Fishy Pedicure

Realise that I am unlikely to get to the place in Turkey where the fish nibble away at your feet so decided to go here and actually went to Rose Hill with my GF.
One of the people working there was Turkish so I think that is as Turkish as it will get.
Anyway we arrived and had our feet washed not for out benefit but for the fish.  They don't like cream or dirt or normal water.
We sat on a little bench and gingerly put our feet in the water with the fish aarg.
So it was weird but not too weird unless you looked at all these little fish nibbling away at your toes and heels and all of your feet.  They don't have teeth so can't hurt you but it is a strange sensation to have all these fish in the water with you.  The water is not too warm as it has to be the right temperature for the fish not you but I would have liked it to be warmer. We stayed there for half an hour and the fish had made a good job of most of the hard skin as well as your cuticles.  I think I would have liked a bit more care as it would have been easy for the therapist to have got rid of your remaining hard skin with very little effort.
The fish apparently have something in their saliva like hand cream to soften your feet too so no more treatment other than a dry off.
Quite fun, quite mad may go again sometime but pretty expensive for what it was.

Go to Three Art Galleries

Have started to go out with DH on Saturdays to London to be tourists.  Last Saturday we went to the Courtaud Gallery at Somerset House to see an exhibition of Cezanne paintings. We also saw Van Gogh with his ear cut off and some of Toulouse Latrec.
Outside they still had the ice skating ring so we watched them go around and around for a little while.
On the way back to Waterloo I spotted a pub called The Hole In the Wall which was featured in a book of Strangest Pubs in Britain that dh got for Christmas so we had to go in.  i can feel another addition to the 101 list coming on.
This week we went to the National Gallery we couldn't see the Canelleto exhibition it was sold out but there were more than enough famous pictures to gaze at.
The Sunflowers by Van Gogh  lovely Cannelettos not in the exhibition and David ordered a print on canvas in the gift shop of Eecherberg because he loved the blue sky in it.
We only stayed an hour so I didn't get too tired but I was happy with the pictures that we saw so off to the pub a very narrow pub called The Harp lovely beer so DH said and very comfy upstairs in what appeared to be a front room but full so could still people watch.
Having visited the Dulwich Picture Gallery again to look at a few Canelletos last year this completes my visiting 3 art galleries.

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year to you all and now I realise that time is getting on and I really need to get a wiggle on if I am going to complete my challenge.

I have until 29th November 2011 to complete the remaining 38 tasks.
have got a few lined up for January and have a setback on one that is losing weight, how annoying it is to lose the same pounds over and over again.  So like lots of people am back on a diet from Tuesday as that is the end of the holiday for New Year and will need to try to get back into an exercise routine or it will all be for nothing the weight that I lost already I mean.
Some are already more than half way done so shouldn't be too difficult to get on with but some will be a real challenge.
Onwards and upwards.

Go to the Theatre Three Times- The Railway Children

Got tickets to go to this which is at Waterloo Station and your seats are on the platform.
Was really looking forward to it and it was fantastic. The steam train form the old film comes into the station and the whole show is performed on platforms moved around on the track.
We had really good seats and I had a red flag to wave at the point after the earthquake when Bobby is waving her torn petticoat to warn the approaching train of danger on the track.
Of course when I looked around i was the only one waving a flag but no matter I certainly wasn't the only one crying at the end when Bobby sees her Daffy at the station come home from prison
.   My Daddy , My Daddy
It was completely magical and I would go again if I could get anyone to go with me.

Take Dance Class

Couldn't convince David to go with me for dancing lessons so had to compromise.  Have applied more than once to go to see Strictly Come Dancing without success but then spotted Zumba dance classes with Lilia Copolova from Strictly.

Mad a booking and went along it was quite early in the morning but I arrived in good time.  Lilia arrived on the dot to take the class she has someone else to take the money so although pleasant enough she was I suppose maintaining some distance from us.

Have been to Zumba classes before but Lilia's classes were much more dancey and I suppose more technical.
I did enjoy the class but think I prefer the more informal approach of my usual instructor who is not famous.
Wanted a photo of her with me but was too shy to ask.
After watching the New series of Strictly would love to add onto my list to dance with Anton DuBeck.
How fantastic would it be to dance with him and be spun around in the air in the American Smooth.  if he can chuck Ann Widdecombe about I am sure he would manage to chuck me around the floor,

I guess that of course going to my belly dancing classes also counts really as having dance lessons as well as sharing a skill with Joyce who is by far the better dancer when she helped us with the steps for the show.  her memory for the steps is much better than mine.

Library and sharing a skill- quilting

Have managed to drag myself along to the local library to get some books on quilting to find that it is all change at the library.  You can now take out 20 books if you want to although I don't know how you would carry so many books.  Borrowing and returning is now all self service like self service at the supermarket.
You've got to wonder what the poor librarians think with all this automated what is their job all about?
After my library visit went to a friends house who showed me how to do log cabin quilting which was very enjoyable and started me off on my next craft making project.

Turkish Massage

I was very keen to go to a Turkish Haman to have a soap massage but could not find anyone that was willing to go to one with me.  I asked my new Turkish neighbour who agreed to take me but not locally as she said they were all "piss" dirty in Turkish.
On the day before my last day in Turkey we went to a five star hotel called Blue Moon in Sagur near Maveshir.
It is a lovely hotel and the haman was beautiful first we went in the sauna to remove toxins especially if you smoke which we don't but was still swaeting madly.  Then out for a cool shower and into the steam room, this was way too hot for me and I could only manage a few minutes before being led into the haman and having buckets of hot water thrown over me.
The masseur convinced me it was perfectly safe no men allowed and I was persuaded to remove my bikini top. As it was it was only myself S and the masseuse so it was fine.
I lay down on the marble slab to be rubbed vigourly with a rough glove to remove dead and dirty skin more buckets of water then I was covered in soap and massaged which was strangely creamy and lovely.
S got the camera to take my picture covered in bubbles then more buckets of water.
I sat up to have my hair washed while being clasped to the bosom of the masseuse which felt strangely like having your hair washed by your Mum but not un pleasant then more buckets of water until shockingly the last one which eas Freeeezing brrrrr.
i was then taken to the relaxation room for a face mask to be applied wrapped up given apple tea and left to relax for a few minutes. bliss
Lastly I had an aroma- therapy massage but included a medical massage on my knee as it was painful which appeared to be something like germolene but was strangely hot then cold.
Suitably pummeled and cleaned I lay for a few minutes to relax and recover but it was absolutely lovely.
i was glad i went to a posher one instead of the local ones nad it was also like having a spa day in Turkey