Talk Bansko Magazine Issue 1 Winter 2008

Talk Bansko Issue 1 - Winter 2008

Nights Out What’s on Offer in Bansko

New Beginnings Thinking of Moving to Bansko?

Trail Blazers Biking in Bansko

www.talkbansko.com

TalkBansko. net Accommodation

Welcome to the first edition of Talk Bansko the

magazine. Each issue we hope to bring you interesting articles on life in Bansko, things to do when you get there, tips and advice for travelling to and staying in Bansko and information on local food, wine, customs and entertainment. For those who are into Bansko for the on slope (or on course) action we will also be introducing you to some of the latest gear and equipment releases from some of the leading manufacturers.

Inside Issue 1 Nights Out in Bansko Zagorka Index Which Snowboard? Cellar Notes New Beginnings Gear Guide Trail Blazers Classifieds Axeman Cuisine

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Many thanks to those that have so kindly given up their time to contribute to the launch and content of the magazine and share information and their experiences of Bansko. If anyone would like to contribute to the next issue please contact us at [email protected] Enjoy our first issue

T A L K B A N S K O . C O M

NIGHTS OUT IN BANSKO Does Bansko have what it takes for a good night out? Anastasia Voyvodova explains what’s on offer at Bulgaria’s number one destination. Escaping the hectic urban life to a haven of snowcapped peaks, streaked with green pines and white ski runs, is the perfect solution for any holiday seeker, from the family man to the whimsical adventurer, from the country cat to the party lover. Bansko covers every facet of the ideal holiday, being a tourist destination of diverse entertainment. Many people come across Bansko as a vacation opportunity or as a gem in the investor’s portfolio, but some have picked it as their new home. They have chosen to settle here attracted by the wonderful weather with more than 300 days of sun, by the excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions, as well as by the lucrative business opportunities. No matter what the reason, those newcomersturned-locals founded their brave new world right here in Bansko. They have all come from different backgrounds but have become a whole, strolling the same cobbled streets, breathing the same crisp mountain air and dipping in the same unique Bulgarian folklore traditions. They have also assumed an air of expert advisors, who would gladly help anyone seeking advice on what to do while on holiday in the fastest growing winter resort in Europe. As ambassadors of Bansko they spend their time socializing while going out, having dinner in traditional Bulgarian taverns (called mehanas), bowling or just having a drink at the local bars. As a modest member of that motley crew, I think I can speak for all when pointing out our favourite venues. A well-spent team-building night for us starts with bowling at the ten pin ball alley at the Strajite hotel over a bottle of beer. According to beer fans, the local Bulgarian brands, Kamentiza, Zagorka or Pirinsko are not to be missed. Then follows dinner. Some of the best ones we have had are in Banski Han, a mehana which seems a bit further off, located at the bottom of the town but offering amazing Bulgarian food. With its BBQ grill in the centre of the restaurant, heavy solid wood tables and benches, a wide selection of Bulgarian wines and excellent service, Banski Han is a preferred place for both Bulgarians and foreign

tourists. Must-haves from the menu are several traditional dishes like the chomlek, a veal stew with vegetables, or the kapama, a meal with chicken, pork, veal, blood sausage, rice, sauerkraut and lots of spices, both cooked in an earthenware pot. Another mouthwatering dish is the sache (named after the earthenware plate it is served on), or the skewer, both consisting of various grilled ingredients – pork, chicken, lamb, mixed or vegetables. All these profusely washed down with Bulgarian wine. If you are a red wine lover try the Mavrud and Shiroka Melnishka which are indigenous to Bulgaria only and if you prefer white wines, you will enjoy the Traminer or the Chardonnay. For the adventurers I can recommend a certain Bulgarian tradition, sipping rakiya (grapes or plum brandy) with shopska salad (chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers, parsley and grated cheese) or Snezhanka salad (thick yoghurt with diced cucum-

“You should try some of the appetizers offered in Banski Han “ bers, garlic and dill). But be careful, rakiya can be tricky and too strong for the unaccustomed palate. In case you are up for a light meal, you should try some of the appetizers offered in Banski Han – breaded cheese and chicken bites; sauté potatoes with cream, bacon and cheese; Roquefort mushrooms or breaded beans with cream sauce. Another tavern with excellent reputation is the Molerite, again very busy and popular among both locals and tourists. Apart from the exquisite food, the atmosphere is further aroused by the Gypsy band heaving incredible Jazzy tunes from traditional Balkan instruments. Another exciting performance in traditional Bulgarian folklore style, I witnessed in Chobanov Han. The group of national Bulgarian folk dances was so miasmatic that it made even complete amateurs from the audience feel confident enough to go out on the stage and dance with them. That and the best parlenki (a type of pita bread, a bit thicker though, garnished with savory and cheese) make Chobanov Han an alternative mehana to consider. Certain features of the Bulgarian menu and eating habits may seem awkward to foreigners. White salted cheese

(very close in taste to feta cheese) and yellow cheese (similar to ementhal or mozzarella in colour but milder in taste) are part of most dishes served in restaurants. You will be surprised how long a dinner can Bulgarians have while out at a mehana. They can spend hours drinking rakiya and eating salads before they move on to the main course and dessert. Keeping up the high spirit we usually move on to Sir Galahad (or Sir G’s, as some of us tenderly refer to it). With its tradition in showing football and rugby matches, serving draft Guiness and a wide selection of cocktails, my favourites being the Mai Tai or the Strawberry Daiquiri, Sir Galahad proved to be the focal point for every local Brit, hotly recommended to new comers as

well. In a casual atmosphere one can enjoy friendly conversations while having pizza, pasta, hamburger and even curry, listen and sing along the live music band, or dance. To continue the evening we move on to Base Camp, a somewhat inconspicuous bar next to the town park. What makes it an enjoyable place, though, is the friendly staff, theme evenings with varied music, from Retro and Latin to Hip-Hop, Trance and Rock and live bands performing at the weekends.

“With a carefully planned week every holiday seeker can enjoy his time in Bansko” Another option for night-clubbing is provided by Amnesia, recently renovated with a separate café and the Retro Club (a combination of both a café and a night club) in the same building. Last in line will be Oxygen, where every staunch party goer ends after 3 am. A night club designed as a cave, Oxygen accommodates a younger audience with its music being mainly Techno and Trance. These of course are just a selection of the various places one can go to while out at night in Bansko. With a carefully planned week every holiday seeker can enjoy his time in Bansko without getting bored or exhausted. With so many new entertainment options opening up this season both tourists and locals will have even more varied choice – Murphy’s Bar, a traditional Irish pub, several new piano bars and night clubs in the new and up coming hotel complexes, and new restaurants with international cuisine like sushi and Indian come as an alternative to the Bulgarian taverns. To sum it up, definitely, Bansko is the place to be.

ADVERTISE HERE Whole Section 70 EUR / 135 BGN

Why Bansko? Bansko....2 years ago we had never heard of the place! now we are on the verge of owning our own apartment there! Instead of moving home in the U.K we decided to look abroad & literally stumbled across Bansko on the internet. What we found when we flew out on an inspection trip totally convinced us that what we where doing was 100% the right decision. Bansko is the most beautiful mountain town tucked away in south west Bulgaria. We fell in love with the town immediately & after another visit during jazz festival week last summer we can not wait to get back there.this place gets a grip of you which is hard to explain in words! Bansko is advertised as a ski resort(the best in eastern europe)but to us the appeal is for walking,biking etc mainly in the summer. The old cobbled streets & mehanas which lead to the town square give a great contrast to all the new development going up all around with the views of the mountains being a constant backdrop all the time. Developing, charming, beautiful, a jewel unearthed, BANSKO....watch this space!!!! COVKIDS

THE ZAGORKA INDEX Zagorka lager is named after and brewed in the city of Stara Zagora in the Thrace region of Bulgaria. Owned by Europe’s largest brewer, Heineken, since the mid 1990’s the Zagorka brewery was started in 1884 by Czech brothers Bohdan and Jiri Prosek. Zagorka is a full bodied, mildly-hoppy and richly flavoured lager with 5% alcohol by volume. It is widely available in Bansko at shops, hotels and mehanas and we are going to use the cost of a bottle of Zagorka to monitor the change in the cost of living in Bansko. Our Zagorka Index will collate the cost of a 500ml bottle from three outlets in Bansko and will chart the price difference over the coming years. The first index will appear in our Spring issue once the three most suitable outlets have been researched and chosen!!

Whilst in Bansko be sure to try a bottle or glass of Zagorka and let us know what you think. Nazdrave!

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WHICH SNOWBOARD? When buying snowboarding equipment the first item on most minds is the snowboard. So what are the basic 'need to knows' of the snowboard types? By John Rodgers

There are three types of snowboard to consider: Freestyle, Freeride (all mountain) and Alpine (carving boards). Freestyle Snowboards - These are wide, stable snowboards that are forgiving to ride. They are very responsive which makes them good equipment used for snowboarding for novices. The snowboard characteristics make them good for pulling tricks but less responsive in high speed carving due to flexibility and edge grip. They are often twin tipped and multi directional making them good for tricks and half pipes but ideal for beginners. Freeride (all mountain) Snowboards - Generally the most popular snowboard on the slopes. Good for all mountain use, park or half pipe. Freeride snowboards tend to float reasonably well on powder, can carve and can be used to catch air, this makes them popular boards. Freeride snowboards tend to be directional, meaning one end (the tip) is wider than the tail. They tend to be soft and manoeuvrable for beginners but offer enough stiffness for fast carves in harder snow, these boards offer a mix of characteristics between freestyle and alpine snowboards. Alpine Snowboards - definitely not for the novice, these snowboards are stiff, narrow, long and built for speed. Built for speed carving and stability at speed with good edge holding powers they tend to be either symmetrical or asymmetrical but always built for one way travel. Once you have chosen the type of snowboard that best suits your level of competence and ride style there are then several other factors to be considered in your choice of snowboard before buying. Your height and foot size play an important part in your choice of snowboard. The length of snowboard that will suit will be down to the riders height and ridestyle. Snowboards are usually 100cms to 180cms long. A freestyle snowboard should stand tall enough to reach between the riders shoulders and chin when stood on end.

A freeride snowboard should reach between chin and eyebrows. An alpine or carving snowboard should stand tall enough to reach a point between the forehead and a few inches above the head. Foot size is important for determining the width of the snowboard. If your feet overhang the board there is a danger of catching an edge and tumbling. If your feet are too small then it is difficult to apply pressure to the edges to initiate turns. If you are an advanced rider using a carving board with big feet it may be necessary to alter your stance to avoid overhanging the edges. Of course before you buy equipment used for snowboarding you should rent a few snowboards first to see what style, brand best suit you.. John Rodgers writes for http://www.snowboarding-picture.com.

Cellar Notes Melnik 64 red Vintage - 1964 Type - Dessert wine Grape variety - Melnik Alcohol by volume - 18.0%

www.melnikwine.bg

Not so long ago the world was oblivious to its existence ... Found in 1998 in a dark stone cellar in Damianitza it was thrown so little light of its origin. Two 5ton butts of dessert wine, one from the Muscat and the other from the Melnik grape variety seemed to have been lost for the world for decades to emerge as an absolute elixir of a wine. Handpicked at its absolute ripeness in 1964 and fermented in large wooden butts it was fortified and left to mature. It has enjoyed the hot summers in the open and winters in the cellar for several decades before being lost and forgotten. Complex harmonious and thoroughly delicious, no wonder the butts were found one-third empty - the angels have taken their fare share of this heavenly wine. Bottled without filtration, Melnik 1964 Dessert Wine inspires wine aficionados and sommeliers all over the world but still guards its secret. The dessert wine from Melnik has the colour of an old wine, with yellow and brick nuances. On the nose it shows rich fruity aroma of fresh and dry figs, almonds, raisins and grapes. On the palate the wine is rounded, smooth, and fresh with a good balance of sugar, tannins and acids. The components of the wood have been well integrated and perfectly balance the other elements of the wine. The vanilla aroma prevails which further harmonises its fascinating flavour.

Blue Kangaroo Creche is proud to announce the availability of places in its new exclusive purpose built creche located at the Kandahar- Bansko. We respect how precious your little ones are. That’s why we present a superior quality environment focused on fun, safety and care, healthy fresh menus, activities in music, sport and movement and an educational focus within the foundation stage curriculum. It is our goal at Blue Kangaroo to present the individual attention that will give your child the opportunity to grow and develop at their own pace while having endless fun. What makes Blue Kangaroo so special? * We appreciate that having time on the beautiful mountain slopes is key to your stay in Bansko, but your childs safety and care comes before anything, and we pride our selves in knowing we offer the best child care possible, giving you ultimate peace of mind while you are on the pistes. * We offer exciting opportunitys to enrol your child in the method ski school while also providing all the encompassing facilities necessary for outdoor pursuits such as tobogganing, nature trails and conservational education. * Our heart is continually focused on providing the standard of care that you require for peace of mind enabling you to enjoy your day. Therefore our staff are trained in paediatric first aid and are ready to deal with small accidents or falls. * Blue Kangaroo is British family run and owned crèche which is based on the British Standard National Strategy for Early Education in parallel with the recognition of the individual needs of every child. Our Services Baby Roo’s Club: 6-12 months. We provide a six day service a week from 8:30am till 5:30pm. We ensure that our nannies care for a maximum of two children in any one session and that the same carer is used for the duration of stay creating a happy healthy continuity of care. Naturally we adhere to the individual child’s feeding, nap time and any other requirements that maybe necessary to keep your little one in their daily routine. Wallabies Club: Toddler Club: 1-3years Our stimulating toddlers club provides an excellent three to one ratio of nanny to child. Games music, stories, buggy outings, snow play, we will fill your child’s day with excitement and educational fun. Our standard of keeping nanny with child for duration of stay is also upheld, as always the benefit of continuity of care makes your child’s stay at Blue Kangaroo a joy for all. Kanga Club: 3-5years At such a pivotal age we at Blue Kangaroo are ready to motivate and encourage your fast growing child with our excellent entertainment schedule. Structured arts and crafts focusing on the Bansko environment and its artesian history, face painting, cable car rides, educational games, snowman building, the options are endless. We pride ourselves on the fact that no two days are the same at the Kanga club. We have a one to six ratio of key worker to child and we are pleased to arrange either a full or half day ski school for the four to five years, with drop off and collection by our staff. Big Blue Roo’s Club: 6-8years We open our doors ready for action from 8:30-5:30 on weekdays at Big Blue Roo’s. Skiers are taken to and collected from ski school by our team in the mornings and afternoons, while at lunch we reunite the skiers and non skiers at the Blue Kangaroo creche. Its nonstop all day Big Blue Roo’s treasures hunts, tobogganing, hot chocolate trips, outdoor survival with compass reading, shelter building, wildlife spotting, conservation education are a small selection of your programmes. We listen to feedback at the end of the day from yourselves and your child and are constantly adapting our activities therefore our standards continue to rise. Your children will have so much fun you will wish you could come too! Babysitting Service Always in great demand whatever the season. Our first-rate sitting service is begins from 7pm for up to four hours. The service is only available to those who use Blue Kangaroo at an additional charge. Due to the high demand it is a first come first served basis and therefore we request that you confirm in writing at the time of booking into Blue Kangaroo. CONTACT US

CRECHE: 00359 886 588515 RECEPTION: 00359 249 00100 UK OFFICE: 0208 133 1505 [email protected] or [email protected]

NEW BEGINNINGS Nigel and Glynis Morgan are the very proud owners of Devonshire Lodge. Here they share the story of their move to Bansko. Having spent many years skiing and snowboarding in Bulgaria and falling in love with the country, the people and the culture, moving here seemed the natural thing to do when presented with the opportunity of purchasing our own property. We moved here from Devon in March 2003 and to be perfectly honest, have not looked back since. The idea of running a ski Lodge was borne completely through our love of the snow. We couldn't get enough of the white stuff through just taking holidays! And the more holidays we took the more we wanted, so with a lot of thought and planning we decided to take the leap. The thought of running a ski Lodge/ Chalet was quite daunting, but also very exciting. Having never worked in this line before we were definitely going to be on a

sharp learning curve! Our new life-style couldn't be more different than the ones we left behind in the UK. Nigel worked for a small family double glazing company and I worked in Admin for a company of Financial consultants. Tosh, our very close Bulgarian friend moved to Bansko with us from Borovets and together we spent the next 10 very long, hard months renovating until we finally opened our doors for the first time at the start of the 2003/2004 ski season. The rest as they say is History! The Lodge as we bought it in 2003 was a project started by a local Bulgarian Business man, but never completed. It had in fact laid unfinished and untouched and un-loved for 8 years before we purchased it. To be honest it was the snow that first attracted us to

our new life style, but since actually having made the move we have found there to be so much more than the 4 months that make up the winter season. There are just so many things to do here throughout the whole year that when we get chance we take off and have have a go at some of them. We have had a go at White water Rafting, Rock Climbing, Horse Riding (Nigel found out he was allergic to horses)! We have taken up Mountain Biking and Walking in the mountains on a regular basis, and absolutely love it. When our guests say they would like us to show them around, it gives us the chance to get out there even more often.

just to make problems worse. Deciding whether to ski or board!! Hmmm and you thought it was all fun!! Actually life couldn’t get much better than it does in winter, yes sure, we run a hotel so we do at some point need to do some work. Having said that. Our guests are here for the same reason as we are. WE ALL LOVE THE SNOW. And when you have so much in common with your guests life just gets easier from there on in.

“Actually life couldn’t get much better than it does in winter” Living in a ski resort is maybe not as easy as most people think. During the long winter months when you have to cope with copious amounts of snow, when you must keep stacking the fire with logs to keep the chills away, clear the drive so that you can get your car out and on top of that you have the hardest decision of all to make each and every morning, ‘Do I go boarding today’? and

To learn more about Glynis, Nigel, Tosh and Devonshire Lodge visit their website at www.devonshirelodge.com

Gear Guide

Goggles by Adidas

Hydration Packs by Camelbak

Adidas combine superb mountain performance with urban chic style to make the Yodai one of the most desirable ski goggles on the market. Spheric vision advantage lenses give superior 240 degree vision and integral frame ventilation prevents fogging. Dual density face foam gives a close and comfortable fit and a clip buckle allows easy fitting over a helmet. Optical inserts are available for prescription eyewear users and interchangeable lenses allow complete versatility.

Headed to the mountain for a day of fun? Grab your gear and don’t forget your SnoBowl 1 litre of hydration in a lowprofile package that can be worn under your jacket. So comfortable, you won’t even realise its there as you carve your way down the mountain or ride up on the lift. Padded harness keeps system comfortable for hours. New zip harness design insulates tube and keeps bite valve close for convenient drinking. Low-profile design can be worn over or under a jacket. Insulated reservoir and tube are protected from freeze-up. Includes OMEGA Reservoir to make filling fast and easy.

Skis by Fischer This Fischer ski will take your speed comfort zone into 6th gear, with a World Cup construction and a new wide bodied chassis to make this ski exceptionally powerful! The addition of FischerOCOs revolutionary Flowflex binding plate system allows completely unrestricted flexing of the ski. For those of you who think youOCOre up to the challenge, make sure you invest in a new set of goggles and a helmet! Features: Sandwich Sidewall Construction / Air Carbon Ti/ Flowflex Binding Interface / ABS. Geometry: 123 - 82 - 109

Hydration Packs by Camelbak

Updated for this coming season, the Classic hydration pack from Camelbak Gloves by Burton now features an external access to the reservoir for fast and easy filling. The If you demand top-shelf warmth and ver- breathable mesh harness ensures that satile, bombproof durability, BurtonOyou won’t get too clammy or hot on the COs Approach glove is perfect. With the trail, and the low volume design helps to convenience of easy-to-air-out remova- keep it stable and comfortable on even ble fleece liners, gone are the days of the roughest terrain. CamelBak’s new gloves which are still damp from the day Omega Hydrotanium reservoir offers subefore! Thermacore* insulation provides perb tensile strength and improved burst the warmth and stretch zones allow su- resistance. perb mobility. BurtonOCOs Toughgrip* palm gives waterproof durability and Spinner Mat - Burton Snowboards All these and more can be found at grip and protects from sharp edges. The ApproachOCOs outer is constructed Stops your back foot from sliding around from Storm-lite * fabric which is highly when getting on or off lifts with a stylish waterproof. stomp pad.

TRAIL BLAZERS Who says Bansko is just a “One Season Resort?” David Bridges explains what the summer visitor has to look forward to. Bansko over the past couple of years has had a ‘one season’ tag, this is changing.. Bansko and Bulgaria have so much more to offer than snowy winter breaks. People have already started to explore what Bansko has to offer, but at the moment this is limited, just how the winter season was 5 -6 years ago. Over the past couple of months there has been the start of this development for the summer season, and more particularly Mountain Biking. Over recent years people have started to realise the potential of ski resorts as more than just that, this is similar in Bansko. Why would you not, 40 degree summers beautiful mountains and varying terrain. These don’t just make a place for mountain biking, much more than that is to get people into enjoying the area. The Processes. One of the most important areas that has come up is the environmental effect that biking would have on the forests and valley. This is something that the municipality and forestry commission have been interested in, but also something that they are interested in, in the form of help. When we first started biking and showing interest in the area, they were concerned with the amount

of damage that biking could make to the terrain. So, they allowed us to build a trail and repeatedly ride it to see what would happen. After a period of time, the municipality and forest commission were happy with what they saw, and allowed us to continue with trail finding. The municipality and forest commission have continued with there support of biking in the area, even to the extent of them coming with me to the UK to visit trails and visit

“Our aim was to try and find a selection of trails for all abilities” their counterparts in the UK to learn how to have bikers, trails and a happy forest in unison. So, now with proper backing and support from the municipality and forest commission, we set out trying to find out trails around the area. Our aim was to try and find a selection of trails for all abilities and both disciplines. One of the first areas we looked at was down hilling. We

started our search in Bansko, with our first ride down from Vihren Hut down to Bansko. We did not know what to expect, I have to say it was a mixed bag. The start of the trail was fun, a really nice single track, leading to a more technical rocky single track. This is where the fun ended, this single track then started to go across a really steep face with around a 60 foot drop down to the river, not for the faint hearted. We soon started to realise this was not going to be easy, especially as one of us ended up going over the handle bars. ‘Much fun’. Soon, this terrain stopped and we entered the forest, now slightly on a wider track and back to the fun. Within an hour and half we were back in Bansko, but more importantly happy with our rides. This ride showed us what the area has to offer, technical tracks, single tracks and wider forest tracks, all important components of downhill mountain biking. Although Bansko was great, one problem is getting up the mountain. We looked to Dobrinishte to answer this question. Not many people know that Dobrinishte has two chairlifts, let alone that they run all summer. What

the chairlifts offer is downhill biking all day for a lot less money and less damage to the environment. So to Dobrinishte we went and we were not disappointed. As good, if not better than Bansko from the trail point of view. The best thing, we could ride all day, ‘fantastic’. From then on, we declared Dobrinishte as the downhill capital.

“Bulgarian roads are not the safest places, especially on a bike.” From then on, many a weekend were spent riding at Dobrinishte finding many trails. Until this point we had ridden back to Bansko on the roads, and as many of you know the Bulgarian roads are not the safest places, especially on a bike. We thought we should find a route, off the road, back to Bansko. This was not as easy as we thought. On one day we spent nearly 4 hours wandering around the trails, after going down many trails, which led to nowhere, we gave up, not a good day. However, the next time we were out, we were rewarded with a really nice downhill track back down to Bansko. This has now become our favourite trail. These events really showed us the highs and lows of trail finding. We then moved onto finding cross country trails, and I am happy to report this was a lot easier, although there were issues. There are many, many tracks in the Bansko area which lead to absolutely nowhere, this is some what of a problem. However you can see where you want to go

with cross country trails, as most of them are pretty much flat. Which makes them perfect for people just beginning in biking or people wanting to have an easy day out and see the area and absorb the Bulgarian culture and nature. The cross country tracks that we found take in some of the most beautiful sites of the area, and leave the building sites behinds. On the tracks to Dobrinishte you can see such sites as the waterfalls near to The Old Church of St. Nicholas, which is also now the site of a major archaeological dig of the old church. In Dobrinishte there is the famous Maccidion

“The best things about cross country tracks in the area are the number of options” Mehana or if you’re feeling in the hunting mood, you can catch your own dinner at the trout farm. After a feed, you can head back to Bansko, taking in the forests and flowers as the sun sets between the Pirin and Rila mountains. Heading out the other way towards Predel and the new golf course, you really enter into the forests and really start to feel at ease. Personally I find there’s nothing better than listening to nothing but nature and have the sun gently touching your face. The best things about cross country tracks in the area are the number of options, you can chose to do a

short trail or have a whole day, with a spot of lunch thrown in, the choice is really up to you. So now as winter has set in, the bike is in the shed and the skis are out, biking takes a back seat, but the summer has been a good one. Many trails have been found and there may be many still to be found. As many of you realise Bansko and the area is still young and developing, and the mountain biking is no exception, but with support of the municipality and forestry commission and most importantly the support of you, the tourist, Bansko will not just be a “One season” resort, Bansko will be a place of 4 seasons for the whole family to enjoy.

CLASSIFIEDS

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AXEMAN CUISINE Fancy something different for dinner? Let Emil, otherwise known as “The Axeman” tempt you with an interesting Bulgarian starter.

Fried pannet cheese with honey and walnuts Ingredients: 1 egg 250 gr. white cheese, not soft 100 gr. Sesame 100 gr. bread - crumbs 30 gr. Walnuts 50 gr. Honey 200 gr. cooking oil You have to smash the egg and after this put the cheese in to it. You are mixing the sesame and the bread-crumbs , put the cheese in this mixture and fry into a hot oil. The cheese is supposed to have a dark-golden colour on both sides. After you have to spread everywhere with honey and put some walnuts on the top. Enjoy the taste !!! It is a hot or cold bulgarian starter. You can have it with different wines or drinks.

Emil