Back to Hastings – life resumes. Fruit, fat cats and fat coats

Well, here we are, back again…..in still sunny Hastings. 
     Usual grim journey back from Turkey. Ishan, our landlord, had thrust a huge bag of fruit from the orchard

Turkish fruit mountain

into my hands as I was leaving.  Couldn’t dispose of it because his dad drove us to the airport, and it ended up trundling with us through security… I put it in the overhead locker on the plane and when I went to open the locker to get something during the flight the bag had tipped …. I just managed to stop a cascade of huge pomegranates, outsize oranges, giant lemons etc. tumbling out and bowling off down the aisle. Thank goodness it was me who opened the locker first….
     Arrived back at Gatwick at 1am and then had to wait another hour in the baggage hall because the lorry bringing our bags from the aircraft broke down… We had arranged a taxi to pick us up. Our driver was very strange indeed. As we drifted in and out of sleep he talked non-stop about his rare and incredibly valuable collection of koi carp, his secret missions in the army, making seven tier wedding cakes as a master chef, driving Paul McCartney….or maybe I dreamed it all.
     Went to fetch Digby from the cattery the next day – he had morphed into a huge fat balloon. Clearly, they love him and spoil him rotten. I could scarcely carry him in his cat box. He is now on a diet, and is

Fed up?

very cross about it. Here he is, giving us dirty looks from the tumble dryer. Philosopher and myself have also put on a few pounds – diets all round.
     Anyway, we had a lovely holiday. We are planning to go back to Cirali but not to the same accommodation. We felt it did not give us enough privacy and the breakfasts were just an ordeal – so much food was put in front of us we could scarcely stagger away from the table. Still it meant we didn’t need lunch, and the restaurants in Cirali village were incredibly cheap, so we didn’t spend much money.  Well, we are fine ones to talk about money – for next year we are booking ourselves into the Olympos Lodge, a boutique hotel at the far end of the village…. it looks fabulous….
    Our first week back has gone quickly –  Writers’ Group on Monday, Philosopher’s sister and her husband came for the day on Tuesday, went to Battle and then Tunbridge Wells for the day, to get a new winter padded down coat.  You can’t beat them for yomping around windy Hastings. They are very warm and light, but too many of them make you look like a huge fat barrage balloon, particularly if they are cinched in at the waist – Battleaxe fashion tip – avoid that look.    

New winter yomping coat

Tried on loads and loads including some very fancy expensive ones in Fenwicks, but settled for a far more practical Jack Wolfskin number from Cotswold Outdoor. It is actually virtually identical to the one I threw away last spring after many years of wear.
     Had a good look round Fenwicks at the winter clothing ranges but somehow I can’t get into thick stuff yet.  The weather is fabulous, sunny, but with a little coolness in the air.
     We had lunch sitting outside at a new branch of Côte Brasserie which has opened since we last visited Tunbridge Wells.  They do an excellent value two courses for £9.95 special. It felt very Parisian.
     Today we went to neighbour’s Macmillan coffee morning, and then walked across to the West Hill, where a friend of Jill’s from Writing Group was running a stall at a little vintage fashion fair. Chatted there for a bit and I bought a sinful handbag.
    Then walked down to town, did a bit of shopping, had nice lunch and beer in the Havelock ( I thought I was supposed to be on a diet…), and caught the bus home – phew – another hectic Hastings day!
    Have just written a Bombastic Battleaxe blog post on local artist Louis Turpin.  Our big excitement just before we went away was buying one of his paintings – you can see it on the blog.