London to Bulgaria – 15th July

I’d been away from Dalyan’s Fat Club for so long now that the weigh day on Wednesday 15th July almost felt pointless. Luckily, we Fat Club ladies have a group chat and they are 2 hours ahead in Türkiye so there were already messages – mainly encouraging and humourous. It’s great because it keeps me conscious of trying to maintain some semblance of sensible eating and I do miss the group a lot when I’m not there. So, I got on the scales in Barnes and took my measurements (I always carry my tape measure). I was shocked to find I had lost 1.5kg (3.3lb), lost 2cm from my bust, no change to my hips but had put 2cm on my waist. I was pleased with that but I now still needed to lose quite a bit more to get back to my target weight.
What I didn’t realise is that Captain Caveman had done his work for the week, was now on holiday and was sat playing Bridge on his phone when I came back from the bakery. I’d been to get croissants from Gail’s but there was a massive queue. A cute dog alerted me to a counter at another bakery a few doors down, he was waiting to be served and there were dog biscuits on the counter. I paid £6.20 for a croissant and a pain au chocolat, the dog biscuits were free so my new pal got given one for helping me. There was no sign of an owner but the dog was obviously a local.
After me cramming in some work, we left Barnes at midday. We said farewell to Captain Caveman’s Ma but I only shouted up ‘bye’ to Pa, who I hope had his hearing aid switched on. Captain Caveman’s parents are always so welcoming and accommodating so I was actually sad to be leaving.
We got the bus back to Heathrow airport (again) ready for our 3.25pm BA flight to Sofia. We were off to Bulgaria for the Phillgood festival in Plovdiv and were really looking forward to seeing more bands.
On our way through a precinct in Hammersmith we nipped in Tesco to stock up on meal deals for dinner as we didn’t want to be spending money unnecessarily in the airport or on the plane. We paid £12 for 2 meal deals which included a chicken katsu bento box for me and a sandwich for Captain Caveman. We both had a snack and a smoothie too.

The flight to Sofia went as planned and we landed in to Sofia where we were staying for 2 nights. The navigation of the train/metro from the airport to our hotel was easy and it wasn’t busy at 9pm. We arrived at Hotel Niky which I had booked with Resort Expert’s for an excellent price and it was very comfy and in a great location. Captain Caveman decided we would pop to an ale house for beer and sausages but it was closed. Instead we ended up at a lovely pizza restaurant on the main street. At La Piazzetta we ordered a beer and a red wine and 2 pizzas. The wine serving was massive and so were the pizzas. Captain Caveman had a spicy one and I had a BBQ chicken. They tasted great and it wasn’t expensive – Captain Caveman paid.
Back at the hotel, it was late so we were looking forward to a good sleep and exploring Sofia tomorrow – neither of us had been before.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight this week
2. Being able to stay in Barnes again
3. Another trip away to somewhere new, with Captain Caveman.

London – 13th & 14th July

I had a busy day at my laptop on Monday 13th July but I wasn’t complaining. I love the old bureau with pull out loper arms and desk flap which is in the spare room at Captain Caveman’s parents. It was sunny but a pleasant cooler change from the heat of Madrid.
I worked on invoices, a couple of private trip enquiries, a last minute hotel enquiry and some PDFs I’d been producing on Canva that might help holiday makers have better holidays.
After a few phonecalls to complain to TFL about my overcharging a couple of weeks ago, they were no use and said I had to write in. They then gave me an incorrect email address which bounced back my email. I scheduled the rest of my July daily posts, knowing that Captain Caveman and I were off for another trip later this week.
After he finished work, Captain Caveman said he was taking me to Richmond as I’d only seen it from the bus last night. We said we would be back for dinner which was going to be a mix and match style dinner that wouldn’t spoil if we were late. We took the bus and had a good walk round what was once Captain Caveman’s home town as a child. I was fascinated and took quite a few photos of the lovely buildings. There was a Holland & Barrett so I called in for some sea sickness ginger sweets. I normally pay about £8 per box but they were on offer at only £3.89. I spotted a car in the shape of a boat, driving down the high street so I went to get a photo. The driver and passenger gave me a smile as they drove past.

Captain Caveman had a genius idea that we should walk to a place that was the perfect picture but I was too busy wondering where there may be a loo and we had to call in to the Princes Head. We sat outside for a drink and I had a pee before the ascent of Richmond Hill. If I’d been glad of the cooler temperatures in the UK, now was the time to fully appreciate it. I was a bit of a hot mess by the time we got to be standing at the point where both JMW Turner and John Constable, among other artists, had painted their famous masterpieces of Richmond Hill and the Thames. It was totally unexpected and very stunning. In need of a little sit down and a beverage, Captain Caveman took me to the Roebuck pub where I had one of the nicest rosé wines I’ve had in a while. We also splashed out on rather expensive peanuts! The pub was beautiful and the staff had a good laugh with us. We called in to the Waitrose on the way home, where we picked up a bottle of rosé wine, some laundry detergent sheets (ideal for travels) and some sausage rolls for £18.65.
Back home the parents had eaten their dinner so we grabbed ours and had a drop of wine while discussing our plans for the rest of the summer.

Gratitude List
1. Getting through a busy day in the office after being away in Madrid
2. Having a wander round Richmond, seeing the sights
3. Being back in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his parents, for a couple of days.

Tuesday 14th July was spent doing all the last minute preparations and repacking for our 6 day trip tomorrow. We were off to another music festival in Europe and had tagged an extra days on to our holiday.
I spent most of the day in the working from home office while Captain Caveman sorted getting the washing dry and then cooking bacon right after the cleaner had been and cleaned the kitchen! Work admin took longer than I thought but I got most of it finished.
We were taking 3 of our favourite travel products with us; the Scrubba to wash clothes, the deodorant crystal and the toothpaste tabs, both non-liquid. I also spent some time researching the venue of the music festival and found a map of the stage layout.
In the evening Captain Caveman’s parents invited us into the garden for wine and nibbles and we had a pre birthday toast which was lovely. They were also off on holiday the day after us and we would all be away for both Captain Caveman’s and his Dad’s birthdays.

Gratitude List
1. Being lucky enough to be going away again
2. Preparations for the next holiday
3. Having birthday toasts in the garden with Captain Caveman and his parents.

Madrid to London – 12th July

Our British Airways flight from Madrid to Heathrow on Sunday 12th July was at 7pm so we had plenty of time to recover from the fabulous 4 day Mad Cool festival. My job was to clean the apartment and Captain Caveman’s job was to make sure the bin was out and the property was secure and the AC off. I thought I’d done a good job of cleaning the apartment, including the bathroom so I was a bit cheesed off that Captain Caveman decided to use it afterwards – I cleaned it again. At 1.30pm we went for lunch at a lovely tapas restaurant which Captain Caveman’s brother had recommended to us. El Guichi was small with excellent service and the staff spoke English. We took wine recommendations from the owner and had a few dishes to share. We had pork, croquettes, tortilla, a toast with meat on and 2 glasses of wine each for a total of €39.50 (£33.86). It was very tasty and quite filling, if we hadn’t had to get off to the airport I could easily have stayed longer.
Our flight ended up delayed so we had a beverage and a sandwich in the airport. Our seats on the plane were the back ones, near the toilet which is always good for me!
We arrived back in to Heathrow and had to get a replacement bus which was absolutely rammed. It also took a long time and we ended up back in Barnes very late, so we went straight to bed, knowing the working day tomorrow would be a long tiring one!

Gratitude List
1. A lovely tapas lunch with Captain Caveman in Madrid
2. Being able to stay in a wonderful apartment in Madrid
3. Having sandwiches and drinks for dinner in Madrid airport.

Madrid – 11th July

The Black Crows, The Reytons, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Kasabian, David Byrne and Pulp were all playing at the last day (4) of the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid on Saturday 11th July.
As much as we had enjoyed the last 3 days of music festival going, I was looking forward to this line up the most. Due to the overlap and the red hot sun we needed to make important decisions. We’d already had a lay in, we’d doubled down on the rehydration tablets so much that I was now peeing like a racehorse with a bladder infection, and the blister plasters on my toes had been replaced! We set off on our last train to the venue, armed with water bottles, sweets, a sun hat and a good bra (just for me, not Captain Caveman). The heat was relentless and we had to stop off for a beer and a Clara at a roadside bar along the way. The bar owner was the only one serving and spoke no English, in fact if you spoke English he ignored you. I don’t speak Spanish (unless you count knowing the entire Spanish lyrics to a Gloria Estefan song!) so I gave it my best shot; “Una cerveza y una cerveza con Fanta de limón, por favor”.
A Spanish couple next to me, congratulated me on my desperate Spanish speaking attempt, just to get served, and I had drinks, with lots of ice in. I took the drinks to a table outside where the stools were hot to sit on! I chucked an ice cube under my sun hat and one in my sturdy bra and started to feel less overheated. We got chatting to the only English bellends for miles and then, after another round of drinks (ordered in Spanish) and with ice, we made an exit!
At the venue we were just too hot to be able to stand in the sun to listen to the Black Crows. It was 44°C at 7.50pm so we went in to the only shady spot we could find, sat on the grass and ate our packed lunch before it melted!

We missed the Reytons in favour of the main stagers, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. From the minute they came on to the end of their set, Captain Caveman and I were in awe of Nick Cave! He gave one of the best performances that I’ve ever seen at a gig, impressively walking on hands and shoulders of the crowd, whilst singing! I could now see what Kylie saw in this geezer! He did a fantastic jam-packed 2 hour set which ended at midnight and then we rushed over to the 2nd stage to watch David Byrne.

I am totally biased as I absolutely love David Byrne and it was one of the reasons for me being there as I think he is amazing live. I was a little dubious with him being on the 2nd stage and it being so close to the main stage, where Pulp were due on soon. We’d also missed Kasabian on stage 2 as Nick Cave had held us captive.
There was a bit of faffing about with sound and David, understandably, was making sure the sound was right. The crowds were massive and I was apprehensive of getting too near, Captain Caveman was now getting annoyed at me not liking to be crowded in so he went over to Stage 1 to watch Pulp. He’d not seen them before, but me being from the same city had, so I made the decision to stick with David.
I’m glad I did, he was amazing and did all the favourite songs. He did an hour and finished with Burning Down the House, ironically he had no idea at the time that Spain would be having some horrendous fires.

I ran over to rejoin Captain Caveman at Pulp (we always set up an easy to find meeting point) and he was really enjoying the last act of the night and the 4 day event. Jarvis was great and I particularly enjoyed Babies and Disco 2000 which took us up to 2am!!!
It was sad that it had finished but the last 4 days had really worn me out! My top 3 favourites had been the Foo Fighters, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and David Byrne.
We got the last train back and the walk up back to the apartment for the last time was slow. Tomorrow we were back off to London after one of the most amazing times which I would remember for a very long time! Captain Caveman and I both agreed it had been one of the best music events we had ever been to (so far)!

Gratitude List
1. Surviving Day 4 of Mad Cool and the whole festival in very hot temperatures
2. Being so desperate for a cold drink that I managed to conjure up a bit of Spanish lingo
3. Seeing musical legends such as Nick Cave and David Byrne.

Babies

Disco 2000 – contains flashing lights

Madrid – 10th July

Before we even contemplated leaving the apartment in Madrid on Friday 10th July, I read that fans of Twenty One Pilots had been queuing since stupid o’clock this morning ready for tonight’s performance at the Mad Cool festival. People were suffering from heat stroke and there had been incidents of medical attention being needed. I had a morning of work and then we popped to Lidl to replenish the food stocks. Here’s what we bought with prices in Euros;

Lidl Supermarket
2 bread rolls 0.58
Onion 0.84
2 apples 0.88
Crisps 0.92
Coffee 0.95
Bread 0.99
Gazpacho 1.05
Salami 1.79
Fruit Mentos 1.99
Cheese 2.75
Total spent €12.74 (£10.90)

Captain Caveman was still feeling a bit dehydrated so he had a coffee drink and a cold Gazpacho drink to sort him out a bit. My blisters were pretty bad so we called in the pharmacy where I bought Blister plasters for €5 (£4.28) and some effervescent rehydration tablets for €9.80 (£8.38). There was a fire engine near the apartment and we thought it was a fire or a cat rescue, it turned out to be a falling branch.

It was insanely hot now in Madrid and we were struggling to get motivated for day 3 of the Mad Cool festival. We got there in time to see The Pixies who were excellent and definitely another highlight for us. I was particularly hopeful for Kings of Leon who followed on the big stage but they didn’t wow me as much as I thought they would. The crowd seemed to love them and maybe it was just because we were too hot. We made a sensible decision to miss the last band and leave Twenty One Pilots to the youngsters. It was still just after midnight when we got back home but the over 40°C temperatures were certainly taking their toll on us. Tomorrow was the last day and we had the horrible dilemma of at least 3 acts who were overlapping and we wanted to see them all.

Gratitude List
1. Surviving Day 3 of the Mad Cool festival
2. Seeing The Pixies
3. Blister plasters and rehydration tablets.

Madrid – 9th July

After more work and part 4 of the free challenge with Lisa Johnson on Thursday 9th July, it was time for us to go to the 2nd day of the Mad Cool festival. I had wanted to see Charlie Puth but Captain Caveman didn’t so we got there in time for Lorde. My main reason for going today was to see Teddy Swims while Captain Caveman was more interested to see Florence and the Machine. The venue was great but did not have much shade so the intense heat and the walk from the nearest station was a struggle. This time we brought our own water bottles in and put the tops in our pockets and I had some sweets to see me through the crowded metro. We ate food before we went so that we didn’t have to spend money unnecessarily on festival food. The drinks were quite pricey but it was so hot that we mainly stuck to drinking water to keep hydrated. Teddy Swims was very good but, as he was not on the main stage, I did feel the sound wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. We’d been spoiled by just how good the Foo Fighters had been yesterday too. Florence and the Machine were on the main stage and excellent but Captain Caveman had overdone it. The last song finished at 2am as Captain Caveman roused from a little snooze, leaning up against a barrier. We got the bus back to near Atocha station and walked back from there, desperately needing the loo and suffering from blisters on my feet!

Gratitude List
1. Surviving Day 2 of Mad Cool in very hot sun
2. Seeing Lorde, Teddy Swims and Florence & the Machine
3. Getting home at just after 3am completely exhausted.

Photo Credit – some photos from the Mad Cool Facebook page

Madrid – 8th July

It was late when we arrived in Atocha, Madrid, so we went straight to bed. We were awake quite early on Wednesday 8th July and had slept well in Captain Caveman’s niece’s room while the family were on holiday. The apartment was stylish and lovely, we were very grateful we were able to stay there. In the morning, I attended the 3rd session of the Offline Challenge with Lisa Johnson and did a little bit of work before Captain Caveman decided we were off for breakfast and the supermarket. We found a nearby cute cafe called Armonia which we both ordered the open style sandwiches at. Captain Caveman ordered an avocado and turkey while I got brave and tried a bacon, cheese, rocket, caramelised onion and pistachio. It was probably one of the nicest sandwiches I’d had and it wasn’t that expensive, Captain Caveman paid. I had my meal with tea, Captain Caveman with a double espresso and we both had water.
Our next stop was to Lidl where we bought the following, prices in Euros;

Lidl Supermarket
1 bag 0.15
Crisps 0.92
Beese spread 1.35
Salami 1.79
Cherry tomatoes 1.95
Cheese 2.29
Avocados 2.49
Grapes 2.49
Bread 2.69
Cherries 2.99
Total spent €19.11 (£16.37)

This shopping would form the ingredients for most of our meals while we were there.

In the afternoon I had arranged to meet Emma, the Lanzarote Resort Expert, and her husband Huse. By complete coincidence they were also going to the Mad Cool Festival but just for day 1 so we arranged to meet in town and grab some food before the gig. Despite doing the same job in different places, Emma and I had never met in person so we were both looking forward to it. We arrived a little late because we had an issue with the barrier at the metro station but we soon got acquainted and started walking down the street. We ended up going to a cafe which had an eclectic mix of dishes. Captain Caveman and I had tapas, I had a Clara and he had wine.
The Metro to the venue was absolutely rammed and I had another mini meltdown because I was too hot and it was crowded. Captain Caveman would not let me get off at an earlier stop as he said it would be miles to walk so I had to stay on. A Spanish lady lent me her fan but I was very claustrophobic and panicky so Captain Caveman had to fan me until the lady who’s fan it was got off.
When we got to the venue, it was a long walk in very hot sun and then we got in the wrong queue for our wrist bands and had to start again. Once inside we had a wander round, took some photos to send to the Resort Experts group chat and got a drink at the bar. At the bar, we had a delay as it was not only cashless, you couldn’t pay on card either and had to top up your wristband with a QR code using your bank card before going to the bar. Luckily, a guy in the know told us what we needed to do as it wasn’t very clear. The cups were reusable and you had to give a deposit of €2 per cup. I’m not down with the kids so Captain Caveman topped his band up with €50 and we would see how far that got us. There was a limited choice of drinks so I took a chance on Tinto de Verano (red wine with lemonade) which was better for me than the Mahou lager.

Wolf Alice was on the main stage and seemed to be drawing the crowds. I’d not heard of her before and as the 2nd stage had on The War on Drugs half way through, we got to hear a bit of both. There were no seated areas near the main 2 stages so we found somewhere to perch near the bar and VIP area but trying to avoid the sun was hard. We didn’t really see much of Emma and Huse after that as they were there specifically for the Foo Fighters and went right to the front. They had to leave as soon as it finished as they had a flight back to Lanzarote first thing tomorrow. I’d not been a fan of the Foo Fighters particularly but they played a 3 hour non-stop & rivetting set. They were probably one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen and I was so impressed.
The portaloos and the free drinking water at Mad Cool also made the festival much more pleasant. They didn’t allow any drinks in or for you to take a water bottle in with a top on (just the bottle) so we ended up buying a bottle in there then topping it up at the free water stations. The venue was pretty well organised and when we came to leave, it was crowded but not horrendous. We got back to our temporary home at about 2am, absolutely shattered. We went to bed thinking we needed to improve on a few things for tomorrow if we were to survive another 3 days of the Mad Cool festival in the intense Madrid heat.

Gratitude List
1. Being lucky enough to stay in Captain Caveman’s brother’s home
2. Getting to meet Emma, the Lanzarote Resort Expert, and her hubby in Madrid
3. The phenomenal performance of the Foo Fighters at the Mad Cool Festival.

London – 6th & 7th July

I spent Monday 6th July drastically trying to finish all the priory items on my to do list and failing. I did manage to squeeze in a Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge at 10am which was insightful and I learned a few things. I had toast for lunch as I was so busy and worked until 6.30pm. Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shop where my card got declined at Sainsbury’s due to me not realising my balance was so low. Captain Caveman had to buy the water and travel sweets in Sainsbury’s as tomorrow evening we were off to a 4 day music festival in Madrid. Back home, we sat in the garden with Captain Caveman’s parents and had a glass of wine. For dinner we had chicken and salad which was lovely as the temperature was definitely on the increase now.

Gratitude List
1. The Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge
2. Getting stuff done before we left London
3. Looking forward to my first visit to Madrid.

Captain Caveman had booked tickets for the Mad Cool music festival and arranged for us to stay at his brother’s family apartment in Madrid. Our flight from Heathrow wasn’t until 8pm on Tuesday 7th July so we still had a busy day, for a Tuesday. We both worked at our separate working from home desks, I attended the 2nd session of Lisa Johnson’s Offline Challenge. At noon I packed up my stuff as there was an important event arranged. Captain Caveman’s parents had invited us to the Red Lion in Barnes for lunch and to say bye before we all jetted off on our holidays. The Red Lion is one of my favourites and the food there was excellent. We sat in a shady spot outside and it was definitely summery weather now. I ordered roasted veg on toasted sour dough for starter while Captain Caveman chose to spice up his hummus order with a bit of lamb! We had a bit of a laugh over the menu wording of the bread which made it sound like it had it’s own home on a farm, and had to order it. All became clear once the waiter explained the difference and it wasn’t just ordinary bread. Captain Caveman had a chicken dinner which got snaffled with enthusiasm, Ma ordered a burrata with salad, Pa opted for a schnitzel and I decided on the butternut squash pasta. Captain Caveman’s parents treated us to the meal which was very kind given that they were letting us stay with them and I’d tried to tell Captain Caveman we should pick up the bill. We really enjoyed ourselves and could have quite happily sat there for longer but Captain Caveman had to get back for a 2pm meeting.
We finished work at 4pm, got our bags, said our farewells and we were off to Madrid. We were at the airport 2 hours before as we had been notified we had to go to check-in for our hand luggage to be checked. All was fine and we went straight through to the bar for a quick pint. On the flight I spent €12 (£10.28) on a couple of beverages and then fell asleep. We landed at 11.30pm and had a bit of a faff finding the right tram/metro to Atocha, where we were going to be staying for 5 nights.

Gratitude List
1. Free challenges with Lisa Johnson
2. A fantastic family lunch at the Red Lion
3. A good flight from Heathrow to Madrid.

London – 4th & 5th July

There wasn’t much happening on Saturday 4th July so I caught up on some of my blogging and writing content for my business page. At one point Captain Caveman and I got to get the diaries out and he caught me up on what plans he had scheduled in for the rest of July. We were about to have some interesting times.
At lunch time we had a walk round Barnes Pond and I ate some red cabbage and beetroot salad from Marks and Spencer for lunch.
I showed Captain Caveman’s mom some of the photos and videos from last night’s Metallica gig and she thought it was good.
For dinner we were treated to one of my favourites, a home cooked roast pork dinner – with fabulous crunchy crackling. We also had a glass or 2 of rosé wine which was rather nice. It was great being back in the UK and it was fairly warm but not quite heatwave weather (yet)!

Gratitude List
1. A relaxing day in Barnes
2. Syncing diaries with Captain Caveman
3. A lovely family dinner.

Sunday 5th July was another amazing day with some new experiences. After my mini meltdown on a hot, busy tube on Friday, Captain Caveman had been thinking of how he could avoid a repeat performance and get back for part 2 of the Metallica gig without incident. His mom had offered sage advice when I’d told her that I was definitely finding I had got worse with the feeling of being trapped; ‘get used to it and get on with it’. Captain Caveman wasn’t sure I was able to do that and had come up with an elaborate master plan within his Sunday day out.
At 9am prompt, and without any breakfast, we set off on a short walk to the bus stop, then a bus to Putney where we waited for an Uber boat at Putney Pier. Captain Caveman had popped to the bakery and got us a couple of croissants which we ate at Putney Pier and I got the flakey bits in my hair. The ticket of £22.70 each to go all the way to Barking Riverside was steep but I’d never been on this journey before. It was an absolute genius move from Captain Caveman as it was an amazing 2.5 hours of sightseeing. I’ve not spent too much time in London and I had never been this far along the river Thames before. It was a very comfortable boat with toilets and a cafe on board, I even did a bit of work while we sailed along. We saw so many famous buildings and statues, we had to get off to change boats and I even spotted a blimp which had returned to the skies after 4 years and was one of only 20-25 still remaining. When we got off we walked across some wasteland and to a train station where we got the train to Blackhorse for another surprise treat from Captain Caveman.

A table was booked at Black Cactus for 1.30pm and we arrived 15 minutes early. It was a pop up BBQ restaurant in a brandy distillery called Burnt Faith and it smelled amazing as we walked in. I walked back from the toilets to where Captain Caveman had been seated at the end of the bar and he looked to be drinking a brandy! I climbed on to my high stool to find you get given one for free so I also had a brandy. Captain Caveman also had an Espresso Martini while we perused the menu. Captain Caveman took the liberty of ordering the BBQ tray which had on the following; beef, Turkey, pork sausage, focaccia, cabbage, patatas bravas, pickles, and dips. It was pretty big but we had seen the dining couple near us order something for a starter that we quite fancied. We decided we would have that at the end of we managed the shared tray. Captain Caveman had a couple of beers with his meal and I had a couple of glasses of red wine. The food was amazing and of course we managed to finish the whole tray. This meant we could order the PBJ burnt ends and they were so good – I’ve never tasted anything like them but they were my favourite from the menu. Captain Caveman picked up the bill for the meal and it wasn’t cheap but it had been excellent and I would definitely recommend it. The staff were great too and we had a shot with the manager before we left to get the bus as it was time to go to the London Stadium.

The doors for the second part of the Metallica gig opened at 3.30pm. We had arranged to meet some friends outside for a pint before going in to the gig. Vinnie was waiting for us with a pint in hand, on some fake grass. I’d last seen him when he was visiting his brother-in-law and partner in Dalyan, his wife and I had sipped prosecco together in the pool. Captain Caveman and Vinnie had met last year at an ACDC concert. Joining us were Captain Caveman’s cycling mate, Phil, and his friend from America. We had a drink together before walking to the venue. Phil and Captain Caveman know each other through their involvement with the Saigon Children’s Charity and the cycling events that they organise and participate in, in Vietnam. Phil also had VIP tickets and was going to another gig next weekend which Vinnie was attending. They were introduced and swapped numbers and we all got to the gig in time to watch Pantera. Everyone was going mad for this support band but, if I’m honest, they weren’t for me. Metallica were absolutely fantastic again, and of course the novelty of a plane flying over the crowd while the rock songs blared out, had not got tiring to me. The finale was amazing and the gig had been a real treat for me, gearing us up for more live music this summer!
A couple of pints cost me £17.70 and the transport back to Barnes cost me £11.45 so I’d done well today on the budget because Captain Caveman had treated me to such a memorable day out.

Gratitude List
1. The Uber boat from Putney to Barking with Captain Caveman
2. Lunch and drinks at Black Cactus
3. The Metallica gig part 2 with Captain Caveman and our friends.

London – 3rd July

One of the reasons for my travel to London was for Captain Caveman and I to attend the Metallica gig at London Stadium on Friday 3rd July. The communication between Captain Caveman and I about the plans for the weekend had been limited at best so I went in to the upstairs bedroom and used the desk there to crack on with my day. Ordinarily, if Captain Caveman has already done his hours for the week by 4pm on a Friday, he sometimes finishes then, but I had no idea that he had planned to finish at lunch time as the gig had doors opening at 3pm. Much to Captain Caveman’s frustration that I couldn’t read his mind about what time we both needed to finish work, we didn’t get to outside the venue until 5.30pm. It didn’t help when I had a mild meltdown on the overcrowded tube when it stopped in the underground and I had to get off. This meant we had to walk and Captain Caveman thought he’d solve the issue by getting us on an overground train – which was driverless. It freaked me out that I was in the front seat where the driver should’ve been – I was not a fan. I’m not good with big crowds and directions so our first job before the No Repeat Weekend of Metallica, was to suss out our meet up points at the venue. I took photos of them as we decided on the two outside the venue and more inside the venue.
We missed the first band, Knocked Loose, who I was unfamiliar with, but we did get to see Gojira for the first time. I thought they were great and it was good that we had standing tickets in the round. We grabbed drinks which were obviously pricey so there was no danger of us getting drunk. Since working in travel, I’m always on the look out for how accessible a venue is, I was very impressed with the London Stadium which had lots of wheelchair user spaces and it was very easy to get around.
When Metallica came on, the crowds got excited, we were about halfway back as I don’t like being too close that I get squished. There were also a lot of very tall men about – living in Vietnam and Turkey, you see far fewer tall people in general. The band played 16 songs without a break except for when Kirk and Rob did a couple of covers while James went for a quick freshen up. We had hoped to meet a friend there but it was so busy and he was probably in the mosh pit giving it what for! I got on Captain’s nerves by getting excited when a plane flew overhead as we watched Metallica – apparently they fly over very often, but it was a first time experience for me.
At the end of the gig, we were a bit peckish so decided to get a pizza from a van. I got talking to a man from Leeds and his mate who lives in Norway. We had a good laugh and the pizza was ok despite it being a bit on the expensive side. I spent a total of £51.33 on food, drinks and transport but Captain Caveman bought the tickets and bought a couple of rounds of drinks too. I was pleasantly surprised that the tap water was free but, disappointingly, the cups at the bar were all single use plastic. Back home after a bit of a walk from the stadium, it was quite late and we went straight to bed.

Gratitude List
1. First time watching Gojira
2. Metallica, who were fantastic
3. Being able to watch good live music again.

Dalyan to London – 2nd July

My flight on Thursday 2nd July was not until 6.30pm but I was ready for the off. The time had come to go back to the UK and spend a month with Captain Caveman. I spent the morning doing some work then put my out of office on, until it was time to say some farewells. My first one was to pop over to see Jamie and little Norman to say bye. Norman, the dog, was still doing his best to live a long and happy life but we never knew how much longer he would live – he’s 15 now. I gave him a cuddle and a peanut paw, he was happier with the treat than the affection, then had a glass of water on the patio with Jamie. I hadn’t booked my flight back yet as they were still a bit out of my budget during summer holidays. After a quick run down of where I was going to be and a bit of a chat with Jamie, I said my goodbyes and walked over to my parents’ place for the next farewell. This one was also accompanied with us going out for breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen, ironically, for bacon sandwiches. Ma and I ordered bacon and mushroom sandwiches, which were huge and came with chips and salad, Pa ordered menemen which had a few chips and some bread. We had water and coffee for Ma & Pa, Yorkshire tea for me. I was pushing the boat out as I had loads of Yorkshire teabags at home, which Richard and Michelle and very kindly brought me over on their recent visit.
It was hot in Dalyan now and we sat outside in the shade trying to tackle the huge portions. I ended up taking half of mine away for the airport and Dad ended up finishing Mom’s sandwich.
Here’s what we had and what we paid in lira for our breakfast;

Ela’s Kitchen

1 large water 140
1 Cherry juice 150
1 Yorkshire tea 160
1 Cappuccino 190
1 Caramel latte 210
1 Menemen 410
2 Bacon & mushroom sandwiches 1,000
Total spent 2,260 lira (£35.87)

I paid on card and tried to treat my parents but Mom insisted on thrusting some cash at me for their share. I said bye and left my parents to pick up a mirror from the shop and I walked up to the Dalyan Turkish Delight shop to get a few gifts. It was hot and I spent 2,093.20 lira (£33.23) on boxes of rose and pistachio Turkish Delight. It seemed a little extravagant but I wanted to get the freshest and best I could – it’s my favourite place to buy it but isn’t usually open in the winter. The man in the shop gave me a free chocolate helva and said that was for me! I also managed to sample a few, even after my breakfast.
I walked back home along the river, bumping in to friends so I got to say bye to them too. I had time for a shower and a bit of a sit down before Sonuç came to pick me up. Captain Caveman had booked me an underseat bag and cabin luggage with an aisle seat so I was happy with that.

At Dalaman airport I investigated the new CIP lounge; it’s upstairs and costs £29 if booked in advance on Wise/Revolute. If paying as a walk in customer it’s €60 and, when I asked, it was unlimited drinks and snacks for up to 3 hours. I didn’t stay as I was just doing research and I wasn’t about to waste the money when I could get 3 cocktail tins from the fridge in duty free for less. I bought 2 Margaritas and 1 Pina Colada for €11.50 (£9.83) and had my leftover bacon sandwich with a cocktail tinny for lunch, while waiting at a random gate. I took a selfie but then blocked out the brand on my can because the advertising of alcohol in Turkey is banned. It has been for a while but as from 1st July there seemed to be a surge in fining anyone who posted it on social media.
The flight was fine and full, and I arrived in to Gatwick just a little later than planned. I got the train to Barnes, changing at Clapham Junction and arrived a little earlier than Captain Caveman. He was on his way to his parents’ at the same time but I got there about 10 minutes earlier. I had an issue with my Turkish bank card only letting me tap on at Gatwick but not tap off at Barnes so it was probably going to overcharge me. My journey door to door was 7 hours and I still had some of my frozen water left. At Captain Caveman’s parents’ home, I got a warm welcome and a nice cup of tea before bed.

Gratitude List

1. Farewell breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen with Ma & Pa
2. A smooth journey from Dalyan to Barnes in 7 hours
3. A nice welcome back to Barnes from Captain Caveman and his parents.

Dalyan – 1st July

Wednesday 1st July was my last day in Dalyan for a while, as I had some fantastic summer plans – mostly spending time with Captain Caveman in the UK and to celebrate his birthday month with a couple of trips away. But first, I was making the most of my last Dalyan day, doing what I enjoyed the most – a boat trip. I was up and about 3 hours prior to the boat trip to fanny about with banking with it being a new month. I decided that a limit of £30 per day as a budget for July would be the most I could afford and I was extremely hopeful to set it at that – not completely believing I could do it.

It was weigh day but I didn’t get weighed or do my measurements, and I was missing Fat Club today.

Our boat trip was quite a full one with it being a private trip organised by friends and we had quite a few of the usual faces. It was a choppy ride out to sea and we went out quite far, way beyond Ekincik. I’d taken extra strong seasickness tablets so I was fine until someone mentioned fried eggs (I don’t like eggs) and I had to really concentrate on not being sick.

We had our first swim stop in a turquoise bay which proved a little tricky to get back on to the boat due to the swell. Luckily, Shaun was able to help Nanny Kay and I get on safely, as I didn’t have my glasses on. It isn’t usually that bad but there were lots of big tourist boats causing bigger waves. We had a lovely couple more swim stops, we even had a photo on a rock. Cath, who is a non-swimmer even enjoyed it and we had a couple of minor scrapes from messing about on the rocks. Both Keith and I had to have a plaster on! Captain Fuat always does plenty of choice on the food, and we ate fantastic BBQ food and, as it was my last boat trip in Dalyan for a bit, we had a few wines. I was so busy enjoying being on the boat and chatting to friends that I didn’t take many photos, luckily the keen photographers onboard did. Paul got some excellent photos of the group who swam on to the rocks plus a laughing donkey who posed for him. We had a really lovely trip and I was almost sad to leave, I spent £40 on the boat trip and I forget my bar bill – definitely less than £20 on wine. I got home, did the laundry, packed my bag and did a bit of a tidy round, before getting in bed. Tomorrow, my taxi to the airport wasn’t coming until 3.30pm but I still had a few plans in the morning.

Gratitude List

1. Getting the opportunity to go back to the UK again

2. A fantastic boat trip

3. Being ready to enjoy July with Captain Caveman.

Photo Credit – photos by friends on the boat, including Paul C.

Dalyan – 29th & 30th June

It was a rather busy day on Monday 29th June and I had to take some time away from my office desk to do some important things. My first job of the day was to meet a friend for a little walk before it got too hot. We walked along the river and then went to Kaunos tea gardens for brunch. We each had a bottle of water, a large Turkish tea and a cheese and onion toastie, with chips and olives for a total of 390 lira (£6.30).

I’d not checked my budget for this month as I expected I was way over and decided to do it all in a couple of days at month end. I had definitely underestimated how much money I would need for July, August and September being out of Turkey.
After a couple of customer calls, some admin and a chat with a friend it was time to venture on a hot and sweaty bus to Ortaca. I wanted to get my hair done before my next UK and Europe trip and today was the only day Emrah could fit me in at short notice.
I arrived early, and glad of the air con as Emrah and the girls worked their magic. I had to get the bus back and was meeting a friend for a farewell drink at 4pm so I asked for an updo. I paid 2,000 lira (£32.26) for the colour, cut and blow dry which I thought was very reasonable and is always so professional. I got the bus back and it was pretty packed and hot.

When I got back to Dalyan I made my way over to Ren Garden where I had arranged to meet my friend. Her and her husband were moving back to the UK and I wanted to wish them well and have a catch up before we both set off. We sat in the back room for a bit of privacy and decided to have a wine (or 2) to mark the occasion.
As is the Dalyan way, we did get interrupted when some of the Dalyan Dwellers, who’d been on the yellow boat, came back from their Monday Köyceğiz market trip. Two of them came in first, a bit tiddly, asking if I had seen my parents. I replied that I hadn’t and they were the ones who had gone on a boat trip with them. Apparently, they were all meeting back at Ren Garden after getting off the boat. My parents arrived a few minutes later, also merry, and asked if I’d seen their friends who were now sat in the front bar. This went on a while as more people turned up all looking for each other within a small vicinity. My friend’s husband had joined us and all privacy had gone out of the window so we said our goodbyes and I went to join my parents and the group of boat trippers. I had another couple of wines with them and we chatted to a nice bloke, Ricky, who was staying at Grandma’s Garden, the hotel at Ren Garden.
I paid a total of 1,030 lira (£16.61) for 6 wines, 2 soda waters, and 1 water, a very reasonable amount!
My next stop was to join my parents for dinner where we had pizza at Heybe and it was very tasty.

Gratitude List
1. Having my hair done
2. A farewell drink with a friend
3. An impromptu catch up with my parents.

Tuesday 30th June was the end of the month and I was astonished at how quickly the first half of this year had gone.
It had been both a tough year so far, in many ways, but it had also been pretty good in lots of other ways. In June alone I’d split my time across quite a few different countries.
Out of the 30 days this month, this is where I actually spent my time:

Dalyan 7 days
Sheffield 7 days
Cruising (Budapest, Bratislava, Tulln and Vienna) 5 days
Spain 4 days
Sevenoaks 3 days
Mallorca 2 days
Vienna 1.5 days
Istanbul (airport) 0.5 days

So I was on holiday for at least half of the month, despite still working most of the time. It was also time to face the music with the monthly finances too, which had certainly taken a hit! I had given myself a budget of £25 per day, so a total of £750 for June. My total spend ended up being £802 so I was £52 over! Captain Caveman had needed to help me out to ensure I got my required amount in to the Turkish bank too and I was about to start July in a deficit of £115 after paying off my credit card. I do that every month and it only has a very low limit.
For July I hadn’t set a budget as I knew I was likely to spend more than I had this month and would be relying on Captain Caveman a lot too. All I did today was work as it was the last day of the month and I wanted to maximise any earnings.
There was so much fun coming up from July onwards, all of which I was going to continue to do with a frugal mindset and while doing more holiday research for my potential customers.

Gratitude List
1. Being very lucky to be able to work from almost anywhere in the world
2. Having a busy day and tying up lots of loose ends
3. Looking forward to a great summer.

Dalyan – 27th & 28th June

I was busy catching up with chores and writing content on Saturday 27th June. I was meant to go to the market to get fruit but I didn’t end up going as I got busy with dealing with some customer related stuff. The last weekend of every month tends to be the busiest for people getting ready to go away, as well as booking, due to it being pay day for a lot of people.
I did manage to force myself out of the house around lunch time, just for a walk so that I actually got some exercise.
Other than that I slowly tackled my never ending to do list and tried to spend as little money as possible before the end of the month, and before my trip back to the UK, where I had loads planned with Captain Caveman.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy
2. Managing to spend nothing and have no alcohol in the hope of losing weight
3. Having a short walk around town.

I’d been invited to visit friends, Janet & Ian, on Sunday 28th June and decided I would walk over, despite the heat. I put on plenty of factor 50 suncream, a dress with short sleeves and my sun hat from Vietnam. The walk was only 20 minutes but it was definitely hot in Dalyan now. Having survived the heat of Vienna, Dalyan felt a little more breezy.
At Janet & Ian’s we had a lovely time, chatting and lounging round the pool and even a lovely swim. Of course I was ‘persuaded’ in to having a drink at the poolside bar so that Janet wasn’t drinking blood orange gin alone – I’m good like that!
Janet and Ian have their property on the market and if I won the lottery, I’d buy it! It’s a gorgeous villa on the edge of town with a deep pool and a massive garden. They are in their 70s now so are looking to downsize.
I could’ve stopped longer but it was Sunday and I had 2 more engagements planned. Ian gave me a lift in to town and I went to see Richard and Michelle off at Waterfall bar.
We said bye and I was invited to see them in the UK during my summer visit, which was nice of them. We were also going to be arranging a trip to Vietnam in 2027 which would be amazing.
Back home, I snaffled down the rest of the leftover curry and then went round to my parents for a drink. I’d last seen them 4 weeks ago when we went to Duble for a meal. While I’d been in the UK and Europe having a lovely time, they had also been having a great time in Dalyan. I had less than 5 days left before I went back to the UK and they had another week after I left. They were going to be joined by my niece and her boyfriend so were looking forward to some time with them.
We had some wine and nibbles and arranged to meet for breakfast on my last day, so I could say bye.

Gratitude List
1. Spending time with lovely friends, Janet & Ian
2. Having a last drink with more lovely friends, Richard & Michelle
3. A great evening to round off my Sunday with my parents.

Dalyan – 26th June

I met a friend for a walk and talk at 7.30am on Friday 26th June. We talked about how my trip to England and Europe had gone. She’d also been busy so it was a good catch up and we had to wait at Kaunos tea gardens for it to open. We just had 1 large tea and 2 waters for 65 lira (£1.05) then both went back home to get on with our days.
Upon my return, I snipped as much of the unruly bushes that I could then messaged the gardening company to ask them to do the rest – it had obviously not been touched for 3 weeks at our side of the complex, but Block A looked very tidy.
I finished work at 4pm, despite having a lot to do still, as I needed to get prepared for my guests. I’d invited Richard and Michelle over for a curry at mine but I needed to get some ingredients in as I’d not done a proper shop yet. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Star Gurme
1 tin baked beans & 1 jar curry sauce
Total spent 300 lira (£4.84)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 bottle of Angora red wine 525
3 Dido chocolate bars 105
Total spent 630 lira (£10.16)

BIM supermarket
Naan Bread 82.95
770g Chicken 199.43
Total spent 282.38 lira (£4.55)

I didn’t need the beans or curry sauce but had walked all the way to buy curry paste and they didn’t have the one I wanted. I couldn’t remember if I had an alternative at home so I bought the jar in case I needed it to make a quick version of my chicken curry. The naan bread is just a pide type of bread but does the trick.

I threw everything in to the slow cooker and had a paste at home I could use, plus it didn’t need to be ready until 9pm so I had time; 4 hours on high.
I met my friends in Retro bar for a pre dinner drink (or 2) and they brought me some gifts which was really lovely and much appreciated. I paid the bar bill this time at 950 lira (£15.32) and then we went over to mine for curry. We had another drink while I popped the rice in the rice cooker and we had a good old chat, mainly about holidays and future plans. The curry went down well and the Dido chocolate bars worked as a dessert. It wasn’t a late one as I had work in the morning and my guests were off on a boat trip.

Gratitude List
1. Walk by the river with a friend
2. Retro bar for drinks with friends
3. Hosting a curry night at mine.