Russe, the town on the other side of the river, Shared much in common with several others that I was about to travel through in Bulgaria.

However, he was confident that with bank interest rates so low in Britain and elsewhere, foreign money would continue to flow into less developed parts of Bulgaria, such as Russe.

After leaving Russe I cycled for two days down through northern Bulgaria, whose green, rolling countryside - and the resemblance is too striking to pass without comment - reminded me of Britain.