DKSBBS 31-07-09 to 21-07-09 Review - Very Long

[dksbbs]

Dave’s very long Review

31-07-09 to 21-08-09 Moonlight Apartments

Myself (45), wife (40), daughter 1 (16) and daughter 2 (13)

We also travelled with another family of friends, Husband, Wife and Son (9) who would stay for 17 Nights

On Monday 3rd we would be joined by two other married couples, who were staying for 14 Nights (Wanted to come with us to find out why we keep coming back)

On Wednesday 5th we would be joined by another family, Husband, Wife, daughter (13), Son 1 (11) and Son 2 (9)

The Beginning

Thursday night everything had been packed, the dogs were in the Kennels and we enjoyed our last evening meal at home before retiring for our last sleep, all excited I think no one was able to go to sleep straight away but suddenly I was being woken by the alarm clock at 05:30. The rest of the family were woken and excitedly we showered, dressed and got ready for our 7th trip to Icmeler, it has been a year since our last visit and this time we were going for three weeks, out of us all I think I was the biggest kid with a smile ear to ear.

All awake and dressed we waited for our 06:30 pickup, I have a great father in-law who always takes us and picks us up from the airport.

The roads were pretty clear, there were the vehicles heading to work in Manchester for their 8am start but we had no delays at all on the M56, before we knew it we were arriving at Manchester Airport and joined the other holiday makers entering the terminal.

The Airport

We were flying with Onur air which is downstairs in terminal 2, this year they have improved the check in procedure with an organised queuing system where the people at the front of the queue went to the first desk of five that came available, this was so much better than last year and with over a hundred people in front of us we were checked in within 15 minutes.

We were meeting friends so we went and grabbed a coffee in the arrivals area which was our agreed meeting point, I thought the coffee was expensive but the tea was quite cheap, I also took advantage to go outside on a few occasions for the odd cigarette as no point going airside so early.

Finally went through to airside two hours before take off, security was quick and efficient, and then it was off to duty free where I purchased 5 litres of spirits, some good bargains available eg. 2 Litres for £16 also purchased three different perfumes at the request of our friends in Icmeler. I thought cigarettes were expensive so didn’t buy any, glad I did as on the plane (Onur Air) 800 Silk Cut were £54

It was now 9.45 and time for a pint to start the holiday off, beer prices not to bad, I have paid more in Chester at couple of the more up market pubs, before we knew it the gate was displayed 201 at the far end of the terminal so off we went.

Boarding was called on time for an 11.00am departure when my daughters decided they needed a last visit to the toilet, off we marched and as the ladies was being cleaned they queued for the disabled, I would like to say thank you to the lady in front of them who decided to completely redo her make up for 10 minutes (It was obvious when she came out that all makeup was freshly applied), we rushed back to the gate with only about 12 people left in front of us, thankfully we hadn’t held anything up as I would have been mortified, I was the last to board the plane (A first for me as a frequent flyer), there were no issues with space in the overhead lockers for our hand luggage which makes a change from a scheduled flight full of business men.

All passengers seated, we were seated together in 17A,B,C,D, there was the aisle between seats C and D which is no issue, doors closed and the pilot made an announcement that even though we were ready on time for a schedule push back at 11:00am air traffic control had given a new time of 11:30am but this should be made up in the air.

The Flight

Take off was fast, the Airbus A321 accelerated smoothly lifting off opposite Terminal 1, we climbed westwards before turning towards Turkey, a lady in front of us shouted “If that’s a plane take off I’m not going on a swear rocket” which made a few of us laugh.

Seatbelts were soon turned off , immediately everyone was given the forms to complete due to the swine flu break out, it was different to what others had said so it may have changed we had to enter the following:-

First Name
Surname
Home Address
Telephone Number
Email Address
Contact in the UK of a friend or relative
Name
Address
Telephone Number
Passport Number
How many passengers in party
Flight Number
Seat Number
Destination Hotel and Address
Contact Number in Turkey

The flight attendants started a drinks service, they have gone up in price since last year, I hate the way they have everything priced in Euros and then convert back to pounds or Lira, a 330ml can of Efes was €5. We had taken sandwiches to eat on board and also purchased water airside at the airport. A lady behind us complained to me that there was no entertainment or food included, I explained it was a budget airline similar to Easyjet but she was still disappointed.

Seat Pitch was cramped (I’m over 6”) but fortunately the gentleman in front didn’t recline his seat, amazingly when I went to the toilet I noticed that the majority of people who reclined their seats tended to be on the short side, the taller people seemed not to recline their seats.

Duty Free was sold about two hours into the flight, the spirits and cigarettes were good value, as stated earlier 800 Silk Cut were £54, other brands were cheaper.

Before we knew it we were descending into Dalaman, we had no turbulence during the flight and the touch down was soft, our flight had landed on time at 17:15.

Dalaman Airport

We quickly disembarked at the end of the terminal, the heat hit us on the air bridge but the actual terminal was air conditioned, off to the Visa Desk where the queue was minimal, 4 passports stamped and 4 crisp £10 notes handed over and it was then the walk past the thermal camera, the two operators were too busy chatting and didn’t even look at the screen, passport control was a little slower but before long we were through and going downstairs to the baggage reclaim, luggage was coming off already and we were quite lucky that our cases appeared quite quickly and we were out of the airport to find our transfer, time from landing to exiting the building was 25 minutes.

Transfer

We soon spotted our name on a board and the driver showed us the way to our minibus, I won’t review on this site as it was not an ICR transfer but I would say that we felt extremely safe with the driver and we arrived at our apartments in just under 90 minutes.

Arriving at Icmeler

Coming over the last crest the view of Marmaris appeared below us we knew we would soon be in Icmeler, the last few bends down the mountain side and finally into Marmaris and it was total grid lock, reason unknown ,no issues the driver shot down a side street and managed to avoid most of it, we noted the temperature was 34C on one of the illuminated signs, it had just gone 19:00, we were going to be in for a hot three weeks, we also noted the exchange shops were offering 2.38 to the £ ( Already changed £800 in the UK at 2.48 earlier in the year)

Once through Marmaris and past the Marmaris Palace hotel the bay of Icmeler came into view, we were nearly home. The excitement peaked, less than 5 minutes to our apartments.

We noticed that the banners across the street had all gone, but I always thought they looked untidy so no issues for me.

We pulled up, disembarked and the manageress came out to greet us, we quickly checked in and the cases put in the room before we went to the bar for our first drink in Icmeler.

Accommodation

I won’t review the accommodation here as it’s no longer with ICR

First night feelings

Feelings were those of elation to have finally arrived, anticipation of what lay ahead over the next three weeks, excitement to see the changes in the resort and more importantly the relaxed feeling of being in familiar surroundings amongst friends and knowing I had no work until the 24th August.

After the first few pints (Maybe 5) at the apartments and a catch-up with the staff and a few other holiday makers we have met over the years we quickly unpacked, erected the electric fan we keep in the basement and changed into some fresh cloths and headed for our first port of call (see Places you ate and drank), upon our return I met JayJay1950 from the Forum who was with her family, I lovely group of people, we finally turned in for the night about 2am, it had been a long day.

Places you ate and drank

Friday 31st July - Ozzys

Lovely Liver and Onions, we were greeted like long lost friends and were given a bottle of white wine on the house after the meal. Ozzy has moved to a new location 100m down the road, he was offered the location for less rent that the last location and it can seat twice the number of people, it was always busy and held different activities on different nights, the Sunday Quiz appeared to be very popular.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)
.
Saturday 1st Aug - Deniz Kapisa

Poor Pizza, we went down for the Karaoke competition, we all chose Pizza and they were not very good, the talent on the night was very good, the winner was a young blind lady who had the voice of an angel, I was a bit upset when she sang the song again after winning as a group of drunk brits got on stage with her to dance, however she didn’t falter even though she must have wondered what was going on around her, you could see the look of concern on her parents faces but it all end well enough and the bar owner helped her off the stage when she finished, if the parents are reading this please enter her in Britains Got Talent as she should win and then would be able to share her beautiful voice with others via hopefully a record contract.

(Food 4, Service 9, Prices 6, Cleanliness 8, Entertainment 9)


Sunday 2nd August - Three (4) Bells

Beautiful Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, my youngest daughter won’t let us go anywhere else of a Sunday other that the Three (4) Bells, there is never any hassle at this restaurant and the staff are brilliant, When we arrived they were full so we were asked to either have a drink at the bar or come back in 30 minutes, we went for the second option and went for a wander, upon our return the table was ready. They do Karaoke after the meal but we never stayed for that.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)


Monday 3rd August – Ozzys

Positively delicious Pasta, we waited for our friend to arrive from the UK, had a few drinks at the apartments, as they only wanted to go somewhere local we took them to Ozzy’s for their first meal, all thought the food was excellent and good value for money, they went back again later in the week.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)

Tuesday 4th August – Venice

Luscious Lamb Chops, we used to frequent Venice in 2002, 2003 and 2005 but haven’t been back since, we thought we would give it a try and were still recognised by the front man, the food was excellent and we thought reasonable value, we did say we would go back again during the holiday but never seemed to make it.

(Food 9, Service 10, Prices 9, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)

Wednesday 5th August - Apartments (Shower Broken)

Only an Omelette but very good, The hot water system had broken and had failed too fill up with water due to a faulty ball cock, the plumber was called and arrived in 15 minutes, the problem was fixed but we had to wait for an hour for the water to reheat via an emersion heater so decided to eat still in our swim gear, no issues though, once showered we just went for a walk looking at the shops.

Thursday 6th August - Pammakale Hotel

Boring buffet, we were on the two day Ephesus and Pammakale trip, the evening meal was included in the price, the Mezi starter was fine but the main was a luke warm and not very exciting, however for the price we had paid for the trip we were not concerned.

Friday 7th August - Harry Rams

Fantastic Fish Chips and Mushy Peas, After two long days on tour we just wanted somewhere close, quick and enjoyable, we ate at Harry Rams last year and really enjoyed it, we were not disappointed, the fish was pure white cod in a crispy batter, the bill for four of us including drinks was 42 TL, very good value, it was nice to chat with Typhoon the owner and catch up.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 10, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)

Saturday 8th August – Apartments

A Simple Snack, Spicy burger and chips

We wanted to go back to Deniz Kapisa for the Karaoke but not eat there, as the competition starts just after 22:00 we decided to have an early meal at the apartments, headed down into the resort where our friend took first prize.

Sunday 9th August - Three (4) Bells

Beautiful Beef and Yorkshire Pudding again, this time we had booked a table earlier in the day when we had walked past.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)


Monday 10th August - Captain Sinbads

Moist Meatballs, the best I ever had, our friend’s youngest sons Birthday and he wanted to go to this Restaurant, we all enjoyed the meal or though they seemed to have difficulty getting the timing right for eleven meals to arrive at the same time but no problem. One bottle of Efes served to me was warm but was quickly changed for an ice cold one. The young waiter was so helpful and friendly, he tried so hard to ensure we had a good time, actually maybe too helpful as he was always there. A lovely Birthday Cake was provided (Ordered the previous day 30TL). I would go back again with no issues, it was nice and quiet and a good conversation could be held.

(Food 8, Service 8, Prices 9, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)


Tuesday 11th August - Harmony Bar

Sultry Stella and the food was good as well. Today was the planned get together of all 16 of us to celebrate my wife’s official birthday. Her 40th was actually in February but she wanted an extended holiday and to celebrate it while in Icmeler.

I had booked the table the previous Saturday and although I was the first reservation in the book we didn’t get the centre stage table which I had requested, but the table at the right of the stage, however this was not going to ruin the night. Drinks are a bit more expensive than other bars but you are getting a show. Everyone enjoyed their food and all were entertained for the night.

(Food 9, Service 7, Prices 6, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment 10)


Wednesday 12th August – Majestic

Sizzerling Beef and all the trimmings – We have only been to the Majestic once back in 2002, we actually enjoyed the meal but hadn’t be back since so we thought it was time we rectified the situation. Table location was good, food was quick enjoyable and not a bad price, we decided we would come back later in the holiday. We didn’t stay for the show as it’s not our type of thing and my wife has an issue with strobe lights. I must say I have preferred Captain Bullshits Sizzerlers in the past more.

(Food 9, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)

.
Thursday 13th August - Apartments Turkish Night

Magic Mezi, Brilliant BBQ and Beautiful Belly Dancer together with break and traditional dancing. Must admit I made a bit of a fool of myself trying to belly dance which I have the belly for but not the rhythm.

Friday 14th August – Vinces

Succulent Sweet & Sour Chicken, we went down hoping other ICR members would be there, my daughter was wearing her ICR t-shirt and we were welcomed like royalty by Vince and his staff. I spotted John Toohey at the bar but by the time I had eaten my starter he seemed to have disappeared, unfortunately we had to leave before 22:00 as I was going fishing at 04:00 so needed an early night. I don’t know if others turned up later.

(Food 9, Service 10, Prices 9, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)

Saturday 15th August - Harry Rams

Perfect Pies, Chips and Gravy, I had been fishing earlier in the day with 5 guys from the apartments, we had quite a good catch and a Turkish friend turned our catch into Fish Soup and grilled fish we consumed late afternoon, we therefore just wanted something simple later in the evening hence Harry Rams.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 10, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)

Sunday 16th August - Three (4) Bells

Korean at last, the Yam Yam Chicken and Bi Bim Bap are to dye for, I can’t say anymore, our youngest still had her Sunday roast but we got to try something different.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 8, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)


Monday 17th August – Majestic

Balanced Banquet, where we were at the Majestic the previous week we noticed the set chinese meals, we decided to go for these and mix and match the main courses and try a bit of everything. The meal choice was Any Soup + Prawn Crackers + Spring Roll + Any Chicken or Beef dish for £8.50, excellent value and very nice. The service was brilliant and a waiter now working at the Majestic remembered us from the Moonlight Restaurant in 2002 and 2003.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 9, Cleanliness 9, Entertainment N/A)

Tuesday 18th August – Vinces

Simple Salad, My daughters wanted to return to Vinces, again the Service was excellent I had a wonderful Tuna Salad, very simple but most enjoyable.

(Food 9, Service 10, Prices 9, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)

Wednesday 19th August - Black Sea

Special Set Menu, My eldest daughters choice, we had never been here before my eldest thought it would be a brilliant place to people watch. We chose the special which was Any Soup + Any Chicken, Turkish or Pasta Dish, + Beer or soft drink for 19TL. The waiters were brilliant, the food was great and my daughter was right about people watching. This is a restaurant I will definitely be back to.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 9, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)

Thursday 20th August - Harry Rams

Our final evening, we are due to depart for the airport at 02:30 so just needed something simple and nice, plus cheap as I didn’t want to change any more money. Harry Ram’s was the obvious choice.

(Food 10, Service 10, Prices 10, Cleanliness 10, Entertainment N/A)


At all the above restaurants I drank Efes except for the Harmony bar where I drank draught Tubourg for a change, my wife predominately drank Gin except for the odd bottle of wine which is not cheap, the kids stayed on soft drinks which were always more expensive than the beer when ordered as a large measure.

Cheapest meal we had would be at Harry Rams, together with one round of drinks the bill came to 42TL, the most expensive was at the Harmony, however we were there for 4 hours and the bill came to 138TL, with the £ = 2.42TL while there this worked out at £17.35 and £57 respectively

Thought on Icmeler ( previous years)

This is our 7th visit to Icmeler, during this time I discussed a few points with the Mayors daughter which she said she would communicate, The first was the state of the new tarmac being laid during our visit, they either need further training or better equipment, it was quite funny a couple of days later as the road outside the Mayors house was partially repaired with new Tarmac and the Mayor and his wife were outside inspecting the work. I also made known my disappointment that trees were still allowed to grow in the middle of pavements forcing people to walk on the road.

The Hassle was a lot less this year and I actually enjoyed the banter with front men at restaurants during our walks, quite a few of them now know me on first name terms and for the first time I enjoyed the walks into the centre. Didn’t notice the change in Music until 1am as I am normally back at the apartments then, also didn’t see any real difference in beer prices, Large Efes was available from 2.5TL upwards.

We went for three weeks this year which was too long for me, we have booked 17 nights next year which I am looking forward to, Icmeler still holds that special magic, the two couples who came with us to see what all the fuss is about what to come back in 2011.


People we met

We met JayJay1950 from the Forum as they were staying at the same apartments, I don’t think we met anyone else.

While on holiday we discovered my Sister and her daughter had booked a last minute holiday in Marmaris, they didn’t know we were only down the road so we met up for the afternoon at the water park, it’s the first time I have been on holiday with my Sister since 1985, we only see each other 3 or 4 times a year so it was nice to catch up.

Trips

We did a few trips this year.

Ephesus and Pamukkale, two day trip with over night stop.

The was great vaule for money and I would recommend this trip too anyone. Seven of us were going as it had been planned since the previous year.

Day 1 – Pick up at 06.30 with other pickups in Icmeler, we stopped for breakfast in Mugla and then continued our journey, we stopped at a new dam being build and the continued to Selcuk where we visited a ceramic factory, from here we went to the Virgin Mary’s house which was quite special, we lit candles and drank the spring water, we then visited Ephesus, boy was it hot, we were warned to take water as no water is available for purchase inside the site, we took 6 Litres between 4 of us in and we needed it. We had a great guide who was very informative. Following a buffet lunch we then continued to our hotel in Pamukkale for the overnight stop.

The views during the days drive were spectacular but it was a long day not arriving at the hotel until 19:30, all hot we went for a swim in the pool and then a Jacuzzi.

Evening meal was buffet style (See above) and then we were entertained with Turkish dancing, we retired early at 23:00 ready for the 07:30 alarm the following day.

Day 2 – Following breakfast we all checked out by 08:30 and it was around the corner for the walk up the cotton castles. Again is was delightful, a gentle up hill stroll paddling in the pools along the way. Between two points you must remove your foot wear during the walk so not to damage the calcium deposits. At the top there is a museum (Entry 3TL) and Cleopatra’s Pool, to swim it costs an additional 23TL for an Adult 15Tl for a child, if you go this trip do take the chance to swim, it was the best part of the holiday, also take goggles with you so you can dive down at the end of the trench and view the toppled remains of the city in a cave behind a grill., Under 16’s are now allowed in the deep area due to the current and depth, however I felt no current so maybe it is only certain times. Following the pool we had a drink at the Café and the walked along the top of the cotton castles taking pictured before leaving at 12:45 and going to a nearby restaurant for the most fantastic lunch. It was time then for the journey home which included a visit to an Onyx factory and Carpet Co-operative, we finally arrived at out hotel at 7.15 following another break in Mugla where it poured with rain.

Lazy Day Boat Trip

We did this twice, once the first week and once the second week, it’s the perfect way to relax, dipping into the sea at different bays, a lovely BBQ lunch of Chicken, Meat Balls, Pasta and Salad followed by water melon. We even stopped at Turunc for a walk, pick up at the hotel was 9.15 and we finally got dropped back at 18:30 on the second trip, the captain let us stop longer at the places as we were repeat customers and took over 50% of the boat.


Jeep Safari

What a day, see my report from last year, pickup at 09:30, 5 jeeps in the convoy we had a great time visiting the Honey makers, Waterfall, Carpet Factory, Beach, Lunch, Blue Fish, Off Roading and even a lovely shower at the end, last year we got back to the apartments at 16:30, this year it was closer to 19:30. Really looking forward to doing this again next year.

Quads

I am no longer a Quad virgin, it was great fun and I wish it lasted more then 90 minutes, also wish there had been more water involved but I will do it again next year. There were 22 of us from our apartments who went together and the photograph CD will bring back a lot of memories of friends old and new. I believe you had to be 16 to drive a quad so my eldest daughter was able to drive my wife around while I drove the youngest. I was impressed with her driving considering how she drives on the playstation.

Fishing

6 of us went fishing for a 5 hour early morning escape from the women, all tackle (Rods and Handlines) was provided but next year I’m going to take my own and book for a full day. The sunrise was fantastic and we caught loads of fish which we kept and ate later in the day.

Water Park

Two families went to the waterpark together, the kids had a great time and it was fantastic to meet up with my sister and catch up with the news. We only go after 1pm as the queues are not as bad as the morning and there is less waiting around.

Will I go again

Definitely, Flights are already booked and paid for, I even paid the apartment deposit before I left as I had money left over. 30th July next year I will be drinking in the heat of Icmeler.

The last day / night
The day I hate, I would rather wake up in the morning have breakfast and leave for home, however we were not due to leave until 02.30 in the morning so it was going to be a long day. We decided to have a lie in bed and wake up naturally from the previous late night, once up the packing was completed aprt from the cloths and swim gear we needed during the day, we were lucky in that we had booked our room until the following day so did not need to vacate the room until the pickup, this enabled the wife and kids to get a couple of hours sleep before we left. During the day we ate lunch at the apartments, then it was a final bit of shopping and we spent the rest of the day at the pool. The day seemed to drag but eventually it was time to wake up the family with the final glass of Turkish tea and depart, some of the staff even stayed up late to say goodbye to us, I am sure there was a tear or two shed during the hugs before we left..

Return transfer

The transfer arrived early but we were not rushed while we finished our tea, again a nice new minibus, we did stop for petrol on route where we stretched our legs. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and even managed to grab 30-40 minutes of sleep during the journey.

Dalaman

We were second in the queue for check-in which didn’t open for another 40 minutes, once open I enquired about an extra leg room seat and purchased one for £10, I had seat 26A and the family were in 25 A,B and C

I noticed people in the Newcastle queue being charged for excess luggage but we were well under, they did not ask to weigh hand luggage so no issues for us.

Once checked in I went outside for the last couple of cigarettes while the rest of the family stayed in the airport, back through security and it was time to head for passport control, there was no queue but the guy we used was so slow that a queue started building up behind us, I’m sure he was playing solitaire on the computer.

Once airside we found an unoccupied bench seat, these are new since last year but they are so uncomfortable, I noticed a most of the few benches were occupied by people using them as beds so others had to sit in the floor.

I checked the duty free prices and the sales assistant didn’t believe me when I said they were too expensive, 200 Silk Cut for the same price of 400 on the plane, as you can guess I didn’t spend any cash.

Checking the boards our flight showed a delay but no estimated time, I walked along the terminal and the only Onur plane in site was on a remote stand having it’s tyres changed. Checking the internet via phone there was no other Onur flight due to arrive for hours so I presumed that the plane with the tyre issues was ours. Eventually we were given a time of 08.30, original time was 07:15

We ate our sandwiches we had made earlier, I drank a can of Efes and the girls had water which we had brought with us, the liquid restrictions have been postponed until the 1st October.

Finally we called to gate 33, downstairs where the bus would take us to our aircraft, once we were downstairs there was no one at the security check point to allow us thought we waited for another 10 minutes for them to arrive. My bag was searched, the offending item was a spare battery for the DVD player, my details were taken and written in a book and I was allowed to proceed with Battery to the gate.
At the gate the café was adverting tea & cake for 5TL or coffee & cake for 8TL, not bad prices in my opinion comparing them to last year.

Boarding was announced but no buses available, again another 10 minutes and one arrived, we were finally on our way to the aircraft, I had been correct the plane we arrived at was the one I saw earlier with nice shiny new tyres.

We boarded the aircraft from front and rear steps, it’s amazing the number of people at the back of the plane who used the front steps to board then had issues squeezing past others coming in the opposite direction to get to their seats.

Seat 26A was wonderful, I could not reach the seats in front of me with my feet at full stretch, well worth the £10.

All seated, doors locked, armed and cross checked we were pushed back and taxied to the runway just over two hours late.

Flight home

Most people slept through the flight as I did, I did wake up to purchase duty free but then nodded off again.

We did hit some big thumps of turbulence which had a few people gasping but generally the flight was smooth. I woke again when the engines throttled back to idle for the decent. From where I was sitting I didn’t have a window so couldn’t see outside, I felt the flaps come down and I believe the landing gear, soon after I heard the roar of the engines as power was applied and I thought we were about to do a go around, this would have been a first for me so I had a smile on my face, unfortunately the power was backed off again, the power must have been for a gust of wind, within seconds we touched down hard, I’ve had a lot worse landings but this was definitely harder than normal, again I think it was due to the wind gusting. Our arrival time was 90 minutes late so we had caught up 30 minutes in the air.

We taxied to the terminal and disembarked quite quickly. Passport control was busy as an Eastern flight had landed before us, all the IRIS and new passport recognition machines were not working so we queued up and waited our turn. The Immigration gentleman was quite jolly and we had a bit of a laugh with him.

We arrived at the conveyor and the cases soon started to arrive, our first two were off at the beginning, our last one must have been in a different hold so we then had to wait ages, eventually it arrived and off we marched through customs, watched by two officers but I saw no one pulled over.

Journey from airport home

The Father-in-law was waiting for us in arrivals, we were soon in the car and on the way home, roads were clear and before we knew it we were walking though our front door, the first task was to put the kettle on for that wonderful cup of tea.

Sadness now home

Happy to be home, it was time to unpack and start the washing, I went to the Kennels to pickup our two dogs, they seemed to be excited to see me but that tend to be like that with anyone. Once home they were in for a surprise as it was bath time, they both stunk of wet dog and desperately needed a clean after three weeks of rolling in mud and running around a field, (They are brushed and cleaned at the Kennel but not bathed?

What you did next

Slouched in front of the television for a couple of hours then got ready to go out and meet all our holiday buddies for a drink, we had been the last to arrive back and we agreed before the other left we would have a meet up the first night without the kids.

I’m now back at work, I did some catching up on email on Sunday and finished the rest today (Monday), this week should fly past as there is a lot of work but at least it’s a long weekend next, our friends weather permitting will visit on Sunday for a BBQ and the first plays of the Jeep Safari and Quad Biking DVD’s

All in all

Best holiday so far in Icmeler, We had good weather, good food, good drink and more importantly good friends to share our special place with, as I have got older I now live Christmas through my children’s eyes, this time we lived part of our holiday through our friends eyes who were experiencing things for the first time.

ROLL ON 2010

Now I must remember to PM Colette to say I have missed her.

Apologies for the spelling the grammar etc, I have really proof read what I typed but just don't have the time.

Finally, two items of thanks.

ICR Shaz and Donna, thanks for keeping hold of the T-Shirts for me, I was a bit late in picking them up.
Collette - thanks for coming up with the review template, it made it easier to compose and not forget anything.


Dave