here we are

You can see a corner of our pool where we are staying as well as some of the view out from the property. The house is amazing - three stories of eccentric wood and wrought-iron magnificence, with old tombs jutting out of a couple of the walls (those old tombs, you have to work around them), soft curtains that float in the breeze and wagon wheels everywhere (as a light fitting here, on the gate there, in the garden.)

This is the house that Ali built. He has some amazing stories of working with the builders - figuring out how to make the external staircase, problems with the swimming pool tiles lifting off once the water was in there and having to be redone. I can't believe he has done it, and all from his head telling the builders what he wanted and then working out together with them how to make it happen. The whole thing is a towering castle of stone and marble and glass. Simply incredible.

We all have rooms here except Princess and I are sleeping together at the top of the house in a big bed with white mosquito net which is so softly romantic. This isn't just so no child-bride stealers will climb up to take her away. We like sleeping together on holiday, it's special and fun. The weather is hot hot hot but today is breezier and it comes right up the mountains off the sea and is glorious.

Breakfasts are typical Turkish breakfast. Sun-ripened tomatoes that cost less than $2 per kilo and are better than anything you can taste in Australia. Some cucumber, white cheese, soft fresh bread and coffee. Or tea. Or both. Salty black olives and then maybe some pastry to finish. Then in to the pool, then maybe in to town for a wander. Or maybe not.

Friends arrived the other day and they have tootled off to look at some ruins nearby, and my girlfriend seemed a little puzzled that I didn't want to go. There is nothing I want more than to just stay here in this Wesley-esque villa, its garden and pool. And it's platforms amongst the trees that are scattered with cushions and where you can laze and lie and drowse and stretch and not even turn one page of your book.

As soon as we arrived, Princess saw the white kitten. Her baba had been feeding her a little but had he gotten her a collar with a bell and with a string of blue eyes along it? No. Had he gotten her a flea collar, and two types of cat food, wet and dry? So she has collars and food galore and her brother has turned up so he has a bowl of food as well in the mornings and nights, but no collar yet because he won't let her touch him. Once he lets her pat him, he gets the collar.

There is a hill nearby. It is not too big and not too small and the top is a bit rounded and a bit pointed. I want to climb this hill before we leave. I don't know if there are fences or other impediments - dogs, goats, snakes. But this is my deep desire.

Better finish now. The Cats lost and Clokes and the other two kids (the boy especially) are too excited about Collingwood being in the Grand Final. I couldn't care less, not really, other than if they DO win, at least I'm not there. St Kilda is my second team so I wouldn't mind seeing them win...

I'm reading Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. It is an awesome book and I don't want it to finish.

Hope you are all well, can't say I'm missing Melbs but you know. We'll be back soon enough and this will all be but a dream. Trying to live in the moment, fairly easy to do when there's nothing pressing to do other than float in the swimming pool watching the red dragonflies perched along the edge. I've never seen red dragonflies before - they look like prehistoric creatures with enormous eyes and long spiky tails. And red, scarlet, and they glitter.