Dalyan – 6th September

Captain Caveman and I were having breakfast at home on Saturday 6th September. He was contemplating going to the dog shelter to walk some dogs. I was going to do a few bits of content editing for next week, being back at work, so that my 2 weeks off went smoothly. I also had loads of stuff to share from this holiday, with Captain Caveman, and couldn’t wait to get it on my business page.
Our friends Josh & Martha had arrived in Dalyan to join their family and they had booked the Princess of Ekincik boat for a private day trip, after I had recommended it. There had been a group chat to discuss requirements for the wheelchair user on board so I hoped it would be suitable and comfortable for all of them. For those who might need to know, a wheelchair up to 60cm wide will fit!
Martha got in touch to say that her and Josh had been delayed on their flight, after another passenger had a medical emergency, so they were super tired. She wanted us to join the trip so that we could catch up and help keep everyone lively. I was on the strong medication and lidocaine based sprays, so I was away with the fairies and said yes. I hadn’t accounted for the fact that I needed to walk all the way to the boat which took me absolutely ages. When I got there, Ismail mentioned that they do have a mobility scooter that they can collect disabled guests on, should I have needed it. I got a hot drink and sat myself down with my leg propped up until the others arrived.
When everyone got on board; Martha, her parents, brother and Josh, it was really nice to see them all and we got on great straight away. The wheelchair went on and off fine and was parked up so that Zac could see the amazing scenery as we sailed down the river to the sea.
The crew, the boat, the food, the drinks and the company were absolutely perfect and to see Zac be able to enjoy a boat trip in Dalyan was just fantastic. We had a couple of swim spots and even a visit to the back of the beach, Little Dalyan, where I kept Martha’s mom company on the boat while the others went off for a bit of adventure. I even had a cherry juice in a wine glass so that Trish wouldn’t feel alone in her red wine enjoyment – it was a real pleasure to see her have a bit of time to herself and not worry about Zac, who was in very capable hands.
When the family got back, they had enjoyed a jaunt over the beach to the sea and Captain Caveman didn’t fall for the joke of me having red wine in my glass – he knew I wouldn’t be drinking against Doctor’s orders. We then decided to go to the boat end of the beach so that we could see the tourist part and it was very busy. We saw turtles which was great as some of the guests on board hadn’t seen them before in Dalyan. We all enjoyed a really lovely lunch on board which, given that Captain Caveman and I had decided to join only this morning, was plentiful.
After spending the rest of the afternoon on the boat and enjoying ice creams, then some cake with fruit, we returned to Dalyan at gone 5pm. I’m not mentioning any names but I think more than 1 of us had a power nap, as we were just so relaxed.

That evening, after resting my foot, Captain Caveman took me for a slap up dinner at White House.  We both had my favourite meal, the beef wellington, which is just so good. Captain Caveman had wine and cocktails but I had water and a friend booked our table while waiting to chat to her boyfriend. Our bill was 4,000 lira (£72.73) which I thought was reasonable. Because of having eaten so much, though, I had to take half of mine home. Tomorrow was Captain Caveman’s last day in Dalyan and I wasn’t looking forward to him leaving.

Gratitude List
1. Having such an amazing day that it was difficult to pinpoint just 3 things to be grateful for!
2. The Princess of Ekincik boat trip, being so good.
3. Beef Wellington Dinner with Captain Caveman at the White House.

Photo credit – some photos by Martha and her family