Hello again, AJ


Maybe some people in the UK can remember J.R. Ewing and O.J. Simpson, so this just shows that the most reputable individuals in America always go by their initials.


AJ is an old friend from our days in Shenzhen. He says that things have got a lot tougher for expats since our departure, with the Chinese government tightening the screws and making life harder for foreigners living in China.

Well, AJ did not find life too tough in Bulgaria. I collected him from the airport in Sofia and then we had five or six days in and around Daveri, doing all the fairly obvious things, such as a wander around Elena, a walk around the lake in Palitsi and a trip to the Ruhovtsi waterfall, as well as playing badminton and croquet. 



No, I did not bother with another touristy visit to Tsaravets, as I have already seen it so many times, but of course AJ had to see it. We did, however, manage to fit in a walk with the VT Walkers and it was good to see some familiar faces. 


If you have not already guessed, I have included this photo of a naughty Jack Russell because she looks very silly. 

Americans are supposed to know everything about barbecues, so I gave our guest the responsibility of cooking our lunch. AJ did a great job and it was all rather tasty. As for his croquet skills, well, there is still some room for improvement, I think. Actually, AJ was too polite to complain when I told him about yet another obscure and unusual rule of this strange game that has the reputation for being very popular with British vicars.

 I think that AJ really enjoyed his visit to Bulgaria and in fact I think that it was his first-ever visit to anywhere in Eastern Europe.







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