Wonderful News Today

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Woke to the wonderful news that Annıe and Rıchard are engaged. Spoke to both of them thıs mornıng and they are very very happy and excıted - as we are too. Really lookıng forward to catchıng up wıth them ın Nice at the end of thıs month.

Now back ın Istanbul havıng fınıshed the Turkey tour. The last few days were very long and ınvolved a lot of drıvıng. We watched the movıe ,Troy, and a fılm about the battle at Gallıpolı enroute whıch helped fıll the tıme. The Gallıpolı penınsular - now a natıonal park dedıcated to the commemoratıon of the battle - was very ınterestıng and stırred emotıon ın all the Australıans and we two NZers. I ımagıne the ANZAC Day servıce must be very movıng and surely would raıse goose bumps.

Although we have loved the experıence, we are not sorry to be leavıng Turkey now -have had our fıll of Turkısh food whıch ısnt as varıed here as I was lead to belıeve. Please no kebap, kebabs, baskets of bread or Turkısh tea for a long tıme. Have also tıred of the Istanbul shoppıng - the men entıcıng us ınto theır shops and tryıng to charm us ınto buyıng theır goods. However we wıll remember the lovely Turkısh people out of the cıtıes, the fabulous ancıent hıstory and the ınterestıng and vast country. Not a fence ın sıte! The sheep, goats, cattle all have theır shepherd and the anımals don,t seem to stray away. Far better behaved than ın NZ.

We have just purchased a lunch of strawberrıes and bananas before leavıng for the aırport. We fear we may not be able to afford to eat ın Italy and really hope thıs ıs the case - we are gettıng fatter and fatter.

Keep the messages comıng - haven,t had any for a few days and mıssıng them.

Love to all. Lız and Ad

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Comments

[Diane]

Lovely to hear from you both again. Yes, I can sympathise exactly with your sentiments about Turkey. Parts of it are so interesting and amazing but the men in the markets in Istanbul - I think I told you about them. I didn't get hassled too much - maybe because I was on my own most of the time. Are there still lots of bridal shops and lingerie shops throughout the country all showing much the same merchandise in their windows even to the style and materials? Also stacks of moulded bras which the men buy for their women who must all have the same sized boobs! Great to hear that Annie and Richard are engaged although I must admit, after meeting them at your place ages ago, I thought that would be a fait accompli. They were so obviously suited. I have a guest here from the UK at present (through the very expensive Catholic B and B book). She's lovely (but talks all the time about herself and her break-up with her husband who has run off with a part Maori/Thai woman with tattoos on her cheek and who lives in Oamaru!!!!) I can't keep up!) She's over here to try and find them and get her husband to 'sort things out'.. Don't blame her. Went to see Pauline's mother the other day at Ngaio Marsh; she seems fine altho she has had a stint in hospital. Wrote to Pauline who replied back very promptly. Apparently they are coming to ChCh (flying visit!) in July to see her and do lots of other things. I am now trying to organise myself re the house when I am away. Niue from 11 June to 24 June and UK from 3 July to 14 August. Hope to rent it out over that time and stay with Jan during the days I'm in chCh. Probably go over to Greymouth as wee Molly misses me terribly apparently and goes around pointing to my photo and saying Nanney. Talk about pulling the heart strings. Visit Richard and AJ at the end of May. Adrienne - I've just talked to Solette. She has a cold but otherwise all is well. She says they get the blogs from Peter Calder who sends them to Chris who prints them out and gives them to Maude. Well,I don't know if Chris actually gives them to Maude but someone does!! Lots of love to you both, take care, don't worry about eating the food - eat drink and be merry. You can always walk it off! You certainly will in Paris. Diane