Smashed Window in Plovdiv and A Hidden Surprise

On the 2nd June we woke up to a smashed passenger side window (electric window Donna’s side). A lawnmower had picked up a stone and smashed the window. My thoughts straight away was how in the hell will we find a Ford dealer for a start or a repair shop that could find a replacement window? To our surprise we did and had the replacement put in the next day.

The night before we met a lovely couple in a bar, Rudi and Venessa. We all had a great evening discussing how we were going to find this so called surprise in a so called tree some place in Bulgaria – left for us by the Taylors. Rudi is a retired Compute Wiz. I asked Rudi to give me a run down on our GPS as I had forgotten how to save coordinates into the machine. He fiddled for a while with no success and said no problem we use my phone. Rudi said he would drive us to the repair shop to drop our car off and suggested he and Venessa spend the day with us looking for an undisclosed item in a tree in Bulgaria. Turns out the coordinates were just 120km from Plovdiv.

Next morning these lovely people picked us up at our expensive hotel (the only one with security parking for a car with a missing window). We left the hotel at about 10am and went to the repair shop to drop the car off.

The adventure begins with all four of us laughing and carrying on about why we were on a wild goose chase for some bloody thing unknown to us all. Rudi and Venessa were so intrigued they had to come with us. Rudi had the coordinates in his phone and we were on our way to our destination.

About an hour and a half later we arrived to within 300m of our surprise. Rudi parked his BMW, we all got out and commenced the walking leg of the trip. Rudi’s coordinates took us to within 20 metes of the “thing” hanging in a tree. I went up an embankment towards a tree I thought could be the one, Donna in the meantime called out “Bazz come down here I think there is something down here in a tree Al and Lynn camped under some 5 weeks earlier”. Sure enough hanging up 2.751mm (not 50’) in the tree was a unique rare stick with a very rare carving on it. Yes you guessed it “PMF” – about 40mm long x 20mm wide carving.

What do you think went through my mind? Yep how can I make money out of this. On our return to Oz I will have a PMF auction, people like Vic or Dave would pay money for this rare Bulgarian carved timber.

A great day was had by all. Rudi and Venessa were amazed at what Aussies get up to. They dropped us off back at the repair shop. We picked up our car, paid 80 Lev (negotiated by Venessa) and were on our way looking for a camp site. Turned out we didn’t mind the same site where Al and Lynn camped. Thanks for the fire wood left under the tree guys! We were going to have a fire however we got a storm the moment we put then awning up so no dry wood to be found and no fire.

Will stay here a second night to charge our batteries then move to another camp site a little closer to Sofia. We don’t have to be in Sofia to visit Jock Palfreeman till 7th June for the visit on the 8th June.

Well that’s it folks a fun few days.

PS. Al no more surprises – we are adventurers not hunters and gatherers. We have enough wood now.