Sheffield – 22nd & 23rd May

Having done sweet F A, but travel and eat yesterday, it was a day of grafting on Thursday 22nd April. It was only 9°C at 7am which I wasn’t used to so I got a cup of tea and went back to bed. It was weigh day and I had brought my tape measure but I didn’t take the measurements. I did get on the scales though and found I had put on 0.2kg (0.4lb).
I cracked on at the living room desk while Vanessa pottered about. We had bacon sandwiches at lunch time and then I had an online meeting.
I had forgotten to bring an adapter to plug my Turkish laptop plug in to the English socket and we said we would pop to Asda later to pick one up.
After work, Vanessa’s son came to pick us up to go to his house for dinner. We called at Asda and had no joy with an adapter but we got some wine! Vanessa and I were excited as we were, not only seeing the rest of the family, but we were having fish and chips with them. We decided that we would share a portion between us, which was plenty and really good. We got a taxi back so the whole night had cost me £20 and I’d had a really great time.

Gratitude List
1. Bacon
2. Spending time with Vanessa and her family
3. Fish and chips.

I had a good night’s sleep and woke up just after 6am on Friday 23rd May, it was 7°C in Sheffield.
I worked all day and Vanessa was the hostest with the mostest as she made me pancakes which I ate with strawberries.
She had a busy weekend planned because it was her grandson’s birthday celebrations and I had some plans too. Captain Caveman still hadn’t moved in to a house up north and was using his parents’ place in London as a base these days. Vanessa had kindly agreed for him to come and stay for the weekend and he was driving back from Scotland today.
As Vanessa and I don’t have any transport and the nearest local shop is a 10 minute walk away, I asked him to get a load of shopping in for us. He arrived at a decent hour, having had an eventful shopping trip to Aldi. He’d not got everything on the list as he didn’t have a pound coin for the trolley and had to do it all by basket and his arms. I imagined it was like a Friday Crackerjack where they had the game of holding lots of stuff, including cabbages. I am showing my age now!
Anyway, here’s what he bought with the prices in pounds and listed cheapest to dearest;

Aldi Supermarket

1 plastic bag 0.30
Garlic 0.37
1 tin of tomatoes 0.45
Chickpeas 0.49
Tomato puree 0.59
Cucumber 0.69
Mushrooms 0.69
Toothpaste 0.69
Lettuce 0.77
Carrots 0.79
Red onions 0.95
Spinach 0.99
Brown sauce 0.99
Baby potatoes 1.09
3 tins Baked beans 1.23
Pasta 1.29
Double cream 1.39
4 pints of milk 1.55
White onions 1.59
Peppers 1.60
Red potatoes 1.95
Bacon lardons 1.99
Wafer thin ham 2.29
Tomatoes 2.35
12 eggs 2.45
Cumberland sausage 3.49
500g beef mince 4.19
Chicken fillets 4.65
2 bottles of Champagne 30.00
Total spent £71.76

I thought tomatoes and eggs seemed more expensive than I’m used to.
We opened a bottle of the champagne and had a toast to all being in Sheffield, before going out for the evening.

Captain Caveman had decided he wanted to take me out on the town on Friday night, well down to Woodseats at least. We figured we could get the bus to Norton and then walk down. We did invite Vanessa to join us but they were off out for a family birthday meal.
After a very steep downhill walk we arrived at Guzzle, a micro pub that Captain Caveman had been to before. The lady behind the bar was fun and friendly and she had 2 cute little dogs. They also served Prosecco on tap and had pork scratchings – it was my perfect pub. We had a few drinks there and I petted Commander Riker, the friendliest and younger of the 2 pooches. We were getting ready to leave when an ex Aviva colleague arrived to join a group of fellas at the bar. We’d been having a bit of Sheffield banter with them and I’d had a few drinks so we said hello to Richard and he went for a toilet visit. His mates asked how I knew him and I lied and said I couldn’t say much but we went way back to when he was involved in the sex industry. They weren’t sure whether to believe me at first but I was convincing and they left. Captain Caveman and I were laughing at the conversation they were going to have in the next pub!
We also decided to move on to The Herd where we were hoping to get some pizza for dinner. It had gone 9.30pm so no food was being served but we were offered Salty Dog nuts with our pints of beer.
We decided on an Indian and went to Viraaj, also at Woodseats, for what ended up being a feast. The food was amazing and we had more drinks but when we came to leave it was pissing down with rain. We had to wait a bit for a taxi outside while talking to some German customers. When we got home, Vanessa was still out!

Gratitude List
1. Aldi shopping
2. Captain Caveman coming to Sheffield
3. Meeting Commander Riker.

Dalyan to Sheffield – 21st May

By 4.50am on Wednesday 21st May, I was ready to start my journey from Dalyan to Sheffield. Vanessa had made us all a cup of tea, I’d made the sandwiches and Matt was kindly driving us to the airport.
After a quick goodbye and thanks to our driver (Matt) at Dalaman airport, we were through to the first security check. We both had our own food and a bottle of unopened water each, hoping to get them through. The airport was relatively empty but the family in front of us got their juice cartons taken off them and we had to drink our water. For the first time, they also tried to take my tweezers and nail clippers from me but I said no and they gave them me back, this did mean they emptied my hand luggage bag completely but I didn’t mind as long as I got my stuff back as I only had hand luggage. It was quick and it now meant we had no water but we would be boarding soon. Vanessa’s bag was just an under the seat one which had a pair of men’s Crocs in so the bag kept tipping over. By 6am we were at the gate and doing the obligatory Facebook status update for everyone to see we were on a girls trip to England.
I needn’t have paid the extra £10 to book a seat as the Sun Express plane wasn’t full and I moved on to Vanessa’s row who had it to herself. On the flight I bought us some drinks and here’s what we had and spent.

2 small waters
1 can iced tea
1 tea
Total spent €13 (536.82 lira)!!!

The chicken sandwiches I’d made us were great too and we even managed to stop chatting long enough to watch something we had downloaded and fall asleep.
On landing at Manchester we had almost an hour until our train so we went to the cafe where Vanessa treated us to a cup of tea. I opened the share bag of crisps, ate the cheese and had several biscuits too. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Manchester had some sun and I didn’t need my coat on!
Our first train at 10.48am left on time and we changed at Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately, the second train was delayed due to a slow train in front of us. We did the whole journey at mostly 20mph and we didn’t actually get to Sheffield until 1.15pm.

By this time we needed a wee so I suggested a call to the Sheffield Tap for a cider/beer and to use the facilities – the station toilets had a queue. We also picked up a claim form at the station as we were entitled to a full refund of our train tickets.
A quick shop in M&S and then we were ready for the taxi ‘home’, to Vanessa’s where I would be for the next 10 days. The taxi was only £11 which I thought was reasonable from Sheffield to Gleadless.
We were through the door at 4.30pm which made our total journey almost 14 hours door to door (with the 2 hours time difference)!
I was truly spoiled as we had a cup of tea first, obviously, then Vanessa’s daughter and grandson came over for dinner. Chelsea made us delicious chicken tacos with air fryer chips and it was bloody lovely. Vanessa and I shared a bottle of wine to celebrate being back in Sheffield. It was a great evening and I really enjoyed being back in England.

Gratitude List
1. Having a fun journey from Dalyan to Sheffield
2. Lovely food and a place to stay
3. Family dinner at Vanessa’s.

Dalyan – 16th & 17th May

It was my last weekend in Dalyan for a little while, on Friday 16th May, as I was popping back to the UK with Vanessa next week. I’d also got a busy last weekend planned. After a cup of Yorkshire tea I nipped out to the shops as I had guests coming over for dinner tonight. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 small cartons of milk 19.90
5 potatoes 22.68
Total spent 42.58 lira (83p)

BIM Supermarket
4 Dido chocolate bars 78.00 lira
Total spent 78.00 lira (£1.51)

Unfortunately, there was no Quark in either shop so I would have to do without and try again tomorrow. For breakfast I had a bacon and sausage sandwich with brown sauce as I needed to cook the sausages for a slow cooker casserole I was making for my dinner guests. I would do roast potatoes and vegetables later to go with it. I worked all day and used my ‘lunch break’ to clean the house. My friends were invited to eat at mine but they had messaged with a change of plan due to not being able to manage to get up my stairs. Instead, I would go to theirs but I still needed to take the food as I had cooked it already!
Captain Caveman booked me a flight back from Gatwick to Dalaman for the 2nd June. We’d been waiting to see if I might be needed to help my parents out while my sister was away and the Manchester flight I was hoping to get with Vanessa had gone up by £50 since I’d last checked. Luckily, Captain Caveman had spotted one for a third of the price and including luggage but going from London. It meant I could have a couple of extra days in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his parents before I went back to Dalyan, so that had worked out well.
I finished work, my friends came to pick me up in the car and help me carry the food and a bottle of red wine. The food was well received and we chatted about all sorts of things, while drinking quite a lot of wine.
Although it was quite late when I left, I was more than happy walking it home and left my pans to go in the dishwasher. It had been a lovely night but it was rather late on a school night.

Gratitude List
1. Having a clean house
2. Being busy
3. Sausage casserole and wine with friends.

There was more excitement in my life on Saturday 17th May as I decided to ditch the Dalyan weekly market visit in favour of work so that I could be free by 3pm to meet friends. I just had tea and toast for breakfast then cracked on with some enquiries. For lunch I had some salami with radish, gherkins, cheese and olives for a bit of a change.
I arranged to meet Debbie at Books and Cookies for a tea at 3pm. I arrived just before Debbie and ordered a tea I’d not had before; Rooibos is meant to be good for Diabetics, those on a diet and to prevent wrinkles – I just ordered the one pot for 60 lira (£1.16) which made 2 cups and was easy to drink. I’d say it was more of a winter drink, though. Debbie had a drink and a couple of the delicious homemade cookies. We had a very quick catch up and I signed a copy of my book ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ for her before saying farewells and on to my next appointment. I had arranged to meet a couple of friends at Retro bar where it was quite sunny still. We had a good catch up and I had 3 red wines at a total bargain price of 270 lira (£5.23). The owner and friend, Nusret, had done a really good job of the renovations and had added more seating, a shuffle board, a swimming pool and better toilet facilities – it looked great. Retro bar seemed to be back in favour again with the Dalyan Dwellers as the drinks were so cheap compared to anywhere else, granted the wine was the Diamond brand which is not particularly a quality wine but, given most of the women drink white wine and put soda in it, it passes muster. I had red wine and it was drinkable, a whole bottle was only 350 lira (£6.78) but I wasn’t going mad. While we were there, some of the Dalyan Dwellers arrived back from a trip on the Yellow boat and some came to say hello to us. Friends of my parents came to ask how they were doing and wanted to know when they were coming back to Dalyan, which was nice. It was too late to do anything or eat by the time I was back home so I just went to bed, ready for an early start tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Tea at Books & Cookies
2. Cheap wine with friends
3. Sunshine.

Dalyan and Ekincik – 13th May

Often in Dalyan, I don’t get invited to anything for ages and then 2 things crop up at the same time. On Tuesday 13th May I was booked on to a friend’s private boat trip for the day. I’d also been invited to a Ladies Night boat trip but couldn’t go to both. The Villa Duran boat is owned by Captain Ünal and his wife Sioned, my Turkish teacher. On board for the day were Julia, her parents, Jamie, Nanny Kay and her 3 friends, so a lovely small group of us. We left at 10am and were tucking in to the home made Welsh cakes by five past. It was my first boat trip of the season, we went to Ekincik Bay so I made sure I took a sea sickness pill as I’m prone to getting sick out at sea.

One of the things I noticed about the boat was the extra wide steps which were good for anyone who might have just had knee surgery (my Dad) on their next visit. Our BBQ lunch was served about 1.30pm and I had chicken, köfte, chips and some salad with a couple of glasses of red wine.

Video of me testing out the steps

It was all very lovely and I really enjoyed the day out. We got to swim in a few spots, saw a turtle, ate delicious ginger cake and got dropped off at Julia’s jetty to see the dogs and have another drink. The boat trip worked out at £40 each, which I had paid by bank transfer before the start of the trip, and we paid for our own drinks at the end. Drink prices were not dissimilar to prices in the bars and the wine was a really nice.
Here’s a video of the boat, on Facebook, which is definitely one of the biggest and is super comfy and immaculate. Captain Unal is super professional and a good chef too.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Z9WvQP2Pr/

I walked from Julia’s with Jamie, Norman and Edna and having really enjoyed the day out, a private boat trip is one of my favourite things to do in Dalyan! Back home, I had a shower and a lay down but didn’t set an alarm. I woke up at almost midnight thinking it was the next day!

Gratitude List
1. Being lucky enough to be on my first private boat trip of 2025
2. Swimming in the sea
3. Spending the day in great company.

Photo credit – some photos by Jamie and other guests on the boat

Dalyan – 6th & 7th May

I had a lay in until 8.30am on Tuesday 6th April and it felt quiet without the dogs. I ate my tea and toast on the balcony and then got on with work.
At lunch time Julia popped over with a bottle of Angora red wine and a really cute wine stopper from Cappadocia – a thank you gift from the dogs. I spoke to Captain Caveman and then had a cheese and salad wrap before getting back to work.
At 2.30pm I went to pay the council tax which was 1,854.60 lira (£36.22) for the year and also cheaper than last year, for some unknown reason.
I passed the bus terminus and took a photo of the new bus timetable which was showing buses to the beach every hour from 10am to 5pm. I finished work at 7.30pm and made some bacon spaghetti with a side salad for dinner.

Gratitude List
1. A gift from the dogs
2. More buses available to the beach
3. Bacon.

At 7am on Wednesday 7th May it was 16°C and looking to get warmer. It was weigh day so I got on the scales at home to find I was the same as last week. I took my measurements, I had put 1cm on to my waist but the other measurements were the same or less. Since I’d been carrying my heavy rucksack about, I had noticed that a cyst I had on my shoulder had reappeared and it was sore but still small.
I drank tea on the balcony and noticed that the Pool and Garden team had started to fill our communal swimming pool up. I had some good feedback on my book from people who had also been in South East Asia and liked my chapters. I read a chapter of Charlie Day’s book ‘Sales is Easy’ and then got on with some social media posts for my Resort Experts business page.
At 10am I went over to a friend’s to see Lady C and another pooch, Darcy. I played with both dogs for a bit, until it was time for my first appointment of the day.
At 11.30am I went to my Turkish class at Lukka and spent 150 lira (£2.91) on the lesson and 60 lira (£1.17) on a small water.
I called at the pharmacy to buy blister plasters for 70 lira (£1.36) so that I could put it over my cyst to stop my bra strap from irritating it further. I had a quick lunch of a Dubai Magnum while walking through town.
At 3pm I went to get weighed at Fat Club, spotting the stork was in its nest, on the way there. I was disappointed to find I had put on 0.15kg (0.3lb) on Carol’s scales, but it could’ve been worse. Vanessa decided to join me as we had prior arrangements to meet up and she brought wine and we bought soda water at the shop.
After a glass each at our friend’s, we borrowed a bottle stopper for the rest of our wine and walked back through town looking like a pair of soaks! We decided to see if Simple would let us eat at a table and drink our own, half opened bottle of wine. Onur, the owner, agreed and we ordered my favourite noodles. We paid 760 lira (£14.79) for 2 lots of noodles, 1 beef and 1 chicken, which were really tasty and fresh.
We had a lovely night and then walked home a bit tipsy where I had a video call with Captain Caveman then ate frozen yoghurt bars for my dessert.

Gratitude List
1. Cute dogs
2. Seeing Vanessa
3. Delicious food at Simple.

Kuşadası to Dalyan – 28th April

Captain Caveman’s flight back to Manchester wasn’t scheduled until 8.50pm on Monday 28th April so he had a long day. I was expecting a bit of a lay in but Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike had already had breakfast and were ready to check out of the Sunday Beach hotel by 9.30am. When we went downstairs for breakfast our 4 friends were ready to leave so they decided to go on a sightseeing trip to a castle on an island while we had breakfast and then got ready. Captain Caveman would then drive me to them around 11.30am so that I could go back to Dalyan with them. The storm forecast could start this afternoon and there were also some road closures so Sezgin was keen to set off back in good time.
Our breakfast was very nice – buffet style with lots of choice. I kept it simple and avoided all the Turkish börek which might affect my stomach. Captain Caveman had dialled in to his 9am (UK time) team meeting, even though he was officially on holiday, and I checked my emails and responded.
We checked out and I went to the ATM to get some cash out for Captain Caveman, but none of the machines were working. This left us in a bit of a fix as Captain Caveman was going to need to get more petrol and spending money for whatever he was going to do all afternoon. I decided I would give him my cash card for my Turkish bank so that he could use it until he left tonight. I could use my credit card until I got it back from him. When we got to meet the others in a retail park it was time to say bye to Captain Caveman and head back to Dalyan. The drive back was pleasant and I felt like I would sleep well when I got to bed tonight. On the way we stopped at Ateş Doner and I had a chicken wrap and a lemon soda for 175 lira (£3.38) which was ok but I couldn’t finish it all, as was thinking about my stomach being affected for the drive. It turned out to be fine which I was pleased about. We were back home by 4.30pm and Captain Caveman’s flight was delayed by almost an hour. He had managed to spend 877.45 lira (£16.97) on parking, petrol and some food, which was very frugal.
I noticed the pool and garden was being worked on but the pool was still empty.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast with Captain Caveman
2. Not being ill from the kebab shop lunch
3. Being back home after a wonderful weekend.

Çeşme to Kuşadası – 27th April

After a lovely breakfast on Sunday 27th April, at the Kerman hotel in Çeşme, it was time to check out and restart the 2 car convoy. The plan for today was for the 6 of us to drive to Kuşadası with a stop or two on the way. I took a last photo of the small beach beside the hotel and I got in the car with Captain Caveman while Sezgin took the others in his car.
Captain Caveman had got his phone on Google Maps and had programmed our hotel address in, for if we got lost. That turned out to be a good move as we lost the other car when we stopped for petrol. I paid 691.92 lira (£13.51) for petrol for Captain Caveman’s hire car and 15 lira (29p) for a small bottle of water before we decided what to do. There was no sign of Sezgin and we thought he may even have been taking the toll road. Captain Caveman wasn’t sure how the toll road worked for a tourist in a hire car and wanted to avoid it so we chose to head directly to Kuşadası. We arrived around 1.30pm and couldn’t work out where the car park was, I went to the hotel reception and asked and it was in the main public car park behind the hotel – and free. At the Sunday Beach hotel reception we had a bit of confusion as they weren’t sure the rooms were ready to check in. After explaining there was just 2 of us and 4 would arrive later, we were given a key. I paid 2600 lira (£50.78) for 1 night in a double room with sea view and breakfast. and the room was really lovely with a great view, it even had tea and coffee making facilities so I had myself a cup of tea. Captain Caveman was tired so he had a bit of a rest while I had a shower, unpacked, repacked and did a bit of work. Although Captain Caveman had taken Friday and Monday off, I hadn’t so I was a bit behind on my posts for this week – ironically, while in a great holiday resort in Turkey!

In the afternoon, while our friends were still making their way to Kuşadası, Captain Caveman and I had a stroll along Ladies Beach, all the way to the end then back. I noticed there were waiters at most places trying to encourage you in to their establishments, some trying to insult us to make us laugh which had the opposite effect.

Captain Caveman and I decided to have a late lunch at Blu Notte as the others were still off exploring the area and hadn’t arrived yet. I had a glass of red wine, and Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt while we perused the very promising menu. We decided to share a vegetarian pizza and admire the sea view on such a lovely sunny day. There were quite a few people in the sea which I was surprised about – I hadn’t brought my swimmers. Captain Caveman is always prepared for any eventuality so had packed his. We had another round of drinks before paying the bill, prices in lira;

Blu Notte
1 veggie pizza 310
2 Efes Malt 280
2 glasses of Red wine 400
Total spent 990 lira (£19.34)

It was funny that I would ordinarily have found that expensive for Turkish prices but we had being pay that for just 2 drinks in a London pub so Captain Caveman found it cheap.

After a short walk, we decided to find another bar and let the others know where we were, we were at Ladies Beach Hotel and Restaurant which you couldn’t miss. We had another round of drinks, which were a bit more pricey. An Efes Malt was 150 lira (£2.93) and a red wine was 240 lira (£4.69). By 6pm it was getting a bit chilly so Captain Caveman nipped back to the hotel to get jumpers while I sat admiring the sea view.

By 7pm we were back in the room, watching the sunset from the balcony. We had some wine left from last night, which Mike had given us to bring back. We didn’t drink it as we were saving it for the others, who unbeknown to me had arrived but I didn’t realise it at the time and thought we were waiting for them.

I took my time getting changed in the room and put on my recently purchased New Look size 12 dress. When we went downstairs, our friends were sat in the hotel bar having a drink. Sezgin looked tired from all the driving. Debbie filled us in on what a great day they had seeing the sights today. It was a shame we had missed it however, it had been nice to relax a bit with Captain Caveman. We ordered a beer and a red wine but I was already quite merry by this time. All of us agreed that we had really enjoyed our weekend roadtrip and we would have to plan another one later in the year, it had been too short. We got chatting and we had not realised that the others weren’t going to be going out for dinner so we had another round and our 4 drinks came to 800 lira (£15.63) – half the price of a similar round in Barnes, London. When we realised Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike had already eaten, it was 9.15pm so Captain Caveman had a look of urgency in his eyes – he’d only had half a pizza 6 hours ago!
We decided to go get some food and, as it was our last night together, we splashed out a bit, at the only decent place still serving food. It was cleverly called Somewhere Else and was rather busy inside. We threw caution to the wind, as we were tiddly, and Captain Caveman ordered a bottle of Angora red wine with our meal of 2 starters and 2 main courses. Here’s what we had, with prices in lira;

Somewhere Else
Garlic Mushrooms 198.50
Onion rings 207.50
Smash Burger 487.50
Sweet & Sour chicken 699.50
1 bottle of Angora red wine 990.00
Total spent 2,583.00 lira (£50.45)

Our day and hotel stay in Kuşadası had cost approximately £160 in total but I’d really enjoyed myself and at least Captain Caveman had got the chance to unwind. I wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye to him tomorrow. When we got back to the room it was late, Captain Caveman checked the times and feasibility of buses from Kuşadası to Dalyan so that we might perhaps have another day together tomorrow, before Captain Caveman’s late flight back to the UK. It was doable but with changes that could go wrong and I didn’t think I should risk it. It had started to rain and there were storm warnings so I preferred to get back safely with our friends.

Gratitude List
1. Time spent with Captain Caveman
2. Sunday Beach hotel and the stunning Ladies Beach, Kuşadası
3. Having more than my fair share of wine to celebrate our last night together.

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Çeşme, Ildır, Balıklıova & Alaçatı – 26th April

Captain Caveman arrived at the Kerman hotel on Saturday 26th April almost 5 hours after he had landed in Izmir. Both Sezgin and I spotted him at the same time as he walked in to the entrance and was absolutely fine. Unfortunately, on arrival at the airport there had been an issue with picking up the hire car. The company had gone bust just a day before and so there was a delay in the provider finding an alternative. Captain Caveman had no working phone so was unable to call me to let me know he would be late. Once he got on the road he could see no reason to stop to call us and didn’t think we would worry.
In the morning, all 6 of us met for breakfast at the Kerman hotel, which was really lovely. Of course, I have to be careful with Turkish breakfasts when travelling so I just had a bit of cheese, some olives and a piece of bread.
Today we would drive back towards İzmir and check out some small towns. Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike would now be in the first car and I would join Captain Caveman in the hire car. There was no itinerary given to Captain Caveman, other than for him to follow Sezgin’s white car and try to keep up. Sezgin had the plan and was about to take us on quite a tour of the area. Our first stop was just a few metres up the hill from the hotel so that we could admire the beautiful view of Çeşme.
On our morning’s adventure we stopped to admire and have a short walk in Ilacı and Ildır. We met a fat street dog on the way, in a park, and it was hotting up so I took it on a little walk to the shady area. It was artichoke season so the others bought 2 lots of it but I wasn’t skilled enough in the kitchen to cook it and wasn’t overly keen on it. Captain Caveman and I stopped for petrol and I paid the man 461.30 lira (£9).

We had a lovely sightseeing morning before driving to Balıklıova for lunch. Sezgin and Nur had decided to take us to their favourite fish restaurant to enjoy fresh fish. Ozal’ın Yeri Lokantası was set right on the water’s edge and the owner was very pleased to see our Turkish friends. It was a beautiful setting and we had got there before anyone else. Debbie and Captain Caveman were in their element as they love fish, Mike and I don’t eat fish so we ordered a pide, haydari, fava bean paste and olives. The others really enjoyed their fish and I could see how proud Sezgin and Nur were of this local restaurant. The pide, mezes and salad were very good and I enjoyed my lunch, although I worried for my onward travel as we needed to keep up in the car convoy and I may need a loo. When the bill came, Sezgin did his usual trick of asking for discount and quite a bit of bartering went on. Us Brits weren’t used to that and it was a bit uncomfortable but the Turks seemed to be fine with it and we ended up with a discount which I was glad about. I paid our share of the bill which came to 1,900 lira (£37.11) which wan’t bad considering the fresh fish and the location.

In the afternoon, still keeping up with being a 2 car convoy, we visited the amazing market in Alaçatı. The market there was pretty big and very cheap, but we were all conscious of the boot space in the car. Captain Caveman bought a pair of crocs for 100 lira (£1.95). I was tempted to get some but they didn’t have my size in the colour I wanted. As we got to the food market stalls, my stomach started to react to my lunch and I needed the loo quite desperately. I hastily found a cafe/bar and Captain Caveman sat down to order a drink while I found the toilet. In my panic I had not realised that Mahalle Alaçatı was on the pricey side, but by then the others had joined us and ordered drinks without seeing the menu. Here’s what we paid for our soft drinks, prices in lira;

Mahalle Alaçatı
1 small water 70
1 Coca Cola 125
3 Soda Waters 330
Total spent 525 lira (£10.25)

In the place’s defense, it was very nice and the food coming out to customers looked really good. We had a really lovely walk around the town of Alaçatı which looked like a wonderful place to live if you had money. There were some lovely buildings and it felt very European. Captain Caveman was messing with his ears which I had kept saying he needed to see a doctor about but he wouldn’t listen (no pun intended). He had made them sore from scratching so we popped off to get some Aloe Vera cream from the Watson’s pharmacy. We paid just 35.95 lira (70p) and he insisted on putting it on in the street. By this time, we had lost the others so Captain Caveman got me to stand next to a mussel cart while he went off to look for them. I was feeling queasy just looking at the mussels, when Sezgin appeared from the opposite direction. We all gathered back together and walked back to the cars, having had quite enough excitement for the day – or had we!?

It was getting on by the time we got back from an epic day out, calling at another view point and a quick trip to another Dalyan on the way back. It was great hearing Sezgin’s stories of where they had lived and we saw far more than we would’ve if we’d gone alone. The roadtrip had been a good excuse for a wine and cheese trip but I’d yet to have or see either, so maybe tomorrow as we would be moving to another destination. We parked back up at the Kerman hotel and there was talk of a book shop or seeing some history. I was quite happy with a book shop and taking it easy but before I realised what was going on, Sezgin and Nur sent the rest of us off to see Çeşme Castle/Museum. It was priced at just 6 Euros each, I paid in Turkish so cost 522.72 lira (£10.10) for the 2 of us and I thought it was worth it. We spent an hour exploring and I found it really interesting, the views were fantastic, especially at sunset. If you aren’t good with steps or particularly mobile then I wouldn’t recommend it as it is a bit steep in parts.

By 8pm we were back at our new favourite Çeşme restaurant, Friendly Corner. I decided to order a red wine and when it came it was a massive glass of Rituel for 100 lira (£1.93) – an absolute bargain! We had lots of laughs as we shared experiences from both cars at how well Sezgin and Captain Caveman kept up with each other. I could see even more why they made such great Bridge partners now, as there was a hint of telepathy going on, I’m sure.
For dinner, I decided to order boldly, having had the large wine and ordered another. I chose a casserole which I hoped wouldn’t be too greasy for my stomach. It came with chips and rice and was absolutely delicious. I was quite merry by the time we got the bill and, of course, Sezgin once again flexed his haggling skills with the owner, our new best friend. I paid just 1300 lira (£25.15) for the 2 of us and that included quite a bit of wine. The day had been fantastic and made even better by getting to spend more time with Captain Caveman. He was very tired from the driving so we went back to the hotel, intending to get some rest, ready for a rather full-on day again tomorrow. We decided to have a night cap, this time in Debbie and Mike’s room, they even went to the shop to get some more wine!

Gratitude List
1. Great places to see, especially Alaçatı market and town
2. Çeşme Castle and museum
3. Another wonderful evening with friends at Friendly Corner.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman, Debbie, Mike, Sezgin and Nur

Dalyan to Çeşme – 25th April

I was up and out by 7.30am on Friday 25th April, having had a Yorkshire tea, a slice of buttered toast and a travel sickness tablet.
I was the first to arrive at Sezgin and Nur’s house, ready to meet Debbie and Mike for a weekend road trip. We had arranged for the 5 of us, driven by Sezgin, to have a trip around the İzmir area of Turkey. Captain Caveman would meet us in Çeşme, at the Kerman hotel after picking up a hire car from İzmir airport upon landing, later tonight.
We left around 8am with me sitting in the middle of the back seat to start with. After a couple of hours on the road, we stopped next to a reservoir/picnic stop so that Sezgin and Nur to eat whatever breakfast we had brought. I avoided any gluten or stodge by having a banana for my snack while the others shared their food. Sezgin pointed out places of interest along the way and we stopped for comfort breaks, our next one being in a lovely fishing village called Urla. Sezgin and Nur had previously lived in İzmir so it was good to get first-hand local knowledge about the surrounding areas and see where they had lived before Dalyan. Sezgin told us a funny story about him, his friend and a famous singer in the Dokuz Pub, as we walked past it. There were all types of fish available, which could be browsed in the stalls outside.

I took a turn in the front passenger seat in the afternoon as I’d been fighting the affects of the travel sickness pill which I realised was one of the stronger drowsy ones. We visited a beach and I ate quite a few sweets, trying to stay awake. We stopped at the Altın Yunus (Golden Dolphin) hotel, where everyone had took the mickey out of me for not realising a joke about the wind turbines being there to cool us down when it got too warm. Debbie and I had a Turkish tea while enjoying the lovely sunshine and views of the marina below us.

The last leg of the journey took us on a detour to a very unusual house which had live fish and octopi, plus a random eel, in the walls of the garden. It didn’t look like the creatures had a great existence, although I was assured the owner loved and cared for them! It was definitely one of the weirdest houses I had ever seen. From that point we could see our hotel across the bay.

It was just 3.20pm, when we checked in to our sea view rooms at the Kerman Hotel in Çeşme. Sezgin had negotiated some discount so we paid 3,500 lira (£68.36) for a 2 night stay in a double room, for 2 of us including breakfast. We had originally looked at staying at the The Ilıca hotel which was a bit more swish but to keep the costs down I think everyone was happy to choose the cheaper alternative. I was happy with the Kerman as the rooms were clean, comfortable and basic with a small balcony and an amazing sea view which was definitely worth paying the extra for that room type.
Captain Caveman’s flight wasn’t due to land until 8.10pm so we took a walk around the town of Çeşme. I really liked it and had a chuckle to myself on how the Cheap Chasers in Dalyan would react to the prices of alcoholic beverages at some of the bars. We didn’t even drink in our own hotel because they kept changing their minds about the cost of beers in the bar downstairs. It was empty, yet they raised the price to almost 300 lira (£5.86) for an Efes stating that it was to pay for the live music which was on later. The cheapest I saw advertised on a board, was 175 lira (£3.42) for an Efes. The town was a mix of old and new and it felt very calm, I didn’t notice any English people and most of the bars along the water front were empty.

We came across an eatery which had the perfect name; Friendly Corner Steak House. It was ran by a friendly Turkish guy who had lived in the UK for a while and the restaurant was located on a sunny corner. They also sold steak but we had beers first then some delicious hot chips. I’m always a bit boring and go for the steady option to placate my iffy stomach and to ensure the restaurant is unlikely to serve me a rubbish meal. I plumped for a chicken shish which was served with rice, chips and a fair amount of salad. Sezgin ordered the chicken schnitzel and Nur the chicken strips – I tried the schnitzel and it was very good. Debbie took me by surprise a little by ordering sardines which Sezgin checked if they were fresh with the staff, they were frozen but Debbie was fine with that. There was about 8 sardines and some salad. Mike ordered a pizza which wasn’t great but he managed about half of it. To give an idea of costs, I paid 1,000 lira (£19.53) for my share of the meal and drinks (including discount and tip). I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and was actually thinking I should have been a bit more adventurous with my choice.

We had a post dinner stroll while watching a lovely sunset over the harbour. We got as far as a mermaid sculpture when Captain Caveman’s plane landed. I didn’t expect he would call or text me so we had been tracking the flight, which landed just 10 minutes late. Captain Caveman had booked a hire car from İzmir airport and we worked out he would be due to the hotel by 10pm. Our hotel now had a rather loud, and not that great, live band on so we didn’t fancy the hotel bar. Many of the bars were telling us they didn’t sell Efes in the area, which we knew they did so we avoided them. We called at the shop where we bought some beer (Efes) and wine and took it to my room to wait for Captain Caveman’s arrival. He didn’t have a Turkish phone and his English phone probably wouldn’t work so I just had to hope he arrived. By 11pm we had all retired to bed having got no answer when I called any of his numbers. Sezgin went outside to walk about and keep a look out for him and I was a bit concerned he was this late. By midnight, Captain Caveman was still not in Çeşme and we had no word from him. I reassured myself that he’s extremely well travelled and would be fine. I would go to bed and hope he arrived or contacted one of us soon.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely drive to Çeşme, taking in some fantastic sights
2. Kerman Hotel sea view
3. A wonderful evening with friends at Friendly Corner.

Photo credit – some photos taken by my fellow travellers.

Harrogate to Blackburn – 21st & 22nd April

I did a bit of work on Easter Monday 21st April before we left Harrogate to go to our next town. We said our goodbyes to Cas and Mama Cas and headed over to Blackburn, where Captain Caveman was going to be working the next day. He’d booked us in to an Airbnb which we could check in to in the afternoon so we popped to the shop to stock up on a few bits. Here’s what we bought, with prices in pounds.

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Spinach, watercress & rocket 1.35
2 Large Sausage rolls 1.50
Sliced chicken 1.99
250g Butter 1.99
Sourdough 2.10
Stuffed peppers 3.50
Mozzarella pearls with pesto 3.50
Falafel 3.50
Halloumi & veg wrap, crisps & water 5.00
Total spent £22.93

Captain Caveman ate his meal deal and I had a sausage roll in the car park of a retail park, before we went to have a look in Boundary Mill. I had a bit of a funny turn and needed the toilet as the suspended flooring made me feel a bit wobbly. I left Captain Caveman by the saucepans and told him to wait for me but he didn’t, obviously. We then spent much longer than necessary of me going in, out and round the shopping area looking for Captain Caveman and him not answering his phone.

The Airbnb was rather nice and had a washing machine for us to get some much needed laundry on. Unfortunately, it was going to be a challenge getting my stuff dry in readiness for me to pack for Turkey.
We had a lovely picnic for our dinner, after finishing work late. We had a wander around the town which I expected to be a bit rough, but it was fairly pleasant. The cathedral looked pretty in the evening light and we picked up some Morrisons own baked beans to have for our breakfast tomorrow.
At 7pm I attended an online course and then fell asleep as I was tired. The bed wasn’t too sturdy and I ended up going through the slats when I tried to move.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy with work
2. Captain Caveman finding a nice Airbnb in the town centre of Blackburn
3. A picnic style dinner.

While Captain Caveman was at Blackburn Rovers for work, on Tuesday 22nd April, I spent all day working from the Airbnb in Blackburn. The internet was good and the place was quiet, I was also left in charge of rotating the laundry through the washer/dryer in an attempt to get my clothes dry before my flight tomorrow. I had beans on toast for breakfast, leftover picnic food and Easter egg for lunch then did more work. After work, I checked in for my flight and found that I had been allocated seat 1C for free, which was nice.
Once Captain Caveman was back, we decided to go for a walk on our last night in England together. Our first stop was at the very close train station to get my train tickets for tomorrow’s train to Manchester airport. I paid £9.90 for a train via Bolton which wasn’t bad and meant I needed to be up fairly early tomorrow. Next, I did a bit of research in Waterstones on travel books and planners, we went through the shopping centre and then decided to have a drink in the Drummer’s Arms. This city centre pub, which closes at 7pm, was fantastic. We had 2 pints of beer and 2 bags of Scampi Fries for less than a tenner – definitely a contender for the cheapest round on my trip. The staff and customers in the pub were friendly, it had great music and I really enjoyed it in there.

Our next stop was to get some food so we decided to go for a curry at Akbar’s. Captain Caveman was unlucky as both his starter and main choices were unavailable and he was disappointed. The waiter recommended alternatives, we shared onion bhajis, garlic naan bread and pilau rice. I ordered a butter chicken and Captain Caveman enjoyed the lamb dish which had been recommended. Ahmed, the manager, personally apologised for not having Captain Caveman’s first choices and even said he could come back tomorrow for them, on the house. We got a free dessert and chocolates to finish off our lovely meal and we were both impressed. There were some leftovers for Captain Caveman to have tomorrow, too.

Gratitude List
1. Research in Waterstones
2. Drinks at the Drummer’s Arms
3. Dinner at Akbar’s

Harrogate & Grimwith Reservoir – 20th April

Our Easter on Sunday 20th April was an amazing celebration for the birthday of Mama Cas. We started the day with a lovely breakfast before packing a picnic, complete with flasks of hot beverages, and headed to Grimwith Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales for a fantastic walk with our Harrogate hosts. It was so beautiful and I loved being out in the fresh air. I had stomach issues as soon as we got there but I was ok for the walk, which I was glad about. It was a pleasant walk which we didn’t return from until almost 5pm.

The sun was shining so we sat outside the front door in a sun trap and sipped rosé wine while chatting to some neighbours.
Mama Cas opened cards and birthday presents and we had a bit of a laugh when Cas had a nap before his bath. Seeing them again after so long we had forgotten they were in their 70s and I could have done with a nap too but resisted.

We got a taxi in to town and tonight’s birthday meal was at a lovely Greek restaurant where we had more wine and some delicious food. Cad and Mama Cas just had calamari as they weren’t too hungry but I managed a beef stifado which was a good sized portion. It had been 12 years since the 4 of us celebrated Mamma Cas’s birthday in the Old Bell last time so we certainly gave the ball a good kick and had 2 bottles of wine between us too.
Back home we had a night cap and Captain Caveman fell asleep!

Gratitude List
1. A fab Sunday Walk with picnic
2. Celebrating Mama Cas’s birthday
3. Greek food with plenty of wine.

Chesterfield to Harrogate – 19th April

I had originally thought I would need to be back in Dalyan by Saturday 19th April for 2 reasons; today was the date of expiry for my current residency card and I was meant to be dog sitting for Norman and Edna. I had decided that if I could be back within a week after the expiry date I should be fine and Jamie had asked another friend of his to look after the dogs. This meant I could spend longer with Captain Caveman which I was glad about, as we had been invited to spend the birthday weekend of one of our good friends in Harrogate – I was so pleased I could join the celebrations. We said our sad farewells to Becca and Steve who, despite their own stuff going on, were the perfect hosts. If ever they decide to run a B&B they’d definitely get 5 stars. The cooked breakfast sandwiches were top notch and set us up for our drive to stay with more friends. I secretly signed Becca’s copy of my book which was on the desk in her office too. I was sad to leave and hoped to see them again on the next visit, which hopefully wouldn’t be as long this time.
We were on the road again but first we had a bit of a detour as Captain Caveman was playing a 4 hour Bridge tournament in a hotel in Harrogate so we went there. While there, I did a bit of work and had 2 client calls in the very nice reception of the big hotel.
We then drove over to the home of Cas and Mama Cas to start our celebrations. We had a wine and then got a taxi to the Wetherspoon’s in town for more wine before a lovely meal at Spice Culture, a really good Indian restaurant in town. We took our own booze as it’s not licensed and chatted to our waiter, Ali, who is a law student. The food was so delicious and we loved it. It was such a lovely night but I was so tired from all the excitement of a hectic week that I was in bed, fast asleep before midnight.

Gratitude List
1. Becca and Steve
2. Harrogate with Cas and Mama Cas
3. Indian food

Chesterfield & Sheffield – 18th April

While Captain Caveman had arranged to go on a walk with his ex wife and her dog on Friday 18th April, I had chosen to go in to Sheffield on the bus. Steve gave me a house key and we arranged to see each other later, in town. Becca and Steve dropped me at the bus stop and I got myself a day saver for the bus for £6.50.
My first stop off was to see my parents. My Dad was recovering from knee replacement surgery so I wanted to see how he was doing as well as see Mom too. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, just 3 days after his op, Dad was doing really well and wasn’t in too much pain, which was great. He was already doing his exercises and Mom was helping him. He had been given a Zimmer frame to walk with and was actually quite nimble. I got a lovely surprise of 2 Dairy Milk Easter Eggs from my parents – one for me and one for Captain Caveman. I tried to give some to Dad but Mom said he wasn’t allowed any and I had to snaffle half of the egg part which I’d already opened. I’d not had Dairy Milk for so long and it was amazing!

My next stop off was to see good friends to combine a bit of business and pleasure. Amanda and Chris live near to my parents so I trotted across to their house. I’d not seen them for about 9 months so it was great to see them and also catch up with Amanda’s daughter and her boyfriend to chat about holidays. It was a really good catch up and I even had a cheese toastie while we chatted about what’s been going on since I left – lots! I had to run for the bus, just as it started to rain too, as I was meeting friends in the Forum. I’d picked that venue because it’s a place I knew was open and easy to find. I’d completely forgotten that it was Good Friday so when a few of the gang brought their kids I was thinking it might have been better to choose somewhere more suitable for children. Alas, it didn’t matter and they soon got used to the DJ and the clientele. I had a dodgy stomach (too much chocolate and cheese) so I just drank tap water, and plenty of it.
Joining me were; Becca & Steve, Jo & a son (all off to the football match shortly), Nel & her daughter, Linda, Rachel, Liv, Lucy and her 2 boys, Caz, Tim & their son, Gayle & Neil and Captain Caveman. Between taking it in turns to go to the toilet, with my sister who was in a similar predicament, I had a great time chatting to everyone. There was even a spot of book signing and Linda brought Captain Caveman and I a Cadbury’s Creme Egg, which I love!

I had arranged to leave around 6.30pm as I wanted to support an ex Aviva colleague and friend, Adam Follet, in his Spook Muziek set at the Green Room before heading back to meet Becca and Steve, post match, to go back home. Those of us who were left, drifted over to the Green Room where we had a little chat with Adam and Julie before the gig. By this time Neil, who hadn’t wanted to come out, was merry and Captain Caveman was quickly catching him up. Meanwhile, I had my first alcoholic drink of a half of cider and Gayle was probably on her 5th diet coke, as she was driving. We absolutely loved the music and it was a shame we had to leave as it looked to be a good night.

We left Caz, Liv and Rach enjoying the next act and, as it was raining, Captain Caveman and I got a lift with Gayle and Neil to the bottom of Ecclesall Road. Becca and Steve had taken shelter in the Sheaf Island, the Wetherspoon’s pub, so all 4 of us joined them. We decided to eat there and I ordered a steak, Captain Caveman ordered a burger, we both had already got a drink when we ordered food which came with another for £31.39 in total. For cheap pub food I don’t think you can go wrong with a Wetherspoon’s meal deal and I really enjoyed my first steak in quite a long time.
We said our goodbyes and got a taxi back to Chesterfield where we decided to watch Paddington in Peru and have a nightcap. Unfortunately some of us didn’t last much longer and fell asleep. It was probably because it was such good company!

Gratitude List
1. Seeing the Mosborough Massive
2. Being given Easter Eggs for the first time in years
3. Being out out with lots of friends.

My book link for those who have not yet bought it but would like to:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Cant-Shit-Yourself-Bicycle/dp/B0DWWTBVCL

Barnes to Chesterfield via Tunstall – 17th April

I was not enamoured with the alarm going off at 4.30am on Thursday 17th April! Captain Caveman was working all day in the Tunstall office, near Stoke on Trent, so we left Barnes at 5am. I was hungover and tired but we had travel sweets and plenty of water.
While Captain Caveman went to work, I was the first in to the Asda cafe. I bought a cup of a Yorkshire tea for £1.30 and found myself a table so that I could do some work. The tables were a bit grubby and the clientele rather dubious but it would do for my office for the day. I had a 45 minute Webinar in the morning after which I decided to treat myself to breakfast. The hangover was getting worse as I ordered another cup of tea and a couple of slices of toast with butter. A bargain £2.60 in total and came with the bare hands of the server who couldn’t find a plate and had my unbuttered toast in the palms of his hands. I was bound to be ill!!
Next was our team meeting and an amazing training session with Gold Medal travel. I learned so much and was looking forward to quoting and booking some amazing holidays. They do a Pure Luxury range which is fabulous and I really fancied some of those for myself.
In the afternoon, I finished off more work before having a walk to the Tunstall cafe for a much needed bacon & mushroom sandwich with more tea at a cost of £5.70 and they only take cash. I tried to find somewhere else to work but it was the school holidays and everywhere was rammed with screaming kids. I walked back to the Asda carpark, planning on getting some shopping in but I felt rather queasy. Captain Caveman arrived earlier than expected and we drove directly to Chesterfield without stopping at the shops.
We arrived empty handed and with me feeling like death at the lovely Becca & Steve’s house. It was like checking in to a hotel and we were really grateful to be staying in their new house for a couple of nights. Becca was like the hostess with mostest and had made us a lasagne. Steve was up and down to make sure we were all happy and had a glass of something, plus the right nibbles! It was so thoughtful of them and we absolutely loved the meal and our evening together. I wasn’t going to ever drink again, red wine was definitely off the cards after last night, but I had a couple of white wines to be sociable. We ended up having a right laugh and watching game shows which Captain Caveman fell asleep during.

Gratitude List
1. Asda being my temporary office
2. Chesterfield check-in
3. Spending time with Becca and Steve.

London – 16th April

We had planned some excitement on Wednesday 16th April, as we were off in to London to meet friends after work.
Captain Caveman and I both worked all day with various meetings and calls. We had a late lunch of Tesco pizza which were surprisingly good.
I finished at 4pm and headed off on my own to meet Clare & Claire at the New Moon pub. Both Captain Caveman and Clare had given me directions meaning I couldn’t fail to find the pub. Of course, I couldn’t find exit 4 and came out of the wrong exit but I did find the pub. It turned out I had been there before, years ago, and it’s quite an impressive place right next to Leadenhall Market. It does allow dogs, I didn’t see any but the house wine was good and only £6.80 for a good measure. Probably the cheapest I’d bought in London.
Clare was the next to arrive as she worked not too far away and we had hugs and more wine. A couple of rather large house wines were £19.00 which I didn’t think bad for London. We chatted and waited for Claire to arrive as she had been on a work call until 5pm but arrived soon after that. Again more hugs, Claire was running a marathon soon and not drinking alcohol. That didn’t stop Clare and I as we had another wine. Captain Caveman was last to join us as he’d been working and he also had to be alert for work tomorrow so had a pint of beer. The round of 2 large wines and a beer came to £26.90 so not as expensive as the pubs in Barnes.
We had a good laugh and Claire had reviewed my book to say she wished it had been longer and was eagerly awaiting the next one.

Claire had to get back home so she said her farewells and the remaining 3 of us were getting peckish and I was a bit tiddly. At Pizza Express we ordered dough ball starters, pizzas each and a bottle of red wine. The waiter probably thought we were strange as Clare and I took a selfie of us with the book (an original copy). I signed it for her and we ate like kings, Captain Caveman even had a dessert which is unusual.

After saying our farewells it was Captain Caveman’s job to get me back home. He knew the way but we had to stop for a toilet and to get some water to drink.
We had enjoyed ourselves so much and it had been great to see the girls but I was already thinking I may have had a bit too much wine!!

Here’s a summary of what I spent on one night in London – it’s a good job it was a rare occasion.

New Moon
Round 1, just my wine £6.80
Round 2, 2 large wines £19.00
Round 3, 2 large wines and a pint of beer £26.90

Pizza Express £84

Train £10.50

Sainsbury’s
Water, crisps and a sandwich £3.60

Total spent £150.80

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Clare
2. Seeing Claire
3. Having pizza twice in one day.