Thank you so much for all your replies - you've all been so helpful - I do apologise for not replying sooner.
Scooby Doo: For a moment I thought you were about to write the lyrics to the The Sound Of Music!:D Do you mean people are nosy in Uzumlu? I'm not sure what you meant, but I don't mind curtain-twitchers. I think they help protect in a way, you know, keeping an eye on the place.
Pookie: Thank you for all that info you gave me, I'm starting to get a picture of what life is like in Uzumlu, I think. And it's really nice of you to give a good honest picture of the place; pointing out its good sides and not so good sides. I don't think anywhere is perfect in the world - you always have to compromise on something - but it sounds with Uzumlu that its certainly got something special. I especially like your tip about staying out there for a few months to see how I like it. That is a really good and practical idea when I think about it. Thank you again for your helpful advice.
Corbindallas: Oh, you've really gone into detail, I really appreciate that! Can I ask you which other places you looked at before choosing Uzumlu, and what made you decide on Uzumlu itself? What swung it for you?
The way you've described everything it does sound really lovely. It definitely sounds like the village has all the shops you'd need, though I suppose you'd drive into Fethiye for your big supermarket shop? The Friday market sounds good - is it a smaller version of the Fethiye one? I used to go down to the fish market in Fethiye and I loved it there; as you know, the fish is so fresh. I remember buying prawns which were still moving! And the sea bass was delicious! Is that where the fish comes from when they bring the market up to Uzumlu? I don't know what the clothes are like in the market, but the ones I saw I wasn't really keen on; I wasn't that keen on many of the clothes in Fethiye either. I think people tend to go to Antalya for their clothes shopping if I remember rightly? But I'd be bringing clothes over from England anyway, so that's not a problem.
It seems like living costs are on a similar level to the UK, and it's swings and roundabouts from what you say: council tax in the UK = Residency Permit? Would that be right? I have heard that Turkey has got much more costly than it once was, but so has everywhere really. I do remember the wine was very expensive when I was there (the imported wine) and it was terribly expensive in comparison to what it cost in the UK. I used to drink Yakut when going out to eat, which was OK, but I did miss a really nice full-bodied Shiraz or a crisp Chablis. I think the name of the wine I had in the fish market was called Angora, and that was about the best I found. Maybe you know of some local vineyards which do nice wines? That would be a definite bonus. Thank you again for going into so much detail - that's really kind of you!
Rosy: Thank you for your welcome, and I look forward to meeting up with you too.
Scunner: I love quietness, but only if I can hear birds singing in the distance and things like that. I don't actually like hearing silence, if that makes sense? Some places are so quiet you can hear the insides of your eardrums working, and I find that a bit unsettling. But I'd sooner have quietness than noise coming at me from all directions, and if it was terribly quiet I suppose I could just put some music on or something. Does anyone else find it too quiet there, I wonder?
Neylan: Thank you for your welcome. I am planning on coming out there in the late Spring, but probably not April. What goes on at the mushroom festival? Is it for tourists or trade? I didn't know Uzumlu was famous for mushrooms. I will email you for a look at your houses, but I'm not really looking for a village house (old one). Nice as they are, I really want something spacious and light with a nice modern kitchen etc. If you have the type I'm interested in do let me know.
Again, many thanks to everyone for all your replies.
Louisa
