Dalyan – 2nd December

While Jamie was on his cruise on Monday 2nd December, I had a more ordinary day. It started with Captain Caveman bringing me tea and toast in bed. Then he took himself off to the dog shelter for the morning. No work men came so I looked after the dogs and worked. As it was a new month, I went to the bank to pay in more money for my residency requirements and called at home before a dog walk.

I did a quick check of any leaks or storm damage and our apartment was fine. The Aussies’ place had a plant that had blown off the stairs, smashing the plant pot, so I put it back on the floor rather than the step. The swimming pool had got that full with rain water yesterday, that it had overflowed a little bit. I noticed that Captain Caveman had finally fixed the netting on the door to stop the stray cats spraying on our stairs and I was so pleased as I hate the smell and it ruins my wellies.
I also went to the shops for provisions and here is what I bought, prices in lira;

Bakery
1 loaf of bread 10.00 lira (23p)

Migros Supermarket
3 tins of chopped tomatoes 65.85
A 1.9kg whole chicken 148.07
Total spent 213.92 lira (£4.86)

I called to pick some oranges and lemons from my parents’ trees as they were starting to go to waste and my Mom had told me to eat them.

I was getting ready to have lunch, when I got a call from Captain Caveman who was outside Jamie’s gate and had attracted the company of a huge dog which looked like a polar bear. We took photos to post on Facebook to see if anyone had lost it and generally fussed the beautiful dog before it got bored and ran off.

After a lunch of vegetable soup with fresh bread, Captain Caveman decided to make himself useful in the kitchen by making more soup. From 1.30pm to 5pm I worked to the sound of vegetables being chopped and pots, big enough to roast them in, being found in the kitchen cupboards.
Even snack-starved Edna kept out of the way of the kitchen, by sitting on the back of the sofa cushion. For dinner I did a roast chicken with pumpkin, potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots and green beans. While that cooked I had a look at the 10 Cheapest countries to travel to for a holiday and then got engrossed in planning a city break to see the Christmas Lights in Puglia, Italy, where they have some of my favourite wine!
The dinner was lovely, although it seemed to take ages to cook the chicken and I put it down to it being a bigger one than usual. We managed another short walk with the dogs but it had been pretty wet out today. Over in Rhodes it was still raining – it was pretty horrendous and I hoped it wasn’t coming our way.

Dalyan – 1st December

Sunday 1st December was the day of the Çalış Winter Fayre which a few of the Dalyan Dwellers were going to. We didn’t fancy it as we were being frugal with the housekeeping and we didn’t want to leave Norman and Edna for too long home alone.
The electricity was off from 4am until 8am so Captain Caveman dealt with cups of tea and dogs, but we were lucky. Rhodes had suffered from terrible storms, floods and even landslides – posts on Facebook were asking for help and showed quite a lot of devastation, in particular where I had been on holiday with the girls in September.

I had cornflakes for breakfast and later some bread and butter which meant I had hit my syn allowance for this week already. It was quite chilly as Captain Caveman went off for his Sunday Walk without me. I didn’t fancy it and had work to do. I spent the day with the dogs, mostly indoors at Jamie’s as there were no builders in today and it was raining quite a bit. Captain Caveman returned from the walk only having had 2 of them do it today, he had gone via Fire Opal for a hot shower.

For lunch we had left over curry and rice and I did a bit of writing. I found a blanket to cover Captain Caveman and me, but Norman and Edna had other ideas. All 3 of them had sofa cuddles and I made lasagne with roast potatoes and cabbage for dinner. After what had been a trying month, I decided I needed to have a more grateful attitude as I was very lucky to be in the position I was, right now, even though it sometimes didn’t feel like it.

Photo credit – some from the Sunday Walkers/Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 30th November

It was the last day of the month and I was surprised and relieved that I had managed to survive the month without losing it, to be quite honest. Saturday 30th November was a fairly busy day for me and it started when Captain Caveman’s alarm went off at 7.30am. The weather app said it was a mild 9°C, with a likelihood of 19°C later on, but rain was very much on the cards. After seeing to Norman and Edna, I updated my shopping list ready for a market visit and had my cup of tea.
Captain Caveman and I were at the market by 10am and here is what we bought, prices in lira;

Stall 1
Potatoes & onions 60 lira

Stall 2
Carrots 34 lira

Stall 3
Başlamak bread, pumpkin, spinach, spring onion, green beans and fresh mint 250 lira

Stall 4
Mushrooms 50 lira

Stall 5
Sweet potatoes 60 lira

Stall 6
Peppers 84 lira

Total spent at the market 538 lira (£12.17), which was a bit more than usual.

We didn’t take Norman and Edna and we decided to share a cheese and spinach gözleme (pancake) sat at the little stall in the market. They are quite big and cost 80 lira ($1.81) for the one we had and it was so fresh and delicious – not Slimming World friendly, either.
Back home, and after leaving Norman and Edna for the first time alone, we had soup for lunch and the water man delivered us more water for 70 lira (£1.58) and was super efficient. I decided to attempt to clean the kitchen a bit while Captain Caveman went over to Fire Opal to collect more stuff. I also put all the ingredients for a Bolognese in to the slow cooker and decided I would try out one of Jamie’s new ovens with a lasagne for dinner. We managed a dog walk while it was cooking but the rain came down in the afternoon and most of the evening. Norman and Edna didn’t mind one bit as it meant they got to be lazy and have sofa snuggles until they fell asleep.
I totted up how much we had spent in November so that I could compare it to October and plan for December. The 2 of us had lived off just over 20,000 lira and was about £455 in November – it was double that of October but I was very proud of myself for being able to manage it as it was less than the Turkish minimum wage for 2 people. Of course, we had no mortgage or rent to pay but that included bills, food, drink, transport and any hobbies etc. I doubted I could live off that for just myself back in the UK, let alone the 2 of us here in Dalyan.
Before bed Captain Caveman and I watched Undercover on Netlfix, which had not previously worked but was ok now so we got 2 episodes in. Tomorrow we would start December, Captain Caveman’s last month in Dalyan, with a walk.

Dalyan – 29th November

It was only 6°C at 7am on Friday 29th November when I woke up. I made myself a cup of tea and sorted the dogs out. Edna had been sleeping on the sofa cushion and Norman was up and about. After their breakfast, Norman wanted to go back to bobos with me. I had toast for breakfast and then Captain Caveman and I walked the dogs. We decided to spend some time at Fire Opal with the dogs – I would work there while Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club. I noticed that he still hadn’t mended the hole in the gate, which he had said he would, and cats were still coming in and spraying their scent on the staircase. I’d found him some netting and had put it next to the door ready to use. The sun streams in to Fire Opal making it warm indoors and the dogs could take off their jumpers and relax. They loved it at our place and they snoozed on the sofa for ages.
I made pizza wraps for lunch but asked Captain Caveman to make something for dinner so that I could carry on working. He also went out to do the shopping and here’s what he bought with prices in lira;

Hardware shop
100 zip ties 65.00 lira (£1.47)

Migros Supermarket
Milk 37.95
15 eggs 81.50
Fabric Softener 99.95
Total spent 219.40 lira (£4.96)

Balcı Pharmacy
1 pack Cerazette 329.18 lira (£7.45)

I had it in my diary to message a friend to meet up tomorrow but I decided I was not in any fit state to be out and about socialising. My back still hurt most of the time and I was going between the 2 houses. My friend kindly offered to come over to see me but I wasn’t sure which place I would be at and when for her to pop over. A close friend had messaged me about coming over to Dalyan for a visit in February and I was already really looking forward to that so much, as I missed my friends from back home.
We walked the dogs back over to Jamie’s for their dinner, Captain Caveman cooked pasta but he was not enjoying cooking in a different house. I washed up and by the time I came to sit down, Captain Caveman and the dogs were all asleep. I woke Captain Caveman up and we watched more of ‘Until I Kill You’, which was good and made my problems look insignificant.

Dalyan – 27th November

Wednesday 27th November was weigh day so Captain Caveman and I got weighed at Fire Opal. We had our breakfast while the dogs watched and generally kept out of the way of the painters at Jamie’s for the day.
On our home scales I had lost 0.8kg (1.8lb) but Captain Caveman had done even better and had lost 1.1kg (2.4lb). My measurements were really good this week too and, although I had stayed the same on my bust, I had lost 3cm from my waist and 4cm from my hips. This meant I was 2cm under my target measurements for each. I still needed to lose 1.1kg (2.4lb) to hit my weight target. Captain Caveman decided to also set himself a target and chose 75kg, which meant he wanted to lose another 3.6kg (8lb).
At 11.30am I had Turkish class and I still hadn’t done my homework, so I quickly did that just beforehand. Turkish class this week was at Ela’s Kitchen which I do prefer and I ordered a Yorkshire tea for my drink. It was 80 lira (£1.82) and very nice. I walked back through the square where Wonky’s was and via the bakery which now had a tent front being added to their cafe area.

Back home, where Captain Caveman had been left in charge of Norman & Edna and making our lunch, I had a small but good salad. We then took the dogs on a walk along the river, bumping in to a couple of friends who were drinking wine at Okyanus in the lovely sunshine. They asked why they hadn’t seen us out at all and I explained about being on a health kick and neither of us having any work until recently. They said I was looking very well and could tell I had lost a lot of weight, and it was nice to have their support and encouragement.
At Fat Club, I was in charge while Carol was away. There were 6 attendees plus me and I really love our little group as it is so supportive. To my surprise I had lost the same as on my home scales, although weighed 0.2kg (0.4lb) heavier on Carol’s scales. There was a mixture of results; 3 ladies had put a little weight on but could understand why, 1 had stayed the same and 3 had lost. I’m glad I had lost as I wanted to try to lead by example as I know it’s really hard to support others if I’m not showing it can be done.
Back at Fire Opal, I noticed we hadn’t finished off the Yorkshire pudding mixture so I made myself a couple of pancakes with a drizzle of honey and then ate an orange which I had taken from a tree.
For dinner, Captain Caveman made a chicken and vegetable pasta which was topped with cheese and very tasty. We stayed at Fire Opal until 7pm to give the painted doors a chance to dry and then we walked back with our bags and the dogs. They were a bit disgruntled that it was past their dinner time and were eager for food.
I fed the dogs and put stuff in cupboards before getting ready for the Resort Experts weekly team meeting at 8pm. Luckily for Jamie, he was about to get his learning from actually being on a cruise!
After the team meeting, something had gotten Captain Caveman upset as he was being a bit off with me. I explained that I was getting quite annoyed that I was trying my best to hold things together but his Bridge addiction was getting me down and I wanted him to do something about it. He turned the situation around to say that the only reason he was playing Bridge so much was because I was working and he was ‘allowing me the time to do my stuff but was getting annoyed that I wasn’t getting on with my list of stuff’. He also said that he was annoyed that he always did the washing up. I was so annoyed because I didn’t agree and I would love nothing more than to get on with my to-do list! As he decided to take himself off to the bedroom, I sat and cried out of complete frustration. I stayed downstairs with the dogs and got on with some of my to-do list, but by 4am it was too cold to stay downstairs. I needed a human version of the dog jumper to keep me warm.

Dalyan – 26th November

I had so many plans for Tuesday 26th November but it didn’t go quite as I had hoped. Captain Caveman had gone to Bridge Club and I finished doing a bit of work and blog writing. I’d had tea and cornflakes for breakfast and I had the good sense to take a photo of the contents of the fridge then made some more samosas and some cheese rolls. Today we were going to be looking after 2 of our favourite dogs, Norman and Edna, until Christmas Eve while their owner went on holiday.
Jamie and I said our goodbyes, after weighing the cases which were bang on the allowance, and I knew that Jamie was going to miss Norman and Edna so much. Luckily, little Norman was like a new dog compared to last year and was doing so well. As I spend a lot of time with Norman and Edna, I knew they would be fine and I planned to keep them entertained as much as possible. The building noise was fairly loud and the dogs kept barking at the workmen so I decided to take them upstairs to the front bedroom. It was lovely and sunny outside but pretty cold in the house.
Captain Caveman arrived at Jamie’s expecting lunch and I was running a cloth round trying to get rid of some of the builder’s dust that had settled.

Captain Caveman went back to Fire Opal while I sat out on the bedroom balcony with Norman. He had gone to get some lunch and was going to make chicken sandwiches and bring the samosas and cheese rolls over. Norman was quite cold and shivery as the painters had all the doors and windows open but, luckily, the suntrap of the balcony was much better for him. All 4 of us sat out there while we ate the lunch which Captain Caveman had brought us and the dogs were disappointed not to get a snaffle. After lunch, Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone while layed on the bed with Edna, he was cold so kept his coat and hat on. I decided I would put the dogs their new winter coats on and they did look cute. I fed the dogs, observing the correct instructions of quantity and medication.

After a dinner of warmed up curry and everyone settling down, I was going to do some work. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as Captain Caveman thought he would be helpful by trying to get the water machine working and one of the buttons got stuck. I got involved when a few litres of water were all over the kitchen floor and no mop or towel had been reached for! The mop was less than a metre from the spillage and I got that plus a dog towel to clean it up, while Captain Caveman was happy to paddle about in it saying ‘it’s only a bit of water!’
It was already going to feel like a long month but then, mid-mopping, I did my back in and was in a bit of pain. I was also annoyed with Captain Caveman for messing about with the water machine despite me telling him we were to wait until it got wired in – of course, he didn’t listen or care about that. I didn’t sleep well that evening and I knew I had a very busy day tomorrow. I had consumed 245 syns this week and I was still hoping for a loss at Fat Club this week.

Dalyan – 22nd November

On Friday 22nd November it looked like the rain and storms were over and we had a glimpse of some sunshine. As I had my cup of tea and some cornflakes, I read a little about an alternative destination in Lapland, called Oulu. Usually visitors at Christmas flock to Rovaniemi but it can be busy and pricey so Oulu was looking like a good option for anyone wanting to go to Finland at Christmas. I’d always fancied it although I thought it would be for kids but this city looked like it had lots to do. It was on my list for the future!
Unfortunately, Captain Caveman’s Bridge Club was cancelled so he wasn’t too happy but I managed to find something to keep him from despair! Someone we knew well, wanted us to go and look at a property that was for sale and I needed Captain Caveman to help me find it. I had my reservations as to whether it had been advertised correctly so we decided to go and look without the agent to get an idea of location and condition, just from the outside. It turned out to be very similar to one we had looked at before Captain Caveman had bought Fire Opal. We thought it would be too small for the potential buyers and that it might be overpriced.

It started to rain while we were out but not nearly as bad as it had been yesterday so we persevered and called at the shops. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;

Yaman Büfe 2
1 Idol white wine 215.00
1 Idol red wine 215.00
Total spent 430.00 lira (£9.93)

A101 Supermarket
2 packs mini wraps 30.00 lira (69p)

Migros Supermarket
1 pack spaghetti 11.75
2 packs pasta 23.50
1 pack broken rice 24.95
580g Chicken thighs 91.35
1.6kg whole chicken 108.98
1kg Chicken breasts 196.03
Parmesan cheese 199.90
Total spent 656.46 lira (£15.16)

As we passed the bus station, Captain Caveman took a photo of the new timetable for the bus to the beach. There was only the one winter service now, going at 12 noon and returning at 5pm. We bought the usual fresh bread from the bakery across from the bus station and fresh bread is still so cheap in Turkey. We paid just 10 lira (23p) and the bread is very good.
As Captain Caveman had free time on his hands, he made us a chicken salad sandwich with sweet potatoes done in the air fryer, for lunch.
We messaged back to the UK with photos and videos to the potential property buyers and I asked if they fancied a video call to discuss – they didn’t as they were busy and had also had snow where they were in England.

I carried on with work while Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone. Tonight our team meeting had been moved from Wednesday so I had invited Jamie round so that we could do it together. Our boss had given strict instructions that, as we were at a team meeting on a Friday night, we should bring a bottle of wine from the country we were in. Jamie and I had no problem with that and he had a bottle of Rituel and I had chosen Idol, both red. Norman and Edna came too and they had cuddles with Captain Caveman while we tried not to get too merry for the team meeting. I’d done a curry in the slow cooker and I’d also made some curried sweet potato samosas to have as a starter with a cucumber, mint, lemon juice and quark dip. Jamie was on a health kick too so I’d made everything Slimming World friendly. We had the samosas before the meeting as Captain Caveman couldn’t wait and I was getting peckish.
The meeting went well and we had an update from the bosses about a new website for villas which anyone with luxury holiday villas, in any part of the world, could add on to the site, as a host, to attract customers through Resort Experts.
After the meeting we snaffled down the chicken, sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice and başlamak bread, then finished off the wine. It turned in to quite a night – Jamie, Norman and Edna didn’t leave until gone midnight!

Dalyan – 21st November

Bumming on Thursday 21st November was cancelled due to the awful rain. Captain Caveman didn’t have a morning activity so it was a quiet day at home. Jamie came over to collect Norman and Edna and he had to put the dog bed in a bin liner to keep it dry just going to the car. Captain Caveman and I reassured Jamie that Norman and Edna had been more than happy at our place so they would be fine to stay with us while he went on his next holiday in a few day’s time. The rain kept coming as we warmed up last night’s leftovers for lunch. I made a meal plan and looked at our budget for the rest of the month and things were very tight. It didn’t stop me from looking up holidays that I would like to go on, though! I worked, I blogged, I made a list of all what we needed to pay for between now and the end of the year – depressing, but necessary. It was now over 3 months since I had a wage coming in and almost 2 months since Captain Caveman had got paid. Luckily, we don’t celebrate Christmas but if we did, it would certainly have been cancelled. I felt lucky to be in Turkey where we didn’t need to celebrate the festivities as I know most people in the UK do.
When the rain got even heavier, I went upstairs to check the bathroom and found we had some very small leaks in both bathrooms and a damp patch in the spare room. I mopped up and cleaned the floors then put dry towels down to catch any more leaks. I put the winter quilt on our bed and did some more cleaning in our bedroom.
Captain Caveman made pasta for dinner and we had a dog-walk free evening, even though we were both missing the dogs already.

Dalyan – 20th November

Captain Caveman took the dogs out early on Wednesday 20th November and then we both got weighed. Even though Captain Caveman wasn’t actually on a diet, he had agreed to support me on my healthier lifestyle by eating the same as me, if not just a little bit more than me in terms of portion size. I had stayed the same weight as last week on the home scales, my bust and waist measurements also remained the same but I had put on 2cm on my hips. Captain Caveman had lost 1.15kg (2.5lb) and was now under the 80kg mark.
As his schedule is free on Wednesdays, Captain Caveman had previously said he would look after Norman and Edna while I went out to Turkish class, which I ended up being late to. Today it was held at The Pier which is a lovely new restaurant. I had already been warned that a coffee could cost up to 200 lira (£4.59) there so I had decided I wouldn’t buy a drink. An hour’s Turkish lesson is less than that and buying unnecessary drinks soon adds up. The Pier was very lovely, though, and I thought it looked like a great venue to bring family and friends when they come to visit.

On the way back home, I spotted a dead snake on the pavement and took a photo to try to identify it later, but it was upside down. At Fire Opal it was evident that the painting was finished but the cleaning up after, wasn’t included in their work! Once again it was soup for lunch, a dog walk with both of us and then I was off to Fat Club.

Miraculously, I had lost 0.2kg (0.4lb) and meant I only had just over 2kg (4.4lb) left to lose to hit my target. The app we were using was still showing I had the body of a 58 year old though, down from 61 at least. Carol was off to the UK for 3 weeks so she had asked me to hold the fort for her. I was honoured and hoped it might be a bit of motivation to actually keep on track and not lapse while she was gone. Carol dropped me off at mine with the precious scales and all the books. For dinner we had a Slimming World friendly chicken and leek bake with pasta and it was so tasty, washed down with a bottle of white wine between us. We went to bed that night, having walked the dogs and told them Little Daddy, Jamie, was on his way home right now. Tomorrow he would be picking them both up and we would be responsibility free once again.

Dalyan – 19th November

Captain Caveman had reached the halfway point of his 90 day stay in Turkey on Tuesday 19th November. I took the dogs out for their morning stroll, gave them breakfast and made my own cup of tea. I then went to the shop and bought Captain Caveman some more coffee beans as he was desperate for coffee now that the Vietnamese one was gone. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Peanut Butter 79.95
Coffee beans 349.95
Total spent 429.90 lira (£9.82)

Wow, coffee was dearer than I expected.
I had my breakfast of cornflakes and got on with my to-do list while Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club. After a lunch of soup and both of us doing a dog walk, I carried on with my work and Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone. I got a weather warning on Facebook that said the area was about to start to get some more rain in the next few days and I thought this typical, especially with dogs to keep warm and dry. We both walked the dogs in the evening as Captain Caveman needed to put the bins out but rain was imminent.

For dinner we had a lovely treat when Captain Caveman made a roast chicken dinner with vegetables, and rosé wine but no Yorkshire puddings. The dogs weren’t given any on account of Norman having a sensitive tum and Edna being on a diet but it didn’t stop them trying to get a morsel. I did more social media post scheduling for my Resort Experts Facebook page in the evening.
I did the dog walk late at night on my own as Captain Caveman had done the washing up (again). When I totted up my syns for this week I was on 313 and was definitely not going to be getting a loss at Fat Club tomorrow – why do I always forget to be better on a Tuesday!?

Dalyan – 18th November

On Monday 18th November Captain Caveman got up at 7.30am with the alarm and went to take the dogs out for a short walk, then brought me a cup of tea in bed. It was definitely getting chilly in a morning now and I needed to think about putting a winter duvet on the bed soon. Before I had already got dressed, I had checked out holidays on TUI, Jet2Holidays, EasyJet, Classic Collection and JTA Holidays. I also put a post on my social media from the Lake House in Phong Nha and it got quite a lot of engagement. Looking at all the holidays I had access to, was definitely making me have itchy feet again and I was keen to get on and do well so that I could book more trips with friends, family and Captain Caveman – I had already seen loads that were now on my wish list. I fed the dogs, I had some cornflakes for breakfast and then Captain Caveman and I walked towards the dog shelter together, with Norman & Edna. After seeing Captain Caveman off, me and the dogs turned back and came home. I looked at more work related stuff including a glass igloo hotel in Finland. The dogs napped until just after midday when I decided to make pasties with the filo pastry and left over chicken fajita and chicken & mushroom. Captain Caveman came back from dogging and had enjoyed walking lots of dogs, including Coffee and Charlie Brown. We ate the pasties with red vegetable soup and then I added more items to my to-do list, despite still not having finished the one I had yet.
In the afternoon, Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone and wouldn’t join me walking the dogs as he said he’d done enough dog walking already today. For dinner we had left over spag bol and I had a moan at Captain Caveman that we don’t tend to do much together and I wasn’t looking forward to continuing like that for the next 6 weeks, until he had to leave. He replied that he was quite happy with us not doing things together and even said it would be a good idea in the future to have separate holidays so that he could go on Bridge trips and I could go with my friends doing things I enjoyed. Luckily, neither of us were in a position to be planning any holidays, anyway, so we watched a film called Demolition and Captain Caveman fell asleep with the dogs, missing the end.

Dalyan – 17th November

Captain Caveman had changed the walk on Sunday 17th November to an easy one as the one he had planned would have been slippery and wet after last night’s storm. He was up early and took the dogs out for their walk first and then brought me a cup of tea in bed. My weather app predicted more rain today but Captain Caveman has more weather apps that said it was going to be fine. Once I had fed the dogs and Captain Caveman had his breakfast and left for the walk, I put all the ingredients for a bolognese in the slow cooker. I also made myself a pho for breakfast and really enjoyed it before getting on with work, as well as doing some writing I needed to do. I added more items to the shopping list and, when Captain Caveman got back from his walk we had cheese sandwiches for lunch. The Sunday Walk had turned out to be a good one and they hadn’t had the rain predicted. I could’ve gone but I had the dogs to look after and it was too far for their little legs to manage.

I had a bit of a mission that I needed to carry out in the afternoon as I had agreed to update Matt, Vanessa’s husband’s, Play Station at their apartment. I decided it would be a good idea before I got on the phone with Matt to go round (I had a key) to their apartment and check I could switch on the electric and that the internet would work. Captain Caveman and I took a dog each and did a walk along the way, when we arrived at Vanessa and Matt’s I realised there are cats living there so Norman and Edna had to wait outside the gate with Captain Caveman. I got in the apartment and found the meter to switch on but while I was there I heard the neighbour, shouting me. I came downstairs and she said that her and Captain Caveman had heard me shouting – I had not uttered a word. I went back up and as I reached their apartment door, it was closed and the key was inside.
Oh shit, I was in a dilemma and had already sent Captain Caveman and the pooches off back home. I messaged Vanessa to tell her what had happened. Luckily, there was a spare key and all was ok. Not even an hour later, I had logged in to the device, followed Matt’s instructions over the phone and sorted it out. I’d even learned a new skill of being able to use a Play Station controller, which was a first for me – a man definitely invented that gadget!
On the way back home, I called at the shop for a few essentials and here’s the details;

Migros Supermarket
1 pack of filo pastry 54.95
1kg Sweet potatoes 73.10
A 1.6kg chicken 124.40
400g of beef mince 191.96
Total spent 444.41 (£10.17)

Of course, the beef mince was expensive but I didn’t realise that I had got it at a better discount than it should’ve been as I chose the 7% fat as opposed to the 20% fat, but still got it for the same price as the fattier meat. That evening we had Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner with some red wine and we took the dogs out together. Norman and Edna were reluctant to go out but I think it was because they knew it was rainy/stormy.
I had a video call with Vanessa and she updated me on everything she had done since leaving Dalyan, 12 days ago. Her trip to Istanbul had been good and she was glad to be back in the UK. While we were on the call, my Resort Experts Facebook page had hit 10,000 views and it had not been active a month yet, so I was pleased things were taking off a little bit.
Downstairs, I got relegated to the sofa where I get a stiff neck if watching TV, while Captain Caveman and the dogs comfortably took the other sofa. By 10pm, all 3 of them were fast asleep and snoring away.

Photo credit – some photos taken by people on the Sunday Walk, including Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 16th November

I walked Norman & Edna on the morning of Saturday 16th November and left Captain Caveman in bed. It had meant to have been the day of the Dalyan Christmas fayre but it had been postponed due to the forecast rain – and rain it did!! We managed to not get soaked and I fed the dogs their breakfast which they absolutely wolfed down. By 9am the dogs were napping on the sofa and I had tea and toast for breakfast. I thought we would be going to the weekly market this week so I made a list, which only had a few things on. Captain Caveman was still in bed, probably playing Bridge, and I was starting to worry a bit more about him now. We didn’t bother with the market in the end.
I did a bit of work and I suggested a walk with the dogs to get us both away from phones and laptop. We didn’t go too far as it was about to rain and when I got back, we had a message from Jamie to say he was in Bulgaria already. I cracked a wasted joke about uncles and the Wombles on Edna’s behalf. We had soup for lunch and I got back on with work while Captain Caveman played Bridge and stroked the snoozing dogs.
At 2.50pm the rain eased off a bit and I wandered round to say bye to my parents who were leaving for the airport at 3pm. Captain Caveman stayed with napping Norman and Edna as we were not really sure whether to leave them alone at our place yet. When I got to my parents, I was chatting to Mom but Dad was already on a mission to leave so he didn’t really speak much. The taxi was early so, of course, Dad had to rush to go to it and we said a quick bye at the gate. Mom and I were a little teary but Fikri, the driver, made us laugh. It’s always harder when you can’t say ‘see you in so many weeks/months’.
As I walked back to Fire Opal a stray dog spotted me and came to lick my hand as I tried not to cry. The rain came down and I was home, having said bye to the stray by 3.05pm.
The evening walk was less dry and only I went with Norman and Edna, all 3 of us ending up absolutely soaked and having to use 2 of our bath towels and my travel towel to dry the dogs. They were looking very sorry for themselves and were definitely adding this to the complaint list. I made Slimming World style pizza wraps after feeding the dogs their dinner first. The dogs slept in their bed in our downstairs, while Captain Caveman and I were upstairs but there was a bad storm and I wondered if they would settle ok.

Dalyan – 15th November

Friday 15th November was my parents’ last day in Dalyan, as they were off back home to Sheffield tomorrow. I was feeling a bit sad as I had no idea of when I would see them again and hated not being able to plan. They had been here since late September and I felt like I’d not seen them as much this time in Dalyan. To make up for not seeing my parents in bars and restaurants, as we chose to stay home, I had invited them over for dinner for their last night. Captain Caveman brought me a cup of tea in bed and asked if I was ok – he doesn’t usually enquire about feelings so he could tell I was sad. Luckily, he knew to remind me that I would soon be cheered up as I had a couple of visitors on their way.
Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club, I got up and ate my overnight oats for breakfast but was still in my lounge wear when the doorbell rang. Jamie was here with Norman and Edna and they were super excited to see me. The dogs were going to be staying with us, even though we aren’t allowed dogs on the complex so we had to keep them in our apartment and not let them bother anyone. Jamie didn’t stop long, he dropped off 2 leads, 2 food bowls, 1 water bowl, medicine, food, a few poo bags and a dog bed. By 10.35am both Norman and Edna had found a comfy spot each on the sofa while I did some work.
When Captain Caveman returned, we ate cheese and olives and leek & potato soup for lunch before taking the dogs for a quick walk. At home, Norman and Edna live in a villa and are used to saying when they want to go in the garden but at our place we are on the first floor so it’s not as easy to let them out. Once back home, I went out a couple of times, once to the bank, then to find Captain Caveman some ground coffee – he had almost run out of the Vietnamese one and I imagine he would miss not having that. I found some alternatives in Migros but, given I never drink coffee, I took photos and came back to check before buying any. Here’s what I did buy, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1.2kg Carrots 32.44
Chocolate cakes 34.50
15 eggs 79.50
A 1.6kg Chicken 126.00
Total spent 272.44 lira (£6.23)

Yaman Bufe 2
2 bottles of Idol wine 430.00
1 bottle of Isabey wine 215.00
Total spent 645.00 lira (£14.76)

While Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone and cuddled the dogs, I spent the afternoon doing a bit of work and then preparing for dinner with my parents. As the electricity had been on and off, I almost didn’t get any Yorkshire puddings in but Captain Caveman helped me get them done in the air fryer. We walked the dogs again and took them via my parents so we could walk back with them to ours. Norman and Edna were really pleased to see Granny Annie and Grandpa Stupot, as we affectionately call my parents. Edna was so excited and wanted some wine but Little Daddy (Jamie) had put her on a diet and neither dog was allowed any treats. As Norman already had the runs we kept them on water and no snacks – they were likely to put in a complaint.
The rest of us took advantage of wine and a roast chicken dinner, although Mom really was taking it easy and only had a couple of wines with soda all night. They were flying at 6.25pm tomorrow and she didn’t want to be hungover to go to the airport. We had a lovely evening and I was disappointed after my parents left that none of us took any photos of our last night together. Before bed, we took out Norman and Edna for another toilet walk, just around a block or two. It was cold out and we all were pleased to get back indoors.

Dalyan – 6th November

On Wednesday 6th November I was awake early and was concerned about my broken tooth issue on the chestnut last night. Captain Caveman had decided he would go to the dog shelter for a spot of Dogging this morning, as he had missed going on Monday. My parents were off to Göcek as part of their farewell to some of their Dalyan friends who were leaving this week. I got on the scales at home and did my measurements, knowing that it wouldn’t be a loss this week. I’d put on 0.25kg (0.5lb) on my scales, 2cm on my bust, 3cm on my waist and 1cm on my hips. I obviously didn’t bother with any breakfast, given that I needed an urgent dentist appointment. When I got to the Hesire Dentist, the newish one on Sulungur Caddesi, they were fantastic. I knew a few people who had been there and had recommended it. The male receptionist was quick, efficient and very informative, he gave an idea of cost before I went ahead (not that I had much choice). He did me a 360 degree x-ray and then told me that the dentist could see me right away. Once in the chair, the dentist checked me out and found that I might need root canal and a cap. He said it might hurt, I told him I’m not good with needles and that I would close my eyes. After feeling the needle pinch I made the mistake of opening my eyes and then seeing the needle, so I started to faint. The dentist tipped my chair so that my head was lower and I was ok for a few minutes. That’s when I remembered how I had reacted to the adrenalin in needles at dentists in Vietnam, just as I started to shake and get incredibly hot. Ordinarily, I might have called someone to come and help me but I had no wifi and neither did my parents or Captain Caveman where they were.
I don’t remember much after I tried to be brave and asked the dentist to put the AC on as I was dizzy. I was well looked after and had the filling done without being sick or falling on the floor (both of which I thought were a strong possibility)! The dentist told me he was finished and that I couldn’t eat or drink anything too hot or cold for the next 24 hours. I paid the nice receptionist the 3,000 lira (£68) which I didn’t consider expensive for the treatment and care I had received, without making an appointment too, and was glad to be on my way.
When I checked the time, as I walked back in to town, I was due to be at Turkish Class but I felt like I needed to lay down, my mouth was numb and I was still a bit woozy. I decided to cancel the class and go home to bed, optimistic I would still be able to make it to Fat Club at 3pm.
I had set my alarm to ring in time to get to Fat Club and, although I was still feeling groggy, in a bit of pain and couldn’t speak, I decided to brave Carol’s scales. I had already messaged ahead to say I couldn’t stay and couldn’t speak so I was, of course, disappointed when I arrived to see lots of new people. It’s always nice to see new joiners, and returners, when it gets to the winter and more of us who want to be nearer to a healthy weight than we are, by the time it gets to the colder months. I got on the scales and, to my utmost surprise, found that I weighed 1.45kg (3lb) less than last week. Maybe breaking a tooth was the way forward and it wasn’t like I was going to be able to eat much after weigh in, either. I went back home and got back in bed as I felt worn out, that adrenalin reaction and fainting had really done me in. After just 30 minutes of sleep, I was awakened by the sound of Captain Caveman juggling pots very loudly, downstairs. Although he thought he was being helpful by putting all the pots and pans away while I slept, when usually he would have been playing Bridge around this time, it wasn’t ideal for me! I had a piece of bread and cheese and warmed up some of the leftover ‘hot pot’ for my dinner. I then went back to bed and slept until the next morning, so I must’ve needed the rest.