Off to Eastern Europe!

So we went online and found a last minute deal to Borovets, in Bulgaria. We are staying HERE
at a massive hotel which serves buffet food and I'm not expecting it to be amazing, but it is right by the ski runs, you literally ski up to the entrance! Awesome.

I skied for the first time last year with some mates in Les Arcs, and had the most fun time, but I'm aware that my ski skills are very below average, mainly because I'm a wimp and don't want to break any bones by going fast. So I'm going to really try to improve on my speed, hopefully without damaging myself massively. I have the goggles, salopettes and proper gloves this time around so this time it's serious.

The place we are going to is literally just a resort so we unfortunately won't be getting much Bulgarian culture, apart from what's dished up by the hoteliers etc... there is an interesting sounding monastery in the mountain range but it might be too far away to visit. It's called the Rila monastery and looks beautiful and is also very historically important for the Bulgarian people.

Of course we will be experiencing the local food, apparently they are very fond of tripe and offal, hurrah! I actually love haggis which is mainly offal based, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. On my father in laws 60th birthday last Saturday I made everyone have a Burns night with haggis and whisky which was lovely, mmmmm haggis...

Tonight we are driving up to East London for a night with our friends James & Donna, then tomorrow we fly off from Gatwick for a week. Have just found out our flight is with grotty Monarch airlines, which have very horrible 1970's planes with no leg room for tall-ies like me so not looking forward to the flight but I really can't complain at the price so I won't! Although I just have, oh bugger.

I finshed Anansi Boys, it was such a great book! Heartily recommended. I'm just reading Northhanger Abbey at the moment, a bit of good old Jane Austen escapism, nothing wrong with that! We drove up to Chawton earlier in the week to visit the village and house that she used to live in. It is very pretty and quintisentially English, just what you would expect. Oh Mr Darcy!