Dalyan – 15th July

On Saturday 15th July we had entered a heatwave coming from Morocco and were advised by the authorities to stay indoors during the daylight hours. Of course, we decided to ignore that and actually it didn’t feel quite as hot as Vietnam so I was doing ok.
I decided to go to the market in the midday sun, which is about a 15 minute stroll away. I had my sunhat on and took water with me. On the way I saw the homeless guy, wearing black and looking very warm. I bought him a peach and some water and helped him wash the peach. The market had been exceptionally empty when I got there at about 12.30pm so it was easy to grab what I needed and get back home quickly. I bought cherries, peaches, courgettes, aubergines, carrots and mushrooms so spent less than 200 lira easily. On the way back, I called in to Bim supermarket where I picked up a loaf of bread and a pack of nan bread for just 27.50 lira (82p). I noticed they had air fryers in for 1800 lira (£54), a few people from Fat Club were in to them so I was tempted and I know my mom fancied one.

By 2.30pm my mom and I were back in Bim on Atatürk Road buying the last air fryer then over to the other Bim in the Turkish quarter to buy another one. They were reduced to 1699 lira (£50.76) so we decided to get one each. The bank had been out of order, I only had card so my mom paid for both. They weren’t heavy but in the heat it was hard to walk about carrying the bulky boxes. It was unfortunate that my parents wouldn’t get to try it out just yet, though, as they were leaving late tonight, going back home to England.

That night we decided to celebrate in style and had booked a table for the 7 of us at Bistro Blue, one of our favourite restaurants. Beforehand, we met at one of my parents’ new favourites, Tapa, for drinks. I called at the bank to find that they were temporarily limiting withdrawals to 250/300 lira which is less than £10 per time so it was taking ages for people to get enough money out and it was all in small denominations – I’ve never had so many 10 lira (30p) notes!
The drinks at Tapa aren’t the cheapest in town but, despite it’s river location, it is also not the most expensive. The wine is a good one, Angora, for 95 lira (£2.84) per glass. A Turkish cider cost 150 lira (£4.48) which I don’t think is worth it so I no longer drink cider in Turkey. Our drinks bill came to 1,380 lira (£41.23) for 10 drinks, including 4 ciders, 4 pints of Efes and a Tequila Sunrise, which was definitely cheaper than what my family would have paid back in Sheffield.

At Bistro Blue we all had starters and main courses, including prawns, mushrooms, liver & onions, fish and steaks washed down with several wines. It was delicious and an excellent choice for celebrating my parents’ last night. We even splashed out on a couple of the bottles of nice wine with it being a special occasion, the end of my parents’ holiday and the last time we’d probably all be together for a while. The food and service was as lovely as always and I really enjoyed my pepper steak, my parents had their last fix of liver and onions which got great reviews too. Annie & Selahı made sure we gave Ma & Pa a good send off and we all had a cheeky amaretto for our farewell drink.

After seeing our parents off, and trying not to cry, the rest of us went for another drink at Tapa where Gayle tried one of the new marshmallow martini cocktails which was a bit like a dessert and Morgan had a daiquiri. It had been a great night and I was looking forward to putting my feet up for a bit of a rest tomorrow, but of course I had another event to attend.

Dalyan – 14th July

I’d been out of Vietnam for 2 weeks on Friday 14th July and I wasn’t missing the heat. Here in Dalyan it was getting hotter and today looked to be the hottest I’d had here yet. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea, which was now on rations as I only had a few left.
At 4.30pm I was trying to work out what to wear for Pamela’s hen party tonight as the dress I’d bought in Rhodes was going to be too clingy in this heat. I went for the old faithful M&S pink number which I’ve worn quite a bit when it’s hot. My mom and sister, who were also invited, called for me and we headed up to Kaunos tea gardens to meet the rest of the hens. Kate was the maid of honour and had organised for us all to have Team Bride transfers on, ready for when Pamela arrived for us to get on the boat. There were 24 of us on a bespoke Captain Boris private cheese and wine boat trip for just a couple of hours. Of course, I couldn’t get my Team Bride tattoo to stick so I put the last spare one from Kate in my purse for later. On board we all had some champers and we got ready for a Mr & Mrs style quiz that Kate and I had organised. Pamela’s fiancé, Glynn, had refused to answer any of the more risqué questions but Kate and I didn’t let that get in the way of some comedy gold, by asking her the questions anyway!

Rebecca and Boris did us all proud with a feast of all sorts of cheeses, meats, fruits, jams, olives, crackers, bread, snacks and some lovely wine, served in decent measures. I finally managed to find somewhere to stick my Team Bride ‘tattoo’ and of course hens will be hens with a cheeky bit of bum biting from Tracy. We all loved the hen party boat trip with the copious amount of delicious cheeses and there was plenty left over to take with us to the next stop, the Rum Bar. I stuck to wine but the others tried all sorts of cocktails as we munched on left over fruit and Kate’s homemade lemon drizzle buns.

The diet had been put on hold yet again as some people went home but a few of us, including the bride to be, went to Rodrigo’s for another drink. My mom and Gayle wanted to get back to see how Dad, Neil and the kids were doing but the men were still out when they returned. I dropped some stuff off at home before bumping in to my nieces on my way to Rodrigo’s, Dad and Neil were still in Bistro Blue. I joined the remaining hens and we also met up with some of the other halves and friends.

Our last stop was one in Sofra bar, one for the road but n. I had a great laugh, mainly chatting to Harris who felt like an old mate from back home despite me only meeting him a couple of times before. I walked home by myself about 2.30am after a very good and funny evening. I’d managed to not go too mad as I knew we still had my parents’ last night and another 10 days with my sister and family.
The total amount of money I spent on the whole night was 1,215 lira (£36.30) – I don’t think I’ve ever done 9 hours of a hen do for that amount of money, it was an absolute bargain and I even had a bag of spare cheese in the fridge.

Dalyan – 13th July

I worked from 11.30am to 5.45pm on Thursday 13th July so that I could accommodate the evening itinerary. I just ate plain noodles in chicken stock for lunch as we would be eating a feast tonight. It was also the hottest it had been since I’d got back to Dalyan and the temperature was over 40°C in the afternoon. I had to put the AC on!
At 6.30pm Ma, Pa, Gayle, Neil, Morgan, April and I were joining a group boat trip. It was booked a while ago for us to join the Princess of Ekincik Moonlight boat trip from 6.30pm until bedtime and we were all looking forward to it.
This trip allowed for a few swimming stops, the first at the lake where we were joined by a turtle while we were all in the water. Luckily, I had taken Steve’s sunglasses with me as my mom had lost her’s while I’d been away, so I gave them to her.

We had a delicious BBQ meal and went to the mud baths. Gayle and Ma had a fish foot experience while I went in the hot sulphur pool. The 3 of us went in the domes where there are hot pools and it was really nice. Captain Ismail sailed to Little Dalyan next, where we could relax, swim and walk on the beach. Later we all looked up at the sky for some star gazing and a few beverages were had. When we got back it was unusually hot in the town and we’d been lucky to have had the breeze on the boat. By 11.30pm we were saying our goodbyes and I paid my bill which was 1320 lira (£39.41) for my trip and drinks. The boat trips were definitely working out better value than going out for a meal! We had a quick drink in Tez bar before going home, just to finish off the night. Tomorrow would be another fun day in Dalyan and I was already looking forward to a celebration.

Dalyan – 12th July

It was another expensive day on Wednesday 12th July as well as it being my first Fat Club since the beginning of May. I did my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from my bust, no change to my hips and I had put 2cm back on my waist. My home scales said I was 0.4kg heavier than last week at Steve and Michelle’s so I wasn’t holding out for a good result on Carol’s scales this afternoon.
I spent 520 lira (£15.50) for 2 month’s worth of internet, and 72 lira (£2.15) at Migros where I bought 2 Quark, 3 packets of pasta and fabric softener. On the way home I bought a replacement water for the cooler, which was 30 lira (89p) for 19 litres.
I worked from 12.15 to 2.45pm then popped to Fat Club. To my amazement it wasn’t as bad a result as I thought it would be; I was 1.5kg (3.3lb) lighter on Carol’s scales than I had been on Steve and Michelle’s last week. I was happy with that and had a spring in my step as I walked to the hairdresser’s. I paid 600 lira (£17.89) for a colour, cut and blow dry with Emrah then went back home to carry on working. I had the leftover chicken shish from My Arancia the night before last and it was even tastier than the original. I served it with steamed rice to try to keep healthy, for a change.
When I finished work at 8.30pm my parents and the rest of the family were still at their apartments, having some drinks after a BBQ by the pool and had invited me round. I took some soda waters so that I could be good and have a night off the booze as I had work tomorrow. They were having another boozey one but I did well to resist and I didn’t join mom and my nieces in the pool as I’d just had my hair done. I left before 11.30pm which I didn’t think was bad to say I was sober.

Dalyan – 11th July

I had another day off on Tuesday 11th July with more plans from the ‘behind the scenes itinerary’. Gayle and I had put together the plan of what we were doing most days for the following reasons;
1. We wanted everyone to have a good holiday without the hassle of deciding and trying to agree what to do each day, or where to eat for each meal.
2. Being a group of 7 in the school holidays/high season would mean activities, trips and restaurants will be busier than usual and may not have availability.
3. Neither of us wanted to deal with having to decide at the last minute, what to do or where to go, or worse – end up doing nothing!
We both felt being organised would benefit everyone better. Mom, Neil and Morgan much preferred to be more spontaneous and for us to wing it but Gayle and I were having none of that and had become a bit bossy.
At 9am I had paid the deposit for 5 of us (not ma and pa) to go on a horse riding trip next week and I was scared! By 10am the full family contingent and I were walking towards the ferry as we had a booking for Turkish breakfast over the river. I’d booked the 7 of us in at the Çandır Resort and had arranged the pick up service to take us up the mountain. They didn’t do gluten free food for Gayle but there were naturally gluten free things that she could have that she liked. I often struggle with a Turkish breakfast as I don’t like tomatoes, eggs or cucumber. The pastry and some cheeses often give me a belly ache too, so I took some tupperware to take some home. I was on the end of the table so I was the Turkish tea monitor and we all had a fresh orange juice. The cost of the breakfast for 7 of us, including the pick-up/drop off service, the juice, and a coffee was 3,395 lira (about £100) so not the cheapest but very lovely. I even brought the leftover olives and 2 pastries home with me.

On the way back we decided to call at Kaunos tea gardens for a beverage where everyone but Dad had soft drinks.
We didn’t get home until almost 3pm which didn’t leave much time to relax before our next activity on the itinerary, which not everyone was as enthusiastic about as Gayle and I.

We had decided to book everyone in for a night; Lukka bar had their music bingo night on so I’d booked a table. Joining our family were Debbie (Darling), Roy, Ann, Jamie, Drew and his 2 guests, Karen and Alicia. I’d booked the table ahead of time for the 14 of us but it meant we all had to be sat at the pool table (with a top on it). Debbie (Darling), Roy and Ann had already said they were just coming for drinks but the rest of us decided to eat there. Katrina had already sent us a copy of the menus so that we could work out the gluten free options. We got there early and introduced everyone, Jamie was already quite merry as my dad ordered a pint of draft, Mom and Neil had Efes malt, I had a glass of wine and the rest of our party were on the cocktails. When the drinks came my dad said he hadn’t ordered a pint (he did) but Jamie put him straight and sloshed the pint in front of him. I could already see my dad was not enjoying the night so far. My parents both ordered the Asian chicken, I ordered sweet and sour chicken, April chose steak, Morgan and Neil had lamb or chicken shish, Gayle opted for the salmon. Unfortunately Karen had ordered chicken curry but took my sweet and sour and started eating it, until Alicia mentioned it looked a bit like her yum yum chicken. I had to wait for a new one and Dad should have stuck to something he knew he’d like better.

Jamie was getting very touchy with Dad and I thought the night couldWhen everyone was together and the music bingo started, we all gave the ball a right old kick. As the night went on, more cocktails and wine was drunk. Most of us got up to dance and we had a great time. Our bill for the 7 of us came to 7,418 lira (£220) which worked out about £31 per person on average. By the end of the night Dad was on the brandy and we were probably going to have a hangover in the morning. It was a good job Gayle and I didn’t have much on the agenda for tomorrow, the kids had requested a pool day!

Dalyan – 10th July

I was awake early on Monday 10th July and I was excited to be spending my first day back in Dalyan on a boat trip with my family. Ma, Pa, Gayle (sister), Neil (brother-in-law), Morgan (eldest niece) and April (youngest niece) and I had booked to join the Duran Duran boat trip to Köyceğiz market from 10am this morning. I’d already been to the bank then to get phone credit and had packed my swimmers, factor 50 and travel towel ready to take advantage of the sunny day. The weather forecast said 36°C for this afternoon and I wasn’t working today.
Ma and Pa called on for me while Neil went to find a sun hat and I faffed about putting money for the market separate to my money for the boat trip.

We joined a group trip, but a private trip, and were sat having a hot beverage and a biscuit before 10am ready for our day out.
The leisurely sail towards Köyceğiz and through the lake was lovely and calm, but we were all too busy talking and laughing to really enjoy the scenery. Once at Köyceğiz, the ladies headed for the market while Dad and Neil popped along to a lakeside cafe for a light beverage and to wait for us. I’d took my rucksack to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables but when I went to get my money out, it wasn’t there. Neither was my boat trip money so I assumed I’d left it at home and had to borrow 300 lira from mom. I didn’t buy an awful lot but I did get 2 blocks of cheese, cherries and strawberries to keep me going.
We rejoined the men and had a cold beverage with them, the beers were a reasonable 85 lira (£2.58) and soft drinks were 35 lira (£1.06). We were back on the boat for 1pm so that Captain Unal could take us for a swim stop, then get ready for our BBQ lunch.

The food was delicious and catered for all of our fussy and Coeliac requirements without any bother at all. Gayle and Mom had fish and Halloumi, I had chicken and halloumi and others had chicken and meatballs. There was lots of mezes and pasta for us all to have a big portion. It was so good that I didn’t even take any photos of the food as I was too busy eating it.
Around 4pm we headed to the mud baths where everyone on the boat except for April and I went in. It’s optional and we were happy to admire the view and look at some goats instead. I may have had a cheeky wine while we chatted. Once everyone was back on board, Unal served fruit and cake, Sioned (Unal’s wife) had made Gayle 2 gluten free desserts which were really good.
We were back to Dalyan just before 6pm and we settled up our bills. I had to pay by bank transfer on account of ‘losing/forgetting’ my cash. My boat trip plus my drinks came to 1,075 lira (£32 approx) which was a bargain for such a lovely day out.

We stopped off at Tapa, formerly River Terrace, for a drink and got chatting to the staff there. I popped home to check I had left my money there and it was on the table, which was a relief. After a couple of drinks at Tapa, we decided to chance a table for the 7 of us at My Arancia restaurant, part of the Doğa hotel. The owner rearranged the tables and chairs to get us in at a nice table by the pool and we ordered food. We all shared a mixed meze plate for starter which was very good. April and I both had chicken shish for main, which was nice but a lot more oil than I’m used to. It cost about 300 lira (£9) for the shish and came with chips, rice and salad. Gayle had a mixed grill without the rice which is naturally gluten free. I couldn’t manage all my dinner so I took some leftovers home for another day. Our first family day had gone very well and we were looking forward to more Dalyan excitement tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Rhodes to Dalyan – 8th & 9th July

Of course I was hungover and very woolly headed on Saturday 8th July. I vaguely remembered getting involved in tequila shots the previous night, which meant I should have gone home 3 hours previous to that. While Steve and Michelle were up and about, and even quite sprightly compared to me, my day was a bit of a right-off. I actually did nothing but loll about with some of the cats and Xena, the dog. I was in bed by 10pm on my last night in Rhodes, tomorrow I was off back to Turkey.

Having had a quiet Saturday night, I was awake early on Sunday 9th July. Steve and Michelle had commitments until late so came home after I’d gone to bed. The weather was still sunny in Rhodes and the forecast showed it was hotting up in Dalyan, where I was going back to tonight. A weather warning due to the wind, had meant a lot of boats had been unable to sail so I hoped my ferry was still going.
By 1.30pm Steve, Michelle and I were in Rhodes town, wasting a bit of time before I had to pick up my ferry ticket. We decided to have a Macdonald’s which was not one of my best choices. I’ve not eaten a Macdonald’s in years and, looking back, it was not the right time to reintroduce a Big Mac meal into my diet. I was convinced that I would be able to keep it down if I had a sea sickness tablet for the journey and didn’t worry too much as I shovelled it in. The Big Mac meal in Rhodes Town cost €8.85 (£7.58) so wasn’t cheap but it was one the nicest I’ve ever had. The last one I’d had in the UK had been cold and cost me less than £4 – I have no idea how much they are now.
I said my goodbyes to Steve and Michelle, outside the ferry port, after another great holiday in Lardos. I wheeled my luggage across the road a little sad but we had already arranged that I would be back again in early September so it wasn’t too traumatic a goodbye.
There were no sea sickness tablets left in the shop as it was so rough, they had all been taken. It was Sunday so all the pharmacies were closed, I would have to chance it. As I got on the ferry, my sister and her family were already having a relaxing first day in Dalyan with my parents. The ferry crossing was very choppy and I was lucky to be given the middle seats by a couple of kind Turkish ladies, who also offered me a lift to the bus stop when we arrived. I decided I had far too much luggage to chance a bus journey after over 2 hours of trying not to throw up a Bic Mac.
The taxi was charging €70 to go from Fethiye to Dalyan which was 2,000 lira (£59), a massive increase on the 1,100 lira (£32.47) I’d paid on the way out.
I got home and was absolutely knackered, there was no internet at home and my Turkish phone had run out of credit so I went to bed – tomorrow the family fun would start.

Dalyan to Lardos – 7th May

I woke up at 5.30am on Sunday 7th May instantly regretting not drinking less last night and not going to bed earlier. I made sure the apartment was secure, a bit tidier and the power turned off. My mom didn’t come to get the beers and stuff I left her because of the rain yesterday so she would pop round in the week to sort that out.
Fikri was on time and we left at 6.30am for the taxi drive to Fethiye port. My ferry was at 8.30am but I had to be there at 7.30am to pick up my ticket and pay the nice lady which had been arranged by Steve and Michelle.
The ferry ride was a little tough going as I’d taken no seasickness pills and I was pretty hungover. The weather was a bit windy so it was choppy but nowhere near as bad as the time I went to Dublin for Little Jo’s birthday.
I arrived at the ferry port in Rhodes and was the first off and through. I waited outside at the bus stop where Michelle and her friend, Louise, came to pick me up.

It was just under 50km to where my friends-boss-work colleagues, Steve and Michelle, live, in Lardos. I’d been before with Captain Caveman and it’s a lovely small village which I was looking forward to seeing more of. Initially, the plan was for me to be house and pet sitting for Steve and Michelle for the next 5 days while they had a holiday. Sadly, they had cancelled their holiday at short notice because Steve’s brother had died. Instead, they had insisted that I still come over for a holiday and to catch up with work stuff before my, already arranged, flights to Vietnam from Athens. We stopped for the girls to get an iced coffee on the way, then to drop my bag off at Steve and Michelle’s house, before heading over to Louise’s house. I wasn’t quite expecting that the first time I’d meet Steve as my new boss that he’d be on his knees, sweating and holding a paint brush but it definitely set the tone for what was about to be a fantastic week in Rhodes!
I got introduced to Milokleftis, a lovely Greek cider, and, while Steve painted Louise’s patio floor and Louise sorted out an urgent work emergency, Michelle and I got through a few ciders. After some work had been done and some Milokleftis had been necked, Steve went for some takeaway pizzas. He was a bit disgruntled that they cost €45 (£38.52) for 2 big ones and a garlic bread but they did taste good!
That night, I slept so well in the spare bed which was super comfy. I thought I’d be working tomorrow but Steve had already said I could take the day off – what a boss!

Dalyan – 6th May

My last full day in Dalyan had arrived on Saturday 6th May and I was a little bit torn about how I felt. It was 139 days (or 4 months and 18 days) since I last saw Captain Caveman so, obviously, I was looking forward to seeing him again. In that time, he’d been working a lot and we’d hardly had chance to chat. I’d spoke to my parents and friend, Vanessa, more times in fact! I had also been in Dalyan for 233 days (7 months and 3 weeks), since I returned with Captain Caveman from our trip to Europe last year. This was the longest I’d been in Dalyan in one stretch without at least going somewhere else for a short break and I was going to miss it. Of course I’d planned to have a relaxed and easy going day because my taxi with Fikri was booked for 6.30am tomorrow. To say I’m quite an organised person though, things still didn’t go as smoothly as they could have. It had temporarily slipped my mind that it was Coronation Day and that lots of holiday makers and expats were going to be celebrating it, here in Turkey. Obviously, for those of you who know me well, it was not something I wanted to be part of and I had declined the various invites. It was an unusual breakfast, to eat up leftovers, of falafel, cheese balls, gherkins and a bit of tahini. I did my packing, emptied the fridge and freezer then took some stuff to Jamie’s to store for me. I also gave him some leek and pumpkin soup, chicken livers for the dog shelter and various items I knew my parents wouldn’t have. The rest I packaged up for my parents who would call to get them later, including half a crate of beer which Captain Caveman had left in December. On my way back from Jamie’s, I went to the bank to change some lira to Euros and forgot it was closed. Ordinarily, I could have gone to the jewellers or a bar but I was determined not to have to be dragged in to a Charlie-crowning celebration unnecessarily. I drew out lira at the ATM and hoped I’d be able to use that or get it changed in Greece. I then went to the supermarket to pick up the essentials for Steve and Michelle. At the pharmacy I caused a bit of a to-do because there was only one strawberry lube left and I asked if they had any more. All the staff got involved, alternatives were offered and a queue had built up by the time I paid the 156 lira (£6.37) for the one I’d had in my hand. No doubt I would be the talk of the town (again)! My next stop was the supermarket and probably my most unusual shopping basket contents in Dalyan, I’m sure – here’s what I bought:

Migros Supermarket
1 Twix 9.95
Mints 12.72
2 small Nescafe Gold 119.80
2 big Nescafe Gold 199.80
2 strawberry lube 263.80
Total spent 606.07 lira (£24.74)

Back home, I finished my packing then had the rest of the courgette tortilla for lunch and the Twix!
At 4pm I got a message from Captain Caveman. He was out of the cave, sat drinking with the porter team by the river, topless, as it was very hot. He had barbecued crickets for his dinner with lots of beer. I was not envious, my parents and I had arranged to go for a nice meal at Firats for my last civilised night in Dalyan. We said we’d meet at 6pm and just hoped the rain would stop so we could go out.

The rain continued and threw a bit of a spanner in the works for us that evening. I’d had a message from Kate to come join the party with the pool gang at Rehab bar as she was having to put up with Coronation frivolities. I really didn’t want to so I said no, I also wasn’t feeling in the mood to say goodbye to all my friends in one place. I knew I’d get upset, that I would miss them and I didn’t want to be on a downer for my last night out with my parents later.
Unfortunately, the rain meant that we couldn’t go to Firats as planned as it’s mainly outdoor seating. They have shelter overhead but those covered tables were taken when we walked past. Instead we decided to have a drink in Bistro Blue and then we could decide where to eat. Ma had a bottle of Efes Malt, Dad and I had pints of draft Efes. Drinks were reasonably priced at 80 lira (£3.27) and were cheaper than a friend had been talking about yesterday. We got chatting with Annie, Selahı, Suha and Ömer at Bistro Blue and, despite it being a busy Saturday night, we were able to get a lovely table for dinner. We decided not to go for starters as the main course portions are usually plenty and this time I couldn’t be taking half home to put in the freezer! Dad chose the liver and onions, Mom went for the fajitas and I tried something new – chicken with pepper sauce. We got complimentary bread and nibbles and all ordered a glass of wine. As prices are increasing in Turkey I did keep a note but they still seemed good value; a glass of wine was 80 lira (£3.27). Liver and onions 500 lira (£20.40), fajitas 400 lira (£16.33) and chicken 450 lira (£18.37) were on the pricey side for Dalyan but I have to say it was absolutely delicious and we all enjoyed every mouthful. The service was impeccable too, with a free çay or apple tea afterwards.

What should have happened then is probably obvious to any of you reading this now, however, it was only 9.30pm! We decided to go to Sofra bar and I messaged Jamie to say we were on our way there for our last drink and to say goodbye.
More beers were had and Jamie and I were really going to miss each other a lot. We were sad but also happy to know that I’d be back in just 7 weeks. Gone were the days where the authorities of Vietnam allowed me a 90 day visa so I was planning on entering on the 15 day visa exemption. Of course it was after 1am when my parents and I left Sofra bar and we said our goodbyes. I’d had an amazing, but too short, time with Ma & Pa where we’d already started to plan some more exciting things for when my sister and family came to Dalyan in July!
I tidied up the apartment and set my alarm for 5.30am. Why do I never remember that 4 hours sleep and too much alcohol the night before a journey is never a good idea!?

Dalyan – 5th May

By this time of year Dalyan is usually pretty warm and sunny so it was disappointing that my parents weren’t getting good weather. However, Friday 5th May was a very good day. A while ago I had arranged for 11 of us to go on Captain Boris’ cheese and wine boat trip today. I’d been in touch (a lot) with Rebecca and Boris because we were in danger of having to postpone due to rain/storms. As well as myself, there were a few people who could only do this date so it was all or nothing and I’d took a risk by telling Rebecca to buy all the food. If we couldn’t go on the boat we’d find somewhere to have the cheese and wine, I’m sure.
On account of me having a Sunday dinner for breakfast, I didn’t have a second one when I got up, just a cup of Yorkshire tea and lots of water. I got a message from my boss to say he was paying for my ferry to Rhodes on Sunday and he would transfer the money – this was unexpected and very much appreciated. I booked Fikri and his taxi to take me to the Fethiye ferry port at 6.30am on Sunday which meant tonight had better be my last late night!
I had a nice treat booked in at 11am for some reflexology at BC Spa. My friends from back in England (Claire, Clare and Kelly) wanted to treat me (a belated birthday treat) and had arranged for me to book in for a treatment. It was one of the luxuries I’d given up to save money so I was super excited to be able to go. When I arrived I was shown to the massage room and my Swedish masseuse was excellent – I almost fell asleep. Although prices had gone up considerably I could see no difference in the quality of the massage or the room I had it done in so I was pleased. Back home, I made a cup of herbal tea and put my feet up, as advised, while making a packing and to do list for my forthcoming trip.
The Captain Boris boat trip was going ahead regardless of weather, and we were taking clothes for all eventualities. I had everything from swimmers to one of my favourite bobble hats and was keeping everything crossed it would turn out ok.

The Captain Boris boat trips are of the best I’ve been on so I was really looking forward to the cheese and wine themed one. We met at the boat outside the Tezcan hotel at 1.30pm, on-board were the following people;
Jo (me), Anne (my Mom), Stuart (my Dad), Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Linda, Trish, Steve, Jo and Steve. So with 2 Jo’s, 2 Steve’s and 2 Ann/e’s it was going to be fun!
The boat cost £400 in total for the private trip, which included all the food but not the booze. When we set off it wasn’t raining but it was a bit cold however Rebecca kept telling us to keep the faith that it would be ok. Captain Boris had rejigged the route so that we would go down river to Little Dalyan first and then over to Çandır lake so that we could make the best of the weather. Only my mom had brought the suncream as we all thought it wouldn’t be necessary but by the time we were sipping our first Moldovan wine, the sun had come out. A few of us moved to the front of the boat and Mom shared the sun cream around the fairer skinned or bald guests as it became quite nice.

When the platters of cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, olives, crackers, dips, conserves and breads came out, it was certainly luxuriously impressive! It’s hard to believe that such wonderful presentation can be achieved in a small boat kitchen too. The sun stayed out but it wasn’t hot enough for me to swim. Lee did get in the sea for a little paddle and we all were just glad the storms had passed. At one point it started to rain but Boris was on it with his human windscreen wiper and a quick diversion to avoid the rain clouds. The boat trip was amazing and definitely one of the best ones I’ve been on in Dalyan – it’s certainly worth the money for the quality and attention to detail. Rebecca and Boris definitely know how to look after their guests and make sure everyone is looked after. I was also pleased to see the prices of wine were on a par, or cheaper, than some of the bars I drink in. The wine was so good, in fact, that my parents and I decided to order a box each of the white, red and rosé to see us through the summer.
Following the fantastic trip, most of us attempted to go to Sofra bar for a drink, I said I’d catch up as I stayed to finish wine, thank Rebecca and Boris for a lovely day and ask them to join us for a drink. When I got to Sofra, Jac and Lee were sat with a drink and the bar was very busy so my parents, Jo and Steve had gone to sit at Dalyan Lounge opposite and had also ordered a drink. I ended up at Dalyan Lounge too, followed by Rebecca and Boris.
After all the wine (I’d had 2 rosé and 2 red) I decided a soft drink would be better as we were off to Lukka Bingo with Mark & Kate shortly.
We had a good time at Lukka bingo but I did have to limit my drinks to just 1 wine and a soda water as prices were higher there at 95 lira (£3.88) for a glass of wine. Pamela and Glynn hadn’t made it out, Daisy and Tom didn’t stay out long either but the 5 of us enjoyed my last night together. Kate very kindly bought me a Healthy Eating Notebook so I could keep track of my food and drink while I was away.
I was meant to go for my leaving drinks with the girls at Rodrigo’s but it was late by the time we left Lukka and I had lots to do tomorrow before my trip to Rhodes and Vietnam. I said my goodbyes, Mark and Kate said they would see me tomorrow before I went but I didn’t think I’d be out.

Photo credit – Captain Boris

Dalyan – 4th May

I got up before 9am on Thursday 4th May and made myself a cup of Yorkshire tea then checked my messages. My Mom hadn’t messaged yet but they might still be on English time and were 2 hours behind. The rain was heavy and it wasn’t the best weather for my parents to be welcomed in. I logged on to my emails and sent my invoice for payment to my boss. I didn’t have breakfast as I thought my parents might be hungry and up for meeting for food, especially as they wouldn’t have got any shopping in yet. I went to the shop to order more water and generally pottered about but by midday I was hungry and still hadn’t heard from Ma & Pa. I ate a small bit of courgette tortilla from the fridge and I’d got a beef stew out of the freezer for dinner.
At 1pm my Mom messaged to see if I’d got up yet, as she’d thought I’d still be in bed with a hangover. They popped over to mine, it was good to see them and I made cups of Yorkshire tea for us all. They had already had quite a busy morning; shopping, getting the internet put back on and a breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen (when the rain came down hard). If only I’d known I’d have joined them at my favourite place for breakfast. After drinking tea, my parents went back to their place to drop their shopping off and we arranged to meet again later. The Bengisu Boys were playing at the Jazz Bistro bar tonight and they had an open mic as their support so I was really looking forward to it.
Having eaten very little all day, I was ravenous so I ate my beef stew and then had cream crackers with cheese, cheese spread, gherkins and beef bacon. I needed to line my stomach but be fairly healthy as tonight I was wearing Carol’s size 12 dress for the first time out in public. I didn’t wear the heels as it was raining and I knew I’d be dancing, instead I wore my £1 Primark flipflops which Daisy had got me.
My parents and I sat at a table quite near the front and we asked for a menu to check prices of the drinks. They didn’t have draft beer on but an Efes bottle was 100 lira (£4.08) on the menu, which was a bit pricey. Ramazan came to take our order and told us that because the band was playing for free tonight a beer would only be 70 lira (£2.86) which was more reasonable. The various support acts, including Daisy, were all really good and entertaining. The place really filled up and the staff were definitely overstretched – it took ages to get served and they ran out of beer. Most of Mark and Kate’s table left earlier because of that which was a shame. Like an idiot, I had forgotten my phone so I was unable to take photos of us or the band. I did ask a friend to take some but they weren’t the best! I met a girl in the toilet queue who I recognised as Fatma, the Algerian waitress from Heybe during a power cut a year ago. She was amazed that I remembered her because of her ghost story she told me, Louisa, Linda and Alex. She got up and did a few songs and played guitar – she was very good too. It was a great night and all 3 of us were on the dancefloor giving the ball a kick! When we came to pay the bill we’d had 12 beers between the 3 of us which wasn’t bad. We decided to have ‘one more drink’ in Sofra bar after, as you do! When I got home, and after dancing like a woman possessed, I was hungry. I’d got half a Lukka Sunday dinner out of the freezer for tomorrow which I warmed up and had with Oxo gravy at 3.45am.

Photo credit – Bengisu Boys, various

Dalyan – 3rd May

It was Fat Club day again on Wednesday 3rd May and what a day it would turn out to be for my last Wednesday in Dalyan. It was less than 13 hours until my parents landed at Dalaman airport, less than 4 days until I would be on my way to Rhodes and 10 days until I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, to meet Captain Caveman.
I took my measurements; I’d lost 2cm from my bust, 1cm from my hips but my waist (where I needed to lose it the most) had stayed the same. In another last ditch attempt to lose weight today I did 70 seconds squat, 90 seconds plank, 30 crunches and 20 leg lifts – it was very difficult! For breakfast I only had chickpea biscuits and courgette tortilla with a cup of Yorkshire tea. At 12.30pm I had an appointment with Emrah, my hairdresser, for a cut, colour and styling. I ended up having my hair washed by Mehmet instead of one of the girls, as it was busy and he did a great job. After finishing my hair, Emrah took a few photos for me and I couldn’t help thinking that Edna would be pleased I still had the cavalier look to match her.

I decided I would wear one of my newly acquired dresses to Fat Club as I had a feeling I’d be going out after, to meet the pool gang for the last time in a while.
When I got on Carol’s scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was pleased with that. I had now lost 8.2kg (18lb) in total and it was definitely noticeable. I got a lift round to Rehab bar with Carol where I proceeded to have 2 celebratory draft beers. I bumped in to Dan, who I’d played pool with before, and he was having a daiquiri at the bar. He’d gone for a red fruit one to detract from his rather pink and painful looking sunburn. Carol and I joined Kate, Pamela, Gareth and Julie, sat outside Rehab until the sun went in. Carol was a bit giddy at how much weight I’d lost and insisted we took photos in the street. Kaan, the Tequila boat captain, stopped by to say hello and liked my new leopard print dress and my new weight loss, he even asked if I still had a husband! I obviously let him know I was still very much with Captain Caveman and was off to see him soon. After getting chatting to Gareth and Julie I was almost late for my next engagement of the day. I had been invited by Ann to her daughter, Jacqueline’s birthday celebration at Sofra bar and I was looking forward to it.

I joined Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Jamie and Drew at Sofra bar for birthday celebrations at 7.30pm. My parents were currently on their flight to Dalaman and would arrive in a couple of hours but planned to go straight to their apartment. Jacqueline and Lee had flown in from Manchester earlier today and Ann had organised a cake from Louize as a surprise. I wasn’t going to have any cake due to the fact that I was meant to be on a diet but I was ‘forced’ in to it and it’s one of the best ones of Louize’s I’ve had. I had picked up Daisy’s sunglasses when I left Rehab bar, and had them in my bag. She messaged to ask the whereabouts of them which gave me the idea to send her photos of everyone around me wearing them. My reply to Daisy being ‘do you mean these?’ Even the staff, the dogs (including a stray that wanted in on the fun), and some other friends got involved. Şükrü made Jac do a birthday shot with him and she chose apple sourz! By 10.30pm the birthday celebrations were over and everyone paid up and got ready to leave. I, on the other hand, and not had my hair done and put a frock on for me to go home early. My Mom had messaged to say they had arrived but weren’t coming out as they were tired from travelling. Mom said she would message tomorrow so we could finally see each other again.

I went to meet Wendy, from Sheffield, and friends in Rodrigo’s bar and ended up giving the ball a right kick with Wendy, Jackie, Turgay, Kirsty, Sally, Sandra, Mal, Alice, Savaş and Ozzy. It must have been about 3am when we got turfed out and made our way home.
I didn’t cook myself any random meals when I got in but I did set my alarm so that I’d be up and ready to see my parents in the morning.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd May

My month and my week started early on Monday 1st May. For breakfast I had 2 slices of wholemeal toast with 2 cheese triangles and a cup of Yorkshire tea. I was just about to start work when I got a message from Jamie asking if I was available this evening. He, his parents and Drew were having a BBQ and wanted to invite me to meet his Ma & Pa. I agreed to pop over after work and then got cracking on with my day.
For lunch I had some curry and steamed rice then lounged on the new furniture in the sun while eating an orange.
After work I went to empty the washing machine to find I had left money in my shorts pocket and it was very wet. I managed 50 seconds of squats, 70 seconds of planking and 30 sit ups before walking over to Jamie’s. I took a bottle of red wine with me and I was introduced to Jamie’s dad first, his mom was still upstairs. The BBQ was great and I really got on well with Jamie’s parents, they both had some very amusing stories. Drew got out some Turkish cheese which they had discovered tasted like a strong blue cheese. I tried some and was impressed with it, I even took a photo so I could remember it. It was a good night but we didn’t have a late one as I needed to be up early for work tomorrow.

It was another working day on Tuesday 2nd May and it was also the last day before Fat Club and my parents arriving in Dalyan. I’d already gone over 200 syns this week so I wasn’t optimistic for a loss but I was going to do all I could today to rectify the damage already done. For breakfast I had carrot sticks and a Yorkshire tea, followed by as much cucumber infused water as I could take. As I started work, I noticed a team of fellas cleaning the pool and that the neighbours were drilling loudly. This wasn’t good for the new holiday makers at B1 but hopefully it wouldn’t be all day as it looked like they were erecting a pergola and some screening.
At lunch I had more curry but with a slice of bread and a cheese triangle. After work, I went to the bank and the shop where I bought more Quark at 11.90 lira (50p) each and some skimmed milk for 16.75 lira (68p). I wanted to buy the strawberry lube for my boss and his wife but they had none in stock and I’d left it too late to go to the pharmacy next to the bank. I did cost up the coffee so that I could ask what size to get. The 50g Nescafe Gold jar was 59.90 lira (£2.44) and the 200g jar was 225 lira (£9.18). I don’t drink coffee so I didn’t know if this was cheap or not, but it is more expensive in Rhodes. On the way back, I walked past my parents place and the roof netting had been put on. This was a good job as they were arriving tomorrow night. When I got home I noticed there were some numbers written on our electric meter box but I didn’t know why.
Dinner was beef stew with extra veg which was delicious. I’d managed 80 seconds plank, 60 seconds squats, 40 crunches and 60 minutes of walking. I had no alcohol for a 4th day this week and it was a Slimming World Speed day so I really hoped I’d lost weight tomorrow at Fat Club. To keep busy and prevent myself from snacking I made chickpea biscuits and a courgette tortilla. Before bed, I ate some pineapple that needed eating up with some quark.

Dalyan – 30th April

I think I might have still been slightly intoxicated when I woke up on Sunday 30th April. I saw a chair advertised on Facebook; a woman was giving it away so I messaged her to say I wanted it. She lived in Maraş and I had no transport but that didn’t stop me. I messaged Fikri, the friendly taxi driver, and asked if he would be able to go to the lady’s house, pick up the chair and bring it to mine. He agreed, we made the necessary arrangements, I got dressed and downed some sugar free limonata drink.
By 12.30pm I was sat on the kitchen balcony in my freshly put together IKEA chair, my feet on the accompanying foot stool. Fikri had only charged me 70 lira (£2.90) but the chair had arrived in pieces with an IKEA allen key. I was starting to sober up and the hangover was kicking in as the hot sun shone down. I needed to find somewhere for the new furniture to go when it was raining as the apartment was pretty crowded already.
I forced beans on wholemeal toast and an apple down me for lunch and generally lolled about, wishing I’d not drank so much last night.
My boss sent over my ferry ticket to Rhodes for next week, which meant I had to be at the ferry port at 7.30am next Sunday! I thought it might be nice to see if anyone fancied a night in Fethiye beforehand. The Saturday was the Coronation of King Charles in the UK which I thought wouldn’t affect things here but, unfortunately, it meant most British people would be busy doing something to commemorate that event. I asked my parents if they fancied coming to Fethiye on the Saturday and Ma said she’d think about it. They were arriving late on Wednesday night so weren’t sure they fancied a night in Fethiye so soon after arriving. I asked Kate if her and Mark fancied it, as she’s always up for avoiding any Royal stuff but even she politely declined. I still might go on my own but couldn’t decide and put off making a decision for now.

I managed to pick up some clothes, donated from another kind friend, from Tez bar, and was rather surprised with the content of the bag. There were some really nice items in there and even the stuff that was too big would be able to be altered. I proceeded to have a trying on session and I took photos of them all to send to my Mom so she could say which she liked with thumbs up or heart emojis.

For dinner I had my appetite back and had a pizza made from a wrap and then 4 fish fingers. I’d not managed the plank challenge today but I’d done 40 seconds squat and 50 sit ups. It was my first no meat day of the week but my 3rd no alcohol day, if I could just stay on track for the next couple of days I had a chance of losing weight this week, still.

Dalyan – 28th & 29th April

When I finally surfaced on Friday 28th April, our shared swimming pool was being filled by hose pipe. This was great news for The Aussies as they had guests arriving shortly who would be staying for 6-7 weeks. I had strawberries for breakfast and went to Turkish class feeling a little delicate. I worked out I’d drank 7 beers yesterday so I was already on 75 syns for this week so far, which was still around the same as last week at this time. I treated myself to a fresh orange juice at Lukka bar for 50 lira (£2 approx) and we had a good lesson.
After class, I checked that the pool was almost filled and it was, an hour later it was a strange colour from all the chemicals. I did the 20 seconds of squat challenge and 40 seconds of plank challenge – it was hard. I popped to the shop to buy bread, cheese and some sugar free lemon drink to perk me up a bit with a late lunch. It cost 76.25 lira (£3.15) for those 3 things, which wasn’t bad, from Bim Supermarket.
That evening, I stayed in for my 2nd alcohol free night of the week and ate leftover sweet potato cottage pie for dinner. Tomorrow I had a few treats lined up!

It was quite a busy day for me on Saturday 29th April despite not going to the weekly market this week. I had 1 week left in Dalyan and my friend, Wendy from Sheffield, was on her way here for a holiday.
My first appointment of the day was to meet another friend, at Ela’s Kitchen for brunch. I always enjoy meeting up with her and today was no different. I ordered a Yorkshire tea which now comes with a home made shortbread biscuit – I couldn’t resist eating that! I decided to take no notice of the diet and ordered a sausage sandwich, which came with chips and salad. My friend ordered a jacket potato with melted cheese which also came with salad. We had a nice chat with Nicola, the co-owner, prices had increased again in Turkey and she had her new menu ready as they were going to be offering evening meals too, during the holiday season. It was still 40 lira (£1.64) for a cup of tea, but 175 lira (£7.16) for the sausage sandwich, so it’s not cheap but the portion sizes are generous, the service is good and the food is excellent. We actually ended up staying there for most of the day and even had another couple of drinks while we chatted on about all sorts of topics.

My next appointment was at the new beauty salon, Sisters, right next to the bank. As summer was coming, I decided to treat myself to a pedicure and some waxing. The pedicure was good and I chose a bright orange nail varnish (but not gel). The waxing was quite a treat as the staff carried the massage bed in to a back room which was off the staff kitchen and had a glass window. Strangely, it was positioned with me being legs akimbo facing the window instead of away from it but the girl reassured me no men would be able to see! She was very thorough and I had to help more than usual by holding my thigh flab and tummy.

When I got home, I saw that the pool was now finished, I’d met the occupants of B1, one of who was not able to walk easily and wanted to know where he could get some sun loungers as the plastic ones had no cushions and were uncomfortable.
On my way out to meet Wendy I popped to Waterfall bar, where I thought I was meeting Pamela. I saw Penny, John and Andrea but didn’t stop for a drink because Pamela was still in Rodrigo’s but was not stopping long. When I got there she was with Glynn and Mark so we all had a drink. Afterwards, Mark and I went to Rehab bar, where he’d been playing pool for most of the afternoon. We played pool, Wendy’s flight was delayed so we ended up playing a game with Jason and Dan, a friendly father and son on holiday. Wendy arrived late and was no longer up for a night ‘out out’ but she did call in to Rehab for 1 drink though, just to say hello before going back to her hotel for some much needed sleep. I really should have taken a leaf out of her book but (obviously) I didn’t. Mark and I stayed out playing pool in Rehab bar until 1.30am. I was eating a homemade chicken liver curry with steamed rice at home by 1.50am, promising myself that I would try harder on the diet over the next few days.