Have you ever dreamed of giving it all up and moving to the country? Well, that is exactly what Marina & Yulien of MY Village Life have done. Marina, a successful singer and (former) tour guide and Yulien, an actor and enthusiastic cook, dreamed of moving to the country. But instead of just talking about it and making endless plans, last year they bought a house in a small village near Dragomir, Bulgaria, and made their dream a reality. The best thing is, now they want to share their dream with us!
The Simpler Things
Around a year ago, Marina and Yulien made their move to the country. They had found a house on a plot of land. The house was in good enough condition to move straight into and big enough to build their own aspirations and desires. Now, their village life is reawakening as they launch their new venture, inviting guests in to share an afternoon exploring, learning and appreciating a local Bulgarian meal mixed with traditional hospitality and a sprinkling of appreciation for the simpler things in life.
In this small village about a 40 minute drive from the regional cultural capital of Plovdiv, they are realising that vision. Both have paired back their routines to make room for sustainable living and a reinvigoration of old Bulgarian traditions. In the short time that Marina & Yulien have lived here, they have already begun to harvest their own produce: collect eggs from their chickens, ducks & quails; make their own rakiya (and a very good one at that!); and source most of anything else they need (cheese, meat) from their local village neighbours. In short, they are thriving.
Energised by our Private Guide Bulgaria tour experience so far, our guide, Adriana, suggests that we might like to try a lunch in the country. Marina & Yulien have invited us over and we readily agree, equally enthusiastic to spend time in and surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Bulgarian country life.
Lunch in a Country Garden
We arrive on a stunningly sunny afternoon as Yulien and his dazzling grin greet us at the gate. Marina also appears, both are in their local traditional dress. Marina is holding freshly baked bread. Pulling some off and feeding it to us, dipped in salt and local herbs, she explains this is a traditional Bulgarian greeting which expresses hospitality and welcoming for guests.
We are shown into the yard where a table is set under a tree in dappled late spring sunshine. The birds are singing, the bees are (literally) buzzing and I feel nature’s vibrations all around me. Our experience begins in earnest with some Easter traditions. The egg has been a Christian symbol of rebirth and the resurrection of Jesus at Easter time for centuries. Some say they may also symbolise Christians being stoned for their faith. And so we ‘fight’ with colored eggs, tapping ours with the tops & tails of our opponents to see who wins. After many laughs, Yulien is undefeated with his eggshell still intact. He takes a bow as the winner of the round.
Starters
The table setting is beautiful. The crockery is all traditional Bulgarian decorated pottery and craft. When the food is served, everything is either home grown or has been locally sourced. We begin lunch with a nip of rakiya a distilled fruit spirit drunk for good health and long life. Yulien’s rakiya is made from grapes and other popular varieties are apricot and plum. Less commonly rakiya may be made from peaches, apples, cherries, figs, blackberries or pear may be used.
Meals traditionally begin with this liqueur, salad and cheese. Today we have a green salad with quail eggs and a garden salad. The salad and eggs are all Marina & Yulien’s produce while the cheeses are from the village – a ‘white’ cheese and a ‘yellow’ cheese. The white cheese is a sheep milk cheese while the yellow cheese is made from cow’s milk. Both are sprinkled with different mixes of local salt and herbs.
Bulgarian Traditions
As part of the Easter traditions Marina has made another loaf of bread. This loaf is subject to a special ritual whereby a coin, a bean and a ‘tree’ are hidden in the bread. These little treasures determine the fortune of everyone around the table for the coming year. The bread is pulled apart and eaten with the salad and cheese although not before we discover who has the hidden treasures. The recipient of the coin is destined for a year of good fortune; the bean denotes a year of good health; while the symbolism of the ‘tree’ seems to be a mixture of both. This is a lovely surprise though best to be forewarned as otherwise you may have a tooth that suffers! A piece of the bread is always left aside as a sacrifice ensuring a year of providence follows.
Meals & Mourning
Next, we drink homemade raspberry cordial with our palneni chuski (peppers stuffed with meat and rice) and soon after lunch, Marina asks if she can sing for us. The first song is a local Rhodope mountains song about a young girl who is in love with a boy but too shy to ask her parents for their blessing to see him. The song is has a soft and gently flowing rhythm which the second song, is more languid in its melody. Although I don’t understand the words, it is clearly mournful from the sound. Tears in Adriana, Marina and Yulien’s eyes by the end of the song evidence its sorrowful message.
After the songs we try some banitsa, a staple of Bulgarian life. This is a pastry that comes in all varieties but most commonly with cheese and/or spinach. Our cheese banitsa is warm, salty and hearty. This is a testament to it being eaten for or with almost any meal and doubles as a snack in between.
By now I can’t eat any more so we take a walk around the garden, just as the neighbours arrive to remove some bees from a tree to a new hive. I steer clear of the bees, rather challenging myself to see how much of what is growing in the garden I can identify. I graze on my yoghurt and figs for dessert as I go.
Walking the Pastures
Once the bees are taken care of Marina shows us some basic Bulgarian dance moves. The music is folky with a lively beat and we pick up our feet, testing out more joys of these newly discovered customs. The horo, the national dance of Bulgaria is performed whilst holding hands in a circle. Sometimes the circles are large and the dances on festive occasions can last for hours becoming meditative. It is energetic and rather funny and after about 10 minutes we are hot and out of breath.
After catching our breath over a coffee there is nothing left to do but to take a (longer!) walk to keep the energy levels up and help digest the afternoon’s indulgences. We head out with the dogs, Mary and Noure (named after Queen Eleonore) to breathe the fresh air and soak in the green of the budding fields as much as possible. We walk to the dam at the back of the house where the dogs frolic in the water then continue on up the path and into the meadows beyond. The dogs attempt to catch field mice, pouncing to and fro like kittens at play.
My eyes drink in the scene – the pastures, the vineyards and snow capped mountains beyond. Too soon it is time to return to the house and eventually say goodbye, a good deal fuller and more appreciative of the Bulgarian culture and customs than a few hours before. For this afternoon at least, dreams do come true.
Good To Know
MY Village Life experience can be booked for small or large groups. Enquiries are currently through Private Guide Bulgaria with a special thanks to Adriana for organising.
See also:
Would I Return?
Yes. This is an experience that never gets old.
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