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Just in case you think I have stopped writing my blog, for those of you who don’t know already, I have started a new blog for this year entitled ‘Endeavours Adventures 2011’  which I started on my return to Turkey.  Nothing much to write about though apart from the liveaboard life and community at Marmaris Yat Marina but this year we are daring to go to N. Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt with the EMYR (East Mediterranean Yacht Rally) so my blog will get more interesting I assure you !

We are returning to Marmaris on Monday, 7th March. Just testing my new laptop so here’s a photo of us in Mexico

Forgot what a pain in the backside it is to leave the boat over the winter, so much to do, hope we haven’t forgotten to do anything that we have overlooked. 

Went to the restaurant at 11 a.m. to have a meal before the minibus arrives to pick us up.  The minibus eventually arrived at 1.50 p.m. and after picking up another person at Netsel Marina, it was off to the airport.  It took about 1 ½ hours to get to Dalaman, longer than I thought.  The airport was very quiet and once through the passport control and scanning, we waited for the flight at gate 29.  The plane departed on time and made good ground, and we landed at Manchester airport half an hour early. 

Well that’s it from me for this year, hope you have enjoyed reading my blog.  We will be returning to Marmaris at the beginning of March and hope you will join us again next year, in our 3^rd year when we have opted to join the EMYR in which about 80 yachts make a journey from Turkey calling at Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt.

Have a Happy Christmas and hope to catch up with our friends back in the UK.

A day for packing and getting the final jobs done for leaving the boat.  Last evening meal in the restaurant till next year – our favourite ‘pepper steak’.

Cloudy skies today.  Went to my Turkish lesson in the staff canteen and learnt greetings.  In the afternoon we went to Portofino’s in Icemeler to watch the rugby matches England v Australia and Scotland v New Zealand.  The owner picked about 20 of us up in his minibus and car outside the marina at 3.30 p.m. to take us to his restaurant.  We had a great fish and chips and mushy peas dinner for 17 TL each but the final bill came with a 10% discount, and he took us all back to the marina.

The sun was shining as we awoke but clouds soon gathered around midday.  Morne Fortune was first to be called to the lifting dock, although apparently, he was 6^th on the pecking order list.  We were the 3^rd boat to go into the lifting dock at 10.30 a.m. but actually didn’t get sited until about 3.30 p.m.  We ended up on the hard standing next to Foxtrot pontoon – marvellous, right near the toilets and showers again. 

We had arranged to meet Lois and Chris and Janet and Bill (Halcyon Daze) in the bar before going for a meal at ‘Greenhouse’ in Aktas.

A beautiful day today with plenty of sunshine.  Vacuum packed most of the bedding and towels today for the winter.  Took 2 bags of washing to the laundry which will be ready at 5 p.m.   Last day on the water today as tomorrow we will be hauled out, hopefully around midday – we’ll see !

Very windy again today with dark clouds looming.  Today is the 72^nd anniversary of Ataturk’s death and there was 2 minutes silence at 9.02 a.m. at the time he died.  Horns blared around the coast at the end of the silence.

I went to my first Turkish lesson today in the library at 10 a.m.  There were lots of people there and we had good fun going through the alphabet and learning numbers from 1 to 10.  Next lesson is on Saturday morning. 

We watched ‘Educating Rita’ with Michael Caine and Julie Walters – a great film no matter how many times you watch it.

Very cloudy and windy today again.  I went for a walk at 7.30 a.m. with the small group of 4, the sea was very rough blowing a southerly. 

I went to a meeting at 11 a.m. in the library to learn of the arrangements for Turkish speaking lessons.  ZaZa and Murat, who are Turkish liveaboards have offered to help others speak Turkish.  The outcome is that there will be lessons every Wednesday and Saturday for one hour in the library at 10 a.m. up until December and then will recommence in January, as ZaZa and Murat are going to Istanbul in December.  I will try and go this week and then hopefully pick it up again in March on my return. 

We went for a drink on ‘Halcyon Daze’ at 6.30 p.m. to catch up with Bill and Janet whom we met in the Greek Islands last year and met again here in September.  They are on the same flight home as us and so now there are 8 of us sharing a minibus on Monday to Dalaman airport.

The weather is changing.  Clouds appeared in the sky and the wind has picked up again.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow with stronger winds.  We left the marina about 9 a.m. on the boat and went over to Netsel marina to top us with fuel so that the tank is full for the winter.  It took half an hour to cross the bay and was back in the marina by 10 a.m.

Tonight is quiz night in the staff canteen, so we have arranged to meet Lois and Chris there for a meal before the quiz starts at 8.00 p.m. We were rubbish – came second to last but some teams had 7 people in them and others 5 or six and the first 20 questions were set by our American neighbours Bill and Bunny, which were based mainly around the USA and a couple of German based questions thrown in – no excuse though but we would not be going again anyway.

Today is my nephew Nigel’s 21^st Birthday -  Happy Birthday Nigel!