Early Wednesday
morning a Russian stole into one of the (Russian) sleeping wagons - which are
the only ones now to ply between Bucharest and Sofia (the great old German
rolling stock of Bulgarian and Romanian railways have been progressively taken
off since 2009) – and stole money from my sleeping partner who was coming for a
visit. She woke while he was replacing the purse! With the help of a Bulgarian next door she immediately phoned emergency services - and saw police enter the neighbouring carriage at Pleven station.
I was initially impressed with the squad of 5 transport police who were
waiting for the train as it arrived on Wednesday morning and corralled all the
passengers – the Bulgarians are fed up with the frequency and scale of the
theft on this line. But she then spent 6 hours at the police station making
statements; waiting while the Russians (who had locked themselves in their
compartment and came out only when ordered by their Embassy) were being interrogated;
and then trying to select the offender from a line-up.
That was Wednesday.
Thursday
morning I was moving some paintings from the old to the new apartment and was
bitten by a stray dog just outside the new place. Fortunately I had a
physiotherapy appointment at the Military Hospital an hour later and was therefore able
to have an immediate swab and anti-rabies injection. Apparently everyone gets
bitten here – Bucharest (despite Brigitte Bardot’s antics) seems to have been
able to get the stray dog problem under control by a programme of
sterilisation. Here in Sofia there is only talk – no action.
That was Thursday.
Friday morning came a phone call from my new landlady who
had entered my flat without warning or permission and found the cat who adopted
us last summer. I had told the Agency to inform her – but they failed. “No cats”
she now says – a soulless, cold and
noisy flat and wild dogs have already alienated me and we reach an amicable
agreement to part. By the next evening I was ensconced in a much more amenable
old flat in the heart of old Sofia (Khan Khrum St) for 270 euros a month!
The painting is "Patriots" by the powerful Sottish painter - Peter Howson - who has done a series of harrowing paintings from his experience of the Balkan Wars.
The painting is "Patriots" by the powerful Sottish painter - Peter Howson - who has done a series of harrowing paintings from his experience of the Balkan Wars.
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