Dalyan – 12th to 14th January

I spent the morning of Friday 12th January chatting to friends over messenger and having a quiet morning.
For lunch I met Nanny Kay at Lukka bar, where I had a rather tasty Spaghetti Bolognese and she had a steak sandwich. The portions were large and I took half of mine home. It tasted really good and it was nice and warm in there.
For dinner I had a Slimming World Hunter’s Chicken with rice which I also enjoyed. I’d took to doing batch cooking which worked out great for avoiding any waste and kept costs right down – I was getting very good at it too.

I spent the morning of Saturday 13th January packing my bags, for another dog sitting stint at Jamie’s. Nanny Kay picked me up as I had bags and she was taking Jamie to the airport so it made sense. She was super helpful in taking me to the market on the way so I could pick up some provisions, rather than having to come back and carry it. I didn’t go mad but I bought bananas, peppers, broccoli and chestnuts for a total of 160 lira (£4.17) and we drove to Jamie’s. Norman and Edna were so excited to see me and little Norman seemed to be doing better than he was last time. Edna was just happy that we might get to go to the Waterfall to see Skippy. After saying bye to the humans, I played with Norman and Edna for a while then I ate my leftover Spaghetti Bolognese from yesterday. Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and a natter. Edna was pleased as she had worked out that the probability of a pub visit had increased.
At the Waterfall, Vanessa and I had a couple of white wine and sodas before going to our respective homes for dinner. I had a beef stew for mine with 2 Yorkshire puddings (out of the freezer) and it was so tasty.
At 8.30pm I got to speak to Captain Caveman. It was 12.30am already there so he was tired – we didn’t speak for long. He’d got a day off tomorrow but then was working on Monday evening, back in the cave on Tuesday.
My cough had still not gone and I required 4 pillows to sleep with, I had a nice shower, got my pyjamas on and was in bed for 10.40pm on a Saturday night.

It was my first full day with Norman and Edna on Sunday 14th January. I was awake at 5.50am but I stayed in bed until 7.30am. I let the dogs out and made myself a cup of tea, I had my overnight oats for breakfast. Norman’s back legs were still a bit weak so it was necessary to make sure he got help eating, drinking and going to the toilet. For lunch I had vegetable egg fried rice which was tasty and Slimming World friendly. I got peckish in the afternoon though so, instead of something snacky, I made myself a SW veggie pizza and synned the wrap. For dinner I used the rest of the SW Hunters Chicken turned in to a pasta bake and had a small portion of that. I resisted any wine, despite the health benefits, and was lucky enough to have another video call with Captain Caveman. It’s very rare we speak 2 days in a row, but it was lovely to see that he was enjoying being back at work and in Phong Nha. The passport photos I had sent to Captain Caveman were useless as, apparently, you need to see my ears. I had to do them again so that he could apply for my visa for me. We decided I would go in a couple of month’s time and stay for the 90 days.

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 – 10th January

It was great to wake up back in my own bed on Wednesday 10th January, I’d missed it a lot. I had planned on sleeping in and had not set an alarm but I woke up about 8am. It was still not fully light so I stayed in bed planning my day. I knew I needed to adopt the right attitude today, I also needed to get back on the healthy eating and continue to exercise. I knew that mentally, I needed to look after me more, too. I started the day with getting weighed and measured as it was Fat Club later. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected with only a 0.5kg gain since I last got weighed at home. My bust and hip measurements remained the same and I had lost 2cm from my waist. That was pretty good considering my syn intake, but then I had been walking 2 big dogs every day, even in the rain! I had some dried figs for breakfast, the ones my mom had given me. They can count as a Healthy B option, instead of bread, and I used to do this when I reacted badly to gluten. I had the sausage from the left over Ela’s Kitchen breakfast, for lunch then I went to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. I was flabbergasted to see I had lost 0.8kg, back to my pre Christmas with Josh and Martha weight! I was back to my usual habit of ordering a big bottle of water (1.5 litres) and taking the hour at Fat Club to drink it all. It’s only 40 lira (£1.05) which is the same price as a cup of tea.
After a successful Fat Club, I took myself off to the shops for a restock and proper big shop, which would take more than one trip to carry it all. I noticed there had been quite a few price increases as I tried my best to get the offers and bargains, using all the different supermarkets available. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 lemon 2.69
1 Dido chocolate bar 9.50
Gherkins 22.50
6 eggs 44.90
Ground ginger 47.90
3 Quark 59.85
Fabric Softener 67.50
Cheese slices 87.90
Chicken breasts 111.95
Beef burgers 116.91
Chicken thighs 125.47
Mince beef 154.90
Total Spent 851.92 lira (£22.42)

Şok Supermarket
2 Pasta 18.00
Baking powder 32.00
Mozzarella 46.50
Sweetcorn 56.90
Toilet roll 68.00
Mac n cheese balls 84.90
Total spent 306.30 lira (£8.06)

Bim Supermarket
Popcorn kernels 12.50
Burger buns 28.25
Hamburgers 62.50
Diced beef 150.00
Total spent 253.25 lira (£6.66)

A101 Supermarket
3 packs of Taco wraps 37.50
BBQ Sauce 49.90
Total spent 87.40 lira (£2.30)

Yaman Büfe 2 off licence
1 bottle of red wine 129.50
2 bottles of white wine 439.00
Total spent 568.50 lira (£14.96)

I had spent a grand total of 2,107.37 lira (£55.45) but it did mean I could do lots of batch cooking and be frugal with the housekeeping. Good news came from my boss, that his replacement bank card had arrived from the UK and he was able to set up payment for my wages. I was so glad to hear that I would finally be getting paid early next week.
Before dinner, I put the ingredients for another Christmas fruit cake in the slow cooker, it would be ready just after midnight. My meal this evening was an attempt at fake fast food, called a Fakeaway in Slimming World circles. A Big Mac, using the fresh burgers from Migros and a homemade sauce. I adjusted the recipe from the airfryer Bored of Lunch book and it cost me 14 syns but it was worth it!

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!

Dalyan – 8th January

It was my last full day and night at Bill and Jaxx’s villa on Monday 8th January. On our walks today, Big Boy had decided he wanted to go after a cat and I only just managed to keep him from zooming off. He wouldn’t listen and he got a little telling off for nearly pulling me over. To say sorry he licked me on the nose while I was trying to tell him the rules.
The dogs had sofa snoozes while I drank tea, ate an apple and then some noodles for breakfast. I was meant to be back on the healthy wagon but I indulged in fruit cake and cheese instead of lunch.
The Turkish lira was now over 38 to the pound, the highest it had been and was not good news for the Turks.
At 11.40am Captain Caveman and I had a video call and he seemed to be missing me. He suggested I send him photos for my Vietnamese visa and he would apply for it for me. That way he could pay for it as I didn’t know exactly when I’d get paid. Ordinarily, I would’ve been working today, as I do on Mondays, but it was on hold until after I received my wages, next week.

I fed Big Boy and Lucy early so that I could get the bus in to town for my parents’ farewell evening. I was looking forward to going out for a nice meal and spending some time with Ma & Pa before they went back to the UK, especially as I wouldn’t be seeing them for 6 months. I was still not 100% better and the cough was pretty bad so I wasn’t thrilled that we were meeting at Tez bar at 6pm – I find it too smokey even though I would be sat outside. My parents, understandably, had lots of friends who also wanted to see them off, as well as it being Adam and Kath’s leaving drinks too. The 4 of them were travelling to the airport together and had become firm friends. They had given the ball a right kick last night, getting on the gins after everyone had left – I can no longer keep up with them all. When we got to Tez bar it was very busy so I sat between my mom and Daisy. It was smokey and I nursed my white wine for ages as it was making my cough worse. When my mom went to the toilet, John took her seat so I wasn’t even sat near my parents and would’ve been better off meeting them at the restaurant. After 2 hours at a smokey Tez, I’d had enough, I think Ma and Pa would’ve stayed there if I hadn’t have insisted on us having a farewell meal. I should’ve learned after Captain Caveman’s leaving drinks, that perhaps not everyone wants a farewell meal!

When we got to Simple at 8.15pm, we only had 45 minutes before closing so I hoped it would still be ok. Onur greeted us and was fine about the time and I was relieved because I was famished.
We all had the red pepper and sun-dried tomato soup for starters and it was amazing. It was 100 lira (£2.62) per bowl but well worth it. For mains my parents had the Asian style noodles and I was tempted, but after having the burger last time, I couldn’t resist. They had sold out of the pulled beef burger, with us being so late, but the cheeseburger and fries that I had was still fantastic. The chicken noodles were 180 lira (£4.72), beef noodles 210 lira (£5.51) and my burger was 250 lira (£6.56) which we all agreed was value for money. Simple is not licenced for alcohol so we got a bottle of wine from Nazo’s, next door, which was 450 lira (£11.81) for a decent bottle of chilled white. I thoroughly enjoyed our ‘last supper’ and I was going to miss my parents a lot. They’d had such a great 3 months in Dalyan that I did worry that they would be going back to a more sedate, somewhat boring and more expensive life back in Sheffield.
After Simple, we decided to have a drink in Ozzy’s, the new bar which had replaced 2 Charlie’s. John, Andrea, Daisy and the Aussies were in there and apparently had been shouting us as we walked past but we’d ignored them – I hadn’t noticed.
It was very smokey inside which set my cough off straight away and I had to go outside and use my inhaler. Ma and Pa were fine and stayed inside the smokey bar but I couldn’t go back in. I drank my wine outside but that meant that I wasn’t making the most of being with my parents. Daisy and the Aussies came out to join me and I got updates on the eventful first week of January, which I’d missed from being so ill.
I decided I’d had enough of the smoking inside, and complained to Ozzy, it is illegal here and the bar owner can get fined 9,000 lira (£236.22) per time. He listened and said he would take it onboard.
As I was finishing my drink a drunk woman was becoming annoying to my friends so I messaged Fikri for my taxi, said goodbye and left.

Dalyan – 7th January

On Sunday 7th January I’d been invited to join my parents at Adam and Kath’s house at 4pm for a Sunday lunch type meal. I decided I would get the bus and go for a drink but not stay as it clashed with the dogs’ dinner time. Big Boy tried to tell me he would like the first walk for a change but I explained that Lucy would bark until we got back so she had to go first. He was patient as he’s such a good dog.
For breakfast I had fruit and then I forgot to have any lunch, for some reason.
I was surprised to see that the fire from last night was still burning, not bad to say Captain Caveman and Dad were both giving me tips on how to do a proper fire.
I got sent a photo of Captain Caveman from Bich at the Phong Nha Farmstay, he was there having a beer and the eggplant dish that we both like. He looked happy and relaxed, which was nice.
I was going to get the bus in to Dalyan but it was raining very heavily so I paid 150 lira (£3.96) for a taxi. It wasn’t Fikri who came so the driver dropped me at the bank instead of my parents’. Luckily, the rain eased up for me to get to my parents from the bank. It started again as we walked to Adam and Kath’s but it wasn’t far. Ma and Pa took a few beers and a bottle of red wine, I took a bottle of red wine too. I did ask my parents if that was enough as they usually end up staying there late. I opened my bottle when we got there and shared it with Dad. Mark, Kate, Daisy, John and Andrea were already there and my mom opened a beer.
I ordered a taxi at 6pm as it was raining and dinner time for the dogs. Luckily I’d had just about enough time to finish the bottle of red wine with Dad and he still had one more to drink. I said my goodbyes and went back to Villa Infinity where Lucy had taken issue at my lateness. She wanted her chicken dinner and she wanted it now!
I fed the dogs then warmed up mine – wild boar stew. This time I had it with a glass of red wine, but just a small one as I still had the cough. Tomorrow was my parents’ last night so we had plans for a farewell meal out.

Dalyan – 5th & 6th January

On Friday 5th January I was hoping to hear news from Rhodes that meant I’d be getting paid next week. My last wage had been just over 5 weeks ago, on 29th November, and things were looking pretty bleak. I had a bad feeling and I was preparing myself for more disappointing news as, assuming it did arrive and was picked up from the post office today, it was still the weekend. The wages wouldn’t reach my account until Wednesday, next week, which was the day before my birthday. I decided to try to remain positive, optimistic and hopeful as I walked each dog in the misty, cold morning weather. I had buttered toast for breakfast and made a shopping list. I needed to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to get some provisions.
A friend got in touch to ask if I could pencil her in for a 2 week dog sit next month and we said we’d meet up to discuss further. She sent me the requirements and dates for her dogs and I sent back some info. I also had Jamie’s dogs booked in for February so I needed to check if there was any overlap on flight times.
At lunchtime I got an update from my boss about my wages, it was not good news! I read the message but couldn’t reply as I’d not topped up the credit on my phone and was on my way to the bus stop. The Post Office was closed until the 10th January so I would have to wait another 5 days, which was not going to be easy.
Here’s what I bought at the shops with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
3 packs of crisps 76.50
1 pack jellies 17.50
Total spent 94.00 lira (£2.48)

Bim Supermarket
Bread 7.50
Dido chocolate bar 9.75
Naan breads 34.75
671g chicken 106.69
Total spent 158.69 lira (£4.19)

Yaman Büfe
1 bottle of rosé wine 150 lira (£3.96)

This shopping trip was a little different to usual because I was replenishing the crisps and jellies Captain Caveman and I had eaten at Villa Infinity and I was stocking up on bread products to go with soup, stews and curry. I’d thought, as it was the weekend, I would treat myself to the wine, which was on offer, and my favourite chocolate bar.
I ate left over chicken and stuffing for my lunch then had some fruit.
For dinner I had some of the wild boar stew but I wasn’t really in the mood, I didn’t even open the wine.

I woke up early on Saturday 6th January and decided that I couldn’t let not getting paid get me down any more. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could physically do to get the money any quicker. I walked both dogs who got quite dirty and wet, as it had rained last night. It was good therapy having Big Boy and Lucy to look after and they definitely were getting more and more used to me. I made a chicken tikka masala from scratch and popped it in the slow cooker. I’d not seen my parents since Captain Caveman’s leaving drinks at Waterfall on Tuesday so I’d invited them over to Villa Infinity. My mom had suggested that we meet when I came to the weekly Dalyan market and that we could either walk or get the bus over and go to Günlüklu restaurant on the way back. Dad’s not keen on going to other people’s houses so Mom had said they might not come to see the dogs but just go to Günlüklu and I said that was fine. I’d eat the curry if Dad couldn’t be persuaded once I saw them. I got the bus in to Dalyan and went to the market where I splashed out 70 lira (£1.85) on a cheese and mushroom gözleme for breakfast. The price had increased by 17% since I last had one a few weeks ago, but it was still worth it. My mom had changed her mind about coming to the market as they didn’t need anything. They were leaving in 3 days so asked me to get them some rocket and tomatoes for a dinner party they were going to tomorrow.
Here’s what I bought at the various stalls and the prices in lira;

Mushrooms and pumpkin 75
1kg of mixed dried fruit 250
Rocket and tomatoes 50
Total spent 375 lira (£9.89)

I dropped some stuff off at home and decided I should get weighed and measured, seeing as I hadn’t for a couple of weeks. I was 0.65kg less than at the last Fat Club weigh-in but I’d put 2cm on my waist.
I went over to my parents’ at 12.30pm thinking I was going to pick them up for us to go to Günlüklu for lunch. I’d misunderstood as Dad was making lunch at home for them both. I stayed for a bit while they ate and then we went to get the bus.

At Günlüklu my parents had a couple of Efes beers and I had 2 glasses of wine, I didn’t realise the wine was 180 lira (£4.75) for a small glass, twice the price of a beer, and should have checked the cost of a bottle. Dad was up for the curry so the three of us walked to the corner shop to get some wine on the way.
At Villa Infinity, Big Boy and Lucy really enjoyed having some visitors and were very well behaved and friendly. The wine and the curry with naan breads went down a treat and we had a good laugh. Dessert was a Dido chocolate bar each, and my parents hadn’t had them before. It was just what I needed to cheer me up and the dogs didn’t want Ma & Pa to leave. Big Boy kept pretending he wasn’t tired or falling asleep but he was shattered.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th January

I’m not sure if I’d overdone it yesterday or if my cold was getting worse on Wednesday 3rd January. I’d hardly slept and at 5.30am I was tracking the progress on Captain Caveman’s flight while coughing up a lung. His flight from Istanbul to Saigon had been delayed by 4 hours, but his flight from Dalaman had been moved forward. It was a good job he’d made it to the airport on time, last night, as he didn’t know it was flying earlier than planned. It did mean he had several hours during the night in Istanbul airport, which was not ideal.
I walked the dogs, separately and Lucy insisted on going first. I explained to Big Boy that he would be going next and he waited patiently. It was a cold misty morning, very wet underfoot and I was coughing a lot. The 2 walks went well but I needed my cup of tea when I got back. I decided I was too sick to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to Fat Club and spent the day on the sofa with the dogs.
I didn’t really eat that much on account of me being poorly; fruit for breakfast, noodles and a tangerine for lunch and a treat for dinner. I couldn’t be bothered to cook so I had cheese, crackers, apple and chestnuts. I tried to have a small glass of wine but it just made me cough too much.
Captain Caveman arrived in Saigon and was flying on to Dong Hoi the next morning. I didn’t get to speak to him as he was tired.

On Thursday 4th January I was still ill but functioning ok. I walked the dogs and had tea with fruit salad for breakfast before trying a new dish. I decided to make a wild boar stew using some meat Jaxx had told me to use. I popped it in the slow cooker and didn’t eat until dinner when I had a cheesy jacket potato.
Big Boy and Lucy were really cute and Lucy kept telling me she wanted a snack.
Captain Caveman called me from Oxalis, his work place, he’d arrived in Phong Nha and was happy to be back. We discussed flight options and I looked at going via Athens with Scoot. The costs were between £446 and £502 for a return fare if I went mid March to early June. I could then incorporate a work related trip to Rhodes on either direction. We didn’t have the money to book it yet so I had to be patient.

Dalyan – 2nd January

Tuesday 2nd January was far from sunshine and rainbows for me, but I didn’t expect it would be. It was the day Captain Caveman left to go back to work in Vietnam for his 8 months stint. Edna had recovered, Norman was improving and they were happy to go back to bobos while I had my cup of tea, Strepsils, ibuprofen, a hot lemon and a pancake using up yesterday’s batter. I had one of the busiest days ahead of me and I felt like death, having had less than 2 hours sleep. The dogs could tell I was out of sorts and were super sweet, I was going to miss them.
Captain Caveman had booked Fikri, the taxi man, for 8.30pm from his apartment where all his luggage would be. I’d told a few friends and my parents, who we’d not seen for over a week, that he would be in Waterfall at 3pm for a farewell beer. I’d also told Captain Caveman this so that he could make sure he was packed in good time to meet everyone. The 2 of us could then get some food together before his long journey ahead (about 24hrs) and say goodbye. We’d decided we’d have a romantic meal for 2 before his taxi came, somewhere like YOLO, where we had both still not got round to trying.
With this in mind, I got on with my jobs; feeding and walking the dogs, packing all my stuff up, stripping and remaking the bed, getting all the bedding and towels washed and dried, emptying all the bins, sweeping, hoovering, mopping – cleaning the bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and living room before moving my stuff back home so that it could be left there, or taken to Bill and Jaxx’s.
At 9am I got a message from Greg, the Aussie, to say he and Amanda were going to head over after 10am to see Captain Caveman, as they hadn’t had chance to see him yet. He was going home after walking the dogs to pack all his things for Vietnam and move all his personal affects in to storage cupboards for when we rented out the apartment! He’d walked Big Boy and Lucy for the last time and cycled home to make a start on dismantling the bicycle to store away. I decided to put my phone on silent and get cracking.
At 12.45pm I had a cup of tea and a sit down, after letting the dogs out for a toilet break. I saw some bad news on Facebook that Foreigners with Turkish residency had to put a minimum of 25,503 lira (£680.08) in to their Turkish bank account every month. This was going to affect me, if I wanted to keep my residency here.
Jamie was on his way and the flight was on time so I had no time to lollygag, this villa wasn’t going to finish itself. I also needed to go home to cart my stuff back, shower and change to get back to meet Captain Caveman but it was already 3pm. I shoved more medication down my throat, told Norman and Edna that Little Daddy, Step Daddy Drew and Aunty Julia were on their way and I left.

It was 3.20pm as I got my key out to open the door to the apartment, the drugs were starting to kick in but the heavy bag I’d carried over had done me in. I’d already had a message from Nanny Kay to say Captain Caveman hadn’t arrived yet and she was sat nursing a coke. On opening the door, I saw why! The Aussies and Captain Caveman were sat in the living room having a chat. I was not happy with Captain Caveman and I let it be known that he had people waiting for him in Waterfall. I had minutes to get ready so I went upstairs to shower while shouting orders to Captain Caveman of what to bring me to wear and a towel. I hurried and came downstairs to get my shoes on, Amanda pointed out they had brought us gifts of collapsible Tupperware and Factor 50 suncream, which was amazing. It took longer than I’d have liked for us to get to Waterfall where, luckily, only a couple of people were waiting. I was away with the fairies after 1 wine and the flu medication so I don’t really remember much. Ma & Pa arrived and they were still not 100% better but doing ok. Jamie and Drew arrived straight off the plane, just to say bye, but they didn’t stay long as they were knackered. Of course, we never got to go for the meal and I had to get back for the dogs dinner time. I was so hungry too because I’d not had time to eat since breakfast. Captain Caveman must’ve been hungry and he wasn’t flying until 11pm so he needed to eat. At 7.30pm, Captain Caveman said his reluctant goodbyes and we walked to get a kebab from Hatay’s. I asked for mine without chillies and they insisted they don’t put any form of chilli in them. We took them back home with just enough time to eat some of it before the taxi. We got in the taxi together and I got dropped off at Villa Infinity where Big Boy and Lucy were desperate for their dinner! I don’t even think we had a goodbye snog as Captain Caveman was in a rush to get to the airport. I hoped to see him in a couple of months or so but we weren’t certain.
Once he’d gone and the dogs had eaten their food, I popped the heater on and we sat on the sofa. I finished off my half of kebab and was convinced it had chillies in. By 9.15pm I was in the bathroom and I was not well!

Dalyan – 1st January

At least I started yet another year without a hangover on Monday 1st January but I felt terrible. This cold/flu bug really had put the kibosh on any new year or farewell drinks with Captain Caveman or my parents. I’d barely slept because of the coughing! I messaged my parents and Captain Caveman to invite them over to Jamie’s later in the day to exchange new year wishes, seeing as we had all stayed in, in the 3 different places last night. Captain Caveman said he was feeling better this morning and had given me some advice about walking Big Boy and Lucy on 2 separate walks when I take over, as they both had a likelihood of chasing cats or other dogs. Lucy had also had to be given some medication because of gun shots in the area. I’d been taking Norman and Edna separately so that was no bother and they weren’t concerned about fireworks. Captain Caveman said he would come over around lunch time. My mom replied to say she was off on the Yellow boat trip to Köyceğiz again today with some other Dalyan Dwellers and it would depend on their plans after the boat trip as to whether they would be free to pop over.
As it was Captain Caveman’s last day, and it would turn out to be our last meal together, I decided to cook a Sunday dinner with Yorkshire puddings. I made roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, the Yorkshire puddings and realised I didn’t have any gravy. I messaged Jamie to ask if I could use his and, he not only said yes, but said to use some stuffing too! Captain Caveman and I were so excited as we’ve not had stuffing in quite some time. I opened the Prosecco and we had a really lovely last lunch. It’s always weird saying bye to Captain Caveman not knowing exactly when I will see him again. Captain Caveman went back to Villa Infinity with a full belly, in plenty of time to feed Big Boy and Lucy. I braved the walk to the pharmacy and found it was open. I stocked up on Strepsils, Tylol and Advil at a cost 653 lira (£17.41) which was horrendously expensive. I messaged Mom to say I was popping out, in case they popped over. At around 6pm, I was back to being fully dosed up and was trying to get a taxi to take Kate some medication as she was also out of supplies. At 6pm Ma messaged to say they were in Tez and wouldn’t be calling round as the weather looked unpredictable. I couldn’t get a taxi, neither could Tez, so Penny kindly went to take Kate some medicine. I got in to my pyjamas, both Captain Caveman and I stayed in our respective temporary homes with our borrowed pets and had early nights (again).

Dalyan – 30th & 31st December

I woke up on Saturday 30th December and went downstairs to check on Norman and Edna. After a wander around the patio, Edna wolfed down her breakfast but Norman was not too eager to eat, he also was refusing to drink any water, which was odd. After several cups of tea and a back to bobos on the sofa session it was time to go to the market.
Captain Caveman had come over from Villa Infinity so that we could shop together but he could take what was needed at Bill & Jaxx’s house and I could keep the rest at Jamie’s.

Here’s what we bought at the Dalyan weekly market but I didn’t make a note of all the individual prices.
2kg Tangerines
2 onions
Spinach
3 red peppers
1 green pepper
2 apples
6 bananas
Spent 145 lira (£3.87)

Gözleme x2 110 lira (£2.93)

When we got back, Captain Caveman and I took the dogs for a walk, to the Waterfall. They like it in there and Norman loved a nosey from his pushchair as to what was going on. I just had a soft drink because I felt rubbish but I was trying to chivvy myself up a bit for tonight’s party at Ghislaine’s. I went back to Jamie’s and Captain Caveman went back over to see to Big Boy and Lucy. Unfortunately, Norman had had an accident in his pram and needed another wash.
Captain Caveman came back before 7pm, all dressed up and ready for a party. I felt worse and couldn’t go but I packed off Captain Caveman with 2 bottles of fizz and 3 bags of marshmallows. Mark & Kate and Carol & Ian were going to be there so he’d know other people and he does love a curry.
I ended up having my homemade pumpkin soup and an early night, napping on the sofa with the dogs. I really hoped to be better for tomorrow, as there was a Sunday walk, it was New Year’s Eve, I’d not seen my parents since Christmas Day and our friends, the Aussies, were arriving.

Historically, New Year’s Eve has not been the best time for me as I’m usually sick. Sunday 31st December was no different and I woke up feeling terrible. I’d hardly slept from coughing all night and when I finally got to sleep, Edna had come scratching at my door at 5am. I was coughing a lot, my body ached and I had to use an inhaler once I started coughing as I couldn’t breathe properly.
When I eventually went downstairs at 7am, Edna had been sick on the rug and on the sofa, which is not like her. So now we were the poorly trio and it was time for cups of tea and back to bobos on the sofa, after all the scrubbing and putting a wash on. Both dogs were off their food and I forced down a banana so that I could take my medication. I called in sick to Captain Caveman’s Sunday walk which was his last until next October. He’d organised the walk so that it finished at Günlüklu restaurant but I wasn’t fit enough to make it and didn’t want to pass on my germs.
I spent the day with Norman and Edna, forcing Norman to drink water as I think he was dehydrated. After a very short walk, we sat out on the patio and had a little sunbathe, while dosed up on flu medicines and drinking cups of tea.
Kate had arranged a New Year’s Eve bash at Tapa bar for this evening and I thought nearly all of our Dalyan friends were going. I’d likely be in my pyjamas by the time it went dark, cuddled up with the dogs. Even my parents were going to stay in as they weren’t well either. The Aussie’s, Amanda and Greg, had messaged to ask where the party was and where we were all meeting up but the best I could do was send them the invite to Tapa for tonight.
In the afternoon I tried to get in touch with Captain Caveman and couldn’t, I assumed he’d gone to Günlüklu and carried on having a new year drink there but when he did respond he’d gone to bed feeling poorly after the walk. He was flying back to Vietnam in a couple of days and really could do without getting ill for his journey.
I had nothing planned for dinner and really couldn’t be bothered to make anything, I was down to my last Strepsil, which were giving me a dodgy tum and I had no hot lemons left. I decided to go to the chemist but when I got there it was already closed for new year. There would have been an alternative open but I couldn’t walk that far. I decided to go to Migros and see what they had in the freezer section for dinner and I thought some sucky sweets might help my cough and sore throat.
Here’s what I bought from the shop with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 15.75
2 packs of wine gums 21.00
1 chocolate Magnum 25.00
1 Ginger Ale 43.00
1 box of frozen pizzas 95.92
1.6Kg whole chicken 115.06
1 bottle of Prosecco 279.90
Total spent 595.63 lira (£15.88)

I was impressed with a decent bottle of fizz for less than £7.50 and a full sized Magnum ice-cream only being 67p. I wondered why I hadn’t had one before now, as I ate it on the way back to Jamie’s – it soothed my throat better than a Strepsil. I saw Fikri and he wished me a happy new year, which was nice, as he rode past on his motorbike. I popped the stuff in the fridge and had one of the frozen pizzas for dinner, they weren’t bad. I had no intention of drinking the fizz tonight but I thought my parents and Captain Caveman may want to pop by tomorrow to raise a glass to the new year. I had fell asleep watching TV but woke up before midnight and went to bed.

That’s another year of my Shenanigans done, it finished the way it started; snuggled up with a pet in someone else’s house.
What a year it had been, it’s hard to remember sometimes how much happens.
Overall, I ended 2023 weighing 4.7kg (10lb) lighter than I started it, which I was pleased about.
2024 looked to be a little uncertain, with a few challenges to suss out but I was hopeful things would work out in my favour.
With Captain Caveman and my parents leaving in January, I was gearing myself up for a quiet Dalyan winter. My priority was to earn enough money to keep my residency and continue on the Slimming World plan to keep the weight off. I didn’t make any new year’s resolutions, as I never stick to them, but I did make a note to prioritise my health a bit more.

Dalyan – 29th December

On Friday 29th December Captain Caveman and I walked Big Boy and Lucy together and then I got ready to leave Villa Infinity, until the 2nd January when Captain Caveman would be leaving. This morning, he was off to Bridge club and I was going to Jamie’s for 5 days. He cycled, obviously, while I caught the bus a little later, and went via home to drop off and pick up more clothes. We arranged to meet for lunch so that we could finally try Sheche Burger too.

When Jamie left, I played with Norman and Edna, let them out on the patio for a bit then headed off to try the burgers at Sheche – diet once again on hold. Captain Caveman and I both ordered the Smoked Beef Burger which came on a tray like a fast food joint. It was piping hot and very fast but I had forgotten to ask for mine without sauce. Captain Caveman loved it and said it was the best he’d had in Dalyan for a while. I managed to scrape off the mayo (which I hate) with an over-powdery french fry. I did eat all of the burger and it was very tasty, the brioche buns aren’t my favourite but I’m generally not a burger person. The cheese, bacon and gherkin were great but I couldn’t finish my chips. A lot of eateries like to jazz chips up with powdery stuff (paprika, chilli flakes, dried herbs) but I prefer them plain or with salt.
On the way home we called in to Bim for wholemeal bread and some marshmallows. A friend had invited us to her birthday curry night at the weekend and I was taking fizz and marshmallows for round the firepit. I wanted to buy more than 3 packets but Captain Caveman said that was more than enough. Our shopping cost us just 87.50 lira (£2.33) and we hurried back to Jamie’s.

Poor little Norman was in his bed near the TV when Captain Caveman and I got to Jamie’s. Edna was looking worried and kept looking from Norman to us and wouldn’t come to us from off the sofa. As I went to check on Norman it was clear that he was in a bit of a tangle and had to be picked up and taken for a shower. He was such a good dog and sat in the shower waiting, I grabbed towels, gloves and soap while running the water to the right temperature. He looked slightly concerned when I took my socks, jumper and jeans off! Captain Caveman was there to help me but that was more luck than planning. I did the showering by myself so I could cope if I needed to do it again but he was there if Norman and I needed him. After his thorough wash, Norman was dried and wrapped in hamam towels, given lots of love and reassurance, then taken downstairs to the sunny patio. Edna was still upset and wouldn’t go near any of us. I grabbed Norman’s little pushchair and popped him in that and he seemed to be doing ok. Jamie had warned me that Norman was having trouble with his back legs, hence a dog pushchair, and would need extra love and attention. When Captain Caveman left to go back to Villa Infinity, to feed and be with Big Boy and Lucy, we had lots of cuddles and I tried to make sure Edna was ok. I was a bit worried about Norman and I could tell she was too. She wouldn’t go to him and we had to have a little story about what happens when doggies get old, while she was on my knee and he was in his pram.
I hadn’t left time to make any dinner, I was still full of cold and a sore throat so I made myself a crisp sandwich. Norman slept loads and Edna watched TV with me, it had been a while since I’d watched A Place in the Sun.

Dalyan – 27th & 28th December

On Wednesday 27th December I couldn’t function without a Strepsil in my mouth and the cold/cough had got a little worse. Captain Caveman and I walked Big Boy and Lucy and we took turns with each dog so that I could feel confident when Big Boy pulled, as he’s a very big dog! Lucy was easier to walk on a lead but neither of them would stop if a command to do so was needed.
Captain Caveman decided he wasn’t feeling up to going to the Dog Shelter and we were both a bit chilly so he got on with making the fire. I had a bit of toast using up the bread in the cupboard before getting ready to go to Fat Club. Captain Caveman was going over to Fire Opal to pick up more of our belongings and provisions from home.
Unfortunately, Fat Club got cancelled and I was kind of pleased, but I had no idea how much I weighed. I think I may have had a lucky reprieve as, even though we hadn’t celebrated Christmas, we had still overindulged quite a bit.
We had a leisurely evening with the dogs and had my homemade lentil soup with a cheese sandwich for dinner. Unfortunately, some bad news came about the increase in the minimum wage in Turkey from 1st January. It was great news for the locals, not so much for business owners and expats as it meant that the minimum amount for foreigners to deposit per month to keep residency would increase by the same percentage. I was concerned that my reduced hours weren’t going to provide enough income for me to remain a resident and a Plan B could be needed. Captain Caveman was due to leave Dalyan in a week’s time, so it meant I would be spending less on the food shopping but it wasn’t a huge amount.

We had a busy day planned on Thursday 28th December, but things didn’t go according to plan. The nasty cold/cough that was going around Dalyan seemed to have affected quite a few people, not least my parents and me. Back in the UK, Josh and Martha had also got some of the symptoms. Our day started with us both walking the dogs together and this time we put a choker lead on Big Boy and it was much better for me. After the walk, Big Boy was happy with sofa snoozes but Lucy had a mad half hour.
I had overnight oats for breakfast and Captain Caveman cycled in to town to go Bumming. I was meant to meet him after he finished so that we could go for lunch at Sheche Burger, as we’d not tried it yet. We cancelled as I wasn’t feeling too good and had lentil soup at our temporary home, sat on the terrace. Jamie had also cancelled our loose plans to go to Günlüklu because Norman hadn’t been too well.
I got the slow cooker out and made a leek and potato soup for dinner. By 4pm it was getting chilly and the fire was on. The soup turned out better than it looked and there was quite a lot of it. This was also our last night together as Captain Caveman was off to Vietnam in 5 days and I was off to look after Norman and Edna from tomorrow.

Dalyan – 26th December

It was the day that Josh and Martha had to go home on Tuesday 26th December and I was going to miss them a lot. We had laughed so much this last week and had done some really nice things together; mainly eating and drinking! It had also got me through the depressing fiasco of having not been paid and took my mind off being skint. My Christmas Day this year had been one of the best I’d had abroad and we’d spent less than £120 between the two of us. I wondered how much the average Christmas Day spend had been amongst my friends in the UK!
I cut up an apple and some of the Köyceğiz cheese and fanned it out all posh on a plate so that Martha could have a nibble or two before we had to leave the apartment. Josh was on ‘provisions for the airport’ duty and I helped by giving him spare food. I had my overnight oats with persimmon for breakfast, I was going to have to get back on the Slimming World plan as the weigh in on Wednesday was probably going to be quite enlightening. When Martha had packed she asked me if I would like her hair straighteners, as she was buying new ones when she got home. What a lovely thing to do and it was my first set of hair straighteners in years.
I’m not sure what on earth was going on in Captain Caveman’s head because what happened next was awkward! We’d mentioned previously that we would be getting the bus to Bill and Jaxx’s, who were on the same flight as Josh and Martha. Jaxx had said to get to Villa Infinity, between Marmarlı and Okçular, for about noon and we could go through the final dog requirements and have a wee drink before the taxi came at 1pm. Captain Caveman and I were sharing the dog sitting while they went back to the UK to visit Bill’s mom. I’d mentioned the bus several times, we’d toyed with the idea of getting a taxi but had discounted it as we would have 4 of us, plus bags meaning not enough room for a regular taxi.
We were ready and about to put our shoes on when Captain Caveman said he was cycling and would see us there. I was confused, I didn’t have internet on my phone so I couldn’t call or find it if we got lost and, if there had only been 3 of us we would have ordered a taxi. I was fuming with him, why hadn’t he said this earlier? I knew he’d probably done it to force me to learn how to find my way to places as he hates that I don’t use maps and I get lost easily. It was embarrassing and I could tell that Josh and Martha were doing the looks to say this was one of ‘those moments’. I didn’t even say bye to Captain Caveman as I was so annoyed that he would be so rude and the rest of us went to the bus stop. We got off the bus and Captain Caveman was waiting at the side of the road a bit further up to point out the turning to us. I was even more mad now that he probably thought we couldn’t manage to find it without him. I knew in his head he wanted to make sure he had his bicycle with him because he probably wanted to go Dogging tomorrow, after missing it yesterday – but he could have communicated it. Josh and Martha could see I was mad and couldn’t understand what was going on either, they didn’t even laugh at the situation this time.
Big Boy, the big black dog, and Lucy, the Airedale terrier, were pleased to see us and were friendly. They really liked Martha and tried to encourage her to share her pack-up for at the airport.
Bill took Captain Caveman in to the kitchen to show him how to work the TV, coffee machine and fire, show him what was what with the dogs, etc. I sat outside with Jaxx, Josh and Martha and had a wine.
The taxi arrived and we all said our goodbyes, with plans to visit Josh and Martha in July 2024.
The dogs were a little sad that their parents had gone and I tried to speak to Captain Caveman about what was going on with the bike v bus palaver earlier. He didn’t think he was wrong, obviously, and he got more wine and some pastries out of the kitchen. Bill and Jaxx had told us to help ourself to wine and food but I didn’t want to take advantage, I never do.
Captain Caveman was on fire duty and we both cuddled and stroked Big Boy. Lucy was a bit more free spirited and quite vocal. When it came to the dogs’ dinner time, they wolfed it down and enjoyed it, they also had some home made dog biscuits which looked great. Captain Caveman cooked us some veggie pasta for dinner and we had a cosy night in our new temporary home.
I still totted up my syns for the week and was on 426, 4 times the allowance! I was bound to have put weight on but I’m sure anyone who had said ‘well, it is Christmas’, would be in the same boat.

Dalyan – 25th December

Monday 25th December was obviously Christmas day for a lot of people, we’d decided to opt out of celebrating it specifically, but we had chosen to spend the day and evening doing something nice with Josh, Martha and my parents. Most of the expats who I’m friends with in Dalyan were doing an English style Christmas here in Turkey, either with friends in their home or going to a restaurant serving English style Christmas dinner, like Lukka or Heybe.
I think my parents would have enjoyed it but they had said they wanted to do something with us and I was pleased. I think a lot of Christmas is a waste of money and an absolute over indulgence, instead of being a time to really enjoy a day spent with people you care about most.
The 6 of us had decided to book on to the yellow boat, owned by Hakkan and Nilüfer. Every Monday they put on a boat trip to Köyceğiz for market day at a cost of 200 lira (£5.38) per person. I’d seen a post on Facebook about a book shop/cafe that had opened in Köyceğiz and I wanted to visit there as a surprise, and maybe buy books. None of us were doing Christmas presents but a personally selected book would have been a nice treat for anyone who wanted one.
It was a lovely sunny day, hot beverages and biscuits were served as we headed over to the stunning Köyceğiz lake. Josh and Captain Caveman had been to Ela’s Kitchen to pick up breakfast sandwiches for the 4 of us so I resisted the turtle biscuits which were a cute touch. We may have been the only English guests on the boat which was quite nice. Nilüfer was the perfect host, making sure the çay was topped up and chatting to everyone on board. We chatted to the others a little, all were friendly and we particularly liked Bruno who was very energetic and amusing.

Once in Köyceğiz, we found Lutra Lutra, the book shop cafe, but it was closed. Captain Caveman went rogue by motoring through to the fruit and veg market on a mission with his shopping list. It was not leisurely and my parents couldn’t keep up, I got annoyed with him and told him off in front of everyone. We then had to have a meeting point by the cheese counters to reconvene as he went off with the bag in search of apples. In Köyceğiz the prices are cheaper than Dalyan but less stall holders speak English, I usually enjoy a browse and a chat but that was not on the agenda for today.
We bought potatoes, onions, pumpkin, leeks, red peppers, apples and 2 lots of cheese from the man who lets you taste as much as you like. I have no idea of the prices of the market purchases except for the cheese being about £6 in total.
We bought 2 bottles of prosecco from Carrefour supermarket at 479.80 lira (£12.90) in readiness for New Year’s Eve then headed for lunch at one of my favourite lakeside eateries.

While people in the UK were probably checking the progress of their Christmas dinner or opening gifts on Christmas Day, the 6 of us had arrived at Avangart restaurant in Köyceğiz. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

1 mixed toastie 125
3 Sprites 150
1 chicken wrap 225
3 lentil soup 240
5 Fanta orange 250
1 King prawns 395
4 Tuborg beers 540
Total 1,925 lira (£51.75)

It was less than £9 each on average for a lunch and drinks with a gorgeous view, but it’s certainly not the cheapest place to choose. I really enjoyed the lentil soup I had which came with loads of bread. We left there to get back to the yellow boat for the 2.30pm departure. Nilüfer had prepared some fruit platters with nuts for the journey back and it was such a lovely trip. I really enjoyed the fruit and meant I was doing my best to be healthier, even today. My camera phone really didn’t do the stunning scenery justice but I took a few photos on the way back to Dalyan.
We arrived back in Dalyan around 4pm, we popped the shopping away and had a bit of a rest before the evening’s outing.

While most of our Dalyan Dwelling friends were merry and fully in to their Christmas Day celebrations, the 6 of us had opted for a ‘normal’ meal out. It was, sadly, Josh and Martha’s last day of their holiday too so we wanted to have a nice evening. Bistro Blue is one of our favourite restaurants where the service and food has always been consistently good so we had booked there for 7pm. Vanessa and Brad were disappointed that we weren’t joining them at Mark and Kate’s and said they would come to find us after their Christmas Day celebrations as they wanted to wish us Merry Christmas. We got seated at Bistro Blue, Dad and Josh ordered a beer while the rest of us chose wine. The waiter was Bakı who we know from various places but he had worked in Bistro Blue some years ago. Selahı, the owner, looked very presentable and he greeted us all. Josh tried to get a group selfie but it’s often difficult to get Dad to face the camera, this time he was blowing his nose. Dad wanted a glass for wine, as well as his beer, but it caused some confusion and he didn’t get it straight away. I had to ask Bakı for the wine glass before Dad got too mardy. We ordered food, Dad didn’t want a starter but the rest of us did – well it was Christmas. Captain Caveman was in good spirits and we shared 2 starters between us. More wine was had and the mains were served. I thought the food was amazing and I couldn’t eat all of my pepper steak as, even the smaller weight, was more than sufficient for me.
Vanessa and Brad arrived just as we were finishing our mains and said that their Christmas dinner had gone really well and they had all had a great Christmas day. Matt had gone home as he’d had enough of the celebrations. We had thought of going on for a drink somewhere else but a lot of bars were closed on Mondays. Captain Caveman and I paid 1,950 lira (£52.42) for starters of stuffed mushrooms and liver & onions, a bottle of house red, pepper steak and Spaghetti Bolognese mains which I thought was reasonable for the quality of it. I took the rest of my steak home and we said goodbye to Vanessa and Brad. Back home, we had one last drink to round off the night and say bye to Josh and Martha. It had been a really great way to have a none Christmassy Christmas.