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 – 11th to 13th August

On Friday 11th August I had to work because I’d moved my days to accommodate Mark and Kate’s cat and house sitting dates. I worked from 9am to 5pm with a break for lunch.
I was also back to eating nice food at home; beans on toast for breakfast, feta and beetroot salad for lunch, then a tandoori style chicken and rice dish for dinner. I even opened a bottle of rosé wine when I finished work and sat on the balcony in my lounge chair.
I thought I was going to have a relaxed early night at home but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Kate messaged to ask if I wanted to meet her and Mark at Tez bar so I said yes. After more wine there, it ended up being a rather messy, drunken evening in Dalyan Lounge and then Sofra.
Kate fell asleep in Dalyan Lounge so Mark and I left with her on the puff truck to make sure she got home. We had a can of beer and a hip flask to come back in to town with to rejoin Jo, Steve, John, Andrea, Jade and her husband who’s birthday it was. We bumped in to Bakı and we had rather a lot more drinks. Obviously, Mark and I were the last 2 standing in Sofra at about 4am – tomorrow was going to hurt!

I had no idea how I was going to get through all my plans on Saturday 12th August! I postponed my meet up at Goodeer Cafe with Jamie and went back to bed. I couldn’t face going to the market so I slept until about 1pm then went to meet Jamie. I had a lime slushy which made my hangover headache even worse. Jamie had also ended up drinking until 4am this morning with his neighbours so we were both in the same pathetic state, still.
Neither of us quite knew how we were going to muster up the oomph to be able to attend Nanny Kay’s birthday celebrations tonight. As I entered the complex back at our apartment I noticed that the garden was overgrown again and was looking a bit dishevelled so I needed to remind the maintenance company to give it a bit of attention.
Jamie, Ann and I met at Sofra bar for a livener before the main birthday event. I took more than 30 minutes to get half a draft lager down me and felt absolutely terrible. We went to Meet Meat restaurant where there was about 20 of us for the birthday meal. The free mushroom and bread starters were amazing and I ordered a steak with rice, chips and salad which was very nice. I made a glass of red wine last all night and I was absolutely begging for mercy. My 200g steak meal came to 448 lira (£13.27), which was very reasonable, the wine was 100 lira (£2.96) for a decent glass and a large water was 30 lira (89p). We’d had a reasonably priced night out with excellent food and service.
Unfortunately, there was an after-party, back at Sofra where it turned in to another one of those nights! Jamie, Ghislaine and I got in at gone 4am after Teddy, the dog, had gone AWOL meaning Ghislaine was forced to come and collect him from us at Sofra Bar.

It wouldn’t take a genius to work out that I had an easy day on Sunday 13th August. On a positive note, staying out until after the Jazz bar had closed meant I was getting better sleep.
I had bread, feta cheese and olives for breakfast, a hot dog for lunch then tandoori chicken with egg fried rice for dinner. I had an early night because tomorrow I had another week of cat sitting.

Dalyan – 9th & 10th August

After I’d fed the cats their breakfast on Wednesday 9th August, Casha went back to bed in the spare room. I met a gecko outside on the meter box too.
I took the puff truck over to our apartment, where I made myself pancakes with fruit for a late breakfast. I got weighed and was hopeful for a good result at Fat Club later as I had lost a bit since last week and my measurements were good; no change to bust or hips but -4cm off my waist!
I noticed that our complex was looking a bit dishevelled and the gardener and pool man hadn’t been in a while.
I worked all morning then went to Fat Club where Carol’s scales said I had lost 1.3kg (almost 3lb). On the way home I went to the supermarket and bought the following;

1 plastic bag 0.25
Fresh bread 7.50
Foil trays 15.15
Black eyed beans 16.90
1 Bounty 19.00
Passata 23.90
2 Quark 35.90
Mushrooms 39.90
Bin liners 55.90
Prawns 89.90
Chicken 129.68

Total spent 381.99 lira (£11.30)

I had beans on toast with hot dog sausage in plus a hot dog before I took the puff truck back to Mark and Kate’s for my cat feeding action. I was in bed by 11pm, having had another alcohol free day. I was pleased it was my last night staying away and I was looking forward to getting home!

Mark and Kate were due back at 8.20pm on Thursday 10th August and I was eager to get back to normal. I fed the cats, watered the plants, stripped the bed and washed all the bedding and towels. I had strawberries for breakfast then packed up all my stuff ready to leave. I had a last swim before a lunch of lentil soup and a turkey salad wrap. I took all my stuff home in the afternoon, it was very hot. I had a hot dog at home before taking the puff truck back to Mark and Kate’s for one last cat feed. I made sure the house was tidy, that I’d taken anything I’d left in the fridge and that the cats were all happy. I put the keys for the puff truck back where they belonged, it still didn’t need charging and I’d not used any of the electric bikes.
I walked home, it had cooled down a little by about 8pm but it was still quite warm. When I got home I had a beer and a Bounty as a bit of a treat. I was so looking forward to my own bed and not having to get up too early to tend to any animals.

Dalyan – 6th to 8th August

I didn’t get out of bed to feed the cats until 7.15am on Sunday 6th August. I was feeling tired. After feeding the cats and watering the plants I did a bit of blogging. I was quite behind and really needed to catch up. I’d mistakenly thought I’d be able to do that while I was house and pet sitting but the internet wasn’t up to much. It also meant that I probably wouldn’t be able to work online from this house tomorrow and I decided to rearrange my work schedule. I had beans on toast for lunch and lots of fresh fruit. Kate suggested I turn her home grown tomatoes in to sun-dried ones but, instead, I made a fresh tomato sauce to go with some pasta and ate it for dinner.
I got messages from Kelly and Clare, who were looking forward to arriving in Dalyan later in the month and I was getting excited for their visit. Captain Caveman would also be back on their last day so we could all do something together. I was in bed before 10pm, picking out recipes from Carol’s Slimming World book.

Monday 7th August followed a similar pattern to the previous day; cat feeding, plant watering, blog editing. I’d decided to work from home once back at home so I had a little swim. Unfortunately, my eczema seemed to be getting worse, possibly from the chemicals in the pool. The cats were more playful today, especially as I tried to drink my tea from a Yorkshire tea mug.
I had mantı (Turkish pasta) for lunch and popped to Migros and Rehab bar on the puff truck in the late afternoon. I needed to pay my bar bill which was 240 lira (£7.22) for the 3 pints I had on Saturday.
At Migros I bought soup, cooked meats and some aloe vera gel (for my eczema) for a total of 114.26 lira (£3.44). Back at Mark and Kate’s, there was more cat feeding then I had a turkey and lettuce wrap for dinner. Another early night was had but I decided that tomorrow I would go back to our apartment to work from there in the day time.

When I woke up on Tuesday 8th August the power was off but I didn’t know if it was a widespread power cut or not. I fed the cats then I took the puff truck back to my place where the power was on and I messaged people who live in the same area as Mark and Kate to check if they had power. It turned out to be everyone in the area. I made Slimming World friendly pancakes from egg and banana for breakfast and did a bit of work. I had 2 Yorkshire teas as a nice treat before getting the laptop out.
I had an airfryer jacket potato with cheese and a Linden tea for lunch, which was lovely. I spoke to Captain Caveman for the first time in a while (he’s not one for keeping in touch or asking how I’m doing) and we came up with a holiday plan. Once he was over in Turkey, he could only spend 90 days here so he intended to go to England and Europe for about 40 days. He did ask if I wanted to go too but I just couldn’t afford it, so I said no. We did think I could possibly meet him in Naples or Rome though, as the flights between Italy and Rhodes were so cheap. I said I’d consider that and went back to work until 5.15pm.
Back at Mark and Kate’s I fed the cats and watered the plants, while our own garden seemed to be neglected in comparison and we have a maintenance company there. That evening, I spoke to Ma and Pa and suggested meeting in Italy as per Captain Caveman’s idea. They were also open to this plan and we said we would factor it in to our October holiday. It was almost midnight when I went to bed, tomorrow I had a busier day planned.

Dalyan – 5th July

I was meant to be going swimming with Adele before cat feeding on Saturday 5th August but I felt I had not left myself enough time in the day to do everything I’d planned to. I fed the cats; Baby stuck her tongue out at me and she didn’t eat all the food. I watered the plants and felt grateful that I don’t even own a plant as it is such a time consuming job.
Adele picked me up on her motorbike and we drove the short journey to Yalıçapkını (aka Kingfisher) for breakfast with friends. I had booked a table for 8 of us but, when we arrived it was clear I had made a mistake. Joining Adele and I were Ann, Jamie, Drew, Nanny Kay, and Viv, however there were 2 people who I had not met before. Nanny Kay introduced me to her friend, Lynne, and I said hello. I looked towards the lady sat next to Viv, who introduced herself as Lynne, too. I had not realised that when Viv had messaged to ask if I’d included Lynne that she had been talking of her Lynne, not Nanny Kay’s Lynne. I took the end of the table and requested a new place be added. Six of us had the Turkish breakfast, Nanny Kay and the first Lynne had menemen, Drew had a toastie. I loved the food, despite avoiding the chips and trying not to be too naughty. The total bill came to 2,290lira (£69) working out less than £8 per person. After eating, the conversation topic of the Barbie film cropped up. Lynne number 2 and Drew helped us all download an app where you can make your own photo in to a Barbie – hours of fun could have been on the cards but it was time to leave.
There was no lolling by the pool to be had that afternoon as I decided to take the puff truck to the market to stock up on fruit and veg. The mobility wagon was brilliant, I managed to get 27 km/h out of it and work out where the gears were. I decided to call in to Rehab bar to meet up with the pool gang and had a nice pint (or 2) with Carol, Adam & Kath, Julie & Gareth. Of course, without Mark and Kate there we finished earlier than we would normally and I was able to whizz back on the puff truck for a river swim with Adele. I quickly fed the cats and was watering the garden again when Adele arrived with a bottle of wine for us to share later. The swim off the jetty was refreshing and enjoyable as we went past a small inlet near to Mark and Kate’s. We felt what we would later find out were thermoclines which are cold pockets of water staying separate to the top layer of warm water as the sea and river met. It was getting dark, no one knew we were swimming in the river and I had been drinking – probably not the smartest idea! The mosquitos were out in abundance as we climbed out on to the jetty. We went inside, drank Adele’s wine and chatted until gone midnight having had a lovely day.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th August

I didn’t bother with breakfast on Thursday 3rd August and got straight on with my work for the day. I had a late lunch of beans on toast and finished work around 3.15pm so that I could pack and go to meet Mark and Kate. They were having drinks in Jiks with Adam and Kath prior to flying back to England that evening. They bought me a pint of Efes and I got a lift back to their’s so that I could move in to cat sit their 6 cats for a week.
I shared a beer with Mark and Kate before their taxi came at 7.15pm and they said goodbye. Kate had agreed to bring me some Yorkshire tea and a much needed 2024 diary, which I was really looking forward to.
Both JC and Kylie, 2 of the 6 cats were wanting a bit of attention so I sat outside with them for quite a while.

By 7.30am on Friday 4th August I had fed the cats and hung out the washing at Mark and Kate’s house. After her breakfast, Casha (Kate’s favourite cat) had got on the bed in the spare room for a snooze so I took a photo to send to Kate.
I watered the numerous plants in the garden, I couldn’t find any Yorkshire tea so I just had what was in the jar next to the kettle and didn’t bother with any breakfast. I also got on with helping to organise a ladies night boat trip with Adele for later in the month.
I had beans on toast for lunch (again) and I paid Leanne for the AC fixing at our apartment before putting my new bikini on for the first time so that I could have a dip in the pool. I swam a lot, lounged about and generally relaxed – I even got the Mike Tyson autobiography back out to read more of.
It was only 31°C when I went out there but it got to 40°C later on and I had to go back indoors.
I did some work on Sausage Dick’s Vietnam itinerary as he was going in March 2024 and I noticed that LC Waikiki, a shop in Turkey, were now selling the porter sandals we wore in Phong Nha. I had a cheese roll from the fridge and some pasta for dinner before calling it a night once it got back down to 31°C. Tomorrow, I had another exciting day planned!

Rhodes to Dalyan – 8th & 9th July

Of course I was hungover and very woolly headed on Saturday 8th July. I vaguely remembered getting involved in tequila shots the previous night, which meant I should have gone home 3 hours previous to that. While Steve and Michelle were up and about, and even quite sprightly compared to me, my day was a bit of a right-off. I actually did nothing but loll about with some of the cats and Xena, the dog. I was in bed by 10pm on my last night in Rhodes, tomorrow I was off back to Turkey.

Having had a quiet Saturday night, I was awake early on Sunday 9th July. Steve and Michelle had commitments until late so came home after I’d gone to bed. The weather was still sunny in Rhodes and the forecast showed it was hotting up in Dalyan, where I was going back to tonight. A weather warning due to the wind, had meant a lot of boats had been unable to sail so I hoped my ferry was still going.
By 1.30pm Steve, Michelle and I were in Rhodes town, wasting a bit of time before I had to pick up my ferry ticket. We decided to have a Macdonald’s which was not one of my best choices. I’ve not eaten a Macdonald’s in years and, looking back, it was not the right time to reintroduce a Big Mac meal into my diet. I was convinced that I would be able to keep it down if I had a sea sickness tablet for the journey and didn’t worry too much as I shovelled it in. The Big Mac meal in Rhodes Town cost €8.85 (£7.58) so wasn’t cheap but it was one the nicest I’ve ever had. The last one I’d had in the UK had been cold and cost me less than £4 – I have no idea how much they are now.
I said my goodbyes to Steve and Michelle, outside the ferry port, after another great holiday in Lardos. I wheeled my luggage across the road a little sad but we had already arranged that I would be back again in early September so it wasn’t too traumatic a goodbye.
There were no sea sickness tablets left in the shop as it was so rough, they had all been taken. It was Sunday so all the pharmacies were closed, I would have to chance it. As I got on the ferry, my sister and her family were already having a relaxing first day in Dalyan with my parents. The ferry crossing was very choppy and I was lucky to be given the middle seats by a couple of kind Turkish ladies, who also offered me a lift to the bus stop when we arrived. I decided I had far too much luggage to chance a bus journey after over 2 hours of trying not to throw up a Bic Mac.
The taxi was charging €70 to go from Fethiye to Dalyan which was 2,000 lira (£59), a massive increase on the 1,100 lira (£32.47) I’d paid on the way out.
I got home and was absolutely knackered, there was no internet at home and my Turkish phone had run out of credit so I went to bed – tomorrow the family fun would start.

Rhodes – 7th July

The first thing I noticed when I woke up at 6am on Friday 7th July, was that there was no internet. I didn’t particularly need it as I wasn’t scheduled to work today but it was unusual, given that Steve and Michelle work from home. On entering the living room area I saw the problem, there had been an incident involving cats, a basket from the shelf and the router getting knocked off. None of the cats were forthcoming but Trixie looked like she knew what happend and was keeping quiet. Lulu and Bella were particularly hungry today and were quite impatient for their biscuits this morning.
Steve and Michelle messaged to say they were on their way so I stripped the bed and had a general tidy round. I was just getting the hoover out when they arrived back from a lovely jaunt over to Crete. Xena was beside herself with excitement that mom and dad were back, Trixie was also very happy but tried to play it cool by napping on Steve’s bag and pillow. I had a chocolatey croissant-like pastry for breakfast then it was all systems go.

Life is always more lively with Steve and Michelle around so we went out for a lovely lunch at Alabama bar. Steve and Michelle took the healthy options and had wraps which looked great, I had a very good chicken burger with chips. We all had a cheeky beer and I gave people a headache by chatting on too much, not realising we were in a rush to get back.
That night was the Greek night in Lardos and I was looking forward to my first one, having not drank much alcohol this week, I was about to make up for it!

We started the night in Cuckoo’s Nest cocktail bar, my drink of choice was red wine. The measures were large and I seemed to get quite plastered as more of Steve and Michelle’s friends joined us. By 11.30pm the Tequilas were out and we were on that slippery slope to extreme drunkenness. I was tired and tried to have a little nap in Cuckoo’s Nest but Steve and Michelle’s friends were having none of it and proceeded to encourage more drunken antics over at Memories bar.

By 2.30am I had made some new friends, including a cute little dog. Michelle and I got in at 3.45am to a passed out half naked (thankfully the top half) Steve on the lounge sofa bed. It was good to have them back in Lardos and, as far as I can remember, we’d all had a fantastic night.

Rhodes – 6th July

On Thursday 6th July I was up early, busy with plant watering and animal duties then I worked 9am to 4.30pm. After feeding the cats, getting the hang of who’s indoor and outdoor, I decided a quick trip to the shop was a good idea.
I spent €13.30 (£11.41) on Prosecco, crisps and chocolate at Big Family supermarket then decided to stop at a bar. I ordered a cheeky Milokleftis cider with ice at Yamas bar and sent a message to Louise to see if she had finished work. Shortly after, she arrived and ordered a coffee but another Milokleftis and a cocktail arrived. What was a quick drink after work with a new friend, turned in to quite an impromptu evening. After a few ciders I decided I couldn’t be bothered to go home to cook so suggested we eat out.

Louise and I both love Valentina’s restaurant in Lardos and it was very close by. We opted for a white wine each then I had a carafe of red wine while Louise ordered a lemonade then a passion fruit cocktail. There was a complimentary pumpkin soup which was very tasty. We had the amazing cheese balls and some garlic bread to share for starters and we both ordered steaks with mushrooms and onions for mains. Once again we got complimentary dessert of baklava with ice-cream and watermelon ouzo shots to round off the meal. It was amazing and I was impressed with the food, yet again – I’ve never had a bad meal there. The total bill came to €79 (£67.79) which was reasonable for what we had and I went home with a doggy bag!
I think Xena disapproved of me coming back drunk without her parents, but they were due back tomorrow.