A new year has started. We had a wonderful month. Despite the very cold weather, having our daughter here in Turkey has made January 2017 a delightful and happy time for us. We watched the new year's eve fireworks from the roof-terrace and had group hugs. She loved the cats and they loved her! On some afternoons much to the delight of the cats, she would sit in the garden reading with three of them curled up on her lap. We went for walks, and relaxed in the local restaurants. We played "The minister's cat" a game with words by candlelight when we had power-cuts during two thunderstorms. I baked her favourite cakes and she even said my pancakes were the best! She fixed my laptop computer. We did yoga and palates together. We had cosy nights with our feet up reading or watching films. We packed a lot into one month. I simply can't believe it's over already......... Now she has gone back home and back to work, the sense of loss has left me feeling wretched.
She flew to Istanbul and from there back to Ireland. I tried not to think of her departure but from the day she arrived I knew I would be faced with yet another goodbye and not knowing how soon we would see her again. For the past six years our birthdays are out of whack celebrated ad hoc when we happen to be in the same time zone. With us being so far away and no direct flights she will not be able to just pop on a plane for the weekend. It cost her over 400 Euro for her flights. Over the last year or two she has been saying how easy it would be for us to live in Spain or Portugal. If we sold up here, after paying taxes, we could manage to buy a small house or an apartment. She showed us some very nice properties on the internet but advised that we should of course go and check out the areas, spend some time there and talk to locals first. She could fly down to us for weekends, we could fly to her in just 2 hours and for 50 Euro!! We both gave it a lot of thought.
We love our house here. When we first bought it we were still working. We commissioned a very talented carpenter to make our furniture in solid wood. We planned to retire here. It will last for generations! We had our curtains made professionally. The garden was a blank canvas. I filled it with roses, fruit trees, scrubs and flowering plants. It has matured into a little oasis and it feels like it's mine. It would be difficult to give it up. We are lucky to have 3 very nice neighbours. We have gotten to know the local shop-owners, and the stall holders at the Saturday market. Everything has become so familiar, the roads where we walk and cycle, the little avenues, the beaches. Our dear friends Dilek and Suha who have introduced us to their friends and include us in their social lives.
I continue to ponder over the pros and cons of starting over again.
A dear friend also from Ireland has put her house on the market. She loves living here also but her mother has just turned 90 and up to last year would take the long journey with two flights to be here with her daughter. As she is no longer able for such an amount of travelling, my friend has decided to sell up and move back to Ireland. Another close friend had heart surgery in November and can no longer get travel insurance. They also are selling up. It will be lonely here without them. There were also unexpected deaths during the past year of people we know in our age category. This has left me feeling vulnerable and sad.
She flew to Istanbul and from there back to Ireland. I tried not to think of her departure but from the day she arrived I knew I would be faced with yet another goodbye and not knowing how soon we would see her again. For the past six years our birthdays are out of whack celebrated ad hoc when we happen to be in the same time zone. With us being so far away and no direct flights she will not be able to just pop on a plane for the weekend. It cost her over 400 Euro for her flights. Over the last year or two she has been saying how easy it would be for us to live in Spain or Portugal. If we sold up here, after paying taxes, we could manage to buy a small house or an apartment. She showed us some very nice properties on the internet but advised that we should of course go and check out the areas, spend some time there and talk to locals first. She could fly down to us for weekends, we could fly to her in just 2 hours and for 50 Euro!! We both gave it a lot of thought.
We love our house here. When we first bought it we were still working. We commissioned a very talented carpenter to make our furniture in solid wood. We planned to retire here. It will last for generations! We had our curtains made professionally. The garden was a blank canvas. I filled it with roses, fruit trees, scrubs and flowering plants. It has matured into a little oasis and it feels like it's mine. It would be difficult to give it up. We are lucky to have 3 very nice neighbours. We have gotten to know the local shop-owners, and the stall holders at the Saturday market. Everything has become so familiar, the roads where we walk and cycle, the little avenues, the beaches. Our dear friends Dilek and Suha who have introduced us to their friends and include us in their social lives.
I continue to ponder over the pros and cons of starting over again.
A dear friend also from Ireland has put her house on the market. She loves living here also but her mother has just turned 90 and up to last year would take the long journey with two flights to be here with her daughter. As she is no longer able for such an amount of travelling, my friend has decided to sell up and move back to Ireland. Another close friend had heart surgery in November and can no longer get travel insurance. They also are selling up. It will be lonely here without them. There were also unexpected deaths during the past year of people we know in our age category. This has left me feeling vulnerable and sad.
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