Finding alternatives

I have noticed something about myself since arriving here, I seem to be a brand junky, and I honestly didn't realise I was. Obviously I knew I would have to find alternatives to certain products that I use. Some that, to me, were essential, I bought lots of and sent them over with my belongings in November, mostly toiletries and shampoos. The other day I happened to come across a pork shop nearby, there are a few dotted around, mainly to cater for the expats who like their bacon. Being a predominantly Muslim country, pork is not eaten. Anyway, I went in and you'd think I had never seen food for years. along with pork joints and bacon, there was an array of familiar brands like Heinz baked beans, HP sauce, Paxo stuffing, Lurpak butter. All of it is overpriced because it is imported, but I ended up spending almost 98 tl on branded items because they were familiar to me. I resisted the baked beans, because MHTTB makes his own and the taste is far better and sugar free. I could have got almost a weeks worth of shopping at Migros for that!! So what did I buy? A kilo pack of bacon, for visitors, because quite frankly I don't miss bacon, paxo. And and and...............exactly, I can't remember. To be honest, there isn't a lot I miss food wise, I might start craving Cadbury's dairy milk, but I'm sure that's because I finished my duty free stash yesterday. I did notice Cadburys in Migros, but apparently it doesn't taste the same, I'll have to buy some and see.

Anyone who knows me well, will know I love to go narrow boating, there is something quite comforting dawdling along at walking pace and being able to stop where you want. As I have mentioned before, until recently, my dream was to buy a boat and cruise off into the sunset, the cold weather doesn't bother me, in fact one of the best holidays I ever had was a snow cruise. Inside all was snug and warm. Canals are interesting places and to live beside one attracts a premium price for property, but here, in Turkey, I find myself living along side a canal. At least that's what it is referred to as.

As you can see, it's more a drainage ditch, in fact, it takes the water from the mountains and funnels it out to sea, sadly the only thing I will see floating along there is, possibly, a poo stick. In Fethiye, the canals run very fast, so much so, that after a few people have fallen in the belediye have started a program of fencing them off. Beyond this view is the next one of the Mendos Mountains.

Once the spring comes and the snow melts, I'm pretty sure the canal will fill up and run fast out to sea. I love this view at the top of my street.

I sent the street cat's to the vet to get them neutered, one, a long haired tabby likes to come in, at first I thought she was a girl, but it turns out she is a he. They have been de-flead and wormed and given rabies vaccinations. The last one came back yesterday, he's grey. So far I am still in his bad books, none of them liked being put in a carrier, but the other two have started coming back for food and strokes. I have named them Cocoa, Ash and Mac. This one is Cocoa

He mews a lot so he only gets to come in for a little while, but while he is here he uses the litter tray and has a good old feed up. As much as I would like to keep them all, we already have 3 cats that MHTTB took in when his ex wife died.