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Middle East » Cyprus » Kyrenia » Çatalköy
October 28th 2017
Published: November 3rd 2017
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Saturday 28th October 2017

Awake earlier this morning as we wanted to take dogs on a longer walk now the weather was cooler. So it was a quick cup of tea and off we set along the tracks, past the goat farm and into the hills. Weather was clear blue sky, just a few clouds around. Rain was forecast again for later so it could be an afternoon of hunkering down with the tv and a good book. All was going so well with dogs enjoying themselves then disaster happened. Despite being on leads, Kilroy was snuffling in the undergrowth and managed to eat something.....not sure what but within about 10mins it was clear something was wrong. His back legs started twitching, then he went all wobbly, stumbling when walking and foaming at the mouth. ? As you can imagine we were really worried, so Sarah stayed with him and also Buddy dog whilst John sprinted or walked as fast as he could across the fields, clambering over fences and up the hill to get the jeep. Back down the hill with the jeep we loaded up the dogs and headed off to the vet. Buddy seemed fine so we
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Buffavento Village from the other side of the ravine
guessed he hadn’t eaten anything, but Kilroy was not good. Straight into the vets examination room who immediately checked him over, took his temperature and said the dreaded words “poison”. He then gave him two injections and put him straight on a drip. Very soon he vomited and whatever he had in his stomach exited out. He did not look good at all. With nothing more that could be done John took Buddy home, thankfully he was fine. We both then stayed and watched Kilroy, very worried and praying he would be ok. It was not a great time. Almost two hours had now past about since he first looked ill and the vet said we should take him upstairs to the recovery room - things seemed to have settled and he was confident he would be ok. In the recovery room Kilroy remained on the drip and also oxygen for about another hour. One of the drugs injected dilates his pupils and so he couldn’t see very well; so that was confusing for him, but he could hear us and also the meowing of a couple of cats in cages across the room. Eventually despite being heavily drugged it was clear he was out of danger and recovering as whilst he could not see the cats he could hear them and was taking an interest, lifting his head up and stareing in there direction. After a chat with the vet we were told that he would be fine but needed to remain on the drip for a while longer. He agreed it was now ok to leave him whilst we sorted ourselves out, we were both a bit drained and still in our stuffy walking gear plus we needed to do a bit of shopping. If there was any change to his condition our vet said he would call us and in the meantime his nurse was on hand to watch Kilroy. John drove home to check on Buddy again and let Gary know what happpened, all was good with him and then round to our place pick up Sarah’s purse and bag. We then went to the money exchange to change some money and then the butchers and supermarket. About an hour later we were back at the vets and things were looking much better. Drip had been removed and Kilroy was lying down quietly.....time for a blood
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Looking back up to Buffavento Village and the mountains
test to see if all was well. He didn’t like yet another needle but our vet was pleased he was reacting as this was normal and showed he knew what was happening around him. Blood taken, the sample was popped in the machine and we waited anxiously for the results. It was good news?. Bloods were normal. So we could now take him home, keep him quiet and relaxed, no walks, no food. Our vet said he was happy things would be fine but if we had any concerns then just call or text him at anytime and he would be available.

How and why is the question we asked ourselves and the vet. Sadly there are some low lifes who do randomly put poison out on tracks in the hills especially when it’s the hunting season in an attempt to poison the hunting dogs. ? Unfortunately as often happens it’s pet dogs who are caught out. Despite being on leads, dogs being dogs do love to snuffle and their sense of smell will find even the smallest mortal. So very sad ? that this happens. So that’s it for us; Kilroy and Buddy, no more walks on the
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Kilroy recovering. Two injections later and now on a drip, plus oxygen. Wide eyed and not able to focus to well but he knows there are cats the other side of the room!
tracks in the hills, it will be out and about on the roads and footpaths around Buffavento and Catalkoy village. All we can say is a huge thank you to Altay our vet who was on the case quickly and recognised the symptoms - words cannot say enough but we hope the cakes we bought for him and his veterinary nurse were enjoyed. ?

Back home and Kilroy wandered around for a while, still confused and not able to focus fully but Altay did say it would be maybe 24-48hrs before he would be fully back to normal. Eventually tho he settled down in his chair to sleep - he looked absolutely shattered bless him. In the meantime the weather had changed so we checked everything outside was covered or stowed away and with thunder rumbling it wasn’t long before it began to hail, rain and the sky began to get very dark. These flash storms are pretty spectacular with water rushing out of the drainpipes and also large rivers flowing down the roads. After the emotional roller coaster of the morning we were also feeling exhausted and after a shower and change for us it was definitely an
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The rain and hail have arrived
afternoon in, just relaxing, drinking tea and none of us doing much. Another bit of sad news received was that Flashy boy, Ben and Claire’s rescue greyhound was put to sleep this morning, he had been ill for a while but recently things worsened - so a bit of an upsetting day for us all. Flashy was a lovely old boy and whilst it’s a tough decision, Ben and Claire were brave enough to make it and not let him suffer. They did wonders with him after he was rescued and they will treasure those special memories..... he will be with all our other hounds now. ?

Very late lunch of ham sandwiches, with freshly cooked ham from the butchers. Tasted excellent as we were really hungry after this mornings unwanted excitement. John decided to watch the football as Peterborough we’re playing the league leaders today. What a good game it was and at last something to cheer about, a 1-0 win. Game over we both then thought it was time for a short stroll to see how Kilroy was feeling. It was out and up to the Sea Vistas complex about 1/4 mile away and then back home
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Plenty of water after the rainstorm
again via Gary’s house as we were feeding Buddy. Gary was across the south visiting Ellie. Buddy fed and looking fine we then wandered home. Kilroy jumped straight back into his favourite chair and promptly went back to sleep; he was soon zonked out, today has been a traumatic day for him for sure. Sarah then made supper, pizza, chips and coleslaw all homemade. Washed down with a glass of wine whilst watching this weeks episode of Strictly Come Dancing - feels a bit like being back in the U.K. and weather must have changed as we are indoors now, doors closed but no heating on. There are no real seasons here, things just seem to go from summer into what is classed as winter when the evenings get cooler, winds freshen and the rains arrive. Between Oct - Dec it’s sunny days and temperature around the 22-24C mark and the rains are infrequent and usually don’t last that long but can be heavy. From Jan to end Feb, temperatures drop a little more although days can be bright and sunny but it does rain a lot and the downpours can last hours plus of course there is flooding and
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Kilroy enjoying his first full meal since eating poisoned food a couple of days ago. On the menu was pasta, chicken neck, biscuit and a special doggy treat of dog pet food chicken pate
the ravines have huge amounts of water flowing down them. A quick wander with Kilroy before bed at around 11pm and as soon as our heads hit the pillow we were both asleep.

Sunday 29th October 2017

Awake at 7:45am but then remembered that the clocks have changed so it was only 6:45am, that was nice. At just after 7am Sarah was up and made some tea plus checked on Kilroy. He seemed much more with it this morning and his pupils had all but returned to normal. Decided to try him with a little food as he hadn’t eaten anything for over 24hrs so it was pasta and chicken. Just a small amount which he enjoyed, will give him a little more later after he has been for a short walk. We will have another quiet day with him today and then things should return to normal tomorrow. Off out for a stroll downhill along the quiet roads, Kilroy seemed much better and just over 40mins later we were home and he was enjoying his second small breakfast. Time for our breakfast sat on the front balcony, weather cloudy and breezy but sun warm when it got
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Still sunbathing on last day of October 2017.
thro the clouds. Sarah then changed and headed off to church and John stayed at home watching Kilroy and surfing the net. Early afternoon and Sarah was back home and soon preparing tonight’s supper - two of the biggest lamb shanks ever, which will be slow cooked all afternoon plus mashed spuds, peas and gravy. Another short walk for the dog and then time for us to get indoors as the clouds were building again so more rain could be on the way.

By mid afternoon we were safely inside as we watched another rain shower arrive. This time nowhere near as much of the wet stuff as yesterday but enough to water the plants again. Still lots of clouds around so every so often a few more spots of rain would land. A nice lazy Sunday afternoon was enjoyed by all and because of the clock change by just after 5:30pm it was dark so another shortish stroll for Kilroy. Tomorrow we are looking to return to his usual routine. Back to normal with his food levels now, so for his supper he enjoyed some pasta, plus a small left over potato topped off with a chicken neck - ate the lot no problem. Humans cracked open a bottle of Italian red......a Sangiovese, which was very good we have to say. Table was laid indoors and out came the supper, those lamb shanks cooked in red wine gravy were superb - thanks to the best butcher in Ozankoy. Pudding followed a little later and tonight it was shekerparee (Sort of a round almond cake with lemon syrup) plus ice cream. Settled down to watch a sci fi film which is not normally something we go for but it was pretty good and passed away a couple of hours before it was time for bed.

Monday 30th October 2017

Awake at around 6:15am just as it was getting light - the clock change has made the mornings a little lighter. Cup of tea in bed before we surfaced, dressed and headed round to Gary’s to pick up Buddy dog and off on our walk. Buddy normally stays outside in his kennel but the rains have arrived so Gary had taken him indoors - so with key to hand we opened up and Buds comes running out all keen and happy to be off on his stroll. Off
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Sunbathing view from balcony.....pity we cannot capture the quietness.
down the hill for a wander around our area for an hour before getting back at Gary’s to drop off Buddy. Gary was up and at them this morning and had a present from his girlfriend Ellie for Kilroy - some nice doggy chicken pate pet food. What a lucky boy. Back home and time for more tea, plus breakfast for us all. For the first time this year Sarah rustled up some porridge, it must be winter, John stuck with the toast and Kilroy had pasta, chicken neck, biscuit and a small bit of pate. Time now to head out to do some shopping with first stop China Bazaar for some compost - Sarah came home with a plant from church yesterday and we also have some seedlings which need repotting. On to Erdener supermarket, we wanted some fish but there counter was closed, so just picked up a couple of items before heading back to the old reliable Supreme supermarket. They had a good fish selection on show so picked up four Sea Bream. Norman and Jill are around for supper tonight so thought we would give the bbq another run out before we pack up and leave.
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Kilroy and his mum sunbathing.
Back home and unpacked, Sarah set about preparing pud for supper whilst John tidied around outside. Kilroy had been a good lad whilst we were out so he enjoyed a bone left over from the lamb shank we had last night. Jobs done it was time for a light lunch, stroll around the block with the dog and then home to settle down for the afternoon with a film. Kilroy spent the time back in his favourite chair snoozing.

Late afternoon and filmed out, John took Kilroy for his normal evening walk whilst Sarah tidied around and went and made herself look glamorous. ? Kilroys clock not quiet in synch as he was looking to go for his walk earlier than normal, but we managed to make him wait until close to the normal time.....of course after his walk he knows it’s not long until food time so in his brain the earlier I go for my walk the quicker my supper will arrive. ? At around 6:30pm John fired up the bbq and fish were made ready, a good sprinkling of fresh lemon juice, plus some dill and olive oil is all that’s needed. Norman and Jill arrived
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Kilroy does his greyhound impression.....one leg straight out! ?
and as it was now dark and distinctly chilly outside with rain clouds around we sat indoors to enjoy pre supper drinks. About 40mins later the coals had settled down and fish were simmering away nicely. Just time for some nibbles, dips and bread before the main course. John kept a watch on the fish whilst also making sure the local felines kept there distance - mind you the heat from the bbq will dissuade them from getting to close. An excellent simple meal of bbq fish, mixed salad and pitta was followed by pudding - a choice of chocolate moose or lemon posset. There were enough for one of each plus a couple extra! Conversation flowed easily as we recounted our past life, family history etc. A really enjoyable evening - it must have been as it was just before midnight when things came to a close. Kilroy had been on his very best behaviour all night as after saying hello when our guests arrived he then settled down in his favourite chair or on his bed and chilled out. A stroll round the block and that was the day done.

Tuesday 31st October 2017

T minus 14 days and counting until we return to the U.K. A lovely clear blue sky this morning with the sun warm on our backs as we went out for the walk. Home, breakfasted it was relax time with nothing on our agenda, but we will no doubt think of something later. As the sunbeds and umbrellas by the pool had been packed away, Sarah decided to get our own sunbed out of storage and this was soon set up on the front balcony - she wants to make the most of the sunshine over the next couple of weeks. Nice morning doing nothing much. John put the plant Sarah had bought in church into the communal garden opposite our place and then that was it no more jobs so it was reading, listening to the radio and enjoying the scenery. It really is very quiet up here and we have great clear uninterrupted views out over the ravine and the mountains at the back of us - you cannot beat it. Around 1pm the sky was beginning to cloud over so decision was made to go for a drive out east.....we wanted more pebbles for our small patio garden so the trip out would enable us to pick some up. Slow drive out as far as Tatlisu before turning off the main road and taking the old single and often rickety track back towards Girne some 20 miles away. This old track follows the coast and takes you close to the beaches and sea. Weather was breezy and sea choppy as the clouds gathered even more. Stopped off for pebble gathering before arriving home just after 3pm. Sarah went and put some soup on whilst John emptied the pebbles onto the garden and did his garden design work. Now it was getting very grey and looks like rain will arrive so it was tv on and we selected the film “Denial” for our entertainment. The soup was a Turkish option, tomato and lentil, it was very good so think we may pick up some packets to bring back to the U.K. with us. Film kept us interested all the way thro and once it had finished it was just gone 5pm so John hitched up Kilroy and took him off for his evening stroll. It gets dark now at around 5:15pm so we started the walk up to the Sea Vistas complex with great views of the sunset ? over St Hilarion Castle, before then heading downhill back thro Buffavento village and then to Historia (Or as we call it Hysteria) Park then turning around and heading home again. Home at 5:45pm, another cup of tea and we sat down and started looking at kitchen designs and styles to see what took our eye so we would be ahead of the game when our build project moves forward. Supper for Kilroy and then tv on again - winter is here for sure and although the temperature at 8pm was 19C outside to us it felt decidedly chilly. Our supper tonight is ham salad to use up all the leftovers from last night, plus the dips, village bread and some lovely Cyprus potatoes. We also have the extra puds left from last night to enjoy as well. Rest of the night was spent in front of the tv before the usual pre bedtime routine.

Wednesday 1st November 2017

Decided to take a wander around a few different roads and then head back home this morning still making the walk an hour in total. Shower, breakfast, changed and off to the weekly market. Just wanted a look around as we don’t need much but it’s a good morning out. Usual stroll round before heading out of the market and the short walk down the road to Mr Pound to pick up a couple of toys for Kilroy plus a bbq tool. Back to the market and time for a pit stop for coffee, carrot cake and people watching before another walk around. It was now 12:30pm and it wasn’t as manic and busy as when we first arrived....maybe we should plan to arrive around lunchtime in future? Picked up some salad stuff and then headed back home via Supreme supermarket for the essentials of bread, milk plus charcoal as there is always time to fit in another bbq. Home and it was cheese and coleslaw sandwich for lunch and we then finished watching a film which we couldn’t stay awake for last night.

Before we knew it the afternoon had gone by and it was 4pm so time for Kilroys stroll......a little further tonight as we are out quizzing and then as soon as it finishes we are off gambling! So off to the quiz night at 5:30pm, did well finishing in 3rd place. Then it was off to the Cratos Hotel and the casino. It was us two plus Gary, Brendan and Beryl. We are not really into gambling so no roulette table, black jack, poker or the big money games.......the deal is we decided to put 100TL each on the card (£20) which we can then use to play the auto roulette wheels, slot machines, plus other machines. Stakes are low and we thought that providing we have a bit of fun that will be enough. Also there is a help yourself eat as much as you want buffet plus wine and local drinks all thrown in for no extra cost. Once we had checked in we decided to eat first before getting down to the serious business. Buffet as you would expect in a 5* Hotel was very good, plenty of choice and lots of it. Once fed we then wandered across to the main casino area and first stop was the auto roulette wheels. Ordered some more drinks....all free and started to try and understand how to play. Of course we had no real idea what we were doing so we got one of the flunkies to explain things to us. Min bet was 5TL (£1) but this could be the equivalent of 10p on ten numbers or you could put 10TL on red/black, odds/evens plus loads of other options.....those that know how to play roulette will understand better than us. Anyway off we went. Somehow after a couple of plays John was 50TL up....no real idea how. Sarah was also holding her own. After an hour on the roulette John was up 170TL so called it quits. Sarah was about 4TL ? up as well. Sarah then moved onto the slot machine....picked a game, pressed auto play and within 5mins had won 90TL. ? So overall we came away 250TL up....approx £50. Not a bad night, excellent company, plenty of food and drinks and a couple of hours good entertainment. We cashed in our winnings but decided to leave 50TL each on our cards, so we will return again next year. Now we know the score we will take friends and family for an evening out and have some fun. Providing you are sensible it is really a cheap night. Back home by 11pm and Kilroy had been well behaved and after a quick walk round the block it was time for bed. A very good evening!

Thursday 2nd November 2017

Decidedly chilly start to the day with the temperature at 8am only showing 17C, that feels cold to us. Usual walk with the hounds and then back home for showers and changed - for the first time it was not shorts and t shirt but long trousers and warmer tops. Breakfast done we then settled down to do not a lot for the rest of the morning. Sarah was catching up on some cookery programmes care of Nigella whilst John did some surfing, Kilroy was in his chair snoozing. Around 1pm Sarah headed down to church whilst John selected a film to watch and really that sums up our day.

Kilroys normal walk at around 4:30pm, it’s been a cloudy day and the temperature just managed to hit 20C and now it’s getting dark earlier it cools down quickly. Sarah prepared tonights supper which was to be chicken casserole followed by the last of our chocolate and lemon posset puds. Bit of tv, knitting and another film passed away the evening. Thursday done!

Friday 3rd November 2017

As it’s Friday it was the usual routine and clean around. An hour later and all the cleaning was done, next Friday will see us really starting to get ready for our return to the U.K. and we will start to pack and store things away ready for our return in 2018. Also John will trim down the garden plants so they are nice and tidy over the winter. Very dark clouds gathering over Girne at around 9am and slowly heading our way, lots of thunder and lightning as well. By 10am it was raining and looks like it will be in for a while, outside temperature showing 16C. Time then for a shower, change and some breakfast as we contemplated what to do for the rest of the day. Surprise surprise a drop of rain and now a power cut! Never mind we can boil a saucepan. Kilroy of course is well used to the daily routine now but rains curtailed things a bit today. Snooze location dependant on weather but recently it’s been on the front balcony where the morning sun is or alternatively today as it’s raining it’s his bed indoors. Ellie is down this weekend visiting Gary and earlier this week the suggestion was that the usual gang of 6 go out for a meal. Having thought about it we then asked everyone if they would like to come to ours for supper. Now it’s cooler and weather not as reliable plus it’s dark at 5:30pm it seems a good option instead of going out......everyone gave the thumbs up. So next decision was what to eat and we decided roast dinner, so beef it is, plus roast spuds, Yorkshire puds plus roasted veggies all followed by apple pie and custard or ice cream. A quick drive to Ozankoy best butcher for the beef and then home again. As it’s just rained there was water everywhere, pools of deep stuff. Traffic chaos going round the lanes to Ozankoy and also coming into town. Fortunately we managed to avoid the worst of it. Back home and electric still off so we enjoyed bacon rolls, cups of tea and a read of our books. After nearly four hours power was restored Internet back up and running and the world was back to normal. As it’s Friday and quiz night it was an earlier walk for the dog before we went off for the quiz night......poor showing as far as the quiz is concerned but at least we won the 10%!o(MISSING)ption off next weeks bill by getting closest to the correct answer as to what is the record for the most number of children born to one person.......google it. Decided to eat out so we both enjoyed the Club Tropicana chicken, very nice it was as well. Home by 8:30pm and whilst Sarah took Kilroy for a stroll, John prepared his feast of pasta, biscuits, chicken liver and a small,piece of chicken that Sarah had saved for him. Then it was coffee, tv, book and bed. The weekend has arrived.







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