Second half of what I started this morning.

We went. back to Niyazi 's shop to show him the jacket and he approved of Pat's choice- said it was good leather.

We again spent the afternoon by the pool, and I was brave and swam a few strokes. I found the water very very cold, but Pat found it refreshing and she was in at least once each day. I felt I was slowly getting a bit tanned and was happy about that. Some people were badly burned- especially those who had gone out on the boat.

Those who went to Chios the Greek island had a good story to tell when they came home. As the boat was about to re-embark for Turkey, they were told they all had to pay a tax equivalent to £3. They objected saying there had been no notice of this anywhere. “It had only just begun this day,” they were told. After a great deal of complaining and discussion, a man who had travelled with them who actually came from Brussels said that they should all pay him, and he would pay the fee by Eurocheque and then take the matter up in Brussels European Court when he got home. The Greeks backed down. They called over to Turkey to find that no notice had been posted - and obviously there was none notice posted in Greece - so they saved face by agreeing that the people for just this one time could get by, but that in future the signs would be up and all people would have to pay the tax.

Those who had gone to Donkey Island had really caught the sun. They apparently had a lovely fish barbeque on the boat, wine flowed freely, and they stopped to swim off one of the little islands. They had a lovely day. And those who went to Ephesus had an experience they will long remember. They had an excellent guide who made them feel history coming alive before them. It was a long hot dusty bus trip but they all felt it was worth it. I was very envious as we hadn’t gone to any of these exotic places.

Saturday evening we had our meal outside again. As we climbed up to the area where the tables were laid we noticed a bunch of young men in sport’s uniforms. Pat couldn't resist going up to them and starting a conversation. Few of them spoke English but eventually she found out that they were the local football team, and that tomorrow they had a game in the local stadium which was not far from our hotel. We got the impression that it was the championship game, but apparently that was not the case as we were later corrected on this information by Niyazi's son He was a great football supporter and his team, Izmir were the champions. The young men enjoyed Pat's interest and enthusiasm and when we left they waved to her as she wished them good luck. Our meal that night was soup, salad and spaghetti again with fruit for afters. The generosity of the grilled steak was not an everyday thing obviously.

One of the waiters was Pat's favorite. None of them spoke much English and although they struggled to try to understand us, most of the communication was done with signs and many attempts. The boy she liked best was 18 and very good looking. He looked very innocent and had such a sweet smile. She asked him on Saturday morning if he had been to the mosque snd he said he had. “You are a good boy,” she said. But several of the other waiters knew she was more enthused and friendly than the rest of our group and one man in particular came to talk to her, partly to try to improve his English and whispered in her ear that he was engaged to an English girl he had met in Cesme the year before.

I mentioned the cleaning lady just briefly earlier. She was about 22, although she looked younger, and she was married to the cook, a tall skinny boy with dirty fingernails and not a lot of talent for cooking. But Pat dearly loved our little girl and got her to bring us extra hangers, and to get her to try to fix my bedside lamp. The girl had the whole hotel to clean and our room being 101 was the last one to be done. Some of the group complained because she didn’t clean out the sinks, but she was very busy, and apparently helped in the kitchen and kept the staff quarters clean too. The girl was so thrilled when Pat gave her the present for her baby that she picked us each a geranium flower and presented them to us, and gave us each a hug.

Saturday night we again played Swiss Team Bridge. This time we were lucky enough to be teamed up with the champions Alan and Jean, and our team won. Pat got an alabaster vase, and I got a beautiful brass swan. We were very thrilled. We had played reasonably well but it was being partnered to them that made the most difference.