Blue sea, sandy beaches, a busy town with all the amenities close-by, soaring snow-covered peaks - almost a fairytale location!

Despite the doomsayers, the collective criticism of people from other marinas who were expecting a luxury marina at bargain-basement prices, and the collective panic of the ill-prepared during the storm of 4 November 2009, Alanya Marina continues to improve.  There are 3 quays now, mostly with 2 tailed bow moorings to each slot, plenty of room either side of each boat and masses of room between the quays for manoeuvring.  The little shop in the marina is slowly expanding his range; the marina club room/bar is under new management and all the essential services do work - for half the price of Cyprus or a swinging mooring in Gosport, so we have no complaints.

We have now completed 20 hours on our Turkish language course and, already, we can speak more Turkish than some people who have been here 5 years.  That is not to say it is easy - we are still only learning a few important phrases, and the pace is relentless; Peter says he is getting left behind and is very frustrated by it all as he says that nothing seems to stick - even when he understands it in class.  The course finishes on the 30th April so we hope to do a bit of sailing after that.

Our tourist visa expires on 31 May so, BA permitting, we fly into Gatwick at midnight on the 29th May - in time for the baptism of Arthur a week later.  We will probably stay in the UK for about a couple of weeks and then it will be back to the boat before we have to leave Turkey again in September - Syria perhaps?