Happy Birthday to Oscar today. We had a couple of hours sleep by the time we had woken up, set up Skype, he had called to thank us for our present and gone off to school so we missed him.
A big thank you to Multimax who had reconnected our internet yesterday!!
By the time we got a little organised, decided we would have to go and stock up with food. We went to Ileli and they even asked where we had been…how nice and friendly they are! That’s why we shop there! We bought loads of cherries, were hoping there would still be a lot around. 9.50tl a kilo. We also bought Cyprus Today.
On the way back we saw Kenny outside feeding a stray dog, it was very timid. We had to stop for a chat. Back home we unloaded all the shopping and had lunch at 3.00pm…this day just seems to be going by too quickly.
Mal sorted some books for River’s Ereader. I went for a swim. The water was 31 degrees! Then Mal and River went in the pool. Lovely!!
In the evening we had a BBQ and then Oscar came on the webcam, having just had his birthday party.
River
Thought for the Day – “What is it about grandparents that is so lovely? I’d like to say that grandparents are God’s gifts to children. And if they can but see, hear and feel what these people have to give, they can mature at a fast rate.” ~ Bill Cosby
We were up at 4.30 and started making our way to Gatwick. Rhys was leaving from Cardiff early too as River was coming back with us as he has finished his GCSE exams. A good thing that we did leave early as we still sat in traffic jams where there was road works. I think River arrived about 15 minutes before us, we just had to find the Avis “drop off” and then we met up with him. Rhys didn’t stay as he had loads to do ready for their house move. He had a busy day ahead. We were travelling (for the first time) with Turkish airlines. A good check in when they didn’t even weigh our hand luggage, not that ours was overweight anyway. The three of us then went off to have some breakfast.
I then received a phone call from Rhys. He was sitting on the M25 with a broken clutch/gear box!! He bought a fairly new car about 9 months ago, spent more money than usual, thinking it would last. Since then it has been in the garage 4 times! Is there something about us, another year when all 4 boys came back with us, Rhys broke down on the way back then as well. At least River was with us and it wasn’t on the way to the airport! But Rhys really couldn’t spare the waste of the day (waiting for the AA and being lifted on to a carrier etc). He had a customer coming to his unit for something important and he had the keys with him. In the end Lou had to break into the unit!! Not a good day for them. Of course they are also counting down the days to moving day and loads of painting to do in the house too. Result when he did reach the garage…..a new gear box!
It turned out not a good day for us either!!
After breakfast we had a wander around the shops and River bought an ereader. We talked him into it a bit as he was going to spend £15 on 2 paper backs. He is now so pleased he did.
We waited a long time to be called to the gate, already suggesting that our plane was delayed in arriving. However we boarded only about 15 minutes late. No problem we thought until we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours!!! At this stage we were a little concerned about our connecting flight, also Turkish Airlines. We asked the air hostess what would happen if we were late arriving in Istanbul and she said she would get back to us and spent the rest of the flight ignoring us!! How helpful…NOT!!! We landed at Istanbul airport about 10 minutes after our other flight took off. We couldn’t find anyone to tell us what to do, obviously we were concerned where our luggage would end up! The airport was very busy but finally we found the Turkish Airlines Enquiry Desk and queued there. When we got to the counter, he tore our tickets up and issued us with new ones but instead of our original 17.55, they were now 23.20! Not even a bat of an eyelid, apology, nothing. What great customer service. It seems pretty obvious to me, judging by the queue, this happens all the time. We swore then NEVER again are we using Turkish Airlines.
As soon as we landed on the first plane we called Chris, our lift to tell him about the delay, he was already half way to the airport!
So, we waited and waited and waited! Eventually we boarded the 23.20 plane. On arriving at Ercan, no Chris, so we had to wait for him but poor Chris had already made a second journey for the plane he thought we were arriving on, we weren’t on it and he had just arrived back home, so he had 3 journeys to the airport. What a total disaster it all was!
We arrived back at our villa at 3.40am!! A very long day and I don’t think we even need to say that was the first and the LAST time we will ever use Turkish Airlines!
Waiting at Istanbul Airport!Waiting at Ercan Airport!
A day of cleaning up the caravan and packing ready to return to Cyprus. Shirley and Steve will be arriving the day we leave, to have a bit of a holiday in familiar surroundings. I am hoping they have a good relax and break.
We went to bed early as we were planning on getting up at 4.30 to miss the M23 and M25 rush hour mayhem!
Thought for the Day – ““Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ~ Terry Pratchett
We were up early and drove into Herne Bay. Lou, Rhys and family are moving to Herne Bay very shortly and so we decided to go and look at the house. It is really nice and in a very nice area. We walked along the beach which is about 4 minutes walk from their house, a lot of steps though.
From there we went into Herne Bay sea front. We left early without breakfast and so had brunch at Greensted’s. They have an offer on, buy one breakfast and get one free! Things are very cheap in Herne Bay, we later bought a 99 ice cream on the sea front…99p!!
Of course we had to be back ready for the Men’s Wimbledon Final and a good final it was too. 77 years since there has been a British winner and coincidently he did it on the 7th of the 7th month! Well done Andy!
A sunny day on Herne Bay sea front
Waiting at Istanbul airport!
Thought for the Day – “A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.” ~ A Parseghian
We went into Margate early and collected my ring that Cuttings had repaired free of charge. They are nice in there.
From there we went straight to Howletts. We are certainly getting value from our annual tickets! Arina, the beautiful Siberian tiger cub was asleep in the sun. This time we listened to the gorilla talk, as I have said before a whole family were sent back to Gabon recently, to be introduced into the wild, another of their success stories with endangered species. They have 44 gorillas at Howletts at the moment.
We also saw a Dusky Langur baby and a Giant ant eater baby. It was good weather to be strolling round.
We came back ready for the Women’s Tennis Final and wished we hadn’t bothered dashing back, a bit of a non event!
Thought for the Day – “Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.” ~ John Muir
Mal spent all morning sorting his exam moderation parcels for DHL and they came and collected them all…hurray the caravan is now exam paper free!
At 12.30 we sat down to watch the Del Potro v Djokovic match. Wow, that was the best match I have seen in years! A classic. Of course this was followed by Murray, not nearly as exciting. Nine hours of watching tennis!! Yeah!
Thought for the Day – “Retirement is having nothing to do and someone always keeping you from it.” ~ Robert Brault
We were all up early, Torin had a 9.00am meeting for work and so we packed everything up and back on the road again! It was a nice sunny day and so we stopped off at Herne Bay to have some lunch and found a lovely cafe, the Wallflower Cafe, which is at the back of the Mall. It does a lot of vegetarian food but really has some interesting dishes.
Later in the afternoon, more tennis. I am hoping Sabine wins the ladies.
Thought for the Day – “People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead.” ~ Edith Wharton
