You can't have your kayak and heat it

Oh dear. Right, no more silly kayak jokes. I have been looking at inflatable kayaks on the Decathlon website and it looks as though you can buy a very good two man inflatable kayak for about two hundred euros. The pump, the paddles and life vests will cost a bit more.  

“But why buy an inflatable kayak?” I hear you ask. Well, an inflatable one can of course be deflated and packed into quite a small and convenient backpack. Solid, non-inflatable kayaks are a complete pain when it comes to transporting them. A car's roof rack is not really secure enough, so really you would need a trailer. With an inflatable kayak, you just deflate it, put it into the backpack, put the backpack into the car and drive home. 

I have watched a YouTube video about the Itiwit inflatable kayak and it only took six or seven minutes to inflate. Stability is also very good, as there are two main air pockets, one on either side, as well as three small keels on the bottom. Probably it would also be possible to stow a tent and a couple of sleeping bags in the storage sections at the front and the back of the kayak, so it should be possible to combine kayaking with some camping!

The Arda River in Bulgara

“Yes, but why do you want to go kayaking?” I hear you ask. (You really do have a lot of questions today, don’t you?) Well, there are loads of rivers and lakes in Bulgaria. Admittedly there are probably no suitable kayaking places near our villa in Kalotina, but the River Yantra twists and turns through the city of Veliko Tarnovo, before it meanders north to the Danube. I have also seen some YouTube videos about kayaking on the Yantra and it looks great. The river has carved some dramatic gorges and the countryside looks beautiful. 

The Devil's Bridge, on the Arda River

The Arda River, near the Rhodope Mountains, is also supposed to be lovely and the famous Devil’s Bridge is quite spectacular. If we get bored with kayaking in Bulgaria, then how about a kayaking holiday on the Dordogne River in France?

My dear Irisha has commented, more than once, on my rather large tummy, so maybe kayaking might be a good way to get some gentle exercise, as well as a lot of fun. (Cycling will be good too, but it does not do anything for your upper body strength.) The peace and quiet on the water will also be tinged with some excitement, as there are bound to be rapids and weirs and all kinds of watery obstacles and aquatic complications.

Kayaking on the Yantra River, not far from Veliko Tarnovo

Well, that is enough kayaketty yack.