Dalyan – 29th & 30th May

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

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

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

Gratitude List – I completely forgot to write one.

Dalyan – 22nd May

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

Gratitude List
I didn’t write one that night.

Dalyan – 21st May

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

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

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

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

Gratitude List

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

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

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

Dalyan – 20th May

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

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

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

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

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

Gratitude List

1. The rain not lasting long

2. Chaos being in charge at Fat Club

3. Time spent with the family.

Dalyan & Ekincik – 16th May

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Credit – some photos by Ivona, Mom & Gayle

Dalyan – 15th May

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

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

Dalyan – 13th May

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

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

Dalyan & Ekincik – 10th May

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

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

Photo credit – some photos by Ann

Dalyan – 6th May

I had a little bit of a fuzzy head on Wednesday 6th May, proving once again I was no longer able to keep up on the school night drinking. I cracked on, though, as I needed to break off for Fat Club and had arranged to go out for a meal with my parents later.
On the home scales I had put on 0.5kg (1.1lb), my measurements were not good either; 1cm on my bust and hips and 2cm on my waist!
It was sunny but not particularly hot and the wind had dropped now. I walked, very carefully, to Fat Club at Ren Garden where the roads were tricky due to the new pipes being put in.
Unfortunately, Carol’s scales were not kind and I had put on a whopping 1.15kg (2.5lb) this week. I was off to the UK this time next month and my aim to be slim again was quickly disappearing. I had a pot of tea (no cookies this week) for 100 lira (£1.67) and had a good chat with the ladies.
Back home I raced through my afternoon tasks so that I could finish at 5.30pm and meet my parents. Ma & Pa love an early bar before eating out so we had decided on Retro bar, another one of my favourites.
I arrived first and decided to take some photos. Having got my new phone in February I was acutely aware all my photos so far were of my food or boats on the river. I rarely go to bars these days so this was the perfect opportunity. I was also hoping to get more family photos when we were all together later this month.
Ma & Pa arrived and ordered their preferred beers, Efes Malt, which were 160 lira (£2.67) while I decided to push the boat out and try a cocktail. I was using the excuse that we might bring my sister here and she loves a cocktail so we needed to check if they were any good. I decided on a margarita at 345 lira (£5.75) and, not only did it have an actual lime in it, it had a very salty rim and passed the test.
It was nice sitting at Retro bar which had been improved since last year. I liked the cushions which all had bears on doing different things and they even had a shuffleboard in there now. We had a second round of drinks and chatted to the bar staff Onurkan and Mustafa (previously from Lukka bar). It’s always interesting at the start of each season which waiters we will see working in which bars as there is often a bit of a change around.
As Ma had paid the bill last week at Ren, I paid our Retro bar bill at 1400 lira (£23.33) which I thought very reasonable for 4 beers and 2 cocktails, while sat in the sun.

For our evening meal we had decided on Lukka bar, which is another one of my favourites. It’s located near the river and metres from where I live so is super handy for me and I enjoy the quality of the food – I really like the music bingo nights there, too!
We looked at the menu and it was still the existing one, which had a lot of choice. I played safe by choosing my favourite meal at Lukka, Beef Çökertme. Mom ordered a chilli chicken dish and Dad the Jack Daniels steak. We were given some fresh flat bread and dips to start and we enjoyed those with a glass of wine. Being frugal, I had worked out that it can often not work out any cheaper to buy a bottle of wine instead of having the same amount but by the glass. Mom prefers white and Dad and I had red so we just had a couple of glasses each at 250 lira (£4.17) for Angora, one of the decent brands. When the meals came, Dad’s had the sauce poured on at the table and it looked really good. We all enjoyed our meals and I really love the beef çökertme which is strips of steak in a tomato based sauce on a bed of chipstick potatoes and a big dollop of yoghurt – delicious!
At the end of the meal, Mehmet sent over a round of drinks on the house which was much appreciated. I’d had a lovely evening and it was nice to get out for a change. Our total bill came to 4,590ira (£76.50) and we decided to split it; including a tip I paid 1700 lira (£28.33).
Of course, my daily budget had gone out of the window today with a total spend of £53.33, but it was worth it and I didn’t have anything to splash out on tomorrow.
It was a real treat and I went home quite merry having had 2 cocktails and 3 red wines.

Gratitude List
1. Fat Club, despite a big weight gain!
2. Drinks with Ma & Pa at Retro bar after work
3. Dinner with Ma & Pa at Lukka bar.

Dalyan – 2nd May

On Saturday 2nd May, Vanessa was celebrating her 60th birthday, a few months early with a boat trip and I had been invited to join her, her family and friends. I was also invited to Irenea’s 79th birthday dinner at River House later. I had took the day off and was ready for celebration number 1 on the yellow boat at 10.30am.
In the news the decision to hike up the residency permit fees in Turkey had been revoked so everyone was happy again, it looked like there had been so many complaints. This was good news and it was one less thing to worry about. My next renewal would put me in a position to be able to apply for long term residency too, if I wanted it.
I had brought Vanessa a bottle of Kahlua as she’s quite partial to a cocktail which her daughter was bringing the other spirit to match. Onboard the party boat were; Vanessa & Matt, Alicia, Lucy, Damo, Liv, Ma & Pa, Julie & Gareth, Adam & Kath, Kate & Mark, Hakan (the Captain), Nilüfer (2nd mate) and me.
The boat trip was absolutely fantastic and the best yellow boat trip I’d been on so far. There was lots of delicious food (including steak that melted in the mouth) and lots of swimming for those brave enough to get in the cold water (not me). Some of the guests took the kayaks out and brought back some logs which were impressive. It was also great to see Vanessa surrounded by her friends and being spoiled – this was just the start of her celebrations for her being 60! The booze flowed and there was cake and Vanessa’s favourite shots, Blow Jobs. They started out as Baby Guinness but then we used the cream from the cake to make Blow Jobs. I poured them out and, looking back, it’s probably a bit wrong to ask Dad if he’d like another Blow Job but he didn’t say no. Luckily, we are a family with a good sense of humour which dips it’s row in the gutter every now and then!
There was a lot of laughter and later some dancing and singing – we almost purchased a karaoke machine right then when a Baileys-fuelled Kate got on to Trendyol to find one we could all have shares in! Matt had very kindly paid for the impressive boat trip for everyone so I only had to pay for my 4 white wines which I paid 800 lira (£13.33) for.

We didn’t get back until it was almost dark and I had to rush home to get to my next party while the rest sacked off a wedding in favour of more drinks at Ozzy’s bar.
I got in, got some warmer layers on, picked up more teabags for Ian and hurried to River House where everyone but me was already seated with a drink.
I sat next to Debbie (Darling) who had saved me a seat and while she had a lovely looking prawn cocktail, I ordered a mushroom risotto which was excellent.
After a couple more wines and more birthday singing and cake, I had well and truly done it! I paid 1,350 lira (£25.83) for my food, drinks and a tip and thought the River House meal was very good. I walked Sue to her taxi while some of the party animals continued to Sofra Bar for more celebrations. I was getting old and couldn’t keep up!
Back home I tried to drink 3 pints of water before bed, conscious that I had agreed to go to the beach in the morning and was working all afternoon tomorrow to make up for the day off today. I put all my devices and battery pack on charge as there had been a warning of a planned powercut tomorrow and I didn’t want to get caught out. My road was not on the list I read, but there’s always a chance it could still affect my area.

Gratitude List
1. The residency permit fee increase being scrapped due to complaints
2. Vanessa’s 60th birthday boat trip on the Yellow boat
3. Irenea’s 79th birthday meal at River House.

Photo Credit – some photos by other party goers

Dalyan & Ekincik – 26th April

Sunday 26th April saw the first boat trip of the new season with Captain Ünal on Duran Duran boat. It was a bit of a cloudy day but not raining so we were off to Ekincik Bay. Joining us on the trip was Sioned (Ünal’s wife and my Turkish teacher), their children, Julia and her parents, Jamie, Drew, Elaine (Nanny Kay’s daughter) and me. There was tea, coffee, the famous specially prepared Welsh cakes and Turkish simit to nibble on as we sailed out to sea. I took a sea sickness tablet just in case and chilled out a bit until we got to Ekincik. There was just one more boat there and coincidentally a friend, also from Jamie and Julia’s neck of the woods, was onboard with friends – they were already in the sea.
Although the weather wasn’t warm enough for me to swim, Julia and the kids did brave it. We had another swim stop at Magic Lake where you can feel the warm thermals in the water – I wasn’t brave enough to get in as it was cold.
The boat trip was lovely and the BBQ and mezes very tasty. They served Angora wine which I had 4 of with soda. I paid £45 for the boat trip and 1200 lira (£20) for drinks, so a total of £65 for a full day out including food and drink. As we sailed back in to Dalyan it started to rain. When I got in, it was about 5pm and I was quite tired, I think it was the sea sickness tablet I’d taken. I had a nap and didn’t wake up until 9.30pm, by which time it was too late to bother with dinner, so I just went back to bed.

Gratitude List
1. Being invited on Julia’s boat trip
2. Spending time with Sioned as I don’t see much of her these days
3. Having a day off.

Dalyan – 22nd February

Our first day together on Sunday 22nd February was lovely. Captain Caveman and I had been due to go on a boat trip but, due to the water levels and it not being safe for getting on and off the boat, it had been postponed. This meant we had a free day and I needed to make sure that Captain Caveman didn’t regret not having arranged a Sunday Walk. We decided we would go for food at Kefal tea gardens then have our own short walk, and a leisurely Sunday.
I took my new phone to try out the camera but I didn’t yet have a case for it so needed to be super careful. I took a selfie and the quality of the camera was good, you could see every wrinkle!
Our first stop on the walk was to check out the river levels outside Tapa bar. This was the highest I’d seen it – Captain Caveman and I had to walk round the road way to the Kefal tea gardens as, even with wellies on, it was too deep. When we arrived at Kefal the sun was out and they had the windows open in the indoor area. Here’s what we had and the prices in lira;

Kefal tea gardens
2 Turkish teas 50.00
1 cheese toastie 150.00
1 Turkish breakfast 360.00
Total spent 560 lira (£9.49)

The food was really nice but my Turkish breakfast was so big that Captain Caveman had to help me eat it.

After breakfast we had a meander, we called in to see Jamie and Norman and had quite a walk around Dalyan while the sun was out. As it was a Sunday, there was nowhere open to exchange currency so I paid £100 cash in to my Turkish bank and moved it across so we could draw out some cash to spend. By 3.30pm we were treating ourselves to an alcoholic beverage in the sun outside Public bar. Captain Caveman ordered an Efes for 190 lira (£3.22) and I went mad with a pint of shandy for 220 lira (£3.73). While Captain Caveman didn’t flinch at the costs, I thought it was a little more than I would usually pay for 2 beers but nevertheless, I enjoyed it – my first beer of 2026. It was the first time we had visited this bar and I liked the interior, there were quite a few Turkish visitors too which was good to see.
Next we went to the Kaunos tea gardens where we met a friend for a bit of a chat. We paid the bill and here’s what we had with prices in lira:

Kaunos Tea Gardens
1 water 20.00
1 lemon soda 40.00
1 Tuborg beer 200.00
Total spent 260 lira (£4.41)

It was gone 6pm by the time we left the tea gardens and it was getting a little nippy so we decided to call in to Waterfall bar to say hello. We had a couple of drinks in there and had texted friends who we thought were calling in, but they didn’t arrive. The bill came to 600 lira (£10.17) for 2 wines and 2 beers then we walked towards home, shivering by this time as it had turned cold.
We decided to eat dinner at Çağrı, an old favourite of ours. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

Çağrı
1 large water 50
1 Lahmacun 180
1 Mixed salad 200
1 Efes Malt 200
1 red wine 250
2 lentil soups 300
1 pide 320
Tıp 200
Total spent 1700 lira (£28.81)

The food was fantastic and the service super quick, the perfect end to a boozy and relaxing day together. We’d spent around £60 between the 2 of us in just one day and we did comment how good value that was compared to what we’d have spent in the UK on a Sunday, out and about.

Gratitude List
1. A day off with Captain Caveman in Dalyan
2. Having a super new phone that worked, even if I didn’t know how to use it yet
3. Great food and drinks.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st February

It was my last full day and night on Friday 20th February before Captain Caveman’s arrival in Dalyan tomorrow. This meant that I had a to do list as long as my arm to try to get everything done today. I was aiming to take Sunday off so that I could spend the day with Captain Caveman and some friends on a boat trip. I finally finished for the day at gone 9pm and made myself some pesto pasta for a quick dinner. I didn’t leave the house so it was another zero spend day but tomorrow I would go to the market and get some shopping ready for Captain Caveman.

Gratitude List
1. Looking forward to seeing Captain Caveman
2. Working hard to get everything done
3. Pasta.

The day that Captain Caveman was flying to Dalyan was finally here on Saturday 21st February. This would be his first visit of the year and wasn’t quite the holiday we would’ve liked as he still needed to work as usual while he was here; Monday to Friday – 12 noon to 8pm, which was 9am to 5pm UK time. He’d stayed in the Tribe hotel at Manchester airport last night, so it meant he could have a good breakfast before his flight took off at 1.45pm.
Before 9am I had spent an hour working, and could hear the builders at the apartment downstairs. The Aussies were replacing their balcony railings with metal ones and I was surprised to see them working in the rain.

I ventured over to see Jamie & Norman who were going to the market. Jamie gave me a lift there as it was raining again. I spent less than £3 this week as I had some fresh veg left at home. Here’s what I got with prices in lira;

Market
Stall 1
Carrots 20 lira (34p)
Stall 2
Potatoes, onions & garlic 45 lira (76p)
Stall 3
Apples and oranges 65 lira (£1.10)
Stall 4
Peppers 30 lira (51p)
Total spent 160 lira (£2.72)

After a quick mooch round the weekly market, Jamie dropped me off in town. I still had items on my shopping list that I’d not managed to get and I wanted to stock up, ready for Captain Caveman. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
Mints 22.50
Biscuits 25.00
Crisps 45.00
Wipes for glasses 49.50
Cherry tomatoes 49.50
Wraps 90.00
Kaymak 92.50
12 toilet rolls 105.00
Total spent 479.00 lira (£8.12)

Parlak Bakery
Bread 15 lira (26p)

I put the shopping away, had a tidy up and cleaned the house before deciding to tot up my total spending for February, up to today!
I’d started February with £91 left from January and it had been a self imposed challenge to see if I could live off that for the first 3 weeks of February. If you’re an avid reader you will know that because of a planned night out with friends for Valentine’s, I’d almost spent it after 2 weeks in. So, I did a cheeky cheat and isolated that weekend’s splurge and carried on to see if I could still spend up to £91 plus the £37 extravagant weekend. It wasn’t easy, especially as each time I went to the shops, there were a few items I couldn’t get hold of. This meant that when I went again, it was tempting to buy extra treats that weren’t essential.
Anyway, here’s the results with the night out in;
Week 1 spent £25.97
Week 2 spent £57.72
Week 3 spent £38.63
Total £122.32, which meant I overspent by £31.32! If I took the night out from week 2 where I spent £37.29 extra, my total was only £20.34. which would mean a total of £85.03 and being under by £5.97. Of course, I had cheated and didn’t achieve it but I know I would’ve given up and spent more had I not isolated that blip. I think it’s still impressive to have spent less than £41 per week for 3 weeks running. It also showed me that it was possible to live in Dalyan cheaply. Lucky for me, Captain Caveman was bringing cash with him and we were going to be less frugal for the last week of February.
After doing a bit of work on an itinerary for Vietnam, I had a curry for dinner and then decided to open a bottle of red wine while I waited for Captain Caveman to arrive.

Captain Caveman’s flight was due to land at Dalaman airport at 9pm, however, it took off 39 minutes late. We’d already agreed for me not to save or cook Captain Caveman any dinner but we would have some drinks with cheese and biscuits instead. At 10pm I got a message from Sonuç, our airport pick up driver, to say they were just leaving Dalaman now. Captain Caveman had only an underseat bag so he was through quickly once they had landed. He arrived bearing gifts of a brand new Oppo phone for me, 2 boxes of solid coconut, 2 vacuum bags with the stuff I left in London and new electric toothbrush heads. I was so excited to have a new phone as my old one was playing up more and more – I had hoped to get one the next time I was back in Vietnam. I cried with happiness and was so overwhelmed as it was better than my existing model. He’d also treated himself to a nice bottle of Rakı for £26 at Duty Free.
We had a glass of wine and then, as it was Saturday night about 11pm, we decided to head to Sofra bar. I was surprised to find it was empty apart from a couple of people who left not long after we got there. Captain Caveman had his first Efes Malt and I had a red wine, they went down so well that we had a second. Our bill came to 660 lira (£11.19) and Captain Caveman was very happy with that price. I knew I would find spending money so freely this week a bit of a change, after my attempts to live off less than £5 per day!
Back home, I prepared a cheese board and we had some wine with it. Captain Caveman seemed to react to the wine here in Turkey and I think it’s because it’s got sulphites in. We finally called it a night at 2.20am so it’s a good job the planned boat trip for tomorrow had been postponed due to unsafe water levels.

Gratitude List
1. Shopping
2. A new phone
3. Captain Caveman arriving in Dalyan.

Pontecarlo – 12th January

It was our first day back ‘in the office’ on Monday 12th January and I had lots to catch up on. Resort Experts had a new system being launched which would make our jobs easier and included automation and task, enquiry and holiday management. It looked very good and I was keen to have a go at using it.
Today was also the day I got to open my actual real copies of ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, both hardback and paperback. They looked and felt great, even if I do say so myself, and I was pleased with them. Now I just needed to sell them. My aim was to sell at least 1 per day, which doesn’t sound a lot but it was a target to start off. Ideally to be able to make a minimum wage type of income, I needed to sell in excessive of 10 per day – which I think is a bit of a stretch. What I should’ve done is ask people to buy a copy for themselves or someone else as a birthday gift to me – but I was too busy being hungover!

If you are reading this and haven’t bought a copy yet, I’d really appreciate it if you would – the paperback is just under £15 and the reviews and feedback so far have been extremely positive. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0G7S5VX47/
You can see it as buying me my belated birthday drink but with so many more benefits for you too. Thank you! 🤪
It’s also available in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. If you’re in Turkey, it’s better to ask me to bring you a copy back from the UK next time I go.

Both Captain Caveman and I worked all day with barely a break, except for a quick sandwich at lunch. By 7pm we had gone for a rather chilly walk to Asda but got sidetracked and ended up in the Robin Hood pub because it was so cold out. I ordered a pint of tap water and a cherry beer, Captain Caveman had a toffee stout which nearly tipped me over the edge, after drinking stout on the birthday night out. We just had the one drink then went shopping, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Asda Supermarket

1 bag for life 0.40*
6 packs of crisps 1.00*
Coriander 1 05*
Paprika 1.05*
2 Tomato Puree 1.36*
Spinach 1.60
2 Chinese sauces 1.66*
Lazy Ginger 2.00*
2 Moroccan Seasoning 2.20*
4 Slow Cooker sachets 2.50*
Curry Meal kit 3.00*
2 packs cheese slices 5.08
Options hot chocolate 5.64*
3 packs of Cheese 7.95*
Total spent £39.49

*were items for me to take back to Turkey.

During the shopping, I needed the loo and discovered that Asda didn’t have a toilet so I had to call back in to the pub, but didn’t get another drink. It was really cold so we hurried home to have a pasta bolognese, cooked by Captain Caveman. We opened the Christmas Belgian beer to drink in mugs and I only managed a little bit – it was very nice but the alcohol was not going down well with me.
It had been a decent day but we were still both tired after the wild weekend, with a very early start due tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. The Handy Travel Planner – all my hard work had paid off
2. Getting caught up with work stuff
3. A lovely evening with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 10th January

Ma cooked us a full English breakfast on the morning of Saturday 10th January and it was so good – I do miss a good sausage! It was pretty cold in Sheffield. The snow that had come down recently was just icy now and all the roads were fine in Mosborough. I caught up on some Resort Experts admin in the morning and saw a post from Claire Clarke, the business book publisher. She had posted on Facebook a photo of her with a pile of books which included mine – which was nice.
In the afternoon Captain Caveman and I decided to chance an icy walk to the Co-op for some essentials. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;

Co-op Supermarket
Garlic 0.80
Onions 1.10
Potatoes 1.35
Stilton 1.40
Peppers 1.95
Feta Cheese 2.45
1 bottle Pinto Grigio 5.80
1 bottle Rioja 7.75
Total spent £22.60

I got a dodgy stomach while we were in the shop, so I headed to the Alma pub for a loo stop and a pint of water, while Captain Caveman did the shopping. He then met up with me at the pub and we had a couple of pints. A friend came to join us and we had a really good catch up, drinking probably a little too much cider for me. This meant we were running a little late to get ready for tonight’s celebrations.

All 8 of us (Ma, Pa, Gayle, Neil, Morgan, April, Captain Caveman and me) were booked in for a joint birthday celebration at the Angel in Spinkhill. Because the weather was unpredictable, Neil drove in 2 trips and we would get taxis back. The place was very nice and had quite a cosy dining area, next to the bar – which was very handy. I overdosed on cheese for my meal choices; Captain Caveman and I shared baked camembert for starter, we both had the duck for main and we shared a cheese board for afters! The food was very good and I managed at least a couple of glasses of red wine too. My sister had the gluten free choices, as she’s coeliac, and it was excellent – all served on back plates so that they weren’t mixed up with the white plates, containing gluten. I was impressed with what I had and our share of the bill was paid by Captain Caveman with it being for my birthday. Our waitress happened to be the daughter of an old school friend of Gayle’s and a neighbour from when we lived in Frecheville – she was so like her mother and had a lot of patience with our group.

There was a bit of a rush to get the taxis back as the restaurant closed at 9.30pm but we took our wine with us and decided we would call for a last drink at the Craftworks in Mosborough. It was hilarious and the drinks were flowing – it was certainly not a good idea for me to drink a pint of stout as my final drink, or get a selfie with the barman who had lovely hair! It was great to spend time with the family and our combined birthday celebrations were a winner, without snow ruining it. Back at Ma & Pa’s we ended up drinking more wine! I had a feeling my actual birthday, tomorrow, was not going to be hangover free and we had to get the train back to Pontecarlo!!

Gratitude List
1. An English breakfast cooked by Mom
2. Cheeky afternoon drinks in the pub with a friend who needed a beer
3. A fantastic family meal to celebrate our birthdays in bad weather.