Cooling down and rain is forecast.

---

Saturday 7th October 2017

Our visitors have returned to the UK and we now return to normal with our usual early start as we walk the dogs in the hills. A lovely morning, perfect walking weather, blue sky, sunshine and a cool breeze. Very soon we will be able to head off into the hills in the jeep, park up and enjoy longer walks. Back home by 8am, Kilroy had his weekly scrub up and then time for a light breakfast. Our Turkish Cypriot neighbours were here last night and up early this morning watering gardens etc, plus picking the ripe figs off a large tree in the communal garden. They have a few small fruit trees and herbs in their garden and they passed across a couple of guava fruits for us to try.....Sarah is googling what to do with them! Just a couple of things to do today, so we headed to town to get water to be dropped off at church and Sarah picked up some jewellery as well. She has put a couple of items in for repair and also had some old jewellery melted down and made into a bangle. Very pleased she is as well. A wander around town, pit stop for coffee and home via supermarket.

Afternoon of reading and snoozing before taking Kilroy out for an evening stroll. Then it was shower and change as tonight we were off out for a meal at "The Kitchen"........ the restaurant next to Supreme supermarket. Haven't been before but heard good reports. It was a meet up at around 7:30pm in "The Fez", a well known local bar/taverna just outside Catalkoy village for pre dinner drinks joining up with Gary, Ellie, Brendan and Beryl before the stroll over the road for a meal. The Fez is a place we have only been to once before and that was last year, so it was interesting to make a return. Pretty busy on arrival with a 60th birthday party booked in. Ordered our drinks and took a look at the menu just so we could get a feel for the place. We asked our friends if they had been to the Fez and what they thought of it. All said that whilst it is popular especially with tourists and holidaymakers the drinks were somewhat overpriced, the food ok and occasionally the staff not that interested. Drinks were 10TL for a pint of Efes which is more than other establishments, small tonic 7TL....again pricey and Brandy sours a whooping 27TL! Compared to the UK the costs are good but if you are living out here they are not. So concensus was, ok to meet for a drink but it wont be a regular calling point for us. Pre dinner drinks done it was time to move across the road to the restaurant. Table for 6 of us, outside as the weather still pleasant. A few of us had starters, chicken goujons, garlic mushrooms and muscles then the mains of an assortment of steaks, chicken and fish dishes. John had a t bone and Sarah a fillet steak, accompanied by chips and salad. Angora red wine, Heineken (No Efes sold and yet the supermarket next door has crates of the stuff) and soft drinks with the meal being rounded off by liquor coffees, Nescafé and complimentary brandies. Meals were good, company excellent and the conversation flowed easily. Before we knew it we were the last table in the place and it was almost midnight. So we said our farewells and look forward to a meet up again. Time to head home ?. Kilroy was there to great us at the door, a happy dog, pleased to see us and he had behaved himself. No accidents. A stroll around the block, cup of coffee and up to bed - a very late night for us oldies.

Sunday 8th October 2017

Awake just before 7am, a breezy morning with a few clouds over the mountains. Having had a just warm shower last night, for the first time since we arrived we decided the immersion heater needed to go on to heat the water up. The sunshine will heat it up and probably give us enough hot water to last the day but then overnight it is time for a boost as it cools overnight and in the morning it's now not warm enough. So timer now set to fire up for an hour. Just after 7:30am and after our obligatory cups of tea we took dogs out for the morning stroll, today downhill along the quiet roads as no one up and about yet. Back home and Sarah got ready to go to church whilst John hacked things around in the garden.......a bit of a trim up to make things easier when we come to pack up ready for our return to the UK. Gardening done and with Kilroy staring and saying where's my breakfast, the hound was fed......pasta, biscuit and chicken liver.......all followed by his favourite antibiotic! ? Quick hoover around indoors, then shower and change for John before chill time on the garden patio with more tea. Sarah home at 2pm ? with freshly baked bread so time for a bacon sandwich or two for lunch.

Late afternoon and minor panic, the dark clouds have rolled in so it's rush out and put the roof up on the jeep, bring in outdoor sofa cushions and cover the rattan chairs. It's suddenly gone dark, all a bit strange as this is the first real rain ☔️ for 5 months. Temperature still shows 25C tho. After a very light shower and a little blow around things settled down again in time for Kilroys afternoon walk downhill......nice views out to sea with rain showers on the horizon. Back home it was time for a raindowner tonight, two gin and tonics yes please! Sarah then set about preparing supper; cauliflower cheese, lamb and mint sausages plus some garlic bread. Whilst this was bubbling away, we set about going thro last Fridays Club Tropicana quiz which we missed as we were dropping off our visitors. We never cheated and after surfing the net for the answers we believe we got a credible score of 38. Kilroy enjoyed his supper before strolling indoors and jumping into his favourite chair for a snooze. Supper was followed by some fruit, coffees, hound walk and then it was upstairs for more tv via the iPad. However before long the eyelids were getting heavy so time to get some sleep in.

Monday 9th October 2017

Awake around 5:30am but as it was still dark, promptly went back to sleep until 7:15am when John headed off for the usual routine, whilst Sarah had a well deserved lie in. Whilst out on the walk, John passed a house in which lives a lovely Doberman. As we were strolling by we noticed his owner wandering around picking up foam and chair covers.........oh dear. The owner shouts over the wall the dog has ripped up a sofa and deposited foam and material all over the place. All of a sudden Kilroys antics are minor compared to this wrecking machine. Back home by 8:30am and Sarah had surfaced, a cup of tea then breakfast after which we then set about doing a little clean up in Sues place next door to make sure all was good after our visitors had left, plus make it ready for Sue when she arrives in a week or so. Kilroy spent his morning chewing a toy, managing to pull out more of its innards before falling asleep exhausted. He has been wandering around all morning with a disgruntled worried look on his face as his favourite snoozing spot on the outdoor sofa wasn't available, we had covered it up yesterday during our brief, light rainshower. By midday it looked safe enough to remove said covers and hound reclaimed his bed. John then strolled up to the pool and as chief light monitor, punker waller and Gary's lacky went to disable the pool lights so they no longer come on of an evening. It's coming towards the end of the season now, so no need to have them burning up the electric as no one is swimming after 6pm. Weather this morning cloudy with the temperature getting up to 24C, however forecast is that clouds to disperse tomorrow and sunshine returns. We have this morning received an email from the animal rescue centre confirming what we need to do in the next week or so as we prepare for Kilroys travel home to the UK. As is the norm here, copies of everything plus also his final worming needs to be done the Monday before he travels. They will be emailing us the costs for his flight etc later this week......??. Not sure hound has fully understood that in just over a months time he will be in the land of wind, rain and temperatures that are nothing like he has ever experienced! ?

All jobs done it was time for lunch and what to do for the rest of the day. First thing was the important decision of tonight's supper - in order to use up some leftovers Sarah is making a savoury crumble.....whatever that is. Second decision made and it was a late afternoon walk in the hills. Now that the weather has cooled we can resume exploration of the trails that are all over North Cyprus. A quick look at our trails book and we selected a walk around the Besparmak Mountain (Five Finger Mountain). Just before 4pm we took the short drive up into the hills parking up on the side of the road, hooking up Kilroy and off we went. Weather was perfect, lovely blue sky with a slight breeze. A great walk up and downhill with some stunning views all the way. Kilroy enjoyed himself with lots of new smells and places to explore. Just on two hours and we had walked all the way around the mountain and we arrived back at the jeep just as the sun was setting. Back downhill and straight to Supreme supermarket for a couple of items plus some nibbles to keep us going before supper - this walking had made us hungry! Back home and Kilroy was pleading for his evening meal, he was hungry as well - once he had eaten he promptly flaked out on his bed, don't think he will make to much noise tonight.

For the first time for many months we sat indoors and watched some tv, very strange and something we haven't really missed but no doubt in a month or so we will be watching more of it. Supper was served.....a savoury crumble with baked beans followed by a film which we managed to stay awake and watch until the end. John then took the dog for a quick stroll around the block before we all settled down for a good night sleep.

Tuesday 10th October 2017

Slept well with none of us waking up until the sky began to lighten. A quick look out of the window to find clouds over the mountain so maybe the weather forecast wasn't correct after all. Will put the covers on the sofa if when we head out. Today we plan a trip to the south to return a faulty item purchased a few weeks ago, then a wander around some other shops before heading home. By 10:30am we were on our way, rain clouds had gone leaving sky clear apart from a few high clouds. First stop " Jumbo" a sort of The Range type of store.....a quick wander around picking up a couple of items before continuing onto IKEA to exchange an item which had proved faulty once we got it home. Located the exchange/returns desk and Sarah bought up the email from customer services which said bring back item and they would exchange or provide a voucher for equivalent cost. Started to explain to girlie about the problem, email received etc .....but she did seem a tad aggressive in her manner - John could feel a confrontation coming on, as she started to be a bit abrupt and asking questions. Sarah was trying to explain but she seemed not to be listening. We both managed to hold it together and remain pleasant and slowly but surely she began to process the refund/exchange voucher. At the end she asked for names, telephone number and also where we lived.....ahhhh.....this could be tricky we thought. ⚠️ Sarah without thinking said Girne.....the Turkish name for Kyrenia - we wondered if this may spark an international incident but we were not prepared to say anything different. Girlie just said "Oh, the north side"..... "of course" we said. Paperwork printed out no problem and we went off for a coffee. ? Usual stroll around and amazingly resisted the temptation to pick up anything else apart from the item we wanted to exchange. Decided to take a wander round the Mall of Cyprus next to IKEA and managed to pick up a couple of brontosaurus chops for supper, plus a selection of four wines that bring back so many memories of our time in Cyprus in the early 80s and 90s! As many of our friends can testify they don't travel that well, so best drunk quickly......hopefully the 30 mile cross border trip won't have ruined there bouquet and taste. Then it was back to the border and home, arriving at around 3:30pm to find a well behaved Kilroy meeting us as we opened the door........his reward was a nice doggy treat bone.

Early evening and whilst Sarah prepared supper, John took Kilroy for his walk. Back home time for a shower and change before settling down to watch the news, followed a little later by a film. Nice supper, enjoyed with a chilled glass of St Panteleimon followed by a nice pud, chocolate cake, raspberries and ice cream. Time was marching on and John's eyes were heavy so off to bed for him, whilst Sarah finished watching the film before taking Kilroy for his usual stroll around the block.

Wednesday 11th October 2017

A very late surface this morning, not getting up until 7:45am. Dog walking was done and when we returned home we decided to do some more off lead training down our little pathway....reasonably secure and safe. Not as far as Kilroy was concerned! He had one thing on his mind and that was cats. Holidaymakers a few doors up from us have taken to feeding them, so consequently it's like a cat and kitten diner each morning as they rock up for breakfast. The problem is the more you feed the more trot up and after a while they are more a nuisance than a pleasure. We counted at least 10 meowing outside their door this morning. A few cats have been taken to the vet to be neutered by long term residents and these are well loved but it's impossible to control them all. The majority are left to their own devices. Unfortunately leaving food out which isn't eaten then attracts all sorts of other creatures to the party and when the holidaymakers have returned home the more permanent residents are left with the consequences. People seem to forget these cats are not house cats, they spend most of there time scavenging for food especially around the bin areas and are inevitably harbouring a few friends in the form of fleas and ticks. John has his own thoughts on what needs to be done...... they do need to be controlled and interbreeding doesn't do them any favours. So.....cat lovers look away? Hopefully it will be a harsh winter and the normal laws of nature will take over. Rant over. ? Anyway Kilroys concentration level for training was at a low point with the cats around and as quick as lightning he turned on a sixpence and was off....running around, jumping, sniffing and generally trying to catch the felines.....which of course unless he was really lucky was never going to happen. We then spent a pleasant (Not) 15mins trying to persuade him to come home.

Once we had completed the morning routine we showered, changed and drove into town for the weekly market. Always worth a wander around, plus we needed to photocopy Kilroys vet passport in preparation for his travel. As we had missed breakfast it was lunch at our favourite cafe always a good spot to watch the happenings around the market. Today lunch was a lahmucen each, plus a cheese gozleme (sort of pancake) washed down with fresh home made lemon squash, which was fantastic. Back home for an afternoon chilling before dog walk, shower and change for the weekly quiz night. Five of us in the team tonight, we did well finishing third with 46 points, the winners had 49. Home by 8:30pm and Sarah set to cooking tonight's supper, home made chicken curry with a nice fresh flatbread, similar to a naan. All followed by chocolate cake with raspberries and cream. TV on with a film and coffee to finish off. Doggie walk done and then bedtime.

Thursday 12th October 2017

Weather has now cooled down to allow us to start our walks in the light. So up at just after 7am and after cups of tea we were on our way 40mins later. Usual morning chores including garden watering and Kilroys weekly scrub up before time for breakfast, showers and changed. Need to pop to KAR to hand over our vet records and other paperwork so they can book Kilroys flight and then pick up some milk and bread followed by a coffee stop in The Lodge. Home by lunchtime for an afternoon of internet surfing; we were looking for a few items for Kilroy, dog bed, coat, etc....then it was chilling and reading time. Around 4:30pm we loaded Kilroy into the jeep and headed to Bill and Joans place in Arapkoy, the carpenter had made some doors for their lounge and wanted to come and fit them. Workmen arrived just after 5pm and set to task and whilst John supervised, Sarah was able to take Kilroy for a walk around the village. It was over two hour later, after the sun had set that the work was completed....roughly translated from Turkish.....the walls were a bit of a b****r. Job done; the doors do look very good we have to say - pictures taken, we then locked up and returned home, fed hound and then headed off down to Happy Valley to see what Riaz had on his menu that would tempt us. Decided to sit indoors to eat as things are now beginning to feel decidedly chillier for us compared to a few weeks ago. Riaz had recently redecorated indoors, gone was the vibrant yellow which looked like some leftover paint used to paint yellow lines to be replaced by a much calmer white. Also of vital importance, new toilets installed! Sarah had the garlic mushrooms to start and Johna prawn cocktail, mains was Fish Bravaal for Sarah and a Fish Balti for John. Washed down with a couple,of Brandy sours and white wines. As always the food was great, plenty of it, well cooked and lovely service. Back home by just after 10pm, dog stroll and then coffee before bed.

Friday 13th July 2017

After the morning constitutional it was back home for the Friday clean around and then a day of doing not a lot. A light lunch of bread, cheese and salad and that was about it for the day. The weather is now very pleasant and instead of moving from front balcony to garden patio to keep in the shade it's now nice enough to be able to sit in the sunshine most of the time without breaking down into a sweaty mess. Late afternoon and we took Kilroy out for his stroll, then home for a quick shower and off for the Friday quiz night. Team of 4 tonight as Gary was across the south. A pretty good score of 38, the winners scored 42 so not a bad effort considering many teams consisted of 8 or more. Decided to eat out and had the special.....which was fish, chips and peas.....have to say its one of the best around. Quick game of card bingo and then back home to feed Kilroy and settle down for the night. Whilst we were out we had received an email from one of the log cabin companies we had been dealing with who had amended there original drawings following us giving them a more detailed spec and they sent back a couple of proposals plus a quote. One of the proposals just about captured all we wanted and we like very much......so they have now moved into clear leaders. Will review again over the weekend and provide them with feedback. Next stage is to book them to come and do a site survey once we get back home. TV was on and started to watch a film, it was pretty good but we knew we would not see it thro to the end, so it went on pause and we will try again tomorrow. Quick hound walk round the block and time for bed.

---

Photos

IMG_1630
Guava fruit courtesy of our neighbour Tahire plus a lemon ? picked by Jackie from the trees in the communal gardens.

IMG_0555
Left side, Gary, Ellie and Brendan.......Right side, John, Sarah and Beryl.
Enjoying our night out at The Kitchen.

IMG_0556
Lovely night at The Kitchen with friends......oh and Gary!

IMG_0560
Rain clouds gathering

IMG_0561
Raining on the 8th October 2017 here in Catalkoy, North Cyprus.

IMG_1638
Despite the cloudy sky, there is always time for a raindowner........it's 6pm and the temperature is still a pleasant 24C.

IMG_1652
Tired out after wrestling with his toy

IMG_1655
Admiring the view on our Besparmak Mountain walk

IMG_1656
Besparmak Mountain

IMG_1657
Besparmak Mountain

IMG_1662
Stunning views on our walk

IMG_1664
Views on our walk

IMG_1667
Fond memories of these four!

IMG_1668
Brontosaurus pork chop, home made chips....just room for salad!

IMG_1669
Market cafe view....great spot to watch the goings on.

IMG_1677
Kilroy.

IMG_1683
Kilroy looking regal. ?

IMG_1695
Sarah's rather excellent chicken curry!