At long last - we will be mobile for the rest of the week. We've been stuck in the home, well apart from the time Mandi walked down to the town, but the walk back up the hill nearly knocked her out!!! It's been a lousy week, weather-wise because it's gone really cold and it's rained at least for some of the days, but it always clears up in the evening, with lovely clear skies and therefore it's damn cold with the risk of frost. So today we went to hire a car.

I had to ask my neighbours again if they could take us to the collection point, about 15 miles away to get the car!!! We had to be there for 3pm and so we got there right on the dot, but the office was closed. There was a sign saying that if the office was unmanned, we could ring either of the two numbers. I'd forgotten to take my mobile with me, so Peter rang, but no answer. He rang the other number but there was no answer there neither.

We waited yet another 10 minutes and suddenly a car swung its way into the yard, and a rather harried man rushed into the office, full of apologies etc. Apparently the man who normally manned the office had left. He'd given in his month's notice, but the Regional Manager hadn't thought he'd really meant it, so didn't bother to find another person for the job!!!! So this poor man was running two offices with about 15 or so miles between them.

Anyway eventually after doing the paperwork, we were shown to the car. Now I'd paid for an economy car, but what we were shown was not that - it was definitely a grade or two up!!!! We have a Citroen Cactus C5 ....


It's a beautiful car, certainly big enough for comfort. Mandi had to be reminded that she had to drive on a different side of the road!!! It's just as well I was there with her, so I could remind her that over here in the UK we go clockwise around a roundabout!!!!!

Tomorrow, we are going shopping because Mandi wants to get some presents for Tony's children and also it'll be great just having a rummage around the shops!!! I hadn't been in a supermarket for over two years until this afternoon. I was so surprised how much the shop had changed since the last time I was there, but it was really good to be able to browse the aisles. I also saw things that aren't on-line!!

On Friday I'm going to have a rest from chatting, as Mandi is going to see some of her friends and will stay the night, the only problem is that I'll have to cook my own supper!!!!! I'm already used to her cooking me my meals and she's a brilliant cook. Still I'm sure I'll survive one day whereby I'll have to cook my supper, because after that, I'll have 5 weeks of her cooking me my meals again!!!!

I just thought I'd keep you up to date with the goings on in my part of the world. It's so wonderful having Mandi here with me - we get along so well, we don't feel we have to talk all the time, I'm easy going as far as what programme she likes to watch on the tv or whether she just wants to chat.

Soon I'll be in the warmth of the sunshine in Turkey and I'll hopefully be bombarding you all with pictures of some wonderful places. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend to come.