This is only a short blog this week. But if you’re busy, I’m thinking you’ll appreciate the length!
We've got our residency cards
A few weeks had gone by since Barry and I had had our residency applications approved in the application office in Kemer. We’d been given an official piece of paper with our 12 month residency status while we waited for our plastic cards to arrive and were told it would take a few weeks for them to arrive.
We’d had them redirected to Gunhan the translator’s office in the centre of Kaş as he was the one who’d helped us complete the applications. Barry’s arrived first and I had to wait a nail-biting couple of weeks longer before Gunhan informed us that mine had arrived as well. Baz and I collected them with great pleasure on Friday and feel very chuffed (Aussie word for ‘very happy’) that we’re Turkish residents.
Shopping and stainless steel
As we were in Kaş, we decided to complete a few shopping chores as well. Unfortunately, the hardware store in town didn’t have a lot of what we wanted (O rings, stainless steel nuts and bolts for the padeye blocks and bungie cords) and the chandlers only had the nuts and bolts, so we popped into Ayden the mechanic’s place to see if he could help with the O rings. Ayden’s going to see if he can get us those, and will bring them along next week when he comes to the boat to service the engine. We’ve got a couple of tiny oil leaks that we knew about when we bought A B Sea, and the mechanic in the Marina de las Salinas in Spain suggested it would be okay to wait until we had the engine fully serviced. So now’s the time, and Ayden’s the man for the job.
When Ayden comes to the boat, we’re going to ask him if he can extend the stainless steel pushpits that are on the back of the boat. That will enable us to make some proper seats and cushions for when we’re on passage, as the sitting position at the moment leaves a lot to be desired for anything but short trips. It will also allow us to relocate the outboard engine that’s currently stored on the port aft side of the pushpit. We don’t like it there because it is exposed and may get damaged, or cause damage, if we’re moored close to another yacht stern to at some point on our journey.
Market day bargain
Friday was also market day, and we always get as much of our fresh fruit and vegetables from there as possible. There’s a stall that I always shop at and it’s nice to be recognised when I arrive. Their produce is always fresh and tasty and they are the best source of mushrooms at the market. A rough weekly cost for produce there is 45TL (about AUD10) and that includes for instance: onions, mushrooms, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, salad vegies, potatoes, and an avocado – enough for the two of us for a week. What a bargain.
There is one other stall I visit which is the only source of coriander in Kaş when I need it for a recipe. Actually we bought some this week because Baz has had an idea for a Thai chicken dinner. I love his cooking! What is your favourite herb to cook with?
In celebration of getting our residency cards, Baz and I enjoyed a tasty meal out at Smiley's Restaurant. You can't beat the service and food quality there. Of course, it wouldn't be an A B Sea meal if we weren't also working ... uploading our next video to YouTube! Anyway, that was totally offset by lamb meatballs and mushrooms, and chicken schnitzel plus the obligatory bottle of red wine! Cheers!