Dalyan – 11th January

Even though it was my birthday on Saturday 11th January, I had made the decision not to celebrate it. I had a half finished handy travel tips book that I had been wanting to finish for ages, but it always took a backseat. I decided today that I would turn my phone on silent, take the day off work and get it finished. I no longer wanted to make it perfect and decided that I would do a series of them, meaning I could do short books which readers would be able to read quickly and even take on holiday with them.
I had gorgeous oranges and pink grapefruit on my doorstep so I had picked them and made juice which was so good. I had cheese spread on bread for breakfast and then took Lady C on a walk. I cracked on with the ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle……and other handy travel tips’ book and got quite far. I didn’t stop for lunch until 2.30pm when I had a feta cheese salad with my overpriced lettuce. I had the slow cooker out and made a very quick and easy dahl for dinner. I spoke to my parents who wished me a happy birthday and then I spoke to Captain Caveman who later sent me photos of Whernside and Pen-y-gent with snow on. I think he was just about getting used to how cold it was in the UK. When I came off the phone I had a delivery from good friends, some flowers, Dido chocolate bars and a birthday card – which I thought was really sweet and made my day.
After finishing all the chapters of the book, bar one chapter that needed changing, and taking Lady C out for a walk, I decided to sit and watch a film on Netflix as a break from my screen. I chose badly; ‘Mother of the Bride’ wasn’t funny and not my thing at all so I decided to watch a documentary next; ‘Avicii – I’m Tim’ was really good but rather sad, obviously. I got an invite to Nil Lounge tonight for the Cat Paws charity night. I politely declined as I was doing my best to be disciplined with my time. The Aussies were soldiering on too and had a barbecue which I also declined as I wanted to concentrate on getting the book finished. By this time it was raining but weather doesn’t stop a group of Aussies having a barbecue. I’d also been invited to Duble for birthday celebrations which we had already postponed too.
My lentil and chickpea curry was rather tasty but I didn’t even have a drink on my birthday. I did watch another film that was mildly entertaining called Carry-On. I went to bed without setting an alarm as I had nowhere to be tomorrow and knew I’d wake up early anyway.

Gratitude List
1. So many birthday wishes, plus cards and gifts
2. Fresh tasty food
3. Book Day – at last.

Dalyan – 2nd January

On Thursday 2nd January I had a busy and expensive day; Our water bill for last month was 351 lira (£7.98) and that was pretty good considering people had seen a rise in utility prices already. The electric bill was 250 lira (£5.68) for the month and of course was much less than usual as we weren’t home all the time.
I did my measurements and found that I had lost 1cm from my bust and waist, while my hips had stayed the same. On the home scales I was 0.25kg (0.5lb) heavier than my target which wasn’t bad considering how much we had been eating and drinking and that I had not tracked or stayed on plan at all this week.
At the first Fat Club of 2025 I stepped on to Carol’s scales to find that I was 0.25kg (0.5lb) under my target and I was really pleased and relieved. It was good to know that I had finally done it – I had achieved my goal weight of 66kg. In total I had lost 11kg (24.2lb) which is more than the weight of my full rucksack when I take it as hand luggage on a plane. In centimetres I had lost a total of 7cm from my bust, 13cm from my waist and 6cm from my hips and had gone from a size 16/18 to a size 12!Wow, I just needed those ‘before and after’ photos of me stood with a massive pair of trousers, as they do on the Slimming World adverts. What I found out from Carol at group was that once you hit your target, you are allowed some extra Healthy Options as well as a few more syns! I’m sure if I’d known that at the beginning, I’d have done it sooner. The Fat Club had really helped me be accountable, more disciplined and motivated to no longer be fat and I was so pleased to have been able to have the group support. Now, I just had to keep it off but I did decide that I was going to treat myself to something I fancied to eat that wasn’t good for me and that I’d been avoiding since August. I called at a couple of shops on my way home, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 Dido Chocolate bar 14.00
Cheese spread 29.90
1 tin chickpeas 29.95
1 pack of egg noodles 33.50
Cashew nuts 74.50
1 small iceberg lettuce 79.95
Mozzarella cheese 89.90
Total spent 351.70 lira (£8)

I did not check on the price of the lettuce as I wanted it for my Pho, but that was an expensive item at £1.82!

Şarküteri
1 pork sausage roll 50.00
3 tins of coconut milk 195.00
Total spent 245.00 lira (£5.57)

I knew the coconut milk would be pricey but it can be hard to get here so I bought the last 3 tins. After eating the sausage roll and not being that impressed with it, I realised I’d finally overcome wanting to eat food that was bad for me, more than I ever thought I would.
For dinner, I made Slimming World style pizzas which were lovely.

Gratitude list:
1. Being able to afford to pay the bills this month
2. Finally hitting my weight target at Fat Club
3. Eating a pork sausage roll as a treat then not being that impressed by it.

Dalyan – 1st January

🎉 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 🎉

How was the first day of the year for you?

I slept in until gone 9am on Wednesday 1st January, New Year’s Day of 2025 and I was glad to wake up hangover free. There was a Sunday Swim at Iztuzu beach at 11am and I had contemplated going. Unfortunately, the bus goes at 12 noon, and when I checked with the organiser, they would have left by then. I could still have gone by myself to the beach and the return bus was at 4.30pm, but I decided to crack on with working on how I was going to improve things this year. I had 3 key areas I needed to look at and they were;
1) Money
2) Healthy eating
3) Planning trips/holidays

My first job was to tackle the budget and I did that by first looking at what Captain Caveman and I had spent in December. We had been pretty frugal during October and November with us both living off an amount that was below the Turkish minimum wage (not including rent or mortgage as Captain Caveman owns the apartment).
As a reminder we had managed on 10,900 lira (£246) in October and 20,134 lira (£455) in November but, of course, I had already stocked up in the previous month with all of the store cupboard essentials, toiletries and wine, so that had made a big difference.
We had been a lot less frugal during December and I was somewhat surprised to see we had spent 32,048 lira (£728). This was still a pretty tight amount for 2 people but it had proved to me that it could be done when needed. Dalyan is certainly not the cheapest place in Turkey to live, as it is a holiday town, however, if I was able to follow a few ‘rules’ it was certainly going to be possible during 2025. This would mean that if I could live on less than 15,000 lira (£340) per month when I had a regular income coming in, then I could start to save up again. I also made a note to write some top tips for saving money in Dalyan. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my friends spent that (and more) on just Christmas Day alone so we were very lucky to have been able to opt out of that unnecessary expense.
Do you make a note of what you spend each day, week, and month and do you work to a tracked budget as you go? How do you find it? Are you surprised at our spending in Turkey?

My next job was to get myself some fresh juice and a notebook to start to meal plan again. I started a shopping list based on my meal plan which would start tomorrow. There was no weigh in or Fat Club today with it being New Year’s Day and it had been moved to tomorrow.
I had the red vegetable soup, which Captain Caveman had made loads of before he left, with fresh bread for lunch. I decided I would do a word puzzle instead of getting in to watching anything on TV that might distract me from getting on with some holiday searches. They were meant to be for potential customers but, if I’m honest, I was looking at places I fancied myself. I saw so many good deals that it spurred me on to start earning money to fund our future trips. Captain Caveman and I had a video call and he had settled in to his parents’ home in London. For dinner, I made myself a delicious Slimming World chicken and vegetable noodle dish and then had a video call with the family. My parents were going round to my sister’s to have a Sunday (on a Wednesday) Dinner with all of them together. My Mom said that after the overindulgence of Christmas they had all decided they couldn’t face any more alcohol. It was good to speak to them all and they looked like they were all glad that the festivities were over. I was meant to have an early night ready to get stuck in with stuff tomorrow, but I was still in my office at 1am, working out how much discount I could get on a cruise.
I decided to bring back the writing down of 3 things I was grateful for every day before I went to bed – apparently this can really help to keep a positive outlook so if you need to, join in. I’d be happy to know what you’ve been grateful for too.

Gratitude list:
1. Sleeping in and not having to set the alarm
2. Having plenty of free fresh oranges and pink grapefruits growing on the trees around me
3. My new office in the spare room

Dalyan – 31st December

While Captain Caveman completed his packing on Tuesday 31st December (New Year’s Eve), I was in my office finishing some social media posts and scheduling them to go live while I was off for the afternoon. Captain Caveman got weighed for the last time in Dalyan and had put on 0.4kg (0.9lb) so I got on the scales to find I was finally under my target and had lost 0.2kg (0.4lb) which was negligible but, still, I had hit my target by the end of the year – on my home scales! It had been tough and I had made some difficult choices to make sure I tried harder, the cutting down of alcohol was the main thing that had worked and mostly avoiding sugar. I was eating so much more healthy foods and even getting some exercise.
I finished working at 12 noon as we had arranged to have a bit of a jolly with Jamie. As a last lunch for Captain Caveman we decided to go to the prison restaurant which I always enjoy. We even had some last photos together outside, taken by Jamie. The food is reasonably priced as well as tasty and the service excellent, here’s what we had and the total price in lira;

3 cokes
2 sodas
2 chicken kebabs
1 Adana kebab
Total paid 860.00 lira (£19.41)

I paid by card for the 3 of us and it was cheaper than it would have been for the airport taxi! Jamie then dropped Captain Caveman off at the airport and we said a quick goodbye. Captain Caveman was going to England and would be looking to work and live there. He had some interviews and meetings lined up and also needed to decide where he would be based so that he could find somewhere to live.
I would hopefully see him again in 3 months’ time, unless I had a chance to meet him outside of Turkey before then. Jamie and I drove back to Dalyan and chatted about plans for 2025 and how I didn’t really know what was going to happen yet. I did know that I was determined for it to be a better year than 2024. I was back home before Captain Caveman’s flight took off at 4.10pm and I decided I was going to enjoy an evening at home by myself. A friend had messaged to invite me for drinks out but I politely declined as I didn’t fancy waking up on the first day of the New Year with a hangover. Instead, I popped my playlist on YouTube, finished off the open wine and had a bit of a dance in the living room. I was actually still awake at midnight, sipping Sage tea to help with my menopause symptoms, which is unusual as I’m often sick on New Year’s Eve. This year, I put it down to the fact that I had been following the Slimming World plan and trying to be much healthier than previous years. That night, the bed felt empty without Captain Caveman and it was quite chilly when I woke up in the early hours, needing a pee.

For me, 2024 was one of my toughest years in a few ways, even though I was very grateful to still be able to have the life I have. The end of 2024 was a good turning point for me; making some pretty harsh changes to my habits and plans. I learned how to survive on a very low income and find a job that was actually a passion of mine; travel. I freed up time to finally get on and do more writing and complete some of the projects I’d started.

My blog became like my therapy and the best support came from places I hadn’t expected it, even though I’m not sure why. My sister became a voice of reason with her blunt words of wisdom and encouragement to put myself first. Friends who were going through some serious health issues took the time to check on me and spur me on with kind words and just the odd message here and there. Captain Caveman, despite all the moans I write about him, always believed in me and pushed me to do and be better. He stuck to the Slimming World Plan alongside me when he was in Dalyan, so that I wouldn’t be tempted and could be the weight I wanted. He encouraged me to write more and not be put off by negativity from people who did not like my style or content and probably did not have my best interests in mind. He never once doubted that we would be ok and would tell me that, often. I also found out that over 60% of the online support I had got in my new venture was from strangers who liked what I did. This is what motivated me to crack on with my 2025 goals as I knew I could really help people have some amazing holidays. I believed I would be able to make enough of a living to meet the minimum criteria to remain a resident of Turkey, which had risen by around 25% from the 1st of January. With uncertainty around what we would be doing in 2025, I was confident that I needed to get on with it and make it a successful one. My mind was made up, and I was going to do just that!!

Thank you to those of you who encouraged, supported, offered help and just generally were there and had my back when I had to take a back seat from being the life and soul of the party so that I could concentrate on building a better 2025.

Dalyan & Köyceğiz – 30th December

I took the day off work on Monday 30th December as it was Captain Caveman’s last full day in Dalyan and we had exciting plans. I had booked us on to the Yellow boat with Waterlilly & Hakkan for the Köyceğiz market trip, which runs every Monday including through the winter. It had been a while since I had been on the Yellow boat trip as I had often been working or had dogs to attend to on Mondays. Captain Caveman always went to the Dog Shelter to walk dogs on Mondays and so it was never convenient, until today. With The Aussies being here, I thought it would be good to join them and also so that Captain Caveman could have his last day with his friends to say bye.
When we got on to the boat, it was all trimmed up in a Christmas fashion and had 2 Calor gas bottle heaters, on full blast to keep us warm. There was tea and coffee being served by Waterlilly and she asked after my parents. There was a nice group of 10 of us and it was good to see Adam & Kath who have become good friends of my parents and we had a little catch up. Kath asked why she’d not seen me in the bars on any day or night with all the usual Dalyan Dwellers. I explained that for health and money reasons we were not able to go out like we were on holiday (as we aren’t) and that I had cut right down on alcohol. I said I was tired of not reaching my weight target and spending too much time out in bars so I distanced myself a bit from the drinking culture in Dalyan in order to achieve what I wanted and to concentrate on my new job.

In Köyceğiz, and for the first time, the Lutra Lutra Bookshop was open while we were there so I was so happy. I wanted to show one of the other guests it so that we could perhaps get a book or two. The book shop has a small coffee shop and the owner showed us around. Karen and I both bought a couple of books and I paid 75 lira (£1.70) each for Turkish copies of Fahrenheit 451 and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

We then went to the fruit and veg market while the others went elsewhere. Here’s what we bought with the prices in lira;

Onions 10.00
Potatoes 30.00
Pumpkin 40.00
Garlic 65.00
Cauliflower 80.00
Total spent 225 lira (£5.08)

It was cheaper than the Dalyan market but we had paid 400 lira (£9.03) each for the trip, so it’s not something we could do every week just for the shopping. I wanted to get some cheese but there was a queue and we were getting peckish. We decided to walk over to the tea gardens right on the end of the promenade as they have good value, tasty Turkish food. Captain Caveman had an Efes Malt, I had a lemon soda and we mistakenly only ordered one main meal of a chicken shish and ended up sharing it. We also got loads of bread with it so there was plenty of food. Here’s what we paid, in lira;

1 Lemon soda 20.00
1 Efes Malt beer 100.00
1 Chicken kebab 180.00
Total spent 300.00 lira (£6.78)

This was really cheap for what we had, especially the beer – I wondered if the cheap chasers in Dalyan knew this!?

We were due back to the boat by 2.30pm on Captain Caveman’s last full day in Turkey. It was so beautiful that we kept stopping to take photos of the scenic lake as we went back to the boat and it was so lovely to have spent precious time together. It was also amazing that we had spent less than £35 for the whole outing so far!! Back on the boat, Waterlilly had prepared a fruit plate with nuts and more tea which was lovely and the boat was red hot from still having the heaters on. We had brought swimmers as we were told we would be calling at the Sultaniye Mud Baths but we went straight back to Dalyan. I was happy with this as I needed to get back for work.

Once off the boat, we said our goodbyes to The Aussies as they were off to Kalkan tomorrow and, of course, Captain Caveman was leaving tomorrow too. I had said I would be in touch with a Dalyan Dweller who had been referred to me from Jamie as he was wanting to discuss a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Unfortunately, the meeting didn’t take place as planned so I just caught up on what I’d missed coming up in the January Sales then, as it was Captain Caveman’s last night here, we decided to go out. We had a beer and a wine in Ozzy’s Bar for 230 lira (£5.19) but we didn’t stay as English customers were smoking inside and it sets off my asthma. It is illegal in Turkey to smoke in bars, but many of the smoking expats don’t abide by the rules and the bar owners don’t want to refuse for fear of losing much needed winter custom. It’s a shame but I would think twice about going back in.
Next, we decided to go to the Waterfall bar where they usually are smoke free and it was while we had our first drink, however, as we ordered a second round one of the owners lit up a cigarette. We drank up and paid our 460 lira (£10.38) bill but I was a bit disappointed that we had to leave because of indoor smoking in bars, yet again. I begrudged paying the money to stink of fags and come out with a cough – it reinforced staying at home in future.

Some extra photos from Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 29th December

Captain Caveman was really looking forward to the Sunday Walk on Sunday 29th December, and it would be his last one in Dalyan for some time. This also meant that he didn’t care if it was going to be raining or if he had to do it alone. I, on the other hand, had hoped to join but still had a bad back and was super tired so I decided the wet weather was going to put me off. I felt bad as I had said to people I was going to go, even if I had to do the adapted easier route. Captain Caveman left and I decided to clean the house and wash the sofa throws, as they still had dog hairs on from Norman and Edna’s visit. After that, I spent time in my new office, sipping sage tea and looking out at the clouds. Before midday I decided to venture out and go to the Kaunos tea garden to meet Captain Caveman and any fellow walkers. As I went to leave, the heavens opened and I had to retreat to get an umbrella. When I arrived, I met a couple of people who had also missed the walk as they mistakenly thought it had started at 10am and we had a cup of Turkish tea and ordered some lunch. I decided to have a spinach gözleme and it was really tasty. When Captain Caveman and his fellow walkers arrived they were wet and very cold looking – I was also surprised at how many people had turned up. Captain Caveman ordered a large tea and a mixed toastie and I think he was relieved that I had already had a Turkish pancake so that he didn’t have to share. I paid the bill at the tea gardens and said goodbye to the hardcore walkers. Here’s the prices in lira;

Kaunos Tea Garden
2 large Turkish teas 30.00
1 mixed toastie 100.00
1 spinach gözleme 150.00
Total spent 280.00 lira (£6.35)

Back at home, Captain Caveman had a hot shower and I had to get a spare quilt out for him to have on the sofa, as he was still shivering. It also meant that he was out of action to help with the rest of the cleaning – highly convenient when he had invited a couple of friends over to say farewell to tonight.
At 7pm our guests arrived; bringing chocolate cookies, wine, beer and nice wintery wine glasses. We did a little buffet with pastries (börek), veg, dips, crisps, nuts, olives, cheese and crackers which went down well but I got laughed at by the Turkish guests for not making my own Turkish pastries and dips. Captain Caveman was sad to be leaving, he had made some lovely friends from doing the Sunday Walks and Bridge club. It turned out to be a really nice evening, although we only just had enough chairs for everyone.

Photo Credit – Captain Caveman and some of the Sunday Walk group

Dalyan – 27th & 28th December

I had another day ‘in the office’ on Friday 27th December and Captain Caveman helped me turn our spare room in to my new office. We took a table from one of our balconies to the spare room and put it under the window. The room overlooks a new building which was still being worked on but it did have sun coming in through the windows. We used a spare wooden dining room chair but Captain Caveman thought it needed a bit more support on my back. He used a jacket he was leaving in Dalyan to cover the back of the chair and it was super comfy. I cracked on with work, while Captain Caveman went to the barbers for a haircut and shave. He looked like a new man when he got back!!
At 12.30pm we walked over to Jamie’s to say hi to Norman and Edna before Jamie, Captain Caveman and I had a trip to Fethiye and Göcek. Edna was excited to see us, as always Norman was not particularly interested. Jamie wanted to take advantage of the wine in Göcek which Janet and Ian had introduced us to, so we went there first to pick up wine. Captain Caveman decided it would be a good investment for him to buy more wine and so we also bought 12 more bottles. This time, we chose our preferred wines and bought 4 each of the Gamay, Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon at 150 lira (£3.40) per bottle so a total of 1,800 lira (£40.82) – an absolute bargain! We also called to collect something in Fethiye then headed back to Dalyan. That evening, Captain Caveman cooked some pasta for dinner and we had more wine!!

I had several plans for Saturday 28th December; get up early to go to the market, work until midday, go to the beach for the afternoon, clean our own house and go shopping. The weather was cold and cloudy and didn’t look like it might stay dry enough for a beach visit today. So instead, Captain Caveman went dogging and I worked, we didn’t bother with the market. As Captain Caveman was leaving in a few days he thought it was pointless to get anything from the market and we could make do this week. I worked through some travel guides for top things to do in Vietnam in Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hoi An, Danang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh and Phu Quoc. I was becoming so much more aware of other Travel Agents not promoting Phong Nha in their Vietnam itineraries and trying to shove the whole country in to one short trip – which was too rushed and unreasonable. I absolutely loved my new office views and the skies were very atmospheric. The AC in that spare room certainly made the room very cosy and I thought I might move in to that bedroom when Captain Caveman left, if the nearby building work wasn’t too disruptive.
I finished work for a soup and cheese on toast lunch with Captain Caveman then suggested that we go do the shopping. Here’s what we bought, prices in lira:

BIM Supermarket
Salt 6.25
Carrots 14.75
2 Dido chocolate bars 27.00
Atom dip 29.50
Aubergine and tahini dip 29.50
Toilet rolls 39.00
Mushrooms 44.75
Fairy washing up liquid 74.75
15 eggs 75.00
Total spent 340.48 (£7.72)

Migros Supermarket
Hummus 39.75
Total spent 39.75 (90p)

After unpacking the shopping and putting it away, I suggested we check out a café/bar I had been meaning to visit. O Filo is a lovely little place with a good selection of craft beers so we decided to treat ourselves to a beer each, I also wanted to suss it out for a place to work from if I fancied ‘working from home’ somewhere in Dalyan. It was ideal for that, although I wouldn’t be splashing out on craft beers until the money was rolling in quicker. My honey and pepper beer was really good and Captain Caveman chose a nice Gara Guzu Red Ale. We paid 500 lira (£11.34) for 2 craft beers and that included a discount, but I would definitely recommend it for a really nice place to sit and enjoy a quiet drink. As we were walking back we noticed Penny & Phil were in Tez Bar and so we decided to see if we could join them for a drink. It was lovely to catch up and I got to cuddle their dog, Caramel, too. It cost us just 440 lira (£10) for our 2 drinks each and then we had to leave as we needed to get ready for tonight’s party. We had been invited to The Aussie’s for a BBQ at their villa and we decided to take a bottle of wine to drink. It was a good job I had given myself permission to eat and drink whatever I liked without taking note as I ate so much delicious food. I had lots of bread, köfte, some salad items and I even had Australian fairy bread. If you’ve not had this before it is white sliced bread with butter (in this case Lurpak) and topped with coloured sprinkles (hundreds and thousands, I think we call them?). It started raining but, in true Aussie style, that did not put anyone off and we continued as Captain Caveman went on to gin. Amanda and Greg were so kind to have also brought us some gifts; 3 lots of high factor great quality sun cream, Lurpak butter and some Shapes crackers. It was a great night and we walked home quite merry (again), despite knowing we had to be up early for the Sunday Walk tomorrow.

Dalyan – 26th December

I was straight back in to work on Thursday 26th December, as I was thinking that it could be busy with enquiries for people who were off work and were wanting to book holidays or accommodation. Quite frankly, I was hungry for the business and to get on top of the January sales – there were so many discounts available on package deals with EasyJet, Jet2, Classic Collection, TUI, Gold Medal, Intrepid and the Adventure People – all of who had sent me their promotional offers email to have a read through. Captain Caveman had brought me buttered toast and a cup of Yorkshire tea in bed. I’d already decided that I wouldn’t continue my food diary for the rest of the year and I had blocked out my calendar to get on with as much Resort Experts work as I could, while still trying to spend time with Captain Caveman in his last week. It was a bit of a balancing act but now we didn’t have dog duties, it felt like I had a little bit more time.
After work, and before it got dark, Captain Caveman and I took a walk to Kaunos Tea Gardens where Captain Caveman had an Efes Malt and I had a large tea. It came to 160 lira (£3.63) and it was quite pleasant until the sun went behind the mountains. Next, we went to the green grocers to stock up on fresh produce, where we bought carrots, garlic, red peppers, onions and tomatoes for a total of 213 lira (£4.83). I also spotted some sage which I thought was a bargain at 30 lira (68p) for quite a lot – I love a sage tea.
At the pharmacy I bought 1 month of contraceptive pills for 329.18 lira (£7.46), which I think is pricey (but cheaper than a child), then we walked round to the supermarket where we bought the following;

Şok Supermarket
Chilli Dip 27.50
Aubergine Dip 29.90
Washing powder 64.95
Cheese 72.50
Total spent 194.85 lira (£4.42)

There was just 5 nights left of Captain Caveman’s stay so we drew out 3,500 lira (£80) for going out with, during that time. It was a tight budget for the 2 of us but it would be doable if we were careful.
We had chicken casserole for dinner and Captain Caveman made some airfryer roast potatoes which were really good. We had Merlot wine and then got ready to go out to the Jiks fun quiz, which Jan was running. It started at 8pm but The Aussies are often late so I wasn’t unduly worried when we arrived and they weren’t there. A lovely lady who had joined the Sunday walk was there with her husband and they were just about to leave when we roped them in for the quiz. They were on their holidays but have been to Dalyan before and were really nice people. We joined their table to make a team of 4, figuring The Aussies, when they arrived, would already be a team of 4 too. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn up and we weren’t sure why at the time but, by this time, it was too late to call them as the quiz had commenced and I didn’t want to get disqualified for having my phone out. The next day we found out Amanda had been quite sick with a bad stomach for the last 2 days so we were grateful she’d not shared that with us.
Jan did a very thorough Boxing Day quiz at Jiks with some laughs along the way and I actually really enjoyed the night out. All 4 of us contributed and it did make a nice change, as I don’t usually like quizzes which are more Captain Caveman’s area of expertise. At half time we got served Jan’s homemade warm mince pies and gingerbread men, we had a few as they were delicious! The quiz was an all-rounder which was good and we ended up winning which all but Captain Caveman were surprised about. Our team name was conveniently Albino Buffalo which was what was on our new t-shirts. We paid cash for our drinks; Captain Caveman had Efes Malt and I had red wine, which came to 250 lira (£5.67) per round and we just had a couple as I had work in the morning.

Dalyan – 25th December

It was just a normal weekday for us in Dalyan on Wednesday 25th December, or Christmas Day to most people reading this. We had a lay in without any dogs to let out and it was nice to be able to relax and have a day off. I left Captain Caveman getting up and went to the bakery and supermarket. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Parlak Bakery
1 fresh loaf 10.00
2 simit 30.00
2 açma 30.00
Total spent 70.00 lira (£1.59)

Şok Supermarket
Milk 24.00
BBQ Sauce 79.00
550g chicken breast 115.50
A 1.7kg whole chicken 160.67
Total spent 379.17 lira (£8.60)

I was the only one in the supermarket but the bakery was busy with Turks who were probably enjoying having the town to themselves for a change, while most of the Dalyan dwelling expats did Christmas. I found it very pleasant and the sun was shining at first but it started to rain while I was out and I had to shelter.
We had a Turkish style breakfast; açma, simit, kaymak and cherry jam with tea for me and coffee for Captain Caveman. We had the AC on heat mode as it was a bit chilly.
For the rest of the day, we decided to watch some TV. Our first film choice was the rather good Sleuth, with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier. We had cheese on toast as promised to ourselves and it was just so lovely. By late afternoon we had opened a drop of red wine, the Christmas present from my parents, and had more cheese on toast, with salt and vinegar crisps.
I made popcorn when it went dark and we watched another film; The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing about cracking the German Enigma code. It was not something I thought I would enjoy but it was really good. We finished our really relaxed non-Christmas, Christmas Day by watching a few episodes of 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. I had one of the best days in ages and I didn’t mind missing Christmas, I was grateful to be in a country where it didn’t matter and we could just have a day on our own. This time next week Captain Caveman would have left Dalyan for at least 3 months. We found a flight for only £27 from Gatwick back to Dalaman at the end of March so we booked it, for that price it didn’t matter if he didn’t get to use it.

Dalyan – 24th December

The weather had definitely meant that the planned Christmas Eve beach party was cancelled on Tuesday 24th December. There was an alternative which had been organised; people were invited to a bar/café over at the other side of the river to bring their own food and drinks and have the party there. For a low price, boats were being put on to take people over and back as they needed. I wasn’t going due to doggy duties and Captain Caveman decided it wasn’t for him. I started the cleaning, my back was still hurting, and had been for a month now, so I hoped Captain Caveman would be able to at least hoover the stairs to help me. He was lucky as the power cut out as I was hoovering downstairs. I had to use a sweeping brush with a broken handle and a dust pan to do the rest. I took painkillers and soldiered on to get it done. I had no time to do any work so it was a good job I had got ahead yesterday. We walked the dogs in the rain and Jamie’s garden was temporarily flooded so Norman got his little legs soaked when I found him in his usual spot, paddling about in rain water. We had Slimming World style pizza wraps for lunch and cracked open a bottle of the Levissi merlot to celebrate Jamie’s return. Edna was excited to hear that Little Daddy was on his way but Norman chucked a deaf ‘un, acting like he wasn’t bothered. We tried to take a few last selfies with the dogs but Edna just wanted to know when she could have some wine and snacks, Norman just wondered why we had started day drinking.
Jamie returned to only half of his power being back on and I thought I might have broken his hoover so I ‘fessed up. We drank the rest of the merlot with Jamie and we all agreed it was a very nice drop as we shared the source of our latest wine purchase with him.
We were back at our place by 5pm and we were glad to be home! Captain Caveman opened a bottle of the Levissi blush wine to celebrate and we had it with some cheese, crackers and olives. That was where I was more than happy for our Christmas Eve to end, I was knackered from cleaning (without electricity or hot water for most of it) and could quite easily have put my pyjamas on and gone to bed – that was not to be, though!

In the evening of Christmas Eve, despite the weather, we ventured out to meet The Aussies. Amanda, Greg, Jason & Maddie were waiting for us in Ozzy’s Bar and they were all wearing matching T-shirts. Greg and Amanda had made them with a logo we had thought of for a potential new business idea that we had discussed the last time we had met up in Dalyan. They had Captain Caveman on a buffalo and they looked great – they even chose red for his and orange for mine, which we loved. I had a couple of glasses of wine, Captain Caveman had a couple of beers but the others were enjoying hot/soft drinks and ordered some food. It was great to catch up and they did invite us to meet up with them tomorrow, Christmas Day. Captain Caveman and I had already decided we needed to spend the day together and we were going to have cheese on toast and drink wine for our Christmas at home on a comfy sofa and watch Netflix. While we were there, we bumped in to a few Dalyan Dwellers and I joined in on the karaoke with them, as you do! Our bill for 2 wines and 2 beers came to 500 lira (£11.36) including the tip and, although reasonable, made me think how careful we needed to be with going out.

We said our farewells to The Aussies with plans to reconvene for the Boxing Day Fun Quiz at Jiks. As we left Ozzy’s, the storm worsened and we didn’t even get more than 50 metres away. Captain Caveman and I sheltered in Jiks where we were pretty soaked, the fire was on and there was only us in there so it was really cosy. A wine and a beer (without a tip) came to 250 lira (£5.68) and eventually it eased off enough for us to rush home.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st December

More rain was forecast on Friday 20th December as well as a likelihood that it was going to be bad weather over the Christmas period and in time for The Aussies arriving on Monday. There was also a potential power cut due which we had been fairly lucky so far to have avoided most of them. I made Pho Ga (Chicken noodle soup) for breakfast as it had been a while since we had eaten it and we had left over chicken to use. I had a busy day working, blogging and playing with Norman and Edna while Captain Caveman went to play Bridge with Sezgin. I cracked on and made good progress, Captain Caveman brought back bread and a bottle of wine to have with our dinner and he made soup, with vermicelli in, for lunch. We had more banana bread and it was definitely better this time, with less egg. For dinner we had curry with rice and a bottle of the Petit Verdot red wine. It was easily finished but we did come to the conclusion that this bottle was a lot drier than the last bottle.

The rain came down so heavily on Saturday 21st December that Norman and Edna were even reluctant to go out under the terrace. Ordinarily we would not have gone outside at all in this weather and it was definitely the heaviest downpour I have walked through Dalyan in. Jan & David’s Christmas buffet was starting at 12.30pm and we made it on time. I wore my wellies and didn’t get dressed up as I knew we were going to get soaked. There was no way we would cancel as I knew that Jan had gone to great lengths for this day and her & David were already not having Christmas Day as planned. We were one of the first to arrive and we were welcomed in to the house and told to help ourselves to drinks. The food was amazing and plentiful, as was the wine! I started on rose and then went on to red to accompany the cheese selection and the homemade mince pies. The Slimming World plan had gone well and truly out of the window and I even got a bit drunk of the fantastic Christmas cake with royal icing and marzipan.
We had a lovely afternoon and were of the last to leave, a little bit merry but glad it had stopped raining at last. Back home, we walked Norman and Edna and it started to rain again.

Photo credit – photos from Jan & David’s party guests

Dalyan & Göcek – 17th December

There was a planned power cut due at our apartment on Tuesday 17th December but it was not going to affect our day, as we had an exciting trip out planned. I got my cup of tea in bed and then got up to have a double breakfast of buttered toast and a grapefruit. I’d already gone way over the top on syns this week so I knew I was going to have put weight on at Fat Club tomorrow. Captain Caveman had a really bad sore throat and shouldn’t have been coming on the day out but he insisted he would be fine as long as he didn’t speak. I walked the dogs and got them settled for the rest of the day as we went to meet our friends, Ian & Janet. Captain Caveman had become good friends with Ian through the Sunday Walking group and he had told us about a place in Göcek, where they used to live, that has a great wine shop with good deals on. The sun was shining and we had arranged to go along for some wine shopping, which is what I had decided I would spend my parents’ Christmas money on as a really nice treat. We arrived in Göcek just before lunch time and went straight to the Levissi Wine shop where we met Ian and Janet’s friend. The lady who ran the shop knew our fellow wine shoppers very well and was very friendly. The Levissi wine that was on offer was only 150 lira (£3.37) per bottle so was great value and also, according to Janet, really good. Ian doesn’t drink alcohol so we only had Janet’s word for it but their friend could also recommend it. Our friends had quite a few bottles but we decided we would just get 12 bottles, 2 of each of 5 reds and a 2 of the rose. They also had whites but we both prefer red in winter so I didn’t want to get something we wouldn’t drink. Here’s what we got at the wine shop;

Levissi Şarap Evi
2 bottles of Petit Verdot red wine 300
2 bottles of Gamay red wine 300
2 bottles of Merlot red wine 300
2 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon red wine 300
2 bottles of Makri red wine 300
2 bottles of Makri blush wine 300
Total spent 1,800 lira (£40.45)

I was thrilled that we had got so much wine for such a bargain, the cheapest one I’ve enjoyed in Dalyan was 43% more. After borrowing a couple of shopping trollies from the nearby Carrefour supermarket to take all the wine to the car, we decided to have a meander round Göcek town centre. Janet and I got involved with a stray dog situation as I just couldn’t help it. A lively pup came up to us and barked until we followed him to his fat, old (dog) friend who was laying on the floor outside the back of a building. The pup was trying to tell us that the older overweight dog couldn’t get up and I thought it was sick. I did a bit of a foolish thing really, as I went to check it out and got a bit too near to the dog and it snapped at me a little. It turned out that the older dog just didn’t want to play and the pup was just trying to get his friend to get up and join in. We re-joined the men who hadn’t noticed we had been gone and then we had a really nice stroll around the town, stopping off at the pharmacy for more throat sweets for Captain Caveman, who had now started talking fine. We bought ginger throat pastilles for 49.95 lira (£1.12) at Watson’s and I noticed they had quite a good range of electric toothbrush heads at a good price.

After the wine shopping, we decided to have lunch in Göcek at a cute waterfront café, called Moc Café. It was a first for both Captain Caveman and I however our fellow wine shoppers had been a few times and liked it there. The sun was shining so we sat outside and ordered drinks then lunch. The men chose pizza or burgers, which were massive, and Janet and I ordered a chicken wrap. We all stuck to non-alcoholic drinks to be sensible and when the food came it was really nice. Janet & I got chicken shish instead of a wrap but it turned out to be a good mistake and probably better for my Slimming World plan, even though it was a little bit too late now. Captain Caveman and I paid 1,155.00 lira (£25.96) for a Turkish tea, an Americano coffee, 1 Cheeseburger and 1 Chicken shish. I really enjoyed having a rare lunch out and I thought the prices, to say we were sat on the harbour front in a stylish café, were pretty reasonable.
We drove back after lunch and on the way back, Janet and Ian invited us in to their home to try last year’s stock of the Levissi wine. Janet had a bottle of the Merlot already opened and she ended up opening another, it was very quaffable and we were pleased with our purchases if it was as good as this batch.

Ian, who doesn’t drink, drove us home and Captain Caveman went home to unpack the wine with strict instructions to take a photo of it so I could send it to my Mom to say thank you for our Christmas present. I rushed back to make sure Norman and Edna were ok as this was the first time in the 3 weeks we had left the dogs for longer than a couple of hours. When I went in to Jamie’s living room, Norman and Edna had just been snoozing away but were pleased to see me. I let them out while a grabbed the leads and poo bags for a walk. Norman was enjoying the new tiled patio area so much that he had taken to doing a poo on the same tile whenever he got the chance and he didn’t disappoint today. Captain Caveman arrived back and he was feeling a bit better so he made spaghetti with chicken, red pepper, onion and sucuk for our dinner. We didn’t have any more wine, though, as we had already had enough.

Dalyan – 13th December

Friday 13th December was one of those unusual days and it really cheered both Captain Caveman and I up, I had 2 cups of tea to start my day and a grapefruit. I had a bit of a shift in attitude and decided I needed to be a bit more positive and grateful for the things I did have. Our first mission of the day was a first for me – taking Norman and Edna to the vets. They had their appointment for some routine medication so Captain Caveman and I walked them along to Kaunos vets. They both seemed fairly happy to be in the vets and Edna even jumped on the scales and tried to choose herself some treats for being good – this was before we got in to the vet’s room. Once inside, Norman knew exactly what was going on and was already moving back towards the door. Each dog was to be given 2 tablets and one was pretty big for a small dog. First up was Edna and I told her the tablets were treats! I barely saw both of hers get swallowed but I did see her try to eat Norman’s too. Norman was very crafty and he pretended to swallow the first smaller tablet, I actually saw him swallow, so the vet gave him the larger one and held his mouth shut. He waited and then spat both out!! The second and third attempts were more successful. On the way out Norman had to be lifted on the scales but Edna jumped on and waited for her result. They had both lost weight and Edna was pleased to be doing so well on her weight loss journey.
We called at the shops, where Captain Caveman and the dogs waited outside. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
1 tomato puree 19.90
1 tin of tomatoes 23.90
880g chicken breast 140.71
Total spent 184.51 lira (£4.19)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 bottle of red Idol wine 215.000 lira (£4.89)

Migros Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 28.50
1 packet Tutku biscuits 35.50
Mozzarella cheese 89.90
420g Feta style cheese 278.30
Total spent 268.80 lira (£6.11)

Back home we had the obligatory soup, with bread and a Dido chocolate bar each. Edna had decided she liked the sunny sofa arm and I did a quick video for Jamie and I finished work early, with it being a Friday. Captain Caveman and I shared making fajitas for dinner.
We arrived at our friend’s villa on time and armed with 2 bottles of wine and some chocolate biscuits. Joining us were 2 ladies who had only met briefly before but had quite a lot in common. We all knew each other from the Sunday walks, which was nice. The night was so lovely, with perfect hosts; there were pastries, mince pies, chocolate cake, pickled onions (which I love) and plenty of mulled and normal wine! I didn’t take any photos on account of the company who prefer not to have photos taken so I didn’t want to be rude and I was too busy enjoying myself to get my phone out anyway. It was just what we needed!
I got rather tipsy with 3 mulled wines and 3 red wines before we staggered home. I had one of those drunken epiphanies that one sometimes gets after reading too many words of wisdom on social media!

Dalyan – 14th November

There was some excitement on Thursday 14th November as my parents and I had arranged for the 4 of us to meet up and go out for a bit of a treat. I had Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup) for breakfast and a cup of green tea. Captain Caveman was Bumming and would be rushing to get back in time for the taxi. I went to the bank and noticed that our neighbour in A Block and her painter team were hard at the painting, even Aslı herself was getting handy with a paintbrush. I decided to wear a red dress and my fancy jelly shoes, the ones Khanh Linh, in Phong Nha, had bought me as a gift and they looked a bit more respectable than my porter sandals. It was great that it was the middle of November but still warm enough in the day to have bare legs.

My parents had arranged for Fikri to pick them up and we were meant to be at theirs in time but as we dashed over there, we met the taxi. We drove over to Yalıcapkanı restaurant, which translates to Kingfisher, and has had a recent refurb. I’ve not been there for a while and they only had certain things left on the lunch menu as they were changing the menu as of that evening. We were lucky to be the only customers in the restaurant because we had gone for a late lunch.

For starters we each chose something and shared it all; mezes including a chickpea and red pepper dip, artichoke, atom with chillies and liver with red onion. We were given warm bread, oil and cheese to go with it and it all tasted amazing. Captain Caveman drank beer while the rest of us ordered a glass each of wine, which was very nice and cost 220 lira (£5) per glass. For mains we had a limited choice because each of our first choices weren’t available. Dad had wanted lasagne but plumped for the chicken with mash, my mom chose seafood linguine, while Captain Caveman and I both had the meatballs. The waiter and other staff were very nice, even told my Dad he had ordered the best dishes, and took a photo of us all.

It was so sunny in the light and airy, newly decorated restaurant and we also had a walk around the grounds after our food. We perused the dessert menu and all ended up choosing either Goat’s milk ice cream (Captain Caveman and Mom) or a cheese cake. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, including the pomegranate cheesecake, and was glad that our last meal out with my parents had been so good. The waiter had been right about my dad’s choice as the chicken was excellent. The cost for 4 of us with a drink, starters, mains and desserts came to 5,000 lira (£114.42) so just under £30 per person, not bad for a 3 course lunch out at a beautiful place.

We waited for the taxi while watching some turtles have an orgy, which is always nice! Back at home the painting of the outside of the complex was making the place look much better.
Captain Caveman had been away from his Bridge for too long so he spent the rest of the day doing that. We didn’t bother with any dinner that evening, as we were full. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day as we had visitors coming.

Photo credit – some photos taken by Mom and

Dalyan – 9th November

On Saturday 9th November, things got a little bit unpredictable; Captain Caveman did not get up before me, nor did he make me a cup of tea in bed. We had said last night that we would get up early to go to the market but it looked like Captain Caveman had changed his mind.
I made my own tea and had some buttered toast and a banana for breakfast, while I waited for Captain Caveman to get up, as he said he would do shortly. I chopped all the veg to make a large amount of leek and potato soup and put it all in the slow cooker with some vegetable stock. It would be ready around 1pm, in time for lunch and with some leftover to batch up for the freezer. I got impatient waiting for Captain Caveman to come downstairs and went to check on him. He still hadn’t got out of bed and was on his phone, scrolling at a load of what I would describe as ‘crap’. I needed to go to the bank and I was also meeting a lady as I had some clothes for sale, which she was interested in buying an item from me. I was now down to a size 12 so I had lots of clothes that were far too big for me and were taking up space in the wardrobes and cupboards. Captain Caveman said he would be up and ready for the market after I had been to my parents, the bank and met with the potential clothes buyer.
The lady bought the item and we had a lovely chat. My parents were well and were also off to the market and I could have gone with them but I hadn’t brought the shopping bags or list and I was waiting for Captain Caveman so that he could help carry all the items I had on the list. I didn’t want to be too long as I still needed to do some work and some writing and the weekends are the busiest times for enquiries so I wanted to make sure I was available. I also needed to be back to turn off the slow cooker with the soup in.
Having been in and out of the house twice already, it was 11.30am as I walked back in glorious sunshine to get Captain Caveman, who had assured me he would be ready to go to the market. He wasn’t, he was still laying on the bed scrolling through his phone. I got told he didn’t fancy going to the market today as he was going to have a lazy day. I was fuming, as I could have already been and done the market shopping ages ago. I would also have loved a lazy day myself but I didn’t have that choice of such a luxury. It really felt like I was trying to fight a losing battle and that Captain Caveman, who was ordinarily more of an action person, was becoming even more of an argumentative, lazy, phone addicted teenager. I wouldn’t have minded as much if he had said hours ago that he had no intention of doing what he had suggested yesterday. I was at a loss as to how to handle the situation as Captain Caveman is not someone who will do anything he doesn’t want to. I decided that all I could do is do things as if he wasn’t going to join in or be of help and then quickly adapt when he decided he would be. I asked the internet for answers but that was a lot more worrying than real life.
Finally, at gone 12.30pm, I hurried to the market and here is what I bought at each stall, prices in lira;

Stall 1
A massive white cabbage & leeks 100

Stall 2
Plums 30

Stall 3
Bazlama bread, spring onions, lettuce 140

Stall 4
Potatoes 40

Stall 5
Pumpkin & garlic 90

Total spent 400 lira (£9)

With hindsight, I should not have bothered going and maybe managed without going to the market this week. Even my favourite stall holder tried to rip me off but she had picked the wrong time and I was having none of it, right now. She’s an old lady and it could’ve been an honest mistake but I asked (in Turkish) how much the pumpkin and garlic came to, she replied 90 lira and I gave her the only note I could, a 200 lira. She then gave me 10 lira back and was about to go on with her day. I asked her where my 100 lira was and she told me I gave her 100 lira, the 200 note was still in her hand with the open bumbag and her friend was listening to me to see what I was going to do next. I again, speaking in Turkish, told her I gave her 200, that she had a 200 right there and that I had 10 lira but wanted another 100. She was about to weigh the pumpkin and garlic again but I stood firm and then got my 100 lira – we all had a laugh and I made out like she made a mistake but I was unsure if she hadn’t done it on purpose. My bag was so heavy that I had to not bother getting any more fruit or peppers as I really struggled to carry the bag.
When I put it all away at home, we had some of my homemade leek and potato soup with some of the nice bread from the market for lunch. It was gone 2.30pm when I managed to start any work and I had to be finished by 4.30pm to go to meet a friend, who was over from England but leaving to go home tomorrow. I mentioned to Captain Caveman that his laziness and lack of communication this morning had meant I was behind by a lot and he suggested we cancel going for a tea at the tea gardens with my friend. Obviously, this was because he had been playing Bridge and didn’t want to stop. I said he had to come and I had invited my parents as well. At the tea gardens we both drank fresh sage and lemon tea, which is amazing and one of my favourite teas there. My parents had a beer and we watched the sunset after my friend had arrived from her boat trip.
By 6.30pm, Captain Caveman was feeling the cold, my friend was still in her shorts so we decided to walk back home. At home, Captain Caveman tried to redeem himself by making a pasta with peppers, olives and sucuk for our dinner. I decided I had too much to catch up on tomorrow that I wouldn’t go on the Sunday Walk, despite probably needing the exercise and it being the last one my parents would be going on this year.