Day 1 – That Journey a Have It’s Way

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