Help us with DIY projects and learn healthy recipes in Popina, Bulgaria

  • Favourited 8 times
  • Last activity: 8 Feb 2023

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We are an early retired couple who live in a village in the far north east of Bulgaria, the nearest city is Silistra and our village is next to the mighty river Danube. The village is quiet and out of the way and that is why we love it. It is a flat agricultural area so sadly not the place for beach lovers and hill walkers. We bought the house around 2 years ago and have renovated the inside now. David is a very hard-working practical man who is always fixing or making something, Pam is a retired social worker and is now trying to get a second career going in affiliate marketing. We love the slower pace of life that Bulgaria offers, there are proper seasons during the year and the local people are very hardworking and generous. As the inside of the house is now complete, our next projects are building an outdoor kitchen area, composting loo and outdoor shower and then will be looking to build a sauna and renovate one of the sheds into a more usable space, maybe a she-shed or gym/office or maybe guest accommodation. We have around 1300 sqm of garden with very fast-growing weeds at the moment and it is difficult for David to do everything by himself, he is 64 and broke his elbow around 18 months ago which makes it difficult for him to do a lot of heavy work, though he will try to! In keeping with our neighbours, we like to reuse whatever we can for building projects. We do not use any pesticides in the garden and prefer to deal with weeds and bugs safely. We have recently been adopted by a stray kitten, our children are adults and live in the UK and we do not mind if you are a van lifer with a dog or cat in tow!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Non-English speakers can practice their language skills, you can learn a little Bulgarian and learn about pickling and preserving fruit and vegetables. Our neighbours are sociable and will likely invite you around for food and rakia! It is an opportunity to learn about traditional Bulgarian village life, self-sufficiency and food preservation. Our nearest city is steeped in Roman history and there are opportunities for visiting historical sites nearby.

  • Help

    Help

    Current projects are helping with building an outdoor kitchen and getting to grips with the huge garden. The plan is for the garden is to build vegetable beds, build a greenhouse and keep on top of the weeds. Experience in heavier work is needed though you don't need to be a master builder. In Bulgaria, things are made from mud, old tyres and sheets of plastic so enthusiasm is better than skills. We don't have a preference for male or female, just someone with a can-do attitude. If you have any tips about affiliate and digital marketing too, that would be an absolute bonus!

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    Bulgarian: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    I am learning Bulgarian and Romanian

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    A single person can have the spare room though it is only big enough for one. We can accommodate a campervan in the garden and will provide electricity and you can use the house facilities, kitchen, bathroom, wifi. If you are a couple with a van, we can accommodate you both. We will provide breakfast, lunch and evening meal and snacks such as fruit and toast and lots of tea, coffee and water. We do not provide alcohol though you can buy this at the local shop or our neighbour might supply you with rakia! Food is generally healthy and all homemade. If you like to cook, just let Pam know and she will give you free rein in the kitchen. Hours of work will be around 4 a day and over 5 days a week which will be flexible depending on the weather. It can be unbearably hot for outdoor work for a couple of weeks in the summer so working early morning and in the evening is better and doing your own thing during the day.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    As we live in a quiet agricultural area, there isn't a lot of opportunity for sightseeing locally though there are some great things a little further away. If you have an online business or have a hobby, it is ideal for you here. If you want to visit the Black Sea (around 2 hours away) or Veliko Tarnovo, the historical capital of Bulgaria, (around 3 hours away) you can have a 4 days off in a row so you can experience a few other areas. We can give you a guide as to where you can visit. There is the Srebrena nature reserve nearby, a great place to hopefully see pelicans and there is a daily bus to the nearest cities, Ruse and Silistra. There are no fast-food chains and big-name shops in Silistra and that is what we love about it.
    As regards covid, the situation changes in Bulgaria from week to week as to whether you need to have a test before arriving so you need to speak to us about the current situation. As it is our home, we cannot accommodate someone who needs to self isolate as we would then need to also. I respect people's views about vaccination or non-vaccination so you can discuss this with me privately if you prefer.
    if you are a van lifer and doing the Schengen shuffle, you are welcome to stay for the full 90 days.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    Wi fi is cheap and plentiful here, the connection is generally good unless there is a thunderstorm nearby.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We can make space in the garden

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    I love dogs but our big lurcher passed away last year. If you have a van and travel with the dog, I am happy to dogsit if you go out.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week flexible with times and days.

Host ref number: 499935351631

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