The big leap

[Nome]

Hey Smokehouse - that's my dream too. Ideally we'd like to have a small eco-campsite to keep some money coming in and educate people while they stay as well! Lots of saving to do before we can buy land though

[7cats]

Bulgaria, the climates better for growing stuff, the houses & lands cheaper, the people are nicer, its not overpopulated, its in europe insureance is cheap, living costs are lower, crime is low,

[Smokehouse]

Hi folks sorry for the delay in replying to anyone but I have been off work ill for a few months, hopefully fully recovered by the end of the year. Anyway the credit crunch stopped me selling my house, my illness stopped me from travelling until next year at the earliest. I have not and will not give up hope on this and have been encouraged by much of what I have read on these forums. I hope to take up some of the offers to stop by and see what people are doing as soon as is practical.

Re Bulgaria I went there for two weeks in 05 and spent some time with the locals who are in the main fantastic people, however the biggest growth area, apart from tourism, is private security. It is not just the contents of your property that will disappear if you are away for any lenght of time but the actual building, the bricks and mortar! They are in such short supply. After weeks of correspondance with various locals and agents I dismissed the country. I may have been just unlucky but the country did not appeal to me as much as I thought it would.

More news as it happens.
S

[grahamhobbs]

Get on your bike! It's the best way to see Europe, perhaps a car can be just as economical and be more comfortable, but there is nothing that compares to biking, you're using all your senses, you feel much more engrossed in the landscapes around you!
I travelled on my Norton down through France, over the Pyrennes into Spain and on to Portugal, it was so memorable compared to travelling by car. I can still smell the oregano filling the air as we entered Portugal. In a car you just don't stop, on a bike you feel like stopping to take in the scenery all the time, and people talk to you on a bike (in Europe you are not treated like some outlaw as here).
Set off as soon as you can, take the small roads, meet and talk to the local people. It could change your life!

[7cats]

Bulgaria has changed a lot in the last few years & there are differances between areas, but we & everyone we know have had no problems with crime of any sort even the holiday homes are safe ,bricks are not stolen at all ,though the stone from derelict propertys sometimes is ,usualy because british holiday home owners want it for their gardens. we live in a big village inland not in a tourist area most of the bad stuff we hear about happens near the coast or in villages with a lot of holiday homes & not many permanent residants,