Four Typical But Different Types of Yambol Homes

I chose to take this picture today because it has four distinctly typical, but very different types of Yambol homes, all within 50 metres of each other.

1. Tucked on the right, just visable with a roof in bad repair is a single floored gypsy house, the smoke from the woodburner was clearly visable at on this cold day.
2. On the left is the pink three floored apartment block rather dated now.
   
3. Next to this is a modern seven floored apartment block still being built - These types are so common now in Yambol, they are just cramming apartment block all the time now.
4. Then there is the familiar sight of the tall grey apartment block, again, very common and very popular for being so economic on heating in the winter.

A Reflective Sunset in Yambol

With my back to the sunset this evening the reflection on the back of an old blue van window caught my eye. It just wanted it's pcture to be taken. So we have a lovely reflective sunset with my Lada in the forefront. The flags you can see are of the ABC builder's merchant who supply most of the building material locally. They are well know by many expatriates here as renovations on their homes are usually made up from materials that are bought there.

A Yambol Factory Security Dog

Picking up my partner from work everyday I see many dogs that guard the factory grounds. Their environment is basic, but they do get fed well with much of the food coming from our home and left over meals thrown to them as the workers leave after work. This particular dog's home is the barrel you can see in the picture. Their job is to bark at anything that moves and they all do. I dread to think what these dogs could do if the metal chain wasn't secure.

Outside The Dentist's Surgery

On our trip to the local dentist just before entering the surgery there is s quaint little wash area. This is quite common in the town house yards in Yambol. Notice the home made rubber extension of the tap which help the water run true and the sponge tucked up on the top right of the walled scroll. I won't tell you what the sponge is for!

A Cute Yambol Bicycle

Not too unlike the old chopper, this cute bicycle, which is usually in excellent condition. It is owned by one of the workers in the boiler factory that my partner works in. He uses is every day to get to and from work in all weathers. There are hundreds of these around, I was even thinking of getting myself one to use around town. It just oozes character. Again, no brakes and no gears.

Public Cigarette Video Advertising in Yambol Supermarket

This was in Kaufland Supermarket; this German based company has this in a prime place facing both ways to a public that waits at the checkout. The video runs for around 40 seconds and is of course advertising American made cigarettes 'Marlboro'. Who else would try and reap profits out of a people who are influenced to the hilt from everything American? The only small grace is that Bulgarians will still buy their local brand cigarettes as this particular brand is too expensive. I was accosted by security for taking pictures in this supermarket, but only after this was taken.

St Nikolai's Church - The Interior

Today we popped into the St Nikolai's Church before returning home and I managed to sneak a shot of the front area of the interior of the church without being seen. The murals and woodcarvings are quite magnificent, but still retain a reverence of simplicity. The east wing of the church is being renovated right now and I hope to get some pictures of that when completed. It may take quite a while, as it requires specialist work.

Extended Rain Guttering - A Yambol Fashion

I noticed these interesting extensions above some shops I was waiting outside today. This particular row of shops have a flat roof and the guttering that was put above it was designed in such a fashion to extend the excess water during rain to drain away from the shop front area. One you can see has rusted away and broken off, there are others that have done the same out of the picture further long. Good idea, but they never get replaced or repaired once dropped off.

Really Cold Out In Yambol This Morning

It was really cold this particular morning in Yambol as I went out jogging. The trees which I believe are pine trees, were iced up like candy floss as I passed. A few hours later the sun came out and the the trees lost their 'furry ice' coats.

Yambol's Gypsy Street Cleaners

We see these every day in Yambol, the Gypsy Street Cleaners, they work all day keeping the pathways and roadways clear of rubbish and grit. Without them many of the drains would become blocked up with mud and grim that builds up on a daily basis, especially during winter. They use to wear orange outfits but now don new green with yellow trimming sand look the part. You can see each woman has a different tool. Going from left to right one has a scrapper and a cone, the next just a scrapper, then a rubbish box collector and finally a twig sweeper, every household has one of these. These are best for sweeping leaves up.

Waiting To Be A Bank

This site just opposite the upper bazaar has been sitting in this derelict state now for at least four years. Why didn't the monster banks choose this site instead of knocking down useful communities shops that were current businesses? Well I'm sure this will be a bank soon to add to the assault of Yambol's quaint character.

Lada Shop

I see this sight quite often as a Lada is the shop selling various fruit and vegetables including preserved gherkins and conserve on the bonnet a set of weighing scales to the left with rakia for sale just behind that. The owner wasn't trading for the last couple of weeks as it was too cold, but better weather over the last two days has brought him out again. This is set up in the middle of a set of apartment blocks. A free market is ever I saw one.

Brand New Road Signs In Yambol

Recently I have seen many new road sign around Yambol. This one stands out, and it should, as a very bright warning to motorists that there are children ahead, usually just before a school, you can see the old fashion type further along the road in the distance. These really do stand out here in winter, but once the spring comes the bright vegetation around will give it some camouflage.

Women In War - A Reminder

Anyone who has been shopping in Yambol will know this statue as it is in a very busy place in the City centre by the Upper Bazaar and Global Telephone Offices. It stands out as a vivid reminder that wars involve women as well as men. Again, this is a place where many men stand by there for many an hour, the reason? They are wating for their wives in the 1 leva shop right next to this statue.

A Road Worthy Trabant in Yambol City

This 600 cc two stroke cylinder Trabant was spotted in the outskirts of Yambol. Even without one headlamp, it still runs around Yambol and is accepted that these 'handicaps' are normal on Trabant cars. It least it has a licenced number plate, in my village the vet has one and it has no lights or number plates and I 've seen him giving our local policeman a lift in it. They are more strict in Yambol City that the villages though.

Iced Up Carpets Out To Dry

Even with snow, ice and rain all in one day, the carpets are still our on thw washing line to dry. It might take a few weeks, but they dry out soon. These aren't the only things hanging out to dry. As I look at the apartments, hundreds of items of clothes are out. These were as stiff as a board in the sub-zero temperatures. You just can't get stuff dry that is iced up, but who am I to argue, this system has been going on for decades.

New Main Sewerage For Borovets

As I jogged up Borevets Hill this morning I pasted some massive piping and a caravan where the nightwatchman keeps a look out as it is right next to Gypsy territory. They are constructing mains sewerage from the Borovets Restaurant/Hotel. This is major work and I can see now that there will be more housing developments on this hill as the Hotel is the only building there at the moment. I can't see mains sewerage being put in now for any other reason.

How Far Are Other Towns From Yambol?

Another brand new road sightpost, again with English subtitles, which annoys me. This road is heading in a westward direction showing how far these towns are from Yambol. I had walked about two kilometres of Yambol City to capture this picture so you can add that the the total distances given.

A Lada Police Car - Is it Road Worthy?

It was late afternoon as I caught sight of a Lada police car passing me, so I managed to get a photograph of the vehicle. It was gone in a flash and I didn't really get a good look at it until I got home this evening. It makes me wonder if these cars get through their road test each year. The car must be about 20 years old, but it obviously won't be used in car chases - very rare in Yambol anyway - but just for carrying around road signs, cones and other bulk equipment in the back. I feel that the days of sights like this are numbered now.

Yambol's Borovets Restaurant/Hotel

A couple of hundred metres of climbing is needed to reach this restaurant and hotel called Borovets no in the winter snow. I have just had a beer once in the garden area a couple of summers ago where they have a rockery pond and great views over the main Gypsy quarters of Yambol. They have many tourists staying here and a discotheque that has had good reviews from people I know who have been there.

The Greek Goddess Diana in Yambol's Diana Park

We decided to go for a walk in Yambol's Diana Park today. As we plodded out way through the snow we saw the Park's namesake, the Greek Goddess Diana's statue and her hunting dog astride. The Bulgarian's have adopted her as an emblem of Yambol, perhaps because they are so fond of hunting here. It is a fine bronze statue of bronze that stood out in the white background of snow. Diana Park is such a lovely place to be even in below zero temperatures and half a metre of snow.

Yambol's New Heart Clinic

Situated adjacent the existing main hospital is a new heart clinic in Yambol. It opened in November last year and is a handsome building. There is no parking facilities other than on the main dual carriageway and pedestrian footpath; you can see a car parked on the latter in the picture, but then that's normal here. Hopefully the place won't be too busy this winter.

Frostbitten Stray Dog in Yambol

As I walk along the frozen streets of Yambol this morning, temperatures were down to -10 C a few hours ago and I see another stray dog. These dogs sleep out at night. They are scared of humans so as I approach the dog trots off with a severe limping action. It must have had frostbite on its paws. Feeling sorry for these animals is all you can do. I love dogs were do you start and were do you stop to help the hundreds of these stray dogs that are in Yambol alone. They are fed well by a passing public, but the extreme cold and being run over by cars are their main hazzards right now.

Yambol's Roman Catholic Church

Unless you are Catholic in Yambol you are unlikely to know about this church. It is half tucked away in a street with many similar grand styled architecture. It is Yambol's Catholice Church. Having never actually seen anyone entered the church the only reason I found out was because at the back of the church are offices where you pay your yearly housing tax. Speaking to people there I was duly informed about this impressive building. One Sunday morning if I'm passing, I may enter to see inside.

St Nikolai's Church Dome Mural

I managed to sneak a quick picture of the murals painted in the massive dome inside the St Nikolai's Church today. Not the best quality picture as it had to be done discreetly, but it does give a good example of a typical Bulgarian Orthodox styled church interior, which you can find all around the country.

Gritting the Snow

I found two men hard at work as crossed the bridge over the Tundzha River to enter the beautiful Diana Park. No salt or machines used here even though technically this is a road for vehicles.

Snow in Yambol

We finally got snow in Yambol and the snowman which was part of the Christmas display becomes a real snowman.

Car Art on Yambol Apartment Walls

This was noticed as I walked along the main road that leads to Elhovo from Yambol town. Two cars painted on a wall. It looks like they have collided. This of course would be a typical example of car driving habits in Bulgaria and hence reflected in Bulgarian art.

Another Day, Another Casino In Yambol

Another day and another casino is spotted, more up market but some graffiti has taken the edge off. To me casinos are bad news and a bad influence and the graffiti is all part of that genre slowly creeping into Yambol.

A Quaint Yambol Bargain Basement Shop

Situated in the higher ground Bazaar, is a quaint shop which has a basement and bargain goods. It is like a 1 lev shop but on a smaller sacel. These types of shops are common as Bulagrian love and have to shop cheap. This building is a complex of business with a first floor cafe and an apartment above that, roudn the back. Lovely little home and business for someone.

Yambol's Popular Town Centre Primary School

This is Yambol's Primary School right in the heart of the town centre. It is one of the most popular schools for young Bulgarians to attend. They all have regular English lessons in the school curriculum nowadays.