Lardos – 13th September

I’d done all my working hours for the week so on Wednesday 13th September I had the day off. Both Captain Caveman and I went on the walk with Xena. She was getting a bit better at walking on the lead with us, she still pulled me quite a bit and I’m sure she would have no recall whatsoever if we took her off the lead. Captain Caveman had wanted to take her with us to the beach but it would be too hot and we didn’t really know how she would behave if it was busy. We had not been on the beach yet so preferred to explore by ourselves first.
As it was Fat Club day, both Captain Caveman and I had got on the scales to see how we were doing. I was 1.4kg lighter than last week, had put 2cm on my bust, 1cm on my hips but had lost 1cm from my waist. Captain Caveman had lost 0.6kg so we had both done well and it showed that we had been eating healthier meals and drinking less alcohol, on the whole.
We had the rest of the tortilla for breakfast, just before 8am but then decided to have a second breakfast when we got to the coffee shop on the way to the beach. We both had a chocolate croissant, Captain Caveman had a double espresso and I had an earl grey tea. The total cost for this was €11.50 (£9.97) but it was very nice.

By 11am we had walked along a very shingly beach and had a paddle. I had sore feet so we decided to stop for a drink and a sit down at Kanaloa Beach Bar, Lothiarika, which looked a bit fancy. They had a sign saying you could use their comfy looking sun beds and order food and drink from the beach waiters for a service fee of €14 (£12.13) and I made a note that this might suit my parents when they visited next month. We ordered 2 mojitos which were very well made and refreshing at a cost of €16 (£13.86) for both.

Our next stop off was a short stroll inland to a local Greek restaurant called Taverna Periklis, which probably had the cleanest toilets I had ever been in. We had a lovely lunch and here are the prices we paid in Euros;
1 bottle of water 1.90
1 Alpha Beer 4.10
1 Fig, walnut & pomegranate salad 9.40
1 Beef Stifado 15.90
Total Spent €31.30 (£27.12)

Captain Caveman had planned a bit of a treat after lunch and had decided we were going to walk a different route back, but one that would incorporate a trip to a wine store. Obviously, I was definitely up for a visit to the wine shop which sold wine by the glass too.
As those of you are familiar with Captain Caveman’s walks will be, it was not straight forward. Within 20 minutes we were lost and he wouldn’t admit that the road on the map was not actually a road, it was barely a path and the amount of sleeping goats and their droppings were evidence enough to me that we were not on the right track. Our first argument in Lardos was quite a big one while I stood under an olive tree, trying to get some shade in the height of the afternoon sun. Captain Caveman walked around the perimeter of the fenced field we had found ourselves in and I applied sun cream to my face, neck, arms and legs which were already covered in dust from the ‘road’ we were walking on. He came back and explained that he was definitely still correct with his directions but as I was complaining so much we would try an alternative way – how considerate!

I wouldn’t like to be complaining too much but in the interests of painting the best picture I can of our walk back, I will give you a short timeline based on the photos I took and you can be the judge of whether I was being mardy and unreasonable.

•12.56pm we left Taverna Periklis

•1.09pm we reached a gate which I interpreted as meaning the road was closed

•1.15pm I am under a tree while Captain Caveman looks for the way out

•1.54pm we pass a ‘road’ that I had refused to walk down, after I had to have a wee on an open hill and drank all of the water we had brought

•2.01pm I see a fig on a tree and tell Captain Caveman to pick it for me, it was not ripe yet and he ended up with his hand covered in a sticky residue which I thought was quite amusing – Captain Caveman not quite so much!

•2.15pm we have arrived at the wine shop, I’m purpley-red, smelly and quite dirty. We both use the bathroom and order a wine from the tasting menu

•2.18pm normal service has been resumed and we have a glass of wine

•2.47pm Captain Caveman has bought us a bottle of the wine I was tasting to make up for us ‘not getting lost’.

The Wine Store, called Alapou, was brilliant and we had a nice chat with the owners, after I had apologised for the state of me and we knew we would definitely be back again. The wine was €13.80 (£11.96) and went down a treat with our sausage pasta for dinner.
In the evening we attempted to watch American Made with Tom Cruise in, but I had got the wrong end of the stick and thought it was a film about a cleaning lady from the USA as I didn’t see the opening credits.

Lardos & Pefkos – 8th September

While Captain Caveman continued to be on dog walking and meal preparation tasks, I got on with work on Friday 8th September. I was only working in the morning with it being the weekend and I had almost finished my hours by 12.15pm when I stopped for lunch. Captain Caveman had made a halloumi cheese salad with onion which was very nice and diet friendly. It was too hot to take Xena for an afternoon walk, she would have burned her paws, so we had to let her out in the garden where she loved trying to play with the cats.

That evening, we got the bus to Flyers in Pefkos so there was no dinner to be cooked. At 5.30pm, after pet feeding, we walked to Yamas Bar for a cheeky drink while we waited for the bus. Captain Caveman had a beer, I had a Miloklefti cider and then the bus came and we had to make a run for it. The bus was €1.80 (£1.56) each for the one way trip and we planned to get a taxi back later. As luck would have it, it was happy hour at Dapapa Bar so we popped in to see Hannah and have a pre-dinner drink. Captain Caveman had an espresso martini and I had a pornstar martini for €11 (£9.54) in total. They were very nice and it was good to say hello and ‘Happy Birthday’ to Hannah, who was celebrating with a party later.

We arrived at Flyers just after 6.30pm where Steve and Michelle had kindly booked us in, and paid our deposit, for their famous Greek Night. We were given a choice of tables and we decided to go up to the top section. We ended up next to a big group from Sheffield and ordered a couple of beers. The meal on Greek Night is a set dinner, so we had pitta with a tzatziki dip and a Greek salad to start with. We ordered a carafe of red wine to go with it and got stuck in. The bread is my favourite so, once again, the diet was on hold. The main course was a huge plate of meat (chicken, pork and lamb) with a heap of french fries which tasted a bit like the ones at MacDonald’s. We were impressed at the portion sizes and couldn’t eat it all – I should have brought my Tupperware box with me.

The Rhodian Ballet, and a singer with musicians were the evening’s entertainment and they were fantastic. I even joined in on the group dancing, without injuring myself! Our bill came to €49 (£42.39) and we had a lovely evening.

We returned back to Dapapa’s for a nightcap of red wine, a very generous portion, and our bill for 4 glasses was just €16 (£13.84). We bumped in to Louise and Mark and had a really fun night before getting a lift back with Mark to Memories Bar in Lardos for a cheeky extra nightcap.

Photo credit – some taken by Captain Caveman

Rhodes – 5th September

On Tuesday 5th September Captain Caveman was up and about at 7.30am packing his bag ready for the next part of our holiday. I really fancied more sleep but that wasn’t to be as bags were rustled and coat hangers rattled! This afternoon Jamie, Drew and Nanny Kay were getting the ferry back to Fethiye to return to Dalyan after their mini break. Captain Caveman and I were off for a spot of house and pet sitting in Lardos for Steve and Michelle’s dog and several cats. Nanny Kay, Captain Caveman and I started our day with another visit to Dali for a pancake breakfast. I decided to be more adventurous and have the cheese and spinach added to my bacon pancake while the other two had the same as yesterday. It was so good and we popped it on the list to visit again when my parents came.

By 11.30am Jamie and Drew had joined us and we had all walked our luggage round for a pit stop at The Saloon, a pub on our way to the bus stop/ferry port. At the bus stop, Captain Caveman and I said our goodbyes and got on the Lardos bus, while the remaining 3 walked down hill to wait at the ferry terminal. The bus left at 1pm and by 1.30pm I was feeling incredibly ill. A smell of sulphur was bringing on another asthma situation and I felt so sickly. Captain Caveman had his headphones on and there was nothing we could do until we got to Lardos. The bus went the long way round, via Pefkos, and it was pretty hot despite sitting on the shaded side. We arrived in Lardos, just after 3pm and the bus dropped us a short walk from the town and bus stop. I needed to get off quickly and find a toilet so we ended up calling in to Blue Bar, the nearest place to where the bus stopped.
By 4.30pm I was feeling better but I decided I needed to buy an inhaler for incidents like this happening again. Our next stop was Yamas bar, where I had a soda water, Captain Caveman had a beer and we were greeted with a nice welcome from the owners. I ordered some sweet potato wedges and Captain Caveman had a toasty, while we waited for Steve and Michelle to join us after work. They arrived shortly after we did and we had another drink before dropping our bags off at their house, where I would be staying for 2 weeks and Captain Caveman would stay until the 15th.

At 6pm, Michelle drove the 4 of us up to Pefkos for a drink at Flyers restaurant. Michelle and Captain Caveman had the Espresso Martini, Steve and I had a pint of lager. The views were lovely and we had a chat with the owner. Captain Caveman and I were booked in for the Greek Night on Friday and we were looking forward to it.
Back in Lardos, we dropped the car off, then wandered round to GyroSquare The Grill Stories where we ate our dinner, accompanied with some chocolate birthday cake for one of the staff. The food was very tasty and I enjoyed it but I struggled to finish it all. That night, Steve and Michelle gave up their bedroom for Captain Caveman and I, they slept on their sofa bed so that they could leave for their flight that evening. They were off on holiday and would be back on the evening of the 17th.

Dalyan – 2nd September

We had an exciting last day (for a while) in Dalyan planned on Saturday 2nd September. I had booked Captain Caveman and I on Captain Boris’s Cheese and Wine boat trip. I’ve been on it before but Captain Caveman is not usually in Turkey early enough in the year for him to be able to go on one. Rebecca and Boris are such good hosts and we had joined a group of people we didn’t know, which was nice. Anıl, their captain, also has skills I’ve never seen before; he can steer a boat while opening a bottle of wine with one hand.

The photos obviously speak for themselves with all the amazing food that is offered. We sailed to the lake for swimming and to enjoy the massive spread, we were all wowed by the presentation, quality and amount of food – the wine flowed well too. I particularly like the Isabella rose wine and had bought a box from Boris last time I did this trip.

By 6pm we had moored up at Little Dalyan, behind Iztuzu beach, to enjoy the sunset. We got off for a stroll and a paddle along the beach while the boat moved up to the other end of the beach to await us there. It was just after 7.30pm when we got back, a little squiffy and full of cheese! It cost £40 each plus extra for the drinks, where the wine was a generous serving. It was definitely a great way for Captain Caveman to spend his last day in Dalyan, until next month.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman & Rebecca Uğur

Dalyan – 29th August

Kelly’s flight in the early hours of Tuesday 29th August did not go ahead, due to the Air Traffic Control System being down. Instead, she remained at the BC Spa Hotel and spent all of her morning trying to fathom out if/when another flight would be available. Of course, it was the end of the school holidays and so many holiday makers were also trying to get their cancelled flights rebooked – it was not looking very promising that she would be on the next flight.
In all the goings on yesterday, I’d not had chance to look at another delivery of clothes which a friend had dropped off yesterday. I decided to try them all on and take photos, Captain Caveman took one where I’m wearing the dress he liked the best.

After my mini fashion show, I popped to see how Kelly was getting on as she was still on hold to easyJet trying to get some help with getting back home. She was fortunate to have got a couple of days holiday booked for after she was due back from Dalyan but she really needed to get back for work and family commitments. I sauntered along the river, wearing one of my new dresses, and got to quite a frustrated Kelly. Unsurprisingly, easyJet had not been able to offer Kelly a suitable new flight, their ‘manage my booking app’ had the next available flight to book as 5th September. Skyscanner had a flight available on the 3rd and people had started posting all over Facebook how they were having their flights rebooked for over a week later. In the end, Kelly booked a brand new flight with TUI for the 1st September, landing at Bournemouth, which was the soonest date she could get with any airline, but it was also at great expense to herself. I told her to get packed and bring her stuff to Captain Caveman’s apartment but she was having none of it. The hotel was busy with people who couldn’t go home but the new lot of UK holiday makers hadn’t been able to arrive so they were able to extend her stay.
As Captain Caveman was expecting us back home, I headed over there for some lunch, leaving Kelly to sort stuff out with work and home. I warmed up bit of meat and veg, using some of my Sunday dinner leftovers before we popped to the bank. While Kelly and Clare were here on holiday I’d also been doing the tourist eating and drinking so it was time to get back on to my Turkish budget. I also needed to get all of my bank books up to date in readiness for my residency renewal appointment. On the way back, Captain Caveman and I called in to La Sorrella for a hot beverage; a double espresso was 60 lira (£1.77) for Captain Caveman and a green tea for me was only 15 lira (44p). I think it might have all been a bit tiring for Kelly as that night she had a quiet one at the hotel while Captain Caveman and I went for his first Hatay Kebab, which he loved!

Dalyan – 28th August

It was Maddie and Sam’s engagement celebration on a Princess of Ekincik boat trip on Monday 28th August. Unfortunately, Captain Caveman had to go without me as I had plans with Kelly and Clare. Kelly was leaving after midnight tonight but Clare was off around midday. It had not been a long enough trip and I was going to miss them a lot. I’d loved having them both here in Dalyan and it had really made my week! We all had more last day BC Spa treatments booked in. While the girls had their last full on pamper, I had a much needed pedicure. It was £10 which I didn’t think was bad and the therapist did a good job. I was trying my best not to sob when Clare left, especially as we hoped to meet up when I came back to England and maybe get a cheeky Rhodes holiday in for 2024.

Kelly and I waved Clare off as Fikri took her to the airport then we decided to have a last walk down the river. We stumbled across Sahil restaurant, where I’d not been to in ages. I’ve got friends who love it but I’d also read bad reviews of them ripping people off fairly recently. It took a while for one of the many staff to pass me the menus he was holding and I was on my guard to see if they were dual menu/pricing for foreigners. I did speak in Turkish but was given an English only menu. It has amazing views of the river so I didn’t expect it to be cheap but it turned out to be one of the more expensive places I’ve eaten at, in August. A coke was 65 lira (£1.94)! My chicken wrap was the most expensive I’ve had in Dalyan but the chips were very good. The chicken fajitas, which Kelly ordered without the wraps, were 447 lira (£13.34), which I remembered as it was a strange price. Having said that, Kelly did say it was one of the best meals she’d had all holiday and thought it was worth the price.
On the way back through town, it was pretty warm so we stopped at Sofra bar for a swift drink. It’s probably a good job we did as the TVs had some important news showing! The Air Traffic Control System in the UK had failed and was causing chaos. Flights to and from the UK were either cancelled or delayed until further notice. Clare was at the airport with a delayed flight but access to the lounge so was coping well but we didn’t know yet if it would affect Kelly’s flight, which was at 4.50am tomorrow.

While uncertainty for whether Clare’s flight, already delayed by a couple of hours, would take off still, Kelly checked the news and called home. Regular updates came from Clare at Dalaman airport but it looked like even the staff didn’t really know when flights would continue to fly. My mate, Josh, was stuck at a UK airport trying to get to Italy. All we knew about Kelly’s flight was that she should still go to the airport to check in, as normal, even if there was going to be long delays so that was the plan. We went back to BC Spa finished off some wine and then got ready for our last meal together.
Captain Caveman was back from an amazing day on the boat with lots of friends and had not heard about the flight issues. Of course, he said if Kelly’s flight got cancelled or delayed she was welcome to stay at his place and proceeded to tidy the spare room, just in case.
We ate at Bistro Blue that evening where Captain Caveman had liver & onions for a starter and Kelly had the onion bhaji. I didn’t have a starter as I knew I’d be having a big main meal. We shared some Allure rosé wine which went down very well and for mains we ordered a steak with onion and mushrooms for me, a chicken casserole for Kelly, and Captain Caveman chose the chicken & halloumi salad. I loved the food and was very full after eating all my dinner. As we drank more wine, Clare messaged to let us know she had finally landed at Gatwick but she had been one of the lucky ones. I managed to squeeze in the shared dessert of baklava with ice-cream which was delightful and not at all Slimming World friendly. We did a cheers with our complimentary amarettos to our last night together and recorded a birthday message to the other Claire, who hadn’t been able to make it out to Dalyan this time. The bill came to 2,800 lira (£83.58) for the 3 of us. All was well except for the fact that Captain Caveman was able to ascertain that Kelly’s flight was probably going to be cancelled before she got informed of it. The plane was still in the UK and would not be leaving any time soon so it would not be likely that Kelly could get on it from Turkey. Fikri was still on hold though for 1am as we weren’t sure if she was definitely going to the airport or not.
Captain Caveman, feeling tired after a long journey from Vietnam and going out since he got back, went home. I went back to BC Spa with Kelly where we explained the flight situation and the receptionist said the hotel room was available for tomorrow anyway, should she need it.

Dalyan – 26th August

At 9am on Saturday 26th August I would ordinarily be thinking of getting to the Saturday market for some fruit and vegetables. They do sell lots of other things there, including bags, shoes, clothes, spices, Turkish delight, as well as being able to buy a cheap gözleme (Turkish pancake). I’d asked Kelly and Clare if they fancied a wander round it later but they weren’t really up for a 15 minute walk (each way) in such hot weather, especially as they didn’t really need anything in particular. I knew I’d mostly be eating out with my friends, rather than cooking at home, so there was no point stocking up either.
We all spent the morning in the treatment rooms of the BC Spa and had mixed massages. I had some reflexology which was fantastic while the lady sorted out Kelly’s back. Clare was in another room getting a full body massage. We were all super relaxed by the time we emerged and we were fit for doing nothing, except for maybe a stroll down the river for some lunch.
I suggested an old favourite to eat at, Yakamoz, so we could sit and admire the river view. It was a hot day so the slight breeze was welcome and we got a couple of glimpses of a turtle swimming nearby. The starters had a theme of cheese; stuffed mushrooms, cheese rolls (sigara böreği in Turkish) and Halloumi all with salad garnish and plenty of fresh bread. For main I ordered the chicken shish, Kelly had chicken casserole and Clare had the mixed casserole. We all had soda water or a soft drink as we needed to keep hydrated. My meal came to 570 lira (£17) which was a bit steep for lunch time and wasn’t the biggest, or best, chicken shish I’ve had in Dalyan. The girls enjoyed their casseroles so I’d probably have that the next time.

We strolled back through town and the girls grabbed dessert at the Dalyano ice-cream shop, 70 lira (£2.09) for 3 scoops.
Next, we popped in to the Dalyan Turkish Delights and More shop on the main shopping street to buy some Turkish delight. It wasn’t as cheap as when I get it in Fethiye but it was very fresh and the lady let us taste quite a few flavours. I bought rose for me and pistachio for Captain Caveman, who would be arriving in Dalyan tomorrow. Our final shopping spot was Aladdin Bags, where we browsed the purses. I have a Hermes purse which I bought a couple of years ago and he was selling them for the same English price as back then which was good. Both Kelly and Clare got themselves a bargain and it meant it was time for a light refreshment.

On weekends it can often be tricky to find a reasonably priced bar which doesn’t have sport on so when I saw that Corner bar was empty and had no TV on, we plumped ourselves down on the comfy seats. I ordered a pint of draft Efes, the girls opted for a cocktail. While the drinks were being prepared a half naked English bloke and his mates came up and asked for the football to be put on and the bar man obliged. Our peace was shattered, Kelly went off for another browse round the shops for souvenirs while Clare and I tried to ignore the football on TV. We left after the one drink and sauntered back to BC Spa. Around the same time, Captain Caveman was boarding his plane from Saigon to Istanbul. We stayed around the girls’ hotel room and had leftover nibbles and wine for the evening. I got home after midnight again – this time knowing that when I woke up tomorrow, Captain Caveman would be on his way from Istanbul to Dalaman.

Photo credit – some by Clare Spindloe

Dalyan – 24th August

On Thursday 24th August Clare was on her way to Dalyan and would be joining Kelly at the BC Spa Hotel in the afternoon. I had fresh figs, strawberries and quark for breakfast and then popped to the bank to transfer money from my US Dollar account to my Turkish account. I had a feeling it would be a bit more of an expensive week with having my friends here and I needed to have some funds available. At the bank, the resident cat decided she’d quite like a bit of attention and came for a cuddle while I waited for the cashier.
By 1pm I was with Kelly by the pool at BC Spa and we decided to have some lunch there. I had a chicken wrap which came with a few chips and Kelly had a salad. It wasn’t expensive and I really enjoyed the very filling wrap. Clare arrived at the hotel just after 3pm and I was so glad to get a big hug from her, again it had been far too long!
While Clare got settled in, I had an important meeting with Sonuç who I was paying to do my residency renewal stuff for me. We met by the river at BC Spa and I bought us a hot drink while we discussed the requirements and timeline. Unfortunately, Sonuç told me I would not be able to go for a 2 year renewal unless I had £10,000 in my Turkish Bank account which would be a bit tricky!
When I got back to the girls, they were sat in the outdoor dining area of the hotel and had ordered some food; a yoghurt dish, stuffed mushrooms and some breaded chicken pieces. I joined them for a glass of rosé wine which was very nice. The girls and I already had pre-booked the classic spa packages in for tomorrow and they mentioned they might book some more treatments in to.

That evening, we shared a bottle of Angora white wine at Tapa bar on our way in to town for dinner. I’d been keen to eat at River House for a while as I’d not been in a long time. We were given complimentary lavaş (balloon bread) with dips and we ordered main meals to share, Kelly had a salad while Clare and I shared a pide. We had a bottle of white wine and enjoyed a lovely reasonably priced evening, they have also made some improvements to the restaurant toilets since I was last there. I really enjoyed the meal at River House and definitely needed to visit again.
On our way home, we stopped off for a last drink at Bistro Blue and for the girls to say hello to Annie and Selahı. They had a new cocktail called the English garden at 330 lira (£9.85), with cucumber in it. It was a bit out of my budget so I stuck to wine but the girls said it was fantastic, really refreshing. It had been a cracking first full day with my friends and the next 4 days were going to go too fast!

Dalyan and Köyceğiz – 21st August

I took full advantage of not having to work on Monday 21st August. Molly, the cat, was not a fan of joining me for a selfie but she didn’t mind posing for a solo photo. By 9am she was snoozy and I was admiring the view.
Back home I had quark, fruit and black tea which was not alleviating my eczema one bit. For lunch I had more of the chicken and carrot (with chickpeas) curry which I had with egg fried rice.

In the evening I attended a ladies only (plus Jamie) boat trip which Adele and I had organised. Onboard were the following people:
Viv, Nanny Kay, Jamie, Angela & Lynda (from Dalaman), Janice (aka Lily Fish), Ann, Monique, Rach, Adele and, of course, me.
Captain Fuat and his boat were more traditional which is just what we wanted for our moonlight boat trip. It was the first time I’d met him and I was pleased with Adele’s choice. We decided that we would head out in the afternoon to Köyceğiz so that any last minute shopping could be enjoyed. Jamie, Ann and I enjoyed a bottle of wine near the harbour at a bar where they had to call the manager to bring the wine fridge keys.

Back on board the boat, Fuat sailed to a quiet spot so we could have a sunset swim. He had bought us a couple of bottles of nice fizz and had cooked a traditional Turkish dinner for our evening meal. The soup starter was homemade and delicious and the casserole for main was exceptional. Captain Fuat served fruit, including fresh figs from his own garden too. We got back at gone 11pm, having had a lovely evening. I’d spent 1250 lira (£36.72); which included the boat and 5 wines so I was very merry and had thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Photo credit – some by Jamie Sunstone

Dalyan – 19th & 20th August

It was Dalyan market day on Saturday 19th August so I was up early. I sorted out some allergy/meal requirements for an upcoming event then went to check on Molly, the cat.
Unfortunately, she (or another cat) had done a poo on the floor in both the bedroom and the lounge and also on the sofa, where she sleeps! I was a bit shocked as she uses the cat litter but I got to cleaning it straight away. Maybe she was stressed from me leaving her yesterday or maybe she had been worried by another cat, the one Tez mentioned. I gave her some cuddles so that she knew it was ok, then popped on the AC and closed the doors and windows so that, if it was another cat, she could feel safer. I went to the market, taking some photos along the way and I bought the following:

Market stall 1
Red peppers, Cauliflower and a lemon
Spent 40 lira (£1.17)

Market stall 2
Figs
Spent 50 lira (£1.46)

Market stall 3
Potatoes and onions
Spent 40 lira (£1.17)

Market stall 4
Bananas, plums and strawberries
Spent 180 lira (£5.27)

Total spent at the market 310 lira (£9.08). This was a lot for me but I was fully stocked for a healthy week, or more!

A lady who collects clothes and spare items for charities, which include women refuges in Fethiye, called to pick up my donations. We had a chat, she’s a lovely lady who’s doing so much for desperately poor people in the wider Muğla area so I was glad I’d had a bit of a sort out, ready For Captain Caveman coming back.
For breakfast I ate 2 fresh figs with quark, peach and strawberries then went back to see Molly. She was snoozing and was fine – no more accidents.
I decided to make a Slimming World chicken and carrot curry for dinner in the slow cooker, for lunch I had chicken and beetroot salad.
In the afternoon I had a little walk around the block, checked out prices of fizz in the off licence, bought some cat litter for 51 lira (£1.49) and took the money from Rob’s pot. I bought a homemade croissant from La Sorrella, round the corner, and spent time with Molly. She seemed happy and was well behaved.
When I went back home the gate was blocked, by an inconsiderate parker who had been there all day, so I put a note in Turkish on his windscreen, asking them to be more considerate. I had the slow cooker meal which was great and I even had 4 portions left, 2 for fridge and 2 for freezing. I was pleased with myself for keeping my plans to avoid going out, therefore not drinking any alcohol. I was going to try for another alcohol free day tomorrow, too!

On Sunday 20th August I was with Molly before 8am, the views from Rob and Tracy’s were lovely and I could see why they lived there. Molly was happy and no bother, today was my last day with her as a friend was taking over tomorrow.
I had another croissant from La Sorrella, they are 70 lira (£2) but are massive and so good! I also had 2 fresh figs, strawberries and quark washed down with Linden tea.
I met Linda at Lukka bar for a cup of tea, now 25 lira (73p) for Turkish tea, and we discussed the hand over of Molly, the cat, which would happen tomorrow.
I made a mushroom and leek soup in the slow cooker and had beans on wholemeal toast for lunch before checking and feeding Molly. I added more veg and some cooked chicken to the slow cooker soup and had a portion as a snack. For dinner I had more of it with noodles, followed by blue cheese, crackers and figs. Another no booze day under my belt and I was on 169 syns for the week so far, 100 less than this time last week. I stayed up until midnight because I had no work this coming week!

Dalyan – 18th August

I was up and about early on Friday 18th August, ready for a boat trip. It was the first one this month – the last one I went on was 3 weeks ago. I checked on, played with and fed Molly, the cat, and I gave her some extra treats, seeing as I wouldn’t be back at lunch time. Back home, I ate overnight oats with peach and quark for breakfast before getting ready to meet friends, Penny and Phil. They had invited me on a boat trip with them, their family and a friend, so I’d made sure I wasn’t working today.
We were going on Kingfisher boat which was costing 750 lira (£22.22) each and included lunch. The boat was nice, although quite full so I could see why it was slightly cheaper than a usual trip, due to the amount of people joining. We had a biscuit and a cup of tea then sailed towards Ekincik with a few other boats near to us. Today the sea was very choppy and I had to take a sea sickness tablet. I didn’t think that the first stop looked calm enough for swimming so I stayed on the boat but some of the kids were already jumping off the top deck. A couple of the mothers of the children didn’t seem to care or notice until the captain called everyone back in and we moved on. As there were 3 kids in our party I decided not to drink alcohol until later, it was a family trip not a booze up. The lunch was plentiful, although not the best I’ve had on a boat trip but then I’ve been spoiled with the ones we choose. When I did have a wine I decided to have white with soda water. Our last swim stop was very calm and the water was so clear. We all bobbed about chatting and having a good laugh. On our return back to Dalyan I had another white wine and soda, which I sipped, as I was trying to be good. I got rather a shock when I got the bill as the small Harman wines were 120 lira (£3.54) each and the soda water was 40 lira (£1.18)each. 160 lira (£4.72) is the most I’ve paid in Dalyan for a wine and soda water. A small beer was 80 lira (£2.36) which I’d have been better having but I didn’t think. I did query it with the waitress and the captain’s wife but they do charge the same for a soda water as a soft drink.
We were back in Dalyan dead on 5pm too, which was a bit early but it did mean I could be with Molly, the cat, earlier than I anticipated. I fed Molly and spent a bit of time with her, she was pleased to see me but Tez said she’d been galavanting with a boyfriend!
By 7pm I was having an airfryer quesadilla as I was peckish. I even had cheesespread on wholemeal toast before bed. Tomorrow I promised myself a healthy relaxing day and had already decided I would have an alcohol free day.

Dalyan – 17th August

After feeding and playing with Molly for a bit on Thursday 17th August, I did a big shop. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket

1 plastic bag 0.25
Green peppers 4.19
Cucumber 5.10
Cornflour 8.25
Courgettes 9.42
Noodles 14.90
Ginger 17.59
Apples 17.76
Fat free yoghurt 21.50
Cumin 27.90
Peaches 32.47
Broccoli 33.90
Olives 36.50
Spinach 37.90
Garlic powder 39.90
Wraps 41.50
4 X Quark 50.00
Green Beans 54.90
Mozzarella 59.90
Artichokes 63.90
Falafel 64.90
1 jar roasted red peppers 72.90
Mac & Cheese balls 74.90
Spray oil 79.90
Soap 87.66
Turkey slices 89.90
Cherries 100.72
Whikas Cat Food 111.66
1kg chicken 143.72
Frozen blackberries 159.90
Frozen raspberries 249.90

Total spent 1,829.69 lira (£53.62)

This was probably the most that I’ve ever spent in the supermarket this year in one shop and I struggled to carry it home.
I called in to a couple of other shops along the way back where I bought Airfryer liners and bun cases for 95 lira (£2.78), coconut milk for 60 lira (£1.76) and a water refill for 50 lira (£1.47).

I had fruit and quark for breakfast and I was trying hard not to fall off the Slimming World plan. I went back to check on, play with and feed Molly, she was pleased to see I’d got her more food. I took 112 lira out of the pot for the Whiskas too which had 8 pouches in.
For lunch I had some of the airfried chicken in a salad with beetroot and 2 cups of green tea. At 5.30pm I met Ann at Kefal tea gardens for a çay and a chat.
I checked on Molly again and let her know I would only be there twice tomorrow as I had plans. For dinner I made a chicken chow mein with mushrooms and broccoli in and it was delicious. In the evening I had an apple and some cherries but resisted alcohol, this meant my syns for the day were only 10.

Dalyan – 15th & 16th August

Fat Club had been moved to a day earlier due to the women’s football, so I got weighed at home on Tuesday 15th August to find I was 0.5kg lighter than last week. As always, Carol’s scales were what mattered so my real result would be this afternoon. I did my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from my bust, my hips were the same but I’d put 1cm on my waist. I’d only drank alcohol 3 times in the last week, which was helping keep on track.
I went to Rob and Tracy’s to feed and play with Molly, the cat, and had just cherries for breakfast. On my way back home, I noticed that the gardening company had done a bit of pruning around the complex but it still wasn’t looking great. I popped back to Molly at lunch time and fed her some treats then it was time to get ready for Fat Club. I was disappointed to find I had stayed the same as last week on Carol’s scales.
I was a bit naughty when I went shopping, I got myself some treats. Here’s what I got at the shop and the prices in lira:

Şevikoğlu Supermarket

2 chocolate orange bars 6.50
Black tea 18.90
Greaseproof paper 23.90
Tortilla wraps 29.90
Gherkins 36.90

Total spent 116.10 lira (£3.41)

Seeing as I had no Yorkshire tea left, I’d had to resort to Turkish black tea, which I had with a couple of chocolate orange bars. The tea is meant to be good for eczema, which was not getting any better.
I fed and played with Molly again in the early evening before going home for dinner. I had a tandoori style chicken with a wrap and some quark. Then had another treat of popcorn and crisps while watching Netflix.

Wednesday 16th August was pay day for me and I’d been invited to go up to Rehab bar in the afternoon. I have no interest in watching football, women’s or otherwise, so I decided on a nice relaxing day at home. I had a green tea and some beans on wholemeal toast for breakfast. I made a pizza wrap in the airfryer for lunch then had a healthy feta and beetroot salad for dinner. I also cooked the whole chicken in the airfryer so that I had meat for the rest of the week’s meals.
I took my cat sitting duties seriously and went to look after Molly 3 times, she really was a sweet cat.
That evening, I finished off the bottle of rosé wine at home and watched Netflix.

Dalyan – 14th August

By 8am on Monday 14th August I was in Rob and Tracy’s apartment feeding Molly, the cat. While I was there, I took some photos, played with Molly and spoke to Captain Caveman who was at a party with some porters. We discussed me meeting him in Naples at the beginning of October but the flights went via London which was a bit of a faff and they weren’t particularly cheap. Before work, I had cheese on toast for breakfast, but no Yorkshire tea as I had ran out. I messaged our gardening company, to let them know they needed to tidy the grounds of our complex and they replied to say they would come today – they didn’t.
I went back to check the cat at lunch time and, as the owners had not left enough food or cat litter in for Molly, I located the spare cash as instructed by Rob. I would check the price when I next went to the supermarket as I had no idea how much cat food was, these days. I played with Molly for a bit, she’s a lovely cat but a bit on the chunky side. I took more photos and admired the river view. Back at home, I had mantı (Turkish pasta) for lunch then got back to work.
I went to meet Kate, Mark and Jamie at Sofra bar at 7pm Kate explained she’d been unable to bring me a 2024 diary back from England and she’d forgotten about the Yorkshire tea. I was back to being on a constant look out for a diary as I was getting quite booked up for 2024 already. I messaged Captain Caveman and he said he would try to get me some Yorkshire tea and a diary when he came back from Vietnam in 2 weeks. I finished my drink, kept hold of Teddy, the AWOL dog, until Ghislaine came to collect him again then I went back to feed Molly.
I called at the shops for some provisions and got the following items:

Migros Supermarket

Plastic bag 0.25
Mints 9.50
Popcorn 15.00
Salt & Vinegar crisps 21.00
745g Cherries 89.33
644g chicken thighs 96.28
2kg whole chicken 113.34

Total spent 344.70 lira (£10.17)

Bim Supermarket

Brown sliced loaf 13.75 lira (41p)

It was late by the time I was going home and I’d forgotten to get anything out for dinner. I decided to have a Hatay kebab which tasted great at the time but I’m sure I’d come to regret it at Fat Club on Wednesday.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd August

I had another healthy day on Tuesday 1st August. For breakfast I had banana, peach, strawberries with quark and a herbal tea. I went to buy another water for the cooler to find it had now gone up to 50 lira (£1.50) for 19 litres but he did deliver it quicker than last time.
For lunch I had a chicken and veg pasta then I worked for about 3 hours in the afternoon, once it had cooled down a bit. I was conscious that I was off to Fat Club tomorrow so I was trying my best to be good, it was my third day without alcohol too. I had wholemeal toast for dinner and then decided to pop out to the shops because there seemed to be an increase in the amount of ants we had in the apartment. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros supermarket

Boiled beans 16.90
Bulgur wheat 27.95
Tomato paste 32.50
Ant spray 45.25
Total spent 199.15 lira (£5.96)

Şarküteri
2 tins Heinz baked beans 90.00
Cheddar cheese 110.00
Total spent 200.00 lira (£5.98)

The English products were obviously more expensive here but I really fancied treating myself to beans and cheese.

I was on a last-ditch attempt to have lost weight this week on Wednesday 2nd August. I weighed myself on the home scales and I seemed to have done ok but we would have to go by Carol’s official scales at Fat Club. My measurements were less favourable; bust -2cm, waist +2cm, hips +3cm. This wasn’t boding well for a loss this week and I had consumed 266 syns in total, on a 110 syn allowance!
I’d done an hour’s work when I noticed the water in the cooler was only half full – it was leaking! I googled how to fix it and did, then mopped up the floor! I had slimming world friendly ‘pancakes’ for breakfast which were made from 2 of my least favourite foods; eggs and bananas mashed together and cooked. I drank 2 Lotus teas and a litre of water, I also made 3 omelettes and popped them in the freezer for egg fried rice at a later date. For lunch I had veggie pasta and another litre of water.
I finished work at 2.30pm and walked over to Fat Club. I was pleased to find that I had actually lost 0.8kg (1.8lbs) which was great. I went back home to finish off some work before heading back out to the bank and then to Rehab bar to see whoever was left of the pool gang. Mark, Kate, John and Andrea were still there so I joined them for a drink, with it being pay day. I limited myself to 2 pints of draft Efes and then joined Mark and Kate for another drink (a glass of red wine) at Rodrigo’s. Mark ordered a burger from the burger place next door while Kate and I had chicken rice and chickpeas (really tasty and healthier) from across the road.
I walked home via the river and took some photos of the boats along the way. After a cup of tea, I had an early night as I was working tomorrow and then off for a week of cat sitting.