Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Holiday Reports and Reviews => Topic started by: Lizilu20 on July 20, 2012, 10:18:45 AM
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Hi ho hi ho, off to Kalkan we go,
Waiting for the airport van
And then the plane to dalaman
Hi ho, hi ho
Hi ho hi ho, with mum and dad in tow,
Hope they'll love it in Kalkan
I'll soon be topping up my tan
Hi ho, hi ho
Hi ho hi ho, we'll be there in a mo,
Soon be drinking lots of wine
THE WATER HAMMOCK'S MINE ALL MINE >:D >:D >:D
Hi ho hi ho
YIPPEE!!!!! ;D 8) ;D O0
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Hi Lizilu - really enjoyed your verse :) - tried to think of one in response, but its too early for me!! Hope you have the most fantastic time and your parents also, look forward to the reports! x
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Thanks Irene, I'm feeling a little giddy this morning!!
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Brilliant Lizilu, have a super super time, and we look forward to meeting you at Parc Kalkan on the 5th August! ;D
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Thanks Jayne, see you both soon. ;D
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Love your little ditty and hope you have a great time, a great birthday and lots of wine, I'm sorry we will miss you on 5th. :'( :'( I will be watching out for the reports. ;D ;D ;D :-*
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Thanks skunk! Just got enough birthday money to buy a nice bag!!! We will be setting off shortly so speak to you soon from Kalkan!! :) :) :)
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Have a wonderful time and be careful with the water hammock! Wouldn't want you to experience "that sinking feeling" :o
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Have a fabulous time Lizilu, look forward to reading your reports!!
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Can't wait to read the reports...enjoy :)
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Well we're here!!! Just a quickie for now as we are all shattered and I have a hot date with a mysterious stranger. Me and Mr W H am mock need to get better aquatinted as I'm hoping to have years of fun and R & R ( as they say! ) with him. Unlike poor itstime who got the duffer!! Off to kaya tonight to celebrate my birthday so I will report back tomorrow with all the ins and outs. Thanks for your kind words. Ps its 90 degrees f in the shade and my eyes are already stinging from the factor 50 sweat trickle syndrome but I'm in Kalkan and in heaven!!! O0
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Fantastic! Although not raining here, overcast as per the norm!
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Enjoy Lizilu!!
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Enjoy yourself Lizilu! How's the water hammock???? S O0 ;D ;D ;D
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We arrived at the villa after a good flight, bleary eyed around 3am yesterday. The taxi driver was a friendly chap and we invited him in for a quick drink before he went home. We ended up staying up until the sun rose over the mountain behind us, drinking jim beam and coke and efes on the patio, while he told us tales of Kalkan and his family. Grandma Babs and grandad Keith and the girls retired early (approx 4am ish) so we're a little bit fresher than me and OH in the morning! As Friday was my birthday, OH had ordered champers on the plane, which was a lovely touch. We slept until 9am ish but believe me, I had the hangover from hell, only relieved by a hair of the dog very late afternoon!
The villa is high up with lovely views of the bay but is quite different to any we have stayed in before, in that its an older villa, quite traditional, with lots of wood everywhere. No dishwasher or microwave ( knew I should have read the small print) and cooking facilities/ utensils not brilliant ( no mini chopper here!! ) so not sure just how much cooking I will be actually doing ( hehe good excuse) and disaster- no egg cups for chucky eggs!! Does anyone know where I can buy some? I've looked in migros but to no avail :'( but that apart, it's lovely and quaint, very clean and has fab entertainment facilities for the girls and us ie iPod dock, cd player, PS and loads of DVDs and games - no chance of getting bored here.
We relaxed around the pool in the afternoon before our evening meal at kaya. We walked down, stopping at parc Kalkan for a drink and a chat with Eniste - it's so good to be back!! I had a huge surprise when we entered the restaurant, the guys had gone to town and decorated our table with a beautiful flower arrangement, balloons and happy birthday banners and then when we had finished eating, all the lights went out - said they had had a power cut!! Here we go I thought, I wonder if the waters gone off too, when suddenly fireworks went off outside and everyone in the restaurant sang happy birthday to me while kadir presented me with a birthday cake. I was absolutely overwhelmed, seemingly OH and Alper had been conspiring last week. I had tears in my eyes and felt very special indeed. The food as usual was delicious and the cake was outstanding. I'm sitting at the dining table writing this, with the flowers in front of me and welling up again as I think about it.
Grandma Babs and grandad Keith ( hereby known as GB and GK to save time) are very impressed so far with Kalkan, I don't think I needed to worry so much, especially with the genuine friendliness, respectfulness and helpfulness (goodness me, that's a lot of ness's ::)) of everyone they have met so far and GB is very impressed at being called a beautiful woman and waited on hand and foot bu the brilliant KAya boys!!
Tonight we are off down to the harbour to book a boat trip and buy GK some new sunglasses as he has broken the ones he brought and doesn't want to look like jack duckworth with sticking plaster over the broken bit, so he's lounging on a sun bed with a pair of GB's blingy sunglasses on, for our amusement!
The weather has been very humid and hazy today but now the sun has got his hat on and I'm off out to play ;D 8) :)
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Fab report Lizilu!! Sounds like you had a really good birthday!
Have a lovely, lovely holiday, how i wish i was in Kalkan right now :( :(
Keep the reports coming in, hope GK gets his new sunglasses ;D ;D
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I had tears in my eyes reading about the great welcome and birthday honours you got at Kaya. They are a great bunch. So glad GB and GK have been impressed so far, makes life a lot more comfortable! I suggest you try Yali for eggcups - they are quite good for household stuff I have found. The other very naughty thing my mum used to do was "egg in a cup" - boil the eggs as usual and then break them open and scoop out the cooked egg into a cup. Add butter and a bit of salt and pepper - YUM. The girls won't know what's hit them and the 2 Gs will be impressed (will remind them of the good old days before healthy eating!!). Sorry about the lack of kitchen stuff - I did wonder when I read the blurb!! Still as you say good excuse for eating out and so many places to choose from. How goes the hot date with Mr W Ham mock??? Look forward to reading the next installment and don't forget to get the badges!!!! Let me have your mob no and I can put it on my new phone with whatsapp!!!! Send me a pm. Enjoy yourselves. SX :) :) :)
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The plastic lids off shaving foam or spray deodorants (washed! ) make a really good substitute for egg cups, as I discovered last hols!
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Egg cups - There is a hardware shop in Kalamar Road, up from Chillies, just before Moonlight Terrace Restaurant. They will probably have some in there.
'Yumurta bardak' in Turkish from Google Translate.
B
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Think that one has closed this year as wasn't there last week. Would defiintely try Yali or the stall at the market which sells all the household goods. I like the little egg cup/plate combos they have in Kalkan :)
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Such a shame that Shop has close itstime. It had so many nice things in there. ??? J
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I think I remember someone saying it had moved but can't remember where :-[
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Not to get off subject but since egg cups came up and the hardware shop which used to be near Chillies - I have been meaning to post that the hardware shop is still in Kalkan, same man running it. It is bigger and better. We bought quite a few bits and pieces in June, he recognised us from previous years and seemed pleased we had tracked him down. If you are coming from the Kalamar Road end of Kalkan go past the first roundabout to the second one. Turn uphill and it is only a few minutes up on the left. Wonderful for property owners to stock up on things without having to wait for the Thursday market. I will post more in a separate section.
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So jealous Lizilu, sounds like you had wonderful birthday celebrations with the brilliant boys from Kaya. When we were there 3 or 4 weeks ago Kadir kindly invited us to his home for a traditional turkish brunch, beautifully prepared and presented by his lovely wife. His son Karem is adorable. Paul and I felt really honoured and it was the real highlight of our holiday. Say hello to the boys from us and try one of Alper's Mojito cocktails - fabulous!
So pleased that GK and GB are being looked after and are impressed with Kalkan so far, I'm sure they are lapping up all the attention and the genuine friendliness of the locals - might be the start of many more 'family' holidays in Kalkan ;)
Have a fab time :)
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yes the hardware shop has bigger and better premises...just under the vets (where Cati Restaurant used to be) They sell everything other than a cool bag....
If you can't get your egg cups you could improvise with tea glasses or cut some out of the cardboard carton the eggs actually come in...you can tell I was a massive Blue Peter fan :)
I'm really looking forward to reading about the rest of your holiday...sounds like a good start
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There's a serious handbag shortage in Kalkan..... >:D >:D >:D >:D
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Not Misty. I still think my egg in a cup is the best idea so far. ;D ;D ;D
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This post is dedicated to my new love, my new Kalkan guilty pleasure, my soulmate, who is extremely supportive and has been caressing me gently for the past 2 days, he is of course the marvellous Mr W Hammock, much better than Mr Gray of fifty shades fame!!! I salute you K4E for introducing us, the best 30 quid I've ever spent in my life. I wholeheartedly understand the utter devastation itstime felt after her Mr H let her down ( literally :'() we cannot be parted and I feel utter jealousy when any one else climbs upon him !! I overheard our youngest telling her Dad that she thought Mum might divorce him as she had a new love in her life!! Seriously, it's absolutely fantastic, so easy to get on and off and even good when you lie on your tummy, just dont nod off for a minute like I did and nearly drown as your head of course is slightly under water!
Yesterday we ate at doyum as GB was flattered with the attention from the greeter who promised a bottle of wine and fresh fruit salad " on the house ". The meal was really good and we even got complimentary starters, little samosa type pastries and salad. The total bill was just under 200 TL for 6 people, very good value for money. Trouble was, although GB had negotiated us a free bottle of wine, she is virtually teetotal and no one else ( other than me) likes wine so I ended up drinking the full bottle. This combined with the 2 ( small ) Jennifer junipers - as OH calls his G and T- we had lounging on the ottoman and a vodka and coke at the samira deluxe (we called in on the way to town) sent me to the same place I was yesterday and believe me it was not good. We called in parc after to watch the brilliant Aklan and I think I may have acted like his groupie, telling him how wonderful he was and even giving him my rendition of his song 'sensizlik varmis' oh how embarrassing to me now. GK said our youngest whispered to him "I'm a bit worried mums gonna throw her knickers at him"!!! I think I had a conversation with Eniste but I really had gone by this stage so Eniste I apologise for my loose lips last night I'm not sure what we talked about and I'm sure that it was utter rubbish on my part!
Talking of knickers, GK gave some people a thrill yesterday. He was on the balcony in his Y fronts putting his towel out, when a group of women in a jeep came up the hill, he gave them a friendly wave, forgetting he was semi naked and they cracked up, waving and gesticulating, I think it made their day!
We had chucky eggs for breakfast, thanks all for your tips and information on how to improvise and where to buy egg cups. OH used his blue Peter skills and made some from the carton as suggested by K4E and they worked a treat, thanks so much and guess what I found lurking at the back of one of the cupboards?? A MINI CHOPPER!!! I could not believe my eyes!!! It's just getting better and better. We are off out to the Marina tonight for our meal so I had better go and get my shower. Note to self, know your limits lizilu and do not accept any free alcohol!!!! And misty- I'm off to look at bags too, well that's if there's any left of course >:D >:D ;D
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Glad to hear you enjoyed yourselves Lizilu. As an expert on talking rubbish myself, you were absolutely fine! Hope to see you again soon - do we need to provide a second mic for you to duet with Aklan?...
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Maybe the ladies in the jeep were so happy because they too found a mini chopper.... on your balcony :o :o :o ...oooeeerr missus! :angel:
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Have you seen the Day in the Life on KTLN yet? Even by my standards that sounds like a generous amount of booze Lizilu - I hope the hangover is waning by now - just in time for your next dinner. ;D ;D ;D Enjoy the Marina, we haven't been there yet but it's on the list for this year. Let us know what it was like! Have fun. O0 O0
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Lizilu, your post has just made me laugh out loud! So glad you're having a great time. You will definitely enjoy Marina, we ate in some fab restaurants last year, but I can honestly say that it was the best piece of steak that I have ever had.
11 days for us now, although mini heat wave at home, not the same sitting in the garden on my sun lounger. We are even contemplating tonight getting the water hammock out of the bag (we have resisted so far) to see if it goes back in easily! Watch this space!
J
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Hi Lizulu, loved your post :) but a word of warning re the new love of your life..........be aware that said love will seduce you with hours of pleasure :o the promise of more to come, will take you to places you've never been, will always put temptation in your way, will soothe you and lull you into a wonderful feeling of bliss :D , will bring you promises of longstanding care and devotion and then............dump you unceremoniously into a cold dark place where you will be left feeling bereft, abandoned and will make you cry and splutter. :( (Well at least the chlorine in the pool will certainly sting your eyes ;) )
Be on your guard at all times as this "love" drops you into a sinking abyss with no prior warning, no tell tale signs of it's treachery :'( :'( :'(
Can you tell I'm still emotionally scarred ::)
Continue to "have a ball" and keep us updated with your errrrrrrr "activities" ;D
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Hi Lizilu, another good post! Enjoy Marina tonight, it's one of favourites now.
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Oh Lizilu this made me howl with laughter....
I don't get drunk much at home, but OMG I'm like a lush in Kalkan...many a time I've been rescued from tumbling in a comedy fashion down the Moonlight slope and once took out several tables when the boys weren't quick enough to catch me....so I know how you feel about the alcohol thing and talking rubbish. I've done a bit of unseemly Mum dancing (round my handbag - that one's for you Misty :-*)but I've never (I don't think...) tried to duet with a singer. Absolutely hilarious and you had the added bonus of embarrassed offsrping - that's what we're here for :) :)
Glad you lurve your Mr WH...itstime, you just got a dud - there's always one bad apple - don't let it put you off for life :) ;)
Enjoy Marina and enjoy bag shopping...one of life's pleasures :)
Keep us updated on your antics, loving your reports :)
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LOL K4E the story of my life ;)
Have e-mailed the company and advised of my trauma. Will await their response with interest ::)
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I'm sitting here thinking "a girl's night out in Kalkan would be such good fun"! have been chuckling at lizilu's antics and at itstime's reply....I'm surprised it wasn't censored! we all have so much in common....cankles, hair that grows of its own accord in Kalkan, a love of handbags (and dancing round them), the ability to consume more than our body weight in drink while on holiday and embarass (am struggling to spell that) our kids......not to forget our predisposition to injuries to the feet and ankles!
Happy holidays! :laugh:
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Yes can identify with every bit of all that and enjoyed every moment............................Well done Lizilu for expressing it so well!! ??? :o 8) ;D ;D
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Still laughing lizilu! Maybe a girl's night out would be fab and then meet up with the boy's in the middle! But obviously if and when all us forum people are all in Kalkan together! If there is any wine left on 5th august look forward to sharing a bottle with you in Parc Kalkan.
J
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....that's if Aklan has taken out a restraining oreder against Lizilu by then ;D ;D
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No reports of restraining orders, yet, but we know from elsewhere on EK people's doubts about the speed of reaction of the local law enforcement agencies so the papers may be in the pipeline.
In fact, Aklan is performing an extra show at Parc tonight, but will be away towards the end of the week and therefore not playing at Parc on Thursday or at Topaz on Friday, hopefully returning to Parc on Sunday. Lizilu's Sunday rendition (render meaning to boil down) of Sensizlik Varmış is in no way related to this short absence, apparently. Hope to see some of you later!
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Wow does that mean I've got a gig on Eniste??? I could stand in for him, just pay me in Bacardi and cokes. I do hope that I haven't scared him off and he's off to fethiye for that restraining order!!!! :( :o
He he he I have giggled at all your comments and would love a girls night out in Kalkan. Maybe one year we can co-ordinate it, what fun we would have ;D
GB and Gk went shopping for provisions under the watchful eye of OH, I stayed at home with the girls and helped them unpack the shopping when they got back. GB managed to find a litre of fresh milk and was very proud of herself, I was so tempted to sit back and enjoy the looks on their faces when they drank their tea as they made the classic mistake of thinking ayran was milk but I couldn't let them do it! OH should have known better than let them buy it! GB and GK are doing really well to say they've never been to turkey before, GK is now sporting a pair of "ray bans" after bartering the poor guy down within an inch of his life and all the greeters were asking where beautiful mummy was last night when we went out without them. No more antics from GK and the Y fronts ( loved the comment from Blue Lizard yesterday ;D) but I had a bit of a mishap on Walter ( now we have got to know each other better, Mr W Hammock and I are on first name terms) I tend to get on Walter as antler suggested, put him behind me and shimmy up him, unfortunately, I shimmied up and my bikini bottoms shimmied down :o so a word of warning ladies, beware of old loose elasticated bikini bottoms, always ensure snug fitting ones are worn when shimmying up your hammock. I was quite shocked, we are only just on first name terms! Walter is trying to rush our relationship and take it to another level!!!
Well we were supposed to dine at the marina last night but never actually got there. Thankfully we hadn't booked. We stopped off at the moonlight for a people watch, then called in at Adda for some EK badges. As we walked past Akin, we stopped and had a chat with the greeter who always makes a fuss of us even though we have never ever eaten there ( we will definitely this holiday) and he gave the girls some more bracelets. He seems a lovely guy and has never once hassled us to eat there. We heard a shout and it was from the greeter at Doy Doy, we knew him from our holiday at Easter as he was managing the new bar opposite the can can, unfortunately things didn't work out for him there so he returned to Doy Doy. They were very busy but he insisted (in a nice way) that we eat there and found us a lovely table that had just become vacant, right overlooking the harbour. As usual we had a fantastic meal there. I couldn't resist the summer steak, I cannot recommend this highly enough, it's beautiful and light and the flavours of the balsamic dressing and chilli marry together so well. OH had steak and the girls had a chicken casserole and a chicken skewer. We had complimentary starters and Turkish delight afterwards and complimentary almond liqueurs ( I know i said no more free alcohol but i have no willpower whatsoever!! ) and strawberry teas. Poor GB and GK didn't fare as well. They wanted to stay in and have a takeaway and watch a DVD. They ordered a pizza, chips and onion rings for 37 TL, a heck of sight cheaper than ours but unfortunately the chips were soggy and the phone call cost GB £6.00 from her pay as you go mobile!! We really must buy a Turkish one at some point. We found a mobile in the girls bedroom, an old Nokia that presumably belongs to the owners but had no charger with it otherwise we could have topped that up on a pay as you go. Never mind. When we got home we took a drink up to the balcony and just as OH had jumped in bed and dropped off to sleep, massive fireworks erupted down in the harbour. It was a fantastic sight and I'm so glad I happened to catch it. I stayed up for a while as 2 young lads on mopeds were sitting on the bench in front of the villa and I waited until they had gone before going to bed. With the terrible news of all the burglaries, it made me a little nervous.
Off down the hill this morning to cafe vita for a fantastic breakfast. So good to see the guys again and the food was lovely of course. We are hoping to get to the marina tonight so fingers crossed there is a table free.
Now back to my love Walter, he is beckoning me to me as I am writing, see you all later ;) :)
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Perhaps you and Walter can both join Aklan tonight! Hope to see you all later and have a great day. Do I need to reserve a table for you all within knicker-flinging range?
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Sorry but we can't make it tonight :( :-[ please could you reserve us a table for 6 on Sunday though for dinner and drinks ( lots of them !!) definitely within knicker flinging distance >:D. About 7.30 pm would be fab and try to persuade Aklan to make sure he is there ;D
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Done! Should I make it a table for 7? Aklan doesn't eat much... See you all soon
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Oh goodness the whole family is asking what I'm laughing about ;D ;D ;D. That is just hilarious, especially Walter and the bikini bottoms. We love Doy Doy as well but last time we went to Kalkan they offerd us a free drink and it was very nasty white wine!!! We used to go there back in 2002 when it was little more than a kebab place. Shame the place opposite Can Can didn't work out. Glad you had a good mal there though. Did you get the bracelets on the way out??! >:D. I phoned Jayne this morning and we had a long chat - mainly about Kalkan and the burglaries. I don't blame you for being nervous. It makes me worry about taking cash out there and i think we'll have to look into other ways of getting money. Well hope you get to Marina tonight - thanks for getting the badges. Eniste is obviously determined to get you and Aklan together. Have fun! ;D ;D ;D
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Yes, I am laughing too at your water hammock moment Lizilu! Hilarious! Let's hope Aklan is playing at the Parc on the 5th! ;D
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just read thru these posts and cant stop laughing! you ladies are too hillarious! dont suppose i need to say have a fabulous time lizilu - you already are! look forward to seeing how this adventure goes!! to all in kalkan now, enjoy :) :)
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Happy to help to get Aklan and Lizi together, even musically, although there is a serious pecking order amongst groupies. I will point them all out to you when Aklan plays on Sunday 5 August or before. He has just arrived so dinner plans may need to be changed...
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Brilliant posts Lizilou, thanks :) :) :)
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Excellent posts Lizilu!! ;D ;D ;D
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Thanks for all your lovely comments. Skunk, re the bracelets, every time we are in Kalkan we walk past akin and he always gives the girls bracelets but never hassles us to go in. We keep meaning to and there is no reason why we haven't but seeing as they have now had at least 4 or 5 bracelets off him, I guess we should go there pretty soon!!
Yesterday afternoon we lounged around the pool until it was time to go out. I was wearing a new top that the girls had persuaded me to buy, now I love bling but this top is pure bacofoil silver, OH said that I looked like an unwrapped kitkat!! We were meaning to eat at the Marina restaurant, but again, we never actually managed to get there ::) I daren't say we're going there again tonight as just recently the best laid plans... ???
Well, we set off down the hill again and decided to stop off at Ayese's kitchen for a drink, it's a nice little place with a fantastic view and apparently the food is traditionally Turkish and very good according to the English lady we got chatting to there. After one for the road we set off again. I really had a good chuckle on the way down. The cars, vans and lorries were bombing up the hill but slowing down as they approached us, I wondered if it was my top blinding them if the sun was reflecting off it but then realised that they were leering at our 15 yr old daughter!!! Two emotions were going through my mind 1. Perverts, she is only 15 and I still think of her as my little girl >:(and 2. They don't leer at me anymore :'( but what made me chuckle was one bloke in a lorry who looked to be in his 60's who slowed down and I thought 'dirty bu**er', he then proceeded to give GB a wink and a beaming toothless smile!!! So funny. The theme continued, as we passed the PTT a young Turkish lad about 12 yrs old said 'hello girls' and I said hiya cheerfully back to him, he gave me a strange kind of worried and puzzled look and I realised that I was actually not included in the greeting, he was talking to our girls who had strolled past him oblivious to his admiration as they were to the admiring glances/leers on the way down!!
Well I need some help re a handbag. There is so much choice and colour combos and I don't know what to choose. Any suggestions would be welcome. I'm toying with the idea of a mulberry hobo (I think??).
We stopped off at the moonlight bar as usual and sat quite near the top, on two tables side by side, GB and GK at the bottom of us. A cute cat was rubbing itself against GK's legs and he said "eeh Barbara, just look at this caaaaaattt!!!!!" Because as he bent down to stroke it, he overbalanced and nearly caused a domino effect down the slope, :o he fell into the chair next to him and the girl at the next seat very nearly ended up banging into the next person to her, and so on, it was just too funny for words and we were all laughing as I recounted K4E's tale of her similar incident!!! GK said to OH, "phew Shaun, get us another beer and ask if theyve got a bloody anchor as well". ;D ;D
We never made to the marina again as we were enticed into Baharat. We have never been before so thought it would be a good idea. I have to say that the food was really really good, but we had to wait about an hour and three quarters to get our main courses and we didn't even order starters! I would go again but only if it wasn't quite so busy.
We decided to go straight home as it was quite late by this stage and walked back up to the taxi rank. We jumped into the first taxi as it held 6 people and the driver was a young lad that we had never seen before. We told him the name of the villa and that it was close to the arcelik shop. He then proceeded to turn right at the roundabout, we had been this way once before and it had cost us 3 or 4 more tl as its a much longer route so we asked him very politely, to stop and go the other way, up the main road. Unfortunately he was not very happy about this as with a handbrake turn and a screech of brakes, we set off on the most scariest taxi ride we have ever had in Kalkan! We shot up that hill like a bullet, narrowly avoiding other cars and pedestrians, he even nearly ran a street dog over which was very traumatic and we were genuinely angry and scared. He virtually threw us out of his taxi and poor GK banged his head on the door frame on the way out. Unfortunately we did not get his name so that we could report him, we were just too relieved to get home in one piece, but we would recognise him again and he will never again get our custom. We felt a bit deflated after this because this is the very first time we have experienced nastiness in Kalkan and hope that it was a one off incident.
Today is another beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and extremely hot, I've been snuggled up to Walter all day and I've got to go now 'cos he's beckoning to me again with that 'come hither' look in his eye !!! :)
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Great post Lizilu, can't believe that about the taxi driver...what a menace...sounds like he needs a talking to from the other drivers. There's no need for that and he could have injured other pedestrians/road users/dogs/cats etc. Shame but at least you had a great evening.
KM
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Great post Lizilu. Laughed at the domino effect at the Moonlight - that dreadful slope!! We haven't been to Baharat yet but it's another one in the little black book. However hour and three quarters is a long wait - specially without starters. Yjat taxi ride sound like the pits - I must say they are usually very nice to me. Which reminds me how are the gammy knees going down the hill? Well it's another lovely day here except it's a bit humid - very warm and blue skies for a change. Not much news as the Olympics are taking over the BBC!!! The whole of this week's news is live from the Olympic stadium so you can just imagine. Never mind, only 12 days to go till we are in Kalkan and can hardly wait. Have fun - and don't do anything I wouldn't do - which gives you plenty of scope!!! >:D >:D >:DCX
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Lizilu, I can completely identify with daughters getting all the attention....one year we had 4 teenage girls with us, daughters and friends.....mind you we used to get extremely good service and attention in restaurants and bars! :laugh:
I bought a Mulberry hobo last year and it has been the subject of much bag envy....the funny thing was that I was choosing between a shiny logo badge and a matt one....OH said Mulberry would never do a shiny one, it looks a bit tacky so I bought the matt one....you know what's coming?? Yes when I compared mine to the real thing the badge was shiny....mind you I prefer the quality of the leather on mine....so feel like a winner!
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another good report, Lizilu :)
Did you get the hats to try on in Baharat...? Some of our funniest photos last year are of us and our three with the Turksih hats/veils - for some reason we decided to pull funny faces wearing them ??? Didn't go this year, so don't know if that was just for 2011 :)
The Moonlight cat is a gorgeous little thing....a nice addition for me :)
Crikey your taxi ride sounds dreadful...luckily no-one was seriously hurt - hope it didn't spoil your evening.
Bags...? Go for something you like and know you will use. The choice is overwhelming this year and they are nice quality too - the Mulberry versions are particularly nice :)
*cue Misty...enter stage left*
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Hi Lizilu. Loved the report. The taxi driver sounds a nightmare, hopefully he'll get caught out and someone will be able to put a stop to such dangerous behaviour.
Would definitely recommend Akin, lovely people and excellent food :)
Glad to hear Walter is giving such devoted service to you but how forward of him to meddle with your swimwear :o
Alas I have had no word back from my Walter's "Matchmaker" in regards to his dreadful behaviour ???
Mulberry is a good choice but if you're thinking about a work bag, take a look at the Louis Vuitton Pont Neuf. It's stunning. Holds a netbook/laptop and files no problem. I bought mine last year and have used it almost every day since. I never fail to get positive comments about it. This year I noticed some of the shops were doing a smaller version and I was very tempted.
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Another excellent post Lizilu!! Had to laugh at the 'domino effect' !! I would have been beside myself if i'd been in that taxi when he nearly hit the dog, plus it might not be a dog next time, it could be a child. I spotted a nice hobo Mulberry in June, think it was in Misty may but would also love a Louis Vuitton!!
Look forward to next report, never a dull moment in your family is there!!! ;) ;D ;D ;D
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Hi again, no hats available for us to try on at baharat but they were so busy I can understand why. Yesterday was a fairly uneventful day, all day relaxing around the pool and we finally made it to the marina last night.
We strolled down to ayse's kitchen again and got a taxi from there into town. My gammy knees are holding up ok so far, but are starting to feel the strain. I find I have to walk on tip toes when walking down a very steep hill, it seems to ease the pressure a little. We went straight to the marina and had a fabulous meal. I had a traditional turkish dish, I can't remember the name but it was very tender chunks of lamb, on a bed of mashed Aubergine and cheese. The lamb tasted barbecued and was extremely delicious. Youngest had an Adana kebab, as did OH which was very spicey, you could almost see the steam coming out their ears, so I swapped my meat with our youngest's. Elder daughter had her favourite, spaghetti Neapolitan, GB had tortellini and GK had a steak. We really love the marina restaurant, the staff are fantastic and the food is always cooked perfectly. After dinner we meandered back up the hill to the moonlight bar, stopping on the way to chat to old friends and peruse the shops. I bought a beautiful jewelled mirror for a cheap as chips 2 TL and GB bought a Turkish eye to ward off evil spirits. Talking of evil spirits, we stopped off at the moonlight for a nice drink to aid digestion :) and GB and GK had a snuggle with the moonlight cat who made a beeline for for them. I meanwhile snook into Nuri and spent my birthday money on a beautiful mulberry hobo in taupe. I am now a very happy bunny ;) :) :) O0 thanks for all your bag suggestions. I chose the hobo as I think I'll get most use out of it, makes a change from the cafe vita shopper that I usually get!!
Today is a very, very hot day, the thermometer is reading 46 degrees in full sun right now!! We spent an extremely sweaty hour or two at the market. GB bought a nice pair of shorts and haggled like a pro, for a very good price, on to Omars for gozleme and then to the butchers and kartin as we are staying in tonight for a family BBQ.
We bought kofte, chicken thighs, chicken skewers and lamb cutlets from the butchers for a very reasonable price. The thighs are filleted and are marinating as we speak, in garlic, olive oil, tarragon, chicken spice from the market and a lovely spice mix which tasted a bit like Cajun spices, again from the market. The skewers were already in a marinade and I have marinated the lamb cutlets in a mixture of honey, garlic, mint and olive oil. We are going to serve this with home made potato salad, tomatoes and cucumber and lots of crusty fresh bread. The girls have also requested a side dish of Turkish spicey sausages fried with onions.
We had a bit of an incident at kartin today. As Nicky says, there is never a dull moment in our household! Eloise, our elder daughter was helping me pack the shopping and leaned against the automatic doors. She must have been a little bit sticky with the heat, stuck to the door and it slid her along in the space behind the till and the cigarette counter, one minute she was there and next minute she had disappeared !!! We could just see her arm and leg waggling frantically!! It was a funny sight I have to admit ;D
Poor OH is smothered in a cold so I hope he can taste his BBQ tonight. I have fallen out with Walter today :( he and I are having a little break, I need some time on my own. We were inseparable yesterday and he lulled me into a false sense of security, he caressed me all day long but this morning I woke up to find a lobster with puffy eyes staring back at me!! Ladies, dont trust your Walters to care for you, you need to be able to assert yourself and slap plenty of factor 50 between you both, or else you will end up like me, in the shade all day like a sorrowful wallflower. I may resume our relationship tomorrow, but I will ensure I have the upper hand ;D
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Oh dear....your poor daughter! >:D Makes a change for the offspring to be the ones who are embarrassing!
I think you need to give Walter a firm talking to.....indeed you need to resume the upper hand, although I can see how it would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security by one so charming!
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Again a great post - and you thought we might be bored!!!! ::) ::) Not a chance with all your adventures and misadventures!!! ;D ;D ;D I must say Marina sounds good, we will give it a try. Have you seen the latest from Trip Advisor on Hunkar Ocakbasi? Sounds very good value and apparently the food is delicious. However having said that, the barbie for tonight sounds wonderful too!!!
That wicked Walter deserves a good hiding! :o :o :o I can imagine it's dead easy to get burnt when you feel so cool. In the meantime it's hot here as well - believe it or not, so I am just poaching a side of salmon from our brilliant Thursday fishmonger to have cold tonight with some new potatoes from the garden, home made mayo and watercress salad. Simples but delicious too. It's set to rain just in time for the Olympic opening night celebrations tomorrow night. ;D ;D ;D Poor old Her Maj, in the p.....g rain again after her Jubilee pageant. Just not her year is it??? :'( :'( >:D
Have another great evening and enjoy the barbie. SX :)
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Brilliant yet again Lizilu, such fun reading. Hope your daughter is okay, I seriously thought this morning that maybe we should have bought 2 water hammocks, but am perhaps glad that we haven't now! Enjoy your evening, your bb
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Lizilu, Yes ditto another very entertaining post, sorry to hear about your daughter's mishap, hope she is okay. Glad you enjoyed Marina Restaurant, lovely there isn't it, great food. Your bbq menu sounds yummy, enjoy! I seriously was thinking this morning that we should have perhaps bought 2 water hammocks, but maybe the one will suffice!
Your post made me laugh out loud too Caroline, brilliant! your menu tonight sounds yummy too. Enjoy
Bob has just put a bottle of wine in the freezer to chill, would be rude not to have a glass wouldn't it? lol
J
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Definitely would be very rude not to keep him company while he has a glass! If they recommend copious amountsw of G and T to prevent mozzie bites as well as the vit b then all will be well with the world in Kalkan. >:D >:D >:D
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Another fab post Lizilu!! We also love Marina, i love the pasta they do.
Have to say Skunk your meal sounds lovely, i love salmon and watercress.
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Vitamin B is now on our shopping list for tomorrow, thank you J
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Hey, we haven't had one mossie bite yet, Jennifer junipers ( G&T) obviously does the trick, so more gin is in our shopping basket tomorrow!!!! :-* xxx
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Happy days Lizilu! :) :) :) :)
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Thanks Holmfirthnicky - it was delicious.
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The BBQ went well last night, only one rogue kofte cremated! I wish you could have joined us skunk as your salmon and watercress salad and your company would have been delightful :) we set the table by the pool to eat at and it looked lovely. All was well until we served up the food, to our disgust, a swarm of wasps descended upon us and had us running for cover. Me and the girls are complete wuss's around insects and I would love to have seen it replayed on you've been framed. We resembled Benny Hill and co as we ran off ducking and diving rather vocally!!! So we ate inside, then retired outside until midnight, chatting and having a thoroughly relaxing evening.
This morning OH, me and the girls walked into town for brunch, stopping off at the pharmacy to get OH some antibiotic ear drops as his cold has now turned into a probable ear infection. :(
We booked a table at sunset restaurant for our evening meal tonight on the way down to fener. We had a lovely meal at fener cafe and chilled out there for an hour or two, watching the water taxis ferry people to the various beach clubs. We then called in to mussaka to book a table for Monday. We had a very nice chat with mehmet who offered us complimentary drinks as we chatted, what a lovely generous touch. The girls had homemade minted lemonade which was out of this world. I'm looking forward to the Moroccan lamb already.
I've rekindled my relationship with Walter this afternoon and we are back to where we left off, only I'm making sure I'm in control from now on!!
Tomorrow we are off on yildiz for the first time. I'm not sure which boat we will be on but I'm sure we will have a great day after reading all of your recommendations. I just feel a bit sorry for OH as he will have to try to make sure that he doesn't get his head under water.
I will report back tomorrow with details of our day cruising around the beautiful Kalkan coast. Happy days indeed!!!
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Hi Lizilu20, I haven't been posting but I have greatly enjoyed your daily blogs. Should I, or should I not, get my own Walter?? Yours does seem to have caused one or two problems for you!! I have to say I could see all the dangers of falling asleep in the water, lulled into a false sense of security, thinking you are cool but getting fried.
Hope your OH gets rid of his cold very soon, not to mention his ear infection. Also that your knees don't play up too much.
I shall continue to "watch this space" even if not posting so keep up the blog.
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Thanks for your lovely comments tortoiselady. I would urge you to get a Walter of your own. He may well be a little better behaved than mine!! ;D
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Have a lovely day on Yildiz tomorrow Lizilu, we love our days out with Osman and Zeynap. Hope OH is feeling ok, we also like Mussaka, i had the paella when we went in June and it was luuvverley!! The guys are good fun aren't they, enjoy your meal tonight and look forward to reading your boat trip tomorrow.
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I did a very long reply but it hasn't been delivered!!!! Suffice to say glad the barbie went OK (apart from the wasps) and have a lovely time on Yildiz tomorrow. Jayne flies this time next week! Lucky thing.
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What a fantastic day we have had today on yildiz 3. We have only just returned home after sailing about 10.30 am. Adem and his wife were wonderful and so hospitable, nothing was too much trouble. The food and drink were plentiful and the meals were delicious. I now have the recipe for the chicken casserole and the cauliflower in a yoghurt dressing ( well its in my head anyway, hope I remember it! ).
The people sailing with us were fantastic and we all got on well together. There were two lovely bubbly welsh school teachers on board who kept us entertained all day. We just howled at lunchtime as they cracked us up with their antics and tales. What a great bunch of people.
We did a slightly different tour around the bay which was nice and of course had the almost obligatory mud bath, OH looked like he should have been starring in a horror b movie, the swamp beast or something of that ilk.
Now we are all shattered and about to eat corned beef hash, lovingly prepared by GB, the smell is wafting up the stairs and my mouth's watering, although I'm surprised that I can fit in another morsel of food after the feast I've just had. ;D
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I knew you would love it, we went on Yildiz 3 last time and met a great crowd. We've booked on Yildiz 2 this year for a change. If you can remember the recipe for the cauliflower I would love it. I tried doing it when we got back last year but it was a dismal failure! The chicken is great too isn't it? So glad you had another great day! :) :)
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Oh and I nearly forgot, the highlight of our day was having a huge turtle swim up to the boat and rear it's head out of the sea at us It then proceeded to give us agreat toothy grin, could have been a snarl but I like to look at the bright side of life :) Adem was really astonished, he said that we were very lucky as he rarely sees turtles. It was a magnificent sight.
Skunk, as far as I remember, you boil the cauliflower, let it go cold, mix yoghurt, garlic, salt and dill together, pour over the cauliflower and sprinkle with paprika. Yummy :)
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Bet is was fantastic seeing the Turtle Lizilu? We watched Captain Osman on Yildez 2 make the cauliflower dish last year, and it too was yummy! There were 12 of us on the boat, and it was almost the first thing to disappear!
J
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Wow the turtle sounds amazing - and thanks for the cauli recipe I will give it another go. 8) 8) 8) ::)
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Glad you had a good day Lizilu, the Yildiz trips really are good aren't they. What is it about that cauliflower dish??!! Who'd have thought cold cauli could be so delicious?!! Have to agree with Jayne that on the trips we've done it's always the first thing to disappear!
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Well, we've had a lovely relaxing couple of days. OH is up to his accident prone tricks again. He was carrying two shopping bags full of beer and wine across migros car park when he did a fantastic skid, worthy of an Olympic long jumper but managed to keep all bottles intact thank goodness!! Today he managed to trap his fingers in a taxi window as the driver automatically wound his window up, the poor taxi driver was mortified but we were in stitches. His earache is getting better though which is good, he just can't bend his fingers now ;D
The other night after the boat trip on yildiz, we were too tired to go out, so we stayed in and watched a DVD called, 'the grey'. It was a really good film about a bloke in the icy wilderness who survives a plane crash and has to constantly fight a pack of stalking wolves as he struggles to survive. We had to turn the AC off as we were all shivering, watching the snow fall constantly throughout the film. The wolves were menacing, howling snarling and barking. I went out onto the patio ( to warm up ) and a blummin pack of street dogs ( about 4 of them ) who hang out around our villa, suddenly all shot out at me from under our sun loungers and the ottoman and started barking like crazy at another dog further down the road. Hell fire, was I scared. I let out a string of expletives, shrieked like a banshee and nearly fell through the glass door in my haste to get inside!!! Now let me tell you that these dogs are absolutely delightful at any other time. They welcome us home when we've been out with wags so big that their whole bodies move and one sleeps on our doormat every night to protect us, but after watching that film, they seemed like the hounds from hell!!!
Yesterday was spent lazing around the pool and we ventured down to parc for dinner and Aklan last night. We picked a table slightly away from him as I didn't want him to think I was a stalker but I peeped at him through the shrubbery, which probably looked worse than we were actually in the audience!!! All knickers were intact I'm pleased to let you know. He was on fine form and as far as I'm aware I managed not to embarrass myself.
This morning we went into town for brunch and ate at chillies. I had a yummy plate of Menemen, it was delicious and everyone else had full englishes. All came highly recommended. Tummies full, we sorted out some car hire, so from tomorrow we are mobile and probably dangerous, so watch out Kalkan and surrounding areas, here we come!!!! :o 8) ;D
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My goodness that must have given you a fright after watching that film! :o :o :o Glad to hear OHs ear is getting better but shame about the fingers. ::) ??? ::) Well the suitcases are coming out as we speak and all the finance has been arranged. This time next week we will be about to see THAT view as we come round the corner on the D400! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Just can't wait now. Even stopped buying food to empty the fridge in time and starting to get the clothes cleaned and ironed. 8) 8) 8)
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Ha ha loving your reports.......Us men have inbuilt sensors that enable us to skid...trip over and fall off bar stools without spilling a drop :P
if the dogs frightened you.. best you don't watch "Attack of the killer tomatoes" on market day ;D
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Certainly dont watch Jaws!!!!!
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Ha ha, not sure which film is on the agenda for tonight, I'll try and think of something relevant. Maybe the grizzwalds annual vacation, only you cant compare Kalkan to wally world!! ;D ;D ;D
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Another great report Lizilu!! ;D ;D
We'd looked at the trailer for The Grey on Bt vision and said it looked good, we should be safe watching it in Holmfirth, there are no packs of dogs and our own dog will be curled up on sofa , snoring and passing wind whilst we watch it!!!
I'll keep an eye out on Ktln for any reports on tourists causing havoc with a hire car!!
I love getting the suitcases out Skunk as you know the holiday is fast approaching :) :) :) Afew more weeks yet for us before our week in Fethiye.
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another fabulous report, Lizilu...feel as though I'm there with you enjoying every minute ;D ;D
Glad you enjoyed Yildiz 3 - Adem is adorable (our girls second favourite boat man after Hakan from Chillout - who is forever known as "Sexy Boat Man" ::)) I think the food on both the Yildiz boats is probably the best I've had of any of the boat trips, I don't believe that anyone has posted on here that they didn't enjoy their day out with Osman or Adem or that it wasn't value for money - is that a first? I'm sure I've just tempted fate there.....
I'm so envious of all of you out in Kalkan now or have an imminent arrival - really struggling with our second break in Kalkan this year as we are out of synch with big work events that can't be avoided. Plus the Golden Jubilee thing has put a spanner in the works as we're going "somewhere hot" in November...not Kalkan then :( :( If I sound a bit high maintenance...its because I am ;) :angel:
Ah well, I can pretend I'm there reading these great blogs and vicariously have my September break. Enjoy, you lucky people.
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My Mrs is high Maintenance.....i've got her a job changing bulbs in street lights ;D >:D
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I know the feeling BL.
I ended up getting mine a new bag for her birthday.
Well, they don't last long in the hoover do they? ;D
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Naughty boys!! We may be high maintenance but by God we're worth it!! Loving everyones comments, thanks guys. Nicky, your dog sounds just like our Charlie, we're missing him so much and not long to go now skunk. Amber, I am definitely not going to watch jaws as I'm obviously too impressionable!! K4E, you're right about the food on yildiz, it really is excellent, the cheese boreks were the very best ive ever had in my life and the cauliflower!!!!!
We've had another great couple of days. We ate at mussaka on Monday night and it was as delicious as ever. We absolutely love the creamy chicken livers to start, I have even be known to use my desert spoon to mop up the sauce (can't take me anywhere). We enthused about it to GK and suggested to get 2 as they are so good. GK insisted on just getting 1 as 'he only wanted a taste', well you can guess what happened, me and GK were fighting over it. I was feigning politeness but really wanted to rip it out of his hands, then GB who hates meat other than chicken, ate the blummin sauce!! Ah well, we will just have to go again!
Yesterday was our first day of wheels! First time ever we have hired a car in Kalkan, it arrived about. 10.30 am and we were packed and ready to go off on our adventures. The car is a seven seater, just like some of the taxis in town, a Dacia Logan from brave tours. We shopped around and got a great deal from brave tours, £35 per day for 4 days and a free bottle of wine to boot. First stop kaputas beach. Wow!!!!! We ve been coming to Kalkan (kas once) a couple of times a year since 2009 but never yet been as we usually just flop around the pool. Now we know what we have missed. Oh it was breath takingly beautiful. Poor OH, GK managed to trap OH's arm in the car door, another mishap for him, it swelled and bruised immediately, GK' s excuse-"bloody hell SHaun, that car was a bit close", OH's reply, 'bugger the car Dad, what about me'. 'aye lad but it's a rented car, dont want any damage to it'!! So funny!!
We continued on to kas, OH in pain and me in stitches! What a beautiful drive it is, gorgeous scenery and windy bends which reminded GK and GB of the amalfi coastline. We had a lovely lunch in kas and called into the pharmacy and bought some antibiotics for OH as his ear infection has now turned into a sinus infection. Poor bloke, he's rallying though with medicinal efes as required (not while driving though, I hasten to add, it's cherry juice all the way when behind the wheel).
We managed to get home without any further scrapes and spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. We went to agora for our evening meal and I have say that it was wonderful. I had a tuna steak on a bed of wilted creamy spinach, OH had sea bass on a bed of chick pea and feta. The service was exceptional and the food divine, definitely a new favourite of ours. We should have been eating at akin, but they let our table go by mistake and we still hadn't eaten by 10pm so we called it a day. They were very apologetic and did not charge us for our drinks but our girls could not wait ant longer, our youngest is only eleven so it was too late for her really. One day we will make it to akin!!
Today we have been off on our adventures again and I'll report back tomorrow with the details. Take care all and thanks for reading my posts. :) ;D :) O0
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Thanks Lizilu, another entertaining post! Ouch, OH's arm sounded sore. We have been going to Kalkan for so many years it's embarrassing and we still haven't been to Kaputas - not properly anyway. We have only stopped whilst on Yildiz and I think it must look different from the beach so one day we will have to make the effort, we even always have a hire car too so definitely have no excuse. Enjoy the rest of your hol.
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Sounds a great day out to Kaputas and Kas. :laugh: Very interested to hear about Agora as we have decided to go there our first night. Oh dear your poor OH seems to be having a tough time with sinus trouble, injured fingers and hands, cherry juice and all! :o :( The Mussaka chicken livers sound nice, we didn't try there last year as we were on a budget and thought it was quite expensive. Knowing my appetite though a starter might do on it's own!! As you say not long to go now, but Jayne goes the day after tomorrow, so even sooner. 8) 8) 8)Hope you have a few more great days out and hope to hear about them soon!! :) ;) :)
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Hi Skunk,
Agora is fab.We had heard it was good and decided to initially go for lunch.Omlettes with a lovely salad and an amazing fresh orange juice.We had heard that Agora was top of the trip advisor listings for Kalkan restaurants,despite it only being open from April/May this year.
We had to return for an evening meal there and were offered an excellently positioned table with a great view.The service was fantastic from start to finish and the food really didn't disappoint.We both had steak Dianne which was perfect...............Enjoy !!
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Hi Lizilu, another excellent post! I have to own up and say we've also never properly visited Kapatas beach, only when Yildiz moored up near it and i wasn't brave enough to swim across to it!! It is a beautiful drive isn't it to Kas, we've only done it on the transfer bus to get the boat for our Kekova trip and to be honest our driver was going that fast we didn't really have chance to see that much of the view!!
Hope you've had a good day today, look forward to reading tomorrows installment!!
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Thanks for that Mayday1 - it does look lovely :). I am going to rush down there (well crawl probably in that heat 8) 8)) as soon as we arrive, and book a table. I will try and get one on the edge if we can but don't know how booked it will be. I see that Hunkar Ocakbasi is now number one on trip advisor!! ::) :o ??? Amazing how it has beaten all those harbour and terrace restaurants ;D ;D ;D but could be something to do with the price! >:D >:D >:D
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Agora is brilliant was one of our faves this year and can't wait to go back in August they deserve all the praise they are getting as the food and service is great and if u go DO try the Apricot pie (as they call it) although it is more like a very light sticky toffee pud and is gorgeous.
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We just love Kaputas beach, but this time of year its not for the faint-hearted... ;) I think it will become more populated once the new additions are added. Even if you don't have a car its very easy and cheap to get to by bus. A nice change from the beach in Kalkan
Hunkar is a real gem...don't expect a view, posh tables or anything fancy, but do expect good food, very reasonable prices and to come out of there feeling stuffed :)
Great reports Lizilu, your OH sounds like a walking accident magnet ;D ;D
Enjoy the rest of your stay, look forward to hearing about your latest escapades :)
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Yesterday dawned brightly and beautifully, the sky and the sea were as one, the horizon almost indistinguishable, ahhhh, I will never ever tire if that view of the bay. Off we set in the car, just me, OH and the girls and made our way up to islamar, passing the trout farms until we reached the summit of the mountain. It was a fantastic drive, we stopped off at a little mountain stream to stretch our legs and saw some wild tortoises in the shrubbery. Our youngest was a little scared as she doesn't like heights and it felt like the windy mountain road was never ending.
We turned around and headed down to cafe vita for lunch, going down was awesome and the views were spectacular.
Lunch at cafe vita was yummy and we posed for photos for mustafa for his website, he must be pretty desperate wanting our mugshots on there!!
Yesterday evening we ate at kaya again and had lots of magic tricks from kadir. They were so busy last week that he didn't get chance to perform and GB and GK have never experienced his talents yet. They were very impressed and we had a great night. Alper's new camera had just arrived so we posed for more photos. I wouldn't care but I never ever look glam in Kalkan, what with the hair, kankles and spotty skin from all the sweat and sun cream!!! By the way the kankles are coming on a treat. They look like 2 steak and kidney puds boiled in a white rag just like my grandma used to make!!
We awoke bright and early today to set off on our adventures again. Our youngest announced that from today, she is now a vegetarian, of which I have no problems, but it's going to be a bit restrictive for her as she only likes meat and McDonald's!!! We will see how long it lasts! :)
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Having been the biggest carnivore in the world, enjoying the Kalkan steaks, my daughter decided she was going to be a vegetarian 4 years ago. It actually wasn't as tricky as we thought and we decided to just go with the flow. It's really easy in Kalkan as there's loads to choose from. She lasted for 3 years and became a meat eater again in April. When we were in Kalkan 2 weeks ago she was back to normal!!!! I did insist on her eating fish by the way, which she agreed to reluctantly.
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Another great day on the road yesterday, GB and GK preferring to revisit the market so we dropped them off and set off once again on our travels. The girls were getting quite fed up by this stage and both quite sulky. A morning on the road was slightly preferable to them, than a sweaty mooch perusing 'quality crap' so off we set.
Note to self, must change the CD in the car today as for 3 days now, we have been listening to Dolly and friends on a loop, me and OH can now do a word for word mean duet of 'islands in the stream' but there's only so much 'hello my friend, hello' from Neil I can stomach!! ;D
I really wanted to do the kekova trip this week, but also wanted to make use of the car, so we decided to drive to kekova and Suss it out. I really love the coastal drive and we stopped high up at the top end of kas and took some fab photos and then chugged on to kekova. It was a straightforward (as in signposted) drive, but once off the D400 it was reminiscent of bendy, twisty country roads (take me home, to the place I beeelong) and it reminded us of the trough of bowland, which is a local beauty spot near our home in England. Goodness knows how the big coaches manage those bends.
We arrived at kekova, not knowing where to go or what to do but was greeted by a seemingly lovely Turkish chap who let us park next to his car, much squeezing in and manouvering, a bit like the chuckle brothers 'to me, to you', he then escorted us on foot around the corner to the harbour and proceeded to give us the hard sell re his boat, 3 boats, 1 big, 1 medium and 1 small, our youngest has terrible motion sickness and one look at the small dinghy turned her instantly green. The robbing git wanted 200 tl for the big one, 150 tl for the medium one and 90 tl for the bloody dinghy for 1 hr around the sunken city, we politely declined but he followed us to a cafe and continued to persuade us to part with our cash. We managed to shake him off and spotted a huge car park over the other side of the harbour, if only we had carried on around the corner!!! we had a lovely meal at the cafe and were watched over by a wizened old Turkish bloke who never took his eyes off us for a second. He even followed me to the toilet and waited for me outside, it was a bit unnerving!! When we had finished eating, he introduced himself as the other chaps father and was the boat captain none the less and why we no go on his lovely boat? We politely made our excuses and left, hoping that our tyres were still intact!!
We had a quick look around the harbour and were hassled again and again by other captains. I know they have to make a living but this was full on hard sell. We definitely want to do the boat trip to kekova next year, but we will definitely book an organised tour next year. To cap it all, I now have a lovely anklet of mozzie bites to adorn my kankles, I've had none up until yesterday so I blame kekova for that!
We lounged around the pool in the afternoon and ate out at gourmet terrace last night. It was spectacularly good. I had 'who let the chickens out' and it was delicious. Our youngest managed to be a vegetarian all day but couldn't resist the crispy duck so she has decided to leave it until we go home and then try again. Bless her, there's just too much good meat choices here.
Well we're off to patara today, so I'd better get a shimmy on. :)
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Oh Lizilu, that'll teach us all to think we can be independent over there!!! It sounds absolutely ghastly - particularly the old man following you to the loo!!!! I cracked up laughing at your account of it but it really doesn't sound much like fun. I think GK and GB had the better idea! Hope you enjoyed the trip to Patara, stands more of a chance I think. Meanwhile, Jayne is flying today and we are flying Monday so not long to go now. We will probably pass you on our way to Kalkan from Dalaman!! You are meeting up with Bob and Jayne tomorrow aren't you? Hope that goes well and you have a good craic. Make sure we arrange to meet up next year. Love SX :) :) :)
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The secret of Kekova is to continue driving on the narrow but main road through the village until you get to the big car park which is a dead end and it's clear you are at the end of the road, Any man trying to direct you off and signs that indicating this is the way to the car park are intended to get you to stop where their boat is moored and you are then a sitting duck!
We've found the hassle from the main car park not too bad.
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Lizilu, I don't know whose posts are more entertaining to read, your's or Antler's!!! I couldn't resist just switching the laptop on to have a quick peak on EK before we leave!
Well we have shut the cases, having had to remove a few things, but hopefully we are spot on 20kgs each! Leaving in an hour en route to Bournemouth Airport for our flight at 2.40pm. Should be arriving around 10.30, and hopefully will be able to get to Hunkar's for a Chicken Shish before they close!
Looking forward to meeting you on Sunday, and looking forward to meeting you Skunk on Tuesday.
J&B
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Another fab report Lizilu!! What an adventure Kekova was for you!! I was vegetarian for about 5 yrs then i met Stephen(who is a proper cave man where meat is concerned!!) and we'd gone to Jersey for a holiday and this was late 80's when veggie meals in restaurants were limited, so i'd eaten cheese salads and omelettes whilst Stephen was tucking into steaks etc and one morning at breakfast i just cracked and said give me a sausage, i need meat!!!! And that was the end of me being veggie although i have to say i still don't eat much meat, i tend to eat more fish/seafood.
Bob and Jayne and Skunk, have a lovely holiday and enjoy the rest of yours Lizilu :) :) :)
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Rather a dangerous thing to say at breakfast isn't it???? :o :o :o
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Thanks HolmfirthNicky I'm sure we will.
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Rather a dangerous thing to say at breakfast isn't it???? :o :o :o
LMAO :D
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Thanks guys for all your lovely comments, BL you don't half crack me up ;D ;D ;D.
Friday was anther great day, we changed th CD in the car to another one from the villa - 80's rock, but we quite missed Dolly really. We headed off to patara and took a wrong turn in the village. We asked a Turkish guy, who was tending some hotel gardens, if he would point us in the right direction, he kindly did this, then ran behind us with his arms waving, indicating for us to stop. We duly stopped and he ran over to a beautiful shrub with huge red flowers, cut 2 off and presented them to our girls. What a lovely thing to do, I was really touched. We had a slow drive past the ruins as it was far too hot to stop and peruse them and arrived at the car park. The beach was awesome, lovely breeze and very warm sea. There was a red flag up, well a kind of weather faded pinky colour on a stick, poking into the sand. We thought we had better err on the side of caution so we only waded as far as we could stand, although there were many people, even children swimming much further out.
We had lunch at the beach cafe and it was reasonably priced and the snacks were good. On the way back, we continued down the kalamar road and called in to see Mr and Mrs Hobbo at their beautiful villa. It's in a lovely spot, very close to cafe vita and easily walkable to town. Thank you both for your lovely hospitality, it was great to meet you and your family. We had a great chinwag, while sipping wine and efes and before we knew it, it was time to go. Unfortunately, we never got chance to do the flotilla in the pool!!
I had a spot of bother with the washing the other day. Poor GK is now sporting, along with his ray bans, 4 lovely pairs of pukey green Y fronts. I thought my beach towels were colour fast but this was not to be!!! Ah well, you live and learn.
Yesterday was spent around the pool and we ate out at gourmet again. We were shattered and went straight home. The girls put 'misery' on the DVD and me and OH fell asleep on the couch. This morning, I noticed on Facebook, he had tagged me, with him at club mojito last night ::) ??? And loads of our friends liked it. Silly sod was dribbling and snoring rather than dancing on tables!! I don't even know where club mojito is! I'm going to have to watch him, he'll be putting he's at the foam party at club chocolate next!!
Well it's our last day today. We are having some friends over for lunch today and meeting up with Bob and Jayne tonight, which will be a lovely end to another fantastic holiday in Kalkan. I hate the last day blues :'(
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I'll have the blues too as I'll miss your reports which have kept me thoroughly entertained. Try to push any going home thoughts to the back of your head and don't let them get in the way of having a wonderful day :)
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Have a brilliant last day Lizilu, and a great evening with Jayne and Bob. Sorry I won't be there.
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Enjoy your last day 8), was great to meet up and sorry we didn't get chance for the WH shoot. Mrs hobbo and junior Hobbos safely returned home yesterday to do work, driving test etc. and I'm left with a fridge full of cold beer and a jobs list... Hmmm decisions! >:D
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Thanks skunk and itstime, I will miss writing the blogs. Have a safe journey here, wish we were staying for another few weeks. Glad your family arrived home safely Hobbo, are youpooing down to parc tonight? :)
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Excuse me!! Let me rephrase that!! Are you popping down to parc tonight Hobbo??? Bloody predicted text ! ;D
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Thanks skunk and itstime, I will miss writing the blogs. Have a safe journey here, wish we were staying for another few weeks. Glad your family arrived home safely Hobbo, are youpooing down to parc tonight? :)
:o :o :o
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Hi itstime, I can't use emoticons any more as B and J have taken the mickey so just to say I agree it was all a bit shocking! Hobbo, you must be lonely, but are you still meeting us on Tuesday? Hope so, it would be lovely to meet you. A few Efes might relieve the boredom/loneliness?!! Hope to see you soon then.
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Well, yesterday was our last day and I usually hate the last full day, but yesterday was fantastic! We had a BBQ with friends at lunchtime and last night we met up with Bob and Jayne, Rosi B, yelkenite, Hobbo and had a lovely chat with Eniste and M&M and a wink and a wave to Aklan :-*
What a lovely bunch of people, we had such good fun.
We were able to recount poor OH's latest scrape ( literally ) as yesterday afternoon was spent with me tweezing 7 splinters out of his shin. I think he must have been numb with Efes as he can't really remember how it happened!
I got squiffy with Jayne last night and I'm just enjoying a chilled glass of wine now as we are waiting for the taxi to take us home to miserable old blighty :'(
So, back on the wagon for me tomorrow and back to work to save up for our next holiday here. GB and GK are full of praise for Kalkan but as they are both approaching their 80's, feel that the hills are a little too steep and wish they had found Kalkan 20 yrs ago.
OH had to go on to you tube this morning as there was no way on this earth we would have managed to fold Walter up with the instructions provided. I heard something crack when I tried to fold him but I'm not sure whether it was Walter or OH as his temper was slightly frayed!!
Can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who has ( hopefully ) enjoyed, read and commented on my reports, your feedback has been absolutely fantastic.
We have made lovely new friends this year to add to our lovely old friends here in Kalkan and hope to see you all again in the near future.
Gule Gule from Lizzie, Shaun, ELoise, Lucie, Barbara and Keith :) x
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Have a safe journey home Lizilu and family....I look forward to your next holiday! :laugh:
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Lizilu - thanks so much for the daily reports of your family holiday to Kalkan, really enjoyed reading them and sharing your experiences. Sounds like you have all had a fabulous time despite your OH being a bit accident prone! Hope Walter is ok, sounds like he has been roughly treated this morning - the crack sounds a bit worrying. Never thought about looking on Youtube, I was in stitches a few weeks ago watching OH trying to fold one - his arms were almost in a knot ;D
Safe journey home, look forward to your reports in the future. :)
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Safe journey home Lizilu, thanks for keeping us entertained with your reports!!
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Hi Lizilu, thanks for the reports they were terrific. Not sure that my reports at the end of the month will be as entertaining, but at least you will be able to live the dream vicariously.
Not sure when you will read this, so either have a safe journey or I hope you had a safe journey.
Jo
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thanks for sharing your holiday with us, Lizilu. I'm going to miss your reports as they have certainly kept me going over the past few weeks.
Safe journey home :)
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Thanks for such lovely and entertaining posts. Hope you have a good journey home :)
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Thanks again everyone for your kind words. Just to let you know that we arrived home safely last night around 10.30pm. Had a 2 hour delay at dalaman but the flight was fine. I'm in work already, sitting at my desk and working out when we will be back!! :)
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Glad you are home safely Lizilu. Thanks so much for keeping us entertained for the last two weeks, yours will be a hard act to follow. We arrived at about 3.30 yesterdy afternoon and went to Agora last night. It is boiling hot today so we have stayed by the pool and cristened Mr WH! Great invention that. I think we may stay in a bit this afternoon then out for a trip to our favourited Kuafor for a pedicure (me) and shave for OH. Then on to Dionysius for the first of 3 meet ups! Full account tomorrow!! SkunkXX
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Agree with everyone how much we have enjoyed Lizilu's posts of her holiday. Good to know that Skunk and others are taking up the baton. We await the latest holiday news - no pressure though you understand. I have never posted from Kalkan (never taken the technology with me) and am interested to know what you are all using. Do you take laptops? I haven't worked up to things like Ipads and my phone is of the simplest variety.
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Hi tortoise lady, I use an ipad, really easy apart from the predictive text that sometimes gets you into trouble :) Glad you enjoyed the reports, I'm really looking forward to everyone elses now, it'll keep me going until my next fix!!
Skunk, it sounds like you are having a wonderful time, glad you arrived safely and give my love to everyone at the meet ups, looking forward to hearing about how it went. Have a wonderful holiday. :) 8) :)
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We are using our galaxy phones to post on EK as sadly we bought our tablet with us and the screen got cracked on the journey :( we have invested in another water hammock though from the Shop in kalamar road!
It is bright pink!
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That'll be Bob's then?! :laugh:
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Glad you had safe journey home Lizilu, nice to hear from Skunk and Bob and Jayne, have a fab holiday and keep us informed please with reports!!
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Hi Bob and Jayne
How are you finding your bright pink water hammock? We had the bright pink one too, are they as good as the real thing?
Might invest in a bright yellow one next week 8)
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Hi Bob and Jayne
How are you finding your bright pink water hammock? We had the bright pink one too, are they as good as the real thing?
Might invest in a bright yellow one next week 8)
It was quite easy to find as it's pink, even in the dark! ;D
Seriously though, it's okay for 50TL from Can Can supermarket, but not a patch on the Kelysus one for around £30.
The Kelysus one has a fibre glass rod running round the perimeter giving it added strength and making it easier to mount in the water! ::)
The one from Kalkan is just inflated around the outside.
B