Splendid Isolation in Kusadasi

Being 32 for the 35th time😉, I'm in the 'under 18s, over 65s, chronically ill' group that are on 100% curfew.  That means we are not allowed to go out in public AT ALL, other than when the government says so.  We can walk round our gardens, if we have them.  Most people, particularly those in the centre of Kusadasi, live in apartments with no outside space other than a small balcony and it must be hell for them.  I'm lucky that I do have a reasonable outside space that I can walk round in our small, enclosed complex.   On the three Sundays that the government have allowed the over 65s to go out, it is to walk only.  We can't get in our cars, or use public transport, to get to the centre to walk along the promenade (beaches and parks are still closed!).  It's been nice to see photos of not only the 'old people' walking along the sea front but also that everyone else stayed away during the few defined hours we were set free.  Until today...

Yesterday was my 32nd birthday; again.  I've now had more 32nd birthdays than the original one 😉.  Being the age I am, every birthday is cause for celebration and most years I've spent a week somewhere overseas to celebrate, either on my own or with one or more friends; Olu Deniz, Santorini, Antalya, Marbella, Mykonos and more recently in Italy.  Six years ago, I went to Santorini for a week with 7 friends for a milestone birthday. But I've also celebrated in the UK, in the English Lake District and last year, in a Bradford casino on my actual birthday and then with most of my wider family in Ashton-under-Lyne on the following weekend; exotic or what? When coronavirus first struck and I decided to stay in Kusadasi, I never imagined that I would still be here for my birthday.  I thought I'd be back in the UK by the end of April and able to plan a shared celebration with friends and family but it wasn't to be.  Whilst being in a most beautiful part of the wor...

Starting today, Ramadan ends and Bayram starts. Normally, from what I've read, it is four days of celebration; visiting friends and family, gifts to the children, big celebratory meals with friends and family - not too dissimilar to the Christian Christmas? it's also a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, leading in to what is normally half term and there are no special measures in place. You can, if you wish, travel to the parks or beaches for a picnic; hopefully you will only meet up with one other person outside your household. If you do go to a country beauty spot or the beach, remember there are no public toilets open for you. Here in Turkey, we entered a 100% curfew from midnight Friday and it lasts for the whole of the four day 'holiday'. People have been able to walk to their nearest shop for essentials (getting bread daily is a thing here) for limited hours today. Other than that, we all have to stay home until just after midnight Wednesday. So, we will all...

We Brits are obsessed with the weather.  Whenever I have a call with a friend in the UK, the first topic of conversation is always a comparison between the weather in Turkey and the UK. So, here in Kusadasi, we've had a week of, so I'm told, exceptionally high temperatures for this time of year.  Most mornings at 08:30 it was 30° or 32° so by the afternoon it was in to the 40s.  On the first day of the heatwave 43 ° was recorded in the centre of Kusadasi and I was told that another day it got to 49° in Davutlar, a town close to Sogucak, where we are. It was impossible not to jump in to the outdoor pool for a cool down, although one day it was so hot I couldn't summon up the energy to go in the pool and just lazed inside.   On the plus side, it is was warm enough to sit outside until late at night, which is not something we get to do often in the UK. Yesterday the temperature dropped, reaching a high of 'only' 27 ° which was welcome relief after the previou...

For the last five days or so, it's been getting hotter so I now have all the apartment floor to ceiling sliding doors open from getting up until well over dark and the one in the bedroom has been fully open overnight for weeks.  I've now had to change to lighter bedding too. Because I wasn't supposed to be here during the summer months, I wasn't prepared clotheswise so have had to resort to online shopping, something I've not done previously for clothes.  I've been very pleased with the items that have arrived so far; all look good and fit me so I'll now buy more.  It looks as if the lockdown will continue for a while here.  Certainly they are not proposing to lift the 100% curfew on the under 20s, over 65s and chronically ill until June, although we were allowed to go out for a walk for a defined number of hours, on a set day last week and again this coming week.  Hopefully, it will be allowed weekly.   We have decided as a community to gro...

Today in Turkey it is Mother's Day.  So that I wasn't left out, the two little boys who live next door, presented me with a lovely potted plant.                     Last night the eldest boy treated us to a mini concert, where he drummed along to a selection of tunes.  His relatives, who live in Izmir, joined by video call.

Weatherwise, it's been a funny day at Lavender Residence .  Overcast, sunny, light rain, sunny, overcast - but then a fabulous sunset.  Out of 33 photos plotting the sun's descent, I've selected these four. The sun started by being completely hidden by clouds.  The horizon started to turn yellow, then orange then again to yellow as the sun started to appear through the clouds. Then as it started to sink, the sky was a myriad of shades from pink through to purple. As the sun sank in to the sea, the shades took on a softer, bluer hue. Then as it disappeared for another day, the sky turned a soft orange before darkening completely.

According to the BBC's weather app, today in Kusadasi we will have 'light rain showers and light winds' and it will last all day.  I have only ever seen heavy rain here, not light showers, although it generally doesn't last for long. Yesterday, after heavy rain and thunderstorms earlier in the day, we had warm sunshine later on. We've had lightning and thunderstorms this morning which normally knock out the internet but, fingers crossed, it's OK at the moment. Already, I can see the sky clearing up to the northwest and, whilst still heavy, the rain has eased off slightly from when I took the videos.  The chair at the far end of the terrace, started off next to the table!

As the 'boom' sounds to let us know it's time for iftar, the sky presents us with another fabulous sunset at Lavender Residence .  Enjoy 💖

This morning at 8am the sun was hot and due to its position in the sky is shining on more of my terrace than it has been during the winter.  I can now sit in the sun, at the back of the terrace, watch BBC News through the terrace doors and look at the fabulous view whilst enjoying my morning poached egg on toast and an Americano.   It's even getting warm enough that I'll be able to eat my evening meal on the terrace in the shade.  These simple pleasures are the reasons I wanted to have a place in the sun. This weekend's curfew started at midnight last night.  We all now know in Turkey that the 2 day, 100% curfews at the weekends will remain until at least the end of May.  We've also been advised of some extended curfews to include days that would normally be public holidays.  Last weekend was a 4 day curfew, to include Children's Day and this weekend is a 3 day curfew as 1st May is Workers Day.  Today the local village shops will be open ...