Turkey Time

High above it all

We used to use Turkey as an escape from Schengen and the pitiful Brexit restrictions on our travel in Europe nowadays - thanks to the gullible souls who voted for that, hope it improved your lives a little. Now we come to Turkey because we love it, super-friendly people, great weather, inexpensive plus an amazing landscape and associated history to explore. We have only really started exploring the southeastern corner between Bodrum and Antalya which amounts to about 5% of the country, there is a huge interior still to go at. The coastal strip is often heavily developed and caters for holidaymakers from across Europe and further afield, but get away from this and you can really step back in time, with more tractors and mules on the roads than cars.

Wayside animal feeder and water bowl

On mentioning Turkey we quite often get a bit of a sideways look and 'oh, I'm not too sure about that as a destination' - which is rather odd really - there are a lot of police around and checkpoints with armed officers on some main roads, but to us it feels as safe as anywhere in Europe. It is worth mentioning the openness and friendly nature of everyone we meet - it really is refreshing.

River boat and 2,500 year old tombs

And of course there is the way the Turks treat the stray animals, almost every street corner has feeding stations and water for the cats and dogs, most of which appear to be sterilised - "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi 

Any finally I read recently that Erdogan will not trade with Israel until the Gaza situation is resolved - I rest my case!

Ch Ch Ch Changes

The progress from my severe spinal stenosis back in December/January continues, though at times it feels pitifully slow - though of course it is so much better then where we might have been. 

After many years of our freewheeling lifestyle things appear to be changing at an unprecedented pace and keeping an even keel through the bumpy ride has been tricky, especially for me. Apart from my medical episode which has stopped me climbing and hillwalking, the two places we have spent the most time in the past fifteen years, Chez Arran and Babis Bar are in the process of changes of ownership - we have had to sort out the piles of stuff we had long stored at both venues.

We hope to keep on with our wander-lusting though things are going to be a little different especially as every other trip in the past thirty five years has involved rock climbing to a lesser or more usually, a greater extent. We aim to make the most of out new found freedom and visit places that we hadn't considered in the past - keep on keeping on is all you can do!

Photo: people say I am looking well - that's what loosing 20+kg does for you!

Around the Loop

Snowshoeing at Beille

We left the Costa Blanca with some misgivings, we had been there quite a while and were well settled, plus I wasn't sure how I would cope with the travelling. In the event it all went as well as could be hoped for, we had five days in the Ebro Delta, a week plus at Chez Arran then made the long trip home via a flat calm crossing on the Santander > Plymouth ferry - which included a very smart upgrade - only the biggest cabin on the boat which even included a private balcony.

Then six and a half months later we back in the UK to the inevitable mix of cold, crappy weather, traffic, crowds and jobs to do - hopefully we won't be stopping too long - we just need to get Easter out of the way.

A wander by the Ariege River

I continue to make slow progress with my recovery - there is no way of knowing how far I will eventually get - but there is only one way to find out - onwards and upwards - slowly!!

And it Continues

Exploring the coast north of Altea

February in the Costa Blanca

Three weeks on and we are still seeing slow improvements in my stamina, balance and general fame of mind. I have walked 3kms a couple of times including 1.5km uphill towards the Albir lighthouse. I have been having weekly osteopath sessions and doing my exercises religiously several times a day. We are still miles from tackling steep or rough terrain but life is so much better than it might have been. Valentine's Day was especially memorable - the day I should have gone under the surgeon's knife but we walked the beach and took in the sunshine as well as breathing huge sighs of relief. 

It is getting close to the time to head off north now, the mission on the Costa Blanca more or less accomplished - the rest of my life awaits!

Improving at Long Last?

Sherri guarding my chair

So we bided our time for about a month waiting for my pre-op visits to the hospital, getting out every day in the sunshine but I was really struggling - at the worst it was four rests (on the small chair Sherri bought me) to cover the 300m or so to the Promenade. Then something odd happened - the aching in my legs faded, so we kicked the painkillers meds into touch - then I walked to the Prom without stopping - and day on day I got a little better, steadier on my feet and covering longer distances. After several days we began to think a small miracle may have occurred - we visited the docs and she was impressed with my sudden progress. She suggested the cyst had either burst or been reabsorbed - and more to the point, was sure any operation should be postponed at least for the time being. The relief was palpable, after two months of depressing decline there was a little light ahead. 

A smile or just signs of relief?

A week later and the progress continues - small steps but all in the right direction. It is too early to get giddy but we are both in a much better place mentally - at least for now. We are here for another month or so - let's see what develops.

Sciatica - Arghhh - Update

My Minder keeping a watchful eye

 We assume it is sciatica - whatever it is, it has has pretty much floored me - the numbness/tingling in my left leg is especially worrying. We made it back to Chez Arran but I wasn't in a great state so we booked a Physio who was excellent - loosening things up nicely. Then things got worse so we visited the 'emergencia' at the hospital in Foix - the doctor I saw was pretty dismissive - gave me a prescription and a form for a scan - the first available date was two months away!!

About to spend 30 mins in a noisy tube

So after a lot of stressing and throwing ideas around, plus asking questions on FB we decided out best option was (probably) to head back to the Costa Blanca and try and get sorted by going private. Of course Christmas/weekends/New Year got in the way but within three days I had seen a doctor and had an MRI scan which was pretty amazing. We await the results while I hobble around and chew through twelve tablets a day - not a lot of fun, but at least the pad is nice, the weather is good and Sherri is on hand 24/7.

Update: The scan shows a synovial cyst pinching by lower spinal cord - the back specialist says it is 'serious' and  needs sorting - more scans to come and probably an op :-(

Update 2: more scans and the surgeon thinks I need 3-4 discs replacing with titanium inserts and the cyst removing - a four week wait, a four hour op and £18,500 for the pleasure - ouch on every count.

Back to the Blanca - One More Time

Our pad at Mascarat - though not all of it

 After a month of cool windy weather arriving back on the Costa Blanca was a complete tonic, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted as we enjoyed warm sunny days and glorious sunsets. We stopped in the same lovely apartment in Mascarat that we weathered Covid Lockdown 2 in, back in early 2021. I did a bit of climbing but felt vaguely ambivalent about it, not sure if that was because we know the area so well, or I was just happy to enjoy the sunshine without the need to keep scaring myself!

The last supper, Pal and the final sunset

The only fly in the ointment was my second bought of sciatica - the first, in Ariege two months ago was unpleasant, this one was worse, more painful and longer lasting, two weeks in and I still haven't shaken it off. Currently we are stopping in the Ebro Delta, Ariege bound where I will need to hunt out a physio/osteopath.