The weekend became a little unplanned and different to how we might generally spend it, on account we had a dog to look after and we now had guests for a couple of nights. On Friday 22nd November our guests had decided they would cook our dinner that evening and so we had a walk with Lexi and then went off to get some shopping. We called in to BC Spa to look at the price list as the rainy weather was ideal to book in for an hour or two, but they were on a very tight budget. The guests were finding it expensive in Dalyan and so they preferred to eat at home while Captain Caveman and I ate lunch at Jiks and I bumped in to Sarah and Jamie who forced me to drink extra wines with them. Back home our guests had made a tasty homemade chicken soup and I tried to speak a bit of Russian. The two of them were supposed to be heading off on the rest of their cycling journey the next day but rain was forecast and I caught a mention of them perhaps staying another night (or two). You can read more about our house guests on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SimboBenbo/

Saturday 23rd November was meant to be the day of the Dalyan Winter fayre but had to be postponed until the next day, due to the bad weather. After a breakfast of gluten free cornflakes I took Lexi for a walk while the other three went dogging at the shelter (photos by Captain Caveman). In the afternoon we decided to go to Lukka for lunch while our visitors went for a walk to Kaunos as it had fined up a bit. We tried to locate a Russian or a Russian speaking person in Dalyan but with no luck. In the evening Captain Caveman cooked a beef stew for the 4 of us and I attempted to learn more Russian.

It was the Dalyan Winter Fayre on Sunday 24th December and so I made sure I had some breakfast of gluten free cornflakes with milk and a bit of cheese while Captain Caveman and the guests had omelettes and coffee. At the fayre Captain Caveman was running the Splash game while I flitted about the doggy people’s stalls with Lexi in tow. She loved it and got lots of treats to eat as well as me buying her some of Bill’s homemade chicken skin biscuits – I was quite tempted to try one myself when I realised there was not anything edible at the fayre which was gluten free. In the end I was hungry so I had a hotdog and ate the onions and a tiny bit of the sausage meat before passing it on to Captain Caveman who finished it, as well as his own. I also chanced a beer – it’s so shit going to events when you can’t have gluten and everyone is tucking in when you’re hungry!
In the afternoon we went to Lukka Bar for some proper food and I had a halloumi salad. It was also my ‘new friend’ Jamie’s last day and we wanted to give him a good send off before he got his flight home,via Istanbul. Our guests were still here and had made us a chicken curry and rice for tea followed by a dessert of Turkish Delight, figs and fresh bergamot tea. The weather forecast looked bad for the next few days so Captain Caveman agreed they could stay until it was fine enough to continue their cycling expedition.

There was no time for breakfast on Monday (18th November) morning as I was being picked up at 06:30am for a drive to Muğla. I was stood outside prompt (a little hungover) and it was a bit chilly and still dark when Leanne from King Emlak arrived. The drive was quicker than expected and so we stopped off at a cafe where I had a couple of teas and gawped at all the amazing gluten offerings they had. My residency meeting was at 8:30am and we had to wait in a corridor with all the prepared documents.
The appointment didn’t last long, they checked all my paperwork and took my fingerprints (all of them) on a machine. No questions were asked and they gave me some paperwork which said I now had a 1 year residency in Turkey. It was a bit of a relief as it meant I could continue my 4 month stay here without having to leave the country. I could also come and go as much as I liked between now and the 4th November 2020.
To celebrate we had lunch at Jiks where I had to have a couple of soda waters before my chicken shish on account of having no breakfast. I managed a glass of red wine with my lunch though. We had a stroll and another drink at Amy’s too. On Mondays a lot of places take their day off and although we had planned to go out we decided to stay in. I enjoyed some wine gums (brought by Captain Caveman’s parents), a red wine and some really nice onion soup with cheese on gluten free toast. Overall a successful Monday!

On Tuesday 19th November, while Captain Caveman tootled off to the mudbaths for the day, I took Lexie to the vets in Ortaca with Hilary. She was very well behaved and we also got to say goodbye to Jilly who was being adopted from the shelter too. I didn’t really eat much (gluten free toast with fig jam, yogurt with honey, a bit of cheese and some wine gums) before going to the Tuesday quiz at Lukka with Sarah, Arif and Jamie. I had the (gluten free) fish and chips washed down with a bit too much wine and we had a right old laugh at the quiz. We even managed to learn some rude Turkish words!! Jamie and Sarah brought snacks and we didn’t win but enjoyed it – even Lexie had some attention, meeting other dogs in the area.

While Captain Caveman went dogging on Wednesday 20th November I took Lexie to Köşem Restaurant to help with preparations for the forthcoming winter fayre. Lexie wasn’t too keen on it but she got lots of fuss off dogs, cats and other helpers. I put trees up while others decorated them (after last year where I was told I was shit at decoration).
For lunch Captain Caveman and I went to Okyanus, a place which hadn’t impressed last year, but turned out to be a great little spot. Our food was lovely, the sun was shining and Lexi got on well with the resident dogs and cats there. Jamie (our new friend) came to join us and I’m blaming him for being a bad influence because then we ended up having one at Soul Kitchen before ‘going for one’ at Lukka. Sarah joined us and we had a bit of a boozey night but luckily I was looking forward to having a loll about on Thursday.

Captain Caveman went bumming while I looked after Lexi on Thursday 21st November. I was hungover and felt like death and didn’t do much apart from feel sorry for myself and be glad I wasn’t bumming!
Captain Caveman came home and we were planning the rest of the day when the doorbell rang. An English friend of Captain Caveman’s and a Russian girl were at the door, and were coming to stay for a couple of days. They were currently cycling long distance, him raising money for charity along the way. I, in my hungover state, had completely forgotten all about what day it was and that they could be arriving. Captain Caveman was well aware but had still not acquired a bed for the spare room so they were going to have to sleep on the floor!
I was starving and wanted lunch so we went to Pamukkale Restaurant, only to find they were only serving pide and pizza – I was gutted! I would love nothing more than to eat the sucuk pide but instead they were able to rustle me up some chips. I was still hungry when I got home so I had crisps, carrot and hummus as a snack.

The Riverbums have been going for 7 years and so we had been invited to an anniversary party at Nazo’s. Of course we had only been part of the ‘bumming team for a relatively short time. The steer was we all brought a dish each and then we share the buffet. I took havla (a sweet treat made with tahini which I bought from the shop). Captain Caveman took a whole roast chicken which he’d had in the oven that morning and was still warm when he carried down the street.
Nazo’s is a lovely bar with a great garden area out the back and a big dog who really wanted some buffet. We even got a medal and a certificate for volunteering with the Riverbums which were given out earlier in the year but we were in Vietnam.
At the buffet I ate chicken, yogurt, carrot, radish and crisps for my first lot before having 2 pieces of gluten free cake which was delicious. I also managed to have 3 red wines and a laugh with our fellow Bummers.
In the evening we went to a restaurant we had really enjoyed last year but had not being able to visit this year before it closed. M-Eatery was now reopened for the winter and had a lovely fire to keep warm inside. I had baba ganoush for starter and had a little bit of Captain Caveman’s halloumi then the beef with chips and red cabbage which was so good and, of course, we shared a bottle of red wine.

By lunchtime on Saturday 16th November we had already entered in to a different kind of day. After my usual breakfast of gluten free toast and a bit of cheese Captain Caveman and I went up to the dog shelter for a bit of dogging. We walked a few dogs and then I gave Lexi a bath because she was leaving the shelter and had very muddy paws. We had agreed to look after Lexi until she was ready to go and pretty soon she was going to live in Scotland.
As it was Saturday night we decided to take our new friend, Lexi, to the local to meet our friends. We also were the designated welcome party for Sarah and Katrina’s mate, Jamie who was landing in Dalyan about 9:30pm and we were all looking forward to his arrival.
Jamie arrived at Lukka bar straight off the plane, practically, and so we were already merry and had a great night – my face hurt from laughing so much!

On Sunday 17th I ate my gluten free cornflakes and had an earl grey tea and we took Lexi for a walk. We had already booked in for Sunday lunch at Lukka bar and so we ended up getting on it again at 5pm, then staying to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix from 8pm. I only had 4 red wines but I think it could have been a top up from the previous night. I couldn’t get too pissed as I had a very important appointment on Monday morning but we were having such a good laugh it didn’t really matter.

We had a fun day on Tuesday 12th November. There’s a boat which goes every Tuesday to the mud baths so we decided to get on that and I chose to take my breakfast of gluten free toast with mulberry jam with me in tin foil. Unfortunately it went soggy so I only ate a little of it and fed the fishes with the rest. We had a hot drink at Okyanus while we waited for the boat and then off we went on the boat across to Köyceğiz lake. We left at 10:30am and then had until 2:30pm to go in the hot pool, the mud bath, the dome pool or swim in the lake. We did all of them except the mud and I even had the fish feet thing to get rid of my dead skin – 6 minutes was enough! It was a great day out and really cheap and I was already looking forward to going again.
In the afternoon we decided to buy some furniture from a woman on Facebook who happened to be singing at Mico Hotel before getting ready for fish and chips at the Lukka bar quiz in the evening.

I was meant to eat more for breakfast on Wednesday, 13th November, as I would need my energy for a bit of dogging! I ended up having gluten free cornflakes with milk before heading off to the shelter on foot while Captain Caveman cycled. We had a good morning of walking as many dogs as we could but as the amount of visitors declines in winter months there were some who didn’t get one. There was also a couple of dogs getting adopted including an older dog who had been in the shelter a while. There was talk of some further adoptions but as we left, the charity workers were arguing with the staff about not giving as much care and attention as they should. On the way home Captain Caveman lost his house keys and I had a message from a Dalyan dweller who was buying us some bedding at IKEA, to tell me all the codes were incorrect. Captain Caveman went back to the shelter only to find that his keys had fallen out of his pocket in the puppy kennels!
Back home I had a quick lunch of yogurt and honey as the carpenter’s were back to finish off some last bits on the fitted wardrobes. We left them to it and headed off for a cheeky drink at Jiks. Luckily the IKEA lady came good in the end (the product numbers are not the same in every country) and we got the stuff for our new bed, which we picked up in Lukka bar over a glass of wine (of course).
Dinner was at River House which turned out to be another one of my new favourites. The starter of garlic mushrooms was great and the chicken risotto main was superb! Captain Caveman had the mantı dish (a traditional dumpling which looks like pasta containing minced meat and served with yogurt and butter), the carafe of wine was smooth and went down well.
When we got home we admired the new wardrobes and I was even happy with where the mirror (which should have been on the wardrobes but I didn’t like it) had ended up. Fire Opal B6 was starting to look how we wanted it to and we were happy to have the work completed at last.

The rain came down quite heavy during the early hours of Thursday 14th November, bumming was cancelled because of the weather forecast. I had 2 small gluten free chocolate cakes as well as gluten free toast with mulberry jam and an earl gray tea for breakfast. I managed to order minced beef at the butcher’s in Turkish so that we could have a spaghetti bolognese that evening. Captain Caveman’s task of the day was to help the dog shelter out by making leads and fixing some old ones. By 11am the rain had eased off but the sky looked like it still might rain again later. It was a quiet day and very relaxing, which made a nice change.

It was a significant day for history on Sunday 10th November! In Turkey they remembered Atatürk who died on this day in 1938, the English expats held a gathering for Armistice Day and we made the most of Captain Caveman’s parents’ last day in Dalyan.
I had arranged a boat trip (maybe the last of the season?) with Yusuf Toprak from Amy’s Bar for the 4 of us and to join us would be 4 of the Grubb family plus a Turkish friend of their’s.
We had a breakfast at home because we had all the lovely fresh produce we had picked up from a local cheese and jam maker so I enjoyed 2 slices of gluten free bread with mulberry jam, white cheese and an earl grey tea.
At 10:30am we grabbed our bags and walked a few steps to the river and our boat for the day. The crew of two were ready for us and we got on board, it felt fresh but the sun was out and it looked to be a good day. Vanessa and Brad arrived with Di but the other two from their party appeared to have overdone it on the previous evening and were no longer joining us.
There was morning tea or coffee with pastries and we set off to the sea and towards some quiet bays for swimming. It had been Brad’s birthday the day before and so he was in a bit of a tangle but had made it! Vanessa said she wasn’t drinking but before noon she and I were having a nice chilled glass of rosé wine.

There were so many chances to swim in the sea and I was surprised how warm it was considering it was November. Captain Caveman even did his own beach bumming by cleaning up lots of rubbish he found in a bay. Lunch was a BBQ and buffet which is always excellent and had chicken, lamb and fish as well as all the mezzes. There was more wine and relaxing and I even swam from the boat and in to a cave to explore before Captain Caveman and Vanessa joined me.

In the afternoon we sailed to the beach for birthday singing and cake – this time Brad had us sing Happy Birthday to him instead of having to sing it to himself in a late bar! Yusuf even asked if we would like to try a swim in the lake, which we did and were the only ones there! It was cold at first until you found the hot thermals beneath your legs and there was only a couple of us brave (or daft) enough to get in. We finished off the day with a fruit plate and a sail back to Dalyan all fully relaxed.

In the evening I thought we would be going out to dinner to celebrate for the last evening but, as everyone was full and tired from the day out on the boat, we sat on the sofa and relaxed! Yusuf had given us all a lovely day to remember – the photos don’t do it justice as we were too busy having fun!
The week had gone fast – Captain Caveman and I were sad to have to say farewell to his parents the next day.

We woke up in the Richmond Hotel in Pamukkale on Saturday 9th November after a good night’s sleep and went for the buffet breakfast. Of course a lot of the choice was full of gluten so I had cheese and fruit with Turkish tea while Captain Caveman filled his boots (well, his face) with delicious food.
We decided to have a bit of free time to enjoy the hotel’s thermal pool before we headed off to sightsee at Hierapolis (the waters of Pamukkale). Richmond Hotel was very reasonably priced and near to where we needed to be so I would definitely stay there again.

Captain Caveman parked at the North carpark so we could stroll through and along the top of the travertines, right up to the South gate where we could see more of the pools and even have a paddle. It was impressive but it was clear there had not been a lot of water as some were empty. Captain Caveman and his mom went walking in the pools while his dad and I stayed up the top. It was a great view, fairly busy with tourists (including one in a bikini looking a bit nippy). The photos don’t really do it justice but I took some on my phone anyway and we were pleased to have seen the famous site at last.

While I went to the loo a plan was hatched for Captain Caveman to walk back to the car and drive it to meet us at some vague point at the bottom of a hill, of which none of the remaining three of us had a clue how to get to. We then had to wait rather a long time in the sun and walk back the way we had just gone, lost! It didn’t surprise me that Captain Caveman had to come and get us in the car, after which we drove back to Dalyan in (mostly) silence for about 3 hours! It was a tiring day and I think if time wasn’t an issue I would have stayed for longer and took our time seeing more. We had not realised how wonderful Aphrodisias (the day before) would be and could easily have made a longer trip. On the way back we saw the cafe made from an actual plane, it’s the 4th time I’ve been past but never visited.

Back in Dalyan later that evening we had a dinner at Kaunos Antic restaurant, another first time for all of us, which turned out to be absolutely lovely for food and service. We even polished off the night with a complimentary fruit plate and a shot of amaretto each!

The weekend was a busy one and on Friday 8th November Captain Caveman, his parents and I packed an over night bag each and got in the hire car ready for a mini adventure out of Dalyan. We had hired a car from Süleyman Çardak at Complete Holiday rentals especially so that we could journey out of Dalyan for a day or two’s exploring. Our first stop on the way to Pamukkale was for a delicious breakfast at Orfoz in Akyaka, which I’d visited a couple of times already on a Volkan Adventures day trip. We had the traditional Turkish breakfast which was delicious (I so wished I could eat all the gluten-filled items though).

I’d been a few times to the same spots and you can read my previous blog about the trip I took with Volkan here:

https://joloyolo.wordpress.com/2019/11/04/dalyan-day-trip-to-akyaka-akbuk-and-the-akmak-river/

We did the boat trip with some other tourists down the Akmak river before driving to our second stop at Afrodisias.

None of us had been before and it was very impressive. We saw the archeological museum, the temple of Aphrodite, as well as Aphrodisias theatre and stadium which were all amazing and we had a glorious sunny day with hardly any tourists around.

We arrived quite late at our pre-booked hotel in Pamukkale, The Richmond, which was big and very busy – it was the kind of hotel with free products and a large outdoor pool. We checked in to our neighbouring twin rooms and I had an overpriced wine from the minibar. We’d took the windier route there which had been a little hair-raising at times so I needed a bit of alcohol to calm my travel sickness. Dinner was a large buffet in the dining room and was actually quite nice for the price. I had lots of salad, chicken and rice and we had a bottle of wine in the bar while watching the live entertainment. The belly dancer was good and managed to get several volunteers including a rather tipsy Japanese man who was very good, we managed to evade the joining in!

We like to go dogging on Wednesday and so on the 6th November we invited Captain Caveman’s parents to join us at the shelter. First we had breakfast at Lukka bar and I have to say the food was excellent – portions are substantial too.
We walked to the shelter from there and then took a dog each for a walk, it was a hot day and I should’ve worn a sunhat. It was great to let them experience the good work of the dog shelter and see all the friendly dogs who were so happy to get a walk or even a bit of fuss.
In the afternoon we all had a walk around Dalyan and had a cold drink at the tea garden,then a glass of wine at Soul Kitchen, before going to one of my favourites for dinner. Kordon was excellent food and drink, as usual, and the owner is so good at catering for gluten free customers. Captain Caveman and I shared the beetroot starter and garlic mushrooms with cheese which were both lovely and I had the chicken shish with chips and salad. The others enjoyed their lamb and fish dishes too. The evenings were getting a little cooler and so we sat inside which was very cozy and made everyone feel relaxed.

Most dog photos and ones of me taken by Captain Caveman.

While Captain Caveman took his parents for breakfast at Ekin restaurant and to see the turtle hospital at the beach I went off bumming on Thursday 7th November. Süleyman at Complete Holiday Services had sorted out a hire car for a few days so we could nip out and explore outside of Dalyan too. The Riverbums had a successful day collecting lots of rubbish and then I went back home to meet the family so we could go for a bit of exploring over the other side of the river in the hire car.
I’d already had one slice of gluten free toast with butter at breakfast but I was very hungry by 1.30pm and had to have 2 more slices, this time with a molasses and tahini paste. We went by car on the ferry over to Çandır and Kaunos and had a little bit of an adventure – we were lucky with the weather too, as it was a hot sunny day! In the evening we went to a restaurant that had one of my all time favourite dishes from last year, crispy belly pork. Rendezvous had been on my list of places to visit since I got here in September although we’d never made it but it is open all winter and they can cater for gluten free meals well. The prawn starter was good too and we had a bottle of Angora wine which wasn’t the cheapest on the menu but was thoroughly enjoyed before we went on to the red wine!!It was a lovely day but I was begging for mercy by the time it came to going to sleep and the forthcoming weekend was going to be full on!

On Monday 4th November it was a very busy house, trying to get ready for Captain Caveman’s parents arriving the next day. We still had the workmen trying to fit a very awkward wardrobe and the kitchen cupboard wasn’t finished yet either!
We went for brunch at Dalyance where Captain Caveman ate menemen and I had bacon, sausage, mushrooms and beans. The food was good and a first time of eating breakfast there.
While the carpenter struggled to finish on time we had a drink in Jiks and then went out for dinner in the rain. We tried another new one, Nehir, where we were the only people in because of the weather and the season had ended. I really enjoyed my chicken with salad and potatoes while Captain Caveman had a pide which also looked great.
When we got home we had to apologise to our new neighbours as the workmen were still there and it was a very late night!

It was a little stressful on Tuesday 5th November after not getting to bed until almost 2am! I didn’t have too much to eat in the day because we needed to get organised as the house was covered in dust and in complete disarray. The cleaner was meant to be coming in the morning but I’d had to cancel it as we didn’t know if the wardrobes would be finished. We worked hard to clean everything as best we could before I rebooked the professionals in for 3pm. We use the ones with our rental management company and they are very good and can do it much faster than us. I had also decided to view a balcony table and chairs I’d seen a month ago but the owner had only just arrived in Dalyan. We had a a drink in Rock bar and then one in Amy’s (where I took a bag of crisps for my lunch), after we went to check out the balcony furniture, which we bought and took home.
Captain Caveman’s parents were a little delayed but luckily we had booked a table at Serendip for 9:30pm. As usual the food was fantastic and I really enjoyed the lentil soup as a starter. We shared the mixed mezzes and a cheeseboard and the gluten free bread had been improved to a homemade version which was very good. (They gave me two portions of it at no extra cost, which was appreciated). After dinner we had a nightcap at home and the parents had no idea at how bad the apartment had looked that morning.
They were only staying 6 nights but we had a full itinerary lined up and so the alarms were set for the next day!

It was all happening on Friday 1st November!!! So much so I thought it a good idea to check how my weight was – given all this eating and drinking in Dalyan it was certainly proving hard work to keep my slim figure. It turned out my weight and measurements were the same as last week and I was just surprised I’d not put weight on.
It had rained in the night and so was a bit wet outside as I ate my gluten free cornflakes with milk for breakfast. Captain Caveman was still under the weather so he stayed home while I went to get my passport photos ready for my appointment to start my application for Turkish residency. It didn’t take too long and I was able to apply for my annual health insurance too. I would need to wait for the appointment to come through and I opted for doing it after our next visitors had left to go to Muğla rather than Fethiye. If given the agreement it meant that I would be able to come and go as many times as I like without having to stick to just the 90 days within 180 days, stipulated on my current visa. I also decided to do my residency application through a trusted agent rather than go it alone and risk me messing it up, afterall my flight back to Vietnam was already booked for mid January. On my way back from the fairly straightforward process I popped in to Lukka Bar to try a Halloumi salad and a bit of cherry and almond gluten free cake (of which I took a second piece home) – both were amazing. Later that afternoon the first of our wardrobes arrived and were placed in the ensuite bedroom. Yusuf and his carpenter’s were about to have their work cut out these next 3 days as we aimed to add fitted wardrobes in a sloping alcove as well as replace existing kitchen cupboards to house our new bigger and better fridge freezer, all before Captain Caveman’s parents came to stay for the first time.
Captain Caveman was on the mend and so for dinner we went to Ramazan Han’s last evening of the season. It was wonderful and we had to have the Garlic King prawns again, as well as the best steak and a bottle of wine. While we were there some street dogs came to say hello and sat patiently waiting for any left overs so I had to save them a tiny morcel each, which I took round the corner and made them sit nicely for a piece of steak each – one gave me a paw!

On Saturday 2nd November we were up early for a bit of dogging (me on foot, Captain Caveman on his bike).
Some of our Dalyan friends were there helping out too and it was a very hot day with plenty of lovely dogs needing a walk.
When we returned we went for an afternoon drink at Bistro Blue before getting ready for dinner at a place we’d not been to before. It was Kervansary’s last night and we had a lovely meal with a discount on a good bottle of wine too.

We got up early on Sunday 3rd because we were expecting the workmen who had been building our new wardrobes and cupboards, they knew they had to be finished by Monday and there had been a few hold ups. We had breakfast and lunch at home but in the evening we watched the sunset behind the mountains from Soul Kitchen with a wine and cheese. We also decided to go to Bistro Blue for their last night and to watch the USA Grand Prix. The food was amazing as always we had mushrooms and garlic prawns to share, followed by their amazing stuffed meatballs for me, liver for him, all washed down with a bottle of red wine. It probably won’t surprise anyone that it turned in to rather a late night and it all just got a bit too much on the dancefloor later on!

The last week of October started with breakfast at Sakli Bahçe (on Monday 28th) while feeling a little bit achy after the Caretta run (push) the previous day. It was a first visit for both of us and it didn’t disappoint; the views were good of the tombs, it was their last day of opening and it got very busy. Captain Caveman had most of the breakfast due to it being mostly gluten and eggs but what I could eat was lovely.

We stopped at Ali’s restaurant for a tea on the way back to watch the celebrations in the square for the bank holiday and went to the supermarket. In the afternoon we had a couple in Amy’s bar and then stayed in to eat our brisket – mine with veg, his in a sandwich.
It was a very relaxing day and I was looking forward to a few more of those!

We tried another new place for lunch on Tuesday 29th October, one that had been suggested before a couple of times but had never made it to getting a visit. I’d had my usual gluten free toast and butter for breakfast and then we had a few errands to run so stopped at Natural Paradise restaurant. It was a bank holiday in Turkey so the town was busier than usual (even the beach bus timetable had changed again) but we were sat in the Turkish quarter at a quiet section. We both had a chicken shish and it was really lovely, possibly having the best chips in Dalyan! In the afternoon we had ice-cream from Cherry Up which was very good and another first visit for both of us.
For dinner we dined at home on brisket with salad before popping out to Lukka Bar for the quiz. This week there was just me, Captain Caveman and a friend trying to win a quiz about Halloween – I had no chance! Instead Mehmet, the owner, let me find my own gin out of his cupboard and I had 4 with ginger ale. We didn’t win and we wished we had ordered the fish and chips as it looked really good.

Wednesday 30th October was the last night at Adilan’s restaurant so I chose there as a place to have dinner with friends for a fantastic evening and I got merry, so much so that we ended up in Lukka Bar after, meeting more people and doing shots! I knew I’d probably regret it the next morning too.

I was feeling slightly fragile on Thursday 31st October as Captain Caveman reminded me of doing tequila shots the night before in Lukka bar. In other people’s world it was Halloween but I’ve never been a follower and it seems to have taken off in the UK since I left. Instead it was a fairly normal day beginning with gluten free bread for breakfast and then a stint of volunteering with the Riverbums.
We had a successful day, the weather was great and we could see some areas where the historic dumping of rubbish was lessening. Back at the tea gardens I was parched and had to have a Pepsi to sort me out. After showers Captain Caveman and I went to Yener’s Place for a Gluten Free pizza (and homemade chips) which went down a treat with some left for later. In the evening Captain Caveman was suffering with a bad cold and took himself off to bed while I had a Bailey’s!

It was a remarkably different end to my weekend on Sunday 27th October and mainly because of John Brookes, a great fella from Teeside.
For breakfast I had rose jam on quark and a slice of gluten free toast with butter before heading to meet John at the Complete Holiday Services where Süleyman Çardak had provided a free wheelchair for John to ‘run’ the Caretta 5km race in. John had been entering on foot before he broke it in nearby Ortaca rendering him unable to walk and so had been fortunate to be the only competitor on wheels. He was also doing this to support the local animal shelter including collecting donations from as many people as possible.

We were early but I pushed John from Süleyman’s shop to sit nearer to where the start line was and it was very apt that two dogs came to him for some cuddles. Captain Caveman came to see us off, took a few photos and had agreed to come back after nipping to the shop and getting the dinner in the slow cooker. There was a lot of people taking part and there were 3 stages which we were starting at the very end of.

We set off, slowly but surely, with a guy called Sam next to us (and his wife), this guy had suffered a stroke only a month ago and was determined to finish the race. I also didn’t want to let John down and so was equally focused on completing the course. The 5km route was flat but there were differing road surfaces of block paving, tarmac and concrete. John was so nice and he even kept his supporters informed with live posts on Facebook, encouraging more donations, as we went along and it got warmer. In some ways it was easier than I thought as once the wheelchair got going it could go fairly well but I had definitely worn the wrong shoes to do anything more than walk and push. John was in a good position to do selfies and he certainly got some cracking photos of us at a crime scene, wondering if we would need the ambulance and wishing there was tequila to spur us on!

At the halfway mark I had trouble doing a turn and knocked over the marker while we both sung (we’re half way there, whoa) Living on a Prayer, badly. We had water and also oranges at half time – Sam even started telling some jokes. John also realised I might need to wear his gloves to help with the vibrations and we put things in perspective as we passed a poor guy doing the race on crutches.

By the time we were ready for the finish line it was definitely getting tiring and I looked out for Captain Caveman while John had a call from his daughter. I hung back to make sure we were all ready to cross the finish line, live on Facebook but John struggled to get the camera on selfie mode and Captain Caveman wasn’t there. We made it over the finish line in about 70 minutes, just behind Sam and his wife, so we were relieved and happy about that. Captain Caveman arrived 5 minutes later and was surprised to see we had already finished and had picked up some snacks and refreshments.

John had been given a much deserved medal and so we went off in to the square to take some photos. Sam brought me over a medal too and I was really chuffed, John was pleased too as we agreed it had been a great race! Next year we would run it together but for this year we were grateful to have been able to finish the race with both us and the chair in tact.

We had a cup of tea at Bistro Blue before John and I went back to drop off the wheelchair and him pick up his mobility scooter, which he gave me a lift back on – wow, they are whizzy little things. Süleyman was there to congratulate John (and me) and we were both grateful for the loan of the wheelchair!

Back at Bistro Blue I had lunch with Captain Caveman while he watched the rugby. I also managed a cider before my steak and blue cheese salad plus 2 glasses of red wine. Back home I had some snacks as I was still hungry and had a loll about after my shower.
We stayed in for dinner with brisket, carrots, potatoes, onions and mushrooms, done in the slow cooker.

Photo credit includes Captain Caveman, John Brookes, Ingrid Uzun, and the official Caretta Run photographers.

Saying goodbye to my parents was hard even though we’d had such an amazing 7 weeks in Dalyan but I hoped to see them again in 6 or 7 months.
The morning didn’t quite go to plan but we ended up all going to Yummy’s for breakfast as it was nearby. I had my usual bacon, beans and mushrooms with earl grey tea and soda water (I was hungover), the other three had a full English. We said our goodbyes outside Jiks and tried not to get too upset! In the afternoon I bought winter boots and a warm coat from a friend who had advertised on the Dalyan buy and sell Facebook pages. The exchange took place back at Yummy’s with a bit of chat with a couple of Dalyan dwellers.
That evening we realised it was the closing night at River Terrace and Captain Caveman had not been there yet this year for food so we went early. I had a lovely chicken shish with a yogurt dip and the rice was served without pasta in, which is gluten free. The potatoes were lovely too and Captain Caveman really enjoyed his lamb shank.

On Saturday 26th October I had gluten free toast with beans on and only water to drink. Now that the holiday with my parents was over it was time to get back to being a bit healthier. We volunteered at the dog shelter too and it was sad to see some of our old favourites were still there and in need of a home still. Oscar remembered me and insisted on a walk and a couple of dogs got adopted.
Back to trying new places to eat we opted for Bistro Clou which is close to our apartment and had a sunny outdoor table available. I had prawn salad, Captain Caveman had smoked trout and we shared a side of beetroot. It was delicious and while Captain Caveman had a couple of beers I had fresh pomegranate juice for a very healthy lunch!

In the afternoon Captain Caveman and I sat on the balcony at home and discussed his plans for next year – he already has his work schedule. This led to me trying to decide what my plans would be and I hoped to squeeze another (earlier) trip back to Dalyan on my way to the north of England for a friend’s wedding at the beginning of May.
That evening we stayed in with a precooked chicken from the butcher’s (for 15 lira) which we ate on the balcony with some salad, a few crisps and a bottle of red wine. The slow cooker was on with a huge brisket and veg in there, ready for the next day (or two)!

Just as we were settling down for a bit of Netflix and chill we couldn’t get the phone and cable to work because it needed ‘scanning in’. We went out for wine instead at Bistro Blue – well it was Saturday night and it wasn’t like I had a something important to do early the next morning!!!

Our week on Monday 21st October started with French onion soup for breakfast followed by me getting the kitchen table on a Facebook buy and sell site. Our table is good but too big for us and we never use the extendable option on it. I had interest straight away and we needed to stay in for the man coming to see the fridge. I’d also got a woman who wanted the fridge interested in our double bed and bedside drawers so I stripped the bed and we moved in to the twin room so that she could come to view and/or buy.
By 2pm a guy from Lotus camping in Dalyan had come to look at and pay for the fridge but only had a motorbike, no van. Captain Caveman leapt off the sofa and down to the motorbike where, in true Vietnamese style, he managed to put the fridge with bungee cord on to the back of the bike. The two of them managed to secure it well and I even got a photo and checked he made it to the campsite unscathed – luckily the purchaser had travelled in Asia and so had seen far more items on the back of a motorbike and it all worked out well.

We went to Jiks for a late lunch where I had a chicken kebab and it was very tasty, Captain Caveman had a pizza and it looked great. Here in Dalyan you can get Avon and so I collected my order and went back to meet the table lady. She paid a deposit and promised to return the next day to collect – she also had arrived by motorbike but it would be a tall order to fit a dining table, 4 chairs and a spare set of seat covers on it. The lady with the bed was unfortunately unable to come until another day and so we left the bed as it was, went to meet my parents for a pre-dinner drink at Soul Kitchen (another one of my favourites where they have a playlist for my parents). They treated us to a complimentary fruit plate with sparklers and a firework on the street. My parents said they would be booking a flight to go back home, to the UK, for this coming Friday and so I wanted to make sure we saw them as much as possible before then. We decided on another meal at Adilan, which was a first for Captain Caveman, and we had a really good meal with wine. I have to say the jacket potato that came with my steak was the best I have had in a long time!

Captain Caveman had decided to give my parents our TV table and so on Tuesday 22nd October we carried it round to their place. They swapped it for a wicker shelf unit which we took to the bin on the way to get a pedicure. Captain Caveman’s feet were a real state after his expedition in Indonesia and so we were both booked in at the same time at Mimi’s Beauty Salon. I had my usual lady who is very good and she even picked me out a nice purple colour for the varnish – Captain Caveman had Mimi, no varnish. After we had finished, I was hungry so we popped to Yummy’s for a breakfast where I had my usual bacon, beans and mushrooms.

The ‘table’ lady came in the afternoon to collect the table and we did have a laugh that the man who came to help her had to put it in his boot which already had stuff in it. The apartment was starting to look less cluttered and we went to the Beko Shop to choose a new fridge which would be delivered the next day.
In the evening we were joined by my parents and a friend for the first of the weekly free quizzes at Lukka bar. Unfortunately there were far more people turned up than booked in so we had to wait a long time for our food. It came while we were doing the quiz but we managed between the 5 of us to still eat and answer most of the questions – around us others were complaining quite a bit! We didn’t win the quiz but Captain Caveman knew quite a few answers and he does love a quiz.

On Wednesday 23rd October I had my usual gluten free toast for breakfast but with cheese instead of butter. We were still hoping to have someone come to view the bed and so we were still sleeping in the spare room, but couldn’t order the new bed until we knew if the lady wanted this one. Unfortunately the lady didn’t come and didn’t answer my message so I decided we would give it up and wait until our next visitors had been in November to replace all the beds with ones which have storage beneath.
For lunch we met my parents who wanted to see Yener before they left Dalyan this week and so I had gluten free pizza once again. While there the fridge delivery man called to confirm delivery and Yener was able to help translate for us. Back home the fridge was delivered promptly and we were going to get our kitchen changed slightly to make room for it.
As ma and pa would leave on Friday we had suggested they should choose where we would eat and drink on their last few days. That evening we met at Soul Kitchen and then they chose Ramazan’s where I tried the really tasty garlic prawns and shared them as a starter, followed by steaks all round and plenty of wine.
After dinner Captain Caveman decided we would have a nightcap in a bar where a friend was drinking, so I had a gin and ginger ale at Efes bar. The music was great the selection of gins was good but it was incredibly smokey despite not being that busy and so we only stayed for one drink.

It was my parents last day on Thursday 24th October and so we had already agreed where we would spend their last night.
Before that though, Captain Caveman and I were up early and had breakfast at home before donning our work clothes and wellies and heading down to the tea gardens to meet our fellow Riverbums. For those who aren’t familiar Riverbums meet every Thursday, throughout the year, and go along the river to clear it and the surrounding areas of litter which has been dumped or left where it shouldn’t have. Dalyan has a lot of bins located at the ends or corners of most roads and so it is very frustrating to see that people still do not put litter in a bin because they are too lazy. Between 10am and 1pm we collected 88 glass bottles, a broken plastic chair, a load of plastic (bottles and bags), food wrappers, cigarette packets and fishing hooks/line. Everyone worked hard then had a drink together after at the tea gardens where Captain Caveman and I bought a couple of the Riverbums t-shirts to wear next week (I was wearing my Jungle Boss t-shirt from Vietnam this week).

For lunch we popped to one of my favourite restaurants, which was a first this year for Captain Caveman, Kordon. Luckily it is open in the winter time and does gluten free options. I had chicken shish and Captain Caveman had the biggest pide I’ve seen in a while. I had a couple of glasses of white wine but then had to leave Captain Caveman with his beer while I went to meet a man about a dog. John was entered in to the forthcoming Caretta run and had unfortunately broken his foot while here, resulting in a cast and crutches. Instead of giving up he decided to ask on a Facebook group if anyone could push him round the 5km course as he was raising money for the dog charity. As it happened I had no plans so I volunteered and he accepted and I went to meet him to practice pushing him in a wheelchair – how hard could it be!?

My parents, Captain Caveman and I had an excellent last night at Bistro Blue (of course you guessed it) where we ate like kings and made full use of that dancefloor. Captain Caveman and I shared starters of garlic mushrooms and liver & onions then both had the stuffed cheese meatballs which were all so good. Of course we had a few wines and then had a good laugh with Selahı and Annie, the owners, to wish my parents well for the end of their 7 week holiday!
I finished the night on the cosmopolitans not caring if I got a hangover!

On Friday 18th October I was up and about super early as Captain Caveman was on his flight from Istanbul, due to land at 07:15 in nearby Dalaman.
He was home by 08:30am and we were at Soul Kitchen for breakfast by 09:30am, where I had potato skins and beans with Turkish tea and he just had coffee, because he got fed on the plane.
At lunch we met my parents and we ate at Bistro Blue, where I had steak and blue cheese salad and we all had wine. In the evening we went to a place Captain Caveman and I had enjoyed last year, called Saki, where you choose all your food from a refrigerated glass cabinet and it all gets cooked and served to your table. Dad lucked out again by choosing moussaka which he didn’t really like, mom and Captain Caveman had lamb and I went for (the safe) chicken shish. We also had loads of dishes to share for starter and I thought the food was really tasty. I did manage to stick to mint tea for my evening drink though while the others had a beer. We set the alarm for the next day as we had somewhere we needed to be.

Captain Caveman was about to experience his first full day in Dalyan this year and it was great to see him after 6 weeks apart. On Saturday 19th October I had gluten free toast with cheese spread before we set off to the local dog shelter to do some volunteering. On the way Captain Caveman collected one of his bicycles (stored in a friend’s garage) and cycled on to the shelter while I walked there. Is a little out of town but an easy walk which gives me the much needed exercise for the week.
When I got there it was both upsetting and good to see that many of the old dogs from last year weren’t there, most had been adopted. We walked a few dogs and said hello to all of the ones in the cages, including Jilly, who’s brother John had been adopted already. It was hot and sweaty, we forgot to take any water and the walk back for me was hardwork because I was starting to get blisters on my feet – I wasn’t used to wearing closed toe shoes!

For lunch I took Captain Caveman to Serendip for a vegetarian mezze plate and a cold beverage and he also thought it was great (luckily, as it’s one of my new favourites and it’s open in the winter).

In the evening the two of us were booked on to the last Volkan’s Adventures Wine Tasting Tour of the season. I’d been on it before with my parents (https://joloyolo.wordpress.com/2019/10/30/dalyan-my-third-weekend/) but this was the first time for Captain Caveman and we both enjoyed the buffet, BBQ and the wine. After the tour we even had another drink with the group at River Terrace before walking the short distance home.

Photo credit Volkan’s Adventures

Sunday 20th October involved advertising house stuff for sale, a 1 year old’s birthday party and Sunday dinner at home with family! I had 2 slices of gluten free toast with butter for breakfast followed by 2 pieces of Turkish delight (which I love). Captain Caveman bought the ingredients and a brisket for dinner and he prepared and popped it in the slow cooker while we went out to Lukka bar to celebrate a first birthday. We don’t tend to bother with kid’s parties but given that her parents are friends and have been really helpful lately we made an exception.
I advertised our small fridge for sale on a local Facebook site and got loads of interest. Ours is so small and I need a bigger freezer section, plus I found out the Beko Shop has discounts on a Tuesday so we could buy a new, bigger one.
In the evening we invited ma and pa over for dinner which Captain Caveman had excelled at (Brisket with onions, carrots and potatoes with lots of wine). It went down a treat and we ate every bit of the tender meat. For dessert I served extra sticky Turkish delight which was covered in rose petals and wasn’t as well received (especially by Dad)!
Captain Caveman fell asleep on the sofa but we arranged to meet up the next day as my parents were planning their flights back to the UK soon.