long time no see

It's about time I blogged, I cannot believe the last time was in April. I have been doing 'stuff'

To start off, at the beginning of April, MHTTB and myself went off to Alacate, which is close to Cesme, just past Izmir and a good 5 hour drive away. Aunties Fatma and Sedika live there and aunty Gonul was visiting. Alacate is a beautiful place set in 2 halves. Alacate old town and the new part. aunty Sedika lives in the old part, which is narrow lanes and fabulous old houses with square fronted bay windows upstairs. It is very Greek looking and a lot of the properties have been renovated by wealthy Izmiri residents. We spent 4 days there and travelled into Cesme which has a beautiful castle. To be honest, as a tourist destination we found it quite expensive, we spend 80tl on 2 cokes, a beer, a plate of chips and a toastie but it was well worth the visit. It was 4 days of barbeques and sitting around tables not being able to understand a word, but it gave me the chance to meet the wider family, like cousins and their children.

At the end of April, myself and a friend travelled over to Cyprus. We flew to Istanbul then got a connecting flight to Ercan, which is on the Turkish republic side of the island. After landing, we travelled onto Larnaca which involved going through no mans land and crossing the border. We stayed in a really lovely clean hotel, but it was a good 10 minute cab ride to the beach. To be honest, I wasn't overly keen on Larnaca the advantages were a few British shops like Marks and Spencer, next and JD sports, we could get Cadburys chocolate AND galaxy, but it was too British. It wasn't until the last day a taxi driver took us past the main tourist beach and there we found all the traditional Greek taverna's and fish restaurants. Getting home was exciting. Our flight left Ercan at 02.40 in the morning, I booked a taxi for 12 midnight as it was a 50 journey across Cyprus but it didn't arrive until 1am!! It was a hairy ride to the airport, but somehow we managed that journey in 40 minutes, also luck was on our side. At check in there was a film crew checking in with lots and lots of equipment which meant we made check in............just.

In May the purchase of my Dad's house was completed. I can't lie, it was a very emotional day for me, that house had been the one constant throughout my whole life and I suddenly felt cast adrift. Clearance had been in and I had arranged for a sideboard to be brought over from the UK. My sister had found the original paperwork for the sideboard, which was made from solid oak. It had cost my parents 5 guineas in 1954. I had tried to sell it, but both times the purchasers had dropped out. I arranged to have it sanded and painted and now it sits proudly on my landing.

My daughter has been to visit a few times and once with the kids during the school half term. Kai and Sian loved the swimming pool and one day we went on a boat trip and introduced Sian to the sea. Kai wasn't so keen and was happy to sit on the top deck. after a few stops we couldn't keep Sian out of the sea and she took to jumping off of the gang plank and star jumps from the platform at the back.

  

I must tell you about one boat trip. We took a private trip on the boat MHTTB is working on, later in the day, as we passed a particular cliff we noticed a lady in full burka half way up the cliff. We shouted to her in both English and Turkish and asked if she was ok. The boat captain was happy to pick her up at the bottom so she could get to safety, but instead she chose to climb up. People came along the road at the top and we watched with hearts in our mouth's, she almost made it to the top, then suddenly lost her footing. To be honest, I had to turn away as she cartwheeled down 40 metres of cliff to land in a broken heap at the bottom. The captain stripped down and swam over to her while MHTTB called paramedics and the coastguard. We waited 40 minutes for them to arrive and in that time her father managed to scramble down the cliff. The rescue was tricky, but eventually she was placed on a spinal board and floated out to a waiting rib to take her to Help beach where an ambulance was waiting. My MHTTB's family were on board along with my daughter and her friend and 2 year old son. We were all in shock and her father particularly. We had to go back to the coast guards station as some of the people on board had filmed her climbing up  and the coast guard needed the footage to make a report. As we pulled into the harbour there was a splash and Gemma called out Jere! My heart went up into my throat as I thought her son had fallen in but what had happened was that he'd thrown my UK mobile phone into the water. Gemma says I took it well, after what we had just witnessed, in the scheme of things, it was just a mobile phone. Anyway they say things come in threes, after everyone made their statements and forwarded the mobile phone footage we were free to go back to the mooring but the boat battery had gone flat!! We eventually got off the boat at 12 midnight. I'm pleased to say, the lady who fell, survived that fall with multiple  broken bones and a serious skull fracture, for which she has had to have surgery. She had a very lucky escape from death and I hope she makes a full recovery. 

In May I finally purchased a car of my own. I bought an Opel (Vauxhall to us British) Grandland X. Despite the price being more than I would usually pay for a car, second hand car prices are very good here in Turkey. Cars hold their prices well. I have had to put it on 'Yabanci' plates, which shows it is owned by a foreigner, which means MHTTB is not allowed to drive it. It's a ridiculous situation when you consider I am allowed to drive Turkish owned cars no problem and as the car was purchased here, in Turkey, 50% of the cost was Turkish tax. It means we cannot share the driving on long journeys. I have also had to get my license notorised (legalised) and until I get a Turkish driving license will have to leave the country every 6 month to keep my British one legal.

I got around to having a memorial tattoo done for my Mum and Dad. The red rose is for my Dad who was English and the Daffodil is for my Mum who was Welsh. They are set on an eternal loop with a forget-me-not in between. I'm really pleased with it.

So how am I settling? O.K. I haven't made hoards of friends, I have one or two. As MHTTB is working now I spend a lot of time alone, but do go out on my own to eat some evenings. My Turkish lessons are going well but slowly. I have had bouts of home sickness, and have booked a flight to return to the UK in November. I'm planning on spending a month there catching up with family and friends. I haven't booked a return ticket so it can give me some flexibility to spend Christmas there should I want to, we will see. 

Finally, my Dad's ashes have been laid to rest with my Mum's at the City of London cemetary. My daughter video'd it for me. He will have been gone a year on the 29th of November, I will be in the UK so plan to go to the cemetary and lay some roses down for them both. 

Anyway, apologies for the long blog and the delay in writing it. Time is flying here and I have had some wifi problems, the wifi is fixed now so I will try and be more regular.