by Yekaterina Syrtsova

NEED A FRIEND?
www.bulgariadogs.com

DOES IT BREAK your heart to see desperate, hungry critters roaming the streets? You can now help stray animals at the Bulgarian Society for Animal Protection and Preservation's Sofia rescue centre. You can donate money online (any amount is appreciated) or sponsor a pet (the cost to support a dog or cat is one lev a day). Another option is adoption, as most of these animals have had rough lives and require special care. For example, you can help a dog like Sarka, whose hind legs are paralysed, by adopting her for approximately 100 leva. If you are not ready to commit, you can foster an animal until a home is found or simply volunteer at the centre for a minimum of two hours per week.

TRAILERS WITHOUT THE TRASH
www.dtrailer.com

EXCLUSIVE new movie trailers, plot summaries in both Bulgarian and English, genres ranging from fantasy and animation to documentaries and history, and comments from users: this new film database has everything cinema lovers need. The site includes both classic movie trailers such as Billy Wilder's The Apartment starring the magnificent Shirley MacLaine, as well as Tim Burton's latest Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with the director's favourite Johnny Depp. Launched in 2007, this hip database has more than 5,000 good-quality clips from 1939 to 2008. The online archive is easy to navigate, and you don't need to install any additional software to watch the trailers.


PELICANS AND WINE
www.srebarnabirding.blogspot.com

TIRED of stressful careers in bank management and event organisation, Jerry and Mike Black migrated south – but not just for the winter. The British couple has been living in Bulgaria for over two years, managing the Pelican Lake Guesthouse at the Srebarna Birding Field Station, promoting ecotourism in the region and making their own wine. Nature lovers, bird devotees and wine aficionados can read posts about the arrival of Dalmatian pelicans or volunteer for garbage clean up at the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Srebarna on their blog.


GO RURAL
www.ruralbulgaria.com

PINING for a remote mountain village or a luxurious house on the seaside? This database will help you find the best rural accommodation anywhere in Bulgaria. From Leshten and Borovets to Sozopol and Belogradchik, you'll have your choice of pristine getaways. The easy-to-navigate bilingual website sorts accommodations by type, region and proximity to historical places and resorts, and lets you read reviews of rentals, reserve rooms or even buy your own place online.


BALKANING IT
www.balkantravellers.com

FROM TIRANA and Zagreb to Athens and Istanbul – if you are a true Balkanophile, this bilingual travel guide is a must. With just one click you can discover unblazed trails in Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Romania; read about Balkan traditions; get handy insider's advice; and learn about local peculiarities. You can even impress your friends – chances are they don't know that Genghis Khan's descendents left their mark on Bulgaria's Sopot or that Croatia's Istria is a Klondike of truffles revered by the world's most notable gourmets. Already have the Balkans at your fingertips? Then head east – to Bhutan, Egypt, Ethiopia or Thailand.