Balkan Bucket Bonanza

[nigel bickle]

Pop down tomSussex, Hirst. I've a couple you can stare at.

 

And if you get off in Seats, a Ronda, Malaga and 1430 bocanegra to lust over. All with tales to tell..

[Bucketeer]

I don't know much about the blue Volga pickup yet but I'm going to have a chat with the owner about it and get some more pictures when I find it/him. He cuts grass around the locality so it's always in a different place.

 

Whilst I'm here I may as well deposit a few spots I got on the way to bar this afternoon. The Zaz 968 is the same one from my last post but I couldn't resist grabbing another shot as the gorgeous Zil was parked behind it this time. Also, as always, soz for all the Ladas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, looking at those now I may have already spotted a couple of them but care much I don't.

[hairnet]

must. go. on. holiday. here.

[andy18s]

1800ish miles to Veliko Turnovo

Or this has popped up on my faceache feed

[Tayne]

 The Zaz 968 is the same one from my last post but I couldn't resist grabbing another shot as the gorgeous Zil was parked behind it this time. Also, as always, soz for all the Ladas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started to think that Zil looked rather familiar...

 

As I've been to Hyacinth Bucketeer's neck of the woods there's a chance of taken pictures of the same truck.

 

Except I haven't.

 

I took this in Santa Clara in Cuba

 

par Tayne, on ipernity

 

And this in Balaklava in Ukraine.

 

Russian truck by Tayne, on Flickr 

[Bucketeer]

Marko - Yes. You. Must.

 

Andy18s - I've done the bus twice now. Once from London to VT with Balkan Horn and once recently from London to Bucharest with Eurolines. Both times were as unpleasant as sitting in a cramped seat for 48hrs can be but they got me where I wanted to go. Two bottles of Brandy smoothed out the latest journey a bit though.

Also, please don't think all Brits in Bulgaria are like the majority of people on the expat Facebook groups. I'm a placid person but whenever I read the ignorant, offensive, moronic drivel that makes up a large percentage of their content I want to gouge my eyeballs out with a blunt rusty spoon and shove them so far down their throats I'll be able to see the inside of their feet. Or something.

 

Tayne - I imagine the Zil also looks familiar to you as there are masses of them here that you probably saw, and all in the same colour scheme. It's seems odd to me that all the Zils in the world seem to be that same 'mk2 Cavalier china blue' colour. I've seen huggins of them and only ever spotted one that wasn't, a red one probably about a dozen pages back. I love them for the noise they make more than anything, I think I said previously that they sound like a drunk muscle car with a 50 a day smoking habit.

Combine them with all the old Ural and Kamaz logging trucks that are everywhere here and you've got a fabulous (to my ears anyway) V8 soundtrack.

[Six-cylinder]

I just love your spots.

[hairnet]

He takes tablets for them

 

I feel a mpoed trip coming on

[Bucketeer]

Thanks Chris, I try my best.

Mark, do it. As well as a 'mpoed' trip you could also be the forward scouting party for Shitefest Bulgaria, check out my facilities and suchlike.

[Bucketeer]

I had a bit of a near miss earlier today. I was washing my clothes at the usual place, here -

 

 

 

I had a stroll in towards the trees to answer a shout of nature and a gunshot went off close by. It was three hunters who had no idea I was there. We still haven't worked out how close they were to hitting me but they've taken me down to the bar now for a few 'sorry we nearly killed you' drinks.

 

Humans are the one danger in the mountain forests her I suppose. We have poisonous snakes including the Horned/Horny Viper but they're no threat really and bears don't count as I would feel honoured if I were to be mauled to death by one. A rare chance to admire the powerful claws as they tore in to my flesh, a special opportunity to examine the inside of it's mouth as it ate my face.

 

Anyway, spots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone's going to have to help me out with identifying this next one. I really think I did know what it was but recall has vanished. I was thinking IFA or something, maybe even Austrian, but my memory is FUBAR. It's as if being a semi-drunkard for a large proportion of my 41 years and 2 days on this planet has had an adverse effect on my mental attributes. Who knew that could happen?

 

 

 

A few things I saw from a train.

 

 

 

 

 

My new night-time chum who lives in the roof and insists on trying to get in bed with me.

 

 

A couple of spots from a Lidl visit to the city.

 

 

 

 

After an amount more drinks I shall head back up the mountain and cook the shit out of my kitchen where there is a chicken waiting with my name written all over it. C U L8ER.

 

[Skizzer]

You are living the dream there Bucketeer, apart from nearly getting shot obv.

 

I have no idea what that ex-army looking thing is, but googling 'GAZ 4x4' images has thrown up all sorts of fabulous contraptions.

[Spottedlaurel]

That Volvo P1800 looks a rather delicate thing to be out there, especially on wire wheels.

[Bucketeer]

As I think I think I've probably said before Martin, I'm living MY dream definitely but I possibly wouldn't recommend it to others. Also, the murky waters of commie 4x4s is very enticing. Be warned, Russian all wheel drive off road truck videos on YouTube can take over your life.

 

SL - I agree completely. The wheels on the Volvo not only look very fragile for the terrible roads over here but they also look turd. That was the second time I had seen it, both times hungover (don't judge me), and it's definitely someone's pride and joy, just my cup of horlicks.

[castros_bro]

As I think I think I've probably said before Martin, I'm living MY dream definitely but I possibly wouldn't recommend it to others. Also, the murky waters of commie 4x4s is very enticing. Be warned, Russian all wheel drive off road truck videos on YouTube can take over your life.

 

SL - I agree completely. The wheels on the Volvo not only look very fragile for the terrible roads over here but they also look turd. That was the second time I had seen it, both times hungover (don't judge me), and it's definitely someone's pride and joy, just my cup of horlicks.

 

No no no no no  woops!

 

[The Moog]

Will have to get you a high viz jacket for Christmas so that you don't get shot/the bears can find you more readily

[Sigmund Fraud]

Someone's going to have to help me out with identifying this next one. I really think I did know what it was but recall has vanished. I was thinking IFA or something, maybe even Austrian, but my memory is FUBAR. It's as if being a semi-drunkard for a large proportion of my 41 years and 2 days on this planet has had an adverse effect on my mental attributes. Who knew that could happen?

 

It's a LuAZ 969... Like a Steyr-Puch Haflinger, but from behind the Iron Curtain !!!

[Bucketeer]

^ YES! Thanks SF, me in an alternate sober life nods in agreement with you and tuts disapprovingly at me in this life.

[Bucketeer]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Any MoT test there?

[Bucketeer]

Yes we do, sort of. As you can probably see it's not very strict though. Solid sills especially are viewed as a luxury.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

This is a superb thread - and not just for the cars; for the atmosphere of the place.

[hairnet]

how screwed would the weather be in november??

[Junkman]

How much you said is postage to that Land of Eng?

[Bucketeer]

Mr Rustybucket - Thanks very much. I do try and give a feel for the location as well as just spotting, with varying success.

 

Hairnet - November is usually pretty nice. We often get an Indian summer around then but that's not a definite. It can be 30degrees one day and snowing thhe next. Are you coming over?

 

Junkman - You qualify for the special introductory Junkman offer of standard price plus 50%.

[Split_Pin]

What a cracking wee place with plenty of bonne-chaude at every corner.

 

Love all the shonky Moskviches.

[Bucketeer]

Last few spots from the last day or two. I won't be around here for a while so I may as well post them now, keep up to date. I may even have spotted some before but after 24 pages it gets tricky to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

I've seen this next thing about a couple of times. What does it do? Any ideas?

 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Is your roof space lodger a glisglis otherwise known as an edible dormouse ?

And more importantly, do all the railway staff look like that?

[Junkman]

It's a pneumatic road roller for compacting fresh tarmac.

100% German origin, most likely a Hamm or Zettelmayer.

[AMC Rebel]

Brilliant thread.  Southern Rail (thankfully I don't have to go near it) would surely be cheered up no end if they had staff like that?

 

I agree with your comments about a lot of Brit expats BTW - where my folks place in France is there are some terrible Brits.

[AMC Rebel]

It's a pneumatic road roller for compacting fresh tarmac.

100% German origin, most likely a Hamm or Zettelmayer.

This place rocks!!!