What an exciting week this has been- we’ve been to ancient ruins, museums, took in a movie, bartered in the bazaars, ate in the most amazing restaurants, danced till dawn in Turkish nightclubs……..Then we wake up and reality hits home and the days begin. If you want to be kept up to date with all the action please ‘Subscribe’ by entering your email in the box on the right. It turns out that it has not be working properly and is now fixed!
What have we really done this week, well like most of you we have found a variety of things to do and be done and amusement has been had at the same time, thankfully!
We generally start the day with either Pilates or Yoga, lead by Katherine or Anetta by the sea. I would say the beach but it’s way too rocky to call it that, but nevertheless it’s outside and with a wonderful view to match which always makes the stretching, posing and breathing so much easier. On alternate days there is the running club, lead this time by seasoned runner James. I opt out of that due to strange knees and do my own form on exercise on the beach which is a cross between Pilates and Yoga- now named Yolates. So, all excellent ways to keep both your mind and body fit!
Life in a motorhome is never quick anyway, waiting for kettles to boil on a hob, showers to warm up etc, so breakfast often stems to between 10.30 and 11. Activities then vary according to the weather and how the mood takes us. At the moment the weather has been quite nice, turning to very changeable the last few days of this week and of an evening and morning it’s still cold, so our water bottle in still in use of a night-time.
Thankfully for us there haven’t been any major issues with Buster that we have needed to mend, just a few of the sticky hooks falling off occasionally and the usual toilet emptying and water filling. Obviously, I do my intensive house work each and every day in Buster, no slovenly habits for me on that front!
The week has also been one full of wildlife adventure, beyond the chickens which we are now feeding our scraps to, they especially like the orange bits after the juicing, veggie peelings and of course the odd crust. The downside of this is that they are always hovering around the vans and these creatures aren’t discerning about where they poo, so bare feet is not an option! We have seen tortoises again and David had to rescue one from the jaws of Brutus, the stray beach dog that seems to have unfortunately befriended us. Brutus, is a sheep dog minder and is like a small pony, but thankfully he seems to be a softy who just wants company. However, our lovely owners of Sundance Comping have six rescue dogs of their own and so Brutus has been shoved off quite a few times, and at this moment at the end of the week we aren’t entirely sure where the poor thing has been evicted to.
The highlight, if that’s the correct word of the week was the poisonous Viper snake, that appeared one sunny lunchtime. David and I were just lizard lounging in the sun, reading our books after a hard morning clearing and polishing, when a snake slivered quickly under the chair between my feet and headed to the longer grass about ten yards away from us. We run after it to see where it had gone but could not see it in the grass and so sat back on our chairs debating what snake it could be, we decided on the adder. A few minutes later, I saw one of the camps many cats playing with something in the air and we both guessed immediately that the cat had found the snake and was playing with it, tormenting it with her claws and trying to bite it. The snake was having none of it and had wound itself up into a tight circle but its mouth was open and we could see its forked tongue ready to spit at the cat. As we tried to call the cat away from the danger, she was having none of it and just continued to play her game with it, until eventually either she got bored or decided to come over to us to see what we were making all the fuss about, but either way the cat survived and so did the snake. Our naivety of it just been an adder was soon put to an end, when Ennis our camp owner became very intrigued by the photo and where exactly we had seen the snake, confirming it was a poisonous viper and should be avoided at all cost. Apparently, they are territorial and so somewhere around where we now call home a viper also does!
Saturday is market day in the nearby village and thankfully for the moment it’s still running, as the small local supermarkets don’t carry too much of a range. Unfortunately it was a very wet day and so everyone were in even damper spirits beyond the current situation, but the stallholders had a lovely seasonal array of veg and fruit, which unfortunately due to the new rules has to be packaged up, so you can’t just pick out what or the amount you want, so we have an awful lot of potatoes, tomatoes and bananas. Even with the rain it was fun to get out from camp and see other local people even if communicating with them is difficult, but as usual our Turklish and charades seemed to get us what we wanted more or less. However, for next week’s menu I now realise I need to plan to what they have, rather than what I want food wise. As you would imagine, there was a lovely arrangement of dried fruits- apricots, dates, figs and marvellous nuts. One big costly mistake was made, when trying to get peas, we could see none fresh, nor frozen but did spy some in a tin and jar. Not my first or second choice but a pea was needed as per the recipe (the clue is in its name) for Keema Peas. We opted for the jar, as they could then be sealed and keep better than the tin. The peas are untested as of yet, as that dish is for Wednesday, but given the price which I worked out whilst having a sleepless moment we might well be framing them, or rationing them one teaspoon at a time, such was the cost. The not substantial jar cost the equivalent of two bottles of my current favourite wine, and wine here certainly isn’t a Asda bog off special. Ah well, mistakes will be made!
Saturday, saw our first boules competition, played on very uneven ground and with very rusty boules, but it was fun and our cheers, jeers and laughter rang around the camp with Katherine currently at the top of the leader board. The win was deserved, not necessarily for her skill but the fact she had made strawberry shortcake for after and so when our will power could hold out no longer, the game was won and a very delicious shortcake was had, made with fresh Turkish strawberries currently in season here.
The week ended with a wonderful communal Sunday chicken roast (not one of our pet chickens…… yet anyway!!)with exceptional veggies sides made and hosted again by Katherine and James, attended and enjoyed by David, myself and Anetta and partner Joe, so good old UK traditions are being maintained here in Turkey and we even had torrential rain as well to make us feel even more at home.
So, our first week in isolation had passed fairly quickly, thankfully with no one having or showing any symptoms. Calls to home have been made to friends and family to ease everyone’s minds all round, and for updates on the situation, but with the borders still closed and travel in Turkey having just been restricted even more, Sundance Camping is where we remain.
Could David and I have done this on our own, probably not. For two its hard to have the imagination or motivation. Having other friends here, new and old has made it all much more doable. There is always one person in a group who will take the lead and we are thankful for Katherine, our very own Mr(s) Motivator who will make this staycation possible and achievable, along with fellow captives- James, Anetta and Joe.
Love to you all, wherever you are and of course as you are now captive and bored please do follow our blog, the link on the top right has been fixed, amazing what can get done when you have the time, so please do keep in touch by ‘Subscribing’
Top Tips of the Week
Keep on the look out for snakes, if seen run like hell.
Check the price of tin peas first
Toddy says
Well done keep safe and well
Lots of love from Toddy and Norma
Sheila Whitney says
I think you need to work on your Social Distancing keep 2 meters apart
David says
Sheila,
Fair point but as we are all now one family stranded in Turkey we are isolating together. 6 days to end.
David
Janice says
Your isolation still looks like a good holiday and I would swap with you in a hearbeat
Things are rapidly going from bad to horendously scarily worse
The next 2/3 weeks will be the worst as the UK is following the exact same trends as Italy & Spain
On a brighter note You both look so well and relaxed. Motor Homing really does suit you
Michael has 1 more day before retirement and I have to say you have inspired us to try at least a tour 9f Scotland in a M.H.
Take good care of each other. Much love, as always x
Maggie Farrington says
Our 3rd week in lockdown here in Spain.
Last year we had 5weeks of rain in the Motorhome, so being in an apartment is an absolute luxury, although here in Spain we are not allowed out at all. Only one person allowed per car to go shopping. If only we had a dog at least we could get out.
We where due to start our 4 month trip next week to Northern Italy .
When we do get out of this awful situation, I think we may be scared to go out. The kissing will have to stop (everyone in Spain kisses each other) and we may find ourselves just going off in our Motorhome, staying on the south coast of Spain for a change of scenery.
Stay safe, love the blog, followed you round Spain and have used some of the sites you recommended.
Maggie