Pandemic Covid19 The first six month Mar to Aug 2020

Our style of living, our life  has changed since March 2020.  For the first month there were no cars on the road.  What a strange sight it was. There was an eerie silence when I opened a window or went outside to walk.

We were instructed by our government to stay home with the exception of travel to supermarkets for food or to a pharmacy for medication. No one could travel beyond 2 kilometers for exercise.  All other shops were closed.   Fasle news quickly circulated on social media of  food supplies running out. 

The supermarkets became very busy in the first two weeks as many people panicked and stockpiled.  Supermarket shelves quickly emptied and suppliers were working 24 hours to keep up with demand.  Supermarkets hired more staff and people stood outside in ques keeping 2 meters apart.  The government had to reassure everyone that there was no shortage of food, warehouses were full and we should shop as normal, the shelves would be restocked! It took about six weeks but people calmed down and did not continue to stockpile.

Young people volunteered to do shopping for the elderly in their area. We were lucky because a young neighbour did a weekly shop for us until my online order was eventually delivered three weeks after I first placed the order and even then many items were not delivered because the supermarket just didn't have them.  Flour was hard to get because with so many people unable to go to work,  they kept busy at home by baking and doing DIY jobs.  Everyone was staying at home   It felt like we were all living in a parallel universe.  Children were not allowed to visit grandparents. We didn't see any family members because they all live beyond the  two kilometer zone. The whole world was in this together. An unknown virus was killing doctors and frontline staff and they struggled to keep up with the demands. They watched from behind their masks and gowns helplessly as patient after patient slipped away without a family member at their side. The nation and the world watched their televisions daily as the death toll rose and the hospitals reached capacity. The scenes on our televisions had us all in floods of tears and a sadness filled our hearts.

We did what we were asked to do.  Many of my neighbours are over 70 years of age and they did not leave their homes at all not even for exercise.  Under 70's were allowed out to exercise which was good for us.  It felt strange when out walking.  People would step out onto the road rather than pass us on the footpath and visa versa.  It was safe to do so due to the absence of traffic.

By mid May the figures had decreased significantly and we were flattening the curve!  People started gradually going back to work but those who could work from home were asked to continue to do so. By June, July and August restrictions had been lifted and we started to live again even though it was far from normal.  We still had to social distance in shops and wherever there were groups of people. 

I went to the hairdressers and got my hair restyled, It felt great! Mr. D still would not take a chance on going to his barber preferring instead to let me trim his hair.  Restaurants and hotel opened up again. Campsites were booked out as many people wanted to get away for a break. Refunds were issued by the airlines because we were still not allowed to travel unless it was absolutely necessary for work reasons,

We could now travel around the country but still had to be mindful that the virus was still being transmitted. From May the allotment opened again and I moved my tomato seedlings to the warm polytunnel. It was great to have somewhere to go at last and we could do day trips to the beach and the forests.

The numbers were very low and plans were being made for schools and colleges  to reopen in September with reduced numbers in classes and work areas to be spaced out to enable students to keep their distance. Summer felt good as the garden bloomed and gave us lots of colour to enjoy.

The plan was good but with no hope of a vaccine, the cloud of Covid stayed with us and we lived and made the best of each day hoping  against hope that we would eventually get to see a light at the end of a very long tunnel........  

SUMMER 2020. .Exploring Southern Ireland

Summer is here at last and the Covid19  figures have reduced drastically. It's not in the community now just in a small quantity of workplaces.

We can travel around Ireland but not abroad unless for essential reasons like work or funerals etc.  We are happy to continue to obey a few simple rules. Two meters distance from other people, wear masks when shopping or going to the hairdressers.  Wash our hands.  We know the rules by heart. We can meet indoors in small groups. Restaurants and hotel are open again.  

 We start to do day trips.  We feel safe travelling by car, Mr D and I.  We walk on the beautiful beaches of southern Ireland. We take walks in the forest. We travelled to West Cork, Kerry and as far as Co. Wexford.  We are seeing parts of our country which we have never seen before. We appreciate the beauty even though sometimes we had to shelter from sudden summer showers!

                             The Dingle peninsula, Co. Kerry

Inniscarra Lake, Co. Cork

So many forest walks in Ireland

                                  Kylemore Quay, Co. Wexford

We spent a lovely afternoon at Fota wildlife park in Co. Cork. It first opened in 1983 and has one of the world's most successful breeding programmes of endangered speces.

Hook head lighthouse Co. Wexford

Kylemore Quay. Co Wexford

Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford

Youghal, Co.Cork.  We brought a picnic lunch. My sister came with us. She and I dipped our feet in the water. It was cold!  We did managed to get down and swim a little which felt wonderful.  Our one and only swim of 2020.

Inch beach on the Dingle peninsula has to be my favourite beach in Ireland.

We have been visiting this beautiful magical beach since I was a young child.  My mother and grandparents lived about two miles from here. The sound of the waves on the shoreline is calming and constant. The beach goes on for miles.  I am always drawn back and find it difficult to leave. We love to have lunch at Sammy's store the only shop and beachside restaurant for miles. On this day there was a long line of people waiting to go in.  We decided not to join them preferring instead to get a take out meal when we got to Dingle.  

THE SELLING PROCESS

I didn't get a lot of sleep that night.  I stayed up late looking at different options of getting to Turkey. 
 My mind was racing. I'd seen a friend fly all the way to Turkey a few years previously to sell her house on an agreed date. On arriving her estate agent informed her that the buyers bank would not transfer the money until 3 weeks later by which time she would have returned to Ireland. In the end she gave me power of attorney to complete the sale, transfer the money and close bank accounts.  There was a lot of rushing around packing boxes etc but we got it done. I remembered the various car journeys with an estate agent who told you very little, the hours of waiting in offices, and banks, the documents needed, the stress until it was all completed.

The phone rang just after lunch.  It was Mustafa.  'Hello Mustafa, what's the news?' I asked anxiously. 'The customer has signed the contract and paid the deposit.  How soon can you and Mr. D get here?' he said in his calm confident voice.  I had looked at flights and I assured him we would be in Bodrum by the following Thursday at the latest.
So it was really happening,  we were about to start the journey to sell our home in Turkey.  We had first gone to Bodrum in 2004 on a two week holiday. We stayed in our friends beautiful villa and we were hooked. We put a deposit on a villa within a day of arriving in Turkey!

In May 2005 our first holiday in our new home, we started to settle into our Turkish adventure. What an adventure never to be forgotten. (If you havn't read this blog from the start,  go back to the first post to read more on our adventures.)

End of Feb 2020  We flew Turkish Airlines from Dublin to Istanbul with a stay overnight and them a connecting flight to Bodrum the next day which was Thursday.

Friday at 10am Mustafa collected us and together we went to the different offices to start the legal paperwork.  We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a delicious pide (Turkish pizza) and tea with Mustafa in his favourite restaurant near the deeds office.
Later that afternoon we returned to his office where our buyers were waiting with homemade cake!  They greeted us with smiles and hugs!  Mustafa made tea and we sat and chatted for over an hour. It turns out they are cat lovers. It was great to browse over photos of beautiful rescued cats. I was so happy when they said they would take care of our garden cats. 
We spent a busy weekend packing up our bedding, clothes, and shoes for a local charity who support the Syrian refugee camps in Eastern Turkey. 

 There was a lot of interest in our electric scooter and we sold it later the following week. I gave my pushbike to our neighbour and we left all the rest of our house contents for the new buyers.
On Monday we all went to the bank. The process in Turkey is the buyer withdraws the purchase price in cash while we watch the teller count it via a cash machine.  Next step, the buyer, seller and agent together go to the deeds office.  We were all called into a smaller office in the deeds building I sign my name through a stamp on a document and the transaction is recorded in a large ledger. The cash is handed to me and the transaction is completed. A licensed independent translator relays everything that is being said.  It was all very straightforward.  We waited for about 10 minutes in the outside crowded waiting room until the buyers name was called.  They happily accepted their new deeds, an A4 sheet with name and details of the property and official stamp clearly visible.  Smiles of relief spread over their faces. We all hug and we congratulate them. 

I held tightly to the bag of cash.  This is my house in my hands, I thought to myself.   I was anxious and tense until we got back to the bank. I had visions of a bank robber deciding that this afternoon they would do a bank robbery!  Thankfully this did not happen!

 We sat and waited along with everyone else in the busy bank until our number was called. I was still nervous even though Mustafa stood beside me as we handed over the money to be counted and put into my account. We checked the rate of the Turkish lire to the Euro.  The TL had dropped to it's lowest ever that morning.  Today was the day the Covid19 virus had come to Turkey!! 

Mr. D and I had agreed that we would accept whatever rate we got on the day as there was nothing we could do about it and there was no point in stressing over it. We had agreed the sale and now it was done. 
 
The next day we met up with our English and Turkish friends. It was great to relax at last. We sat by the harbour for several hours and watched the fishing boats. It felt strange and sad to be finally leaving our friends as we recollected so many memories of happy times together.  There were several invitations and offers of spare rooms when we again return to Turkey. We agreed a time and place for a last meet up before our flight back to Ireland. Selling the house was the easy part, leaving our dear friends when we didn't know when we would see them again was more difficult and painful than we had imagined. 

That was just over a month ago...since then the world has been hit by a pandemic the like of which none of us has ever experienced. Just three days after we arrived back in Ireland our Taoiseach {prim minister} addressed the nation. 

                                

Ireland was under lock down from midnight that night 12th March. We had decided to self isolate as soon as we arrived back. We didn't meet up with any of our family or friends. They are all very aware of the severity of this virus and with so many of us with underlying conditions we were not going to take any chances.
 Already a cousin of Mr. D's in Dublin has died of the virus and two of my English friends in Turkey have also lost a father to the virus.  Sadly they cannot return to the UK for the funerals.  

Our next chapter, Spain has been put on hold.  Who knows when we will go there......we live in hope .

Stay strong, stay home wherever you are. 

 

OUR TURKISH HOME FOR SALE

Is it sold?    Or do we still have our house in Turkey?  
Here is what has been happening since I last sat down to write on this blog.

Last September we headed back again to sunny and warm Turkey. Ryanair were flying direct from to Dublin to Bodrum and I booked one way flights. In October we put our house on the market with a local estate agent who came well recommended.   We were now mentally prepared and resigned to the idea of selling up in Turkey.  
We didn't want to wait yet another year so we decided to put a very attractive price on the house which would include everything! Furniture, all kitchen electrical appliances, the Television, dvd player, music system, all kitchen ware, pots, pans, bedding, tools and even my paintings!!
A buyer could move straight in.
During October and November,  there were a few viewings. There were definitely two who were just curious to see inside our home. There was one investor who said he would like to make it into 3 apartments and made a ridiculous offer. Two other couples came and stayed for ages spending much time looking around the house while we sat in the garden.  Another said it was too big, another said it was too near the road but they would think about it.  
It was coming towards the end of the year when the market is very quiet.  We relaxed and enjoyed our time.  I swam in the sea, we went to concerts and had meals out with our wonderful Turkish friends.  I was acutely aware that soon we would be saying our goodbyes.   It was nearly time to return to Ireland for the winter.  

We flew home early December and put it out of our minds thinking that there would be a better chance of selling at the start of season in May 2020. I went online early February and booked our flights for May.
Out of the blue, in mid February,  seems ages ago now,  I got a call from Mustafa our estate agent.  His calm but very confident voice said " A lady has looked at your house and loves it,  she want to buy it!  She will sign a purchase contract tomorrow and pay a deposit" . 
"Wow, really?" I gasped in disbelief. "Does she really like it?  Ring me again tomorrow when she signs and pays the deposit"  I relayed the exciting news to Mr. D.   He advised caution as there was nothing definite as yet. We were both nervous and excited at this news. We didn't want to get our hopes up in case she changed her mind or couldn't get the finances in place.   We spent an anxious 24 hours as we waited for the phone to ring....... 
         to be continued....

THE ART OF LETTER WRITING

I  can't actually remember when l last sat  down and wrote a letter. Not many people I know send or receive letters these days due to the convenience of the internet. It's so easy to write a quick message to several recipients at one time and in a split second it can be acknowledged.  I keep in contact with friends and family in America, Canada, England and Turkey via the internet often sending and receiving photos.  My father kept one of my letters in a book of his which I found many years after he died.   I wrote it as a young 13 year old on my first time away from home.  I spent 3 months in Co. Kerry in the west of Ireland. It was an Irish language scholarship and I had plenty to write about.

I do however have one cousin in America since his retirement refuses to use a computer! In a way I admire him.  He uses his time to visit his friends in person and rarely watches television.  He and his wife visited us here in Ireland over the years and we always had a wonderful time together. She used to send a card every December to wish us all well for the year ahead.   Sadly two years ago she died. He now writes a Christmas card each December with health updates!  He is having a few health issues himself but is always so positive.  

I kept promising myself I would sit down and write him a proper letter!  I would make time and give him all the news from Ireland.  So eventually last summer I sat down and wrote seven pages.  I felt quite proud of myself, I felt sure he would be pleased. I cycled to the post office, stood in a long line of people, bought my stamp and popped it in the box. Another job scratched from my long "To do" list! 
 Last Christmas,  in his card there was a comment which read "you must have plenty of time on your hands to write so much!"  
I smiled to myself,  You certainly cant win them all!

I love to receive letters. It's the feeling of excitement when I see my name handwritten and knowing that someone has chosen to give of their precious time just for me.  I have kept a box of letters and postcards written to me from cousins, friends and aunts over the years.  Some from when I was a teenager. I really treasure them. Maybe I'll store them away in the attic to be found years from now. They will amuse someone way in the future.........