Cob Camp - a great place to lay your head

I hopped off the train at Belovo, crossed the tracks and departed this quaint railway station. As I walked down the side of the building which contains the ticket office, waiting room and offices I observed a hearty meal in progress under cosy lamp light. As there was no indication of an integral restaurant I concluded that the station master and his family live on site. I could be wrong, perhaps the staff eat extremely well. I wondered who the statue was but never managed to pursue this question. The line to Sofia was completed in 1888. A phone call to Cob Camp from the train after leaving Septemvri station guaranteed a lift to the camp.

As usual serendipity prevails. I picked Cob Camp as it was, I thought, the nearest to Septemvri. The photograph on the booking site looked fascinating too. Dessy arrived in, thankfully, a car as they have a rather large motorcycle too. I was whisked through Belovo across the river and on to Dabravite. A large paper mill by the river and a Mig fighter aircraft in the town square were the curiosities we passed. Turning down a narrow lane, through an open gate and I fell in love with the place.

Cob Camp is not just a place to park your bum, it is an experience in itself. Moving east and towards the mountains I expected the weather to be quite cold at this time of year but I was wrong. The warm days and cool evenings were ideal for this experience. Breakfast on the terrace overlooking the valley. Dinner in the open communal area or as the temperatures fall, in the 'Cob' log fire burning. The place is the vision of Angelo and Dessy.

Eco-friendly with an eclectic collection of objects accumulated by Angelo over the years Cob Camp is restful both on the feet and the soul.  You can pitch a tent, sleep in one of the cabins or luxuriate in one of the bedrooms complete with on suite facilities. Each room has a theme, I was in the 'Art Deco' room. Designed and constructed by the partnership these rooms are cosy and unique. There is great use of reclaimed items here. The second bedside light is in fact a converted meat grinder. The supports for the bed are wooden ammunition boxes.

Indeed I think they had cornered the army surplus market as I was shown the different types of accommodation on the site. There are also three army surplus vehicles affording a comfortable cheap bed for the night or somewhere to house the children whilst you have a decent nights sleep. Again wooden ammo boxes were put to good use both as supports and as steps. Those leading to the "rooms with a view" above the communal area were a sight to behold. The whole site reflects the love of the project and the attention to detail of a true craftsman.

Relax after a long journey or just chill for a day, the communal area is open on two sides. Comfy couches and chairs, a double bed suspended from the joists and a couple of large dining tables ensure that guest soon get to know each other over a coffee, wine or beer from the 'honesty bar'. Each room has its own nail on which you hang a piece of paper - Wine x 1, coffee x 2. A price list above the bar lets you know how much the bill will be. A drop down screen in the garden allows movies in the open air of a warm summer evening, oh the decadence! I am reminded of Byron and Shelley.

"Would I like dinner?" Of course! If you get the chance to stay here (it is only a relatively short distance from Sofia) you must have dinner! As part of the ethos most of the produce is home grown and that which isn't is locally sourced. Couldn't be fresher or tastier. An what a banquet Dessy creates. I was stunned. Starters, main course, desert washed down by Bulgarian wines and beer. A different creation each day, what a girl. Now you can eat in the communal area but, as the nights draw in I had the privilege of dining in the 'Cob'.

I couldn't resist asking Angelo what he did before he became a hobbit. The 'Cob' is hand made and an amazing construction both inside and out. Mellow music played in the background as the fire glowed. A cosy place to sit and read or relax after a hearty meal, who cares if there is six feet of snow during the winter. I don't know actually how much snow they do get in this part of the foothills. All of this started from the purchase of a house and some land and a dream. Then lots of hard work!

I slept like the proverbial log. Breakfast on the terrace on a warm sunny morning. Who needs breakfast TV when there is this stunning view. Birds tweeted unobtrusively otherwise not a sound to be heard. Prior to breakfast I had a walk around the camp. Once again the tranquilly of the camp itself, its surrounds and the way in which both merge together needs the eloquence of that chap off the TV program "Grand Designs".  There are more photographs in my album Trip to Rila , worth a look though I say so myself. After breakfast a return to Septemvri in my next post.

Finally what Angelo does best when he isn't working on site, the back page of his catalogue, have a look at the website  http://angelloart.com/ too.

View my Trip to Rila photo album

(I have adopted a new approach with captions on the photographs so if anyone wants an unblemished copy an email request through my profile should do it. Good idea or not let me know.)

Cob camp, rooms with a view!
By the way I have spelt "Dabravite" with an 'a' because Google maps spells it that way and will produce a result on a search. Cob camp spell it with a 'u'. One of the problems of the Crylic alphabet.