Thao Dien – 12th March

I had my first pho for breakfast on Tuesday 12th March, it was only a Family Mart supermarket one but it was nice and I was able to leave out the chillies. I spoke to Captain Caveman who had some good news, he was not joining the others on the last trip of the caving expedition as he was going to Dong Hoi to renew his Vietnamese Driving licence tomorrow, which meant he would be able to meet me there! I was excited until I realised that he had probably remembered me saying he would miss Steak and Blow Job night on the 14th – and he does love a steak! Captain Caveman had booked us a room at the Minh Quang hotel in Dong Hoi for 2 nights and it was near all of my favourite food places.
I was going to visit Soma again for lunch but then realised that Micro Boulingerie was open again today and I fancied a nice sandwich. I really like their cream cheese and cranberry one but they had almost sold out of everything as it’s so popular. I had to make do with a Bluebaba sandwich which I thought wouldn’t really be my thing but it turned out to be such a great combination. Nutella, banana and blueberries on a fresh baguette – definitely not diet friendly but it did have 2 lots of fruit in it. Given that a tablespoon of Nutella is about 4 syns, I was still within my daily allowance so it wasn’t too bad and I ate both halves despite trying to save some for tomorrow’s breakfast.

In the afternoon, I created a little more excitement for myself by venturing out on foot, without a phone or purse, in pursuit of a cash machine. Thao Dien is not a cheap district of Vietnam and it tends to have some really good international places to dine so I’d not be sticking to a budget. It was hard to know how much the car to the airport would be as well as from Dong Hoi airport to the hotel. I found a cash machine and tried 3 times, with my Turkish bank card, but to no avail so I walked a bit further on to find an HSBC. It worked but taking out just 1,000,000VND (£31.65) cost me an extra 13% which was a bit steep. I got back to the hotel and packed as I was leaving at 5am tomorrow morning and didn’t want to be faffing about. I also bought some sourdough from Micro Boulingerie to take to Phong Nha with me.
That evening I got a Grab car over to District 1 to meet Quyen, I was early on purpose so that I had time for a quick beer in 7 Bridges and could find the restaurant. My 240ml Yuzu Wheat beer cost 75,000VND (£2.38) and was very nice but I was severely limiting how much beer I drank this year. I’d worked out my maximum was 3, before I noticed my waist size increase. When I arrived, Quyen was outside the closed Japanese place. Luckily, she had a backup plan and we went to Izakaya Ten, another authentic Japanese restaurant which was fantastic. We ordered lots of little sharing dishes, 5 vegetarian, 3 meat and a bottle of plum wine. The prices of them varied from 35,000VND (£1.11) to 68,000VND (£2.16) each and the 360ml of spirit was 230,000VND (£7.30). Everything was so tasty but our favourites were the pork and the steamed gyoza which we ordered a second portion of. We paid 425,000VND (£13.48) each, including tip, which was an absolute bargain and one of the best meals I’ve had. Quyen is also so lovely and easy to spend time with too, she called me a Grab car to go back in and we said farewell until next time. I was in bed by 10pm but I was watching something on Netflix to help me fall asleep. My alarm was set for 4.30am and I was looking forward to my trip to Dong Hoi.

Thao Dien – 10th March

I had no idea what time or day it was when I woke up on Sunday 10th March. My watch said 5.30am but it was hot and sunny. I just remembered getting a Grab taxi with Andrea and Elena after the first set of the band at Acoustic bar last night. I’d paid 850,000vnd (£27.19) in total for my Mexican food and drinks. I recall not paying for the glass of wine I had in Acoustic and Andrea had paid for the Grab. I remembered getting the quiet Vietnamese group next to me to dance and then we were headbanging to Highway to Hell just before we realised it was definitely time to leave. The others had work in the morning and I was starting to get a bit of jet lag. Today, wasn’t to be wasted though, as I had people to see. I met Keith (from Grimsby) and his girlfriend, Trinh, at the Bia Craft bar near to where I was staying. We had water, beer and some nibbles. I ordered BBQ pork and edamame beans which were lovely. Keith noticed the increased price of a small craft ale being 39,000VND (£1.25) now so we didn’t stay long. My total bill came to 225,000VND (£7.20) which I didn’t think was too steep.
We called at a roadside bar, called Twister, for one more beer where a draft Tiger lager was 60,000VND (£1.92) so quite pricey really. Our next place to visit was a favourite of Keith’s, where he gets all his lunches from for work. Soma was really nice and we ended up chatting to the owner, Scotty, who seemed familiar but we couldn’t work out if we had met before. The food there was healthy so I made a note to come here while I was staying at The Common Inn.
Scotty bought us some beers so I couldn’t work out the individual price but I remember they were less than Twister, which was good. That evening, I stayed in at the hotel and for my dinner I had a ham sandwich from Micro Boulingerie, next door, where they do the most amazing sandwiches. I also forgot that I had supposedly given up chocolate for lent and ate a chocolate cookie which I’d bought at Soma. My Netflix had issues with my device being in Vietnam, instead of Turkey, even though it’s a Vietnamese account so I had to faff about getting a code from Seamus to be able to finish off a series I’d started.
At 9pm (2pm UK time) I video called my parents for my first call with them from Vietnam. I didn’t go to bed/sleep until gone midnight as my head still thought it was only 8pm.

Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City – 9th March

I was served another inflight meal at 3.15am on Saturday 9th March. I almost declined it as they said it was omelette but it consisted of chicken sausage and garlic spinach with the omelette on the side so it was edible. At 5.30am (local time), I was off the plane and walking through Bangkok airport. My next flight was due to fly at 7.45am to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) so I didn’t have an awful lot of time for fannying about. We boarded my third plane at about 7am and, after taking off on time, I got given another nice Thai Airways meal; fruit salad, prawn spaghetti, a hot drink and a water. By 10am, Vietnamese time, I was in the very long immigration queue at Saigon airport. I met a nice couple in front of me in the queue who were in Vietnam for the first time and were on their honeymoon. They had the 45 day visa exemption which is available for UK passport holders. I had purchased a 90 day multiple entry visa online for $50 prior to coming to Vietnam and had it printed out ready. The man at immigration checked my 90 day visa and all was smooth with the stamp in to Vietnam, allowing me to remain in the country until the 5th June. Just 52 minutes later, I was outside in the humidity and hot sun.
I got a taxi from the domestic terminal of the airport, which should have cost less, to the Common Inn in Thao Dien (District 2). I ended up paying 350,000vnd (£11.25) but at least it wasn’t as bad as the last trip where they tried to con me out of 2,000,000VND and we had to report it.

The check-in time at the Common Inn was 2pm but I was allowed in before noon, glad of a shower and a lay down.
That evening, I met Andrea and some of her friends for margaritas and Mexican food at District Federal, in Thao Dien. The margaritas were great te food so tasty and we had a good laugh. It was a brilliant night, ending in watching a live band at Acoustic bar who finished the first half of their gig with an amazing rendition of Highway to Hell.

Highway to Hell at Acoustic bar

Dalyan – 5th & 6th March

I had quite a few plans on Tuesday 5th March; a hair appointment, Leanne coming over to video the apartment and meeting Becky for a leaving drink.
As I went to Emrah’s for my hair appointment it was getting a bit blustery outdoors. I was nearly late on account of going back for an umbrella and me carrying a bag full of jars for Drew to pop his kumquat jam in. My hair looked good, until I stepped outside in to the wind as a huge storm was likely on its way. I had tea and a banana for breakfast and made a Slimming World friendly lasagne for lunch. I didn’t go to Zumba as it started to rain and I had a leak in the bathroom to sort out. I’d just repainted the bedroom wall but then some water came in through the Air Con and ruined it. Leanne came over and we had a chat for quite a while, she took the video for the new tenants moving in so that she could see everything was in good working order. We were using King Emlak for our long term rental and Leanne was going to be overseeing that as well as some repairs prior to the tenants moving in.
I arrived late at Mono and More where I was pleased to see Becky, Jamie, Barney (Jamie’s brother), Norman and Edna. I was also glad to find that the new coffee shop now sold alcohol and I ordered a nice glass of white wine. Edna was funny as the glass table top confused her when she could see my wine but couldn’t get to it. It was nice to sit out and it was actually quite warm. The Aussies, Greg had to meet a friend but Amanda joined us. Basrı also joined us and then after it got a bit cool we all said our goodbyes, apart from Amanda who was waiting for Greg with the keys and the money. It was at this point that we wanted to get in touch with Greg to find out where he was, when the whole Facebook and Social Media crashed. We walked to their villa but no one was there, Amanda managed to call Greg who was in the barbers. Amanda invited herself over to mine to wait for him there, on account of not having her keys. We waited a while at mine and then the rain came just as Greg was walking to my place. We chatted a bit then they decided they needed some food, I only had my Slimming World friendly meals in as I was leaving in a few days. Greg decided he fancied Hatay kebabs, Amanda did too but I said I really wanted to avoid temptation. Hatay kebabs are one of my favourites but I had Fat Club weigh-in tomorrow and I had been quite good all week – the last kebab I ate gave me a bad stomach. Greg got up and left the apartment just as the rain absolutely trounced it down. He arrived back at the bottom of the stairs with 2 kebabs, chips, cokes and a massive cramp from running in the storm. Amanda had to help him as he couldn’t get up the stairs and I got him a towel out as he looked like he’d had a shower while fully dressed. It was hard watching them eat their food, but I was determined to lose weight this week. The rain got worse as I listened to their travel plans for the next month, until they arrived in Vietnam in April. It was 11.15pm when they left having invited me to join them for a Turkish breakfast tomorrow morning. I explained I was eating healthily and had Fat Club tomorrow afternoon so didn’t want to eat a big breakfast beforehand. They said they would call round first thing in the morning to say final goodbyes and pick up the paint I had borrowed as they were leaving Dalyan for a few weeks. I ate some reheated leftover Slimming World friendly lasagne then went to bed. This week I had consumed 241 syns, of which 79 were alcohol so I was really hoping I’d done enough to get a loss this week. I wasn’t confident I’d have reached my next milestone of one and a half stone loss though.

I’d got up early on Wednesday 6th March to apply another coat of paint on the bedroom wall beneath the AC unit. The Aussies were planning on going for breakfast at Kefal tea gardens and said they would call round to pick up the paint they loaned me. I got on the scales at home and the result was good but I wanted to wait and see what Carol’s scales said this afternoon before I got too excited. My measurements were really good as I’d lost 2cm each off my bust, waist and hips this week and I was now quite a bit under the measurement targets I had set. After strawberries and 2 bananas for breakfast I did a bit of packing and tidying up, while waiting for the Aussies. Bonnie popped round at 10am and we had a little chat. The Aussies turned up while Bonnie was there having not had their breakfast yet. I gave them the paint and gave them hugs goodbye. They would land in Vietnam in 6 weeks and were heading to Phong Nha. I helped Bonnie downstairs with a charity bag and then popped to the bank and stationers to finish off my errands. I went to have my last catch up with Adele at the Kefal tea gardens where I had several Turkish teas and some peanuts before going straight to Fat Club. Unfortunately, it meant that I had forgotten to take some of the food I was clearing out before I left for Vietnam.
This was the last Fat Club before my trip so I was so glad when I had lost 1.7kg (3.7lbs) on Carol’s scales this week. I was so happy that I’d now lost a total of 10.5kg (22.7lbs) which meant that I had finally got my 1.5 stone loss sticker! I was just under my original target weight but I’d adjusted it more recently so that I still had 0.7kg (1.5lb) to lose to hit target. From now on, the group would have to be known as the Not So Fat Club, especially as lots of others were all doing well and losing weight. I’d been so grateful to have managed to lose so much and Carol had been a massive help.
To celebrate I went to Ozzy’s for a bit of wine with Jamie, Ghislaine and Christine. We bumped in to Kate, Pamela, Andrea and John and I had a few celebration last drinks.
That evening I joined Jamie, Barney and Nanny Kay at Mahir’s again. This time I ate the batter off the fish and thoroughly enjoyed my treat night. After dinner we had one more in Ozzy’s and I gave Kate the dress I’d been wearing as she liked it.
I said goodbye to Mark and Kate who were going home on their mobility scooter. Tomorrow was my last day in Dalyan and so I planned for an uneventful, but productive, day.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th March

I didn’t sleep well and still had a bad stomach when I woke up on Sunday 3rd March. I put it down to the sausages I’d brought back from Rhodes and they had to go in the bin. I managed a cup of tea and a banana but had to cancel any plans to join Mark, Kate and the Aussies for Turkish breakfast at a museum. There was also the Sunday walk which Carol had organised to go from Ley Ley restaurant which I skipped too.
I was hoping to be ok for later as I’d organised that tonight would be my leaving meal and drinks with an eclectic mix of just a few friends. During the day I managed to eat a fruit salad, some broccoli and potato soup, a small pasta Bolognese and lots of oresol, water and herbal teas. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was heading back in to the jungle on his Laos/Vietnam month long cave expedition that he was half way through. They had found some new cave which was good and it was nice to talk to him after a couple of weeks of him being in the Laotian jungle. This might be the last phone call until I saw him in Phong Nha in 12 days time.
I arrived at Mahir’s kebab place at 7.30pm to find that Jamie and Drew were already there and a random bag and jazzy jacket were placed on the middle seat so I moved it along one space to my left and sat down next to Jamie. Jaxx sat opposite me when she arrived, as Bill was away, then Carol (from Fat Club) arrived with Ian and moved the bag to sit next to me and Jaxx. I’d now worked out the stuff on the seat was perhaps Adele’s. She sat next to Carol which left the 2 seats at the end for Amanda and Greg, who arrived last and instantly got on with Adele. Mark and Kate had declined the invite as they had already eaten out today and they didn’t fancy the leaving drinks.
A few of us ordered the fish and chips at Mahir’s. I tried to be good and took most of my batter off, mainly because of my stomach more than the diet. Jaxx and I went thirds on a bottle of wine with Adele, then shared a bottle between the 2 of us. We had a lovely meal, I seemed to have made a full recovery and was feeling well enough to move on to the after party at Sofra bar. Adele, Carol and Ian went home as they had to be up early on Monday morning but the rest of us decided to move on for a bit of a drinking sesh.
As it happened, Mark and Kate were still out and were the only ones waiting in Sofra for me. Of course, it turned in to one of those nights. Jamie and Drew had been sensible and gone home once it started looking messy.
Greg took Mark and Kate home then returned to Jaxx and I where we put Jaxx in a taxi then Greg insisted that they drove me home. The night turned in to a very very late finish! Amanda and Greg were still at mine after 4am! Once upstairs I realised I’d left loads of coat hangers on the bed and then at 5.30am (9.30am in Vietnam) I had a drunken video call with Captain Caveman who had popped back to Phong Nha in between cave expeditions. We were both glad I had decided to have the leaving drinks in advance of my leaving date.

I was surprisingly chipper when Jamie picked me up at 10am on Monday 4th March, despite my 3 hours of sleep. We drove to Ortaca where we got to the shop and bought 2 grey sunbed cushions for 1200 lira (£29.93) then went straight back to Dalyan. The cleaner was hard at work so I dropped the cushions off then had a wander round Dalyan. By the time it got to 11.50pm I knew I needed a bacon sandwich but Ela’s Kitchen was closed. I went to Jiks where I bumped in to 3 other Dalyan Dwellers before finally going back home to start on my packing for Vietnam.
I’d called at the bank a couple of times to sort things out and try to get holiday insurance but the computer was down and I had to go back. The lira was now at the highest it had been at 40.1 lira to the pound.
For lunch I had left over pasta Bolognese then for dinner I had chicken stir-fry with bulgur wheat and chickpeas. I had heard from one of the Fat Club that there was a restock of Quark and on offer so I went to the shop to get them and some cheese to make Carol’s pasties. Here’s what I bought and prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket

Plastic bag 0.25
3 Quark 59.85
Cheddar 76.90
Total spent 164.95 lira (£4.11)

Later, I spoke on video call to my parents which was good and we spoke about my plans for Vietnam.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd March

Before I left home on Friday 1st March I had 0.5 litre of water, and a banana. I was meeting fellow Sunday walker, Debbie, for an impromptu Friday walk, just on our own. I was early to meet at Migros so I bought and ate a croissant. It was 21.95 lira (55p), a bit too many syns but delicious. The walk was very nice and Debbie had kindly downloaded an old walk of Captain Caveman’s so we could just follow something and not get lost. We walked for about 3 hours and later Debbie confirmed it was about 15,000 steps and 10km. It was our farewell walk as she was off to the UK and I was off to Vietnam very soon.
At home I had another 0.5 litre of water and a cup of Yorkshire tea. My lunch was potato and broccoli soup with a bit of cheese in it. I needed something to line my stomach late afternoon as I was off to a soirée. I had more of the leftover chicken stir-fry with egg rice, more water and a rose tea. I was only on 27 syns so far this week so I was ready to treat myself at the first 3G night but first, I managed to fit in a video call with Vanessa. She was recovering from surgery on her hand so it was good to catch up and see she was making great progress.

I arrived at Jamie’s with a bag full of bottles, instead of the requested gin. Even though it was 3G (Gin, Girls and Gays) night, I’d checked it was ok to bring drinks I already had in the house, to get them finished before I left in just over a week. I arrived a little late for the first Gin night feeling quite warm and with a loaded bag. I simultaneously said hello to people and dogs while emptying my rucksack of the tonic, bitter lemon, coke, pink grapefruit, vodka and rum. I was poured a vodka and coke which must have been extra strong as I could definitely taste the vodka. I had a lovely evening with our newly formed 3G attendees; Jamie, Drew, Nanny Kay and Ghislaine (and the dogs of course). For dinner we had a gammon joint with carrots, broccoli and dauphinoise potatoes which was amazing! Lots of drinks were had and I don’t remember putting the dogs to bed with the nice soft blanket. I don’t even recall the end of the night after Ghislaine called a taxi.

Saturday 2nd March was a struggle as I woke up not even knowing where I was. I’d slept over in Jamie’s spare room as Drew had thought it safer for me not to walk home drunk. It was only when I got up for a pee that I realised I couldn’t find the bathroom in the place I thought it was. The first Jamie knew I had stayed was when Drew told him to put clothes on if going out of the bedroom because I was still in the house. I left there about 10.30am and headed back to mine to sort myself out a bit before meeting Jan. I had arranged to meet her at Lukka bar to buy some sunbed cushions and I hoped I didn’t stink of booze. I got home and got ready, making sure I was on time. Jan was already there with a coffee and she kindly bought me an orange juice. Luckily, she seemed not to notice I may still have been drunk and we had a good chat. At noon I had to leave as I needed to get to the market. I bought the 2 cerise pink cushions for 700 lira (£17.63) and they were like new so I was pleased with them.
As I walked to the weekly Dalyan market, I knew I’d not be making the Zumba party tonight at Ozzy’s bar as I was feeling quite delicate. At the market I couldn’t focus on buying what I needed so I just bought the following (prices in lira);

Bananas 35
Strawberries 100
Gözleme 75
Total spent 210 lira (£5.29)

On the way home, I saw the stork for the first time this year. Back home I’d only just made it in time from a storm that was brewing.
For dinner I still wasn’t feeling too good so I cooked some sausages to make a casserole. I ate one with a wrap and then had a really bad stomach straight away. Needless to say, I didn’t make it to the Zumba party that night, but Nanny Kay did – what a legend! I had an early night as I had a mega busy day tomorrow.

Dalyan – 24th & 25th February

Unfortunately, there was a full power outage, from 7am, in Dalyan on Saturday 24th February but Jamie had sent me a warning about it. This gave me a good excuse that I would have to have breakfast from the market today. I got up and sorted out Norman and Edna, then made a cup of Yorkshire tea with Jamie’s whistling kettle on the gas hob! It seemed a bit cold so I got on the sofa with the dogs and a blanket while I drank my tea and caught up with a few online chores. I went to the weekly market and here’s what I bought (prices in lira);

Mushrooms 15
Potatoes 18
Bananas 55
Strawberries 100
Apples and Chestnuts 125
1 cheese and mushroom gözleme 75
Total spent 388 lira (£9.95)

I’d got talking to Cath and Keith while I was picking bananas out and unfortunately instead of the 5 I wanted to buy going in to my bag, I got a whole bunch of them. The gözleme had increased in price a bit more too, but I didn’t think 75 lira (£1.92) for breakfast was unreasonable. The walk home was sweaty and my bag was heavy. I had cucumber water and rose tea, some strawberries and the gözleme when I got back to Jamie’s. For lunch I just had a red apple and a litre of cucumber water. I sunbathed outside for a bit and even had to pop on some suncream as it was warm. By 4pm we were all back indoors cooling down and I was going to have a shower before the dog walk. I got in the shower but the water was cold and it turned out that, because of the power outage earlier, the boiler was off. I messaged Jamie so he could get the plumber out. I could’ve gone over to our apartment for a shower but I didn’t bother. We did the dog walk, avoided the pub or any alcohol and I had a sweet and sour chicken with rice for dinner.
On the sofa I caught up with The Apprentice on TV and even Edna couldn’t believe how stupid some of the candidates were.

There was a bit of activity on Sunday 25th February; I was joining the Sunday walk which Carol (from Fat Club) had organised, the plumber was coming to fix the boiler and I was joining an online launch party with Lisa Johnson later.
I didn’t have a cup of tea this morning as I needed to get Norman and Edna sorted and fed before I left for the Sunday walk. Norman knew it was a Sunday and was stood at the bottom of the stairs trying to get me to take him back to bobos. I nearly didn’t go on the walk because the plumber was coming at 1pm and I wasn’t sure we’d be back in time, given we were walking to the Sultaniye mud baths. Carol had confirmed we should be back in time so I’d agreed to meet at the Denizkızı ferry. I met Tina (from Fat Club) and her hubby, Paddy, at Tez bar at 9.30am and we walked the 20 minutes to the meeting point together. It was quite a turn out and I said hello to a few of the walkers as we got on the ferry to cross the river. The ferry was just 10 lira (26p) each way for a foot passenger which was a bargain for the short trip. Ghislaine loaned me the use of Honey, her 13 year old spaniel, who could certainly motor but did like to pee a lot. It was quite a hard walk for me and unfortunately we didn’t get to the mud baths until gone 11.30am. This meant that, because I had insisted that I be back by 1pm, the group couldn’t enjoy any time at the mudbaths. We all had a quick pee, I was the only woman to brave the squat toilet, as I was in practice for my travels next month.

The walk back was hard and we stopped off for a drink at Pirates and Skulls, a nice little cafe. I just had an orange juice and tried to get the correct information on the times of the ferries. I had a panic on as I possibly wouldn’t be back in time for the plumber or to let the dogs out after them being alone after almost 4 hours. I messaged Jamie to see if he could delay the plumber, paid the 70 lira (£1.79) for my orange juice and decided to go for the ferry anyway. Ausaf, Lyn, Debbie and Christine came too, leaving some of the group having a few bevvies. The ferry turned out to go back and forth without a timetable so we were in luck, as well as Christine coming to the rescue with her hubby, Jez, picking us up at the other side and dropping me at Jamie’s.
I was more concerned with being late to let the dogs out but they were fine and snoozing away. I’d just let them out on the back garden when the plumber turned up and he fixed the boiler really quickly. Norman and Edna knew him so, of course, Edna had to get some male attention from the nice man!
For lunch I had a chicken pasta dish while Norman wanted to know why I’d been on a walk with another dog! I felt a bit guilty and even worse when I had to do only a short dog walk with them because I could hardly walk myself.
For dinner I had miso soup with egg noodles and lots of fruit salad. At 11pm I joined the launch party Facebook live with Lisa Johnson and a massive number of other people. It was really motivating and encouraged me to get on and start taking some action. I was really excited for next week’s free course and was glad my friend, Heather, had prompted me to get involved. Finding a job with my unique requirements and talents was going to prove difficult, but setting up in business might just suit me better. By bedtime I was still hungry and had to have a buttered crumpet with cheese and olives. This meant I was already on 174 syns for the week. I’d had a great day and had only spent 90 lira (£2.31) but tomorrow was my last full day with Norman and Edna.

Dalyan – 13th & 14th February

On Tuesday 13th February Vanessa popped round to collect her glassware and have a final hug goodbye. Vanessa is such a good friend to me and I was going to miss her. I’d actually took her pots out yesterday, they had made quite a night of it. They ended up being carried from Tez, to Ozzy’s, back to Tez and then back to mine as Vanessa forgot them at each step of the way.
Today was the day before weigh day and I needed to have started damage limitations with another speed day. I had 3 cucumber waters, a banana and a tea for breakfast.
I went to Zumba at midday and had an impromptu shop on the way home. Here’s what I bought and the price in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
Tomato purée 13.90
1 tin of tomatoes 29.90
Chicken nuggets 29.92
1 tub frozen berries 71.90
3 Quark 74.85
Total spent 220.72 lira (£5.69)

When I got back home I had a load more water with cucumber in. I took some bolognese out of the freezer and added pasta and cheese to make a nice lunch. I then decided to make a list about my current work situation, trying to look at some solutions to getting paid regularly. I had a a text conversation about this with my boss, as we tried to work out a plan. Unfortunately, due to my circumstances of needing regular payments in to my Turkish account I had to become temporarily unemployed.
For dinner I had leftover chicken dinner and later some chestnuts. I’d eaten potatoes so I had not managed a speed day but I had done a zero syns day. I’d consumed 23 more syns than last week though, so maybe I wouldn’t lose any weight at Fat Club tomorrow. As I went to bed, I expected that I would feel really stressed at no longer having any work at all but I didn’t. Instead, lots of thoughts were going through my head on what my Plan B would be. These next few weeks were going to be tight moneywise as my last pay was due tomorrow.

It was Valentine’s day on Wednesday 14th February so I’d arranged to spend the evening with Nanny Kay. We booked in for a quiet meal at Nil Lounge at 7.30pm tonight.
First thing in the morning, I did my measurements and got weighed at home to find that I had lost 0.85kg (1.9lb), stayed the same on my bust but lost 1cm from my waist and 2cm from my hips. I was now 1cm under my goal on bust and waist and 2cm under my hip goal. Great news came from Jamie that Drew had brought me 80 Yorkshire tea bags and that made my day. I had overnight oats and some orange juice for breakfast.
I had a bit of a walk in the morning and then met a lady in Jiks who was selling some Zumba trainers. I managed to get some almost new ones for 1,100 lira (£28.35) which retail around the £150 mark! She was a lovely woman and she even bought me a soda water and we had a chat.
Fat Club at 3pm was not as exciting a result as the home scales as I’d only lost 0.3kg (0.6lb) on Carol’s scales.
Captain Caveman was in Son Doong and we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day anyway so I was looking forward to my evening out. Ghislaine, Jamie and Drew were going to join us after Nanny Kay and I had eaten as there was a band on.
The meal wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was certainly adequate; I had chicken shish and Nanny Kay had chicken curry. We both limited ourselves to just 2 glasses of red wine. Nanny Kay was cycling and I was trying not to turn it in to a Wine Wednesday.
The music from the live band was good and there was a Turkish engagement party on. The groom-to-be insisted we help ourselves to some treats so we had chocolate covered strawberries and we could definitely feel the love! Jamie came up with the 3G Club idea. Our first get together would be in a couple of weeks.
It had been a lovely evening but I was glad to have stuck to just 2 wines with Nanny Kay. My syns were still 48 for today so tomorrow I was determined to do better. Jamie and Drew were off to Thailand so I had to rely on Norman and Edna not to lead me astray for the next couple of weeks.

Dalyan – 11th & 12th February

There was another walk planned on Sunday 11th February which I was looking forward to. I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday but I was starting to feel better. I had a couple of bananas to give me some energy but didn’t bother with any tea. Luckily, I was walking with Christine who has a bad knee so she goes at a similar pace to me. She and I only managed 2 hours, there was a bit of rain and we were struggling to keep up with the others. Very kindly, Christine gave me a Slimming World skinny bar which I had when I got home with my cup of tea.
Vanessa and Matt were coming round for Sunday lunch which had kind of happened by accident. Initially I had invited Kaan over, thinking we would be able to have a video call with Captain Caveman and Caroline who were celebrating Tet together. When I’d realised the etiquette of not having a single Turkish man in the house with just me, I’d roped in Vanessa. She had not only agreed but had also said she would cook the chicken and bring it over with some Yorkshire puddings. When I let Kaan know, he cancelled as he had some business he needed to attend to in Fethiye. I did the carrots, cabbage, potatoes, pumpkin, brussel sprouts and stuffing. I’d got some gravy but when Vanessa and Matt arrived she had brought some homemade gravy too. What a treat, I poured us some fizz to start, then we went on the white wine with our very delicious meal. Vanessa and Matt left so that she could have her family chat but, by this time, Jamie and Geoff had stopped by for a bevvie. Not being one to miss a party, Vanessa promised to come back after the chat.
Jamie and I had wine, Geoff had his own beers and we caught up on what the two of them had been up to. Vanessa came back and the 4 of us had a great night, drinking until about 11pm. At midnight I was in bed when Captain Caveman sent me a photo of him and Caroline and I told him Kaan cancelled on us.

I was getting quite used to not working on a Monday but on Monday 12th February I had some decisions to make about work. I had a bigger breakfast than usual with 2 slices of wholemeal toast, 2 cheese triangles, a banana and I used the last Yorkshire tea tea bag! It was a tough day but I put on my big girls pants and got on with it. I went to the bank to ask about various ways of getting Euros cash in to my Turkish bank and they were very helpful. My local bank can take Western Union payments, which I know they have a branch of in Rhodes Town.
I decided to go for a little walk around Dalyan before lunch time. Lunch was more of the tomato and lentil soup with pasta in and lots of water. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was off to his briefing and would be in the cave again tomorrow.
At 4pm I went to meet Vanessa and Matt at Tez bar for their farewell drinks. They were off back to the UK tomorrow and I might not see them until the summer.
I had a soda water at Tez bar which was only 20 lira (52p), some bars were now charging 3 times that. Wolfie and Rey were there, who I’d not seen in a while as they’d been back in the UK.
At 6pm we went to Ozzy’s where I treated myself to a chicken pizza and 2 wines. The pizza was amazing so my well intended plan of eating half and taking the rest home, went out of the window. We had a good night in Ozzy’s, even Jamie and Geoff (with Norman and Edna) popped to say bye to Vanessa and Matt which was really nice. My bill including a tip and just 2 wines came to 600 lira (£15.46) which I thought was reasonable. Back home, I had a ginger tea and watched some Netflix before bed and a huge storm.

Dalyan – 9th & 10th February

Captain Caveman knew I was working all day on Friday 9th February so he sent photos of my flight details before 7.30am. I would be flying from Istanbul to Saigon via Bangkok on the 8th March at 4.30pm. He’d booked me reserved seats and both flights included food. It had cost £426 but they were good flights and I was very happy. I added it to my diary that I would be leaving in 4 weeks. I would book the flight from Dalaman to Istanbul when I got paid next week. I’d book the flight back from Vietnam once I had enough money to be able to afford to come back, but my 90 day visa ended on 5th June.
Before starting work, I had a buttered crumpet for breakfast then I messaged my boss to double check I was to carry on what I was doing. He said he needed to have a phone call later to update me on the outcome of a meeting with his accountant. I worked all day with it at the back of my mind that I might not be working at all this time next week and I wondered if this uncertainty for such few hours pay was worth the stress. In my lunch break I had beefburger patty, pumpkin and pickled red cabbage and then some tomato and lentil soup.
When my boss video called later in the afternoon it wasn’t great news and looked like I wouldn’t be able to carry on working in the same way due to how I’d be able to get paid. I was told I might not get paid on Wednesday too, but I was relying on that money. I decided to think it over, I needed to think about what I was going to do longer term so I finished work and closed the laptop feeling a bit concerned. I decided not to go out tonight as I wasn’t in the mood and I didn’t have the money. Instead, I made Slimming World pizza topped baked potatoes for dinner and opened a bottle of Rituel red wine, I only had the one glass and popped the cork back in.

On Saturday 10th February I had a green tea with a slice of wholemeal toast and cheese spread before heading to the market. I didn’t concentrate and my head was in a bit of a spin worrying about money and work. Here’s what I bought on my shopping spree and the prices in lira;

Stall 1
Pumpkin, carrots, mange-tout & sprouts 165

Stall 2
Potatoes & onions 40

Stall 3
Bananas, apples and chestnuts 205

Migros Supermarket
2 tins of tomatoes 59.80 lira

Total spent 469.8 lira (£12.14)

I quickly dropped off my shopping at home as I had arranged to meet Adele and Vanessa for a last get together before Vanessa returned to the UK. Adele, Vanessa and I walked from the Waterfall bar to Günlüklu restaurant, via the back road, and it was a very pleasant walk. We stopped for lunch at Günlüklu restaurant which was absolutely lovely. The glasses of wine were 180 lira (£4.65) but a bottle was only 450 lira (£11.63). It doesn’t take a genius to work out what we chose! Our presumption was that they preferred to sell a whole bottle as it wasn’t a popular venue for glasses of wine which might mean the bottle goes off quickly once opened. Vanessa ordered a chicken curry, Adele a spaghetti Bolognese and I opted for the chicken casserole. The food was lovely and I ate it all, which took me a while, hoping the oil and the cheese would not make me poorly. My meal was 190 lira (£4.91) which was totally worth it. We walked home and said our goodbyes and I had a green tea when I got in at about 4.30pm. After another green tea, a litre of water and a banana I became unwell. I spoke to Captain Caveman around 7pm but then was in bed asleep, without any dinner. I hoped I’d be better tomorrow as I intended on going on the Sunday walk and I had guests coming round for Sunday lunch.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th February

It was Dalyan’s weekly market on Saturday 3rd February and I did need a few provisions. I walked the long way round, calling at the bank for some cash and noticing that the pavement repairs were coming on near Çağrı.
Here’s what I bought at the market (prices in lira);

Onions 12.50
Peppers 42.50
Mushrooms and tomatoes 65
Eggs and pumpkin 75
Strawberries 100
Total spent 295 lira (£7.66)

Next, I called in to Şok supermarket where I bought some containers and a cheap birthday gift for a total of 109.40 lira (£2.84) for a party later. At Bim supermarket I bought more for the birthday gift, bread and chocolate milk for a total of 89.00 lira (£2.31).
Back home, I had more of the soup with veggie pasta in and a mini falafel taco with veggies and tahini.

That evening I got my gladrags on as we were off out for Aimee’s birthday, she’s Jamie’s best friend from the UK. At Bistro Blue there were Aimee, Scott, Jamie, me, Sioned, Ünal, their 2 kids, Katrina, Mehmet and Ann. I gave Aimee her small present which was a selection of my favourite Turkish chocolate bars for her to try. Jamie, Aimee, Ann and I all ordered the surf and turf which was very nice. I decided to stick to ordering a glass of wine so that I didn’t get sharing a bottle as I was pacing myself. I had just 2 red wines and the main course which came to a total of 1,160 lira (£30.13) including a tip. I thought that was a reasonable price although it wasn’t a huge portion.
I thought we were all going home after the food we went to Ozzy’s where the drinks flowed. I stuck to just 2 more wines, 220 lira (£5.71) but realised it might be time to leave when Jamie brought up a story about a broken fire extinguisher toy. I, sensibly, chose to skedaddle about 1am with the excuse that I had the Sunday walk to get up for in the morning.

I was awake before 9am on Sunday 4th February as I was getting ready for the Sunday walk. This time Carol (from Fat Club) was organising it so we had to meet at 10am at the Jandarma roundabout, out of town. This was a 20 minute walk from me so I was already quite warmed up by the time I met the others. I didn’t really feel like going after a late night but I thought I’d make the effort. I’d had strawberries and a lemon and green tea for my breakfast so I was ready for some exercise.
The walk was good but, crikey, it was the most I’ve ever done in one go – 4 hours 15 minutes I was walking for and I was done in by the time I got home.

I squeezed in beans on toast, strawberries, quark and honey for my lunch and a little sit down before my next lot of excitement, 15 minutes later.
Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and she remembered I was getting short on Yorkshire tea bags and brought some. We had a few cups of tea and a good old natter, putting the world to rights! She left just before 4.30pm for her family WhatsApp chat and I had a video call with a freshly shaven Captain Caveman. He was in a hotel and was off for a few days over the Tet holiday (Vietnamese new year).
We discussed flights and we both were thinking the return flights were a bit expensive for my budget, I’d perhaps wait for at least another payday before booking anything.
After the call, I went to the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Ginger 16.09
Cream cheese 34.00
Onion powder 46.90
672g chicken 117.53
Total spent 214.52 lira (£5.60)

I’d found a new recipe I wanted to try out and it turned out really well, the chicken and mushroom pasta could be a new favourite. I had some fruit cake and cheese as an evening snack which meant I was now on 202 syns so far this week, but I’d only had 10 today. I’d have to be very careful on tomorrow’s outing.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd February

Thursday 1st February was a busy day; the Aussies were leaving Dalyan early the next day and heading to Rhodes. They wanted to have a Turkish breakfast before they left and so it had already been booked in that I would join them, Mark and Kate at Melekanne, a restaurant by the river. I’d only been a couple of times before but had been disappointed, so had not been back for well over a year. Lots of people had recommended it so I decided to give it another go, however we agreed for us to meet there after my Zumba class, rather than before.
Zumba class was good and I mentioned I was rushing off to go for breakfast at Melekanne to a few of the ladies. It was too late to change our minds but I got told the prices were shocking for what you get and that the breakfast isn’t that good. I tend not to react well to Turkish breakfast as it’s either food I don’t like or food that doesn’t like me. As I’d been doing Slimming World I’d started to get better with my intolerances so I decided I’d go for it. It was the Aussies last meal in Dalyan and worth a little celebration.
The Melekanne breakfast was 300 lira (£7.73) each which is more expensive than some other places but we did have nice views and were sat in the sun. Amanda, Greg and I ordered the Turkish breakfast, Mark ordered a hamburger and Kate ordered an omelette. There were plenty of chips (with and without yoghurt), cheese rolls, cheese, tomato, cucumber, marmalade, jam, chilli dip, fried eggs, olives, bread and lots of tea. In other places a Turkish breakfast can be hard to finish but the portion size here was not too big. Mark’s burger was all sauce and very messy, Kate didn’t rate her omelette which came with a tiny amount of chips so she had to have some from our breakfast. Mark and Kate’s bill was 590 lira (£15.21) which included 2 coffees and a juice. Quite unexpectedly, I had no bad reaction whatsoever to what I ate. Admittedly I only had bread, cheese, a cheese roll, olives and chips but I was pleased I wasn’t ill. Mark and Kate left to go run some errands but the Aussies wanted to try the new coffee shop in town. Mono & More is owned by Ercan, aka Mario, from Spice Garden and people were talking about how good the coffee was. I don’t drink coffee or frequent coffee shops but thought it would be good to have a look. The place has been decorated really well and it looked nice. We met Jill, their neighbour, there and while the others had some fancy coffee, she and I had a hot chocolate. It was very nice and probably full of sugar and syns, but only 60 lira (£1.55).
Our next stop was Ozzy’s, where they had started doing food. There had been a post on Facebook, from Ozzy, to let everyone know and he’d put a photo of some chips for attention. They were crinkle cut and it got a lot of comments that they were or weren’t frozen. Ozzy had said they weren’t frozen, I believed him, but we had to go and give them a test. Mark and Kate joined us and Kate helped us test the chips too. I had a couple of the chips, they weren’t frozen, and they were good. They also do a beer plate, which I took a photo of but didn’t eat, which was popular with customers.
I had a couple of wines in Ozzy’s which came to 220 lira (£5.67) and was home by 8pm, having said bye to Amanda and Greg. I had a burger for dinner at home then an early night as I had work in the morning.

For breakfast on Friday 2nd February I had dried figs, an apple and a cup of Yorkshire tea. Then I got on with work for the morning, not noticing that I had got a missed call and a text from Greg. They had taken a taxi to Fethiye for a ferry they had booked with Sky Marine, only to find that there was no Sky Marine ferry. They were calling me for help as to what to do, unfortunately when I’m working I put my phone on do not disturb. There was another ferry company and they got that one but I later noticed they had put some angry posts on Facebook about it. I looked at Sky Marine ferries website and the ferries were not running in February so I’m not sure how that had happened. For lunch I had veggie pasta and a quick call from Captain Caveman. He’d just got out of Son Doong with Martin Garrix (a famous Dutch DJ) and Lando Norris (a famous F1 racing driver). We had a quick catch up and he said he would try to call me later.
I carried on with work with the waft of a homemade soup in the slow cooker, I was trying cauliflower, leek and courgette.
I had another break from work in the late afternoon when Captain Caveman video called me with Martin, Lando and their fellow cave trip members on the call. I got to ask what they thought of the tour, they said it was beyond amazing and the best week of their life!!! I didn’t get to ask my other 10 questions in person but Captain Caveman said that they would send the replies later. I was so pleased that they had called however, it meant I had to work until 8pm because of the time for the phonecalls. I had chocolate and some jellies to keep me going until I logged off the laptop.
For dinner I tried the soup with some potato wedges, it wasn’t my favourite meal.
Later, I got the answered questions I’d sent to Lando and I was so pleased, it had made my day. I’d also spent zero money today, in an attempt to get back on track with the budget. I went to bed in a good mood and looking forward to the weekend.

Dalyan & Köyceğiz – 29th January

I was once again able to go on the Köyceğiz boat trip because of not working on Monday 29th January. I did a quick check of my spending as of yesterday to find I was just £1.80 below my £300 budget, which I was so pleased with. Vanessa couldn’t make it but this time onboard were; The Aussies, their neighbour Jill, Mark & Kate, Nick & Michele, Donna & Neil and me.
I’d had my overnight oats and a cup of tea for breakfast, then drank 3 Turkish teas and had half a simit on the boat. It was cold and I think we all wondered what on earth we were thinking going on a boat trip in this weather. The yellow boat was still being repaired so we went on a boat without a toilet again and it didn’t have any plastic sides to put down. Still, for 200 lira (£5.18) return we didn’t complain.

Once in Köyceğiz, Kate and I headed up to the shopping centre as she needed some pyjamas and I was after a new pair of gloves. I’d been making do with just one but it was too chilly when the sun wasn’t out. By 1pm I had bought a pair of thermal fur lined leggings for 329 lira (£8.52), a pair of fur lined gloves for 300 lira (£7.77) and a bottle of prosecco at 190 lira (£4.92). We swung by the market where I bought a pricey pineapple for 60 lira (£1.55) and went halves on some shitake mushrooms at 25 lira (65p).
We rejoined Mark at Tuana, the Aussies and Jill joined us shortly after and we ordered lunch. I was on a strict budget so I ordered a Turkish tea for 10 lira (26p) and a chicken burger at 125 lira (£3.24). Unfortunately, when we came to pay, I ended up putting more than necessary in. I only had a 200 lira note for my 135 lira bill but I only got 30 lira back so I’d paid 35 lira extra but noticed not everyone put in a tip. My meal was nothing to write home about and a bit of a waste of going off my diet for, but Jill was pleased with her pasta and the Aussies enjoyed their Turkish breakfast.

We left Köyceğiz at 3.30pm and the Aussies were off to use the facilities of the mudbaths again. Luckily, we had the fizzy wine we’d bought and a couple of bottles from Hakkan and Nilüfer but I was reluctant to drink much without a toilet on board. It had been a great day – it’s pretty rare to see a peacock and a proposing street dog on the same trip!
By the time we got back it was pretty cold. The Aussies went to drop off the shopping while Mark, Kate and I went to Tapa. When the Aussies returned they had a hot chocolate each, I had a rosé wine and played Mark at pool.
Back home, it was too late for dinner so I had a few chestnuts and a bit of cheese before trying on my thermal leggings – they were amazing! It had been a good day out but I had splashed out almost 4 days worth of budget.

Dalyan – 11th January

I was taking out my fruitcake at 00.15am on Thursday 11th January, which was my birthday. I cut off the crispy edges and ate a piece as I stayed up until 1am looking at flights and did find some reasonable ones.
Good news came from my boss, he had picked up his replacement bank card and my overdue pay would go in to my account after the weekend. From next week I was asked to work a full day on Fridays which fitted well with me.
After a sleep, I woke up to a chilly 6 degrees and got myself a cup of Yorkshire tea to bring back to bed. Captain Caveman called me before 9am and wished me a happy birthday, which was nice. I stayed in bed until 10am reading my birthday messages. I felt really happy and loved, I’m so glad Facebook reminds everyone! I had a card from my parents and they’d put me some lira in for a present – how lovely.
For lunch, Vanessa and I had arranged to meet up, I’d suggested Ela’s Kitchen for a breakfast/lunch. I went over to their apartment, taking Matt’s laptop to give back to him and a fruit cake as a thank you. We said bye to Matt, who was off to watch football shortly, and Vanessa had decided she was taking me for a birthday treat. At Asaf Bey, Vanessa insisted that I order the waffle (highly recommended), which came smothered in chocolate, bananas, strawberries and crushed pistachios – I was very surprised at the size of it! Vanessa had her’s with just chocolate and ice-cream. We both drank tea and had a good chat.
Later in the afternoon I made a bacon sandwich with mushrooms from the Ela’s Kitchen leftovers which I had with potatoes for a late lunch. I also managed to make a slow cooker beef stew for dinner and clean the house, as Jamie and Drew were popping over later. I’d actually relished the thought of staying at home alone for my birthday. I had an unfinished biography which I’d been really looking forward to reading but Jamie said I couldn’t not celebrate my birthday at all – he was having none of it! He, Drew, Nanny Kay, Ann, Bill and Jaxx were coming to mine for a birthday drink. No fuss, no food, just a drink or two – did I even have enough chairs!?
Before the guests arrived I just had time for a birthday video call with my parents, which was really good and such a shame that they had gone home before my birthday. I even got a photo with my Dad looking at the camera! Unfortunately, they had spent 87 days out of their 90 days in Turkey but the flight they could get was before my birthday and they couldn’t go any later.
I could only just fit all my guests in and I was shocked to find that everyone brought me a birthday gift. Jamie and Drew went first as Jamie was so excited to give me something that he thought was ‘so me’. It was a framed print which said ‘Too Drunk to Cook’ in bright colours. It would turn out to be very appropriate as a message for one the guests later tonight. Ann had brought me a bottle of red wine and a box of baklava which showed she knew me well! Nanny Kay gave me a Maisie Moo ‘Shade of Nar’ candle which I really loved the smell of. I was so surprised to receive a very expensive face cream from Jaxx (& Bill) who made us all laugh when she said she’d been using it herself and she was actually 85 years old! Drew also brought a big chunk of his Christmas cake (with icing and marzipan) which was amazing. We had lots of wine and I fished out the cake I’d made once we’d finished Drew’s and the baklava. Jaxx said she hadn’t got the memo about not getting any dinner tonight but by that time Jamie’s present was already coming in handy! Drew fell asleep, and I was getting quite tired when Jamie decided the two of them and Nanny Kay were off. Ann, Bill and Jaxx didn’t leave until very late, I’d tried to get a taxi for them at 12.20am but couldn’t get a reply. Bill eventually got a taxi and they all said their rather merry farewells.
My impromptu, and not very well planned, birthday drinks had been rather lively but I’d rather enjoyed having more cake than wine!
Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of people as I was too busy being the host with the least!

Dalyan – 9th January

Bill and Jaxx were due to land back in Dalaman airport on the afternoon of Tuesday 9th January. They were coming in on the Manchester flight that my parents were going back on. The rain was heavy, I’d already packed and just had to put the remaining fridge contents in my rucksack. Lucy had taken to being able to open the downstairs door and was already coming upstairs to tell me she wanted a walk. I borrowed Jaxx’s wellies, popped a woolly hat on and took Lucy out. She was unusually giddy in the rain and didn’t half slosh about. Back home, I dried her with towels, she was quite muddy, then I left her in the house while I took Big Boy out. He also loved the rainy walk and was pretty sprightly. He had seen Lucy get a drying and so he wanted to get one too. They both had a biscuit and a lay down on a towel. I had to phone Fikri for a taxi back home as it was still pouring it down. I shoved my stuff in the apartment and would unpack later as my parents were on their way for our final goodbye. Ma brought me a bag of spare provisions that she’d not managed to use, which I would certainly not let go to waste. We had arranged to go for breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen as my parents had a long journey ahead but they weren’t getting picked up until 12.45pm.

At Ela’s we all went a bit mad by ordering different permutations of the Full English breakfasts. Nicola and Sev, the owners, are great and are so good at accommodating my fussy requirements, plus they do amazing food and a great cup of tea. Dad went for the large one, no mushrooms (I asked Nicola to put his mushrooms on mine). Mom went for the large one, no toast. I ordered the large but asked if Dad could have my eggs and tomato, in exchange for his mushrooms.
My parents had a cappuccino and a latte, I had 2 cups of tea. The food was fantastic and we all left some! Mom was a proper lightweight and should have gone for the small! Dad did a remarkable job of eating his, considering the amount of eggs and tomatoes he had! I had the luxury of being able to take my leftovers home.
Here’s the prices for those who like to know what we paid, bearing in mind pork and English products are obviously more expensive in Turkey because of being imported;

3 large Full English 1125
2 coffees 140
2 teas 120
Total spent 1385 lira (£36.45)

That worked out at £12.15 each and we were all so full! The FEB was 375 lira (£9.87) each but it is a massive portion!

We walked back towards mine, in the rain, after my parents got some sweets for the flight. We said our goodbyes, not quite knowing when exactly we’d see each other but probably in Sheffield in July, if not before. I tried not to cry as we hugged but I was a bit teary when I got back indoors. I went to hang my wet coat up and noticed my hair wasn’t the best, due to the moisture! I unpacked Ma’s shopping bag and unpacked all my stuff. In the afternoon I got settled in, made shopping lists, tidied up, had a naughty chocolate bar and a bit of fruit cake! I’d got weigh day tomorrow and it wasn’t looking good. My birthday was this week too and people had asked what the plan was this year. I decided I didn’t want to celebrate it on my actual birthday. I’d still not been paid so couldn’t afford to go out for a meal and drinks. Some sensible friends were doing Dry January too so I decided, instead, to set up an event for the 1st of next month, just to go out for some drinks.
For dinner (yes, I was eating yet again!) I made a prawn and veg stir fry with a peanut sauce and steamed rice. My weekly syn count was a bit of a joke at 334, not including at least 2 packs of Strepsils! I got a message from Jaxx to confirm all was good and we had a laugh when she told me that they don’t bother walking the dogs if it’s raining heavily!!! I didn’t mind as Big Boy and Lucy had loved it and I found it quite therapeutic.
To round off my day, I had a video call with Captain Caveman before he went to bed, then I sat on the sofa and watched a bit of Netflix. It was nice to be home, but I wasn’t going to get too comfy – I was off dog sitting again in 4 days!