A new week starts, and as always, never quite as you plan it. Firstly, Nese knocks on our door after breakfast. It’s a lovely sunny morn, and here she is armed with her aquavac. Come on, we can wash your carpets today and they will dry before I change the hoover back to *normal* mode. OK, great, so in she comes and gets busy washing the carpets with the machine. While we are doing this, we lament the poor quality workmanship that has led to a number of tiles coming loose in the back room. This is nothing compared to the ones in the salon, which appear to have semi erupted – forced up for some reason. When she is finished, we settle down to a well deserved Turkish coffee and in comes Adem all dressed up ready to go into town.

We’re soon back to discussing the tiles, so Adem, man of action that he is says, come on, let’s sort this now. I’ll change into my overalls and we’ll reset those pesky tiles. In a flash he’s back with a hammer and chisel and the pair of them lift about 10 tiles in the back room. Next, they move to the salon, but soon realise that there are so many loose tiles here, that we may need to get the services of a tiler in.

Off they go, and comeback a couple of hours later bearing free calendars each and a tiler. He appraises the situation, tapping tiles and sucking air through his teeth (this must be a universal gift of tradesmen) and says he will take up all the tiles, clean and relay, but that it will cost a lot of money.

Adem and Iain drop the guy back to his shop, and then consider the options. Maybe it will be best to replace the cold hard tiles, with a softer, warmer laminate flooring. They get a few quotes and return, this time bearing a free clock each!

We all sit down and discuss the situation, and agree that if we decide to re-floor, we ought to really do the building work we were planning for our remodelled kitchen first, as the laminate would scratch and be ruined if we waited until after.

That evening, Clare and Recep came over for dinner, so we were able to put all thoughts of mess and upset to one side and have a pleasant evening with them.

Next morning, we join Adem and Nese for coffee after breakfast, and plan the work. Firstly the boys need to reset the tiles in the back room. Then we need to empty the salon of furniture and set up the back room as a living room. Then we need to lay down dust sheets in the kitchen and cover the hanging light fitting with bags to keep dust away. We also need to mark and measure the location of the double doors to go from the kitchen to the salon. All this done, the boys can get their tools out and start knocking through. A hole is made in no time, and while Adem neatens the frame edge with concrete, Iain starts to lift the remaining tiles from the salon. By the time it’s dark, we have a door shaped hole, half the tiles up in the salon, dust everywhere and a massive pile of building rubble.

Nese comes to the rescue and after a quick bath, we all go next door for dinner.

Last week, we had planned with Jan and Pat to visit Erhan and Canan in Bodrum for a few days – Wednesday to Friday. What had started as lifting a few tiles had turned into the start of a major building project, so Iain suggested that I go on my own and that he stay and work with Adem to get as much done as possible.

Next morning, I pack up and leave for a girls 'weekend' away, while Iain and Adem carry on working.

The weather was lovely, clear and warm, and we had an enjoyable drive to Bodrum. We stopped along with way for lunch and a look around the old town of Milas, before arriving at Bodrum early afternoon. We’d arranged to pop over and see Mustafa, that captain of our Bodrum cup Gulet, so we found his office – a beautiful old house a stone throw from the beach front. I helped him set up his Skype, and he offered to meet us the next day and take us all to lunch. We were delighted and suggested that we could meet in Gumusluk – a wonderful undeveloped little seaside cove around the peninsula. He said he knew it well and that he’d phone in the morning to settle the time.

Next up was some essential shopping, as I forgotten my peejays, so we popped into MGM which sells outlet clothes including Matalan stuff and Banana Republic. Jog bots and a Tee shirt later we were on our way to Turgutreis to meet up the Canan and Erhan.

We eventually found their lovely converted cottage and were soon settling down to a good catchup with all that was new with them. Canan cooked us a superb dinner of baked salmon, veggies and stuffed mushrooms, finished off with some of the orange cake that Pat had brought.

Meanwhile, back in Fethiye, Adem and Iain had been very busy. They had taken up the remainder of the tiles, and found an old guy to come with tractor and remove all the building rubble. They had also bricked up the old doorway. Iain spent the evening with Adem and Nese and Attic, watching the football after dinner.

After a fairly early night in Turgutreis, we all rose quite late the next morning and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast outside on their new deck area. The weather was still warm and sunny and it was amazing to think of sitting outside and eating brekkie in early January. Mustafa phoned and suggested we meet at 3, for a late lunch/early dinner – perfect.

Around 11.30, we set off with Canan driving Jan’s Doblo, to see the peninsula, and revisit a few of Pat’s old stomping grounds. There is a great deal of development going on in the area, and things had changed a lot since the seventies. To Jan and I though, seeing it all for the first time, it still looked pretty stunning.

We meandered around the small seaside towns and arrived at Gumusluk about half past two. We had tea and took walked the length of the seafront. The ancient causeway that exists linking Gumusluk to the nearby Rabbit Island was just exposed beneath the surface. Mustafa arrived and we took at waterside table at the restaurant, where he suggested we have a selection of meze instead of a large meal – as Canan was planning to cook for us that evening. Excellent idea, so Pat, Mustafa and I went inside to the meze counter and chose half a dozen different dishes - Fried Calamari, Octopus salad, Mustard leaves with Garlic, pureed fava beans, tomato and chilli salad and fried wild mushrooms. Mustafa ordered some wine and we settle down to a lovely lazy lunch.

After thanking and leaving Mustafa, Canan asked Jan if she’d like a quick tour of Turgutreis on the way home. I think it’s a charming little place, and has been developed quite well. There is a really nice park, and as we passed bay, Canan pointed out the flat she had rented when she first came there. The landlord had become a firm friend and owned the bar too, when she and Erhan were now regulars. He was also the guy who had found them the house she now had. As it the sun was nearly down, why not stop for a G&T and see the bar? Great idea, so we turned and pulled up outside. It was then we saw Erhan’s car parked up the street, and when we entered there he was, behind the bar helping out with serving and sorting the music!

We stayed for a few, chatting to a few of the local characters, before heading back home to get dinner underway. Erhan came home about an hour later.

Back in Fethiye, Iain and Adem had by now rendered the old door way, and resited the kitchen light switch into the salon. They spent another enjoyable evening together again and this time were joined by Attic’s neighbour, who Iain said was a really nice, well educated Turkish man, and they had lots of really interesting conversations. Iain’s Turkish progressing in leaps and bounds, he was able to follow a lot of what was being said without help.

Friday morning, and we girls were up early for breakfast, as we had a lot of shopping to fit in before heading back later in the afternoon. After saying thanks and farewell to C&E, we drove back to Bodrum, shopping at Mudo, Marks and Spencer, B&Q and Kipa (which is Tesco).

We don’t have B&Q in Fethiye, and I knew Iain would like to know what kind of things they had and the prices, so as I explored I took photo’s of various things so he’d be able to see. After a while, one of the staff came over to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him, in Turkish, that my husband was at home, and that he wanted to know prices of things. Grudgingly he said OK.

Laden with purchases, we had a quick lunch before getting on the road around 2.30pm. With a few Cay stops on the way, we were back at Yaniklar by 6.30pm.

Iain was there and had brought over a couple of spit roasted chicken, so we had dinner while filling in Iain and Chris with our adventures, and Iain telling us how the building was going.

Jan was very tired after driving so far, so she headed off back to Ovacik, and we weren’t long after her. I couldn’t wait to get back and see how the house had changed. I was so impressed with the amount of work they’d done and how well it was done. Now we need to sort out the doors, frames and laminate flooring and may as well get on with getting the kitchen done too!

Let’s see what next week bringeth! Until then..