 4 

N 

1 

S T U D I O 

2 

S A P 

I 3 J 

5 

B O N N E T 

A 

A 

K 9 

O O 

6 

8 

G R O T T O 

I 

7 

S W A R 

D 

M 

O 

N 

I H G 

10 11 

A 

B 

R 

O S T O N 

12 

S T R E A M 

R M C A 

13 14 15 16 

O L I V E 

F O 

J 

17 

R 

U 

E P L I C A 

E 

18 

F 

S T R I C T 

A H 

C 

19 

F 

U P S E T 

I 

T 

A 

23 

S L I V 

20 

E R 

C 

A 

21 22 

M E 

D 

D I U M 

24 25 26 

I N S T A N T 

T A A 

F 27 

A 

D O 

29 30 

T E N O R 

I 

I 

L 

28 

O P 

K 

I 

I 

N I O N 

G 

L 

31 

S N U F F 

Sudoku 

8 7 1 4 9 6 5 3 

9 6 5 3 1 2 4 8 

4 3 2 8 7 5 6 1 

2 5 4 7 8 3 1 9 

3 1 8 6 5 9 2 7 

7 9 6 2 4 1 3 5 

1 4 9 5 6 8 7 2 

6 8 3 1 2 7 9 4 

5 2 7 9 3 4 8 6 

Wordsearch 


2 

7 

9 

6 

4 

8 

3 

5 

1 

U L K K I T E F B N A S L I N E O U T N 

N C T Z R W E F K S O C E V U Z B L T Z 

A C H B E N A J J R C R O W N G S Z J C 

W T R Y L A T S C U A U S V Y G I T U U 

P G Z G A T V T H G Q M P P K R S O L P 

E F B H N I Y A Q B M C K P Q M F U U V 

N R X C D O V D C Y E O J L E U D C A G 

A A P T S N T I E C A L C U T T A H Q H 

L N I A R S K U N R P C H R J S R S E T 

T C U F S S Z M G J O U B N U Q K J A W 

Y E S V F S I F L G S J S A W C Z E W K 

K G M T P U Q X A R O C S A L A K J Y G 

J E Y C O X H K N U W A O G B L D J Z W 

E P X W U T P G D B B X L T M W R I W S 

M J Z Z H R N X W W D Z C P L U A B I N 

M S O M I I R E R A W V K L O A N A R G 

C I X F P P S A P A L X Q U X S N I D J 

L N Y H A L F T I M E E H M Y R T D O O 

Q L Q Q U E R A L L B H S A I I S S L N 

Z R N Y I T A L Y E C O N V E R S I O N

Trade directory 

Builders / Craftsmen 

Time served joiner. General builder. Full 

or part renovations undertaken. All aspects of 

timber work. References available. Roofing, 

tiling, UPVC Windows and doors, bathrooms, 

kitchens, building insulation, fencing, flooring, 

concrete works, timber framed buildings, plus 

so much more. Sheds, trellis and lattice work, 

garden furniture and planters all made to order. 

Handmade, traditional archery bows also for 

sale. Check out our facebook page for more 

information 

https://www.facebook.com/TimberCraftBG 

or call David Jacob on 0886 764659. 

British Bulgarian Homes 

British-owned renovation and carpentry 

company 

Established in 2005, we cover the whole 

Veliko Tarnovo region. Our company deals in 

home improvements and renovations but our 

speciality is woodwork / carpentry. With superb 

quality workmanship at competitive prices, our 

mission is to help make your house a dream 

home in Bulgaria. 

email: britishbulgarianhomes@ymail.com 

mobile 0896 761 271 - Paul Evans 

www.facebook.com/britishbulgarianhomes 

(or just search ‘British Bulgarian Homes’ on 

Facebook) 

McTavish - Door and Window Stripping 

Doors and windows stripped back to the original 

wood. Collection / delivery service available 

within the Veliko Tarnovo region. Repairs to 

your windows and doors can also be undertaken 

by prior arrangement. 

For more information and bookings please email 

Brian Aitchison at mctavish50@live.com 

or telephone: 

Brian: 0899 206427 

Ann: 0896 628087 

Electricians 

Top Grade LTD 

Electrical Engineers 

All work undertaken 

Domestic and commercial including three phase 

Work carried out by fully qualified English 

electrical engineer, to a very high standard 

All work guaranteed for two years. 

English and Bulgarian speaking. 

So give us a call for a competitive quote, for all 

your electrical needs. 

Call 0877 754759 ask for Rob. 

Shops & Services 

The Book Cave 

English-language books for sale and exchange in 

VT! 

At ‘The Book Cave’ we have thousands of English 

language books, new and used. Find us just a 

hundred meters away from the Yantra Hotel in 

Veliko Tarnovo, ‘No. 9, Opalchenska Street’ . 

From the front of and facing the Yantra, head 

down the street to the left towards Samovodene, 

and the Ruse Road. We are just past the Casino 

on the opposite side of the road. Open from 

10.00am till 1.00pm and 1.30pm until 5.00pm, 

Monday to Saturday. 

bookcavebulgaria@gmail.com 

bulgarianbuddies.com/index.php?page=Book_ 

Cave - with a searchable list of all our stock. 

Our Trade Directory is a highly cost-effective way to ensure that a description of your services and 

more importantly your contact deatils are always at hand for the English-speaking community of the 

VT area. At just 75 lev for entry in six issues or 120 lev for a whole year, it represents exceptional value 

for money. How else could you get your contact details to so many people for just 10 lev a month? 


39

Distribution area 

Polski Trambesh 

Butovo 

Gorna 

Lipnitsa 

Vinograd 

Paisiy 

Strelets 

Pavlikeni Daskot 

Paskalevets 

Sushitsa 

Byala Cherkva 

Resen 

Stambolovo Rusalya 

Mihaltsi 

Hotnitsa 

Vishovgrad 

Musina 

Emen 

Samovodene 

Momin Sbor 

Ledenik 

Draganovo 


Lyaskovets 

Arbanassi 

Draghizhevo 

Pushevo 

Veliko 

Tarnovo 

Kilifarevo 

Ganchovets 

Rosno 

Dryanovo 

Advertising rates 

Advertising Rates 2012 

Prices in Bulgarian Leva / (online payment will be converted to Euros) 

Display Advertising Rates: 

(discount) 

1 month 3 months 

(20%) 

6 months 

(30%) 

Elena 

1 year 

(40%) 

Full Page Advert 

(Full Colour) 250.00 лв per issue 200.00 лв per issue 175.00 лв per issue 150.00 лв per issue 

Full Page Advert 

(B&W) 187.50 лв per issue 150.00 лв per issue 131.25 лв per issue 112.50 лв per issue 

Half Page Advert 


Quarter Page Advert (B&W) 

62.50 лв per issue 50.00 лв per issue 43.75 лв per issue 37.50 лв per issue 

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25.00 лв per issue 20.00 лв per issue 17.50 лв per issue 15.00 лв per issue 

Trade Directory 

(discounts not available) 75.00 лв 6 issues 120.00 лв 12 issues 

Classi� ed Ads FREE FOR ITEMS BELOW 

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above 100 лв 

10.00 лв per item 

Please contact us to discuss your needs and special rates that may be available, on 088 293 1456 or email info@vttimes.net 

40

IMPORTER OF THE FINEST 

QUALITY FOOD FROM THE UK 

ENGLISH BACON 

UNSMOKED BACON 2.27kg 32.00lv 

UNSMOKED BACON 750g approx 12.00lv 

ENGLISH SAUSAGES 

PORK THICK 1kg 9.00lv 

PORK AND LEEK 1kg 12.00lv 

CUMBERLAND RING 1kg 12.00lv 

SAUSAGE MEAT 1.13kg 10.00lv 

BLACK PUDDING 1.36kg 10.00lv 

FISH 

BATTERED COD 140 -170g 2.50lv 

BREADED PLAICE 140 -170g 3.00lv 

SMOKED HADDOCK 1kg 35.00lv 

SCAMPI (WHOLE TAIL) 450g 13.00lv 

VEGETABLES 

GARDEN PEAS 2.5kg 12.00lv 

SWEDE 2.5kg 10.00lv 

PARSNIPS 1.0kg 6.00lv 

DAIRY 

MATURE CHEESE per kg 18.00lv 

BUTTER 250g 5.00lv 

GRAVY GRANULES 

BEEF 400g 4.00 lv 

OXO 

BEEF 12’s 4.00 lv 

HOTDOGS 

YE OLDE OAK 

8 HOT DOGS 400g 3.00lv 

BURGERS 

Award Winning Manufacturer 

Are proud to have been awarded Gold and Silver medals 

for their outstanding quality burgers in England’s Best 

Burger Challenge 2010, organized by EBLEX. 

BEEF BURGERS 113g x 8 8.00lv 

BURGER BUNS 12’s 3.60lv 

BEEF BURGERS 100g x 10 7.00lv 

TABLE SAUCES/PICKLES 

BRANSTON PICKLE ORIGINAL 360g 4.50 lv 

COLEMANS APPLE SAUCE 250ml 4.00 lv 

COLEMANS MINT SAUCE 250ml 4.00 lv 

COLEMANS HORSE RADISH 250ml 4.00 lv 

COLEMANS MUSTARD 100ml 3.50 lv 

COLEMANS TARTAR SAUCE 250ml 4.00 lv 

SARSON’S MALT VINEGAR 300ml 2.50 lv 

CRANBERRY SAUCE 190g 3.50 lv 

TINNED 

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CROSS/BLACKWELL BEANS 420gx4 4.00 lv 

HEINZ CHICKEN SOUP 400g 3.00 lv 

HEINZ VEGETABLE SOUP 400g 3.00 lv 

HEINZ TOMATO SOUP 400g 3.00 lv 

HEINZ OXTAIL SOUP 400g 3.00lv 

CROSSE & BLACKWELL 

SPAGHETTI 410g 2.00lv 

SALSE RAVIOLI 400g 2.00lv 

TINNED MEATS 

CORNED BEEF 340g 5.50 lv 

JOHN WEST STEWED STEAK 400g 5.50lv 

AMBROSIA 

AMBROSIA CREAMED RICE 425g 3.00lv 

AMBROSIA DEVON CUSTARD 425g 3.00lv 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 

TEL: 051538215 

MOB: 0876447009 

EMAIL: freezerman.bg@hotmail.co.uk 

ajminbg@hotmail.co.uk 

IZGREV NEAR VARNA 

PASTRIES 

CHICKEN/MUSHROOM 181g 2.50lv 

STEAK/KIDNEY 183g 2.50lv 

MINCE/ONION 134g 2.50lv 

MEAT/POTATO 218g 2.50lv 

STEAK/ KIDNEY PUDDING 200g 2.50lv 

TRADITIONAL PASTY 185g 2.50lv 

PORK PIE’S 142g 2.50lv 

SAUSAGE ROLL 150g 1.50lv 

SLICED WHITE BREAD 800g 3.50lv 

CHICKEN KIEV 165g 4.20lv 

GAMMON STEAK’S 170g x 5 21.50lv 

KIPPERS 1kg 14.00lv 

SPREADS/JAMS 

MARMITE 250g 9.00 lv 

GOLDEN SYRUP 680g 4.50 lv 

ORANGE MARMALADE 570g 4.00 lv 

ROSE’S LIME MARMALADE 454g 4.50 lv 

BLACK TREACLE 680g 4.50 lv 

CEREALS 

WEETABIX 24 7.50 lv 

MISC 

ROSES LIME CORDIAL 1tr 5.50 lv 

BISCUITS 

FROM 2.00 lv 

FIND US AT: 

CAmpinG VT 

DRAGIZHEVO 

LAST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH 

STEpH AnD FREDS 

TSARICHINO 

1ST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH 

HippODROmE 

DOBRICH 

2ND SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH 

THE BOAT inn 

RAVDA 

3RD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH 

ELiOS BAR 

KRANEVO 

LAST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH 

THE WHiTE HOTEL 

ZDRAVETS 

LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH

V E L I K O † T A R N O V O 

30, Stefan Stambolov Str., 

5000 Veliko Tarnovo, 

tel: +359 (0) 878414203 

Whether it’s a quick coffee or an evening out 

we’re open every day ‘til late. With a great 

atmosphere, friendly staff, free WiFi and a 

huge selection of soft and alchoholic drinks, 

why don’t you ... 

come in relax enjoy

VT Times, May 2012

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