Dalyan – my last day of living alone

On Thursday 17th October I was booked in for my hair doing at 09:30am with the wonderful Emrah Killis. He had been expecting me the day before and wasn’t happy when I walked in but when I showed him our messages, to change the booking because of the Cappadocia trip, he let me sit down. Mehmet had to do the dying but Emrah finished me off with the cut and curls, which wasn’t bad for less than £20!

After being pampered, I had a little walk around town, took some photos in the sunshine and then met a friend for a couple of cheeky ciders and a chat at Okyanus.

In the evening I met my parents at Soul Kitchen and dad had been sick with a stomach bug so was off the wine. They said it was my turn to choose where to go so I picked Yummy’s as I’d not been there for dinner and they hadn’t been there this year. Mom had a nice pasta dish, I had a lovely chicken and spinach dish but Dad had the face on because he realised he doesn’t like burgers (which he had ordered) but I thought it looked good.
The next day would be day 1 of Captain Caveman’s Dalyan visit, where he would stay until 27th December.

Back in Dalyan – mid October

On arriving back in Dalyan on 16th October (after 3 days in Cappadocia) it was cloudy and seemed colder than when I had left a few days ago. The cleaners were in at mine so no time to change or shower – I arrived at the restaurant early and I ordered a bottle of wine before my friend arrived. Serendip is a veggie place where they also do gluten free options and I thought the food was fantastic – definitely one of my new favourites.

In the afternoon I met mom for a trip to the bank and I showed her my new piece of pottery that had made it on 2 planes, a bus and a taxi, wrapped in a travel towel. I also picked up my new shoes from the man next door to Bistro Blue, they were 350 lira and fitted lovely.

In the evening I was so tired I don’t think I ate dinner but had a glass of wine at Lukka and a slice of gluten free toast out of the freezer.
The next day would be my last day in Dalyan without Captain Caveman, who was currently in Saigon, picking up some gifts.

Cappadocia – Day 3

Tuesday 15th October was full of activity for the 3 of us in Cappadocia. We slept in until 07:30am and then had breakfast about 08:00am before getting ready for a second day tour with Old Town Travel and Ozzy again, this time on the Green tour.
Our first stop was at the top of Göreme for a panoramic view and to see Pigeon Valley before going to see how onyx and marble differ at the Özler art centre in Uçhisar.

I found out that the ‘cheap’ ring I wear that I bought at Marble Mountain in Danang, Vietnam, isn’t made of marble and is in fact good quality Onyx. We were also shown some zultanite stones and jewellery which change colour depending on the light – I had magic fingers and found a perfect ring with every one I tried on, but only on my engagement ring finger! The Aussies suggested I get a lovely ring I liked but I didn’t think I could get engaged by myself!
The next stop was about 45 minutes drive away to the underground cave houses at Derinkuyu where I was about to test my fears on a grand scale as we had to walk for about an hour and to 35m below ground level, sometimes bending down through tunnels. I was doing well until we got stuck behind a group of 50 Chinese tourists while a keen group of Spanish tourists were catching us up.

After that we were taken for a lovely lunch in Belisirma and I had lentil soup, salad and meatballs with fresh pomegranate juice and Turkish tea – delicious food! Back on the bus we drove to an impressive part of the tour, Selime Church and cathedral, and despite it being steep to walk around I managed to do it with a broken shoe.

Next we stopped at Ihlara which was also fantastic with lots of rocks and a riverside walk down 400 steps, where Amanda managed to leave the group to go exploring in a cave. It didn’t help that my left sandal strap had managed to break and so walking was a bit of an issue but luckily Amanda had a spare hair tie which I wrapped around the sandal and my foot to keep it in place.

We had a meat board and a cheese board to share for dinner, in the town and I had a glass of red wine before returning back to Roc Cave Hotel to pack.
We finally went to bed with only 3 hours 10 minutes until our bus to the airport!

Our airport transfer bus was coming at 03:10am on Wednesday 16th October and I was so tired to be getting up after only 3 hours sleep. I hoped to get some sleep on the way to the airport but the driver crammed people and cases on to the extent that the isle was full of luggage and meant that each corner had a knock on the legs. I was freezing due to only having flipflops left but at the airport everything went well so we boarded on time. Unfortunately we had an hour delay while sat in our seats on the plane.

At Istanbul the Aussies and I said our goodbyes with promises to see each other again at Christmas. My connecting plane to Dalaman went well as I used the transfer gate to go straight through. I had a short wait at the airport for my ride but was home for 12:45pm where I dropped my bag off and went for lunch with a friend. Surprisingly the pot I made at Kapadokya Seramik was still in tact.

Cappadocia – day 2

At 5am on Monday 14th October Amanda and I got up to see the balloon flights from the top of Sunset Hill. Greg went on the balloon ride while Amanda and I watched and I have to say, I have not felt as cold in well over a year. I had a raincoat, t-shirt and vest on, leggings and sandals (of course) and it was about 14 degrees. How the girls who were modelling or doing their photos in posh frocks weren’t freezing I don’t know! We were cold just looking at them!

Watching the many balloons take off was a bit scary and I was glad I’d not gone on. I’d experienced one before on safari in Kenya about 7 or 8 years ago but we had no other balloons anywhere near us – in Cappadocia it was fairly crowded.

Back at the hotel we ate breakfast and Greg returned to join us before today’s next adventure.
We had booked a day tour with Old Town travel and our guide, Ozzy, picked us up at 9:30am for the red tour. We did lots of touristy stuff which included a visit to Avanos where we found out first hand about how difficult it is to become a master potter. I volunteered to have a go at the potters heel for the first time and made a nice pot to take home (should be fun getting that back in hand luggage).

We saw lots of phallic rocks at Love Valley where we had lots of fun trying to take rude photos. We wandered round the open air museum, enjoyed the views and caves at Çavuşin, saw where monks used to live in Paşabağı, had lunch in a big lunch hall and got to hear a lot about history. It was an amazing day and would highly recommend doing an organised tour to get the information and put things in perspective.

The tour finished before 5pm so we ate dinner in town where I had chicken salad and then back at Roc Cave hotel I finished off the half bottle of wine I had left, before shower and bed. I was tired and the last two days of walking were taking their toll on my legs but we still had another jam-packed day booked in for Tuesday.

Dalyan to Cappadocia – day 1

Our flight to Kayseri in Cappadocia was via Istanbul where I had the flight booked straight through but my Aussie friends had to recheck in. I had the obligatory wine at the airport bar then we had our short flight and a bus to our cave hotel. The place the Aussies’ had booked was about an hour away by minibus (pre-booked) in Göreme and was called Roc Cave Hotel, which was so lovely. All three of us shared a room to keep costs down and so that we could stay in a nice place for all four nights of the trip. It was dark when we arrived and so we had no idea what the views would look like until the next morning.

While Captain Caveman was back in Saigon with his Oxalis colleagues I was being woken up by a strange sound in Cappadocia. It was 7am on Sunday 13th October and the roar of flames beneath hot air balloons was loud. We stepped outside of our cave room to take a look and the views were spectacular. We had breakfast and decided we would have a day of exploring by ourselves and so we were given a direction to walk and a map by the hotel receptionist and balloon pilot. Greg also asked if he could book to do the balloon trip but Amanda and I didn’t want to.

We had an amazing first day of clambering about in abandoned cave houses and churches in the red hot sun and it was very impressive. By the time the sun set we had booked a balloon ride for Greg, found some cool places, took over 200 photos and I’d tried bubble tea for the first time.
That evening we celebrated with wine for me and gin and tonic for them. A great first day in Cappadocia despite being covered in dust and spikey plants. I also forgot to take sensible footwear and had been forced to wear my nice sandals which were getting ruined.

Dalyan – 24hrs sailing around the 12 islands.

Finally my parents’ surprise anniversary trip was here and we were picked up at 9am from Dalyan to go to Göcek. (It was also no longer a surprise). I’d booked for us to have a private boat trip on Günay 1 months ago and there was just the 5 of us now which meant the boat was only half occupied! It was an anniversary, birthday and Christmas present all rolled in to one and our Aussie friends were so excited to be going again. We had all been on Günay 1 before but had never done the extended trip and, given that the owners were going to be stopping tours at the end of this season, we were very lucky to be going.
We had tea/coffe served as we set sail and one of the staff showed great skills when he rode a wave with a tray of teas in his hands – we were impressed already. There were many swimming spots during the day as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner on board – the Aussies even spotted a do-up property in a little bay that they swam ashore to investigate! The meals were massive and of outstanding quality including some of the best homemade produce I’ve ever had. Ramazan really looked after us and we all had soft drinks, saving ourselves for the evening, knowing we were sleeping on the boat.

By 5pm we had a gin and tonic and then waited in a secluded spot to watch the sunset. By dinner time we were so full but I managed to eat the BBQ fish (I don’t eat fish usually) which was actually really good. Just being on the boat was so relaxing – it was such a treat and we all loved it, the photos probably don’t do it justice either. I thought I might be claustrophobic in my cabin but it turned out to be cozy and very comfortable. By the time I retired for the evening I had drank a bottle of red wine and fell asleep quickly.
Waking up on a boat on Saturday 12th October was fantastic and I wasn’t expecting another breakfast, this meant we had a bit more time on the glorious Günay 1 until the next group of customers arrived. It was one of the best experiences I’d had in Dalyan and loved every minute – we were so lucky!
Back on land and in Dalyan we said bye to my parents – we had less than 2 hours before we left for the airport.

Dalyan – a midweek chill out

While my Aussie friends took themselves off to Rhodes for a couple of days on Wednesday 9th October, I spent time just chilling out in Dalyan – having a quiet couple of days before our next adventure. We got some great help from someone on a Facebook group who had recently been to Rhodes and we also did a bit of research. They got a taxi to Fethiye with Sonuç from Dalyan Airport Transfers, on Wednesday 9th October, then the ferry across so they could visit the old town and stay in a swish place for one night. I took myself for a walk across to the other side of town and went to Melek Anne for breakfast – the views were fantastic but the breakfast not quite as good as I had envisaged from recommendations. There were also a load of ‘gobby’ holidaymakers in the next hotel who were smoking and having Skype calls back home with their family so it spoiled it for me somewhat. In the evening I had arranged to go to Yener’s Place with my parents so I could have gluten free pizza and then meet friends for drinks in Lukka bar. In the afternoon I happened to be sat on the balcony at home when a passing friend spotted me and called in for a G&T. We had to collect my gluten free bread from Bakery No10 so wandered over and found it wasn’t quite ready – that’s where it started to get messy! We ended up drinking wine in the garden at Jiks, and I even started eating my freshly cooked bread straight out of the bag as I couldn’t wait and it smelled so good. I had to hurry to drop my bread off at home and meet ma and pa at Soul Kitchen for our usual pre-dinner drinks. The pizza at Yener’s Place was good but I didn’t eat much of it and took the rest home. I ended up a bit tipsy and when I woke up on Thursday 10th October I felt rough. For breakfast I had the rest of the gluten free pizza, earl grey tea and some gluten free carrot and walnut cake from Bakery No10. At lunch I met up with friends and neighbours at Lukka bar but only drank orange juice and soda water as I was still feeling a bit fragile. I had some Turkish delight as an afternoon snack and waited for the Aussies to return. They were at least an hour later than expected on the ferry and they had requested döner kebabs for food that night, which was harder to find than you’d think – ovens were broken, some places only had frozen meat. We tried 3 places and finally got some at Dalyan cafe, opposite Mustang Bar, where the portions were big and we really enjoyed our food. On the way home the Aussies bought takeaway rice pudding, from Aksoy Bakery, to have back home.
We packed our overnight stuff in to rucksacks for the next day as we were off on a trip we had been looking forward to for months!

Dalyan – the Rock Tombs of Kaunos

On Tuesday 8th October the weather wasn’t good so we waited for the rain to stop before heading to Soul Kitchen for a Turkish breakfast and 2 portions of potato skins with cheese and beans between the 3 of us – it was massive!
Because the weather looked bad we decided the 3 of us would go to BC Spa for a hamam scrub down and a massage however they were fully booked until 5pm. We booked in and went back to plan A which was to visit the ancient rock tombs. Since last year when the Aussies and Captain Caveman had been unable to gain access to the tombs, Amanda had been obsessed with getting in this visit. I had asked in a Facebook group if anyone knew how and, although it wasn’t recommended/allowed, I had received some information. We came back and popped adequate footwear on and headed off to get a rowing boat over the river. After a short walk we saw the signs and we got to the first set of tombs. My aim was to simply show the more adventurous couple how to get there but not go in, however, a big thunderstorm came meaning it was better to shelter. Stupidly, I had not dressed for the occasion and had only shorts and t-shirt on but managed to get to most of the tombs the others did – 11 days it took for my tomb kisses (scars) to fade.

We did well and Amanda was excited when a wild donkey led us to a bigger tomb which we could access and walk around in. It felt amazing being up so high and seeing the views of Dalyan was great, despite my camera not doing them justice really.

On the way back we met a dog with a spikey plant in her paw and helped her by removing it, she then introduced us to her family to say thanks.
Luckily we didn’t get arrested or injured (more luck than judgement) but it wasn’t a walk in the park and we were glad of a sit down and a pomegranate juice at the lovely Meriç cafe while waiting for the boat to go back. Captain Caveman would have loved it, I’m sure, but he was still in Indonesia, exploring caves. By the time we got back to BC Spa we were wet, dirty, smelly and running late. Greg and I had the full scrub down wash on the marble slab before our massages and Amanda went for a sports massage.
The manager and therapists were great, friendly, very professional and we really enjoyed the relaxation before rushing back to get ready for dinner.

In the evening we met my parents and ate at Ramazan Han’s where I had a delicious aubergine starter which was a big enough portion for a few of us to share. The steaks are my favourite at Ramazan’s and so I had the one covered in onions (again) and it was excellent.

Some Photos by Greg & Amanda Le Couteur (with permission)

Dalyan – day trip to Akyaka, Akbük and the Akmak river.

The Road to Paradise tour with Volkan’s Adventures on Monday 7th October was a great day out. My uncle was due to arrive on this day but because of the collapse of Thomas Cook he wasn’t able to come and so my parents joined me and my two Australian visitors on this day trip. On the way we got to see some tombs which were not as impressive as the ones in Dalyan but made it easy for anyone with walking difficulties to at least see them up close.

We visited Akyaka for an amazing breakfast overlooking the Azmak river – there was so much to eat, even for a non-glutener like me (the melted cheese was my favourite).

After eating we had a short journey to the town centre and to where we had a boat ride on the Azmak river which was absolutely stunning. It wasn’t my first visit here but it was still as beautiful and the boat trip is a nice addition to the day after such a big breakfast. As a treat there was also complimentary ice creams eaten while by the river.

Next we were driven to the village and beach of Azbuk where we had lots of time to swim in the sea and take photos. I was also surprised to find that there was a lunch included at the beach cafe. I didn’t have anything to eat, partly because I was still full and partly because I didn’t want any of the options which included eggs and bread. Everyone else ate and the portions were huge so I’m glad I saved myself for dinner.

In the evening we drove a short distance to another restaurant and had a meal next to the water with a glass of wine before heading back to Dalyan about 9pm. We had a great day out and our guide, Murat, had turned out to be great fun with a wicked sense of humour!!
Ma and Pa went for a drink in Jiks when we got back to Dalyan while we headed to Lukka bar for some pre-ordered rice pudding for my friends. Süt Laç proved to be popular with my guests but I was still too full and don’t like the taste of it. It was turning cold so my parents came to join us for a drink at Lukka before we all went home. The next day would be an interesting one, which my parents decided not to join in on as they didn’t want to get arrested or hurt themselves.

Dalyan – the first weekend in October

On Friday 4th October I started the weekend with a breakfast of champions – I had 2 slices of gluten free toast with homemade bolognese and it tasted really good. I caught up on learning some Turkish online and wrote a blog post as well as eating a healthy lunch of chicken with veg and a slice of cheddar.
In the evening I had booked in at Lukka bar for fish and chip Friday where they were going to do me gluten free batter. Our Aussie friends were already in Istanbul and would be arriving here in Dalyan in a couple of days and so I was helping them to organise an itinerary while they were here, including booking an overnight trip to Rhodes. Ma and Pa live near to a fish and chip shop back home so they didn’t fancy joining me, whereas the last time I had fish and chips was in Tasmania, December 2018 and wasn’t as good as the UK one I’d had in Sheffield a few months before that.
When I arrived at Lukka bar I was told by the chef that they hadn’t been able to get the cod from Marmaris and so the fish and chips were not available this week. Instead, I joined my parents at one of their old favourites, Çağrı, where I ate chicken shish. Afterwards we had a nightcap in Jiks bar before heading home to bed – Saturday was going to be a busy one!

On Saturday 5th October it rained! By 7am a storm was starting – the sky turned grey, the clouds hid the limestone mountains and I managed to work out where some leaks needed fixing. I did some organising ready for our Aussie friends arriving the next day, including a full itinerary for their 7 day stay in Dalyan.
I had bolognese with pancakes for brunch and even made enough gluten free pancake mixture for the next day which I poured in to a jar to store in the fridge. Dad had gone to watch the rugby but had turned up at the wrong time after me and mom apparently told him the wrong time when we googled the fixtures the night before. Mom and I went shopping as I needed a raincoat and some suitable footwear for my forthcoming trip to Cappadocia in a week’s time. I bought a fake North Face waterproof and warm raincoat, an outfit and ordered some new leather shoes! Mom bought a lovely towel/blanket and I got a present for our friend who’s birthday we were all invited to that night. We stopped by Amy’s bar for a couple of ciders and bumped in to dad who was watching football. Back at home I arranged to go to my parents place for a pre dinner drink at theirs but unfortunately my mom had let me know that dad, who had gone to the barbers, had still not come home. When I went round about 7:30pm he was home and he was in a tangle because he’d had a bit of a pub crawl before and after the barbers and now mom had the face on because we were all due at Maxine’s birthday party for dinner and drinks at Dalyance.
Dad was in trouble but we still went and it was a good night but after the meal mom made dad go home and, as they headed off, I went to town where it got a bit messy – two of the fellas ended up pole dancing in Rodrigo’s bar. On the way home I called in to Lukka for another wine with friends and made friends with a couple of other customers, drinking until the early hours! Nobody would have guessed I had the Aussie friends arriving soon as I stumbled home.

The sun was back again on Sunday 6th October and I was up at 7am having pancakes with rose jam for breakfast.
That evening our Aussie friends and I had gin and tonic on the balcony before my parents came round to meet ready for our first trip on the itinerary.
We had a private boat trip booked with Captain Turgay to take us to Köyceğiz lake and then the Sultaniye mudbaths with a BBQ buffet dinner. It was a great start to the Aussie’s Dalyan holiday and a lovely ending to the week. The mud bath was so good and we were 3 of just 6 in there, while my mom had her feet nibbled by fish and my dad sat with a beer in the bar area. The hot pool was busier but interesting to mingle with the locals and simply relax. I’d not been in the dome-like building before and there were just 3 of us and the ‘lifeguard’ in there, making echoing sounds and loving the feeling of complete relaxation.

Dalyan – Here a month already

The last day of the month, Monday 30th September, started with a trip to the bank to pick up my new bank card which had arrived. I also tried to change my phone number so that I could use the online app but couldn’t and even the woman working there couldn’t sort it out. I bumped in to several members of the number 2 club and I had a couple of ciders with them in Jiks after a quick stop off at the supermarket.
In the evening it was my turn to pick where we ate so I chose off my list for one we hadn’t been before. We went for a cocktail at Dalyano first and I told ma and pa my choice was either Mai or Natural Paradise. Dad said he didn’t want to go to Mai because it wasn’t very busy and so we carried on to my second choice. When we got there Dad didn’t like the look of it and so we ended up going back to Firat’s, the place I got accidentally glutened.
He was happier there and I stuck to having a chicken shish with rice and salad and we shared a bottle of wine. After dinner we had a nightcap at Bistro Blue and I bought a new top from the clothes shop next door, where they had a sale on.

Tuesday 1st of October was my first visit to Itsuzu beach this year. I arranged to meet my parents at the bus station and we planned to take an early bus, walk along the beach and get a boat back. I’d ordered some gluten free bread to collect from Bakery No10 when I got back, too. The bus fare for one way was cheap and only takes about 15 minutes to get there however we hadn’t planned for it being the start of the new ‘winter’ timetable. We got to the beach and had a Turkish tea each then strolled along the water’s edge to the other end of the beach. We had an ice-cream and even though I normally avoid them, I had a Magnum. Mom was sure they didn’t have gluten in but it turned out the Turkish ones probably do. Ma and pa had pancakes and we eventually got a boat back at 1pm. By the time we got to Dalyan and picked up my loaf I was starving so we headed to Jiks for a drink and some lunch. I had a lovely prawn salad, a cherry juice and a cider followed by a gluten free savoury muffin back at home. Bakery No10 had excelled again as the ‘salty muffin’ was fantastic.
In the evening I stayed in and just had gluten free bread because I’d been glutened by the Magnum and felt rubbish.

I’d already planned for October to be a month for catching up with friends and so Wednesday 2nd October was one of those days. After a breakfast of gluten free toast and a few little jobs here and there I had arranged to meet a friend for lunch.
We met at Yummy’s and it looked like a lot of other people had the same idea as it was very busy. I had a lovely halloumi and roasted veg salad which was massive (I took half of it home) while my mate enjoyed a bit of quiche. We had a good catch up and spoke about me applying for residency here in Turkey so that I can spend more time here in the future.
In the evening it was back to Dad’s turn to choose where we went for dinner and he decided we would revisit the choice of the previous evening, Mai steak house, where we had avoided in favour of Firat’s. We all had steak and a bottle of wine and it turned out to be a good choice as the steak was excellent. It came served with veg which had sprouts in and even they were nice.
On the way home I bumped in to a couple of friends so I had a nightcap with them at Lukka bar and discovered that one of them does a good Elton John impression. They suggested more drinks but I decided I’d better not as I was on an early start with ma and pa the next day.

At 07:44am on Thursday 3rd October there was an earthquake in the area and I experienced the ‘earth move’ while in bed. It felt like I was on a water bed and only lasted a few seconds but the whole place moved and it felt very odd. That morning we decided to get the bus towards the beach and get off at Ekin restaurant for a Turkish breakfast. The place is lovely and beside a big lake where they serve fresh food in the gardens. It was really good and although we could have tried to work out what time the bus went back we got a taxi for only 40 lira.
For lunch I had the left over halloumi salad (from Yummy’s) with gluten free chocolate cake from Bakery No10, before popping out for some shopping. I bought a nice blanket/towel as a table cloth to cover the bright green balcony table and I decided to cook a chicken dinner and some bolognese so that I would have spare for the next day or so. A night in was had and I finished watching Unbelievable on Netflix before starting on the latest series of Designated Survivor.

Dalyan – my fourth weekend

On Friday 27th September it was a fairly ‘normal’ day. I ate beans on gluten free toast for brunch and in the evening I arranged to meet Ma and Pa at the Gin Bar for a pre-dinner drink. A couple of friends popped in to mine and we had a cheeky drink – a preloader which meant I was late to meet my parents. After a quick drink, we only had a short walk to Adilan’s for dinner, where I was going for the second time and it was just as good. We had been in Dalyan 3 weeks already and time was going by so quickly with lots of lovely food and outings to various different places. I had created a list from people’s posts on certain Facebook groups in Dalyan for all the restaurants to try – old and new, regular ones and ones I’d never tried. Given there are probably over 150 establishments it was going to keep us going until at least the end of the season. Some places I was deliberately saving for winter, knowing there would be less choice and that I would be here for quite a few more weeks yet.

Saturday 28th September was a bit mixed; I had water, tea and cheese on gluten free toast for brunch, followed by some sunflower seeds. I was meant to be having someone come to look at buying our double bed so I had cleaned up and stripped the beds, done all the washing and waited. They didn’t arrive and I saw later in the week that they had purchased a bed elsewhere but without letting me know. I ordered a gluten free pizza, from Yener’s Place, to take to dog sitting where one of the dogs quickly sussed out what was in my bag. The pizza (chicken, mushroom and pineapple) was pretty good and I checked the last time I had a gluten free pizza takeaway was 13.5 months ago. Pizza is one of the things I miss most and the gluten free versions just aren’t as nice.
I was home before midnight having fell asleep on the sofa while watching Unbelievable on Netflix and cuddling two puppies.

On Sunday 29th September I had my usual gluten free toast for breakfast and did a few chores before heading off to watch the Russian Grand Prix. My parents weren’t bothered about watching the race this time so I had arranged to watch it at Lukka bar while eating a gluten free beef dinner. I also had gluten free apple crumble with ice-cream and it was so good. A couple of friends joined me later on and so I didn’t see all of the race and I ended up drinking the equivalent of a bottle of wine that day. For dinner I met my parents and had a prawn dish at Bistro Blue, which made a nice change. After a day time session and too much food I was ready for bed and had an early night, watching more Unbelievable on Netflix.

Dalyan – a busy third week

On Monday 23rd September I was awake before 5am and the first thing I read was the news that Thomas Cook had not been able to be saved. It would be a massive knock for a lot of people who’s flights and holidays would be cancelled. It also meant that a lot of people were getting on the internet to rebook before the demand increased and the prices became too high. My friends arriving in October were unaffected but my uncle, who was due to be visiting my parents, wasn’t so lucky.
I just had water for breakfast but had my daily gluten free toast for lunch with a cup of earl grey tea. I decided that the balcony furniture needed replacing as I was missing being able to sit outside and read, write these blogs or have my meals and drinks. I tried rearranging what we did have but it wasn’t good enough and I decided to have a look for new ones tomorrow, as I was off to Fethiye with ma and pa. In the evening we decided to meet for a drink at Amy’s bar and while we were there we booked a day trip with Yusuf, on his boat, for Thursday. We had decided to pay a second visit to Ramazan’s for steak but as we walked towards it there was a power cut. Dad got a face on and we all started heading home but noticed the only place with a light on was Jiks (they have a generator) so we went there. I had meatballs and red wine and it was very good but we had an early night as we needed to be ready for the bus the next day.

I met my parents at the bus stop at 09:30am on Tuesday 24th September armed with 3 bottles of cold water. The bus was full (29 people) and set off at 09:45am to Fethiye, a nearby town with a port. We’d all been before but it had been a while so we were looking forward to having a change of scenery as well as maybe a bit of shopping. I needed to cost up some balcony furniture, as well as new beds and a bigger fridge. When we arrived we had a stroll to the harbour where there were some impressive looking boats, bumped in to 2 of my Dalyan friends (you can’t go anywhere, can you?), we had a hot drink at a local style cafe which was 5 lira for all 3 of us. We had a walk beside the water and settled for a nice looking place for an alcoholic beverage and lunch. I was happy with my cider and chicken stir fry but Dad was less impressed by his tuna salad (to be honest I didn’t even know he liked tuna). Mom was rather ecstatic over her seafood pasta and said it was one of the best she’d had – they did have to put up with draught Tuborg lager, though, as they didn’t have Efes Malt. After lunch we had a treat from the ice-cream stall, where I had cherry sorbet in a pot while ma and pa had cones of ice-cream.
We walked back and took a detour to the Duck Pond where our tour guide was busy having a few ‘liveners’ and we had a drink while watching the scenes around. My parents pointed out a few places they had frequented years ago, including a naked afternoon in the Hamam, as well as some bars. On the way back to the bus I noticed a bed shop and quickly went in to get some info and see how the ottoman style ones opened. I dashed out with a card and caught up, making it in time for the bus back.
On the way back we all sat in the same seats and I had the unfortunate situation of having the drunk tour guide sat next to me while leaning across to chat up the single Dutch lady next to me with ‘blue eyes and big tits’, as he put it. Needless to say, with that chat-up line, he got nowhere (she had green eyes) and when he asked me my marital status I said I married twice but both husband’s were now dead from talking too much. It only shut him up temporarily and the poor woman had to get off in town so that he didn’t find out where she was staying. We decided to stay in that night and I had gluten free toast and leftover aubergine yogurt for dinner.

I had forgotten how good beans on toast is!! On Wednesday 25th September I had it for my breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, because I had not successfully found replacement balcony furniture, I went to a shop in Dalyan to have a look at their small selection. I found some I liked but went home to measure the balconies to make sure what I ordered would fit. The owner, Doğan Cihan, gave me his number and said I could WhatsApp him an order which he could bring over straight away. Back home I realised I had nothing for lunch except for Bakery No10 chocolate cake, which was so good! I ordered tables only and then decided to take the old one apart to store away. By the time the delivery arrived less than 20 minutes later I had broken a leg of the old table and so I asked the man to help me dispose of it, which he did! I even got free delivery and a discount but needed to find some table cloths so the sun didn’t ruin the new tables.
In the evening we went to Ramazan’s where I had the onion steak which was amazing – definitely the best steaks in town. We shared a bottle of red too and then had a cheeky drink at Bistro Blue before heading home. We had a busy day coming up on Thursday!!

Yusuf at Amy’s bar had booked us on his boat trip on Thursday 26th September and so I met my parents at Jazz bar at 10am. We already had our swimmers on (underneath our clothes) and had took a bag with a towel each and some suncream. We were lucky as we only had 4 more people onboard and so with just 7 guests it looked to be a nice peaceful and relaxing day. We sailed out on to the sea while drinking a cup of strong tea and I forgot to take a sea-sickness tablet. We had the chance to try a spot of fishing, swim in beautiful bays and enjoy the odd beverage.
Lunch was a buffet and BBQ which was really good – I took my own gluten free bread but didn’t have it because I was so full of chicken, meatballs, salad, broccoli, carrot yogurt dip, spinach yogurt dip and rice! After lunch we had more chilling, sunbathing on the top deck of the boat then swimming in Candır lake where there are thermal springs under the water.
While we were there my friends were on another boat in the lake so I got off and we swam to meet each other for a chat (as you do). When I got back on the boat there was a glass of wine and a fruit plate waiting for me. The trip lasted until after 5pm and was a really good price for the day out.
We decided to stay in that night and off we went to get a shower and settle in for the night. Once I’d got showered though, I messaged my parents to see how they were getting on and after a few messages back and forth we decided to go out for dinner. We tried another new place off my list, Meet Meat and it was a bit ‘different’! It’s one of those places where there is no menu but you order meat at a counter and they weigh it and tell you the price. Great idea but the staff have limited English so you don’t really know what is happening and we weren’t sure what we would get with our meat. The starter was bread (not gluten free) with mushrooms in a mystery sauce which none of us tried. Me and mom shared a big rib eye steak, cut in half and was about the right size. Dad had a fillet steak which looked great, we got side dishes of salad and chips – I just had salad and my steak. We shared a bottle of red wine which we took a gamble on one we had never heard of but was nice and only 75 lira (wine is expensive in Turkey). When the bill came we were all pleasantly surprised as it wasn’t expensive for the amount of meat we had. We got a complimentary fruit plate to share afterwards and when one of the flower men came round, Dad bought three.
On the way home we had a nightcap at Bistro Blue before heading home after a hectic day!

Dalyan – my second weekend

I had a pedicure booked in first thing on Saturday, 14th September, at Mimi’s and I was looking forward to getting my feet sorted as I’d not had a pedicure for ages – it was good value for money and took an hour. I had a lovely apple tea and got to watch the world go by and the dog sleep.
After that, I went to see what gluten free stuff they had at No10 Bakery, nearby. I had a Turkish tea and a chocolate orange brownie which was incredible – I had to check it was definitely gluten free as you couldn’t have guessed. I also ordered a gluten free loaf and some cake for 3 of us, I took the carrot, orange and almond cake but had to go back later for the bread. I had a swim and a lounge about at my parents’ place, Dad made us a healthy lunch and on my way home I collected the loaf. I wish I’d known about No10 Bakery before as the bread was fantastic and I had 2 slices with butter on straight away. The baker there is unbelievably talented and I will be going there lots more.
That evening I had decided to help out some friends by looking after their 4 dogs while they went to a party. I’d met their biggest dog before and I think he remembered me with a jump up and a lick of my ear. I’d not met the rescue dog or the new puppies before and they were all very giddy and cute. Once their owners had left they spent time messing about by the pool. One went in a little bit and I had to dry all of them because one got a dry then the rest wanted one. Eventually the dogs calmed down enough for me to watch a bit of Poirot on TV while drinking wine and nibbling cheese with 3 of the 4 dogs being fast asleep when their owners returned.

Sunday 15th September was spent, once again, chilling with the family. I had gluten free toast (the Bakery No10 version) with butter for breakfast before heading out for lunch with ma and pa. They had been cleaning and had worked up a thirst so we had a couple of cheeky beers (cider for me) at Dalyan Lounge, where we also had crisps and Turkish delight as nibbles. Instead of Sunday dinner this week we opted for a local Turkish place, Firat’s, in a square full of eateries. Dad had an omelette, Mom a tuna and onion pide and I tried to go healthy with stuffed peppers. We shared a nice bottle of white wine and all was well until I got a really bad stomach, as if I’d eaten gluten. It was only when I googled a Turkish recipe for stuffed peppers that I realised that my lunch had wheat in – it wasn’t rice inside the peppers, but bulgur wheat! It was my own fault for not checking and they were very tasty. Despite being in pain and feeling terrible I still managed dinner out and we went to Yener’s Place where they are extremely used to gluten free customers. I had an amazing chicken and aubergine dish washed down with 2 glasses of wine. It rounded off the week nicely and we even got to meet Yener’s knitted dolls, given him by a customer!

Dalyan – a relaxing second week

On Monday 16th September I was still suffering with the effects of accidental gluten, I measured myself and found that in a couple of days my waist had increased by 5cm. I didn’t have breakfast and for lunch I had only gluten free bread with cheese spread.
In the evening my parents and I went for a lovely meal by the river, at Yakamoz, where I opted for a gluten free dinner of steak, salad and chips with a couple of glasses of red wine. (Gluten free-ers, the rice here is without pasta in).
On the walk back home we decided to call in to Bistro Blue as we’d not been back since we had made our own dancefloor there with the girls! I had another couple of red wines and we kept it tame this time.

It was time to try something out for the first time this year, on Tuesday 17th September. I was going to cook a meal – living in Vietnam in a shared house with a dirty, ill-equipped kitchen means we never cook at home. I invited my parents over and decided we would have chicken, veg and jacket potatoes. I do miss a jacket potato especially the proper oven cooked ones with crispy skins.
During the day I was awake early as I had a message from Captain Caveman to let me know I could book tickets for next year’s Hanoi Grand Prix but when I tried they have to be delivered by DHL and I didn’t want them delivering to the UK for £26 or to Vietnam for £31!! For the rest of the day we lounged by my parents’ pool and then my parents came over to mine, bringing white wine. I was on the red wine and the food turned out lovely. (I forgot to take a photo of it).

The gluten free bread from No10 Bakery was proving to be a winner!!! On Wednesday 18th September I had more of it plus a meal at Jiks then later some delightful gluten free chocolate cake which had only benefited from being in the fridge.
My parents decided they needed a crate of beer for nights in and so we all went to the 24/7 shop next door to mine to get some. My mom tried to find a photo of where they lived but the owner nipped off on his motorbike, brought the car round and took them home, with the beer. He took it up the stairs to their kitchen, took a half empty crate back and only charged them 205 lira – a bargain.
In the evening I joined my parents for a drink at Amy’s bar followed by dinner at another new (to us) place to try from a list I’d made. From the Facebook posts I’d read, Troy got either great reviews or slagged off so it was a gamble and we were pleasantly surprised. The red wine was nice, my garlic mushrooms great and a massive portion. When my steak came it looked a bit lacklustre but it was perfectly cooked and very tasty – I was grateful it came with just veg, for a change. Dad had a starter of cheese rolls which looked delicious and I wished I could eat one.
On the way home we had to stop by Soul Kitchen for more wine and a complimentary bit of cheese. We didn’t have a massively late night because the next day we had decided to venture out.

I’d been in Turkey for 2 weeks already and was settling in nicely. On Thursday 19th September me and my parents decided to venture out. I had my usual breakfast of gluten free toast and then called a number my mom had got from a sign. I arranged for the man to meet us outside Jazz bar at 1pm and that’s what we did. He arrived with a minibus and we picked up another couple before driving to his place, Gölbaşı, out on the way to the beach.
It was a lovely traditional restaurant and watering hole with lots of wildlife and looked so nice. I got a bit excited at seeing so many terrapins in the water. We had a lovely lunch and shared a reasonably priced bottle of white wine while mom and dad reminisced on past visits with friends.
In the evening we decided we all needed a night in and I had a very healthy chicken wrap with yogurt and sweetcorn while watching more Broadchurch on Netflix.