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Our
adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....
 
1st December at 8.15 in the morning the temperature is already 18 degrees and we are still eating breakfast outside every day. Anybody want to ask for a good reason to be living here?
It really has been quite exceptional this year. We had some storms in late October, whilst Arie was visiting us and since then the weather has turned around again nad got really nice and warm. Lucky old us!!!
Friday evening and where else but the old favourite Stumble Inn. This time the Layabouts were in almost full attendance, with the exception of George who had gone to bed in order to be fit and able to take a friend to the airport at 4 a.m.
Some interesting times around the Turkish path to EU membership. The Turkish foreign minister has expressed his extreme annoyance at the possibility that Greek Cyprus will use it's veto to block the accession talks. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. How come such a small and relativly new member of the EU can block accession talks just by simply using it's veto.
At the same time as this discussion, a Greek MEP caused uproar and gained widespread support by calling on the Greek Cypriots to help end the isolation of Northern Cyprus. Apparantly in a heated debate in the European Parliament this week, Mr Beglitis received support from most of the MEPs present, including those from Greece, backing the Turkish Cypriot case for ending political and trade embargoes against Northern Cyprus. Apparantly another MEP said that the Greek Cypriot side, which undeservedly became an EU member, is preventing progress. This ability must be taken away from them he said, the Greek Cypriots are failing to make even a gesture in the right direction.
Are things finally hotting up and is Jack Straws statement, that the Greek Cypriots should never been awarded membership whilst the island remains divided, is proving to be understood by many other EU members.
Another incident in the border issue this week and the matter of property purchase here in the North. Two British passengers on a Cyprus Airways flight in to Larnaca where held by police, on landing, for 5 hours, after being shopped by one of the stewardesses on the flight. Luckily for these guys the apartments they have bought are built on land which has been in Turkish Cyriot ownership for more than 100 years. Just think of the consequences of chatting up a stewardess if the land situation had been different, 7 years imprisonment.
CTA have made an application for direct flights from UK to Ercan and it would seem that British civil aviation officials are considering this seriously. May be if they succeed they will consider giving me back my free ticket as a form of celebration. I understand that there is some very top level discussions going on at this time and the outcome if successful will be interesting.
Sunday, a day to relax with friends and what better place on such a lovely warm day than at a restaurant with a view. In the mountains above Karsiyaka is a very good restaurant run by locals with everything cooked either by BBQ or in clay ovens, so whilst this weather holds the Lapta Layabouts decided that this was the only place for Sunday lunch.
It is a long drive up through the village and via a very steep and twisty road, but once up there the views are stunning. Down to the med. on one side and up to the peaks from the other. A little taster whilst waiting was the order of the day but drivers must be very careful as the road is not for the unwary.
A super lunch of kleftiko done in the clay ovens and we all sat out until gone 3 p.m. when the sun started to go behind the mountain and it got a little chilly.
Bit of a busy week for both of us as we are trying to get any installations out of the way before we come over to UK for Christmas.
On that subject, we still have no free ticket from CTA, so will have to go and pay for two tickets on Monday next. There is supposed to be a meeting with the Marketing manager over the weekend, but I am not holding my breath.
The weather is still holding very well and we still have breakfast outside most mornings, but when the sun goes behind the mountain at around 4 p.m. it goes quite cold very quickly. We are very pleased we put this gas fire in when we did the building work, it warms the room quite quickly and now that the air conditioners, with their heat pumps, have been refitted we are all warm and cosy.
If you recall, I mentioned the application for direct flights and since then I have had four or five e-mails pointing to a petition calling on Tony Blair to back the introduction of direct flights. This petition is very important and can only be signed by either British Citizens or Residents in the TRNC, so come on everybody log and get signing now:-
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Direct-Flights/
Cyprus Today have also reported on the petition and they say that 1,400 have signed in just four days and I guess if we really work at it we could at least put one more "0" after this number. Remember three years ago when the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the Annan Plan, the British Government, the EU and the UN all commited themselves to lift restrictions but so far nothing has happened. Even as recently as May 2006 the PM was heard to state. "We continue to believe that direct flights between the UK and North Cyprus would contribiute materially to ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots" As yet they have failed to take any action.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Direct-Flights Come on get signing.
More chaos this week. The Ministry of the Interior, responsible for our residencies etc, began moving to new offices this week. Apparantly they forgot to tell anybody and in many cases even their own staff, so that people going there to conduct business where running around like headless chickens, just like the staff. When Cyprus Today finally got through to the ministry no official was able to give them the address of the new offices. Only in the TRNC could such chaos reign.
The European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkey to pay 850,000 Euros compensation to Mrs Myra Xenides who owns several properties in the closed city of Maras. The other important decision that the court made was the recognition of the TRNC bsed "Immovable Properties Commission" as being sufficient domestic remedy for property claims made by Greek Cypriots. The ECHR said that the commission had the competance to decide on the restitution, exchange of properties or payment of compensation. and that appeals against its rulings would have to heard by the TRNC High Court.
Finally the government has banned the importation of left hand drive vehicles to the TRNC. Those vehicles still in the country can be used but their value will be cut and the governemnt expect them to disappear from the roads within a few years. Statistics show that there were 1,000 accidents and several deaths, in road accidents involving "left-hookers" during 2006.
One or two, actually more like twenty or thirty, have asked about the final work on our villa, so here are a couple of pics to show the final stages.
All the arches have gone and been replaced by windows or patio doors. Behind those shown here is the new large lounge area and Joan and I find it really nice to be able to sit and look out directly on our garden, as well as being able to still use the shady eating area which we have created by leaving two of the arches, where you come out through the back door. Lovely spot for the breakfast now that it remains so warm in December.
Oh yes many have asked about the Peagsus and Easy Jet route to UK. Well Gill and Roger used this route and he sends this report for us all.
Our flight from Ercan left exactly on time and Pegasus's cabin crew were smiling and very efficient during the hour and a quarter flight to Sabiha Gurkchen (phonetic spelling) which,as you know is Istanbul's second airport.
We had been a bit concerned that a four hour wait between arriving at
Istanbul and leaving on Easy Jet for Luton might be a bit too long but, once we had retrieved our bags from the carousel (no transit arrangements for luggage or passengers) and had a meal and a mooch round the quite large terminal building, it was time to check-in for our flight to Luton.
Because Easy Jet operate a strictly first come first boarded policy it is advantageous to check-in early to get a seat with extra leg-room. Again both check-in and cabin crew were excellent and our three hour and twenty minutes flight time went smoothly and, with the aid of a good book, quickly.
In fact we landed at Luton about 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Total costs: Ercan - Istanbul 90YTL each
Visa to enter Turkey £10 each
(No transit lounge at Sabiha Gurkchen so technically we're deemed to be entering Turkey)
Istanbul - Luton 37.5 euros each (booked via internet - the earlier the cheaper)
These are all one way prices and include taxes. The visa lasts for three months
I work the total out to approx.£70 each excluding onward travel from Luton.
I reckon this is at least a third of the cost of a one way ticket with CTA.
Unfortunately, as yet, Pegasus don't have a flight back to Ercan from Istanbul any sooner than nine hours after the arrival of Easy Jet from Luton so we won't be coming home via that route but for any residents of the TRNC it's well worth considering the outward journey to Britain via this way.
Thanks Roger, useful information. I know that you thought your info would be more interesting than the regular exploits of the Lapta Layabouts, but I have to tell you Roger, that we are all off to Cousins Restaurant for Sunday lunch. We need to get in practice for the Xmas festivities.
Geoff and Ann organised a drinks and nibbles thingy at their Karsiyaka villa this evening for the Lapta Layabouts. As their villa is on the border of Lapta and Karsiyaka they are accepted as almost layabouts........ Especially when Ann produces a spread like that.
Quick trip to the car bodyshop this morning as somebody kindly forgot to stop and hit our rear wheel carrier. Does not look too serious but it may have pushed in the rear door panel as the carrier is attached to that. Never mind, at least it is an insurance job and they have agreed to do it whilst we are in the UK at Christmas.
We still have no resolution for the so called free tickets, so today had to go down to the travel company and pay for the replacement. I know that the BRS have offered to pay back the money I originally gave for the hospital fund, but that is not really the whole point. As far as I am concerned CTA should honour their original commitment. If things have not been resolved by the time we get back, then I think I might just be calling on a friend who works for the Cyprus Today newspaper. Adverse publicity seems to be a bit like water on a ducks back with them, but I will feel better at least.
All this publicity and petitions etc for direct flights is now getting very interesting as there was a discussion in the EU summit about allowing direct trade. Can you just imagine if that does happen. I give CTA about a maximum of a 1 year survival period before their overpriced, overstaffed airline goes to the wall.
This evening was The Internet Club Xmas party. They must be doing very well as there were some 200 people in attendance, but they deserve the success as they are extremly good at customer relations and providing a good broadband connection here. Many of their customers must come from word of mouth recommendations. The boys, as a means of relaxation are in to music. They have the Rock Band Pearl which played this evening as part of the entertainment, noisy but good. Pity that the Pia Bella hotel didn't get their act together properly, there were not enough tables and chairs for everyone and the buffet looked as if the loaves and the fishes needed to come in to play. What a great shame after all the hard work that all the staff at The Internet Club had made to get things organised, but we have experienced this many times here at charity functions and the like. Non of the hotels appear to be able to get their act together for something like this.
We were standing around with some local friends, Michael and Ebru and in the end decided to bail out and go and eat in a restaurant that we all know, that stays open 24 - 7.
Stewart, our neighbour, is heading off to the UK early tomorrow morning, so this evening we fed him and then we all three went down to the Stumble Inn so that he could have drink with his friends before heading off. Guess he must have got way on time, as his car had gone when we got up the next morning.
A warning about generators in the papers today. Apparently a young newlywed couple had their generator in the garage and the carbon monoxide fumes leaked in to the house and killed both of them. They really should be out in the open, but many think they are better protected by being in an enclosed garage or shed.
Your friend and ours, Mr Tony Blair, suddenly turned up in Ankara this week and apparently the dicussions with the Prime Minister of Turkey, centred around the ending of the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. It is suggested that moves will start when Germany takes over the EU presidency next month. Probably means that the Greek Cyps will be polishing up their veto again.
More than 2,500 drivers had their licences revoked during the first 10 months of 2006 and more than half of those where for drink driving offences.
Kyrenia Animal Rescue held their annual Xmas bazaar last week. As usual for these sort of things they had a raffle and one of the, as yet, unclaimed prizes was a bag of jelly babies. It has now been reported that an English man in his 60's stole these out of the back of the car when they where loading up after the event. What a miserable sod, pity the BRS can't deport him.
A Beryl Budd writes about a Cyprus Airways pilot who did not just give his passengers a little info about the weather on landing etc but went on a great length about his political views on the illegal North. Not really the appropriate place or the time for such a thing but just shows the strength of feeling among some Greek Cypriots. One suggestion M/S Budd if you don't like it, fly in to Ercan.
As I said earlier this week it is almost Xmas time and some, like Joan and I, are heading off to UK for a change. So the layabouts decided that they needed a Saturday evening dinner before the holiday period, so off we all went down to The Saffron and the Serious stuff. meant a detailled study of the menu, but most of us probably knew what we were going to have before we arrived, we all have our little favourites there. Having made our studious selection we got down to Doing what we do best enjoying good food in good company. I know we go out far too often you say, but this time the excuse is, it's approaching Xmas. Add to that the fact that tomorrow is Barbara Smith's 70th birthday and we have another excuse.
Well we made it to New Romney in Kent at around 5 p.m. this evening and I have to say that it is ffffffffreezing.
We had a 20 minute delay on landing and it turns out that this was due to overload at Stansted because both Heathrow and Gatwick were in trouble with fog. Never heard of it ......... As we had travelled over with George and Susan we all four collected our hire cars from the same company and were very surprised to see frost on the ground in the early afternoon. George said, lets get the next plane back!
Just a quick update on things we did in the last couple of days, apart from packing that is.
Sunday was Barbara Smith's 70th birthday and she had decided that she wanted to do all the cooking for The Layabouts, to help her celebrate, so we all gathered around 7 p.m. to drink a few toasts and enjoy her dinner. An extremely fine evening as always when the clan gather for an occasion and there seem to have been many such occasions of late.
Monday and Joan and got the last of then urgent installations out of the way and included a meeting with some new contacts at The Acapulco at 9.30 in the morning.
Tuesday we were at the hairdressers in Kyrenia, at 9 a.m. and then I took my car to the bodyshop so that they could do the repair over the Xmas period. This the result of a fail to stop in time accident which damaged the rear door and the wheel carrier, not serious but enough.
So thats it for now until things, other than Joan shopping, happen here in UK. Expect some Xmas pics.etc and a couple form inside the pub probably, but please don't expect any response to the regular e-mail address as the mail box will fill with junk mail very quickly and I will have to deal with it all when I get back.
If it is really urgent then please use our travelling mail address:-
frankandjoan2@hotmail.com
Have a great Xmas everybody.
Joan and I have been doing what Joan does best, shopping. It is a chance to get some of those things which she has been adding to her UK list since we made the decision to come over. In addition my new Dell notebook arrived yesterday, so will have lots of fun when I get back transfering data and setting up a new super efficient network at home, with just a little help from some experts in The Internet Club.
This evening we had arranged to go down to the local pub to meet Ann & Peter some other friends from our New Romney days and of course have a few of those real ales, that Les keeps telling me are so wonderful.
Whilst we were in the pub the local vicar turned up with his wife and a few others to conduct a Xmas pick a tune singalong session of Xmas carols. As a result of his efforts the pub was nice and busy and a great evening was had by all. Great fun, great singing (I think) and all in all a very enjoyable evening.
The four of us had been out to The Good Intent, a pub restaurant out on the Romney Marshes, on Saturday evening, where we had an excellent meal. This of course was after I had taken Jill and Joan out to Ashford for a little retail therapy.
Yesterday, being Xmas eve we stayed around close to home and just spent a pleasant evening in the Cinque Port Arms, which used to be the pub we all used when we lived in New Romney. I have to confess to enjoying the taste of real ale, which is only available sometimes; and in bottles, back at home.
Xmas day started with a scrambled egg and smoked salmon breakfast and then we got down to the serious business of Xmas presents. Jill found that Santa had not come down the chimney but out of a large parcel, whilst Les was lucky enough to get an Electric plane. As I had been on the receiving end of the new laptop this year Joan's surprise to me was a few real ales and two packets of my favoutite wine gums. This is how they looked Before but I guess Les and I can change that image.
We all went out to The Prince of Wales for a couple of lunchtime drinks and it was great to see many of our old New Romney friends still around. Les cooked Xmas dinner, which apparantly he traditionally does, this year Jill had got a duck for a change but actulally it should have been a goose. It seems that during the year, when the bird flu scare was on, the local Sainsbury's were offering birds at very cheap prices, Jill picked up a goose and put it in the freezer for Xmas, only on Saturday, when it was released from the freezer, did she discover that she can't tell the difference. Never mind it was delicious.
The rest of the day was spent just lazing around with some good music and a few drinks.
Quite a nice day so we decided to give the plane an outing. Les has lots of experience flying model planes so was able to put it through it's paces, it can fly quite well despite the fact that the controls are quite unconventional. It did come down to a bumpy landing and shed its main wheels in the process but when Les has made some alterations to what after all is really only a toy, it should be quite some good fun.
Oh yes, forgot to show you.........After. Very enjoyable too.
An invite in New Romney to a party at Jenny's. Another enjoyable laughter filled afternoon in UK. What started out as a few lunch time drinks at her place went on until dark. Everybody had a fun time and seemed to be having lots of fun together.
Les and I had been routing around the internet and decided that a day out like we used to have, would round off our Xmas visit. So we booked an early morning sail on Seafrance to Calais. This means that you just get up, have coffee and drive to Dover, then have the full English breakfast on board.
In the past we have always gone to Boulogne together to spend time in the Hypermarkets and then have dinner. This time we decided that a trip in the opposite direction would be a change. We firstly went in to Dunkirk and had a bit of a wander around and a coffee and I got some Euro's out, as this trip was our thank you to Les & Jill. From Dunkirk we went on to Brugge, across the border in Belgium. There we found a huge Xmas market in the main square. Interesting to walk around, but it was freezing cold so the enjoyment was slightly spoilt. Brugge is a lovely old town, very much the tourist place but absolutely full of super restaurants, we selected one that had what looked like a nice warm, comfy environment and most importantly, for Les, moules, on the menu. Delicious we all agreed although the girls shied away from the shell fish.
Altogether a very enjoyable day out and a nice finale to our short UK visit as tomorrow its back to TRNC for Joan and I. Thanks Les & Jill for a very enjoyable Xmas, our first in UK for 5 years.
New Year's eve was spent at our villa with the aid of most of the Lapta Layabouts, at least those who had not decided to stay in UK. Joan organised a party with the proviso that all who attended brought a game with them and a bottle of something.
The games were great fun. We started with a whole pyramid of champagne glasses and the object of the exercise was to remove glasses one by one without toppling the pyramid. Geoff was the ultimate loser at this one, lucky that the glasses were all plastic. Sandy had also brought along her game of Tumble which you probably all recognise with the tower of wood blocks. As you can see in the pic it can get very precarious at the end.
Pat & Bryan brought along their racing turtles so we were able to have three heats followed by the finale, which Joan won and was rewarded by a bottle of wine, not really such a surprise knowing the Layabouts.
After midnight, after we had all had a few drinks we got out the loo rolls and played the mummy game. Sandy complained that our loo paper quality was too good as it kept separating, but then some wrap a better parcel than others. Eventually the winner was declared to be the team of Ann & Geoff who were succesful in mumifying Geoff completely. A whole load of chocolate kinder eggs went to all contestants.
All in all a good evening enjoyed by us all and a nice way to bring in the new year with friends.
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