2004 News Letter

Well, there goes another year. We have heard so many media comments on naff newsletters that we thought this year we might just do a web page for our own self indulgence and tell you all where it is. So, if you really want to read it, you can but if you don't get round to it you won't have a bit of paper hanging about for months. We have stuck up smallish pictures so those who, like us until recently, were not blessed, or is it cursed, with broadband will not get fed up waiting for the page to load. A bigger version lurks behind each picture if you have enough time or bandwidth. Just double click. Ain't technology great! We have had a hard time keeping the number of pictures to what we have, as it has been a surprisingly busy year. We can't believe that not long ago we used to work full time. We started lazily after a very hectic 2003 which ended with David getting a filthy cold and, for the first time in years, us missing out on the New Year's binge.
	In February we met up with David's school friend and his wife for a property hunt around Mojacar. Cliff, Doreen and Kate are seen here in a rather dimly lit restaurant we found high in the hills above the coast in Velez Rubio. We took the scenic route to it up a hairy winding road.
	We searched the coast from Aguilas to Almeria, looking for that extra special property that might tempt us. We had last done this four years ago and were horrified to find that prices have gone up by four times. This picture was taken at a secluded caravan site we came across near San José, which is in the natural park of Cabo de Gata.
	This is as close as we got to buying a property. These town houses were being built just north of Vera Playa and had underground garages, which were appealing. We had been staying in a comfortable apartment in a block opposite the beach. It had its own restaurant and was close to many others and was remarkably inexpensive. In the end we have concluded that we might just as well rent as buy.
	The garden has been a bit neglected this year though we have promised that 2005 will be the "year of the garden". The Wisteria continues to be the 'jewel in the crown' in April.
	After much procrastination, we got down to renovating in earnest and here David can be seen, complete with PPE, working to fit the new fire in our lounge. We also started to get all the electrics done before Part P makes criminals of us all. One of the toughest jobs was chasing out the floor screed at the walls to seal against radon, which has brought us from just above the action level to a long way below it.
	Here are the results.
	In May, after a party to celebrate Kate's big one, we had Shirley and Paul call buy. We had originally met in Selinunte, Sicily in 2000. They were just setting off with their new caravan for another tour of Europe, making us feel a little envious.
	In June, we took a trip we had long promised ourselves to Cornwall. We had honeymooned in the wet there but, apart from one aborted trip many years ago, when we couldn't find anywhere to stay, had never been back. This time we had excellent weather and stayed at Coombe Farm. This picture is taken from the 'Day Tower' looking towards the 'Du Maurier trail'. We were on our way to meet another of David's school friends and our energetic landlady suggested we could walk round Gribbin Head in an hour, even though the guide book suggested more than two for the full walk. Even starting part way round, it still took us two hours and, as noon approached, the fierce sun, the terrain and the exercise took its toll on us.
	We met Stan and Anne at the Rashleigh in Polkerris. We had staggered down the steep hill to the coast, well burned, scratched by brambles and very thirsty. Stan had hardly changed since David last saw him. We had a pleasant lunch, washed down with ample supplies of beer. Stand kindly took us to the top of the hill in his car. After the morning's walk, we couldn't face another climb. The coast walk round Gribbin Head may look easy on a map, but one has to descend from the cliff top to the sea many times.
	The Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan had been the real objective of the trip, at least as far as Kate was concerned, and we were suitably impressed. The day was slightly overcast, but with the heat and humidity of the tropical domes, we were not at all disappointed to step out into a cooler climate. The thing that surprised us both was the display by the sugar plant, pointing out that at Renaissance times world average sugar consumption was a teaspoon per year per person, but now more is grown than any single cereal crop. We also visited former neighbours from both Staffordshire and the Midlands.
	Our last call in the South-West was on yet another school chum of David's. We were treated to a splendid barbecue lunch and a trip up and down the Yealm.
	Our garage had been home to much of our son's impedimenta and here his cousin, Nicholas, is enjoying the opportunity to play on his vintage Suzi.
	With our break over, we returned to renovation and here you can see our approach to wall-papering the stairwell. It may look a bit rickety, but we did a full risk analysis and wrote up the method statements before we started. We also did a ground level overload test with both of us jumping up and down on the beam. Getting the access right made the actual job, which we had approached with some anxiety, pretty easy.
	Alfie is a new arrival for our nephew Tony and wife Sarah and we had a party to celebrate his safe but rather premature arrival. His Gran and Granddad came over from Ecuador and almost all his cousins, uncles and aunts were there.
	Carolyn and Alan, from New Zealand, visited us in September. They had contacted us at the beginning of the year and suggested we tour Turkey together. We had done a wonderful bus tour of Morocco with them in 1999 and thought this would be a suitable follow-up. We had a great day out at Blenheim Palace, where this photograph was taken.
	The trip to Turkey was to prove to arduous but very enjoyable. This map is pinched from the Fez Travel site who deserve a mention. Not having been before we were slightly apprehensive but apart from the "Turkish Tum" we need not have been and it was a fantastic experience. We were met at the airport in Istanbul and surprised to find that the majority of fellow travellers were young antipodeans and mostly ladies at that. Somewhat nervously, we set out alone from our hotel to see the Grand Bazaar as it was to near to closing time and this would be the best chance. The experience was interesting and already we were becoming enchanted. On our return we were pleased to meet up with Alan and Carolyn who had arrived the day before and sussed out the eating arrangements.
	Our first day was to be a tour of Istanbul and for some reason we got it into our heads that it would be a bus tour and filled our haversack with goodies for the day. We soon realised that the route march up the hill from our hotel was just the start of very long walk by our standards. We did all the mandatory monuments from the Blue Mosque shown top left to the underground cistern shown below left and were very impressed. Our guide turned out to be a young man of 30 or so with a University degree and good English. As we had found in Morocco, guides can be very good ambassadors not only for their country but for their culture. The possibility of Turkey joining the EU is in the news as we write and it is worth saying that our trip certainly influenced our views. Many in the UK are less than enthusiastic over "rule from Brussels" and our guide had many of the same reservations over centralisation and bureaucracy. It would be a mistake to think that Turkey wants EU membership at any cost. Although in so many ways they are already European, it will be very dangerous for Europe to refuse their entry as they will almost certainly be a major economy by the middle of this century. They will either become more closer to Europe or they could move closer to their erstwhile colonies. The average age is remarkably low and from what we saw they are very much a secular state. Islam is very obviously respected and to some extent deferred to, but we saw no obvious pressure upon the large numbers who observed neither dress customs nor other religious practice. Our guide, who incidentally did strictly observe Ramadan, never ceased to amaze us by his encyclopaedic knowledge of early Christianity, which flourished in Turkey during the early centuries AD. As is frequently pointed out by Muslims, this should not surprise, as their religion has the same origins. Any thought that Turkey is or will continue to be for very long a backward country is misplaced. While we did see some inefficient manufacturing in, for instance, traditional carpets they are also investing in education and modern technology. They clearly have a tremendous opportunity in tourism, as in many ways it reminded us of the Spanish Mediterranean resorts 20 years ago. Though we did not go anywhere near the South East we did get a glimpse of the other side of Turkey as we drove by heavily fortified prisons with armed guards in watchtowers. Although we haven't seen anything like this since the end of the 'Iron Curtain', we do see similar sights on TV reports shot in the US, so appearances may by deceptive. What was truly shocking, however, was the extent to which the personality cult of Ataturk has persisted. The Turks do indeed owe a lot to Ataturk, but just as we find it possible to revere the likes of Churchill and Nelson without having their image on everything we see, the Turks do need to put away most of the effigies and pictures.

	A part of our interest in visiting Turkey was undoubtedly to see the Gallipoli battle field. Few of us actually understand how or why the First World War started and fewer understand how we ever got into the mess that was Gallipoli. David's Grandfather was slightly wounded there. He was apparently hit by a sniper, losing part of a finger and had to lie, taking what cover he could, until night-fall, when he could return to his lines. His minor injury may well have saved him from worse and, in the same way, the experience of Gallipoli was etched in the consciousness of our military leaders and may have saved us from worse mistakes. Just looking at the narrows from the gun emplacement shown left tells one how difficult it was always going to be to force the Dardanelles by sea. Seeing the actual terrain of the peninsular, it is equally obvious that a land assault was going to be difficult. With hindsight, it is clear that an initial determined assault at Suva Bay particularly if by surprise would probably have succeeded quite easily.
	This is the ANZAC cemetery at Gallipoli. The action at Gallipoli was a much more important event to the Turks, Australians and New Zealanders. For the British the losses did not compare with those in Europe and, having finally prevailed, it is not in our nature to look too hard at the defeats along the way. For the ANZACs, however, the losses were very severe and unexpected. For the Turks, their modern state owes its existence to the victory at Gallipoli.
	With the sombre part of the trip out of the way we came to the second reason for seeing Turkey. It is truly rich in archaeology much of which is easily accessible. Troy has always been a lure for anyone who had to study Latin or history at school and it did not disappoint. Though there are not so many well preserved ruins it was, none the less, very moving to walk around the site where so many Greek and Trojan heroes fought and fell. One graphic that greatly impressed was a "starburst display" of the Trojan Diaspora which purported to show the influence of the defeated Trojans on Europe and the Middle East. Not only are Romulus and Remus said to be descendants of Troy but many kings of Europe used to trace their roots to Troy. Turkey was a very significant part of the Greek and Roman empires and it does seem odd that some should not want to see them back in the European fold. After Troy, we moved on to Pergamum, where our guide took our picture with our travelling companions, who turned out to be a very agreeable lot. Some had joined from London where they were working to fund their "European" tours. Contrary to the popular jokes few if any spent much time working behind the bar. After Pergamum we made the long drive down the coast to the Mediterranean resort of Kusadasi, arriving above the resort just as the sun set. Our guide took us into the town for dinner and the "hubble-bubble" experience. The next day we toured Ephesus, and the picture to the left is the façade of the library, which had been reconstructed at great expense by the Americans. Along with hundreds of other tourists, we stopped by the engraved footprint on one of the main streets which was said to serve as proof of age for young men intent upon enjoying the facilities of this one-time Mediterranean port.

	After our fill of archaeology, we returned to Kusadasi, stopping at a "traditional" open-air restaurant, where we were treated to the entertainment of a mock wedding of one of the girls to our driver. We had a free afternoon in the town and managed to catch the sunset, for which this resort is known.
	We left Kusadasi and drove inland to the necropolis at Hierapolis, then on to the incredible springs at Pamukkale. After another long drive, we arrived at Köycegiz, which is on the edge of a lake that drains through a reed-choked estuary into the sea by the turtle sanctuary. The hotel at which we stayed enjoyed a marvellous position on the edge of the lake, but was sadly more than a little run down. As our Australian friend said with irony, "It was average". Most of our tour group set off at crack of dawn for a three-day "Gulet" trip, but we, with our Kiwi friends, took a boat across the lake, through the reed beds to the sea for lunch. We passed the Tombs of the Kings, shown left cut into the steep side of the gorge, before arriving at the turtle island. The turtles were nowhere to be seen, but there were many holes in the beach with the distinctive flipper markings where they had laid their eggs. On our return trip, despite the weather deteriorating into a thunder storm, we stopped by the mud baths, before a slightly stormy crossing of the lake.
	The next day was back to the excellent weather we had previously enjoyed and we took the picture of the restaurant where we had dined the previous night on the strength of it being out wedding anniversary. We drove down to Fethiye, where we stayed at an excellent hotel with its quay-side restaurant in what is known as the new boat-yard. On the way, we had made a visit to one of the deserted "Greek" villages. This could not be described as a highlight, but brought home to us the turbulent past of this area. We had a free day in Fethiye, dining in the evening with our guide and driver, followed by an interesting property discussion with the captain of a Russian-owned motor launch tied up in the expensive marina. We returned to the marina the next day to welcome back the rest of our tour group from their "Gulet" trip, which by all accounts they thoroughly enjoyed.
	We now began the long journey back to Istanbul, stopping first at the Saklikent Gorge, shown left. The description and instructions given by our driver were rather understated. In order to get to the gorge, it was necessary to wade thigh deep through a torrent, rather than ankle deep through a stream, as was implied. Added to this, the riverbed is strewn with boulders. Someone was bound to get a soaking. Fearing, correctly as it turned out, that he was to be one of them, David stripped to trunks for the crossing and left his camera with Kate. Despite the fact that many digital and video cameras made the crossing, only one mobile phone became a casualty, but that proved to be terminal. We then made the long drive over the hills to Antalya for our last stop on the Mediterranean coast. The next day we began the long drive across Turkey, arriving in the dark at Urgup in the Cappadocia region.
	Despite our late arrival in Cappadocia, we had been talked into the early balloon trip. After very little sleep we were up before dawn and ferried to the middle of nowhere, along with what seemed to be hundreds of other sleepy and very cold tourists. We had completely underestimated how cold the interior would be in comparison to the coast and so early in the morning. It was a relief when the burners started to inflate the balloons and we could get close enough to warm up. Eventually, we piled into our allotted basket and set off for an enchanting ride through the "fairy chimneys", at times almost kissing their tops.
	At times, there were dozens of balloons in the air. We had an excellent pilot who not only landed remarkably easily, but then reinflated the balloon sufficient to manoeuvre us and the balloon onto the awaiting trailer. We were then treated to the traditional champagne reception offered to all that survived their first balloon ride. Later in the day, we visited one of the many underground cities. At Derinkuyu there are nine levels of dwellings carved out of the soft tufa rock, with rooms and a church. After a very necessary couple of hours' sleep, we went off to a night-club where we were entertained with a traditional folk evening - from Whirling Dervishes to a 'belly-dancer'.
	After a more leisurely start and a trip to town to transfer digital pictures to CD (and a quick haircut for David), we returned to the serious business of touring. We visited the so-called "Open-air Museum" at Goreme, which is in fact a Christian burial ground with many chapels and well-preserved wall-paintings. It is worth saying again that, in this Muslim country, these sacred Christian sites are better preserved than many in Europe. Our guide was once again to impress us with his detailed knowledge of the early Saints depicted in the drawings. We next stopped by a "Ceramics Workshop" where the potter gave us a very convincing demonstration of his craft by making a teapot, before selecting a couple of victims to try their hands. After a shaky start, both of the girls made pots that looked remarkably proficient. What at the initial prospect had elicited a few silent groans from the experienced tourist, turned out to be a very interesting and amusing distraction. The next day we had a very early start for our return to Istanbul via Ankara. In Ankara we made the mandatory visit to the Ataturk Mausoleum which, like the deserted Greek village, the Turks would be well advised to omit from tours if they wish to project Turkey as a modern state. We lunched in a shopping centre which did infinitely more to convince us that the Turks are not only people that we can do business with but absolutely must.
	We arrived late and in thick traffic at the suspension bridge across the Bosphorus, but were very impressed by the night view of Istanbul. The next day we had just a few hours and took ourselves on a boat trip of the Bosphorus, passing under the bridge we had crossed the previous night. The Spice Market was to be our last glimpse of Old Istanbul and once again David had promised Kate a taxi ride back to the hotel en route to the airport. We had, however, not bargained for the fact that this was the first Saturday of Ramadan and at midday all the traders were closing early, causing grid-lock. We were forced to walk back over the hill to our hotel without the aid of a detailed map and in crowded streets. The rest of the return journey was uneventful. It may be that the last trip is always the most impressive, but we are now definite fans of Turkey.

	On our return, we settled down to finish the last bit of decorating, fitting and painting the last of the 26 internal doors before going off to see family in Wales. To the left is the hill-side house our nephew is building from an old barn and the views it enjoys over the Estuary.

	In November we made a hastily arranged visit to Manchester to collect one of the painstakingly detailed model aeroplanes that had been built by a late Uncle. Due to loft insulation, they had become homeless.
	Late in November we had a rare trip by train to London, taking in the "Eye", lunch at the IEE and an interesting meeting in Covent Garden, where we were treated to a "Greenpeace" demonstration of "Eco-Activism".
	Finally, this is the work going on at our local level-crossing on the main West Coast line. With the major increase in rail traffic, the crossing had become unsustainable and was initially scheduled for closure. A major local rumpus persuaded the powers that be that it should instead be bridged and work is now well in hand. We never used the crossing much because a short-cut to our village along a narrow farm lane was much quicker than the almost inevitable long wait at the crossing. However, when finished, the route will be almost as quick and, hopefully, free of mud and the nuisance of meeting traffic coming the other way.


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