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Great Post!

@DutchExpatVarna

I don't want to be argumentative, but this strikes me as an overly negative assessment... and possibly truer 20-odd years than it is today. Certainly, I am very confident that moving to Bulgaria is far easier, and far less painful, than your 80% failure rate would suggest!

Of course, I totally agree that one should be careful, especially in regards to money and construction issues. Money is hard to earn, but easily spent/lost/scammed. And if it's your retirement pot o' gold, then  you perhaps need to be extra vigilant.

I also agree that it's a big plus to be able to speak the language. But, these days, it's less of a drama if you don't. The youngsters are learning English in school (instead of Russian), and plenty of oldies have returned from working abroad where they picked up English or German or Spanish. Many are very helpful, and happy to use your phone and Google Translate to get the gist.

My experience of Bulgaria has been far beyond my expectations. Admittedly, as it's a former Communist country they were low... and we had absolutely no intention of living here (we just needed Brexit-beating EU residence permits somewhere). We quickly changed our minds, and I've barely left in the last 7 years. Absolutely, the best move I ever made, and we have a lifestyle far beyond anything we could afford back in the UK (or elsewhere in the EU).

I'm not the only one who feels this way, as Bulgaria is getting more attention as a destination for Digital Nomads and for retirement. In particular, check out the recent Forbes article on Sofia, "Bulgaria’s Buzzy Capital Is Europe’s Best Place To Retire" and the Time Out list (I saw it mentioned on the Daily Mail website) of "The 21 most underrated destinations in Europe for 2025" (with Plovdiv at #6).

Agree with how easy it is these days to get by with just English.

@gwynj

Couldn't agree more Gwyn.  Loving it here in Varna.  When I see where the UK is and is destined for, I feel very lucky I escaped when I did.  What scares me even more, is that the UK cost of living,  could have landed me homeless.

For example, in the unfortunate case you need surgery, be aware you might get asked to find a number (up to 3) of blood donors, regardless the time of day.

Wow this sounds crazy! How do people do it? Where do you find blood donors?

Can you store your own blood somewhere (beforehand) in case you need it?

@sajz

you can only store blood for about 42 days, so storing your own is not really something that will work.

Maybe you could donate your blood to give yourself some credits, not sure if BG has this system.

At most hospitals, there are many poor people ready waiting to sell their blood.

We see many calls for blood but as most of the expats are past a certain age or on medications they can not donate

For example, in the unfortunate case you need surgery, be aware you might get asked to find a number (up to 3) of blood donors, regardless the time of day.
Wow this sounds crazy! How do people do it? Where do you find blood donors?
Can you store your own blood somewhere (beforehand) in case you need it? - @sajz

Actually, there's no limit to how many units you will be asked to "supply"; the requirement is to match the number of units used for the operation - and there are rules about how old (and heavy, believe it or not) the donors can be.

@sajz

At most hospitals, there are many poor people ready waiting to sell their blood.

- @roywebb58

Those "poor people" are working for the "Roma Blood Mafia", who post mobile contact numbers around hospitals and set how much people have to pay for blood "donations".  I don't know what it's like now, but earlier this year in Sofia the going rate was 250 leva a unit....😡

@sajz

I will never visit a doctors office unless I break something.

why do I need to change my DNA with someone else's blood?🤔

if you own a big property with organic food there is no way you get sick unless someone is paranoid and visiting doctors often.

stop using deep fried oil which is an engine oil stop drinking energy drinks and alcohol stop using drugs which makes you sicker.

eat well drink well, meditate, do some yoga and stay safe.

@josephsaad44

You don't "change your DNA with someone else's blood" but it IS true that you can get all sorts of neurological problems if you don't change your tinfoil hat at the recommended interval...

@josephsaad44

I agree that mystery blood is not a riskless option, but I think screening is pretty good these days. And if we're ever lying on the operating table, needing a spare pint or two to stay alive... we're probably not gonna be overly picky about where/who it comes from. :-)

It's also good to stay out of clinics and hospitals as much as you can, they tend to be full of sick people. But it's advisable to do a few occasional check-ups, rather than getting any nasty surprises from high blood sugar / cholesterol / blood pressure.

I'm with you on ditching seed oils (EVOO only for me), alcohol, sodas/energy drinks, tobacco and other drugs.

I'm with you on ditching seed oils (EVOO only for me), alcohol, sodas/energy drinks, tobacco and other drugs. - @gwynj

I very much hope you mean "cold-pressed EVOO only" - hot-pressed, albeit cheaper, is a considerably inferior product and in my view, and taste, scarcely worthy of being called olive oil.

@JimJ

Of course... cold-pressed, single-origin, lovingly-nurtured Koroneiki olives, fertilized by pasture-reared Greek donkeys, hand-picked by wise Greek peasants in the first harvest, bottled in non-recycled UV-proof glass bottles... then flown to my door with the compliments of the Greek government for my continuing good health. :-) But failing that, I tend to take whatever is on offer at Lidl or Kaufland that claims to be "Extra Virgin". I guzzle 80 ml of the stuff per day, so I'd be broke if I insisted on the fancy stuff. My neighbour (in Cyprus) hand produces a few litres from our trees most years. It's very nice, but, Philistine that I am, I'd have a tough time picking it out over Lidl's Primadonna own-brand.

@JimJOf course... cold-pressed, single-origin, lovingly-nurtured Koroneiki olives, fertilized by pasture-reared Greek donkeys, hand-picked by wise Greek peasants in the first harvest, bottled in non-recycled UV-proof glass bottles... then flown to my door with the compliments of the Greek government for my continuing good health. :-) But failing that, I tend to take whatever is on offer at Lidl or Kaufland that claims to be "Extra Virgin". I guzzle 80 ml of the stuff per day, so I'd be broke if I insisted on the fancy stuff. My neighbour (in Cyprus) hand produces a few litres from our trees most years. It's very nice, but, Philistine that I am, I'd have a tough time picking it out over Lidl's Primadonna own-brand. - @gwynj

A good choice for enjoying before a good cigar, hand-rolled on a Cuban virgin's* thigh and then aged for 100 years..... 😎

I, too, have been known to serve Herr Lidl's "Primadonna" EVOO to unsuspecting (and undiscerning) visitors, but I'd certainly prefer not to be on the receiving end if I had my druthers.  Cold-pressed isn't hugely more expensive than the cheap stuff, but it is rather harder to find in BG supermarkets these days.

*Disappointingly, I hear that, as everywhere, they're in short supply in Cuba nowadays.  Mind you, they're probably still more numerous than "wise Greek peasants" - the ones I know are singularly clueless about pretty much everything, including insisting that of course Jesus was a Christian, every snake in Greece is highly venomous, and that raki/tsipouro/tsikoudia is something that should be swallowed rather than spat out with alacrity! 🤣