About Us

Would you like to escape to a simpler place and time?  Maybe just for a nice relaxing holiday, or maybe to leave the ‘rat race’ for good. Perhaps your dream has been to take early retirement, or to afford your own small farm or organic homestead?  Or maybe you just  want to relax in a peaceful sunny location!

We are English expats living in rural Bulgaria, and we have been able to realise our own dreams of  doing all of the above. I have created this blog to  provide help, advice and information for anyone wishing to do the same. Whether you are interested in taking a holiday here, in purchasing a home, or simply to escape to a simpler place and time, you will hopefully find this site helpful. I am happy to engage in answering any questions in the comments section, or email me at: pleasantplacesbulgaria@gmail.com

What Brought us Here

A sequence of unexpected events led us to reassess our lives as a busy professional couple.  Studies show that a common death bed regret is to not pursue one’s dreams.  Though doing this was the last thing on our minds (I was a social worker and my husband ran a successful business) we were forced to reappraise our motivations and goals at the age of  fifty six.  What did we really want from life? Was it  really a new conservatory?  More debt, more stress, more worry? For the same price as the conservatory we planned, we have been able to purchase a home where we grow our own food in quiet and beautiful surroundings. 

Our first holiday here began our love affair with this amazing country. We love everything about Bulgaria: the scenery, the weather, the amazing food, and especially the people who have welcomed us whole heartedly.  

It had always been our dream to own a holiday property in the sun. We excitedly realised that this was not only affordable here, but that the land on offer exceeded our wildest expectations. It didn’t take us long to find our dream home and we were able to purchase it without too much difficulty. Thus began a series of vacation trips, until we decided to escape here for good.

Escape to a Simpler Place and Time

Life here is never boring!  Even visiting the local market feels like an adventure with an array of goods we wouldn’t see at home.  There always seems to be some fascinating tradition or event to celebrate; and eating out is so affordable that we are able to do this much more often than we ever could in England.  Most of all, we love the slower pace of life, the importance of tradition and custom, and above all the strong sense of family values.  In many respects, life here is reminiscent of England when I was growing up. It really does feel like we have been able to escape back to a simpler place and time by moving here.

Our Home

Our home is in a rural village called Dyulevo. We live here with our six cats and five rescue street dogs. We are slowly acquiring a knowledge of local practices and customs to enable us to live self sufficiently. This way of life has been a further dream of mine since being a child. It is made possible here – not just because the land and property are so affordable, but that the traditions and knowledge are readily available as this has been the way of life here for centuries.

The Blog

I was originaly inspired by a reading of A Year in Provence to write of our own experiences in this beautiful region.  There are so many similarities to Mayles text: a celebration of rustic life, a pride in ancient tradition and culture, amazing scenery, a discovering of gastronomic delights and homemade wine, and the importance of good neighbours to name but a few.  Many of these things have been lost or diminished in importance in my experience of English life. Also, like Mayle, moving to a new country and undergoing a total life change in our middle years, has been an intrepid step for us both.

A Year in Provence is an eloquently written interesting and insightful analysis of French life.  I do not profess to own Mayles writing skills but I have used the text as a template, if you like, and drawn upon certain intertextualities to inspire my own writing.

This blog contains insights and opinions on such topics as the cost of living, local food, places to go and things to see, the weather, and day to day life. I will also be writing about our lives here and our small homestead, including various DIY and building projects. I love to cook, and so will also be sharing some local recipes. Hopefully you will find something of value here – especially if you are considering moving to Bulgaria.

About Me

I am now sixty four years old. My home town was Wigan in Lancashire, where I lived until my late thirties. I have been married, divorced, and re-married. My first husband and I had three children, now all adults; I have fifteen grandchildren between myself and my second husband. I am a retired social worker, I have a masters degree in Applied Social Sciences, and a degree in English. My hobbies include cooking and entertaining, gardening, reading, looking after my five dogs, and I also love to write. One last thing, I have a severe visual impairment, so I apologise in advance for the occasional visual error 😊❤️