Monday 17 September 2012

Coming a Cropper in Kalkan


The Grim Reaper has been busy recently and we found ourselves on the road to Kalkan for a funeral. It used to be a straight 6 hours drive from Bodrum to Kalkan, so we set off at 7am and found ourselves at the mosque at 11am. The highway rejuvenation, not yet finished, has already improved the route by a whole 2 hours, so we had time on our hands. We parked up by the graveyard, ready for a speedy retreat and walked down into the town. Kalkan, to me has always been Kaş's less attractive sister and the modern streets that have grown up around the old harbour center have little to recommend them, but the heart of Kalkan is not that different to the town I sailed into in 1981 and for that I'm grateful. Kalkan obviously feels that I'm not 100% committed to its new upmarket image and took its revenge. One second I was stepping off the pavement, the next I was kissing the flag stones in the middle of the road.  My husband informs me that he was just thinking how slippery the stone was when I disappeared from view.  One bloody knee later, I was keen to distance myself from the scene of my ignominy and I hobbled to a harbour-front restaurant for brunch. (The most expensive omelette I've eaten, but they did give me a plaster). Funeral over, we headed back home with a diversion to see friends on a yacht in Fethiye marina. It was shaking hands with their crew that made me suspect that there was something wrong with my right hand. I have a pretty high pain threshold but 24 hours later, I finally admitted to myself that a trip to the hospital was inevitable and my broken arm was incased in a cast.  Cooking is out, as is hand-writing. Typing one-handedly is time consuming and putting on a bra takes me 15 minutes.  I'm hoping that the enforced use of my left hand will spark new inspiration in my rather jaded brain and you will be getting more imaginative posts in the next three weeks.


35 comments:

  1. Hope it's healing ok and not making life too difficult. Not sure how you are managing walking the dogs? Give Poppy a big kiss from me...and Jake too xx

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    1. Walking is even more important now as I can't swim for 3 weeks. Kisses delivered

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  2. Hello:
    What a very grim time you have had. Funerals are, at best very sad, at worst depressing, but to have endured the service with a plaster on a knee wound and a broken arm cannot have been fun. We wish you a speedy recovery and the hope that the arm will mend soon.

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    1. Funerals in Turkey are very quick so, although extremely sad, they don't last very long. My arm didn't hurt at all for 3 hours after the fall.

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  3. Oh no, you must have a really high pain threshold. Can't believe you broke your arm. We took my dad to Kalkan last year and he struggled with the hills so we had a cup of coffee and drove back to Fethiye - injury-free fortunately. Geçmiş olsun.

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    1. I'm sure others must have fallen in the same place, it was very slippery and I was wearing flat shoes with a thick rubber sole.

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  4. Oh dear...I share your pain. I fell on Monday and have a most inelegant scabby knee and whilst I'm sure I don't have any broken bones, the time I fell on holiday over a month ago has done something to my left hand and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
    Do hope the arm mends quickly - it's such an inconvenience. I agree with Julia, you must have a high pain threshold.
    Take care.
    Axxx

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    1. Annies must be fated to fall on Mondays. Hope your hand gets better soon

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  5. Oh no.....pretty painful, I've broken my arm 3 times as a kid. :-(
    So sorry that had to happen to you....I know it's not fun.Plus of all things going to a funeral.
    Geçmiş olsun. Erica

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    1. Getting all the bad things over in one go has its merits.

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  6. The price of the omelette added insult to very real injury.
    Best wishes for your recovery.

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    1. I have to admit that it was a very good omelette and on an enormous plate, very prettily decorated so, cheap for a work of art.

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  7. Goodness. How did you manage all day with that arm? You are one tough cookie.
    Hope your not too incapacitated and enjoy not cooking for a while.

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    1. Luckily it didn't start hurting for a few hours.

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  8. I hope it's not too painful now. I understand it isn't stopping you driving.... very impressive.... I hope Poppy and Jake enjoy their time together. J.

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    1. I spend a lot of time in 3rd gear when I should be in 5th and vice versa.

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  9. What horrible luck. Hoping that it heals quickly.

    Geçmis Olsun.

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  10. You are a tough cookie. It sounds like the price of the omelette hurt more than the broken arm. Warm thoughts for a speedy recovery are being sent across the blogosphere. In the meantime, put your feet up, let it all hang out and enjoy the fine weather.

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    1. Are you saying I'm tough and tight?
      I wish it wouldn't all hang out - very unbecoming.

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  11. I can't believe you managed to go so long before realizing your arm was broken!! A huge geçmiş olsun from us! I always advise visitors in renovation-crazed Turkey to look down at all times - I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over just about anything. Keep your spirits up - your new pup will help.

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    1. As my Dad says - " where there's no sense there's no feeling" . Jake is growing in leaps and bounds and is great fun.

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  12. That last sentence is so true. You'll be branching dendrites by learning how to do things with your left hand. What an opportunity for brain growth. Peace.

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  13. Ouch. Hope it heals OK. I (Ashley) never learnt to do much with my left hand when I had my right in plaster.

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    1. I can now cut bread but still can't peel a cucumber.

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  14. . . just be grateful you're not a man - then you'd have known what pain was all about! Brace up, woman and get one of those stick things you can hold in your teeth!
    (I'm actually empathising here, but don't want you bursting into tears)
    Sorry and hugs.

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  15. I liked reading this post, because in spite of all occurrences you continue being surprisingly calm and optimistic.

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    1. Oops- sorry Kalkan Villas for not being very complimentary about your town. I do love the harbour. Do people regularly fall over on this road or is it just me?

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  16. Just spent a lovely while reading your blog, great tales of life in Bodrum and the surrounding areas...really enjoyed it. Thank you

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    1. Hi Anon,
      Thanks for the compliment. I welcome all your future comments . You can give yourself a name in the comments section.

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    2. I have a name now! (I think) and I shall surely be back to read more...it will keep me going till I get my own Bodrum house :o)

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  17. Oh, poor Annie! Glad it wasn't worse and that you're managing to keep doing things, but how inconvenient that it's your right hand.

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  18. I've just found your blog.We are just back from Kalkan,we have been to many holiday places in Turkey and I love Kalkan and thank goodness the town has not changed,yes prices are more expensive but the food is usually good. What an awful thing to have happened to you I imagine it does happen a lot.Most of the streets up where the villas are are terrible with hills you could never attempt to walk up thanks goodness for taxis.

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  19. Ignore my earlier question! I'm sure I wasn't the only one to fall over. The stones were so polished.

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