Tag: 2023

After posting yesterdays blog, I retired to bed, expecting a night of tossing, turning and meat-induced stomach “challenges”, but after perhaps a half of Bomonti more than advised, I slept really well.

In the early hours however, when people of a certain age are required to wake up and go for a wee, it became evident that the water supply had gone off. It happens occasionally here. And it’s a minor inconvenience. Turns out the pump up to the valley failed & Ova, His & Olu were all down. Ey well.

Fell properly asleep after that nature call, and next thing I’d missed my call to prayer and it was 10am (8am in real money) so not massively “late” but shows I’d make a terrible devout Muslim.

Jane & I headed downstairs & rustled up a “proper holiday breakfast”, my definition of which is as follows:

• good coffee (none of that South American nonsense – must be from further east of Kolkata)
• water (pref. carbonated)
• local bread
• something local that you’ve not had before (where possible)
• local meats (where possible)
• English crumbly cheese (requirement)
• Warm & dry Outdoor seating (should not be a chore)
• A decent view (where possible)

My “not had before” was the Ayram, a cold savory yogurt-based beverage. It’s very refreshing, and also something that didn’t get passed Jane’s “smell test”.

I’ve got a feeling that, given Jane then got her crochet set out, this will be a day of little excitement. Sorry readers!

To try to spice this monologue up, I decided today would be the day to assist our host by removing a now-vacated birds nest that had been surreptitiously built on top of the boiler (situated on a secured, covered balcony).

What could possibly go wrong – me balancing on plastic outdoor chairs that would barely support my weight and girth*, flailing a broom handle around, whilst holding a cardboard box, lined with a bin bag. Tom cruise isn’t the only one to do all of his own stunts, you know.

As I’m a versatile chap, it seems I now need to add “removal of low level birds nests” to my LinkedIn profile. It went well, with only a minor spattering of avian flu on my face and hands.

Mission Possible accomplished, and a quick detox later, we headed down to the pool, where the first thing I did was load the pool bar fridge with a crate of Bomonti. Things here are getting even better!

So then, and yes it’s 35°C, we sat out lathered in Factor 50, listening to Desert Island Discs & Neil Tennant from’t Pet Shop Boys. It’s very good. Highly recommend a listen.

Whilst listening, we booked to go to the Fez Bars Friday Night BBQ, and they’ve asked, rightly, for a deposit. So, seems we’re going to have to head to Hisaronu later, pay our dues, and maybe have a bottle of Fredericks IPA or similar, whilst there – rude not to, right?

Eventually, around 5pm, with Desert Island Disks complete, and all caught up with 93:20 Podcast episodes, we headed back upstairs to freshen up before going out.

Except Jane needed to nip back because the barstool she’d been sitting on had an impressively detailed, anatomically accurate “arse-print” of hers on it, which seemed to consist of emulsified sweat & suncream. Thankfully, soap & water did the trick and it’s now passed as sub-clinically clean. Also, I never got a photo.

Showers (low water pressure, aside) & freshen up done, we headed down the hill to the Taxsi rank & headed to Hisaronu for food and a few drinks. And maybe a mooch around the “farkets” & shops.

As the saying goes “when in Rome…” and all that. But instead we headed to Shanghai Blues. Well, where else, given their extensive selection of 115 dishes, all served bitter, and portions that are treble the size of anywhere else at the moment. Great news was that they are all rent-free in the heads of non-Blues. A bit oily though. More seriously, we had a really nice meal and portions were huge.

Can’t not mention Lurchio talking about where he and his mates are looking to go on hols next year. Two weeks in Barcelona, apparently. Hope they win the lottery! Oh, or Dubai or Japan. Hope they win the Euromillions!

Meal over we headed down to Fez Bar for a beer and to pay off our pre-debts (deposit for Fridays BBQ), via “The Strip”, taking in Marks Spengler, Harvey Nicholes, Harrods, etc.

A quick chinwag with the owner, a couple of Bomontis (Corona with Lime for Lurchio) & a GBP settlement of the whole of our forthcoming BBQ – our choice of payment method.

Just on that, for those that may not know, the Turkish economy is crashing compared to EUR & GBP. It’s at a rate of change such that on the month between us changing GBP to TLR, we missed out on an extra converted £180. Rate went from 24 to the £, and is now at 34/35 to the £ & climbing! No wonder, they’d all rather have GBP!

Anyhow, we got a Taxsi back to our gaff, and on the way we’re told about the history (or at least the origin of the names) of Fethiye & Hisaronu. Going to keep you hanging in the air on that one, which is more that happened to the chap who is credited with the name of Fethiye!

On that likely poor, inappropriate & obtuse “joke”, I’m going to call it a day/night, so see you tomorrow if you’re really lacking in things to do!

Oh! Water’s off again. Not good after a big Chinese meal, in my experience. Glad we have the ‘Mergency Flush Bucket of water…

Cheers!

Chris

*that just for Ian, as he will now be giggling like a child, after use of the word ‘girth’.

Well, after a quite Sunday evening, having dropped Toby off with our lovely neighbours and brewed a Helles Lager homebrew (that’ll slow ferment whilst away), we did the last minute pre-holiday chores (boiler off, water off, all that crap) and awaited our taxi.

So…having pre-booked via a well known local taxi firm, what to do when after being picked up in a somewhat disheveled vehicle that had “over 300,000 on the clock” as our driver proudly explained, and you hear the front suspension struts clunking as we did a 3-point turn, and we couldn’t get the seatbelts to work…

I looked it up on the DVLA website. Failed its last MOT. Back in April 2021..!

How have the “well known Taxi firm”not got checks in place that stop that happening? When we had company vans, I had the drivers fill out an online form about safety checks each month under my duty of care if for no other reason! Will report on my return, for sure.

We got to Terminal 1 & headed through to security where a good friend of mine now works. In a previous and somewhat inebriated state, we had discussed what he usually finds in hand luggage and has to check. Turns out it’s electronically controlled “intimate massage” items and a truckle of Edam. Not sure what said passenger had in mind on the flight, but anyway, each to their own.

I had said to my pal to keep an eye out for Lurchio, and if seen, pull to one side, allude to a search being required and present him with a dildo that would be alleged to have been found in his man-bag. Thankfully Mr A wasn’t around, so we missed that bit out.

Checks done, we headed off up to the bar that serves 7Brothers Pale Ale & had a bite to eat – fish finger butty, beef wrap, with a beer each, that kind of thing. That £58 kind of thing.

Boarded and with only a minor delay, we headed off up Runway 23Left, “V1, V2, Rotate” and then Jane waved England bye-bye as she always does.

After a very uneventful 4’ish hours, we landed at Dalaman, and whizzed through customs, to see our bags already on the carousel, and so headed iut to see Özgür of Blue Lagoon Transfers, who’s driver then took us another uneventful 55 minutes to our home for the next two weeks.

We did the “3 B’s” – boiler (on), beds (sorted & unpacked) & beers (from the local shop. Happy days.

Knackered, I went to bed at around 1am local (11pm Manc-time). And then spent most of the night awake! I really do wish I could turn my head off sometimes! I know I’m going to end up repeating some of the things I commented on in last years blog, but even as an agnostic, I do find something comforting about the call to prayer, particularly the pre-breakfast call.

Right! Action! Jane’s up, I’ve had coffee, we’re off meeting our logistical targets for the day – shopping for scran, snacks & drinks, getting a local data sim from “Mr Dongle”, book a table at Suat’s “Shiraz” restaurant & then head to the pool & pool bar.

A very hot walk down to “the big roundabout” at the top of Hisaronu & Mr Dongle first. Who wasn’t there!

So we had a traditional Turkish breakfast. Jane had a spinach, cheese, potato, leek & herb pancake, whilst I had the “Menemen”, a popular traditional dish that includes eggs, tomato, green peppers, and spices.

Sated, we nipped back, sorted the sim card & headed to the new and very much hyped Migros supermarket, which was pants, so we only got half of our intended items.

A Taksi back up the hill to the apartment, a mild panic with the door locks, and then a run down to our local Çis Market, where we used this delivery service to hoik the 24 bottles of Bomonti, coke, sprite ,”big water”, “little waters” up the hill to our gaff. All very civilised!

Which meant that we all (yes! Lurchio appears for the first time today) headed poolside. They sunbathed. I did some DIY & upgraded the Garsi Pool Bar. Managed to install the Champions League City/Inter flag over the bar reasonably well, imho!

Then I caved in, hit a metaphorical sleep-deprivation wall & headed to bed, when I crashed out for an hour or so, until woken by the sound of electronic chirping birds or a fire alarm. Now knowing it’s the doorbell, we did miss the delivery but that got sorted without further fuss.

Off to Shiraz for an early-ish tea at 6:30. As we sat, Suat vaguely recognised us, and linked it when we said where we were staying.

“Yes, please. Bomonti for me, Corona for the sulky one, and sex on the beach for my wife please”. As you do.

The food is amazing, and last year I’d promised myself that for our last night, I’d have the Megasarous T-Bone, which I did, but had medium rare. This time I had it med/well & it was definitely better for it.

We all had superb food, in big portions., so it was a “Hesap Lütfen”. Bill paid & tip left, we headed home to hit the meat-sweats up on our balcony.

And that, well that was Day 0 to Day 1 over! No idea what’s in store for tomorrow!

Cheers

Chris

For those reading this, thank you firstly. I hope there’s a modicum of interest/enjoyment spending the time reading my daily diatribe! For those back again…are you masochists!

We’re off to Ovaçik, thanks to good friends allowing us to use their apartment again. For Jane & I who do want to see new places, we’ve also found that once we find somewhere that we relax, we love to go back.

This year will be unique.

For those that don’t know, last Thursday I worked my last day at Airangel – a company I co-founded over 18 years ago, and that brought to an end 12,761 days without seeing a P45. I’ve had 35 years of continuous service for one reason or another.

It’s been a very strange experience for me with a constantly shifting emotional rollercoaster. It’s been my “life”. It’s affected so many aspects of my life over such a long time.

But now it’s time to take a deep breath, “decompress” and work out what to do next! Hence the uniqueness.

But first a holiday!

Due to Lurchio being at the end of a tough first year of A Levels (“very capable but must put more effort in”) we’re here a week or so later than we were last year.

And I suspect that means there’s going to be a recurring theme, with temperatures forecast of around 45°C at the weekend!

As usual, there will be an almost daily ramble about whatever comes to mind, as we explore this part of the world in a bit more detail this year. We have plans to visit new places, but are also looking forward to going back to places (for that, read restaurants) that we enjoyed the last time we were over the hill from Fethiye.

I say “over the hill”, because Charlie & I, along with a big group of Manchester City fans were here a few weeks ago.

I’ll not bore you with that adventure, (and boy was it an adventure!) but may write a little blog if there’s a slow news day here in Ovaçik!

Catch you shortly after we set off and then experience our first day back in one of our happy places!

Cheers

Chris