Dalyan – 29th & 30th May

It was another quiet day of dog sitting with Norman on Friday 29th May. He’d been doing so well and, as I was getting up at 6am each day, he’d not once had a pee or poo in the house. I priced up a guided cycle tour in Vietnam for a customer before learning that Wendy Wu had offers on for business class upgrades on Japan holidays with Turkish Airlines for £199.
In the afternoon Norman wanted to help me work so I put him on the round chair where I could keep an eye on him. At 5.30pm I took Norman for a walk, he was so slow but we managed it. For dinner I had a mystery freezer meal which I think was a chicken casserole and I added a chopped courgette, as you do!
I checked the weather forecast for Sheffield for the next week and it looked a bit cold and wet! Typical, as I planned to just take an under seat bag for my 3 week holiday.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Excellent holiday offers
3. A mystery meal and a night in.

I didn’t bother with the Dalyan weekly market on Saturday 30th May because I was leaving for England in 2 days. Instead I worked more on my content plan for June and wrote at least one social media post per day for the whole month. I’d noticed loads of other travel agents using AI to write their posts and I didn’t want to do that, I wanted my posts to be authentic and actually from me. My existing customers trusted me and liked the real me so I wanted that to come across to the rest of my followers who were still to book a holiday with me or buy one of my books. I worked hard and then had a video call with a friend in the UK.
In the evening I agreed to meet Ma & Pa for a drink at Retro bar. It was warming up a bit so, after walking and feeding Norman, I had to find some summer clothes to wear. I wore one of my new tops with jeans and washed my hair, only to realise my hairbrush was still at Jamie’s. I had to use a comb which wasn’t ideal.
At Retro bar, Ma & Pa had beers and I had wine and we got chatting about last weekend’s incident. Ma & Pa didn’t remember what had caused the to-do or know why I had left Lukka abruptly but they made it clear they didn’t want to get involved. I explained how I felt and I said I’d not put up with anyone treating me badly. They said it was up to me and the other person and it wasn’t anything to do with them, I disagreed but understood their position so that was the end of that!
It was a shame but it wasn’t the first time and I felt that by pretending all was fine or ignoring bad behaviour, it would just set me up for a repeat performance in the future. I also think going through the menopause has meant I’m less likely to walk on eggshells or modify my actions to please someone, no matter who they are or what they’ve said. It’s interesting, as I know if it had been a male spouse who had acted that way towards me, the outcome and reactions would certainly have been very different. In my humble opinion, it shouldn’t be. We left around midnight and paid cash for the bill, forgetting exactly how much the total was but a wine was 140 lira (£2.33).

Gratitude List – I completely forgot to write one.

Dalyan – 27th & 28th May

There must have been something in the water this week because, on the morning of Wednesday 27th May, a friend popped round and was out of sorts too. She’d had some family drama which had upset her so she came over for a cup of tea and a vent. I felt very sorry for her and could empathise but I didn’t have much time because I was due to pick up my sourdough at 11am. I just bought 1 caraway seed loaf at 300 lira (£5) from Mesude because I would be leaving Dalyan in 6 days. Luckily, I had already got weighed to find I had lost 0.7kg this week (1.5lb) – there’s nothing like a family fall out to get rid of a bit of weight!
I rushed back for a co-working Zoom call at noon, did some training on Hunta, the new walking trail website and let Norman out.
Before Fat Club I walked round to Mary’s, who had the new scales for Carol but was under the weather. I collected the scales and we presented them to Carol who was very pleased. Both Carol and I decided we would have wine today and most of the group had an alcoholic beverage too. After 2 wines at 300 lira (£5) I had to rush back to a webinar on European cruises. After a walk with Norman, I made egg fried rice with extra veg and had it with chickpea and spinach curry. I needed to get back to being focused on my healthy meals and had loads in the freezer to try to eat before I left Dalyan.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. New scales for Carol at Fat Club
3. Sourdough

I had a 7.30am walk and talk meeting with a friend on Thursday 28th May. We decided to eat at Kaunos tea gardens where a large tea was 25 lira (42p) and a cheese and onion toastie with chips and olives was 150 lira (£2.50), a bargain breakfast.
Back home I did more training on Hunta and set up my profile. I did another co-working Zoom to ‘get shit done’. I used the time to set up a new account on Substack and wrote my first article.
The Resort Experts team meeting was at 1pm and the rest of the day was dealing with admin and writing more. I also designed some notebooks with quirky titles as another way to make passive income.
I didn’t drink alcohol and I spent very little so my weekly spend for this week was under budget at £65.57. I still had 3 days left of the month and I wanted to remain under £30 if I could. Luckily I had no plans to go anywhere before I left for the UK.

Gratitude List
1. Getting a morning walk with a friend
2. Breakfast for less than £3
3. Doing more side projects in an attempt to earn more money and help more people.

Dalyan – 24th to 26th May

Jamie was off on holiday at 10.30am on Sunday 24th May and I was in charge of Norman, the dog. I said I would pop over around 9.30am for a natter and hand over, as I would be leaving before he returned so we wouldn’t see each other for a month. I was about ready to leave mine when I got the Lukka-gate apology text I was hoping to get. Unfortunately, it upset me massively and I saw the situation very differently.
By the time I got to Jamie’s I was a mess and running late but I quickly said bye to Jamie and Julia then decided to have a sofa day with Norman. I managed to get Norman out for a short walk but he wasn’t keen to go far.
I didn’t eat until 7.45pm when I warmed up a defrosted freezer meal of pasta bolognese. I wasn’t hungry, I was still upset and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. On a positive note, I had not spent any money today and definitely didn’t fancy any booze.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Zero spend day
3. Day 2 of zero alcohol.

On Monday 25th May I was still feeling upset but I decided that I needed to move on. It had been a shock and an eye opener that I was thought of so badly but it was not going to do me any good dwelling on it. I had more than enough on my plate than to let family drama depress me and I was now at the ‘angry and don’t give a shit’ stage. I’m lucky that I am not always in the UK so the distance helps, as usual, I threw myself into my side projects and Resort Experts to keep busy. I decided that I needed to concentrate on me and anyone who tried to dim my sparkle from now on, could whistle!
I popped home to pick up some stuff and did admin all morning. At 2pm I embarked on yet another new business idea. I made a note to rope Captain Caveman into it as he’s good with maps. I forgot to eat but ended up having an ice-cream for dinner.
It was another no spend, no alcohol and plenty of time spent talking to Norman type of day.

Gratitude List

1. Becoming more creative in an attempt to be more positive
2. Norman
3. Another zero spend & zero alcohol day.

It was a quiet day on Tuesday 26th May, Norman was behaving and had a good snore on the round chair while I worked. In the evening my parents had invited me round to theirs.
Norman loves to visit Ma & Pa so he was up for it. If I’m honest, I wasn’t enamoured by the idea and even messaged mom to say that I would find it difficult not to speak about what happened on Friday night. Once there, I had a glass of water and we discussed every topic but the elephant in the room, while trying to prevent Norman from eating any snacks. I left about 10.30pm and when I got home I had a call with Captain Caveman who had lots to tell me, no time to ask how my weekend had gone and I didn’t feel the need to tell him – he probably wouldn’t be interested in my thoughts and drama either.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Not being upset in front of my parents
3. Not feeling the need to divulge my drama to Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 23rd May

I’d not slept very much so felt tired and still upset on Saturday 23rd May. There had been no messages of apology after last night’s shocking fiasco but, if I’m honest, I didn’t expect one. I decided to try to keep busy and leave the family to get on with their holidays without me being involved. It was sad and I felt like shit but at least I knew I wouldn’t be filling out the Race Across the World application form any time soon.
I went to the market and bought strawberries, bananas, carrots and mushrooms for 320 lira (£5.33), called in to see a friend for a cup of tea and then tried to visit my favourite white dogs. Sadly, they weren’t there which was the first time ever.
For lunch I met Penny and Phil at Ren Garden and Penny had brought me more clothes for me to keep or give to charity. They were summery and really good quality items which I was happy about. Penny & Phil had been on a recent trip to Datça which had been quite eventful so they managed to cheer me up telling me their holiday tales.
I had a lovely turkey, cheese and salad sandwich with water and a pot of tea for 400 lira (£6.67) and we chatted to Eva and Lale there, who also always cheer me up too.
Back home I pottered about a bit and decided to stay in and do myself the chickpea curry I was going to have on Thursday. The plan had been to join the family for a last meal together at Kingfisher, before Gayle & Neil left tomorrow. Of course, after Lukka-gate, I was not up for a repeat performance so I didn’t go.
Tomorrow I was going to be looking after Norman for 9 days, before I left for the UK.

Gratitude List
1. Forcing myself to get on with the day and do things to make me happier
2. Meeting Penny & Phil for lunch
3. Good simple and tasty food.

Dalyan – 22nd May

The weekend started well on Friday 22nd May, unfortunately it didn’t end that way. I’d booked a table at Lukka for music bingo that evening with the family plus a couple of friends. We were all looking forward to it and I’d agreed I would meet everyone after work at Retro bar for a pre dinner drink.
I worked all day and was knackered but as family were here I made the effort and got ready to have a good time. My budget was blown but we’d been having such a good time that I didn’t begrudge it. After this weekend I would be back to being very frugal. When I got to Retro bar Ma, Pa, Gayle, Neil, Julie & Gareth were already at a table for 8 and were having drinks. I pulled up a chair and joined on the end, ordering a rosé wine for 140 lira (£2.33). I barely had time to finish the wine and we were rushing off to Lukka, eager to eat and join in the fun.
I ordered the beef çökertme, which I love and a glass of red wine. Mehmet brought everyone bread and dips but they didn’t offer a gluten free option, which was disappointing for my sister. Gayle had also fancied a chicken satay but she couldn’t have that as it contained gluten and she had to choose something else. I decided I didn’t want to peak too early so would have wine by the glass. Neil and Dad shared a bottle and then I ended up sharing some so I bought a bottle too. Despite the lack of gluten free options, the night seemed to be going well from my point of view but something was afoot.
The music bingo started around 10pm and there were 2 rounds. Mehmet was funny and I thought everyone was having a good night. At the end my sister, mom, Julie and I even got up to dance and I danced with a friend who had popped in for a drink. Julie and Gareth left around 1am and most of the other customers had started to drift off too. My sister found an unattended microphone and made use of that until Mehmet took it off her. Unfortunately, things went bad and I ended up leaving. I paid for my meal, a glass of wine and a bottle of wine at a total of 2,300 lira (£38.33), apologised to the staff and went home.

Gratitude List
I didn’t write one that night.

Dalyan – 21st May

There was excitement in store for the afternoon of Thursday 21st May as I was booked on the Captain Boris cheese and wine boat trip with my parents and Gayle from 3pm. Neil was still away but was returning later tonight. I got up early and worked so that I could finish at 2.30pm. Having consumed 4 cocktails and about half a bottle of red wine plus one for the road, last night, I was definitely feeling it this morning. My stomach was in turmoil and I needed to run some errands. I waited until 10am to call at the bank and then to Captainnet. I paid 750 lira (£12.50) for a month’s worth of home internet.
At noon I had a call booked in and then the Resort Experts team meeting. Once finished, I was off to meet the family on the boat to enjoy 4 hours of indulgence for £60 (all the food and wine included in that price).

Once on the boat, I decided to pay my £60 upfront so that it was done and we could relax, the others did the same and I noticed Ma & Pa were not as eager to get on the wine as perhaps they usually might be. I took one for the team and started us off with a nice rosé. By 3.10pm all 4 of us had a wine, my dodgy stomach had been treated with imodium and we were tucking in to crisps and dips already.
It was a full boat and we had certainly been spoiled by doing private trips previously as I had forgotten the inconvenience of having smokers onboard. Just 40 minutes in to the trip, we were anchored up and most people were in the sea, including Mom. I hadn’t even brought my swimmers on account of paying £60 to include the wine and wanted to get my money’s worth!!
I also wanted to catch up with Becky and enjoy the boat. I got a call from our friend Martha who had happened to bump in to Captain Caveman back in the UK and they were having a catch up somewhere near Kendal. I did a quick video for them and sent a couple of photos from the boat.

By 5pm we were presented with Boris’s superb spread of cheese, meats, fruits, olives, nuts, bread, crackers – all presented so well. I made friends with Monique, a Dutch lady and spoke about my friendship of over 40 years with Ingrid, also from Holland. She was surprised she had not yet come to visit me. Gayle made some new friends at the front of the boat and I recognised the accent as they turned out to be from Rotherham. We had a lovely time and it’s another one of my favourite trips. I’d love to do a private cheese trip later in the year.

It was 7.20pm by the time we got back and a suggestion to head to Boris’s new bar, Dalyan Lounge was made. Several people agreed so Gayle and I said we would see them in there. My parents were not up for staying out and went home on the pretence they were going to come back out but Ma had already tipped me the wink that it probably wouldn’t happen.
At Dalyan Lounge only Monique came from the boat, everyone else had peaked too early and gone home. Gayle and I had drinks of water, realising we took should probably have taken the example set by my parents but we don’t get together often and thought sod it. We’d been getting on really well and there was even talk of what it would be like to enter Race Across the World together. Of course it wouldn’t be much use either of us entering with our propensity to need a toilet, get lost and be far from fast on our feet. I’d not watched the last 3 series so I needed to catch up but it was a nice sentiment that we’d gone from hardly seeing each other to thinking we could spend 40 days together. I paid the bill for our waters, rosé wine for me and Bacardi and coke for Gayle which came to just 800 lira (£13.33) in total. As we were leaving, Boris gave us a bottle of rosé wine as a gift which was really good of him.
The intention was to go home so that Gayle could meet Neil once he got back from Scotland but she’d done a quick change in the loos and was out out!
We saw that Bistro Blue had some outdoor tables and plonked ourselves down. I tried to be sensible and ordered us a large bottle of water but Gayle was a bad influence and had already ordered a Pina Colada. I had a wine to be sociable and Neil arrived just as Gayle had started on the next cocktail made from Sorrel. To me it tasted like privet but she seemed to like it and Neil had a beer. When Neil was on his 2nd beer but about to order a 3rd, Gayle decided the Sorrel cocktail might be a bit strong and was recommended a Moscow Mule by the waitress. That was better but I still think the Pina Colada was the best, I stuck to the wine and ordered a second one with more water. Neil was hungry so we tried to order pizza from Pizza 48 but it was closed as it was gone 10.30pm. Our waiter at Bistro Blue made him pizza and chips and I just had to indulge as it was really good.
When we got the bill, Neil tried to pay it all but I insisted on paying 1,000 lira (£16.67) for my 2 wines and some towards the pizza and chips I shared. The rest came to another 3,000 lira (£50) and it was another midnight finish.
This week’s budget had well and truly been blown but I’d had an amazing time with the family. This week I had allowed myself a budget of £270, including the cash I had put by for the boat trips. I had spent £102.49 today alone, making it a total of £314.15 for the week, which included 2 boat trips, 2 meals out, all with alcohol but still 3 zero alcohol and zero spend days. I was already looking forward to June’s pay day!

Gratitude List

1. An amazing cheese and wine trip with Captain Boris and Rebecca

2. More time spent with Gayle, having a laugh at Dalyan Lounge

3. Getting in at midnight after Neil joined us for more drinks at Bistro Blue.

Dalyan – 20th May

I’d not seen the family since Saturday so I’d arranged to introduce Gayle to a better class of cocktail on Wednesday 20th May. She’d tried some elsewhere but they didn’t seem strong enough and I’d asked if she fancied Luz after Fat Club. Neil was temporarily back in the UK for work so she had been left alone and I didn’t think my parents would want to come. Luz is quite pricey and is a little bit different compared to the usual haunts but their margaritas are ace. It is generally a place out of my budget but I did try it with Captain Caveman when he was here and we really enjoyed the strong cocktails and nibbles, which had some gluten free options. Hence why I’d suggested it for Gayle to experience it as a treat. I also asked Gayle if they all fancied coming round for a home cooked curry for dinner after Luz and she said she’d get back to me as I needed to know who likes chickpeas, courgettes and aubergines before I popped it in the slow cooker.
I took my measurements to find I’d put 1cm on my hips, 2cm on my waist but stayed the same on my bust. The home scales said I’d put on 0.45kg (1lb) but I hoped Carol’s scales would be more favourable.
I cracked on with work and then, just before lunch it rained unexpectedly, hopefully it would stop by 4.15pm.
Mom messaged to say they didn’t fancy coming for curry tonight but they would come to see what these fancy cocktails were all about. Instead, she suggested we go out for a family meal and that I save the curry for another night. At noon I had a tech session on automated email set ups on Mailerlite, despite not having Mailerlite.
I set off early for Fat Club as I was in charge, Carol had her family here and couldn’t attend today. A few of us decided to have wine and I also had a water as I was thirsty. I paid 200 lira (£3.33) for both and found I had still put on 0.5kg (1lb) which wasn’t surprising at all. The scales were actually on the blink as one lady lost more than 50kg and she’s the smallest lady there. Luckily, we planned a whip round to get a new set as a surprise for Carol next week.
I popped home to drop bags off and then met the family for a walk to Luz. I wasn’t sure if Dad might be a bit out of sorts as he wasn’t too chatty and when we got to Luz it didn’t suit him at all – I think it was the price of an Efes Malt being 280 lira (£4.67) which caught him off guard! I explained it wasn’t really a place to drink beer and we should have a cocktail or wine. Dad looked like he was in pergatory, while Mom tried to coax him in to trying something nice to drink. Gayle and I ordered margaritas which were 660 lira (£11) each and were bloody lovely. Ma & Pa eventually settled on sangria at 430 lira (£7.17) each but Dad didn’t like that it had a tiny paper straw. I necked my glass of water so he could put his unwanted garnish and his straw in. This meant I no longer had a glass to partake in the free water and was likely to be drunk easier. I suggested food as they had cheese fondu and gluten free nachos but no one fancied that. Gayle and I thought our cocktails were excellent and ordered another, Dad still looked like we had dragged him to the gallows but Mom assured us the sangria was nice and ordered 2 more. Our bill for the 8 drinks and 2 jugs of water came to 4,360 lira (£72.67) which Gayle thought was reasonable. I appreciated the value despite it costing my usual weekly budget and I don’t think Ma & Pa were in a rush to return in the future. Gayle ended up paying the bill and we paid 200 lira (£3.33) each for the tip. We decided it would be a good idea for Dad to choose where we ate, considering his reaction to my choice of Luz. He decided Bistro Blue, an old family favourite of ours which we’d not been to since Annie left.

On the way, we decided to call in to Dalyan Lounge for a drink and to say hello to Captain Boris, whose boat trip we were on tomorrow. Once at Dalyan Lounge, Dad was back on good form and on the Efes Malt while the rest of us sampled various cocktails. We had 2 beers and 6 cocktails which came to a total of 2,600 lira (£43.33) and I paid that bill to even it up a bit.

At Bistro Blue we had a warm welcome and sat at a nice table near to the kitchen. I was a bit concerned about how much the meal might cost, but Gayle and Mom had said they wanted to pay for my meal – I think they felt guilty for turning down my offer of a delicious gluten free curry night. At Bistro Blue we got a good deal on the Angora wine, while Gayle had surf and turf, I had steak with pepper sauce, our parents had liver and onions. Dad had cheered right up and had picked well for the evening meal so we even splashed out on 2 baklava and ice-cream between the 3 of us, while Gayle had a brandy coffee. I was pleasantly surprised that the prices at Bistro Blue were reasonable and the food was excellent, we even got a discount for paying cash. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira so you can see for yourself:

Bistro Blue
1 litre water 110
Brandy Coffee 420
Liver & onions with mash 990
2 Baklava & ice-cream 1,000
Liver, onions, bacon with chips 1,090
Fillet steak 200g 1,250
Surf n Turf 1,850
2 bottles of Angora wine 2,000
Total 8,710 lira (£145.17)
Discount for cash – 910 lira (£15.17)
Tip 1,000 lira (£16.67)
Total paid 8,800 lira (£146.67)

Ma and Gayle paid 4,000 lira (£66.67) each and I paid just 800 lira (£13.33) towards the tip. We all really enjoyed the meal and ended up having another drink in the bar side before going home quite late. Today I had spent a total of £63.32 despite others paying for my meal and tomorrow we had another expensive day coming up.

Gratitude List

1. The rain not lasting long

2. Chaos being in charge at Fat Club

3. Time spent with the family.

Dalyan – 17th to 19th May

I worked all day on Sunday 17th May and found some great deals for cruises, including a similar route to the trip I would be going on in June.
I had some warmed up pizza for lunch, which I cooked from frozen and then got excited when Travelpack put a Facebook post out to announce my Fam trip onboard Riverside Luxury Cruises.
I worked late because I had taken tomorrow off so that I was on standby to join my sister, if I was invited to Köyceğiz on the yellow boat. It turned out though, that they had decided not to go so I messaged a friend to see if she fancied going to the beach instead and we made a loose plan to either go to Iztuzu or Dalaman in the morning.

Gratitude List
1. Being lucky enough to be going on the Riverside Luxury Cruises Fam trip next month
2. Pizza for lunch
3. Having the flexibility to take some time off.

My plans changed a bit on Monday 18th May; Jamie had asked me to let Norman out at lunch time as he was off to Fethiye for the day. My friend and I met for a cup of tea and a walk at 8am and postponed our outing to the beach. I got more annoyed than I should have that escaped balloons from boat trips were floating down the river! My parents, Gayle and Neil had said they were off to the beach but also changed their minds and went to Köyceğiz on the yellow boat.

I worked on some existing customer admin and checked on a customer abroad.
I visited Norman, who was snoozing and needed to be tempted out with a peanut paw. He’d had a haircut and was looking very trim and pleased to see me.
I had a late lunch of chicken casserole with green beans and carried on with promoting holidays for later in the year.
For dinner I made a concoction of bacon and asparagus risotto, Slimming World style – so no wine or butter in it.
Today I was pleased to have a zero spend and a zero alcohol day.

Gratitude List
1. An early morning walk
2. Seeing Norman, the dog
3. Nice home cooked food.

It was another quiet day on Tuesday 19th May. I did some book writing in the morning, a short course on how to write a landing page and form with Holly Frances and then completed another free course with Lisa Johnson on Selling with Integrity and Scaling. I was doing ok with Resort Experts but I could definitely take on more customers for this year and 2027 so I was working on doing just that.
I had warmed up leftover risotto for lunch, which wasn’t the best as it was using broken rice. I worked more in the afternoon and then made a Slimming World Tarka Dal for dinner. It was very tasty and felt healthy which was good as I had weigh day tomorrow and I wasn’t hopeful for a loss this week.
I stayed at home in the evening and had another zero spend and zero alcohol day.

Gratitude List
1. Free and helpful courses
2. Home cooked meals
3. A quiet but productive day.

Dalyan & Ekincik – 16th May

My sister and her husband had booked a private boat trip on Princess of Ekincik on Saturday 16th May for just the 5 of us and I was really pleased to be joining. I nipped to the bank and walked through Mosque Square for a 10am departure, noticing there were lots of stalls set up for today’s fayre. I didn’t mind in the least that I would miss that, and the Saturday market, as Gayle had organised for us to do a whole day and evening on the boat.
Ivona was joining Captain Ismail and his second mate so there were just 3 crew and 5 passengers on the super comfy boat – it’s a firm favourite of ours and a real treat. It’s got one of the best toilets and has great steps for getting in and out of the water. It has also been suitable to take a wheelchair when our friends came last year. I find Ivona and Ismail a good team who work well together and do everything they can to make the trip one of the best. After a warm welcome and hellos it was time to enjoy our day out.

We set sail with a hot beverage and either a gluten free coconut biscuit or a normal Turkish one. As it was a bit choppy at Devil’s Bay we went to the Ekincik side but this time with a few different coves thrown in for good measure.
Gayle and Neil were the bravest to get in the sea first, shortly followed by Dad – it was still a bit too cold for Mom and I, though. I went on the top deck for a bit to relax and get some sun. It was great to have my phone on silent and to be able to relax.

Our BBQ lunch was incredible with 8 mezes, salad, chips, meatballs, chicken and prawns – all cooked by our Captain or made by his Mom! All of our food allergies and intolerances were catered for without any issues at all. I chose rosé wine to go with the meal, Gayle joined me while the others stuck to Efes Malt beers. It was perhaps one of the best boat lunches I’ve had so far (and I’ve had a few)!

Following the food, we all chilled out as we sailed to more stops and then to Little Dalyan for a wander on the beach. In the afternoon we had cake with fruit, always a lovely treat as Ivona makes a great cake.
The weather was a little overcast as we set sail once again, back to Dalyan to drop off Ivona. We hardly noticed the clouds as more drinks flowed and we decided to go to the mudbaths at Sultaniye. It costs 100 lira (£1.67) each to use the facilities there and you can stay for as long as you like. It’s always a good idea to wear old swimwear as the sulphur makes it smell, you also need to take off any silver jewellery to save it going black.
We didn’t bother with the mud pool as we have all done it before but Gayle and I went in the hot pools. It was so relaxing, we really enjoyed it and had a good chat and a very cold rinse off shower. Back on the boat, we dried off and I put my wintery clothes on to keep warm and ordered another wine.

To celebrate Neil’s upcoming 50th I’d organised to have a surprise bottle of Prosecco for a toast before dinner, as my parents and I wouldn’t be in the UK for his actual birthday.
Dinner was another fantastic meal; Gayle, Neil and Ma all had a fish for their main, Dad and I had steak skewers. There were 6 mezes, a salad, chips, flat bread and more prawns too – we all felt very well looked after and extremely full.
Before we arrived back to Dalyan, I bought some homemade olive oil and honey and paid my drinks bill. The total I paid for all my drinks and extras plus my share of the boat came to £128 and was a real treat of a day and night – I felt very lucky to have been able to do it.

Gratitude List
1. An excellent private boat trip with the family on Princess of Ekincik
2. Some of the best food I’d eaten in Dalyan
3. A visit to the hot pools of Sultaniye with my sister.

Photo Credit – some photos by Ivona, Mom & Gayle

Dalyan – 15th May

My first job on Friday 15th May was to check where I was against the weekly budget. This week I had overspent by £85.33 on a budget of £105! This was due to a trip to the Hairdressers, a boat trip, a takeaway, 3 bar visits and a meal out. Only 2 days had been without alcohol and the cost of booze certainly can add up if I’m not carefully tracking it. This next week was about to be an expensive one though as I had meals out and 2 boat trips booked in with the family. I was prepared for this, had upped the budget to £20 per day for the rest of May and planned to drastically reduce how much I spent at the end of the month to compensate!
I worked all day, only for a break when the water delivery man came. I pay just 120 lira (£2) for the 19 litre water containers and they deliver quickly. I broke off work at 5pm, a rare thing for me even on a Friday, as I was meeting the family for an early bar and needed to get ready.
Ma & Pa decided on Efe bar for a pre dinner drink where I just had a soda water for 70 lira (£1.17). The men ordered beers but the ladies were sensible with soda waters and Neil paid for the round. Mom nipped to the stationers which, conveniently, was open at 7.30pm – worth noting if you need a last minute souvenir or print out.
Our meal was booked at Firat’s for 8pm and it’s a firm favourite of my parents’ and mine. It’s a simple family run, small restaurant set in the ‘Turkish Quarter’ and always has excellent food. Mom & Gayle ordered the fish while Dad, Neil and I had kebabs. We also got 2 lavaş (balloon bread) with garlic butter which we love. Dad and Neil also ordered the cold rice pudding (sütlaç) for afters and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a glass of white wine with my chicken shish and paid 1,100 lira (£18.33) including the tip.
After, we decided to call for a nightcap and was going to call in to Dalyan Lounge but settled on Ozzy’s Bar. We didn’t want too much of a lively night as we had a boat trip booked for tomorrow so didn’t want to be hungover. Ozzy’s was rammed full with customers so all 5 of us had to squeeze on to 2 sofa style bench seats. It was also full of too many smokers, which I’m not a fan of. It’s meant to be illegal to smoke in bars now but it doesn’t seem to have been implemented in Dalyan. I ordered a red wine, my parents had Efes Malt, Gayle and Neil decided to try out the cocktails; sangria, long island iced tea and pina colada – all met with Gayle and Neil’s approval.
I paid 200 lira (£3.33) including a small tip for my red wine and we headed off back home. I checked I’d put my out of office on for tomorrow as I had been lucky enough to be invited on Gayle & Neil’s private boat trip and I couldn’t wait!

Gratitude List
1. Tracking spending despite overspending this week
2. Another family outing
3. A fantastic meal at Firat’s.

Dalyan – 14th May

Before breakfast on Thursday 14th May I had took photos of some Slimming World recipes which I liked the look of. I sat on the balcony having tea and toast while the pool and gardening team worked below. The weather was definitely starting to pick up which was great now that my sister and brother-in-law had arrived. I did some writing and then grabbed a quick lunch before a couple of meetings online. The Resort Experts team meeting got cancelled so I cracked on with my to do list until 4pm. I’d not heard from the family about doing anything tonight so I took myself off for a walk along the river at a decent hour.

On my way back, I called to say hello to Katrina at Maizie Moo and ended up having wine from Lukka bar. I met a friend of Katrina’s with a gorgeous looking dog and we got chatting. Katrina and I sat chatting for a while and I had 3 red wines to Katrina’s 1 mint chocolate milkshake, which I tasted and it was fab. I paid my bill which was 800 lira (£13.33) including a tip and went home to a mystery dinner from the freezer.

Gratitude List
1. Having a sit on the balcony for tea and toast
2. Spending time with Katrina
3. A fairly relaxed and easy going day.

Dalyan – 13th May

The day of my sister and her hubby arriving in Dalyan was finally here on Wednesday 13th May. Ma, Pa and I were really looking forward to their arrival tonight and I’d planned to finish work early so that I could join the family meal at Caretta. I’d already told Mom I would see them all in Retro bar at 7pm and had a busy day coming up to make sure I was available.
I’d already turned down a boat trip with friends and I decided I didn’t have the time to spare to attend my zoom call with the CPG team. I did decide I still needed to prioritise Fat Club so that I could at least pretend to keep control over my food and drink intake this week to attempt damage limitations.
I took my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from each of my bust, waist and hips – I was pleased with that. The home scales said I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) which was favourable but I still had to wait until Carol’s scales at 3pm.
When I did get on Carol’s scales I was pleased as they said I had lost 0.7kg (1.5lb)! I was not tempted to buy the amazing cookies at Ren Garden and just had a water for 30 lira (50p) before dashing back to the office.
I worked hard to get everything done and also tidied up incase my family wanted to come over later.
I met Ma, Pa, Gayle and Neil at Retro bar for a pre dinner drink and ordered a wine for 140 lira (£2.33). They had arrived earlier than I’d expected and they were really looking forward to their 12 days in Dalyan, staying with my parents. As we were busy chatting we were late to go for the meal, and Neil paid for the drinks.
At Caretta we were welcomed by the owners and seated at a nice table inside. It wasn’t busy which was surprising but tourism seemed to have unnecessarily taken a bit of a knock, perhaps due to misinformation from the tabloids/news in the UK.
We decided to go for bottles of Angora wine and a bottle of water then straight to mains. We all ordered steaks and we were pleased to get lavaş (balloon bread) and a gluten free bread and dips for Gayle, which was really appreciated. When the steaks came, Gayle had also got a gluten free pepper sauce with hers and the food was excellent. We all enjoyed our 5 steaks and the 3 bottles of wine between the 5 of us. The total bill came to 10,290 lira (£171.50). I paid my share of 2,200 lira (£37) and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The owner was back in the kitchen on chef duty and we were really impressed that he was able to do my sister a pepper sauce which was gluten free and tasted just as good as the ordinary version. We were given a drink on the house too; amaretto, limoncello or baileys and we all left happy. I was home by 9.30pm as I had a busy day planned so it was a very civilised first evening out.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight this week
2. Gayle & Neil arriving in Dalyan and me being invited for drinks and food with the family
3. A lovely family meal at Caretta restaurant.

Dalyan – 11th & 12th May

Monday 11th May was a busy one with a short break to go to the bank and pick up sourdough bread. I was also glad to not have a hangover despite 4 wine and sodas plus 2 pints of shandy yesterday! I had ordered both an ordinary sourdough and a caraway seed sourdough from Mesude, which cost 500 lira (£8.33) for the 2 loaves. I had some with olives and cheese for my lunch and my favourite is the caraway seed one.
I spent the rest of the day at my laptop until 5.30pm when I had a rest and warmed up a bolognese for dinner. I was meant to meet Jamie and the girls who were going to watch the Hull football match but I decided I wasn’t up for it and needed a night in. Instead, I chilled on the sofa and had a video call with Captain Caveman.

Gratitude List
1. No hangover from yesterday’s boat trip
2. Mesude who bakes my sourdough
3. A quiet night at home.

It was another busy working day on Tuesday 12th May and Dalyan was certainly warming up a bit. The pool looked good but I’d still not been brave enough to get in it.
I had another cruise training webinar, with a different supplier about the launch of a new river cruise in Vietnam for 2027. It looked so good that I wondered if I should dust off my CV and see if they could use a woman of my experience – it did go down the Saigon river which I had skippered a speed boat down a few years ago!
Just after 1pm, I went to let Norman out as Jamie & Drew were on a beach day with Julia and the girls. Norman was fast asleep and didn’t want to go outside but I encouraged him with a peanut paw. I nearly shit my pants when I saw a stuffed cat cushion on the kitchen worktop!
After spending some time with Norman, I popped in to see Ma & Pa. We spent more time than we should’ve trying to decide where to eat tomorrow night for the family of five’s first meal out together. I think we were overly concerned that my sister would be able to get a good gluten free meal and didn’t want to pick somewhere that anyone wouldn’t like. Eventually we decided on Caretta, in the mosque Square and Ma booked us in. I didn’t eat lunch until gone 3.30pm after prioritising other stuff so I decided to use the last of the bolognese to make a pasta bake and ate that as my main meal of the day. I worked until late and had a zero spend and zero alcohol day – it would be the last one for a while as my sister and brother-in-law were arriving tomorrow and we were all looking forward to it.

Gratitude List
1. A nice clean pool and garden
2. Training on a brand new Mekong River Cruise
3. Getting all the errands done so I could get back to work.

Dalyan & Ekincik – 10th May

I’d been invited on another boat trip with Julia, Jamie & Drew on Sunday 10th May. Joining us were Julia’s friends from back home in the Hull area, including Ann & Stuart and her brother and sister-in-law plus Dalyan friends, Victoria and Nicola. The private boat trip which Julia had booked, was with Turgay but he was still awaiting paperwork sign off. Instead of being on Turgay’s new boat, we were with Favourite boat and Hussein. Turgay was still with us, bringing the fun, though.
We left at 9.45am and it was a really great boat trip, although still too cold for me to swim in the sea. It cost £40 for the trip and included a BBQ lunch with mezes, chips and prawns then we had baklava with fruit in the afternoon when we had another stop at Little Dalyan. The food was great and the trip a really good one, despite Turgay being disappointed we couldn’t go on his new boat. I had a great time meeting all the new people as well as getting to spend time with the familiar faces. My bar bill for 4 white wines and soda plus a tip came to 1400 lira (£23.33).
When we got back around 5pm, it was suggested we have a drink or 2 in Sofra so I also joined everyone. I had draft Efes shandies, 340 lira (£5.66) for 2 pints, then left. I’d not got anything out of the freezer for dinner as I didn’t expect to be hungry and I’d ran out of sourdough. I decided to order pizza from Heybe as I really enjoyed them the last couple of times. I paid 450 lira (£7.50) for 2 and they were really tasty, with plenty left for tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Another excellent boat trip with Julia and friends
2. A total spend of £76.50 but £40 was already budgeted for in cash
3. Heybe pizza to finish off a great Sunday.

Photo credit – some photos by Ann

Dalyan – 9th May

It was market day on Saturday 9th May and I was in need of some fruit and veg. I did a couple of hours work and then wandered over to pick up what I needed and get back home before 10.30am. It felt good that I’d ended up having an early night, a shame I’d missed the boys but I was too old to be going out at 10.45pm, these days.
It was good to see the market busy with locals and tourists, too. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Market
Stall 1
Apples, strawberries and courgettes 300 lira (£5)

Stall2
Asparagus 100 lira (£1.67)

Stall 3
2 Aubergines 9 lira (15p)

Stall 4
Peppers 50 lira (83p)

Total spent 459 lira (£7.65)

On the way back, I saw my parents briefly and they had already been to the market.

A new restaurant has opened on the edge of the old market Square so it was another one to add to the list of ones to try. I had a quick work related call and then went to meet friends, Penny & Phil, at Ren Garden for a pot of tea and a sweet treat. I’d not seen them for a while so it was good to catch up. I had a pot of tea and one of Eva’s irresistible chocolate chip cookies for 220 lira (£3.67) and then we decided to go somewhere else. While Penny rode her mobility scooter, fondly named the Madge Mobeel, Phil and I walked round to Retro bar.
We sat in the sun at first and I had a wine and soda but the sun was strong and we had to move to the shade. Retro bar has Smyrna hotel next to it with a lovely pool where I took a call from Captain Caveman. He was on his way up to Gaping Gill for the weekend so he probably wouldn’t have much signal after today. It’s a cave in the Yorkshire Dales with water pouring down the 100m drop and I have had ‘the pleasure’ of having gone down it on their famous wynch days.
The afternoon went well but too fast and I went home before dark, ready for another early night and another boat trip tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Fresh produce from the Saturday market
2. Meeting up with friends for the afternoon
3. Enjoying being out in the sun and fresh air.