May 2005
Sunday 1st May
Another lovely day and down to the beach with Rosie. Managed to get some windows cleaned and boring things and then watched two games of football in the afternoon/evening.
Monday 2nd May
Beach walking again and then we headed to the bank, hoping that our money had been transferred so that we can buy the car. No such luck, it isn�t in our account and we can�t ring the British bank and chase it as it is May Bank Holiday in the UK, so no one will be there. Hopefully it will be there tomorrow.
Back home and swam in the pool and just had a lazy day for a change. In the evening we watched Finding Neverland, very good. This was another DVD we bought here.
Tuesday 3rd May
Down to the beach with Rosie first thing and then off to the bank again. We sat waiting our turn for an hour. Yes, the money was there. Even though we paid for the Swift transfer in the UK another �23 had been charged somewhere along the line. With the money we hot footed it to Margaret to hand over the money and pick the car up. We left the hire car there and drove our new car back. It drove well. The insurance will cost us 140 ytl. We haven�t sorted that out yet as Margaret�s insurance was for any driver so she said she wouldn�t cancel it until we were back. We have yet to sort out the exchange documents.
Peter came round in the afternoon. I did some more weeding. The rose arch in the Garden is looking really good but the other two arches don�t seem to be doing much at all. One of our cacti has also flowered.
We have started watching the DVD, The Long Way Round and now seem to watch an episode a night.
Wednesday 4th May
We waited this morning for Peter to drive us up to Ozankőy, so that we could collect the hire car from outside Margaret�s house. The traffic was horrendous going into Girne. It was just crawling along. As soon as we had the car we drove back into Girne to sort out the insurance. We can�t get it fully comp as the car is over 10 years old. It is 11 years old! So, third party, for any driver cost 140 ytl, about �55. Not bad. Whilst we were in the insurance office we asked how we get the log book into our name as we have heard so many different stories. I think his version was correct and this meant completing a form which is completed by both the seller and the buyer and then both parties have to visit the local Muhtar who then gives his official stamp. This meant we had to return to Margaret�s house. She agreed to come with us to see the Muhtar but had to get changed first! So, we waited for her and then we all got in the car and drove to the centre of the village where the Muhtar has an office. It was shut. Margaret called into one of the village shops as the Muhtars wife owns it and asked how long he would be. She told us he would be there at 1.00pm, so we decided to wait in the coffee house opposite until he came. Well, 1.00 pm came and went and we are still sitting there. He arrived eventually at 2.15pm! We hadn�t filled the form in as it was all Turkish and we didn�t want to make a mistake. So, he very begrudgingly it seemed helped us complete it. He read parts of the form over and over again. Eventually, he stuck two postage stamps at the bottom of the form and then officially rubber stamped it! We all breathed a sigh of relief that at least one part of the process was complete. Mal handed over 5 ytl. We had been out for about 5 hours by this time and although we had other things to do, we decided to call it a day and go home as we had left Rosie all this time. This is not the end of the process, all the forms and log book have to now be taken to Lefkosa and the log book changed into my name. Another day!
Early evening we took Rosie to the beach and met several other dog walkers whom we chatted to!
We watched another episode of the Long Way Round. Mal wanted to watch two as it gets you hooked and promptly fell asleep half way through!
Thursday 5th May
We were down at the beach early this morning as Anthony is supposed to be coming to build our store cupboard. We had a phone call just as we were driving back saying he was waiting at the house. We got as far as In�esu and there was a lorry parked right across the road with a JCB filling it with stones! So, we had to sit and wait until they decided to let us through.
Anthony was there with his carpenter and left him instructions and then Anthony left. He has at last taken the measurements for fencing, so we can take the temporary barricades down to keep Rosie in. Hopefully he will give us a good quote.
Anyone who doesn�t like dusting and cleaning floors, never move to Cyprus. It was what I was doing most of the day and it really seems never ending. Dust in the morning and by the evening you can see another layer of dust appeared. This is not just the building because no one seems to be doing any today. I am not a fanatical cleaner but it even gets to me!
Friday 6th May
The workman continued building the storage cupboard outside, which meant we had to take Rosie out with us as she didn�t like a stranger in her garden. Mal went in to see the solicitor again. She has spoken to Hakan and the upshot seems to be that we do all the leg work and then Hakan will come and redo the walls! Oh yes, that is a good idea�.not! We have now decided that we will sort it ourselves in October if nothing has been done before then and obviously deduct the money from Hakans deposit which we are still holding!
Saturday 7th May
We thought the workman would have finished by now, but instead he worked all day long which was a bit inconvenient as we are getting ready to leave to go back to the UK. Exams call again for Mal. In the afternoon Anthony arrived and brought his wife with him, so we sat chatting to them. Eventually about 6.00pm, the job was complete, not perfect but what we have learnt to accept in North Cyprus! Anthony has given us a good quote for the railings and says he will have them completed by the time I return in June.
After they left we took Rosie over to Lena and Willi�s and this time was much better she went in quite happily with Lena. Of course she knows her well now and probably thinks she has two homes, ours and the kennels!
Then the dreaded packing! As usual we had very little to pack and so stuffed the cases with bubble wrap!
The store cupboard when almost complete!
Sunday 8th May
Up early, we drove the hire car to the airport and went on the 10.00am TWI flight. It left on time and was a good flight. Rhys met us at the airport.
The rest of May���..
Mal has to return to the UK for his exam work but as we had a few days around my birthday we went to Scotland. We keep saying there is a lot of the UK we haven�t seen and so started with the West coast of Scotland.
We flew to Glasgow and then had a hire car.
We stayed in a lovely hotel which was situated right on the banks of Loch Awe. It was so quiet except for the piper every morning walking up and down! We crammed an awful lot in to the four days we were there, including Inveraray, Loch Lomond and an entire day on the Isle of Mull, which included a visit to Tobermoray distillery.
Tobermory Distillery
Tobermory (Balamory)
Isle of Mull
Our hotel
Mal on our balcony
Piper
Inveraray Castle
Loch Awe
Loch Lomond
Tobermory is where they record the children�s programme, Balamory. Also we have since found out that there are white tailed Sea Eagles now breeding on the Isle of Mull. We wish we had known that when we were there, as we could have gone to see them. This species was almost extinct and has now been re-introduced and this spring the breeding has been successful (as seen on BBC 2�s, Springwatch)
We thoroughly enjoyed Scotland and in spite of it�s reputation for bad weather, we managed to have three sunny days before the clouds and the rain set in. Just as well I think as we were beginning to like it here! Then the realisation of 250 rainy days a year! No, we will put up with the snakes, sand flies, mozzies, dust������������
Of course we saw all the children and grandchildren and went to Sol�s birthday party, held at the Bowling Alley. I think the highlight for Mal was the West Ham match last weekend, which they won and so are back in the premiership. For anyone already in the TRNC who is also a Hammers fan, take a visit to the Castle Pub! As you will see when you enter, they are also supporters of the Hammers.