First Couple of Days in Istanbul...Bluer Than the BLue Mosque!!

I had high expectations about my trip to Istanbul....But things did not go all than hunky dory, sad to say.....the first couple of days were tinged with "Disaster" written all over it.

It sort of started when I finally arrived in the right gate at the right time in the early hours of the day in Charles de Gaulle airport. I am not one that functions very well without my breakfast, as all who have lived with me will agree upon.

So, sweaty, hot, and stressed, having managed the rig ma roll of getting to the airport on the public system, at around 8am, I decide I needed fuel.

On the plane, on route to Zurich, I laid back on the last seat of the plane (hate that, cos it is next to the loo) and I catch a glimpse of the purser with MY travel card on his hand, and waving it about! He turned about 6 seats before me, to go back, and in my panic to draw his attention, I press the light button thinking it was the CALL button, so naturally he and every other flight attendant ignores me!!

By the time I realise my mistake, and press CALL (about 20 times) he comes over, as we are reversing. I said WHAT did you do with my card?? I must have left it at the cafe, by mistake.... He told me that he had given it to ground staff and there was no chance of getting it now....

I do not normally swear. I did then.

Trouble was, that it did not have to have a pin number, and anyone can use it. I do not know why the pin was never required for transactions, and that is another little bone to bear with my bank, but it did not.

No amount of beautiful scenery or small chat with the person next to me on board would cure my nerves. I read from cover to cover the Travel Card pamphlet, and luckily I had the extra card on me 'in case of emergencies' so it sort of made me feel better. They had a Blooper film from somewhere in Europe sort of like funniest home videos, and I noticed I laughed a little hysterically, compared to those around me....

I eventually got to Istanbul and reported the card missing and if the ground staff had it (which the purser assured me they did) I thought they should destroy it.

Ok, so after ENDLESS calls to the National Bank in NZ, and well into my second day in Istanbul, with absolutely NO joy from them to solve my problem, because my extra card kept on being declined, I was up the Bosphorus without a paddle.

I remembered I had a card from Chile with a little emergency money in it. I tried it and IT WORKED! But only enough for food and water, and I thought, ok, something else, I know!!! A TURKISH BATH!! AND A MASSAGE to calm myself....

So I did.

BUT one little detail I forgot.... I have sensitive skin. They SERIOUSLY rub you down, as the layers of grey skin peel off you and they turn you over like a trussed turkey (ha ha) on a marble slab, with a force that only masochists would enjoy, I was almost to the point of crying.

Body covered in WELTS later, I hobble back to my hotel....Could not believe my eyes. RED, ANGRY welts, appeared like magic as I turned in front of the mirror. OMG. Could it get worse? YES.

Needed lunch. Dropped key at reception, as is the requirement. With Ramazan, my friendly receptionist.

Came back, asked for keys. Keys not anywhere to be found. Ramazan blames me. He said I did not drop them off. I had. He said no, I had not. Could I please retrace my steps of that afternoon to find the keys?? I did. They were no where to be found. I went to my room and cried.

Then I rang Alastair Hercus. My ex husband who fixes things. One very good lesson to anyone out there, who is divorced, and has had a good man, is NEVER get on the wrong side of your ex husband, because he will come to your rescue like a knight in shining armour!!

So, after a blubbery, snotty cry on the phone to Alastair, explaining my dilemma, he says the magic words.... "Dont, worry, go to bed, I will see what I can do, I will fix it, and ring you from the bank in the morning..''

Next morning am awakened by a phone call, from Alastair and the National Bank. I am worked up by this stage. On high alert.

It is 'Lisa' a high up from the National Bank. And Alastair is next to her. All of a sudden a huge rage comes from me to Lisa, who represents the 4 National Bank people I have dealt with in the past 48 hours who have been truly useless. Ok, it is 7 am my time, and maybe, just maybe I had not woken up properly....

Before she has a chance to say Hello, Daphne, I am Lisa, here to Help.... I say something, that goes like this.....

"Lisa, have you any IDEA, of the HELL I have been under over the last 48 hours?"

(havent told you the rest of the hell, will get to that later)

Then I lose the plot. I say,

Lisa, IF you have a MASSIVE headache right now, it is because I am POKING NEEDLES into my voodoo doll which I have made to represent every HELPER, NOT, of the National Bank....who has given me false hopes of EVER obtaining the HARD earned money that I put into the travel card, which I was assured was fool proof...AND my Indian bank manager Deepak (his name was actually Rohan, but I was too het up to remember that little fact, so Deepak seemed appropriate)

Told me I had would have no problems and that it was going to be ok AND IT HASNT LISA, AND YOUR HEADACHE IS NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER!

So having got that off my chest I was feeling ok, trouble was, I dont think Lisa expected that little tirade, and the line seemed to go silent.

Afterwards, Alastair tells, me at that stage, he knew I had said 'something' I should not have, by the look in her face...

To cut a long story short, I get the ok, an extended overdraft, and assurances from top dog Lisa, that I would be back in the money, honey!

Alastair tells me that when we hung up, Lisa, (God Bless Her) said to Alastair, " I think I need a drink".... I have an acute feeling that she would have rocked up for drinks that Friday night, to say to her colleagues, " You have no idea of the looney I have had to deal with tonight!"

Tell you about things tomorrow..... I went and got money out, and the first things I bought was a little box of Im Sorry turkish delight for Lisa, for when I meet her with my tail between my legs, and a nice little gift for Alastair, who luckily is still wanting to help his ex wife!!!

Finally! Update and Photos thus far!

Am back in Paris after a stint away in the Loire Valley and then south west in Bayonne and Bierritz!

Am still walking on air, as the experiences have been amazing. I have taken a heap of photos, and as a picture paints a thousand words, here are a few !!!!

Natalia and I in her Castle, Landifer

Inside the castle, on the stairwell (one of about a hundred!)

In Saumur on a bridge over the Loire River

Catch the castle in the background!!!

And then Bayonne, a little town which was initially a army base in the 14th century, and it has not changed much, except to say it is the most beautiful place on earth, and it has captured my heart!!

I stayed in Helenes parents apartment, it was heaven!!! They are called Michele and Elisabeth, I think they are going to be my new inlaws!!!! (dont say anything to Sam about my plans!!)

Sunset in one of the little quays in Bayonne

The brige over the River Adour

Bayonne Ham!!!! Just don't show me ANOTHER PIECE PLEASE!!!!! Pigged out on the stuff!!

And then I went to Biarritz, glitzy, showey Biarritz, like the Gold Coast in Australia, only full of Spaniards, and wanna be's!!! Lots of flesh on the beach, and I went and sat in front of this beach on the casino, and had a 120 dollar lunch!!!!

This is the casino, and then that was the lunch!

It took me two hours to eat as I took every little bit of langoustine flesh out, washed down with a pitcher of sangria, and I wobbled home afterwards!! Where is a man to lean on when you want one!???

The FASHION in Biarritz is as glitzy as the town, and prices start around the thousand dollar mark!! No show of a little shopping here, as shoes started at around 600 NZ dollars!! I could just see the stars swanning around the place. I kept an eye out for George Cloony, to no avail!!!

So, I settled for being on my own....... look at these beautiful hydrangeas!!

So my time whisked past in the south of france, and then it was time to hit the train past Bordeux and beautiful fields of sunflowers, back to Paris!!!

And it was around about here, that I got chatted up by the train's cafe guy, who thought I would say "yes" to going back to Paris and open up a restaurant with him!!!! He he, this old chook can still cut the moutarde!!

And on that happy note, I leave you for now!

I am off at the crack of dawn bound for Instanbul!!! What awaits!!? Only excitement I hope!!

Chao for now!

Daphne

Staying in 16th Century Landifer Castle!!!

I cannot believe am sleeping in my own wing of a sixteenth century honest to goodness CASTLE!!! Talk about a different take on "My House, My Castle".....

My own room used to be the billiard room, and the walls were beautifully hand painted by an artist. It is gob smacking. I actually came over all dizzy (the vapours) after the grand tour, and needed some space on my own to take it all in.

Landifer Castle in the Loire Valley was bought by my friend Natalia and her husband Howard in 1999, for under a million NZ dollars, to create a dream come true. It was empty, un liveable, had been looted and had not been used for 50 years.

It originally was built as a hunting house for Henry II and had 300,000 acres. He carked it in a hunting accident, and it was left, pretty much empty, until the war in the 1930's when a bank in Paris took over it, converting it to a storage place for money, valuables and documents. There are still a whole lot of archives in the attic (one of many attics!!)

Howard has slowly, over the last few years been fixing it up, and converting it, slowly. They have an amazing vision for it, and each of the HUGE rooms has been allocated a purpose. From the obvious kitchen, dining, sleeping and living spaces, to theatre, conference area, entertaining area, study, library, sauna and I lose track of the rest!!!

Howard has 7 kilos of keys for it, (kinda a drag leaving the house....)

Just to give you a small idea of the expense and enormity of the task, Landifer has approximately 100 windows, and each to restore costs $200,000 Euros to fix!!!

It now has "only" 50 acres, the rest of the land being subdivided into small housing projects and the rest remains protected farmland.

I have to pinch myself.

Getting on the wrong train, and drinking a bottle of rescue remedy consequently, pales, and it has all been worth it!!

Flying the Coop to the Loire Valley

I am nervous.

I have a sheet as long as my arm with instructions on how to take the fast train tomorrow to the Loire Valley and to Landifer Castle, where I am staying with my friend Natalia. I have known Natalia, for a long time, she is Russian, married to a kiwi, with a gorgeous girl named Marianne whom I am godmother to!!! She of course, like most of my friends, are not run of the mill ordinary..... she is exotic and different and interesting.

It sounds exciting, staying in a Castle in the Loire Valley, but getting there on my own, with no French, and lugging my own luggage, sort of dampens down the scenario somewhat.

Sam gets really pissed off with me not getting the instructions straight away, and having to anally write everything down. He forgets how it was when he came to Chile to stay with me in Santiago, and juggling different language and culture and weather!! He forgets he slept for hours during the day to recover!! I have been holding my own, I must say, to my defense.

Today was so hot, like walking into a fan heater.

I decided to play it quietly. I love this area as there is no such thing as a tourist. The down side is that communications is extremely limited. I sat down at a corner cafe, for lunch, ordered a bordeux rose pitcher (0nly 50mls not a WHOLE bottle!!)

Then, my favourite, but favourite salad. Duck gizzard salad. Love it with a passion. I love gizzards, (dont choke) ..... as you can ask anyone who is close to me, chicken necks and gizzards are my comfort food. Ok, the secret is out!!!

Give me credit, it is not chocolate or cakes or pies or icecream or chips!!!

I am in comfort food heaven. Salad and Gizzards, yum yum yum!!!!!

Anyway, I am off to the country now. No tourist (yay) No Sam to rely on for the next 12 hours. Yikes.

Loire Valley and a Castle. Here I Come.

Wish me luck.

Helene

Helene Tixier....

She is Sam's girl.

A beautiful, beautiful girl, inside and out. What mum could ask for more? How she puts up with me in the small apartment, spilling all my cosmetics, shoes and clothes all over the one room??

She shares Sam with me, and manages to charm me completely. Cute as a button, intelligent and diligent, hard working and caring. Girly girl, thank god. We like clothes, mags and womanly stuff, and we get each other. I am happy.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Well!! I finally got to a French cooking class!! Saturday morning bright and early, we set off to learn how to make a dish from Provence, including pattisserie.... not an area am quite familiar with, so was very hot under the collar, saying "desole" quite a few times ("sorry!) because I kept treating the pastry wrong!

All very exciting and confusing, as it was all in French of course, and my fellow class mates all french, no tourists allowed!! No one knew where New Zealand was, it was hilarious!! Told them I had watched 8 movies on the way over (sad, but true) so they got the gist of how far away New Zealand was from that!!

It was lovely actually, aubergines, onions, courgettes and potatoes and tomatoes stuffed with veal and fresh herbs and pinenuts... all washed down with a fresh light, rose wine from Bordeux...

It has been amazing, the most weird feeling in fact, because I feel as if I am in South America. Buenos Aires in Argentina, is called by locals the "little Paris" and now I know exactly why! It is very similar. Also, the people, and their eating habits, the street life, the animation, is all like Argentina or Santiago, so even though I cant for the life of me understand what is being said, I sort of 'get it'.

We went to see Helenes parents today, "meet the parents" except they were in the middle of a family crisis, with the grandfather aged 90, who recently in March this year lost his wife, deciding he needed to sell this amazing apartment on the 28th floor overlooking the river Seine, because he was leading a double life, and had another whanau tucked away nicely, thank you very much!! All very dramatic!!

It was awesome!!

So all these relatives were trying to sort out what to do about this wayward 90 year old.

In Chile the red tape involved with things like this (sorting out wills, selling property) is called "tramites" which means a lot of hair pulling, cueing, argueing, stamping of documents, more cueing, waiting, more signatures etc etc. In one neat little word that is what it means. Here it is called démarches..... and it is just as painful, but a reality of getting things done in a drama fueled city. They have a long wait.... So!

Did not get to have too much quality time with the "in laws" who do not speak English anyway, so did get the photo!!!

Sunday everything is shut. Its like a public holiday in New Zealand. So many French go and visit families and do lunches, or go to the beach or parks, and smooch. Lots of PDA's and my son has got right into it!! I feel like a third wheel half the time (actually, ALL the time!!) Ahh, well, young love, they may as well enjoy it!

Talk soon!!!

Photos

So still new at this (and perhaps its the heat!) I forgot to post the photos on the last journal. Here is the outside of Lafayette, and inside is just as impressive...

It is so extravagant

Tired Daphne

The Eiffel on a beautiful day

The view from Sams flat

Below his window is a pub. Very handy, and around the other side a pattisserie, there is no chance at that expanding waistline!

Now we are all off to a french cooking class, so will keep you updated!!

Lots of love

Daphne