Life, Liberty and the pursuit of cat food

So the significant thing about today's snap of yet another view of the Aegean, is that I had to pull off the road to take it.  

The significant thing about that, is that I was driving.

Those who know me also know that I abandoned driving in Turkey years ago, preferring life over liberty - driving is a contact sport in Istanbul.  Usually when here in Akbuk, I'm with a friend who drives, or if alone, I just walk to the local beach and corner store and rely on neighbours here for the occasional trip to the supermarket.  This time however, there's almost no one here - and not only was I running out of provisions, most especially cat food and dog food for local strays, but significantly, yesterday I was a bit bored with staying by the pool - but then, it's too hot to walk to and from the beach between 11am and 6pm, as I discovered on Thursday (it's marginally uphill all the way back).  So, I decided to face my demons and enquire about hiring a car.  Within the hour, a TANK of a car (Chevrolet) was delivered and parked outside, forms signed and the key in my hand. I let that sink in for a while then fortified by mbfiatw and Robin's comments on Facebook, grabbed the keys and walked to the car. Of course it wouldn't start.  I spent several very uncomfortable heated minutes trying.  Then, with help from neighbours and on line friends, I learnt that it needs some weird ritual of turn the key - wait - depress the the clutch - then turn the key some more and mutter random words of encouragement - all because it's diesel apparently. So, at that point, all hot and bothered but finally with the engine running, I turned it off and went to cool off in the pool.  Again. 

Mid-afternoon I gathered my shopping list, purse and courage, deciding that if all else failed, I would at least drive round the car park a bit - and suddenly I'm on the open road - not quite wind in my hair as its a saloon - but certainly sun burning my arm through the open window. Drove into Akbuk, visited the ATM so have money again, the garage so have diesel now, and the supermarket so four legged friends and I can eat. Bit of trouble in the car park - stalled the engine and took forever to realise it has to be in neutral for the above process to start again - and some one parked in the way leaving a gap hardly wider than my car - but then another someone (this is when I love Turks so much) carefully guided me through the gap with no hint of sarcasm like you'd get in UK - and then reminded me to be careful on the busy roads at Bayram (we start a four day holiday as Ramadan finishes today). 

Back at the flat I unloaded the shopping and fell in the pool where I stayed for the rest of the day and evening, more or less. Apart from feeding cats and stray dogs that is.