Dalyan – 6th December

Tuesday 6th December turned out to be busier (and more stressful) than I had hoped! I walked Charlie, had tea and toast for breakfast, put a BBQ style chicken in the slow cooker and tried to finish something on my laptop. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, due to interruptions, and by late morning, I was on my way to Mark and Kate’s house with my rucksack and a portion of sausage casserole. They were both going back to the UK and I had already booked in the pet sitting for the kitties, before Charlie had come along. Because Captain Caveman is allergic to cats, he would stay with Charlie, while I went to Mark and Kate’s to look after their 6 cats for a week – it sounded so simple at the time!
When I arrived, they were almost ready to go and Kate pointed out her Christmas trimmings, including a tree on the wall which was a great idea with cats. Kate had left me some things in the fridge to eat, including pide, and there was red wine for me too. My bedroom was nice and tidy and I moved my stuff in before getting ready for singing group at 2pm. I was pushing it for time so I’d asked if I could borrow Kate’s electric bike. On the way there the bike felt very loose on the steering, it didn’t have much charge and the front tyre looked to be going down. I didn’t even get as far as Rehab bar before I had to get off and push the bike as the back tyre was going down as well. I messaged Captain Caveman and Mark for advice on what to do with the bike, locked it and left it at Rehab, then set off walking to Charlie’s. When I got there the downstairs door was locked, for the first time since I’d been there and I didn’t have that key, Captain Caveman did and when I called him to let me in he didn’t answer. I was late for Singing group, which started off well when one of the members of the group requested we have some more cheerful songs this week and Nanny Kay took over shouting out the next song to save it being repeated several times. At the end of singing I had a bit of a to do with Madge who asked my Mom if I was pregnant (again)! I was not in the mood for this and told her she needs to stop saying things like that, I tried to be diplomatic and say that there are women who would be more offended than me for being called fat! Crikey, maybe my diet wasn’t going so well, after all.

After Singing group I walked back to Charlie’s where I had hoped to have dinner with Captain Caveman but, because I needed to get the bike back to Mark and Kate’s before it got dark, I left straight away. Captain Caveman came with me to pump the tyres up a bit and said it would just about get me back. I ended up pushing it some of the way but got back in time.
I was hoping to get some stuff done today but had failed and I definitely wasn’t prepared for the next fiasco. As I was feeding most of the cats, I could hear one of the cats sounding like it was coming from the front bedroom, which was locked. Squeak, the cat, had accidentally got locked in there and I had no way of knowing how to get her out. Mark and Kate were on the flight so I had to wait until they had landed to get a response. They were delayed and it was late by the time their friends, Michele and Nick, came to Squeak’s rescue and had to break in through a window. It wasn’t easy and I was so glad to have had their help. I finally had some warmed up sausage casserole, a glass of wine then went to bed. It was cold so I was glad of an extra blanket to keep me snug and it certainly did the trick.

The Pros and Cons of living in other people’s homes when pet sitting

Advantages
•You get free pets to look after
•You don’t pay any bills for electric or internet
•You have a new local pub and can meet new people
•There may be better facilities/bigger accommodation
•Some owners leave you food, beer and/or wine
•Some have a cleaner
•Prevents me from going out or drinking as much as usual
•I spend less because I’m not as near to shops or bars
•Quieter environment (no Jazz Bar)!
•Getting more fresh air and exercise

Disadvantages
•Living out of a bag or suitcase
•Not having your usual things (e.g. kitchen equipment)
•Being further away from home/town
•Having to be super organised with belongings
•Not having enough fridge/freezer/cupboard/wardrobe space
•Other people’s washing machines don’t always have the same settings (no quick wash)
•When there are no cleaners you have to do it yourself, despite having a cleaner at home
•Lack of lighting and plug sockets in the right places
•Still having to go back and forth between own house for stuff
•You are still paying electric and internet on your existing home
•You are used to your own shower and other people’s are often not as good or easy to use
•Feeling like you can’t properly relax as you’re in someone else’s house
•Having to get taxis home if you go out of an evening so that you’re not walking home in the dark after drinking
•I have less time to spend with family and friends
•Missing my own comfy sofa/bed/pillows
•Having to double up on things you buy which are at the other house (shower gel, washing up liquid, washing powder, drinking water)
•When friends come to stay they are in the original house so more arranging needs to be done for meeting up
•Not having a desk
•Only having 1 set of keys between the 2 of us, when Captain Caveman joins me.
•Having more power cuts and slower WiFi than at home

Dalyan – 29th November

While Captain Caveman was on his way back from London to Dalyan, on Tuesday 29th November, I was doing my best to finish as much stuff as possible so that we could go out and play later. I’d spent the last 2 days at home, had zero alcohol and had not spent anything. I had cereal for breakfast and the remaining pasta for lunch before I headed off for an appointment. Unfortunately, this meant I had to miss singing group in the afternoon and instead I went to see some friends about a house and dog sitting arrangement. My Mom and Vanessa still went to singing group so at least they had each other to get into trouble with. Charlie, the dog, recognised me from before and was very friendly so I knew we would get on fine. Captain Caveman and I would be moving in to his apartment tomorrow and would look after Charlie for a bit. While I was there I got a message from Captain Caveman to say he was home and I headed back to meet him. When I got there, having past a bicycle on a gate and a big black cockerel, the kitchen table had lots of goodies on it and the freezer was being stocked with even more. Captain Caveman had brought back grub screws, cheese, bacon, crumpets, muffins, sausages, a proper Yorkshire pudding tin, freezer bags, a fish slice, silicone pan lids, hoops for poaching eggs in (apparently called poachettes), chopping boards and, best of all, 210 Yorkshire Tea teabags!
I was very interested to see how the prices were in the UK as I hadn’t been back for almost a year so I took Captain Caveman’s receipts to check out the details. Here’s a list of what Captain Caveman bought in England and the prices in pounds;

Ikea
2 bathroom pots £1.80
Ziplock bags £3.00
3 saucepan lids £12.00
Total Spent £16.80

3 Phone Store
10GB SIM and phone package £10

Wilko
Yorkshire Pudding tray £1.50
Fish Slice utensil £1.50
Poachette rings £4.00
Chopping boards £6.00
Total Spent £13.00

Lidl Supermarket
Ginger nut biscuits £0.49
Muffins £0.65
2 Malt Load £1.44
1 Unsmoked bacon £1.55
Vegetable stock cubes £1.65
2 Crumpets £1.78
Gorgonzola cheese £2.19
Red Leicester cheese £2.69
2 Oxo cubes £3.78
2 Cheddar cheese slices £3.98
Yorkshire tea teabags £4.49
2 Richmond sausages £4.78
1 Christmas cake £4.99
3 Smoked Streaky bacon £6.57
Total Spent £41.03

He also bought some meat, galangal and lemongrass back for Kate, as you can never have enough.
We really didn’t need those lids from IKEA for £12, nor the new chopping boards when we already had some. I wouldn’t use the rings for poaching eggs either so they would be redundant until at least September 2023. It was amazing how he got all this and his clothes in his hand luggage, but I was very happy that he had.

Seeing the teabags made me actually cry tears of joy and Captain Caveman couldn’t stop laughing at me! To cheer me up even further he suggested drinks with Ma & Pa at Tez bar so I texted Ma to see if they were available. She didn’t answer so we decided to go there anyway and, when we arrived, my parents were already there, sat with some of the usual frequenters. They had taken to having an early bar recently so I should have known they would be there. After a couple of drinks we decided to go to Duble for dinner to celebrate Captain Caveman’s return. I tried to order sensibly to help the diet I was meant to be on, so I had lentil soup and a chicken shish. Of course the main dish comes with chips, rice, salad and flat bread, with oil and butter used in the cooking, but it was better than some of the dishes I could have had. Dad and Captain Caveman had some delicious looking potato croquettes and we had wine with our meal. We had a complimentary hot beverage to finish off our meal and were home before 10.30pm having had a lovely night. Tomorrow we would be taking on another canine responsibility that was just so cute!

Dalyan – 10th & 11th November

I treated myself to buttered toast and a Yorkshire tea with milk on Thursday 10th November. Captain Caveman went Bumming and I went to the supermarket to get some essentials. Captain Caveman was going back to the UK this weekend so I bought some items that I would need for my diet friendly recipes. Here’s what I got:

Migros Supermarket

Onions 2.77
Pumpkin 19.60
1 Pomegranate juice 26.00
2 plain Quark 27.90
2 tins of tomatoes 45.80

Total spent 122.07 lira (£5.68)

Şok supermarket

1 bag of red lentils 22.50 lira (£1.05)

I got the slow cooker on to make a curry for dinner that night and then decided to have a super healthy lunch of a beetroot salad. Captain Caveman was back later than expected from an arduous morning of bumming and wasn’t too pleased when I said we were off out. I’d arranged to meet my parents at Kaunos tea gardens but Captain Caveman didn’t have time as he needed to have lunch and go for a shave and a haircut. I went anyway and my good intentions of having a Turkish tea without sugar were successful. But then, the sun was shining, my parents ordered another beer and a cleanly shaven Captain Caveman arrived and ordered a beer. I succumbed and ordered a beer, we saw Kaan and Selahi there with friends and it stayed sunny for quite a while as we enjoyed another beer. On the way home we saw Mark at Tez bar so I gave him back Kate’s house key and took a photo as proof, seeing as he’d had a few and might forget he’d seen us.
Back home we had the curry I’d made and it was very enjoyable, there was some left for another day too. Captain Caveman opened a bottle of wine to have with his dinner and I couldn’t resist a small drop.

On Friday 11th November I remembered to take my measurements. I had lost 1.1kg on my home scales but had put centimetres on in most places. Captain Caveman made me a diet version of a sausage butty by using sausages that were skinny in a wrap with peppers and onions. I had orange juice too and really enjoyed my breakfast. Captain Caveman went off to Lukka bar to play Bridge and I worked on a presentation for the delayed training session I was involved in later in the month. When Captain Caveman got home we had leftover curry for lunch. I absolutely love having my rice steamer here in Dalyan as the rice takes only about 10 minutes and is perfect every time – I won’t do without one now.
In the afternoon I’d arranged to have a walk over to Mark and Kate’s with Captain Caveman and my parents. Kate was still recovering and so she wasn’t yet able to be out and about. The boys had some beers, I stuck to water and Kate celebrated with a splash of prosecco – it had been a week since she’d been in hospital. Bebek the cat took a shine to Captain Caveman while he was sat on the sex swing. My parents and I left him there while we had a lovely stroll back in to town. It would have been rude to go past Rehab bar without calling in for a draft Efes and to say hello to Tay. Captain Caveman joined us later when Mark dropped him off on his mobility scooter.
That evening my parents had invited us round for dinner which we were really looking forward to. Mom was doing one of our favourite dinners too, Spaghetti Bolognese. I did succumb to some crisps and 3 glasses of red wine with my large portion of spag bol, which was delicious. For afters we had taken some cheese so we had a cheese board with grapes and some of Kate’s membrillo and plum chutney. I purposely had a break before I ate the cheese so that I would eat less of it.
It was a great night and, as it was Captain Caveman’s last night in Dalyan for a couple of weeks, a good way to have a bit of a send off.

Photo credit – Dalyan Riverbums

Dalyan – 6th November

During the night there had been heavy rain but it looked like it was easing off when we woke up on Sunday 6th November. Rob had already been up early for his morning run, where a street dog had accompanied him. He got back to the apartment just as the rain had begun again. Captain Caveman was still in bed rejigging today’s plans. The idea had been for Captain Caveman and Rob to walk it to Iztuzu beach over the hills. They would get the 10am bus part way along and walk the rest. My parents and I would get the bus at noon and see them there. Instead, we ate Turkish breakfast pastries at home with a hot beverage before our afternoon trip out. Just before 10am we thought the whole of Plan A would be stopped due to the heavy rain but, by 10.15am, the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to come out. All 5 of us got the 12 o’clock bus, Captain Caveman was a bit cheesed off as the 10am bus had been moved to 10.30am so they could have still done plan A if they had known. At the beach it was fairly cold, breezy, but the sun was warming things up a bit. I thought it was too cold to swim and didn’t take my swimmers. Our first stop of the day was to see the amazing work that is being done at the turtle hospital, one of my favourite turtles today was Nessie and she might even be getting released soon.

By 1pm we were on the sand watching Captain Caveman get in to the sea like a modern day Reginald Perrin. Rob wasn’t far behind but my parents and I thought it was a bit too bracing for that kind of madness. We had lunch at the beach cafe where a chicken döner sandwich was 40 lira and chips only 25 lira. Captain Caveman’s and my lunch came to a bargain 105 lira (£5) and was tasty and filling.

We got the 3pm bus back and decided on a drink at Tez bar, where there was a bit of DIY going on. Tez was making new indoor seating arrangements, now that it was getting colder at night. Rob is a cat lover and the new kittens were really sweet, we were joined by Penny and Phil who had a dog treat for Cani, the Tez dog. Jamie and Drew had been for Sunday lunch so they stopped by for a drink on their way home too. Tez had some spare Efes glasses, we don’t have any at home so he gave us some for free which we really appreciated. After a couple of drinks we decided to go for dinner at Kebapçı Yusuf. We had a lovely meal, of which I took no photos whatsoever, we had all enjoyed a great day together and I was glad to be back in my own bed.

Dalyan – 5th November

I was up early, feeding the cats, on Saturday 5th November. Mark, Kate, Vanessa and Matt were due back this afternoon so I packed up my stuff and cycled, with my full rucksack, in to town. I’d booked a table for 5 of us at 10.30am at Saklı Bahçe for breakfast with Captain Caveman, Rob and my parents. Although I was supposed to be on a diet I decided to partake in the Turkish breakfast, leaving out the fried egg. The breakfast there is of the best in Dalyan, it’s always busy and the service is quick and professional. The food was amazing but I really tried to limit myself from being greedy with the cheese. Captain Caveman must have been feeling a bit peaky because I have never seen him eat so little of any meal! Luckily, I had some Tupperware with me and had no shame in taking some cheese and olives with me for later. While a fragile looking Captain Caveman took Rob to see the delights of Kaunos and then to watch Dalyan Spor play a home football match, I went back home to unpack, have a shower and put some washing on. While in the shower a massive wasp like creature was in the ensuite bathroom with me and it looked like it could do some harm! I set it free from the bedroom window unscathed and then tried to book us a table at M-Eyhane for dinner. This is a relatively new place, which used to be M-hotel opposite Retro bar and is owned by the same people as M-Eatery. I didn’t get an answer so we decided to walk down to M-Eyhane without a booking. They accommodated our table of 5 easily but did warn us it would get busy later when the Turkish football was on. The waiter spoke great English and asked about allergies and took the drinks orders. I already knew about the specials as they had been posted on Facebook and looked good. Dad is never too keen on having to go to a counter to choose mezes so he was a bit disgruntled about that part of the procedure. Rob, on the other hand, was most excited about the vast choice and had trouble narrowing it down to 3 starters. Captain Caveman went against his usual habits and agreed to share starters with me and then had some of everyone else’s too. The Baba Ganoush, Şakşuka and Fava bean purée which I tried were excellent. For main dishes I had the Chicken Shashlik, Captain Caveman had lamb, Mom had fish, Dad had chicken, Rob had a main and then an extra bowl of soup. All the food was good although my chicken had definitely been cooked on the same grill as fish as I could taste it. I don’t like fishy fish but I’m only allergic to molluscs so I wasn’t too bothered, but this could be an issue for people who are allergic. I took half of my dinner home as I had eaten enough and was trying to be good. 3 out of 5 of our group had the set menu which was meant to come with a fruit plate for dessert but, probably because of it being so busy by then, it got overlooked. Everyone enjoyed the night but I did get a bit bored when the men joined in watching the football and I couldn’t just drink as much as I would have normally!

Dalyan – 4th November

By 7.25am on Friday 4th November all cats at Mark and Kate’s were fed. I was tempted to go back to bed but didn’t and I spent some time on my Turkish. I cycled back to see Captain Caveman who was looking forward to Rob’s arrival this afternoon. He made the spare bed and had a tidy round a bit, while I cooked lunch he went to the supermarket. He bought 3 cartons of cherry juice (for his gout), a carton of orange juice and a toastie loaf for a total of 88 lira (£4.20). He also bought a lightbulb for the cooker hood for 13 lira, a shower head for 35 lira and some coffee for 65 lira, just over £5 for those 3 items.
We ate Slimming World friendly potatoes with peppers and onion, then I added tiny bits of sucuk (Turkish salami) and cheese. It wasn’t bad but not amazing though that didn’t matter as I had organised a night out later. I went back to Mark and Kate’s to check on the kitties then feed them.

Captain Caveman met Rob for a drink at Lukka bar then I walked in to town to meet them at Aşkın’s for a pre-dinner drink. Jamie and Drew were already there with Captain Caveman and Rob, I joined Jamie in a Mr G to remember his late husband Graeme. The Mr G drink is named after Graeme and is very moreish, it was also Aşkın’s last weekend of opening as they would be closing for the winter. The evenings were getting a little cooler now so I had a fleece on as we walked through town to meet everyone at Bistro Blue. It was also their last night so l had reserved a table for 10 of us; Ma & Pa, Jamie & Drew, Viv & Paul, Nanny Kay, Rob, Captain Caveman and me.
We sat down but Captain Caveman decided he would take Dad’s seat so Dad had to go back to sitting opposite Mom so that Captain Caveman could sit opposite Rob. I sat between Paul and Drew, opposite Nanny Kay.
I’d already decided I was having a steak before I’d even looked at the menu, Captain Caveman and I decided to treat ourselves to the large one for a little extra. Drew had a mixed grill and it was massive, I really enjoyed my steak and it took me ages to eat it. After a gorgeous meal most of us wandered over to Sofra bar where there was a band on so we caught the second half. Luckily a few from Fat Club were there so I joined them on the dance floor. I loved Psycho Killer and it was the singer’s birthday so it was a great way to end the night. We met up with our neighbours and some friends and had a great night with more wine – the diet was going really well! When it was time to go home, I needed a taxi back to Mark and Kate’s but I didn’t have their address to hand. I went to the taxi rank and asked for a ‘taxi to Mark and Kate’s house please’ and the driver said he knew the way. It was pretty late and I’m not sure why I didn’t call Fikri but I got back ok and went to bed having had a lovely time.

Dalyan – 3rd November

While Captain Caveman went Dogging, I got ready for Jamie and Drew’s return on Thursday 3rd November. I stripped the bed and put a wash on then made sure the house was tidy and packed ready to leave. Norman and Edna were excited to be having their owners back home and were a little bit giddy when they saw my rucksack. We sat outside in the lovely sunshine and every time a car came near, the dogs thought it might be Jamie’s taxi. When at last they did arrive, the dogs were so happy.

I didn’t stay long as I had another appointment to get to; I was off to Mark and Kate’s for more house and pet sitting while they had a couple of days away. After buying more credit for my Turkish phone, I met Captain Caveman along the way. I parked Daisy, my bicycle, up outside Rehab bar and we went in to Sosyete for a bite to eat. We both had a pide served with a lovely complimentary pomegranate salad which was all delicious – I’d not noticed before but they don’t serve alcohol. At Bumming today the volunteers had very sadly found a dead turtle and cleaned up lots of rubbish from the river areas so Captain Caveman had certainly worked up a good appetite. He wasn’t joining me at Mark and Kate’s this time, firstly because of his cat allergy and secondly, because our friend, Rob, was coming to visit us tomorrow and he wanted to get the apartment prepared. We called at Migros where Captain Caveman bought a bottle of the red wine, Fiona, recommended by Linda, but he took that with him.

I was at Mark and Kate’s in time for the cat feeding and I let myself in as I already had a key. My bedroom had been made to look very cosy and had an overzealous amount of cushions. Unfortunately one of the younger cats startled poor Casha, who’s only got one eye, and she ended up hiding in the crisp box for the rest of the night.
When I went to bed I tried to download something to watch on Netflix but I got an error message. As I updated my diary I realised I had already had double the weekly syn allowance and it was only Thursday. Still, I’d had no alcohol today which was a bonus. I went to sleep fairly early, knowing I’d be up at 7am tomorrow to feed the cats.

Photo credit – The Riverbums/Dalyanlı

Dalyan – 12th October

I woke up on Wednesday 12th October with a bit of a woolly head from trying to keep up drinking with the boys last night. I don’t know why we didn’t just get a taxi home and me come back for my bicycle this morning, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Kate was already up tending to the cats when we saw the news of how bad the floods were in Vietnam. Hoi An was looking particularly bad this year but lots of central areas were affected. We were loaded up with produce from England for the house and cat sitting. Kate had brought us back some treats such as cheese, crumpets, malt loaf and bacon which Captain Caveman and I were very grateful for. I rode my bicycle back while Captain Caveman was going to get a lift on the double seated mobility scooter with Mark. I said bye, Mark and Kate said thank you and off I cycled with my rucksack. At the turtle roundabout, outside the bank, I was overtaken by Mark, Kate and Captain Caveman on the disability scooter and given some abuse for being a ‘slowy’!
At home we had diet pizzas for lunch and then I popped to Maisie Moo. Captain Caveman and I met my parents for a drink at Lukka bar as Captain Caveman had ordered a hire car from Dalaman, which was coming at 5pm. As a treat we had decided to dine a little out of town, in nearby Gokbel. This is where Tay and Angelique’s house was and she had recommended a small cafe called Olabilir. They couldn’t join us as they were busy so the 4 of us decided to try it. The views over the hills and a mosque there were lovely and the menu was definitely interesting. We ordered drinks first and, because they don’t sell alcohol, Mom and I ordered the surprise juice, Dad had a Coke and Captain Caveman a Turkish coffee. We loved the juice which I think contained fresh mulberries and Captain Caveman said the coffee was good. For dinner my parents’ first choice wasn’t available so they had a pasta arrabbiata. Captain Caveman and I chose Mantı, which is a kind of Turkish ravioli. This was the first time Captain Caveman had tried it and he enjoyed it, as did I. The place is really nice and we had a nice time, it was good to try somewhere different and out of town. It was also super cheap as our mantı dish was only 65 lira (£3.10). Unfortunately during our dinner Captain Caveman was involved in the WhatsApp group chat for our apartment complex where the pool and maintenance contact was calling me a liar and saying he hadn’t been able to do the garden because there was no electricity. It had been working in June, July, August and September so I wondered what the excuse was then. I was glad I wasn’t on WhatsApp and wished Captain Caveman could leave his phone alone while we were trying to have a nice meal out.
Out next stop, after Captain Caveman dropped the car back in Dalyan, was Retro bar for Quiz night. We had a good time and, although we didn’t win, we did win the draw for the round of free drinks. How that works is that you get the same as your last round again for up to 4 people for free. How fortuitous of us that Captain Caveman and I had ordered a bottle of red wine plus my parents had an Efes Malt beer each. That made our night and was funny because we had said we were having an easy one tonight. We had to be up bright-eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow, ready for a road trip.

Dalyan – 11th October

Kate and Mark were due back later on Tuesday 11th October, I was up early and feeding the cats, watering the plants and generally tidying up ready for their return. I even gave the kitchen cupboard doors a clean, up to where I could reach, as the sun shining on them highlighted some smears. The weather forecast was looking good for my parents’ first day in Dalyan and Ma had messaged me late last night to say they had arrived safely. Captain Caveman and I cycled home for me to pick up my Turkish workbooks and had some breakfast there. We had fresh figs, plums, yoghurt and I had a drizzle of honey on mine. Turkish class at Casablanca hotel went well but it was definitely starting to get harder.
After class I took photos of the electric meters through the overgrown bougainvillea, meaning some photos were tricky to read, to try to sort out the communal electric situation for Captain Caveman.

Next, we met my parents at Okyanus as I had to be at another appointment at 2pm. It was great to see Ma & Pa, they were looking well and pleased to be back in Dalyan. Captain Caveman gave Ma her new phone from Vietnam and she was very giddy, especially with the face recognition unlock function. We had a beer, some lunch and a great laugh before Captain Caveman spotted Ramazan, the owner, had some secateurs. During our meal Captain Caveman had been getting messages on the communal WhatsApp group to ask what was happening with the electric, which was still off. We needed to be able to get in the electric meter cabinet a bit better, so Captain Caveman borrowed Ramazan’s cutters, hurried home to cut the overgrown bougainvillea so we could open the cupboard wider, then returned them.

I had to leave my parents and Captain Caveman at Okyanus while I went to Merhaba Cafe. The weekly singing group at the café in the Mico hotel was starting again for winter. I think I’m one of the youngest there which often means the song choices are ones I don’t know. A book is passed round for each person to write their requests in (from an already established list), most attendees pick their same favourites each week but I didn’t pick any this time. This week we sang quite a collection but there was a definite theme running through most of the lyrics. Here’s a list of the songs we sang today:

The Skye Boat Song
Swinging on a Star
Always on my Mind
Four Strong Winds
The Rose
Only Sixteen
I don’t know why I love you (but I do)
Meet Me on the Corner
You don’t know
Hallelujah
Halfway to Paradise
Annie’s Song
Blanket on the Ground
Wonderful Tonight
The Galway Shawl
Let it be Me
All Alone am I
Twighlight Time

Shiela, the accordion player, introduced us to a new song which we were given the lyrics to ready to give it a go next week. The group members are rather amusing and can say “it’s not a choir” or “it’s not karaoke” and, if you pick a song they don’t like, someone will let you know. Overall though, they are a nice group and I do enjoy a good warble.

After singing, Captain Caveman and I met at Rehab bar for a cheeky beer and then my parents came to join us. We ordered pizzas and a pide from Sosyete, next door, and had a good laugh until we had to get back to Mark and Kate’s for our last cat feed of our stay. The pizzas were lovely and we got a free salad with 2 dips which was appreciated.
Back at the house, all the cats were fed and waiting for their owners to return. We had packed up ready to leave and stay at our apartment tonight but we ended up staying one more night. We had a few welcome back drinks with Mark, Kate hadn’t been too well and was drinking water. Mark got us a cheese board with various nibbles out and we had a good time. We had quite a late night and I hoped Captain Caveman would be ok for tomorrow’s planned excitement.

Dalyan – 9th & 10th October

I was up and feeding the cats around 7am on Sunday 9th October, the mornings were starting to get a little chilly now. Captain Caveman was still a sneezy mess despite 180mg of fexofenadine each day. The internet was still patchy too so we decided to cycle over to our apartment for breakfast. We left the cats out playing and had a lovely leisurely journey back in to town. We ate fresh bread, various spreads and I had yoghurt with jam.
The issue of the pool and garden maintenance raised it’s head again when we were told of complaints from some neighbour’s guests. The pool and garden was unkempt, the communal electric was off and the rentals in 2 apartments had complained to their Estate Agent. They had asked for a full refund and moved out, we couldn’t understand the issue with the electric though. Captain Caveman took over the communal payment of the electric for our complex, of 10 apartments several years ago. He had also had a notification from the bank that the payment would be taken tomorrow. As far as we were concerned there shouldn’t have been a problem but it was about to turn in to one.
We stayed home for lunch and had the Slimming World style pizzas with a glass of wine. When we got back to Mark and Kate’s house the sun was almost setting and the cats arrived early for feeding.
We had dinner of the leftover chicken and salad picnic, I had a glass or 2 of wine and Captain Caveman had a beer or 2 while stroking JC, the cat!

By 7.30am on Monday 10th October all the cats had been fed and were playing outside. Bebek and Bubble liked to pretend they were modelling for a photo shoot on top of the sex swing. By 9am Captain Caveman (still a sneezy mess) and I were at Migros picking up some breakfast and provisions. We bought 3 croissants and 1400g of chicken for 123.39 lira (£5.74). I took a photo of the prices of taxis in Dalyan and was getting excited at the arrival of my parents later tonight. They were due to land at 10.30pm at Dalaman airport and we were looking forward to spending lots of time with them.
Back home we shared the croissants and Captain Caveman went Dogging at the shelter. I got involved in pool and garden maintenance issues over messages about the contractor and the communal electric. There were complaints via our Aussie friends about the garden not being tended too and questions asked about if anyone had seen a gardener. I’m no Miss Marple but, by my account, no workman had been since about the end of May. My photo of my bicycle this morning showed the hose pipe and Rosemary bush had not been touched since I left for Vietnam on 3rd June. More back and forth comments went on with some owners about the state of the overhanging bushes and trees (including the ones I had cut down a year or so ago and had resulted in Bougainvillea-gate). I got annoyed, took the scissors down to the garden and started snipping away – I knew that failed hairdressing course would come in handy one day!
Once I’d done as much as I could reach, I sent photos to the affected neighbours, informed them it only took me 10 minutes and messaged Captain Caveman to tell him to pick up the spiky cuttings and bin them when he got back. I was getting a bit peeved with the whole situation! When Captain Caveman returned I made suggestions to get another maintenance company lined up for 2023. If he waited much longer to get someone to price for the job we would miss out as all the good ones get snapped up. My thumb remained numb for the rest of the day, from trimming a hedge with kitchen scissors.

I took a photo of the spare bedroom which now had a new bedside table. I’d bought it last year at IKEA and not put it up, so Captain Caveman had done it. We were ready for having guests now and there were a few due.
News of flash flood warnings in central Vietnam came and we were glad that we weren’t there at the moment. Our friends there were preparing for power outages and severe floods. Meanwhile my parents were at Manchester airport ready to come to Dalyan, after 3 months back in Sheffield. When Captain Caveman returned from Dogging he picked up all the sharp cuttings from the pathway, surveyed my handiwork, got annoyed at the garden situation and didn’t even thank me for trying to help.
That evening, after watering the plants, playing and feeding with the cats I got ready for a night out. Jamie came to pick up Captain Caveman and I at 7pm and we went to his villa. Drew had cooked us a lovely lasagne and we had quite a bit of red wine with it. We got to meet (again) Edna and Norman, Jamie’s dogs, who we would be looking after soon.
It was a lovely meal, Jamie dropped us back off and went to pick up his friend from the airport. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day!

Dalyan – 8th October

While I cleaned and hoovered the lounge, kitchen, dining area and our bedroom on Saturday 8th October, Captain Caveman went to the market. I thought the idea of him getting up early and leaving was so that he could buy provisions and prepare us a nice brunch. There wasn’t any bread or milk in at Mark and Kate’s so by the time I had finished cleaning I was very hungry. Captain Caveman eventually rocked up at 2pm with a picnic lunch and a cooked chicken from the butcher’s. He wasn’t hungry as he’d had a gözleme at the market (because he was there too early). Captain Caveman had also taken himself off supermarket shopping so that’s why he’d been a while. Here’s what he bought, prices in lira;

Migros supermarket

Cherry jam 22.00
Salted nuts 25.90
Stringy cheese 33.50
Wraps 37.50
Eggs 37.90
Mozzarella cheese balls 47.95
Halloumi cheese 52.95
Turkish salami 54.90

Total spent 312.60 lira (£14.53).
That wasn’t a bad price to say there were 3 lots of cheese, which is can be expensive.

After eating our lunch in the (almost) fur free dining area we sat outside and Captain Caveman had a beer. I watered the plants, fed the cats early and we had a walk to the Kingfisher restaurant for dinner. We shared some mezes as a main course, I had a glass of wine and Captain Caveman had a beer. The setting is rustic but beautiful and there are lots of turtles swimming in the surrounding water. The service was excellent and we really enjoyed our evening before walking back after sunset. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, Captain Caveman started an argument when I pointed out how nice the orange sky looked, reflected in the water. He disappeared to take photos and I walked home by myself and had another early night.

Dalyan – 7th October

There had been a massive storm during the night so I woke up quite tired on Friday 7th October. There had been 4 out of 6 cats in the house during the early hours. Bubble, Squeak, JC and Bebek had come home to shelter because they were scared. It was only at breakfast feeding that the other 2, Casha and Kylie, showed up looking a tad hungry. We cycled back over to our apartment because I needed to use the internet and the one at Mark and Kate’s wasn’t working very well. I did my weekly weigh in only to find I had lost 0.35kg but my measurements weren’t great;
Bust +1.5cm, Waist +2cm, Hips +2cm, no changes to any leg measurements.
We had pasta for lunch at home and then made our way over to Rehab bar for a quick draft beer in the sun. We had a chat with Angelique and Tay, Angelique invited me over to take a look at their new home in Gokbel. The place was impressive, in a gorgeous spot and I helped her measure up for a fence. She dropped me back at Mark and Kate’s, where Captain Caveman had already arrived, and we played with the cats for a bit. Captain Caveman was so sneezy that he wasn’t going to stay over but in the end he did. I promised to hoover and clean everywhere tomorrow to try to get rid of some of the cat fur, in the hope he would be less affected. It might have been a good idea for him not to pet the cute kitties too!

For sunset we walked down to the jetty with an alcoholic beverage and I took lots of photos of the beautiful scenery.
We had the rest of our Sosyete takeaway from last night, for our dinner, and it was still delicious. Captain Caveman was very sneezy, there was no TV and the internet was still not working so we were in bed at just after 9pm.

Dalyan – 5th & 6th October

On Wednesday 5th October Captain Caveman went to help out at the Dog Shelter, we affectionately call this Dogging. The Dalyan doctor called to let me know I could get my booster tomorrow at 10am and I did a bit of stuff on my laptop while the house was quiet. In the local news a paraglider had died at Babadağ so we thought this might put Gay Gaz off doing a jump, but it didn’t.
I made a chicken and veg fried rice for a late lunch which was very tasty.
We went out to look for a new cheese grater, as ours was broken, but we didn’t find a decent one. Instead, we popped for a beer in the sun outside Sofra bar where we happened to bump in to a couple of reprobates. We didn’t stay too long as I’d decided to cook my own version of a Hunter’s Chicken with wedges and carrots that evening. This meant we didn’t eat until 9.45pm but it was quite tasty.

Captain Caveman went Bumming on Thursday 6th October, our name for helping out with the Riverbums. I went to get my 6th booster vaccine at the local doctors where I saw local expats, Judy and Eddie, there and said hello. The jab itself was so quick that they were done before I noticed. As soon as I got home the app had been updated.
We packed our overnight bags and decided to head over to Mark and Kate’s early as we were taking over the cat and house sitting duties from tonight. Captain Caveman is allergic to cats so he was in a bad way quite quickly. We hadn’t brought any food with us as usually Kate has very little room in the fridge and no free freezer space so we ordered food from Sosyete and washed it down with a glass of red wine. There was a power cut which was fairly lengthy but this didn’t affect our dinner delivery. We went to bed early, a storm was starting but the power had returned.

Photo credit – the Riverbums for the ones of Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 22nd & 23rd September

Thursday 22nd September was another relaxing day spent mainly at home. Captain Caveman got up early and donned his scruffy clothes to rejoin the Riverbums on their weekly clean up. Captain Caveman loves a bit of what we affectionately call Bumming and, while he was working hard, I made a chicken casserole in the slow cooker.
I was meant to take myself off to the unveiling of the Kaptan June memorial opening but I got carried away with other tasks. Amanda, Greg and Chris were spending their day at Kaunos ruins and then BC Spa which we had also been invited along to, but I declined. It was a bit hot for me to enjoy walking round the ruins.
That night we enjoyed the chicken casserole with roast potatoes and a gin.
We had a very busy weekend coming up so I needed to take things easy again.

Amanda, Greg, Chris, Captain Caveman and I went to Saklı Bahçe for a Turkish breakfast on Friday 23rd September. I am still finding that when I eat out, especially Turkish breakfast, I have a bad stomach. Usually, I just suffer it but we had a busy day and I didn’t fancy being ill so I just drank tea and had a few chips while the others had 4 massive Turkish breakfasts. I was so jealous because I wanted to shovel it down like Captain Caveman but didn’t want to risk it.
Next, the 5 of us walked to Mark & Kate’s where we were invited to try out their paddle board and kayaks. With 3 of the group being Aussies it was no surprise that Greg and Chris were very good at it. Kate had put out some nibbles which I was surprised that, after the massive breakfast, Captain Caveman was having Vegemite with bread. I ate some crisps and drank water. Captain Caveman and Mark went off in a couple of kayaks but I wasn’t brave enough to try it because of my old knee injury and not being able to get back out.
Gay Gaz arrived with booze so we started on the wine in the afternoon. We all got to meet some of the cats and the newest one was very cute. Later, we decided to go back in to town while the Aussies tootled off to sort some stuff out. Captain Caveman, Gay Gaz and I went for a drink at Retro bar to see Nazim, Murat, Nusret and Gonca. We noticed that the cafe opposite Retro at M Hotel had closed, Nazim said they were making some improvements and would open again soon. Mark and Kate had plans to go to Lukka bar for the music bingo but, unfortunately, there was not enough spaces for the 3 of us to join them so we decided to take ourselves off for dinner.
I’ve been to Okyanus lots of times but I mainly go for lunch. I had a lovely mushroom pasta dish and I was impressed with it. While we were eating, Kate came over to say there were 3 spaces at Lukka Bingo and so we were squeezed in.
The Bingo is more of a music quiz and Mehmet is just really funny with how he presents it. We had a marvellous evening which ended with Gay Gaz on a chair singing ‘Its raining men’ as his taxi came to take him home.