Hello from Bulgaria!
We couldnt wait to tell you all about our week in Bulgaria, but a storm prevented us from posting earlier (us being Iliana and my daughter Ekaterina). Anyway, we begin our story now (after having found another computer) and will continue later perhaps, because we have so many things that we want to share!
Lets start with a map showing where everybody came from.
Andrei came first from Cluj Napoka by train, early in the morning on Saturday. He traveled more than 22 hours and helped us settle the camp despite the long journey. We went shopping and loaded the car up to the roof on a very hot day, then we went to Lopushnya to unload and to arrange the sleeping.
On the next day Juri, Matti and David arrived by plane and Kosio drove them to Lopushnya. It was quite a rainy day and we settled for eating and drinking. The first evening was almost a disaster because we werent able to light a paleo fire with wet woods.
So dinner was served quite late in the evening. Good for us that everybody is so nice and didnt complain about it.
On Monday morning the sun was up and it was a beautiful day not to hot, not too cold. Matti and Andrei, eager to get some action, woke up early, went in the woods and came back with two straight oak logs.
I went to get Reinis (he hitch-hiked from Latvia for about a week to be with us!) and only a few hours later Niko arrived by car. Now the gang was full!
David (Time tourist on PP) - The Netherlands
Reinis (Demagogue on PP) - Latvia
Matti (Matti on PP) - Finland
Juri (Juri on PP) - Finland
Andrei (Andrew being Archer on PP) - Romania
Ceco (Ceco73 on PP - we found each other here on PP ) - Bulgaria
All of us together from left to right 1 row standing Juri, Reinis, Matti, Andrei, Philip (Kosios son) and David. 2 row kneeling Iliana, Kosio, Niko and Ekaterina (Ilianas daughter) as the shadow of the photographer
And the fun began! The only time the guys werent making bows during the day was when we were eating .
Matti started splitting the oak log and Andrei was working on his hazel bow.
Matti is splitting the oak log.
From the staves Kosio brought, Juri chose the elm Holmegaard.
He showed us his technique for reducing the wood by making perpendicular carves into the stave and then cutting the extra wood with an axe.
David chose to take the black locust stave, shaped in pyramided design and started working very diligently on it.
His smile never came down from his face and it was a real pleasure to be around him.
The joy to work shoulder to shoulder was spread all around.
Even the dogs wanted to join the party.
But when Niko showed his work everybody turned green His bows are amazingly beautiful and made with great skill and fine taste. Ill make a special topic about them later, there is a lot to see.
Well, this is just the short story of the first 2 days Make yourselves comfortable, the rest is coming up soon! 
P.S. I made about 1200 pictures and some videos. Please forgive me, but I cannot find time to edit them and Ill post them as they are. And Ken, sorry for the blue color that is seen in most of the pictures, it comes from the blue tarp hanging above our working place.
Iliana and Ekaterina (GirlDragon on PP)
(edited the spelling )
We couldnt wait to tell you all about our week in Bulgaria, but a storm prevented us from posting earlier (us being Iliana and my daughter Ekaterina). Anyway, we begin our story now (after having found another computer) and will continue later perhaps, because we have so many things that we want to share!
Lets start with a map showing where everybody came from.
Andrei came first from Cluj Napoka by train, early in the morning on Saturday. He traveled more than 22 hours and helped us settle the camp despite the long journey. We went shopping and loaded the car up to the roof on a very hot day, then we went to Lopushnya to unload and to arrange the sleeping.
On the next day Juri, Matti and David arrived by plane and Kosio drove them to Lopushnya. It was quite a rainy day and we settled for eating and drinking. The first evening was almost a disaster because we werent able to light a paleo fire with wet woods.
So dinner was served quite late in the evening. Good for us that everybody is so nice and didnt complain about it.
On Monday morning the sun was up and it was a beautiful day not to hot, not too cold. Matti and Andrei, eager to get some action, woke up early, went in the woods and came back with two straight oak logs.
I went to get Reinis (he hitch-hiked from Latvia for about a week to be with us!) and only a few hours later Niko arrived by car. Now the gang was full!
David (Time tourist on PP) - The Netherlands
Reinis (Demagogue on PP) - Latvia
Matti (Matti on PP) - Finland
Juri (Juri on PP) - Finland
Andrei (Andrew being Archer on PP) - Romania
Ceco (Ceco73 on PP - we found each other here on PP
) - BulgariaAll of us together from left to right 1 row standing Juri, Reinis, Matti, Andrei, Philip (Kosios son) and David. 2 row kneeling Iliana, Kosio, Niko and Ekaterina (Ilianas daughter) as the shadow of the photographer
And the fun began! The only time the guys werent making bows during the day was when we were eating
.Matti started splitting the oak log and Andrei was working on his hazel bow.
Matti is splitting the oak log.
From the staves Kosio brought, Juri chose the elm Holmegaard.
He showed us his technique for reducing the wood by making perpendicular carves into the stave and then cutting the extra wood with an axe.
David chose to take the black locust stave, shaped in pyramided design and started working very diligently on it.
His smile never came down from his face and it was a real pleasure to be around him.
The joy to work shoulder to shoulder was spread all around.
Even the dogs wanted to join the party.
But when Niko showed his work everybody turned green
His bows are amazingly beautiful and made with great skill and fine taste. Ill make a special topic about them later, there is a lot to see.Well, this is just the short story of the first 2 days
Make yourselves comfortable, the rest is coming up soon! P.S. I made about 1200 pictures and some videos. Please forgive me, but I cannot find time to edit them and Ill post them as they are. And Ken, sorry for the blue color that is seen in most of the pictures, it comes from the blue tarp hanging above our working place.
Iliana and Ekaterina (GirlDragon on PP)
(edited the spelling )
