Dalyan – 25th & 26th February

There were plans for an after work outing on Wednesday 25th February and I was looking forward to it. I was also quite tired on our morning walk round Dalyan where we saw that the water levels were back down. The Dalyan Dwellers who had been having to use the back door only, for drinking at Tapa bar would be pleased with that progress.

Before breakfast I did my measurements and got weighed. Despite putting 1cm on my bust and waist and losing 1cm from my hips, the home scales said I had lost 0.4kg (0.9lb), which I was surprised about. I felt sure I would’ve put on some.
After work and soup for lunch, I popped off to Fat Club where I had unfortunately put on 0.25kg (0.5lb) on Carol’s scales, so that was disappointing but better than I had expected, plus I was about to ruin it with a night out. I finished more from my to do list and left Captain Caveman working until late but he would join us later. I met Nanny Kay, Jamie and his Dad, Geoff, at Ren Garden for a drink before dinner. I just had a red wine for 150 lira (£2.54) then it was time to go for food.
Captain Caveman joined the 4 of us at Jik’s pub where we ordered food. All of us except Jamie ordered pizzas, Jamie chose a chicken curry. Jik’s is one of those places that is consistent and has friendly staff. The wine and beers flowed for a weekday night too.
Captain Caveman paid our bill of 1,760 lira (£29.83) which included red wines, beers, pizzas and chips. I thoroughly enjoyed our evening out and didn’t think about having to get up early tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Dalyan being dryer
2. Being lighter on the home scales than at Fat Club
3. An excellent evening out with friends.

Disaster struck on Thursday 26th February when our kettle started to leak! It turned out that the calcite in the tap water had finally made the kettle come apart where the measurement level section was. We didn’t have a walk as we both had work and laundry to do. While Captain Caveman had a meeting, I went to several shops to see if there were any kettles. They were very expensive in the electrical shops although there was a Turkish style kettle and tea pot in Migros for only 800 lira (£13.69) but I wasn’t sure it would be good enough. I decided to wait as tomorrow I was taking the afternoon off to go to Ortaca and I might find one there.
For our dinner, Captain Caveman had insisted that we go out to another one of our favourite restaurants in Dalyan. We arrived at Duble just after 8pm when Captain Caveman finished work. Ibo welcomed us and we sat at a nice table inside. We decided to order a bottle of red wine, 2 soups for starters and 3 dishes to share for main; cheese rolls, liver and chicken shish. It was all very tasty and the liver there is my absolute favourite. We had a great night and we ended up paying just less than £40 for the 5 dishes and a bottle of red wine.

Gratitude List
1. Still finding time to go out after working a long day
2. Captain Caveman suggesting Duble for dinner
3. Great food which was such good value for money.

Dalyan – 23rd & 24th February

On Monday 23rd February Captain Caveman needed me to find the paper work for the Council Tax from last year. One of the jobs he was doing while he was here was sorting out paperwork, insurances and anything he needed signatures for. I usually work in the morning but today Captain Caveman needed me to help him and he wasn’t working until midday our time (9am UK time).
Oddly, although we only paid 3,379.20 lira (£57.27) for a whole year’s council tax, this was an increase of 55% on last year’s. This was based on us being 2 people in a 2 bedroom apartment. Captain Caveman was ecstatic about how low this cost was as his monthly amount in Pontefract on solo occupancy was twice the price of our annual amount for just one month!
We both worked hard and I made us a bowl of soup for a late lunch at 3pm, then went back to work. I finished at 7pm so that I could cook Captain Caveman and I a meal for when he finished at 8pm. I was tired but glad that Captain Caveman had been able to work all day and the 2 lots of internet we had, worked enough for us to both work from home. We have Captainnet for the home WiFi which can be very slow at times so I also have Turkcell as a back up on our ‘bat phone’.

Gratitude List
1. Council Tax bargains despite a 55% increase
2. Managing to get stuff done
3. Having Captain Caveman in Dalyan.

By 8.15am on Tuesday 24th February Captain Caveman and I were on a walk round Dalyan before starting work. The weather was fine but the water levels hadn’t receded that much yet. We called at the bakery where we bought 1 simit, 1 açma and a fresh loaf for 50 lira (85p). We decided to have a breakfast at home so we called at the shop for some more breakfast essentials, prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
1 plastic bag 1.00
Cherry jam 59.50
10 eggs 75.00
Honey 99.00
Total spent 234.50 lira (£3.97)

Back home, we tucked in to our breakfast with me knowing that Weigh day tomorrow was not going to have a good result.
Both of us got on with work and I even squeezed in a Lisa Johnson Fabulous Foundation session to catch up with my friend who was flying through it.
We had a late lunch of leek and potato soup then more working until after 7pm when I made us a mystery frozen meal. I’d not remembered what it was and even after tasting it, we weren’t sure but it was pretty spicy.

Gratitude List
1. A morning walk with Captain Caveman
2. Getting stuff done from my to do list
3. A random spicy meal which we were impressed with.

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.

Dalyan – 18th & 19th February

It was a busier day on Wednesday 18th February and it was also weigh day. At home the scales said I had stayed the same as last week and my measurements showed no change to my bust, 2cm off my waist but 2cm on my hips. Carol’s scales this afternoon would be the official result.
I added more items to the shopping list and went over to Ren Garden for the Fat Club meeting. I had a tea which was 60 lira (£1.02) and Carol’s scales showed I had lost 0.75kg (1.7lb) – I was happy with that! I called at the shop while we had a gap in the rain, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 25.80
Dark chocolate 54.95
Marshmallows 59.95
3 Dido chocolate bars 70.10
Basmati rice 78.95
2 Quark 111.90
Total spent 401.45 lira (£6.80)

Back home I had a late lunch/early dinner of chicken and veg fried rice which I added edamame beans to, one of my favourites. They say on the packet not to freeze edamame beans but they were fine.
I went back to my laptop for the rest of the afternoon then I decided to have a wander.

The recent rains had been quite brutal so whenever it stopped it was good to get the wellies on and go out! A friend shared photos from the beach which had been hit hard with the storms, while the Dalyan river had flooded – Tapa was now advising patrons to use their back door!
By the time I got back home, it was dark and I noticed a delivery of something weird for The Aussie’s apartment downstairs. I made an assumption that my noise cancelling headphones might be coming in handy over the following days!

Gratitude List
1. Losing Weight
2. Shopping (including some treats)
3. A rare early evening walk.

I was pretty much in my office all day and night on Thursday 19th February. At 9am I started the Lisa Johnson Fabulous Foundations course. My friend had already got started yesterday so I was playing catch up. It was very good and was a free course to help business owners get their businesses off the ground and growing in the right way. It was useful and then I had a chat with my mate, who had also got on well with it. We discussed and decided to help each other be accountable for getting things moving in the right direction. At 2pm we had the Resort Experts team meeting, and I eventually ate lunch of leftover fried rice, at 3.20pm. Next week, both Captain Caveman and I would be working from home and I was a bit concerned how we were going to fit in any free time as I simply didn’t seem to have any lately. I did some work in the afternoon and then had a video call with Vanessa who was due over to Dalyan later this month.
My dinner ended up being a Slimming World wrap pizza at 9pm and then I was fit for nothing but had managed another zero spend day and had not left the house. I told myself it would all be worth it in the end and to just keep going.

Gratitude List
1. Starting the Fabulous Foundations course
2. Good food
3. Zero spend day.

Dalyan – 15th February

There was a bit of excitement on Sunday 15th February as the flights for Poland and Brussels were going to be booked today. Captain Caveman had already said he would book our two and our good friend, Louisa, was going to be booking hers as we had invited her to join our adventure. Captain Caveman was going to Poland for 5 days of Bridge so this meant Louisa and I could be off exploring without him during some of the trip and then in Belgium we planned to introduce her to the Brussels Beer Festival and our favourite kebab place. I was so excited that I went for a walk outside not realising how bad the floods had been, the Dalyan river was now starting to overflow. The worry among the Dalyan Dwellers, who like to drink in Tapa bar, was if they would still be able to get in the front door! I stopped to take some photos, my phone was still playing up and kept deleting stuff but today I managed to get quite a few that saved. I always say hello to the street dogs who I’ve called Bowie and Dexter, they are friendly and love a little stroke.
I decided to go to the shops, despite already having almost blown the budget by spending £37 on food and drink out this weekend. So that I wouldn’t throw in the towel on Frugal February, I cheated a bit and isolated that particular expense to see if, without that, I would still be able to save money. Otherwise I knew I’d just admit I’d failed and not continue to be frugal.
I took the day off while it had stopped raining and wanted to buy some things in readiness for Captain Caveman arriving next weekend. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 6.33
Bleach 45.95
6 Eggs 59.95
Olives 61.50
Wholemeal bread 99.50
1.5kg whole chicken 124.24
3 Quark 167.85
Mouthwash & shower gel pack 259.95
Total spent 825.27 lira (£13.99)

Parlak Bakery
Bread & Simit 30 lira (51p)

I’d not heard back from Captain Caveman about the flights so I set up a Facebook group with him, Louisa and I so that he could post any instructions on which flights to book. I’d already let him know that I would be meeting a friend at 2pm at the tea gardens and wouldn’t have WiFi. I spent less than 50 lira (85p) on tea and we had a good chat. My friend had organised a boat trip for next Sunday which we were going on and she was looking forward to seeing Captain Caveman.
It was 5.30pm when I left and walked home to see a load of activity in the Poland/Belgium group chat, plus a missed call from Louisa. Nevertheless, it was all booked! As I scrolled through the updates and screenshots I still wasn’t convinced we were all on the same flights but Captain Caveman and Louisa seemed to have it all under control. I was really looking forward to it, especially as this would be my first visit to Poland.
While I chatted to Louisa I prepared a Sunday dinner, she was also excited and had been to Poland before but not the Beer Festival. We laughed as I think Captain Caveman had been a bit vague on his plans for me to be a Bridge Widow, although it had all worked out well now that I had a friend to keep me from moaning at him for playing too much Bridge! My Sunday dinner was lovely and after that, I spoke to Captain Caveman who was also excited to have got our trip booked. This time next week he would be here in Dalyan with me.

Gratitude List
1. A morning walk
2. Catching up with a friend at the tea gardens
3. Finalising the Poland/Belgium plans.

Dalyan – 1st February

It was the first day of my Frugal February on Sunday 1st February and I’d also planned to take the day off. I had given myself a mission to spend less than £91 (5,369 lira) in 3 weeks. The exchange rate throughout February would get nearer to 60 lira to the pound – the highest I’d known it. I’d already pretty much cut out non-essential purchases from my lifestyle for most of the last year or more, but now I was really going to test myself (hopefully). Captain Caveman would arrive for the last week of February and we would spend normally then – and have a bit of a treat or two.
I had another 10 days left with Norman and he was doing well despite the wettest winter I’d had in Dalyan. The forecast didn’t look much better for the next week and I could guarantee it would probably fine up, the day that Jamie returned!
After tea and toast with Norman, who promptly fell asleep after his corner of toast, I checked my blog stats. January had 24% more views than December and the top 3 views were from the UK, Türkiye and the USA, then followed by The Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, Vietnam and Ireland. I was pleased to see Vietnam in the top 10 for the start of 2026. It stopped raining but the skies were grey and another downpour was imminent.
I met a friend at the tea gardens and we had a catch up and a cup of tea – I splashed out and had 2 large teas for 40 lira (68p) and we were there for a while. We left just as it was starting to rain again but I managed to get back home in time to check on the leaks. Our pool on the complex had overflowed so it was a good job I had my wellies on.
By the time I was walking past my parents’ and to Jamie’s, the sun was out and I hurried back to take Norman out for a walk. I found him laying on the kitchen rug, basking in the sunshine. On the walk, the skies got gloomier and by the end of it, little Norman had quite a spurt on to get home before he got wet.
We got in just before another downpour and I had sausage casserole with veggies and potatoes for my dinner – it was delicious. I ended up doing a bit of work in the evening and decided to follow another one of those prompt sheets I often do but only get halfway through!
Norman came for snuggles on the sofa while I got excited over a Facebook recognition badge (sad, I know) and a video call with Captain Caveman who was in London.

Gratitude List
1. Tea with a friend on my day off
2. Norman
3. A video call with Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 13th & 14th December

I had just 4 days left with Norman and 10 days left in Dalyan on Saturday 13th December. I hoped to be able to fit a few things in here, before the end of the year. The weather was good, Norman was snoozing and I got a notification to tell me that my author’s proof copy was arriving in Pontefract this morning! Even though I’d woken up with a sore arm from the flu vaccine, I thought that nothing could spoil my day!
I didn’t bother with the Saturday market but had a walk in to town and met Penny & Phil, content in the knowledge that Captain Caveman had the weekend off and would soon be opening ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, getting the red pen out to correct any obvious mistakes. We had chatted about having a video call so that I could then update the book and get it ready for people to start buying before Christmas on Monday!
At Jik’s, Penny had already ordered and was eating a breakfast, I decided to treat myself to a bacon and mushroom sandwich with an orange juice which was lovely. We got chatting and then decided to move tables to sit in the sun and I had a couple of red wines.
We saw lots of passing Dalyan Dwellers who had already been to the Winter fair and decided we would have a wander over to the Mosque Square to look round the fair, too I paid my 700 lira (£12.50) bill and off we went. It was very busy with lots of stalls, Penny found it hard to walk round for too long so I left her and Phil at Corner Bar. I had a mulled wine and a chocolate brownie from the Ren Garden stall for 150 lira (£2.68) while saying a quick hello to Görkem. I bought some books for 800 lira (£14.29) at the book stall which had a ticket for each book. All the tickets went in to a draw to win a bag of goodies. This is where I met the stall holder, Ali, who was raising money for the dog shelter. The books I picked were all detective/thriller novels for Dad to read, as I know they only bring hand luggage out and books he hasn’t read are difficult to get.
I popped to Kate’s stall where I managed to spend just a few quid on some new coasters. She was raising money for Arthur’s Legacy, a cat charity.
It was so very crowded, the busiest fair in Dalyan I had seen and I went back home to drop stuff off then over to Jamie’s to check on Norman.
While I was there, I checked if Captain Caveman had got my book and had he looked at it yet – he’d decided to go away for the weekend and so, disappointingly, the answer was no. He was due back tomorrow night and would look at it then, if it hadn’t been left out in the rain!
I decided to walk Norman back in to town but he was not keen on going far. We got as far as Ren Garden, where Penny, Phil and Caramel now were so I joined them. Norman loved it in there and I even let him off the lead to see if he and Caramel would play together – they didn’t. Penny had bought a whole cooked chicken from the butchers to feed Caramel with so of course Norman wanted to eat it too. I was hesitant as I didn’t want it to affect his tum but he did share some and snaffled it down. I had 2 mulled wines and a piece of really good carrot and walnut cake. I paid a total of 500 lira (£8.93) and we stayed out until 9pm.
Norman was very sprightly walking home and was so pleased with himself to have had extra chicken from Penny and Caramel.

Gratitude List
1. A good day with friends at the Winter fair
2. Norman
3. Mulled wine.

Sunday 14th December had any plans I might have had, cancelled. Poor little Norman had an accident at just gone 7am. He’d sneezed, coughed, farted and shit himself on the tiled floor of the dining room. The chicken he’d had last night had not done him any favours as I moved him away from a puddle of orange liquid that smelled foul! I felt awful for him and let Jamie know, seeing as I probably shouldn’t have let him eat the chicken.
I’d only just finished cleaning it up when Nanny Kay popped round for a visit and Norman was pleased to see her. We had a good chat and a laugh then arranged to have a pre Christmas drink on Friday as well as seeing each other next Sunday before I left for the UK.
Norman managed a short walk but he wasn’t his usual sprightly self so we chilled on the sofa in the evening. I had a homemade chickpea and spinach curry with couscous for dinner, which was nice. I waited for Captain Caveman to call or message to say he’d got my planner but I never heard anything! This meant that ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ would not be going on sale tomorrow. I was yet again disappointed and mad with myself for not planning it better.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Nanny Kay
2. Norman
3. Healthy curry for dinner.

Dalyan – 2nd to 4th December

There was a lack of photos and blog type updates on Tuesday 2nd December as it was a bit of a sad day. I’d fed my friend’s cat, seen the white dogs and watched Captain Caveman pack before midday. At noon I said farewell to Captain Caveman. He was joining Ma, Pa, Julie and Gareth plus a few other Dalyan Dwellers on the flight back to the UK. I was going to miss him – I was looking forward to seeing him later this month and for our trip to Morocco for the first week of January, to celebrate my birthday.
At 1pm I attended more training with Anex Tours and found out that from July 2026 they would be doing flights to Antalya from Teeside airport.
I popped over to Jamie’s to let Norman out and then went to a funeral. It was my first funeral in Dalyan and I was there to support a friend, who’s lovely mother had died unexpectedly. It was upsetting, of course, although it was good to see so many people attend the send off.
I was in two minds as to whether to go to the wake afterwards, but decided to pay my respects. It was actually really nice to share some memories of such a lovely woman, even though we weren’t close I’d been to a few social events and a couple of boat trips here and there. I went home feeling sad for my friend and her family.
I didn’t eat dinner that night and had an early night, going to bed being so much more grateful than I usually am.

Gratitude List
1. Having enjoyed 11 days with Captain Caveman
2. Having a holiday booked
3. Knowing my parents had enjoyed their 3 months in Dalyan.

After feeding my friend’s cat on Wednesday 3rd December I said hello to the white dogs and popped to the chemist. I bought 2 months’ worth of pills for 660 lira (£11.79). Back home, as it was weigh day, I got on the scales to find I was the same weight as last week. I got a phone call and forgot to take my measurements though.
I got busy in the office until lunch time when I had beans on toast and a green tea.
At 3pm I walked along the river to Fat Club, where I had lost just 0.1kg (0.2lb). I swapped my existing magazine for another to inspire me with some recipes and walked home via the shop. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Nut Dido chocolate bar 30.00
Halloumi 96.50
2 Quark 99.90
Meatballs 199.95
Mini Magnums 250.00
Total spent 675.36 lira (£12.06)

I fed the cat and then, for dinner, I made a chickpea and spinach stew which I had with couscous. It was quite tasty and healthy, until I followed it with a mini Magnum.

Gratitude List
1. Animals
2. Not putting weight on
3. Good food.

Thursday 4th December was hardly worthy of a blog post, aside from my interaction with the white dogs on the way from cat feeding. Massive storms with heavy rain were forecast any time from 5pm tonight. I had beans on toast for brunch. I worked, I did the evening cat feed early and warmed up the chickpea stew with couscous for dinner.

Gratitude List
1. Knowing rain was coming but I was prepared
2. The white dogs
3. Good healthy food.

Dalyan – 1st December

For Captain Caveman’s last day in Dalyan on Monday 1st December, I decided we should go on the Yellow Boat to Köyceğiz. I’d booked the 2 of us on at 400 lira (£7.27) each, leaving at 10.30am and returning by 5pm. I was mainly looking forward to buying some fruit and vegetables at the market as we hadn’t been to the Dalyan one.
My first job was to feed my friend’s cat, get cash out of the bank and then grab us a couple of croissants from the bakery for breakfast. It cost 180 lira (£3.21) for 2 and they were really good and fresh. I checked the stats for my JOLOYOLO.COM blog and was pleased to see I had 6% more views in November than October. The top 3 nationalities were listed as the UK, Turkey, then the USA. Unfortunately, Vietnam was down in 15th place – beaten easily by Australia, Thailand and the Netherlands!
It was quite chilly out but dry, so we were optimistic for the boat trip today. When we got on, there was just us, Brigette and her hubby, Jim, plus a Turkish lady who was the mother of a walking friend of Captain Caveman’s. Usually there are about 16 onboard so this felt like our own private trip!!
We sipped our hot drinks and nibbles on simit, as we sailed along the river and towards Köyceğiz Lake. The water and scenery was so beautiful and my phone camera didn’t even do it justice.

When we arrived it was around midday so Captain Caveman and I headed to the market. Here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Potatoes, onions & garlic 45
Peppers & courgettes 45
Black Olives 50
2 pairs of Slippers 100
Total spent 240 lira (£4.29)

For lunch we decided to try Kebapçı Antepden 1999 where I had a lentil soup and Captain Caveman ordered a chicken wrap. The waiter also brought us some free starters, lots of bread and it was all very nice for 480 lira (£8.57). Our next stop was to call for a drink by the lake at one of our favourite places, Avantgart, where we spent 700 lira (£12.50) on a glass of red wine and a rakı.

Back on the boat we had some fruit and snacks then I had a wine and Captain Caveman had a beer. We all watched a bird eat a snake, which was a little grim, but interesting! It was a really good boat trip and we even tried dried persimmon with pecan nuts with the Turkish lady – they were delicious.

After dropping the shopping back in Dalyan, I went to feed my friend’s cat and we had sausage casserole for dinner again. This time Captain Caveman had the leftover lamb added to his. Later, we headed to Ozzy’s bar to meet my parents for a farewell drink. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;

2 Efes Malt 300
2 red wines 320
Total 620 lira with 60 lira discount
Total spent 560 lira (£10)

My parents and Captain Caveman were on the same flight back to Manchester tomorrow, as well as Julie & Gareth, so they were all going to the airport together. As I wouldn’t get to to say bye to Ma & Pa tomorrow, I said my goodbyes that night.

Gratitude List
1. A great day out in Köyceğiz on the Yellow Boat
2. Tasty food
3. Leaving drinks with my parents and Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 30th November

It was still raining when my alarm went off at 6am on Sunday 30th November. I didn’t go to feed Baby C until it stopped raining around 7.30am. On the way home I checked on the 2 white dogs who were fine but one of them had a half wet blanket.

Back home, I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and decided I would go with Captain Caveman on his Sunday Walk. As usual he’d had lots of people saying they might come but no definites and it’s always hard to know who’s coming when it looks like rain. My parents and several Dalyan Dwellers were going to the Çaliş fair so it looked to be a quiet Dalyan. I was hoping to sit and drink tea but when we got to the Kaunos tea garden meeting point there was only us. We decided to have a walk around the edges of Dalyan, just as it started to rain again. Opposite the tombs is a ridiculous wooden frame with plastic flowers draped over it, which were coming loose and blowing in to the river. I picked up several plastic flowers and put them in a bin. After about an hour and 15 minutes of walking we reached the Kefal tea gardens and ordered something to warm us up. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

Kefal tea gardens
1 Sage tea 15
1 Large Turkish tea 20
2 cheese & onion toasties 220
Total spent 255 lira (£4.64)

That was breakfast sorted and we decided to continue along the river walk towards the Denizkızı ferry. We bumped in to Ghislaine and her dogs so had a chat and I found it tricky to walk through the puddles with tons of stray cats round my feet, who may have thought we had come to feed them.

We got home before 1pm as we needed to shower and get ready for a lunch arrangement. Sezgin and Nur wanted us to join them for lunch at a place they love to go to eat lamb. Joining us were Debbie and Mike who we hadn’t had chance to catch up with yet either, so that worked well. I don’t eat lamb but I know that Captain Caveman loves it so I was happy to oblige. Sezgin recommended we all try the Tandır Lamb dish which is roasted lamb in the oven, slow cooked for a few hours. It came with plenty of bread, salad and pickled vegetables so I managed to eat just a little of the lamb. Mike ordered kofta (meatballs) instead but I wanted to try the dish Sezgin and Nur really liked. It was good, and cooked really well. Captain Caveman loved it and we even took some home to have for tomorrow. Here’s what we paid for our share of the meal with water to drink;

Köprübaşı restaurant
1,850 lira (£33.64)

After, we drove back to Kefal tea gardens for a second visit and had a drink and a chat. I paid for the drinks and here’s what we had with prices in lira;

Kefal tea gardens
1 soda water 25
2 Large Turkish tea 40
1 Espresso 65
2 Black coffee 80
Total 210 lira (£3.82)

It was almost 4pm by the time we got in, so on the evening cat feed I took Captain Caveman with me so we could go for another walk after. We were surprised to see people we knew in Sofra bar who were already back from Çaliş, including Jamie. We decided to join them for one and ended up having 3 drinks. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;

Sofra bar
3 Efes Malt 450
3 Red wine 540
Total spent 990 lira (£18)

We didn’t stay out late as it had turned quite cold and we needed to get some rest before Captain Caveman’s last day tomorrow. We walked past a new cafe which Ozzy was opening and would cater for people arriving late from the airport. Before bed, I checked where my finances were on my income & expenditure spreadsheet as it was the last day of the month. I had just about managed to get back to breaking even; I’d spent £780 against a budget of £1,000 so I was pleased with that. I’d also got a surplus of £392 to take in to the last month of the year. My credit card was paid off (as always) and all the bills were paid.

Gratitude List
1. A Sunday Walk for just the 2 of us made a nice change for me
2. Traditional Turkish Lunch out with friends
3. Being within budget.

Dalyan – 28th & 29th November

On Friday 28th November I was up and about very early on animal duty. Captain Caveman was off to Bridge again in the morning so I worked and caught up on some blogging and content posts. Captain Caveman suggested I take the afternoon off but I’d enrolled in another Travelpack cruise training session at 5pm. Instead, we had a bit of a walk at lunch and called to the off licence where we bought 2 bottles of wine for 665 lira (£12.09) to stock up for the weekend.
I’d also decided to arrange a night out at Ren Garden with friends. I’d invited my parents too but they were already booked up to go out with their friends. After feeding the cat and Captain Caveman making us a halloumi pasta for dinner, we got ready to meet Jamie, Vanessa, Leanne & Sonuç. As it was bad weather a few others had cancelled but we had already got a warm private room at the back, near the pool. It was really nice and we did have a laugh. Ren Garden’s mulled wine goes down so quickly and the new cheese plate addition was very nice. Some other friends were in the other room and came to say hello and another couple of fellas came to join us.
Our bill for the evening came to 1,890 lira (£34.36) which included 13 alcoholic drinks and a cheese plate! Not bad for a Friday night out for 2, really!

Gratitude List
1. Good food
2. A night out with friends
3. Mulled wine.

It was a wet one on Saturday 29th November. I went to feed the cat and got a little bit wet and the rain really came down before lunch time. Even our front balcony got too much water on it at once and it started to overflow. I had planned to go say bye to Vanessa and Matt but it was raining so heavily that we decided not to. The Saturday market was not an option for us as we decided it was a day on the sofa.
In the afternoon I baked a camembert in the oven and we had it with some crusty bread. It was so good! For dinner we had a home made sausage casserole with airfryer Yorkshire puddings which we cooked together and was also amazing!
In the evening Captain Caveman and I started to look at holiday plans for 2026, including ideas of me spending the whole of July with Captain Caveman, which would be lovely. Baby C didn’t show up when I’d gone to feed her that evening, in the rain, so I suspected she had someone else feeding her and keeping her dry, elsewhere.
Captain Caveman had organised another Sunday Walk for tomorrow, which clashed with the Çaliş fair and rain forecast so we weren’t expecting many people. I set the alarm so that I could be up ready for Baby C before going to the tea gardens.

Gratitude List
1. Baked Camembert
2. Sausage Casserole
3. Planning some time together for 2026.

Photo Credit – some by Ren Garden & Jamie

Dalyan – 23rd November

It was quite windy and cold out on Sunday 23rd November as I left Captain Caveman in bed, snoring away. I fed the cat as usual and was back home before 8am, the weather didn’t look great for Captain Caveman’s Sunday Walk but he was up for it. I’d already been made aware that I wouldn’t be able to do the walk due to the difficulty level so I had taken it upon myself to meet up with others who couldn’t do it either. Captain Caveman had arranged to meet at Kaunos tea gardens at 9am and there was quite a turn out. A few of us less athletically inclined today, had planned to join the walk as far as the Portakal ferry then walk back to get a bit of light refreshment, however, someone was running late. I didn’t want to hold the main Sunday walkers up so off they all went and I said to Captain Caveman I would meet him at the Kefal tea gardens after they had finished. Our little group got a hot drink inside the new indoor bit, it was a little chilly without any sun and Nur had to rescue a bird from a cat. Sezgin and his family had to get back home so they said their farewells and off we all went.
Vanessa, Janet, Julie and I then ambled from one tea garden to the other, one where we sat indoors and ordered breakfast and drinks. The sun came out and it warmed up nicely. I had a Turkish breakfast plate and a Turkish tea for only 290 lira (£5.27) and it was really tasty. I had plenty left when Captain Caveman and the walkers arrived and ordered a beer. At the tea gardens they had now switched from Efes to Tuborg beer and it cost 150 lira (£2.73), a bargain compared to the prices he was used to in the UK.
Captain Caveman and I called at the shops on the way home and this is what we bought, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 4.54
Potatoes 13.87
Carrots 65.68
6 eggs 72.95
Cashew nuts 95.00
A 1.3kg Chicken 97.75
Cherry juice 105.00
Walnuts 109.00
Espresso coffee 499.95
Total spent 1,063.74 lira (£19.34)

Back home, after sitting on the balcony to dry off my wet hair, I prepared some food ready for later as we were going to be eating a roast chicken dinner. I decided to call to feed the cat early as the weather looked a bit iffy and I wanted to check all the windows were closed. She was very pleased to see me and got some tickles, I then walked back past the bank and got out some Turkish cash for Captain Caveman for tomorrow. I’d hoped we might be off out on the yellow boat to Köyceğiz as I’d took the day off, but he was already booked up. Before dinner we had a quick drink in Tez bar to say hello to Tez then went home for White Russians and a lovely dinner.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely non Sunday Walk with like-minded friends
2. Great food
3. Spending most of the day with Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 21st November

Friday 21st November was the last day before Captain Caveman’s arrival in Dalyan. I was obviously looking forward to seeing him, however, the stress of trying to get everything done so that I could take some time off from Resort Experts and writing had crept up on me. I didn’t get to feeding the cat until almost 7.30am and she was questioning where her pâté was when I got there. I gave her some fuss before feeding her – she’s always very affectionate but calm. On the way back I checked in with the 2 white dogs, one of whom still had a bit of a sniffle but loved the warm blanket someone had put out for it. I still did a little walk but didn’t go as far today as time was cracking on.
I was meant to have a call with a friend, take my winter coat for a zip repair and call in to see Leanne at King Emlak but my morning didn’t go to plan and none of those happened.

I worked hard at my laptop until lunch then made a Slimming World friendly pizza from a wholemeal wrap. I had a quick video call with Captain Caveman who was excited to be getting out to Dalyan tomorrow. I’d been invited to Jamie and Drew’s for dinner and then we decided we would have a Friday night out. On my way to feed the cat again, I picked up a bottle of red Angora wine for 415 lira (£7.55) in Yaman Büfe 2. I also stopped to check on the 2 white dogs who were now firm friends.
At Jamie & Drew’s villa, Norman was pleased to see me and he was pacing about the kitchen hoping to get a morsel of dinner. We ate a lovely shepherd’s pie with a delicious red cabbage dish and we sipped wine and chatted.
After dinner, we walked to Ren Garden as they had their Friday night mulled wine on. Jamie and I are rather partial to a mulled wine and I ended up having 5 of them and we stayed until midnight. My bill came to 750 lira (£13.64) and I was rather merry. As we were passing and it was open, we ended up having a night cap in Jiks. We were the only 3 in there but it was cosy so we ordered a bottle of red wine between us. It was only Isabey but they charged 1,200 lira (£21.82) for it so I spent another 400 lira (£7.27) on booze and was convinced it would have been cheaper by the glass. One thing is clear on how to save money in Dalyan, though, is to not drink alcohol, but with so many bars and drinking pals it can be hard to do. Still, it was good to know I could have a great Friday night and get hammered for less than the equivalent of £30!
We all staggered home, a bit merry and I hoped I wouldn’t be hungover for Captain Caveman’s arrival tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Cute animals
2. Dinner with Jamie & Drew
3. Mulled wine night at Ren Garden.

Dalyan – 19th November

Wednesday 19th November turned out to be quite eventful. I’d fed the cat before sunrise and decided on another walk through Dalyan’s town and by the river, on my way home. It was a little chilly but beautiful and quiet.

I’d turned in to a bit of a magnet for stray animals as various ones came to say hello. I now had a handful of dogs who came over to get some fuss on a regular basis.

Back home I got weighed to find I had put on 0.3kg (0.7kg) which wasn’t ideal. My measurements weren’t good either; my bust remained the same but I’d put on 2cm on my waist and 1cm on my hips. I would find out later what Carol’s scales read. The Slimming World plan kept falling by the wayside but I was determined to get back on track before the end of the year.
I had beans on toast for breakfast and then went to do some more edits on my new travel planner. Canva had started playing up with the page numbering I had saved and was showing page numbers on pages I had asked it to hide, as well as moving the odd one to the right instead of the middle – very frustrating and unnecessary time was wasted.
At 3pm it was time for Fat Club, only to find I had lost 0.3kg (0.7lb) on Carol’s scales, which was better than expected.
I went straight home after Fat Club as I needed to finish off some work before my friend popped round. Vanessa arrived as soon as I’d finished and we chatted and drank tea. We were going to meet at Jiks but decided it would be better to chat first then go out. I went to feed the cat and then we were on our way to the bank, when we saw my parents with their friends in Ren Garden. They’d been out a while and were planning on going home but they stayed out a bit longer with Vanessa and me. It was the first time I’d seen them since they went to Jiva Beach almost a week ago so they were telling us how good a time they had on their trip for Kate’s birthday. I had 2 white wine and sodas for 300 lira (£5.45) and, while Vanessa went back home, we stayed out. My parents hadn’t got anything ready for dinner so we were going to eat out at Çağrı. Unfortunately, it was closed as it was already 8.50pm so we decided to walk to one of our old favourites, River House. We shared a large bottle of water, a meze plate and balloon bread. My parents both ordered liver with either mash or chips and I had meatballs with cheese. My share of the meal came to 1,410 lira (£25.64) including a tip and was very nice but slightly extravagant for a Wednesday.

Gratitude List
1. Animals
2. Not being as fat as I’d thought
3. Seeing Vanessa and my parents.