Feature Image: Our car windscreen

Driving back from Izmir

We drove back from a weekend in Izmir, to spots of rain on the windscreen as a Yalikavak sunset blanked us in its reassuring arms.

Little did we anticipate that it would signalled the arrival of the armageddon-like weather that descended upon the Bodrum Peninsula as we slept soundly in our beds.

Rude Awakening

In the early hours of the morning, lights outside started to flicker and Red got up to investigate. No sooner had he written it off as a passing car, and dived back under the covers again, when a bolt of lightening cocooned by a whip of thunder shook our world – and then the lights (and more importantly, the heating) went off.

Directly overhead we head the crack of a lion-tamer’s whip that descended with full surround sound.

For the next 20 minutes an amazing electrical storm circled us like Indians (sorry, Native Americans) around a cowboy encampment. “Circle the Wagons, boys!”

Even I ventured out of the warmth of my bed to investigate. And when I looked out of the curtains, the rain was so heavy, I expected to see a row of animals at the end of our garden lining up, 2-by-2.

In the distance, the hillside that is usually peppered with residential lights, was completely black. The electricity has gone out in the neighbourhood, and our world was dark except for the flashes of lightening that shot at the earth with its illuminating bolts.

At some point, nature called, and I headed out to the top of the stairs to venture to the toilet. I peered down into the black-abyss … and changed my mind. (Too many memories of midnight-movies from my childhood — when my brother forced me to watch werwolf and Dracula films before I’d hit puberty — the memories of things that go “bump in the night” haunt me still! — thanks Chris!)

I didn’t know what was lurking down in our stairwell … so scampered back under the covers;  legs crossed.

An internal/external battle ensued, as thoughts of beasties-unknown battled with a bursting bladder…… the bladder finally won.

But …. Red had to shepherd me into the darkness, incase Oliver Reed (as an evil incarnate) devoured my delicate flesh! (so maybe my imagination is active … but the fear is real).

All of this inner turmoil ensued, while the lords-above hammered us with lightening bolts and cracks of thunder.

The Calm After the Storm

We eventually drifted off to sleep … and woke to a dark, cold house.

A trip to the fuse box (that had had a trip of its own) … needed coaxing into life to shroud us in both light and heat … and another day on the Bodrum Peninsula began…….

Never a dull moment.

When we opened the doors .. a warm breeze embraced us, and it was the calm after the storm that greeted us to lead us into the beginning of a new week.

I don’t mind big electrical storms at night, as long as the sky is blue and the weather is warm the next morning. The smells fresh and clean, and the area’s cobwebs have been blown away.