Thank God it's Friday...............

These early morning starts were okay to begin with but the novelty is already beginning to wear off.   If I get up at 5, I can keep going for about 8 or 9 hours but come mid afternoon I’m totally bushed.   Still, the pressure should be off next week so I can hopefully relax a bit.  It’s been pretty busy all week; it was a good job that I dedicated the whole day on Wednesday to flat stuff because when I got back from Cranfield I had phone call from Morgan’s to say that they had tenants moving in at the weekend to both Harriet’s flat the Cranfield flat. Brilliant news and Morgan’s, as always have been very professional and wasted no time in getting a let.   This was good news of course because it’s monies in the bank to cover the mortgages but it did mean that I had to really pull my finger out to get things ready in time.  Still not quite there but should be by tomorrow morning.

I went round very early to Oldbrook yesterday with the intention of doing a couple of jobs and painting a couple of doors.   Trouble was, I painted all the downstairs doors and the door frame paintwork looked a little yellowish against the newly painted bright white.  So, I decided to do the door frames as well and then somehow, I ended up with my paintbrush in the both the upstairs bedrooms.  Why oh why do I do it to myself?  As I was halfway through I wondered to myself why did I ever start this.  I only repainted this whole flat a little over 12 months ago so it didn’t really need doing again.  Still, 5 hours later I put my paints away and was pleased with the results.   I managed to get the Fridge Freezer out of its hole in readiness for Phil to go in and change a fuse in a socket and good job I did.  It was really dusty and dirty behind.  I then decided to pull out the standalone cooker because I could see dirt in the gaps either side.  Oh my god, it was disgusting, grease and grime everywhere.  I didn’t really have the proper cleaning materials but I managed to get most of the shit up with half a bottle of bleach and 2 kitchen rolls.   I can truly say now, that there is no surface that has not been touched by bleach.  It’s as clean as it can be. 

I was really tired when I got home but still decided to go to the health club because I hadn’t yet had a shower.  However when I got through the turnstile I couldn’t summon up the energy for a workout so I had a swim, steam and Jacuzzi.  Phil decided to do a long day yesterday; he left before 7 and didn’t get home until gone 7pm.  He’s so tired when he gets home he doesn’t even want to talk which is a shame.  He likes the company he his working for and after only 4 days, he already feels part of the team.  Which is good news.  Next week I have promised to go down with him and stay the night in a Travel Lodge.  It will save him a couple of journeys and I guess it will give me the opportunity to explore Abingdon.  I’m not sure there is going to be enough to occupy me for 2 whole days but I shall have a go.  If all else fails I suppose I can take my laptop and find a Wi-Fi connection.  

Although I moan about the early mornings, it does give me a chance to get loads of things done before the rest of the world awakens.  This morning I went to Tesco’s at Bletchley; I haven’t really shopped there much but it was okay.  Having decided to go to the gym every single day it makes sense if I concentrate on doing all of my shopping in the vicinity.  There are lots of outlets to choose from, Asda, IKEA, Next, Matalan, Tesco’s, B&Q to name but a few.  I don’t like the double roundabout very much but its okay if I go early and can miss the traffic.  I’m getting a bit more used to Phil’s car but I much prefer my KA. 

After Tesco’s I went to the gym for an express workout; 5k on the treadmill, 4 minutes on the vibrating plate and 20 lengths.  The pool was busy this morning and it made me grumpy.  Still, I persevered with the lengths but skipped on the steam and the bubbles.  After my shower I drove back to Oldbrook to dismantle the single bed.  It was a bit wobbly because we’d lost a couple of screws so we decided that we would swap it with the single spare bed in the garage.  Unfortunately dismantling the frame wasn’t as easy; Phil had cemented one of the fixings and I couldn’t get it undone.  Finally I got the bedstead off and managed to get it down the stairs.   I tried to get into the Land Rover to dump the frame at the tip but I couldn't work out how to get Phil’s back seats to go down.  Very frustrating.  Last stop was a quick shop at the Oriental shop to get Thai sweet basil, coconut milk and green curry paste.  Phil could spend hours in this shop and buys all sorts of weird things when he goes there but when I’m by myself I can be in and out in a jiffy.

I unloaded the shopping and then loaded the bed in the garage into the car to take to Oldbrook.  It was a bit tricky and it was hanging out the back window and I had to hold on to the frame sticking above my head whilst driving.  I got it all unloaded and up the stairs but couldn’t manage to assemble it, although it wasn’t for the lack of trying.  Never mind, it will be another job for Phil to do tomorrow morning.   He’s not going to have the luxury of a lie in because we have to be in the flat very early to do the last minute jobs before the tenants move in at 10am.  No rest for the wicked!

I’ve had a couple of nice emails in my inbox this week.  One from Mick & Lynn to say ‘hi’ from Kula Lumpa.  For some reason I thought they’d be back in Byron Bay but I’d forgotten they were having a last stop in Asia before going home to Oz.  I also had an email from Christine to say that she’d completed on her cottage in Surrey which must have been a huge relief.  She should have completed by the end of July.   This morning Sally our solicitor emailed to say that we’d completed today on our shared ownership house in Great Holm.  My express trip to London on Tuesday was not in vain. So again, more good news.  It’s all positive at the moment.  Let’s just hope it stays that way.

The Spice of Life

Here we are halfway through the week and since Monday, it’s been manic.   On Monday morning we popped over to see the agent in Stony Stratford to sign some contracts.  We just got out of the office when Phil took a call from Matt, his agent, offering him a 3 month contract at the company that he was interviewed for last week in Oxford.  Of course, this was great news, the only down side was that they wanted him to start the next day which wasn’t ideal because there was so much to organise.  First thing was to drop in at the barber’s in Wolverton so Phil could get his barnet sorted.   After this, we decided to go to the carvary in Shenley as we figured this would be the last time we could this for a while.

When we got back Phil printed all the contracts that the agent had emailed him.   We had to get a load of company information sent back and also the signed contract.   The afternoon went in a whirlwind; Harriet got sent home ill from work and I had the job of sorting out all her bills from the flat.  Phil decided that he would take my car to Oxford as a) it’s cheaper on petrol, and b) my car is slightly more reliable than the Land Rover which is still prone to over heating and the engine light is still flashing intermittently.  So I took the KA to the garage, filled her up and got the Polish guys to give her a thorough clean.  It badly needed it; I’ve been carting so much junk to and forth the inside looked like a bomb had gone off. 

It was a bit of a shock to the system having to get up so early but we managed it and Phil left with his sandwiches at quarter past seven.  I’m not sure who was more nervous, him or me.   Harriet was flying off to Tenerife with her mates on Tuesday morning so I woke her up and then went to the gym for a swim.  It was lovely and quiet and I virtually had the whole pool to myself.  Our contract with David Lloyd is well and truly over and funnily enough I’m not missing it as much as I’d thought.   I got back home at nine thirty just as Harriet was jumping in her car to go and pick up Jenny & Jade from Newport.  Not long after they all arrived back and I threw their cases in the Land Rover, not before making them reluctantly pose for a pre holiday photo in the garden!   The drive to Luton airport was tedious and very slow with the road works.  It took me nearly an hour but finally I dropped the girls off just before 11am.  This gave them plenty of time to check in as they weren’t flying until half past one in the afternoon. 

Unfortunately time was not on my side and I had to race back to MK and get to the train station in time to get the 12.02pm fast train to London Euston.  I just about made it in time and it was nice to rest on the train and have time to read the paper.  When I arrived in London I hopped on the northern line and then got off at the Embankment and changed to the metropolitan line to Temple tube station which was only one stop.   The reason for my quick trip to the city is that I needed to do a CHAPS transfer at the Yorkshire Building Society.  We are due to complete on the shared ownership flat on Friday and on Monday night Phil realised that we couldn’t get the money to our solicitor in time for the completion.  There isn’t an YBS in MK, there are branches in Coventry & Leicester but I figured it was easier to go to London.   I wasn’t too sure about where I was going but I found the branch on The Strand without too much trouble.   I was worried that the transfer would be complicated and was nervous because I hadn’t done this sort of transaction before, but in fact, it couldn’t have been more straightforward.   Mission accomplished, I went back to Euston and caught a train home. 

Harriet sent a text to say they’d arrived safely in Tenerife some time around 6’ish so obviously she’d had no delays.  I wasn’t sure if Phil would want dinner when he got home, so just in case, I cooked a bit pot of chilli and rice.  I tried a little but then decided against it figuring chilli probably wasn’t the best thing for a fragile stomach.  Phil walked in the door about quarter past six, absolutely shattered.  He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge, whipped off his work trousers and fell onto the recliner.  Bless him!   His first day went well; the company seem nice although Phil said they don’t really know what they’re doing.   Apparently the work team is an even mix of permanent staff and contractors, which is good.  Normally contractors are outnumbered greatly by permanents and they often get treated like second class citizens.  Phil says that the electrical engineer that should have started on Monday didn’t turn up so hence the reason Phil was called in.  He doesn’t mind, at least its income and if he can stick the journey and can do the job, it will look good on his CV.  Watch this space!

It’s seems very strange being home alone without Phil which I suppose is only to be expected when you think we’ve pretty much been together 24/7 for the last 18 months.  I’m pretty sure I shall find things to fill my time.  Mind you, that said, today I haven’t stopped.  I got up at half five which was just as well because Phil had set the alarm for 6am and it didn’t go off.  I went upstairs at 10 past 6 to wake the boy up and whilst he was in the shower I jumped in the car to post a card for Georgina.  She is off to South Africa on Friday for 2 weeks to do some environmental voluntary work and Phil wanted to send her spending money.  She also has driving theory test today so let’s home she passes.   I went to the Giffard Park to get Phil some cheese and onion crisps to go with his cheese and onion sandwiches (he’ll stink tonight) but it was closed.  I went to the little shop in Newport but that also was closed.  I ended up going to the garage on the dual carriage and just got home in time to see Phil off just before 7am.  

I decided to go to the gym but first decided to do a quick shop in ASDA because shopping is so much nicer when there’s no one around.  I filled the Land Rover up with petrol from ASDA and then went to the gym next door.   I decided to try a run on the treadmill; I thought I would struggle because I haven’t done any cardio for weeks but actually I surprised myself and managed 5k with hardly any effort or sweat.  I finished off with 20 lengths in the pool and then popped to Harriet’s flat to do an inventory for the agent.  Lastly, I popped in to John Lewis to get some hoover bags and was back home having a cup of coffee by half past ten.  Not bad for a mornings work!  After coffee I washed all my empty spice jars and refilled them.  I also did the same with the ground salt and pepper pots.  I've been meaning to do this ages and it was very satisfying.  I'm just waiting for Phil to call me in his lunch break and then I’m off to the Cranfield flat to drop off some things.  Thankfully, mad Betty is on holiday in Wales this week so I will be able to potter in my flat without any annoying distractions.

I don’t know if any of you have been following Ray & Narelle’s blog ‘Adventure before Dementia’?  Ray and Narelle live in South West Rocks and we spent a delightful Valentine’s night with them earlier this year whilst we were in Australia.  They’ve been in the UK celebrating Ray’s 60^th birthday and we had hoped to meet up with them whilst they were over.  Alas, it hasn’t panned out, they go home at the end of the week and I think the window of opportunity has passed.  Shame really, but from their blog tales, it sounds like they’ve had a great trip.  Narelle planned the whole journey herself which is remarkable as I don’t think she’s ever been to England before.  Anyway, if we don’t get to High Wycombe, I hope you guys have a safe and comfortable journey home.

Ferrari fiasco

It was good to see the two Ferrari’s back on form again last weekend as it will make the championship a little more exciting to be between three teams rather than two. It was surprising to see Massa take the lead into the first corner and stay there for most of the race. It was even more surprising to hear Rob Smedley congratulating Philippe on lap 28 having held off Alonso’s challenge and was now pulling away with fastest lap after fastest lap and a gap of around 3.5 seconds, saying, “keep going, we can win this now”. I for one was not expecting to hear anything like this and I guess that the commentators weren’t either as on lap 20 Mark Brundle had suggested that Massa would be given a message that Alonso was faster than him so he would pull over. This seemed to spur Alonso on as he took the fastest lap on lap 29 and seemed to reduce the gap when Massa was caught in traffic.

When Massa got the message from Rob Smedley on lap 47 and lap 48 to say that Alonso was faster than him my heart sank because I knew that he would have to give up the fight and Alonso would be allowed through for the good of the team. I wasn’t sure how they would do this without making it look like team orders which are illegal but I knew that the race was over. I couldn’t believe it when Massa just pulled over to let him through, it was far too obvious. As was the pathetic cover up by the Ferrari team trying to make everyone believe that there were no team orders; how ridiculous they made themselves look. I don’t get it; they employ such clever people on huge salaries and yet make such basic idiotic errors like this. It felt to me like they were deliberately sticking two fingers up at the FIA and the rule book thinking that they could say and do anything they like to avoid prosecution.

Once the press made a big thing out of it and had a go at them after the race the FIA had no choice but to mount an investigation but why hadn’t they done this at the time, were they hoping that it would go away and nobody would question it? Later on they fined Ferrari $100,000 for breaking the rules; in particular a rule that was made in 2002 when Ferrari again gave an order to Baracelo to let Schumacher past on the last lap for the good of the team. In fact in 2002 even though there was no rule disallowing teams to give orders that effect the outcome of the race, Ferrari was fined $1000,000 for bringing the race into disrepute. Bizarre, ten times more than the fine this time when there is a rule. The whole thing stinks but now Ferrari will have to present their case to the FIA world motor sport council.

I would exclude Massa and Alonso from having any points from the German GP and if they continue with their pathetic lies trying to wriggle their way out I would exclude them from the rest of the year. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar very harsh penalties from the world motor sport council that most people will feel is a little too strong, especially for Massa who had no choice. It’s a sad day for formula 1 but have you noticed how Alonso always seems to be in the middle of all the major troubles without taking any blame?
Wish me luck; I start my new job today in Oxford.

Wat a week

I can’t believe I’ve only been back from holiday for only one week and already I’m in need of another one.  It’s been a knackering week for many different reasons.  We arrived home on Monday and as Phil was still feeling under the weather he relaxed in his favourite chair in front of the telly whilst I unpacked the cases and got the washing machine going.  It took me the rest of the day to dry, iron and put away before crashing out for an early night.  On Tuesday Phil did make amends for slobbing out the day before and got up bright and early to sort out all our paperwork.  There was stuff to deal with that came in whilst we were away and also stuff that he didn’t get round to sorting before we left.  Phil also realised that his TMA was due in that very same day so he had to get that done and submitted.  I don’t think he will get very good marks because he didn’t really understand his assignment and had to rush it to meet the deadline.

I was meant to get round to Harriet’s flat to clean first thing on Wednesday morning but I woke up feeling not too great.  I had a cup of tea and a small glass of orange juice and then the stomach cramps started followed by a few hours of sitting on the toilet and throwing up in the sink.  Not a pretty sight and certainly not a good start to my day.  Eventually I managed to pull myself together and drove to the OU to pick up Harriet’s front door key and then went to her flat to start cleaning.   I had no sooner pulled up in the drive and was getting all my cleaning clobber out of the boot when the tenant from the adjacent flat came out to complain about our tenant who lives above her putting her washing machine on late and night and waking up her baby.  I said I’d sort it and took myself and my stuff up the stairs.  I was in the process of unpacking when the same tenant appeared, baby in arms and asked to look round Harriet’s flat.  She said she had some friends interested in renting; I showed her round and then told her the rental price.  It was considerably higher than her rent so she soon disappeared.  Finally I could get on with the job in hand!

At first glance Harriet’s flat seemed good but once I got started I soon realised it was all surface stuff.  It took me 4 hours to clean the kitchen.  I’m making it sound that Harriet is a bit of a dirty mucker but it’s really just me and my anal ways.  When I get a flat back I have to clean every crook and cranny until it’s perfect or as near as dam it.  I bleached all the kitchen cupboards, cleaned the oven and the fridge freezer and scrubbed the cream ceramic tiles until there were gleaming.  Harriet came home for lunch to check on my progress and to check the pile of rubbish for throwing away.  I didn’t get beyond the kitchen when I’d decided I’d had enough.  I stopped at the tip to get rid of the rubbish and it was nearly 4pm by the time I got home.  Just time to get showered and changed and to relax for a bit.  Steve Pem popped round with a belated birthday card and box full of goodies from Clarins, a gift from Mads.  Bless her. I Intend to have a beauty treatment day just as soon as I get the flat sorted.

I still wasn’t feeling great but I promised to meet Christine at the little bridge. She had the dogs with her and we walked them back to her little house in Downs Barn.  The sun wasn’t out but the weather was warm so we sat in her garden and ate a light supper washed down with a bottle of red wine.  It probably wasn’t the best idea when I already had a bad tummy but it went down well at the time.  Unfortunately I paid for it the next morning and instantly regretted my indulgence the night before.  Still, I had so much to do that it wasn’t an option to lie low in bed so I cleaned myself up and went over to HH’s flat to carry on with the cleaning.  Phil turned up just after I got there and got stuck into getting the weeds up in the garden.   I was grateful for the help but sent him home after an hour as he had a telephone interview at 10am.   He arrived home only to find that he didn’t have his house key.   I did a few hours cleaning, went to the tip to dump more rubbish and then went back home to get a shower as we had to go to see our solicitor in Buckingham.

The agent phoned to postpone Phil’s interview as the client was really busy so we just about had time to sign contracts with our solicitor and rush back home in time for Phil’s telephone interview at 12.30.  I changed back in my work stuff and went back to the flat to carry on with the cleaning.  Phil joined me a bit later and got on with filling holes and putting up pictures and mirrors.  Harriet had a half day so she turned up and we finished up loading all 3 cars with her all her worldly belongings.  I think she was sad to be leaving her flat but I think she is doing the right thing.  It’s time for her to get her life in perspective, save up some money and have a little fun for a change. 

At teatime we were all back at home and had all of Harriet’s stuff unpacked and put away.  Phil made Harriet her favourite supper, omelette and home made chips.   It was spotting with rain but I made him cook the chips outside, I can’t stand the smell of fat in the house especially when I was feelings so nauseous.  I went to bed around 8pm but just after 10pm I was back on the toilet where I spent most of the night.   It wasn’t a great first night for Harriet; she must have heard my moans and groans and kindly got up in the early hours to fetch me some water. I was feeling a little better on Friday morning so after breakfast Phil had I went back to the flat to finish off the last of the cleaning jobs.  I made up all the beds, Phil put some new sealant around the bath and I finished up with some touch up painting in the hallway and bathroom.   We went home and Phil made a spaghetti bog for lunch.   I tried a little and it stayed down but alas only for a while.  

On Friday afternoon Phil went back to the flat to meet Adam from Morgan’s for a rental valuation.  Thank goodness we just about managed to finish the flat in time for his visit.  I didn’t go with him because I had to go over to Cranfield to check out the flat.  Of course this meant another encounter with mad Betty and I really wasn’t in the mood for it.   The flat was okay, the agent had done a viewing the day before and had picked up all the old newspapers and post.   Mad Betty was as crazy as ever but I really shouldn’t be so mean about her because she gave me 2 sachets of powder for dehydration and diarrhoea.  Phil & I arrived back home at around the same time and decided to go to the cinema to see ‘Inception’ starring Leonardo DeCaprio.   The film was okay, a psychological thriller which was a bit different but it went on for a long time and I was a little bored in parts.  Of course it didn’t help that I had to keep nipping out to the toilet so maybe I missed some of the best bits.  Mind you, this film has had some great reviews.

I awoke early on Saturday morning and thought I had finally got fid of my tummy bug so I left my house mates sleeping and went early to the market for fruit, vegetables and flowers.   I was feeling a little peckish when I got home so Phil made me a fried egg roll.  After breakfast we went to the gym, I wasn’t up for a workout so I had a swim while Phil did half an hour in the gym.   He joined me in the steam room but no sooner did he come in then I had to go out because the heat was making me feel sick.   Sure enough when we got back home, I was throwing up again.   I don’t know what is wrong with me but I’m a bit fed up of feeling like this (can you tell?)   I have lost 8 pounds since we got back from holiday which is not really surprising because I have hardly eaten or drunk since Tuesday.   Okay, I’m too unhappy with the weight loss but I can think of better ways.

Chris picked up Harriet & Jade and took them to Watford for some last minute holiday shopping.  Phil watched the German Grand Prix qualifying and afterwards we had a quiet afternoon watching movies on the free movie channel.  Harriet brought Jade over and Phil dropped them at some friends in Newport where they were meeting up to go clubbing in the city.  It’s a bit strange having Harriet back home and I suppose it must be the same for her.   It’s only been a few days but I’m sure we shall all soon adjust.  One thing that I have noticed is that since her return to the nest, is that my washing, ironing and cleaning duties seem to have doubled!   I think Harriet forgets just how anal I am in the cleaning department.  Hey ho, a leopard can never change her spots, especially an old haggard one like me!

We were all up fairly early on Sunday morning, even Harriet which was fairly surprising because she didn’t get in until 3am.   I went to the shops for papers and took these back to bed for an extra hour.  When I got up I went to the gym with the intention of having a swim but I had toilet troubles when I got there so had to abort this plan and make do with a quick shower.  I decided to cook a roast chicken dinner yesterday, a special treat for Harriet.   It was tasty, even if I do say so myself and I managed to eat a small plateful.   The rest of the afternoon was leisurely and lazy, Sunday papers and lots of telly.   I figured, after our busy week that we deserved it.

Roast Turkey – Loose Ends

Claire awoke at 1am, 5 minutes before our alarm was to go off so we got up and had a cup of tea. Although they told us that the bus would pick us up at 1.40am we headed down at 1.25am to find a bus full of people waiting outside for us which is quite embarrassing especially as we couldn’t find our transfer document and had to spread stuff all over a table to find it. The place still had about a dozen people drinking from the previous night; after all it was still too early to go to bed when you are on holiday. Bags on board we were off with only a couple more pick ups before we were on our way. Of course we were only on the road for around 40 minutes and the driver pulls in for his pit stop while everyone onboard sat and awaited his return 15 minutes later. Why they do this and annoy everyone is anyone’s guess. Even with the stop we arrived at the airport about 3.5 hours before the plane was due to take off and the check in was dark and not due to open for over an hour.

Our flight was on time with no problems; we even managed to get extra leg room by an emergency exit and I managed to get at least 2 hours sleep which is unusual for me. Mind you, as Claire said I had been ill the previous day having awoke with stomach cramps which got progressively worse as the day went on. Somehow, drinking cold water seemed to help a little. I guess that it was a little like expectant women having contractions – except worse. It’s always worse for men. Anyway unusually for me I wasn’t hungry even though I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch the day before. What a shame, I seemed to ruin Claire’s last day; we had planned to get lots of sun before our return but I couldn’t sit in it at all.

We found out later that the Turkish restaurant that we stumbled across called Cinar (pronounced Chinar) produce one of the best Turkish breakfast’s in the country. This explains why there were as many cars outside in the morning as there were upon our return at lunchtime. It still surprises me that so many people make the effort to travel so far to this remote location. The closest town is Marmaris which must be at least 20km away. We also found out that the other place that we visited by the sea in that area, a little further on where they had the tractor rides to the sea has thermal springs by the sea. Maybe if we had known this we would have waited for the next tractor.

South Turkey in July and August is very hot and my advice would be to go there at a more sensible time. We hadn’t learned our lesson after being there in August last year but our special deal holiday probably wouldn’t have been available at a more popular time. With temperatures almost up to 50°C in the shade, much hotter in the sun and very little breeze. Lots of fair skinned Britt’s were caught out with the power of this sun. I have returned home with quite a colour and I spent most of my time dodging the sun choosing to walk in shadows as much as possible. Our day on the boat was extremely hot with little shade on the top deck. It was only possible to stay on the top while the boat was moving so as to gain the breeze; as soon as it stopped I had to go in the sea or on the lower deck. We probably caught the sun more on the bike than anywhere as you can do little to get out of the sun and your kept comfortable with the breeze. You have built in air conditioning on a bike; if you get too hot just go a bit faster and you get more wind; well Claire does.

We had a great first week and enjoyed Danny and Sharon’s company and the late nights talking shit over a beer or three. This used to be my favourite pass time in an early life when I still had youth on my side; I never wanted to go to bed. Mind you, even the night we went to bed at 5.45am I was disappointed and wanted to carry on. Ones too many and two’s not enough. It was a huge coincidence being able to meet up with Mick and Lynn while being away, especially so quickly after seeing them in Australia. When we left, Lynn said to me to let them know when we go away on holiday because, you never know, they may be able to meet us somewhere. For our last week we rented a motorbike and did our usual thing, travelling around independently getting flat tyres. These days, for me, this is what I enjoy most, the independence of being on our own, able to stop wherever takes our fancy and move on just as easy. We were very lucky finding the log cabin in such a lovely town by the sea in the Turkish holiday resort; you don’t get the hard sales tactics in these places but we may still be overcharged compared to locals but much less than in Foreign tourist areas.

Looking back at what we have done over this last fortnight, meeting new friends, Danny and Sharon, old friends, Mick, lynn, Barby and Alan, long walks, trips to market, bag shops, midnight cruise, Claire’s birthday, boat trip, bike trips, beautiful views, flat tyre, trip to Rhodes, two peninsulas, ruins, log cabin, lots of sun, not much sand, late nights, hard sales but a great time that has washed those post holiday blues away from our last trip. So remember, the solution for getting over a long holiday is;-- Another holiday! Every holiday, I always seem to learn something fundamental without even trying.

Holiday over, back to work now; that is if we could find any. I either need to change my CV and start lying, big time, to get a regular job or start buying, renovating and selling houses again. I guess you already know the answer, I hate lying anyway! Watch this space, depression gone we are suitably charged, ready to start the next phase of our life.

Bad hair Last Day

In the past some of my girlfriends have commented on the fact that Phil likes taking photographs of the back of me walking in the distance. They are right but it is not entirely his fault. I really dislike having my photo taken so Claire from behind is his only choice of shot. Occasionally he catches me out and I get cross with him. Sometimes I edit soon after he publishes but more often than not I let them stay. But the years have not been kind; I used to kid myself and blame the shots on the camera (and the photographer) but recently I have had to come to terms with the fact that the bad pictures are because I look so shit. In recent years on holidays in the sun my nose has burnt and scabbed over. And this holiday is no exception. I have read that this is because, as we age, the skin gets thinner and therefore is more prone to damaging sun rays. I don’t think I have a particularly large nose, my belly probably sticks out more, but there you have it, I have a scabby nose. My Australian friend Lynn introduced me to a silicone sun protection which was great. I did buy some out in Oz but then gave the bottle to my sister. She suffers from Lupus and has to wear sun cream at all times so I figured she needed it more than me but I think when I return home I shall have to invest in another bottle. If a scabby nose wasn’t too much to contend with then I also have been suffering from bad hair days. I think I mentioned before I came that I had had a really bad cut and colour. I have not been able to do much with my hair out all; whilst in Rhodes I bought a black hair bad and have had to wear it every day since. Bad hair, scabby nose, out of shape body and shades does not make for a good look!!!!

I was really sorry to have missed out on my Turkish bath especially as this is the first time that I had been able to persuade Phil to accompany me. I have had many massages over the years in India & Thailand but Phil has always woosed out. He doesn’t know what he has been missing. But 70 euros for 45 minutes is way over the top and it was the right thing to walk away. I did pop down to the beauty salon last night to get my eyebrows threaded and the girlie there did a brilliant job. It only cost 4 quid and so well worth the money. After my black eye experience I don’t even attempt to pluck anymore.


Our second week in Turkey has been very different from the first week. Don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed spending time with Sharon & Danny. The market in Ishmeler was an experience and we both enjoyed the midnight cruise. Of course the highlight of last week was having the chance to meet up with Mick & Lynn and their friends again. This was indeed, an unexpected bonus. I have enjoyed having the bike and all the freedom that it brings. At first, I was nervous especially after the first bike breaking down and the puncture on the second bike which was a bit of an expensive nightmare. But that said, it could have been worse, we could have experienced the blow out right in the heart of the mountains and then it would have been a long walk to the repair shop. You forget just how stifling Marmaris can be when you are in amongst it all. It’s only when you ride up the hill and driving through the mountains looking back down at the harbour then you realise how free you are, it’s like a different world. I said to Phil, it’s rather like going out to dinner in a tight pair of jeans, eating your meal and then coming home and undoing your top button and pulling down your zip and letting it all hang out. I’ve loved the bike especially when we don’t have to wear the helmets. We did wear them on the big main roads but around town and in the villages and mountains we haven’t bothered. It’s lovely feeling the wind through your hair and on your face. Mind you it’s a little cramped on the scooter and it’s not done my back any good. I’ve taken lately to hanging my legs out so I get them tanned but this does get tiring after a while and it’s not the best thing for overtaking vehicles!

We had a late night (again) in the Aloe bar last night and didn’t get to bed until the early hours. I’m not sure how this happened because it wasn’t meant to work out that way. We’d gone down early to post the blog and have a couple of beers and then all of a sudden it was midnight. We didn’t wake up until gone 11 and only then because the cleaner was banging on the door. We said “go away”, no not really, we shouted “thanks but no thanks” and having missed breakfast we decided to jump on the bike and head out of town. This time we headed out by the port not really sure what we’d find because our map is crap. However, we were pleasantly surprised as we found we could drive right by the shore line taking in lots of little places where the locals were picnicking by the sea. Phil was feeling unwell so we settled in a small village, parked the bike and stopped in a bar for some brunch. We both ordered egg and chips (how English is that?) the perfect hangover food. We’d not long ordered when Phil turned a funny colour and had to rush to the loo. He was violently sick and only just made it to the bog before throwing up his guts. Bless ‘im. He barely managed his food but he made a gallant attempt. I really wanted to chill out on the sun beds but it was pretty obvious that we had to get home hey pronto and get Phil in his bed and close to his own toilet.

So this is our last day and the last blog from Turkey. Have we enjoyed the holiday I hear you ask? Well for a last minute, cheap as chips it’s been just what the doctor ordered. Phil had been a bit down before we left, I’m sure whether it’s because of his recent diagnosis of diabetes 2 or the fact that he can’t get any work. I hadn’t really wanted to come away thinking the holiday was slightly indulgent bearing in mind we are both out of work. Also I wanted to stick around for the house viewings. But Phil has cheered up considerably and is almost back to himself so for that reason alone, I’m glad we came. It’s just such a shame that Phil is feeling so rough on our very last day. We had planned to chill out on sun beds and catch the sun but that hasn’t happened today. I did spend an hour by the pool but came up to the room to check on Phil and helped him with the crossword and also to do the blog. My only second posting in 2 weeks away.

We soon learned that our hotel ‘My Way’ had only been opened for 2 weeks when we first arrived. This was very apparent and I promised myself that I wouldn’t publish a review. Whenever we travel I always post a review on ‘Trip Advisor’ giving my/our opinion on the very best and the very worst. However things at ‘My Way’ having taken a turn for the worse in our second week, so unfortunately for them, I will be posting a review just as soon as I get home. On their last day, Sharon commented that things should get better in 4 weeks and Danny butt in to say “more like 4 years” and he is right. Phil tells me that this hotel used to have crap rooms but a brilliant restaurant. He has read that was an incident involving child abuse by a waiter involving a 6 year old daughter of a holiday maker. I hate this sort of stuff but our guess is that the previous owner decided to sell up. The new owner, and I don’t know who he or she is, have refurbished the hotel and the restaurant. The rooms are okay but very small, magnolia inside with decent balconies. Plenty of hot water but there is no room to swing a cat. The restaurant is lacking as is the service. The waiters are willing but there is a hierarchy in the management not trusting the staff, who for the most part, don’t speak English. We have paid for drinks that we’ve not had, we’ve been served warm beer and we have waited, what seems a lifetime, for food and drinks that have been wrong when they’ve eventually turned up. The biggest problem is the management. The young waiters thing they are gods gift to women (and men) and when they address Phil as ‘Big Papa’ it pisses me off. The senior members of staff, who for all I know, may be part of the management, are not much better. I call them the mafia. The blaring music all hours and the constant hassle to eat and drink in the restaurant every time you come in and out is relentless. It’s a bit like Faulty Towers and Ibiza town mixed in. The trouble is My Way is aspiring to be something it’s not. As the tour operator says who works and lives across the street, My Way is a restaurant and not a night club. At the end of the day it’s a modern 2 star basic ‘Otel’ and they should concentrate on getting the basic customer service right before going on to better things. I could say more but I won’t, suffice to say, that we won’t be coming back!

It’s getting late so just time to do a quick edit and sign off. Phil hasn’t been ill for at least half an hour so the plan is to take the bike back, get some cash out of the hole in the wall and then ack the cases. Talk about last minute. If Phil is up to it, we shall grab a quick bite to eat and then come back to the hotel for a few hours sleep before our bus transfer at 1.40am. Somehow me thinks it’s going to be a long night…………..