Dalyan – 27th November

As our anniversary is the Thursday before Christmas but we wouldn’t be in the same country, Captain Caveman had moved our anniversary forward to today, Thursday 27th November. When we woke up it was raining quite hard so I fed the cat later than usual. On the way back, I was delighted to see that someone had bought the 2 white dogs a kennel each and they were keeping dry. I called at the bakery and made it home before more rain. Unfortunately Captain Caveman’s plan to join the Riverbums, clearing the river of litter, had been cancelled this morning due to the rain. I had a Resort Experts team meeting at 2pm and then Captain Caveman and I decided to go out to celebrate our 14 years together. We walked as far as Luz, which does Latin food and cocktails, and we said hello to their very nice dog. Captain Caveman treated us to a cocktail and some nibbles. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

1 Argentina Tortilla 360
1 Cheese Fondue 420
1 Bloody Maria 530
1 Hibiscus Margarita 530
Total spent 1,840 lira (£33.45)

It’s not the cheapest place in town but the quality is worth it and it’s definitely not for the Dalyan Cheap Chasers who moan about the price of a beer. We really enjoyed it and I do love the hibiscus margarita there. Our next stop, after a bit of a stroll and a call to feed the cat again, was to the supermarket. Here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Spring onions 32.95
Milk 36.90
6 eggs 72.95
Wholemeal bread 84.95
Halloumi cheese 96.50
Cherry juice 105.00
Fairy Liquid 149.95
Total spent 579.20 lira (£10.53)

Captain Caveman dropped the shopping back off home and we met back up for dinner at Ayaz where I had a chicken shish with a pomegranate juice and Captain Caveman had a lamb shish with ayran. The food was lovely and it came to just 800 lira (£14.55) in total. Back home we had a White Russian and watched a film on TV.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing the white dogs had new shelters
2. Lunch and cocktails at Luz
3. Dinner at Ayaz to celebrate 14 years with Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 25th & 26th November

I decided not to bother taking the day off work on Tuesday 25th November as I correctly assumed Captain Caveman would be doing something without me. I fed the cat and had a stroll back via the bakery where I picked up some croissants for breakfast. I hadn’t thought about Fat Club weigh in tomorrow so I’d probably accidentally had a Sabotage Tuesday (again). We ate breakfast then Captain Caveman went to play Bridge. I logged on and did some work. When he got back I made us a cougette pasta for lunch. I carried on working while Captain Caveman lolled on the sofa with his phone until 5pm then he went to the grocers for veg and more eggs.
I fed the cat in the evening, then came back to make a chickpea and spinach curry which we didn’t eat until gone 9.30pm but it was rather tasty.

Gratitude List
1. Croissants for breakfast
2. Spending the evening with Captain Caveman
3. Great Slimming World friendly food.

Wednesday 26th November was a bit of an odd day really. I was feeding my friend’s cat before 7.15am, saw the sunrise and then went back to bed with a cup of tea as it was cold out. After breakfast of toast for me and homemade şakşuka for Captain Caveman I remembered to get weighed and measured. My home scales showed I had lost 0.8kg (1.8lb) this week, which was very surprising given that I had consumed far more syns than I should have! My measurements showed I’d put 1cm on my bust and hips but lost 3cm from my waist – impressive really! Captain Caveman and I decided to have a bit of a walk around and I introduced him to the white dogs, before he went off to the barbers and I went to Fat Club. Captain Caveman’s haircut and shave cost him 400 lira (£7.27) which he was happy with and they did a good job.
Disappointingly, but realistically, Carol’s scales said I had remained the same as last week and not lost any weight at all! I would need to try harder in December to get back to target before the end of the year. I had just under 5kg (11lb) to lose so it was not looking likely that I would reach target again this year.
At 6pm I had arranged to meet up with my parents, Jamie and Vanessa at Ren Garden for a drink. I was surprised to see Ma on the beer and Pa on the water but he’d got a bit of a cold and dodgy tum so was taking it easy after their Jiva Beach trip. While Ma took it steady with a few beers, Pa had a latte but he wasn’t feeling too great. I nipped off to feed the cat and she wanted some attention so I stayed for a little while to give her some strokes with her pâté.
When I returned, Vanessa and Matt had arrived after the pool afternoon with Mark, Kate and Sarah. We weirdly ended up playing games and taking over the front room of Ren Garden’s bar area – and we were loud! Here’s what ours and my parents’ bills came to that night.

Ren Garden – us
4 Red wines 520
5 Efes Malta 600
Total spent 1,120 lira (£20.36)

Ren Garden – Ma & Pa
2 waters 40
1 latte 130
3 Efes Malt 360
Total 530 lira (£9.64)

I’d obviously gone mad on the wine (again) on a Wednesday and was easily swayed when a suggestion to go for food came up. Dad and Captain Caveman decided to walk on ahead to Çağrı to go there but they turned back when they saw it had been open but was closing. We decided Pizza 48 would be a good place, despite it being outdoor seating. I don’t recall us being cold and we all had our own pizza and a drink. Captain Caveman ordered a meat pizza and an Efes Malt, I had a mushroom pizza with a red wine which came to 1,080 lira (£19.64). I was planning on taking some home but it was pretty good and I ate it all.

Gratitude List
1. Weighing less on my home scales
2. A night out at Ren Garden
3. Spending time with friends and family.

Dalyan – 24th November

On Monday 24th November, I had fed and watered the cat, well before 7.15am and was on my walk back home when I met 2 of the dogs I usually see by the river. They walked all the way through town, along the river and almost home, with me.
Captain Caveman and one of my friends had planned a hard walk up a mountain which I was neither capable of nor invited on so he had made a packed lunch and she was picking him up at 10am.
I spent the morning doing some ad-hoc work tasks and looking at flights for 2026. I had leftover chicken for lunch and then just pottered about on my non-day off.
By 3.30pm, Captain Caveman was back and had thoroughly enjoyed his Monday walk. He got changed in to an outfit which could only say that he was unlikely to be intending on leaving the house. I left him at home while I went to pick up my coat which I’d finally got round to having the zip fixed on, at Dalyan Tailors. They are based in the square next to Migros and it cost 100 lira (£1.82) which I was happy with. I went to feed the cat and we had some cuddles, she even got on her box for more attention.
Captain Caveman had put ‘normal’ clothes on for the evening and we decided to go to Ozzy’s for a drink. We had tickets for a comedy night at 8pm so we had to look sharp. We should’ve got food at Ozzy’s but Captain Caveman was keen to eat Turkish so we paid our bill and sped off to get food. Here’s what we paid in lira;

Ozzy’s Bar
2 red wines
2 beers
690 lira (£12.55)

We thought Çağrı would be a good bet and it was on our way to the comedy night venue. Unfortunately, it was closed as they had decided to close on Mondays during the winter. We both joked that we needed to just ‘get anything but not China Town’ as neither of us fancied an expensive Chinese and we only had 40 minutes before the start of the show.
Lots of places close on Mondays now, or places that Captain Caveman had thought of were now closed for a break/winter. We ended up having to go to China Town which is a bit outside of my usual budget. It’s not my favourite place but we got served straight away, the food was piping hot and we were paying and leaving at 3 minutes past the start of the 8pm show. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

China Town
1 red wine 140
1 Efes Malt 150
1 plain rice 150
1 Won Ton soup 190
1 Chicken & Sweetcorn soup 190
1 Singapore noodles 430
1 Chicken in black bean sauce 450
Total Spent 1,700 lira (£30.91)

The soups were good, my chicken dish not particularly authentic and the noodles very good. We were also very close to our next venue, who had messaged to check if I was on my way – very attentive.
We got seated in Books & Cookies where we had 2 tickets for the comedy show with Ege Öztokat for 800 lira (£14.55). We ordered drinks of 1 beer + 1 wine totalling 340 lira (£6.18) and got sat in our seats. There were a few familiar faces in the crowd too and it turned out to be a very funny and interesting evening. I really enjoyed being able to watch comedy in Dalyan as, along with good live music, it’s something I miss going to, on a regular basis.

Gratitude List
1. Working on a day off while checking plans for my own trips in 2026
2. Saving money by not going to Köyceğiz as I’d hoped
3. Comedy night at Books & Cookies.

Dalyan – 23rd November

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 22nd November

The day of Captain Caveman’s arrival was finally here on Saturday 22nd November – I was super excited and quite hungover!
Having consumed wine with dinner, 5 mulled wines and a further 250ml of red wine as a nightcap, I had totally overdone it with Jamie and Drew last night! It had been good to let my hair down but now, as I went to feed the cat at sunrise, I desperately wanted to be having a lay in, keeping warm under the duvet. I was back home by 8am, with no wandering round Dalyan unnecessarily this morning. I was going to go back to bed but instead I had a Yorkshire tea and a litre of water before deciding to move my office back upstairs in to the spare room. I moved the spare table first and it wasn’t that difficult, but my beloved red office chair was a little more cumbersome. I had to have a sit down when I got them in place but I was pleased as I was hoping to have a reduced work schedule this coming week so wouldn’t need our dining table as a desk. That morning, I finished my internal pages of ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, uploaded that and my book cover by Nicole at I Am Claire Clarke on to Amazon and hoped they would vet it and agree to publish it quickly! They said it could take up to 10 days, which was a bit long but there was nothing I could do and I just had to wait now! Overall, I was very pleased and excited with it but I was still annoyed with myself for not having got it done sooner so that Captain Caveman could bring me a copy to see!!
For lunch I had beans on toast and got a message from Captain Caveman who was getting the train to Manchester airport ready for his 13.45 flight. He was due to land at Dalaman at 21.00 so I still had all day to wait.
After doing some last minute work, I decided to pop out to the shops, help my Mom by getting her the stationer’s email address and feed the cat again. Here’s what I bought from the various shops with prices in lira;

Şarküteri
1 Chicken Tikka sauce 190 lira (£3.45)

I rarely buy the ready made sauces from the import shop as they are pricey but I decided I’d left it too late to make a curry for dinner.

Migros Supermarket
Mentos 20.95
Marshmallows 39.95
2 Nut Dido chocolate bars 60.00
3 tins of chopped tomatoes 149.85
1kg chicken breasts 172.09
Total spent 442.84 lira (£8.05)

I was so excited to get the tinned tomatoes, finally!

Yaman Büfe 2
2 Efes Malt beers 170
1 bottle of Red Rituel wine 288
Total spent 458.00 lira (£8.33)

After buying some booze to have with dinner, I went home to chill out, finish some blogging and await Captain Caveman’s arrival!

I managed to finish a few blog posts, check the coming week’s weather forecast, start my marketing plan for ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ and schedule a week’s worth of Resort Experts posts before I got a text to say Captain Caveman was on his way. Luckily, the curry was done and simmering away, the beers were cold and the apartment was nice and tidy. It was gone 10pm when he arrived, hand luggage only but with half of his bag full of treats for me! He’d got a transfer from Sonuç at Dalyan Transfers. By 11pm Captain Caveman had unpacked his wares which included;
2 bottles of Kahlua from Duty Free for £31
A 2026 Diary
A power bank
5 cheeses
2 butters
Steradent tablets
An Advent Calendar for Nanny Kay

I was so pleased that Captain Caveman had managed to bring so much in his hand luggage this time. We cracked open the beers and I dished up the chicken curry with steamed rice. It was almost midnight by the time we had finished eating, which was extremely late for me but Captain Caveman was 3 hours behind, on UK time. I set my alarm for in 6 hours time as I needed to make sure I was up for the cat feeding. Captain Caveman had also organised a Sunday Walk for tomorrow. There was so much to go on my Gratitude List today that I had trouble narrowing it down to just the 3!

Gratitude List
1. Finally submitting ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ to Amazon to be published
2. Captain Caveman arriving in Dalyan
3. Getting some treats from Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 21st November

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

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

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

Dalyan – 20th November

I had another exciting day on Thursday 20th November, starting with feeding my friend’s cat just after sunrise and visits to my new favourite outdoor dogs. It had certainly got chillier in the evenings and early mornings now.
At 9am I walked over to Vanessa and Matt’s so that I could go with them to Ortaca. I’d arranged for the cleaner to come and do the whole apartment seeing as Captain Caveman was due to arrive in 2 days and I barely had time to get things done. I’d admitted defeat on the planner, as it was too late to get it delivered now for him to bring it out to me. Vanessa had an appointment in Ortaca so she had kindly agreed to give me a lift as I was off to the hairdresser’s in the afternoon and also preferred to be out of the house while the cleaner did her thing. We got to Ortaca and dropped Vanessa off then Matt and I went to Reyhan cafe. I had a hot chocolate and Matt had a coffee, the prices were reasonable, the service good and the cafe was big enough for me to be able to work from there later on. When Vanessa returned we all decided to have some lunch and I was impressed with their pizza, recommended by Matt. The food was fast food style but hot and on a plate, and they did really good offers.

After lunch, Matt and Vanessa left me in Reyhan for a bit longer and for an online meeting, which I took my noise cancelling headphones for. I also received my book cover latest version, from Nicole and was really pleased with how it looked. This made my day so I celebrated with tea and a cake before heading off to let Emrah, my hairdresser, work his magic. When I went to pay my bill at Reyhan, Matt had already paid for my lunch so I only had 190 lira (£3.45) to pay for tea and cake – very cheap, but not as good as Mono for the cake!

It was my first time of going to his new premises, since Emrah had moved to Ortaca from Dalyan, and it was very close to the bus station so fairly easy to find. I walked up the stairs as I wasn’t sure if the lift was working, although it was, and I received a warm welcome.
I had my hair done and it looked really good, the price had gone up a bit to 2,300 lira (£41.82) for a full colour, cut, blow-dry and Emrah’s signature curls. Some people in Dalyan had commented that they thought Emrah was expensive now but I loved how he did my hair and didn’t want to change. Even though I now had to come to Ortaca for it, I was happy enough to make time to do that every couple of months or so. I still rounded up my payment to give a tip and booked in for the Friday before Christmas as my next appointment.

I decided to get the bus back to Dalyan which cost just 46 lira (84p). When I got home, the cleaner has done a lovely job and saved me a whole day of having to do it myself. That evening I went to feed the cat, I spoke to Captain Caveman on video call and he’d decided we might be going to Madrid in July. There was another gig/festival he fancied and wanted to know if I would come if he could get the tickets! Of course, I said yes.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely outing to Ortaca with Matt & Vanessa
2. Getting my hair done by Emrah
3. A potential trip to Madrid in 2026.

Dalyan – 10th & 11th November

Kate had invited me to join the pub crawl bunch on a trip to Göcek on Monday 10th November. As I had work to do, a planner to finish and little Norman to take care of, I had to decline. Göcek is a lovely town with a harbour, it can be a little more on the expensive side so, even if I had a day off, it isn’t really a place to visit if you’re on a tight budget.
I’d walked Norman and had a bit of an incident when he found some discarded fish and started eating it. I had to get my fingers in his mouth. He was crafty and hid it in his cheeks then, when I removed my hands, he snaffled it down. Norman proceeded to trot down the street as proud as punch that he’d got away with some fish that he’d found in the street!
When we got home Norman had to give himself a wash to get rid of the manky fish he’d had.
I did quite a lot of work for a Monday and didn’t have any time free to work on my planner, as I’d hoped. After another walk with Norman I made myself a Slimming World style pizza, forgetting I ate one yesterday.

Gratitude List
1. Saving money by not going on a jolly to Göcek
2. Norman, despite the fish eating incident
3. Slimming World style pizza.

I was up and out with Norman before 6.30am on Tuesday 11th November as I didn’t want him to disturb my neighbour again. Yesterday he had been barking at 7am when a cat got in the stairwell and was sick on the stairs. He managed to pick up a bit of oyster shel
Norman slept for most of the rest of the day but then we had an invite out in the evening. My parents had invited me over for a meal at their’s and this time Ma was cooking! I was really looking forward to it as Mom does a lovely Spag Bol and it was nice to be invited out, despite it being Fat Club tomorrow. Norman loves going over to my parents too and he was up the stairs in a flash. Rain had been forecast but it didn’t come while I was out and about.
It was nice to get together as Ma & Pa were off to Jiva Beach for Kate’s 5-day birthday break from Thursday. We had wine and lots of food which was really good. I took Norman’s treats with us so that my parents could give him some – he absolutely loved it.

Gratitude List
1. Early walks
2. Norman
3. Dinner at my parents.

Dalyan – 7th November

I was awake at 5am on Friday 7th November and, by 6am, I was walking Norman before the forecast rain came. He wouldn’t go down the steps again but on the way back he tried to get up them and struggled so I had to push him on his bum to help. He was still faster than me at getting up the stairs and I had to put the torch on my phone as it was still dark and the automatic light didn’t stay on long enough to make it. After his breakfast, Norman had a nap on the sofa but he woke up at 10am and I decided to take him for another walk. This time we got quite wet in the rain and saw a dead snake. Norman was surprised to see Lukka bar was closed for the winter as he had a look to see if he could see any of his friends.
I got back and dried off quickly before a call with a friend in the UK, which was lovely. I decided to get weighed after having a shower and found that I was just under 70kg, for the first time in a while.
As I sat at my desk (kitchen table) on my new office chair, I saw the updates on a Dalyan Pub Crawl group that I’m on. Matt & Vanessa had organised a pub crawl from 3pm and I had said if they were still out after work tonight I might join them. They were starting in Ozzy’s with the intention of checking out several bars, perhaps in persuit of the cheapest beers and best pool tables.
My last appointment was another Zoom training session about expeditions to the Galapagos islands which looked so good. Once I’d finished that, I had a chat with Norman, who had presumed I was off out without him and was on a bit of a downer. He’d now started referring to my parents as Granny Annie and Grandpa Stupid, as he thought it was funny and we did a video to send to Little Daddy and Stepdaddy Drew.
I had to once again carry Norman down all of the stairs and he was so slow walking, as if he didn’t want to go out. The Pub Crawlers had only got as far as Ozzy’s then Jiks in 4 hours so I stopped there to have a drink with them. Plus, Norman was reluctant to go any further so it was a good pitstop on our evening walk. We were just going to have one drink and then go back – I’m sure you can guess how that turned out!?

I perched on the end seat next to Kate and opposite Vanessa – little Norman had a sniff about for any dropped food! My Dad ordered me a red wine and it was evident I needed to catch up massively. Everyone was ready to move to the next pub (well, it was a pub crawl) during my first drink. I knew Norman had struggled to make it this far so I said my goodbyes and was about to call it a night when Kate told the others that she was going to stay with me at Jiks for one more drink and then she would see everyone at Corner bar.
I ordered another red wine and told Norman to get comfy as Kate and I discussed her 7 cats, including the 2 new blind kittens.
When I went to pay for my 2 wines, it turned out my parents had paid for my first one and I’d not even had chance to speak to them for long. I paid my 150 lira (£2.73) and we left. Kate was going to join the others in Corner Bar, which had become the new place for some of the Dalyan Dwellers to frequent. As we got to the end of the road, where I would turn right to return home with Norman and Kate could go straight on, Norman got a second wind and continued on with Kate – we were off to Corner bar!
When we arrived there, everyone was eating takeaway chicken wraps with chips from nearby Bliss so I had a few of Vanessa’s chips and they were good. Kate and I jumped on the band wagon and ordered a chicken wrap with chips to share. The food was really good and only cost me 180 lira (£3.27) for my share.
Vanessa and Matt left quite soon after I arrived, about 10pm. Kate left not long after that. I’d just got my second glass of wine and had started talking to Dad when everyone but Mark decided to leave. I had 2 red wines at a total of 280 lira (£5.09) but that was my limit for a Friday night as it meant I’d had 4 in total and I was on a budget still. Norman was sleeping on the couch and Mark went over to chat to a fella and his son, so I had a photo with the waiter and then left. Norman and I were home by 11pm – Norman had thoroughly enjoyed his pub crawl, even though he only managed 2 of the 3 bars!

Gratitude List
1. Training on expedition cruises
2. Norman – he loved joining the pub crawl
3. A rare night out with friends and parents for 610 lira (£11.09)

Dalyan – 5th November

It wasn’t surprising that I had put weight on, on Wednesday 5th November, when I got on the home scales! A whole 0.3kg (0.7lb), my bust had stayed the same, I’d lost 1cm from my waist and put 1cm on my hips!
I popped the slow cooker on with a Thai chicken curry in and cancelled my evening plans so that I could help Jamie out. He and Drew were leaving for a holiday tomorrow and I was looking after Norman however, because they wanted to leave early in the morning, I’d been asked to take Norman this evening and, of course, I’d said yes.
First, I went to Fat Club to find I had stayed the same weight as last week on Carol’s scales, so I was pleased about that. I had a water for 50 lira (91p) and we all had a chat and a laugh. On my way home, I called at the shop and here’s what I bought, prices in lira (still no tinned tomatoes);

Migros Supermarket

Milk 27.50
Tomato pasta sauce 33.95
Bitter chocolate 57.50
BBQ sauce 125.21
Frozen berries 229.95
Total spent 474.11 lira (£8.62)

Jamie and Drew popped round with Norman and brought all of his stuff except for his treat tin, so Norman was not amused! We had a glass of wine to toast the start of their holidays and I promised Norman I would get him treats from the shop.
Later, Vanessa popped over for a cup of tea and a chat, we took little Norman out but he was not happy to go out or with the stairs. I had to practically drag him out!
I shared some curry and steamed rice with Vanessa and portioned some up for her to take back for Matt. By 10pm, Norman had been out again, reluctantly, and was in his bed.
I set my alarm for before it got light as I didn’t want Norman to pee in the house.

Gratitude List
1. Not putting weight on, with Carol’s scales
2. Norman
3. Swapping a night out to see a band, for a curry night with Vanessa and Norman.

Dalyan – 31st October

I worked hard on both the Resort Experts content for social media and the design for my new planner on Friday 31st October. By midday the neighbour who shares the same stairwell as us, decided to have a party for one, with deafening music. I knocked on the door to ask her to turn it down but she didn’t answer. I made myself a pizza style wrap for lunch and tried to get back on with my to do list.
At 5pm I had an hour long training session with Travelpack and Swan Hellenic about Expedition cruising, mainly in West Africa. It was super interesting and made me really think about the types of holidays I wanted to promote and go on myself in the future.
I finished just after 6pm then had to get ready, as I was off on an evening out. I wore my orange t-shirt from the Aussies, as I know how much they love Halloween. I decided to wear some lace up pumps for the first time since breaking my foot and I didn’t take my crutch. I was a bit nervous as it was dark and the floors are uneven in Dalyan, but I would take my time and walk slowly.
At Ren Garden, the owners had really pulled out all the stops and it was very Halloween themed, which I hadn’t bargained for. Joining me were; Jamie, Nanny Kay, my parents, Julie, Gareth, Adam & Kath.

Some people had really got in to the spirit of dressing up, including a lady dressed as an old woman who lots of people were scared of. There were a few other familiar faces who we chatted to, too. We had a good night but by 8.30pm my parents, Adam and Kath were hungry so they decided to go elsewhere. Julie & Gareth stayed a bit longer, along with Nanny Kay but, after they left, Jamie and I decided to go for one in Sofra. We left there about midnight and went back to Ren Garden where it was pretty lively.
Jamie and I had another drink in Ren before sauntering home. I had quite a few wines at 140 lira (£2.57) per glass and lost count of the total. It had been a nice evening and I didn’t realise until the next day that my parents and their friends had gone for a meal at Olivia’s and then come back to Ren, but we had already left for Sofra. I didn’t check my budget v spending for the end of the month, as I would do it tomorrow when I was sober.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy with content writing
2. Nice food
3. Ren Garden with friends and family.

Dalyan – 27th & 28th October

Monday 27th October was a busy admin day and I didn’t really stop for a minute. I spoke to Captain Caveman at lunch time who was also busy but he helped me out with something related to a hotel booking.
Norman was well behaved but sleepy and didn’t want to walk far on his walk.
I had more leftover bolognese for dinner and then arranged a night out for tomorrow. Lukka bar had been asked if they would have one last Music Bingo night and they had agreed if there were enough takers.
My parents hadn’t been to it this year and their friends had never been, so I booked us all in for tomorrow. I was looking forward to it, even though it was on a school night.

Gratitude List
1. Being busier at Resort Experts
2. Norman
3. A video call with Captain Caveman.

I was awake early on Tuesday 28th October and had a busy day. The sky was cloudy and the rain was forecast. For lunch I made a Slimming World style vegetarian pizza. A friend who had booked a holiday with me was on their family holiday and she sent me a message and a photo to say they were really enjoying it, which was great to hear.

When I finished work, I went to join my parents and their friends, Julie & Gareth, in Retro bar for a quick drink before our night out. It was good to see Nusret, the owner, who had been working hard this year on making the bar even better than it was before. I had a red wine which I paid 150 lira (£2.75) for, including a tip. We had to be at Lukka bar by 7.30pm for our meal and had decided to push the boat out on their final Music Bingo night, which I absolutely love.
All 5 of us ordered food and drinks and the night was really good fun. I really enjoyed my beef dish, which I had the last time I came. There was singing, chair dancing and Julie even won a bottle of wine on the music bingo. As midnight approached, it did get a bit chilly sat outside with just a denim jacket on. When we came to pay the bill it was probably the most I’d spent on just me on a night out, in quite a while, but it had been such a good laugh. Here’s what I had, with the prices in lira:

Beef Çökertme 950
Baklava with ice-cream 375
5 red wines 1250
200 tip
Total spent 2775 lira (£50.92)

Gratitude List
1. Update from a friend in Fuerteventura
2. Norman
3. A night out at Lukka music bingo.

Photo/video credit – Apo & Julie

Dalyan – 25th & 26th October

It was still a bit wet out on the morning of Saturday 25th October so I had decided not to bother with the market. As the ground was wet with puddles and I was still wearing sandals, I thought I’d rather not get wet feet.
By the time it got to lunch time the sun was back out so I changed my mind and ventured out. I took a proper bag to the market and I’d already got cash so there was no faffing about today. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Stall 1
3 potatoes 20 lira (37p)

Stall 2
Tulum cheese
White cheese
Olives
600 lira (£11)

Stall 3
Tomatoes
Carrots
Mushrooms
Pumpkin
Grapes
Strawberries
550 lira (£10.09)

Stall 4
Spinach Gözleme (pancake) 100 lira (£1.83)

Total spent 1,270 lira (£23.29) which was probably the most I’d spent in the market in a long time – it was also the most I’d carried since breaking my foot and I managed. I’d gone a bit mad on the cheese as the stall holder had the nice strong Tulum which looks like a regular cheddar but tastes more like a blue cheese without the blue in it – it’s very strong and lasts ages. I always get to taste the cheese and the olives too, even though I usually buy the same ones.
When I got back, Norman hadn’t even noticed I’d been gone and was still fast asleep. I ate my very tasty gözleme for lunch and then did some work in the afternoon/evening. Ma & Pa popped round, I gave them some eggs and they brought Norman’s towel & bowl back – they didn’t stay as they were off for a walk but I suggested we might catch up tomorrow.
For dinner I had a pasta dish and put a sprinkling of the tulum cheese on top. I didn’t have any alcohol as I was trying to be good tonight.

Gratitude List
1. Managing a full market shop and walking back with it all
2. Norman
3. Nice, simple food.

On Sunday 26th October I didn’t wake up until 7.50am and when I went downstairs, Norman had had an accident – runny poo on the tiled floor and he’d slipped in it. Poor Norman had to be cleaned as well as the floor and he had a sorry look in his eyes. I told him everything was going to be ok and stayed with him all morning, I even made him some eggs for breakfast.
I decided to make a pumpkin soup in the slow cooker and did a bit of work, despite it being a Sunday. For lunch I had leftover pasta with the rest of the salad from Friday’s takeaway and Norman, although sleepy, seemed to be doing much better.
I left him for an hour when my parents called to go for a walk to the Kefal tea gardens. They both ordered a mackerel sandwich and drinks but I just had a plate of chips. I decided to ask my parents over for a Sunday dinner and we walked back past the Şevikoğlu shop to buy provisions. Unfortunately, they had no whole chickens left, nor any decent wine so we had to make do with chicken breasts and I would order the booze in.

Here’s what I bought, with prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.50
Red cabbage 21.39
Wet wipes 39.90
3 Dido nut chocolate bars 89.70
1.6kg chicken breasts 295.04
Total spent 446.53 lira (£8.19)

When we got back, Norman was pleased to see us and had been fine. I messaged the off licence for them to bring us wine – my parents were surprised you could do this but it saved us walking and carrying it.

Yaman Büfe
Wine
Soda water
Total spent 1,040 lira (£19.08)

We sat on the terrace with our wine and Norman potted about, he was having trouble with the steps so we tried to fashion a ramp out of a big tile. Norman seemed interested but it wasn’t really safe.
I served up the pumpkin soup, a first try of it for my parents who said they liked it (they didn’t have seconds though). We had sliced chicken breast with roast potatoes, carrots and red cabbage for main, I didn’t have any stuffing to put with it. I saved Norman some chicken as he’s quite partial to a roast dinner and he wolfed it down. Our dessert was just a Dido chocolate bar each and we didn’t have a late one as I had to be up early tomorrow. It was nice to have Sunday dinner with my parents and have the afternoon off.

Gratitude List
1. Good food
2. Norman
3. Spending time with my parents.

Dalyan – 24th October

I was woken up just after 2am on Friday 24th October, with the sound of the heavy rain. It took me a while to get back to sleep but then I was up to let Norman out at 7am. He was quite snoozy but he had a wander round the garden, had breakfast then was snoring away by the time I got my laptop going. I had tea and toast for breakfast and it’s the law that Norman has to have a corner, which he woke up for.
At lunch time, while there was no rain, we had a quick walk. I attended an online webinar training session about cruises in French Polynesia at 5pm, which was very informative. If ever I came in to some spare cash or won the lottery, it would definitely be a place I’d love to visit – the Marquesas Islands looked amazing!
My parents had invited me, and Norman, round to their place for dinner tonight. They had been here almost 7 weeks and this was the first time I’d been in their apartment so I was looking forward to it.
Norman was also a bit giddy as he likes a soirée and hoped there may be snacks available. I took his towel to lay on and a plastic bowl for water and he seemed genuinely excited to be going to Granny Annie’s & Grandpa Stupot’s. Mom had decided not to cook and had suggested we order a delivery from somewhere, but first Dad was on drink pouring duty. I’d taken over the Moldovan wine (from the Anex Fam trip) to try and it was lovely. Norman didn’t settle straight away on account of wanting some fuss and knowing that there were crisps on the quite low coffee table. I’d been waiting to see my parents’ new bed and some furniture plus they had changed things round a bit. It looked really good and a lot more comfortable.
Ma & Pa didn’t have any takeaway menus at home so I contacted someone we know to get the number for the owner of Pamukkale, Fatih. We’ve only ever eaten in the restaurant but a lot of the other restaurants use Pamukkale for their pizzas and pides.
We ordered 3 pides and 2 lahmacun for a total of 1,000 lira (£18.35), including tip, and it came with a massive side salad too. We didn’t eat all of it and I ended up taking some of my pide home plus most of the salad. As we were leaving, little Norman decided he didn’t want to go home! He wanted to stay with Ma & Pa even though they hadn’t given him any titbits and it was getting late. It had started raining and I wanted to get him back home before we both got soaked.
Norman refused to walk down the stairs, I was still using a crutch and the hand rail so I couldn’t carry him down. My Mom carried him and, when we left, Norman was most reluctant to walk.
We got home soaked to the skin and both of us needed towelling off! Norman went to bed feeling a bit sorry for himself that night.

Gratitude List
1. Getting invited to Ma & Pa’s for dinner
2. Norman
3. Having a night out (well, in) with Ma & Pa.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st October

It was back to it on Monday 20th October and I had plenty to do, before looking after Norman on Wednesday. The weather forecast over the next few days predicted rain.
At lunch time I had a break and warmed up a curry I had got out of the freezer, then cracked back on with the to do list.
I finished on the laptop at 5.45pm and made myself a ‘pretend’ pizza with a wholemeal wrap base, but forgot I didn’t have any grated mozzarella – I used cheese balls instead and it still tasted fine.
At 9.30pm I had a video call with Captain Caveman who was continuing to work hard in the UK. We both agreed it felt a long time to be waiting to see each other again.

Gratitude List
1. It not raining yet
2. Easy and tasty meals
3. Speaking to Captain Caveman.

I had a bit of excitement on Tuesday 21st October; I pushed through the to do list in the morning and then had arranged to meet up with friends, Dot & Ian.
The rain hadn’t started yet so I made my way to Okyanus where we had some drinks and a lovely lunch. Dot ordered Menemen, Ian a breakfast sandwich and I had a chicken wrap with homemade chips. Dot and I had a couple of white wines, Ian drank Efes and we chatted loads. It was great to hear their future plans and it was lovely sunshine until the rain came. I’d helped them out with a passport situation when I was in London last so they insisted on paying for lunch, which was very kind and totally unexpected. I really enjoyed our catch up, the lunch was lovely and it was nice to take a little bit of time off too. We said our farewells at my gate and I spent the afternoon catching up on some content writing. I even sat out on the balcony as the sun was back out and it was rather warm. A friend had organised a ladies night boat trip which I had to decline, not just because it wasn’t in the budget but, because I had a full diary until 6pm and it started at 3pm. I got a message saying I would be missed which was thoughtful.

I messaged my parents to see if I could call in after going to the shops later, as it had been a week since I saw them. Unfortunately, they already had plans to join friends for a night out and were waiting for confirmation of where and when to meet them. At 6pm I decided to pop to the shop to get something for dinner and see if there was Quark in stock. My Mom messaged to say they could meet me for one drink before they went out with their friends, if I wanted, so I said yes.
Here’s what I bought in Migros, prices in lira;

Migros Süpermarket
Green peppers 13.98
Red peppers 15.88
2 Dido chocolate bars 49.00
Bananas 53.70
2 Dido Gold bars 54.00
2 packs of Mozzarella cheese 147.80
Total spent 334.46 lira (£6.14)

I walked over to meet Ma & Pa in Jiks, which is opposite the supermarket. They already had Efes Malts on the go and I ordered a white wine and soda (with it being a school night). Mom kept checking her phone to see if her friend had sent the location of where they needed to be and my plan was to go back home with my shopping and make some dinner, once they left.
We had a couple of wines in Jiks and, when I went to the loo, Dad ordered me a third wine. This meant I’d had 5 wines today and was quite tipsy – weigh day tomorrow wasn’t going to go well!
We paid the 1300 lira bill at Jiks (£23.85) and we were ready to leave. Ma & Pa still hadn’t heard from her friend so we decided to call for one in Ren Garden. There is a cute cat that hangs about in there and it had befriended my parents (who don’t usually like cats). Once we got in there, we didn’t leave until midnight. I was sozzled and hadn’t had any dinner. Our bill in Ren Garden came to 1400 lira (£25.69) which I paid for and I don’t remember getting home!

Gratitude List
1. Lunch with Dot & Ian
2. Getting to see my parents for an impromptu night out
3. Remembering to take my shopping home.