A Drinking Fountain In St Nikolai's Church Park Garden

This is the recently installed drinking fountain that lies in the grounds of Yambol's St Nikolai church. It was built in 2009 and a pleasant addition to the garden park area which sees many visitors on hot days. Against the backdrop fo the block apartment which forms a kind of frame for the dwarfed water fountain to sit in.

Kukeri In Yambol

It was a rainy Yambol for the Kukeri festival that took place today. This didn't put of the contestants in this unique Bulgarian event. A day of colour, movement, music and to insistent clanging belts of bells that formed a cacophony of sound throughout the city centre. There are 1700 visitor that were forecast to watch the bad spirits of winter being driven away and welcome in spring.

A Wind Turbine In A Yambol Garden

A great way to save electric by using a wind turbine. This one was found in a Yambol Garden in the Kargon area. It powers a light and hot water which is stored in a black painted oil barrel at the base of the turbine frame. Such a simple process with no running costs.  

Yambol's Swollen Tundzha River

With all the melting snow and rain Yambol's Tundzha River is swollen. This picture is after the water had subsided somewhat, I wouldn't be standing where I took this picture at its highest point a few days ago. You can just see the entrance tower of Yambol's St George's Church (Sveti Georgi) on the far bank.

The Yambol Wine Barrel Maker's Shop

This is the local Yambol wine barrel maker's shop, or the Yambol cooper as the professional is technically known. Not only used for wine I might add, but rakia. I don't use them myself as my own wine and rakia get drunk within the year of making, although many Bulgarians store their rakia in these barrels for years improving with age from the wood infusion. Also the cost of these barrels are far to expensive compared to the 2/3/5 or 10 litres plastic containers most use here for storing wine and rakia.  

A Footbridge Across Yambol's Tundzha River

Just a simple footbridge across Yambol's Tundzha River, but is give me great pleasure from walking over the water in the midst of apartment blocks that surround the area. In fact this was the fist time I have walked across having only used car accessed bridge that spans the river before now.

Not A Good Place For A White Wall In Yambol

At first I couldn't believe anyone would be so foolish as to have a chimney that is against a white wall. It is of course the planners of the new apartment that decided this was okay as the old Yambol house that has been standing there with there for decades with its smoking chimney. I had to laugh at the inevitable result of this - a smoke stained wall!

A Yambol Cycle Shop

This picture of a Yambol cycle shop, (which is closed on Sundays) was taken from a distance where you can clearly see that the advertising presence covers four levels. The bicycle overhanging on the balcony on the third is a great idea and of course a parking place that takes up no room. Practical means used as always in Bulgaria.

A Simple Yambol Garden

There are plenty of simple Yambol gardens in Yambol and they look pretty bare in the winter. Most is not all have their outdoor water supply and sink somewhere in the garden grounds. In a few weeks time this garden will be transformed into a Garden of Eden with practical crops that will feed the owner now and next winter. I just love looking at these gardens that provide a feast, although having a well deserved rest right now.

The English Language Taught In Yambol Schools

As I walked freely into a Yambol school playground, I couldn't fail to notice the writing on the wall that I presume wasn't written during school opening times. I really didn't know what to make of it but mus compliment the author whose English is word perfect, although I might well mark him or her down for content. 

New Credit Advertisement Methods In Yambol Streets

I see these ingenious advertising methods around Yambol quite often enticing people to take a slip with a telephone number on to get quick credit. Credit is ripe in Yambol and Bulgarian as a whole and anyone who knows me knows what I think of pushing credit and banks! :(  There are quite a few Bulgarians who would actually go for this credit, this particular credit company is called Profi Credit.

A Yambol Home In Need Of Repair

Looking around Yambol City and not only in the outskirts, you will see many homes that are seemingly in desperate need of repair. You may well ask why don't the owners do something about it? Well the answer is quite simple, you need money to fund repairs and most who own places like this are old and on a pension that barely feeds them. Such a shame that these once proud homes are no longer maintained, in my view there is something to be said about the old socialist ways that would not let this happen.

The Yambol Bicycle Repairer

The place to go if you want your bicycle repaired is not the local Yambol bicycle shop but a keen Yambol cycle enthusiast who repairs cycles as a hobby. Having been there and used him it is a service that is recommended.from the point of value for money and quality of service. Also, using his home he pays less tax. Unfortunately there had been a death in the family recently with the traditional memorial poster on the gate.  

Brand New Yambol Pavement Barriers

The habit for Bulgarian driver to park on the pavement is always going to happen. There is however a trend for new businesses to put up pavement barriers to stop this happening. I think the paint is still wet on these ones, which you can't fail to miss with the colour choice. It will be interesting to see whether they are still in one piece after a few weeks. The snow still isn't quite thawed yet either.

Yambol Stalls Closed - Not Due To Snow

You may be forgiven for looking at this shot and thinking these stalls are closed due to the snow that surrounds them. Well you are wrong, it is Sunday and they don't work on Sundays. Theses stalls are seasonally and are only there for special festive calendar occasions in Yambol. They certainly look like regimental soldiers lined up there and present a fine photo I don't mind admitting. 

Three Yambol Small Business Stalls By The Bazaar

Next to the Yambol Bazaar by the Yambol Bus Station lie three Yambol stalls. In fact the centre stall is a hot pastry stall and was where I sampled my first ever banitsa in Bulgaria although I didn't know what is was at the time. I find these little businesses give a great feeling to the area as does small businesses with a friendly face behind them, besides the tasty food they supply. I can't ever see banitsa being move out by fast food here in Yambol

My Local Yambol Shop

This is a picture of my local shop in Yambol. We often pop in for bread, beer but not much else. The mother and daughter run the shop and the daughter speaks a little English language that she regularly tries out on me just as I try my Bulgarian on her. They are so kind and always as polite as you could imaginand an absolute pleasure to shop!. Oh a million miles away from horrible stressful cattle market supermarkets! 

Over The Top Advertising In Yambol

From a distance this looks like the best auto parts shop in Yambol, but don't let the advertising fool you. It is just a little shop with a big façade. I guess the advertising boards are free from the sponsors so why not use them. I like the light bulb underneath the wheel hub although not too sure whether is is weatherproof, or up to EU health and safety standards for that matter. No matter, this is Bulgaria and long may little shops in Yambol live on.

A Bit Of California In Yambol

I have commented before how much Yambol looks like San Francisco viewed from a distance with the mainly white painted building around the City. Well here's more evidence of California in Yambol with car licence plate found on a gate of a tool hire company. Not too sure what the link is although there is a car parts shop 20 metres from this.

Only One Stall Open In The Yambol Bazaar Today

I was cold and many people snow bound including stall holders in the Yambol bazaar. Only one stall was open and no customers, I just came to look around. I was tempted by the home made wine and rakia for sale in the forefront, but declined as I have enough of my own in stare right now.

The London Underground In Yambol?

This restaurant has been here in Yambol for a while, but this was the first time I saw this sign outside advertising it. I just struck me that the London Underground motif has nothing to do with restaurants, nor is it modern although it is actually underground in the basement and that's the reason for the name. The Restaurant is called 'The Modern Restaurant'. I've not been in there as I don't frequent restaurants often, I sure they don't have escalators that don't work and ripped seats.

A Snowy Tree Lined Yambol Path

There is something really special about trees in Yambol that are regimentally lined up. Here is an example, but in addition lie in snow bound path. The way they are set remind me of French roads where thousands are lined up, here it is not in such great numbers so you never get hypnotised with the effect they create. A most pleasurable sight with the warm welcome of home in Yambol waiting.

Yambol City Centre Under Snow

The colourful flags of the EU, Bulgaria and Yambol stand out in the brilliant white snow that it finds itself under recently. The almost clear blue sky means it's cold as well, below freezing all day. I was glad to get back home after and our of walking around on this day.

A Yambol Cling Film Wrapped Bar

These Yambol Garden Bars are a great place to hang out in the evenings when the warmer weather is here. This one is wrapped for winter in cling film. So practical and weather proof, why not. Come April the bar will be unaffected from the elements serving as normal

Another Yambol Tree Hanging Advertisement

Advertising from tree is common in Yambol as I saw another one. This is a well know company called Suchard who sell chocolate in big numbers here. Suchard was a Swiss chocolatier that was bought out by Kraft Foods. Now Nestle have bought Kraft foods so surprise surprise Nestle in your face again! Bulgarian brand chocolate is by far cheaper and just as good, but not advertised on trees. The snow covered sign should light up at night, but I've never seen it when it's dark so it obviously doesn't work or they save electric by not turning it on - Well times are hard here.

Yambol's Benkosvski Covered In Snow

This is a shot of Yambol's Benkovski district well know for a dense Gypsy population. You can see lot so children playing in the snow, there are more children here than any other place in Yambol as it is a Gypsy vocation to have children at any age. Only a couple of weeks ago an 18 year old Gypsy from Benkovski gave birth to her third child. 

The Original Yambol Euroshop

The Euroshop on opposite the Yambol fire station has been closed ever since I can remember. It is the equivalent of the 'One Lev' shops that are scattered around Yambol. This is uncanny as once the Euro becomes the Bulgarian currency all 'One Lev' shops will become 'One Euro' shops! When this particular shop opened, seemingly it was way ahead of its time before the European Union was even entertained  by Bulgaria..

A Snow Hidden Yambol Lada

After another bout of snow, I walked up the road for a loaf of bread from my local shop. It was with great comfort that I realised my own Lada wasn't the only one that had been hidden from sight due to the amount of snow that had fallen. In fact all you can see of this car is the 'Lada 2104' motif. I have a sneaking suspicion that this Lada has a roof rack