It’s been a funny couple of days…. On Wednesday we went back to the hospital to get our test results. By and large they were all good but we each had a little surprise in store. My ultrasound showed up a “womanly problem” of which I was entirely unaware. So in one way really good to spot at this point. I have already been in touch with the surgery at home to arrange a followup. I could take treatment out here but it will involve a change in my regular prescription, so I think easier done in the UK, if undoubtedly a slower procedure. Bob has also been called back to talk to one of the specialists about his ecg which we are following up tomorrow. I’m sure it is not serious. They are very thorough and cautious at the Kyrenia Medical Centre hospital and if anything err on the side of more tests but that is a plus really. Anyway, that was all a bit disconcerting rather than worrying.
Yesterday was my birthday and we tried not to let the hangover from the tests overshadow that. Bob was making dinner for ourselves and 4 of our friends. He made a fabulous roast chicken with stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, gravy and peas a la Francaise. Absolutely delicious. I’d made a Persian cake which consisted of pistachios, carrot, coconut, almonds, eggs and butter and had whipped rose flavoured cream on the side. I have to say it was really yummy and one I will repeat in the future. I have a whole cookery book of Persian recipes that work well out here with the ingredients readily available. Anyway, a very good time was had by all and I was quite overwhelmed with the number of Facebook birthday wishes I got plus two calls from my girls.
In the afternoon we’d had a positive bit of news. We’ve been pursuing the “finalisation” of our house and land purchase for some years now. I mean we’ve had official deeds to our plots for 15 years but about 5 years ago we decided to complete the process of seperating one of our plots from our neighbours (we own 50% each) and joining it with the other 2 plots of land we own, to form one large plot with our house on. This process has wended slowly like all land endeavours out here. You just have to be patient or find some patience from somewhere or you’d go completely mad. There is bureaucratic hoops to jump through, long delays, slow manual process….. just when you think it’s over…. it isn’t. They all disappear for the summer months…. We have had to get electricty poles moved – they were too close to our pool which was dangerous, not to us but to the pool technicians. Apparently the rules had changed since our houses were built. And you might think with your British head on that if an electricity pole had to be moved on safety grounds that the electricity supply company would do that free of charge. But not so…. we had to pay about £1250 per pole. The land survey which would produce the land records/plans and maps showing our new plot is called a Tapu. I can’t tell you how many we’ve had done at a cost of several hundred pounds per time. Maybe 10. The surveyors do use GPS these days but perhaps not very well… I don’t know but they do tend to get it wrong and then the mistakes emerge and it all has to be repeated. And as part of our land goes down the hillside and into the ravine, they are always reluctant to go there and measure it, which leads to more error. Then, the local mayor decided that an illegal track that someone had put in behind us to access his plot further up the hill (no idea why, there were better accesses available) was actually a road and that the price of our finalisation would be to tarmac and wall this road that we would never use and that wasn’t a road in the first place…. Anyway……. yesterday they all came up again – our architect, the council head surveyor etc to look at the “road” and do another tapu which apparently found more changes needed to the plans, this time in our favour. It all sounds hopeful – no need to do the road or walls….. but it has now to pass the Mayor so fingers crossed…… It may go back full circle again…. We have made it plain that we will not proceed with the project if they insist on the road. It’s not vital we do by any means. So…. we’ll see. The joys of owning property in The Levant!
Still lovely weather here although I think the pool is now too cold for a swim, at least for me. Lovely sunbathing weather though. The lemons are nearing g&t readiness….
