Dalyan – 7th October

When I went to feed Norman and Edna at 7am on Monday 7th October, you would think that they had not been fed in ages, they were both so giddy and were running around the kitchen with excitement. I had cereal and a cup of tea while the dogs snaffled down their breakfast. It was still very warm for October and I wandered back to check out some stuff that Captain Caveman had unpacked. He had brought lots of cheap medication, coffee for him, Phong Nha and szechuan peppercorns, pho stock cubes and dried pho noodles, which I was so pleased about. By 9.30am I was in the bank putting in more English money and drawing out Turkish and repeating it to get most of the monthly required amount in.
I called at the shop for some treats on the way back round to see Norman and Edna where I bought the following, prices in lira;

BIM Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
Fresh bread 10.00
Plain crisps 27.00
2 Dido chocolate bars 29.00
6 mini Magnum ice-creams 169.90
Total spent 236.15 lira (£5.27)

Captain Caveman came over to Jamie’s to have lunch with me and after eating a mini Magnum each we had leek & potato soup with a cheese sandwich – one of my favourite lunches. I’d already eaten over the syn allowance for the week but in the afternoon we had a Dido chocolate bar each too. My friend, Debbie, had got me in to them as they are a little bit like a chunky KitKat but with different flavours and usually much cheaper – often on offer in BIM. Not content with 2 treats in the day, we also had some crisps then Captain Caveman and the 2 dogs had a good afternoon snooze in front of the TV, all 3 of them snoring away.

It was Linda’s last day in Dalyan so we had arranged to go out with her that evening, my parents were also invited but were already invited out by their friends. After feeding and taking the dogs out for an earlier walk than usual, we walked over to Kebapçı Yusuf to meet Linda. We were a bit early so I suggested that Captain Caveman take me to Ren Garden for a cheeky wine. I really like Ren Garden, which is a bar on the main Ataturk Street, at the back of it is Grandma’s Garden which is a lovely little hotel with a pool. The owners are very welcoming and the white wine is always fresh and cold. We both had a white wine and then walked back to meet Linda, who arrived at the same time as us. Our table was sat outside, while the weather was still nice and warm. We ordered a bottle of red wine and some lahmacun to be going on with. We all ordered different mains; Captain Caveman had a lamb wrap, Linda ordered a lamb shish and I chose liver shish. We shared one and a half lahmacun between us and a complimentary balloon bread (lavaş). I thought my meal was delicious and I was absolutely stuffed. The total cost for a bottle of wine, 1.5 lahmacun, 1 salad, and 3 mains came to 2500 lira (£55.80), so less than £20 each which was excellent value. After the dinner, we decided to walk Linda back to Riverside hotel and have a night cap, I messaged my parents to let them know, in the hope that they could join for a last drink and say farewell to Linda. Luckily, they were finished eating and were able to pop along. We had a lovely last evening with Linda and it looked like it wouldn’t be her last visit to Dalyan, either.

Dalyan – 6th October

Captain Caveman had arranged the Sunday Walk on Sunday 6th October and I had said I would join him. Linda, Ma & Pa were also able to join and so I fed the dogs and had my overnight oats and a cup of tea before leaving to meet everyone at Captain June’s statue in the Kaunos tea gardens at 9am. I got there 15 minutes early so had chance to take some photos of the river and the other side. Captain Caveman had posted the event on the Dalyan in Winter Facebook group so that he would have an idea of who was coming, but he was surprised by how many people turned up. Before 9.30am, we had chatted to Kate who was looking for her missing cat outside her house. The rest of the group had gone on without us so Linda, my parents and I were lost before 9.40am and were too far behind the group to be able to catch up. None of us had any internet or could decipher the map without any markings on so we decided to go to Kingfisher restaurant for a cup of tea, or even breakfast. Unfortunately as we were nearing Kingfisher, we saw a path the others must have taken and carried on, we walked for ages and eventually a local man came to our rescue and told us a short cut – we must have looked hot and tired as he even offered to go get his car to drive us back to Dalyan. We carried on and came out just slightly ahead of the group and re-joined them. The walk ended at the Kaunos tea gardens where I had a soda and a piece of Captain Caveman’s gözleme (Turkish pancake) which he had with a beer. My parents ordered beers and toasties and a few of the walkers were having a beverage.

I went straight back to sort Norman and Edna out, who I had to wake up and then my parents, Captain Caveman and us decided to go for a beer in Aşkin’s. My parents had a bit of a to-do with losing a key so they had to go, luckily they found it once they got home and that was the end of that outing. Back at Jamie’s I made a potato and leek bake for dinner and had to wake Captain Caveman up to eat it. I took the dogs out by myself as Captain Caveman was back to sleep as soon as he had eaten. I struggled as my feet and legs ached from the 9km I had walked this morning.

Dalyan – 5th October

Captain Caveman arrived in to Istanbul airport at 5.35am on Saturday 5th October. He messaged me to say he was on time for his 7.45am flight to Dalaman. Sonuç was picking him up after he landed at 9.05am and would take him to his apartment. We had already agreed I wouldn’t be there to greet him as I was having breakfast with Norman & Edna. I had cereal and a cup of tea and had hoped I would be spending the day with Captain Caveman but he wasn’t forthcoming with any plans and told me to carry on as normal without him – he would catch up with me later on. This meant that I put off going to the weekly market unnecessarily, as I was waiting to see what Captain Caveman’s plans would be.
As Linda was keen to visit Pirates & Skulls, I decided to arrange to do that with her and my parents. We decided on meeting at lunch time at Riverside hotel, getting the ferry over and having some lunch. When I told Captain Caveman that was what I was going to do, he decided to join us. After a bit of faffing about waiting for everyone, we got the 2pm ferry over, which was 15 lira each (33p) and walked to Pirate & Skulls.
We had a couple of drinks and ordered some food; Mom and Linda had the spicy noodles, Dad ordered a jacket potato, Captain Caveman and I shared mezes. The food was nice, beers were 135 lira (£3), wine 140 lira (£3.12), soft drinks 70 lira (£1.56) and 4 mezes for the 2 of us was 440 lira (£9.80). It was almost 5pm when we got the ferry back so Captain Caveman and I had to rush to let Norman and Edna out for a wee and give them their dinner. On the evening dog walk, we called at Lukka bar for a quick drink. Captain Caveman had a beer and I had a white wine & soda. The actual total was 420 lira (£9.42) but we did get a very much appreciated discount.
Back at Jamie’s, we had leek and potato soup for dinner and I had barely finished mine before both dogs and Captain Caveman were snoring away on the sofa.

Dalyan – 4th October

Breakfast was tea and toast again on Friday 4th October after I’d given Norman & Edna their biscuits. Captain Caveman was due to leave for the airport at 1.30pm Turkish time so I was getting excited for his arrival. I spent the morning cleaning up and moving my stuff to accommodate some free space. I saw that Captain Caveman had already invited people to a Sunday Walk in Dalyan, on Facebook and thought it wise for me to accept the invite so that I could be sure I would get to see him this coming weekend. He’d already said for me not to bother meeting him when he arrived as he would probably have a shower and a sleep while I looked after the dogs tomorrow. I got the feeling that Captain Caveman wasn’t looking forward to seeing me as much as I was him. While Norman had a mid-morning snooze, Edna helped me with some writing. I had a Slimming World pizza wrap for lunch and was about to go out when Jamie called to say a delivery he had ordered was on its way. After taking the delivery from the man who refused to bring it in to the house, I nipped to the bank.
That evening I tried a new Slimming World recipe; a courgette risotto and it was amazing. After the dog walk, both dogs cuddled up and we watched a bit of TV, The Chase as it’s one of Edna’s favourites.

Dalyan – 3rd October

Thursday 3rd October gave me an opportunity to sort my banking out for the new month to make sure I put the required amounts in to my Turkish bank. I had already got my 6 months residency renewal but I would need to apply again in 4 months with evidence of 6 months of payments. The weather was hotting up as I gave Norman and Edna their breakfast then decided I was going to apply for some more jobs including a part-time remote Sales Consultant for a UK company. I had tea and toast for my breakfast, followed by a snack of feta cheese and an apple when I got peckish. I was also in discussions with Mehmet, the gardener, again as I decided I was going to complain that he still hadn’t sorted out my bushes to be able to hang my washing out but he had done some stuff on the other side of the complex. He said the lads would be there at 10am, they didn’t come and when I complained he said they had forgotten. They eventually came but it did take unnecessary time out of my day with all the chasing.
Mehmet’s lads arrived at Fire Opal around 1.30pm, but I was at Jamie’s so I went back over to check – it had been done, finally! I treated myself to an açma for lunch which I had with some of Vanessa’s jam on.

Back at Jamie’s with Norman & Edna, they had a bone each, I had some leftover chickpea curry and then got ready for a rare night out in Dalyan. I had decided to invite Vanessa on a dog walk with me, Norman & Edna where we would call for my parents and then meet Linda at Ela’s Kitchen. I was keen to see my parents and hear all about their recent trip to Cappadocia plus it was 2 days since Linda had arrived for her week’s holiday in Dalyan so I was looking forward to checking on how she was doing. It was also Happy Hour at Ela’s and I know the dogs really enjoying going there on their evening walk along the river and through town.
Vanessa got lost and ended up at the wrong end of the street and had to rush to catch me up. Norman and Edna were on a mission to eat cat poo so Vanessa and I shared the holding of the dogs. Vanessa was so busy telling my parents all about her recent trip to Datça that Edna got away with munching a little bit of cat shit outside my parents’ place.
Edna and Norman were as excited as me to reach Ela’s Kitchen where Happy Hour was very welcomed. At only 120 lira (£2.67) for a decent glass of wine, I managed to polish off 3! Vanessa was on water and was updating my parents on all her trips she had planned. Linda hadn’t got my message until later due to having been down Iztuzu beach all day, but joined us still in time for Happy Hour.
When Vanessa left to go back home, the rest of us decided we would like to all eat out together this evening. My parents suggested to Linda and I that we go to Firat’s for food as it is one of their favourite Turkish restaurants and I agreed. I had to wait until the sausages, which Sev had cooked for the dogs, were a bit cooler before I could walk them home. Norman & Edna love Sev’s sausages and were so happy to get one each. We paid and I left a tip to account for the sausages and water bowls, as not all establishments are that welcoming to pets. While the others finished their drinks, I hurried back to drop the dogs home and then rushed back.

I was back to join Ma, Pa & Linda within 20 minutes of leaving Ela’s Kitchen and I had even got changed. The 3 of them had managed to get a great table at Firat’s and it was a busy 9pm already. We ordered a bottle of Angora wine which was 650 lira (£14.50) between the 4 of us and we had complimentary balloon bread (lavaş) to start with. All of us went straight for mains and I had a delicious chicken shish. My mom had the fish as it’s her favourite thing on the menu, Linda ordered lamb and dad chose chicken. The main courses ranged in price from 400 lira (£8.90) to 600 lira (£13.36) and our total bill with wine came to about £60 for the 4 of us, which I would say was very reasonable. We all had a really good meal and then decided it would be a good idea to walk Linda back to her accommodation, at Riverside Hotel. I’d never been before, the 4 of us sat on high stools at the pool bar and ordered a nightcap, or two. Ramazan, who my parents and I knew from his previous locations, was working the bar and had a good chat and a drink with us.

Dalyan – 2nd October

On Wednesday 2nd October Jamie had left me in charge of his dogs, Norman & Edna.
First I did my measurements and found that they were very favourable; 1cm off my bust and 3cm off both waist and hips so I was looking forward to seeing Carol’s scales at Fat Club later. On my home scales I had lost over 2kg so it was looking good. I had a cup of tea with cheese spread on toast and grabbed a few things to take with me.
On leaving mine, I noticed the gardener had now trimmed some of the plants and finally cleared the walk way by the gate. I arrived early at Jamie’s, Norman was still asleep but Edna was keen to know if Aunty Jo would be bringing any treats. I also noticed on Facebook that there were flood warnings in Sheffield. Here in Dalyan, the weather was lovely. Jamie had a new patio door in and I quickly found out that Norman was obsessed at going through it.

For lunch I had a feta salad with radishes then wrote my shopping list. I popped on a slow cooker soup back at mine then decided to go to the shops as I needed some toiletries. I bought Olive Oil shampoo, conditioner and shower gel for a total of 250 lira (£5.51) which I thought was reasonable for some really good stuff. Ideally, I needed to go to the hair dresser, as I hadn’t been since June, but I couldn’t justify spending the money on it just yet and hoped I could once Captain Caveman arrived. In Migros I bought sweet potatoes, tinned tomatoes, ginger and red cheddar for a total of 246.17 lira (£5.42).
At Fat Club I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t lost more weight but I did lose 2kg (4.4lb) which was not to be sniffed at. I paid 50 lira (£1.10) for a large water to keep hydrated. At dinner time I had a bit of a feast as I had a Slimming World wrap pizza as a starter and then a portion of chickpea curry with rice, which was very nice. Dog walks and cuddles were had, Norman & Edna even came with me back home as I needed to turn off the soup and decant it in to batches.

Dalyan – 29th September

The alarm went off at 7am on Sunday 29th September and I got up to see the sunrise over the opposite block in the complex. I had tea and toast for breakfast and then made my way to the meeting point for 10am. I noticed that a small miracle had occurred and that Mehmet’s Dad had been and cleaned all my cuttings off the floor beneath my balconies. He had not done the rest of the trimming and, when I asked Mehmet, he said not until the end of October. I said he had to do it sooner, as I still couldn’t hang my washing out, and he said tomorrow – I didn’t believe him. At the corner shop I bought a 19 litre water bottle top up for the cooler and it was now 100 lira (£2.19) which had gone up more than I had expected.
I had decided to join the Sunday Walk which one of the Dalyan Dwellers had organised. A couple of friends had said they were going as well so was a good opportunity to see them. It was about 10km so would be a challenge for me after sitting at a laptop most days and not moving much. The walk was lovely and 18 people turned up, which was good. Michele, the organiser, asked me if I thought Captain Caveman would run the next one, with it being the day after he arrived, and I said I would ask him.

After the walk my friend, one of my friends talked me in to a beer with her at Tapa – so that she could take her dogs too. As I’d not seen her for a while and she was limited as to where we could take her dogs, I agreed and messaged my other friend to say we were there if she wanted to join. She had been at the front of the walking crowd and I am always at the back of the group as I walk slowly compared to everyone else. I introduced the 2 ladies who got on well and, despite me chatting to another friend about how well I’d been doing on not drinking any beer, I had 3! My drinks came to 270 lira (£5.92) in one of the cheapest places in town for draft Efes. By 3pm we were over in Okyanus having some lunch and another beer. My friend had a new dog from the shelter, called Polly, and she was a real cutie. I ate a chicken wrap with salad and chips and it was very good. My friends ordered a chicken wrap too and a pizza which the lovely waiter, Üstün, ordered in from Pamukkale restaurant. My lunch and drink came to about 300 lira (£6.58) which was very reasonable, especially for a riverside restaurant.

When I got home, shortly before 6pm, I messaged Captain Caveman to ask if he would do the next Sunday Walk but Michele and he had already arranged that he would.
Later, Jamie and Drew were taking Norman & Edna for a walk and I suggested they call in. While the pooches had a snooze on the sofa, the boys had a drink and I only had tea because I had already overdone it today. I was now on over 170 syns for the week so far and had spoiled the idea of getting some exercise. I made myself a vegetable and egg fried rice for dinner and had another relatively early night.

Dalyan – 25th September

Wednesday 25th September was my last day of doggy day care and I only had Fat Club and the next day of the Planner Ideation course to concern myself with today. I had really enjoyed looking after Norman, Edna, Coco & Bebe and it was like therapy for me. I even gave a bit of therapy to Coco and Edna as Coco had been trying to monopolise my time and push Edna out, this had made Edna sad. I got them both on the sofa with me and we had a little story and a chat about why being kind to others is very important. Coco was low growling at first and Edna wouldn’t look at Coco. After an hour they were being more tolerant but I guessed Coco was still wanting to be the boss of the house, and Edna was good enough to let her. I had tea and toast for breakfast with a keen audience and I even had to put an extra slice in the toaster so that each of the dogs could have a corner of it.
I still managed to do my measurements and I think they may have lulled me in to a false sense of security as my waist and hips had stayed the same as last week and I had lost 1cm from my bust. I had lentil soup and toast for lunch and packed everything up ready to leave.
I’d not heard from Jamie or Julia to say they were on their way back and I expected it might be fairly late so I left the dogs while I popped in to town for Fat Club and to face Carol’s scales.

I was not prepared for the huge weight gain! I had put on 3.35kg (7.3lb) since my last weigh in and I was shocked!!! It was the most I’d put on in quite a while and I was not pleased with myself. The last time I weighed this heavy was at the end of July last year! I needed to have a word with myself and get back on it. The time I had spent with the girls had been invaluable though, so I couldn’t regret pigging out in Rhodes!
As I was walking back to Julia’s to see to the dogs for the afternoon, I got a message to say they were already back and Jamie, Drew, Norman & Edna had already gone home. I knew Julia would probably want some time to sort out the shopping so I didn’t go in to say bye to Coco & Bebe, who I would miss. Julia kindly dropped me back home and I was looking forward to a quiet night in. I caught up with the next session of the planner course which was really interesting.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t done a meal plan this week and I had lots of tempting food in the freezer. I ended up having chicken nuggets and oven chips for my dinner – a first in a while. I promised to do better tomorrow!

Dalyan – 24th September

I helped myself to a delightful sage tea on the morning of Tuesday 24th September after feeding Norman, Edna, Coco & Bebe who were all just so cute. I was outside before the sunrise and it was really lovely to enjoy the river views at Julia’s while the dogs had a good sniff about in the garden. I’d not heard from my parents yet, but they arrived in Dalaman about 12.30am and were probably sleeping. I did finally hear from Captain Caveman and he gave me a call from The Villas in Phong Nha, where he had popped in for an early lunch. I told him I got the residency, he was pleased that I had got the result I needed. He was a bit distracted, though, as he was planning his leaving party for tonight at the floating restaurant on the Son River. It would be at 5.30pm Vietnamese time, so 1.30pm Turkish time. I told him I had some wine left so I would do a video call to join the party and do a cheers with him and everyone to commemorate leaving Oxalis. I also messaged Tatas to say I would do this and to ask her to ring me to facilitate – she agreed.
I finally got some breakfast down and noticed a great tip if you’re trying not to eat too much; all 4 dogs were always the other side of the fridge door when I opened it, or if the toaster was in use they would wait for a little morsel. They looked at me with those puppy dog eyes every time I opened that fridge door as if to ask what I was eating (again)! I sat some more outside and ate some plums.
After breakfast, while the dogs napped, I did some preparation for a course I was starting this afternoon. It was a free course on Planner Ideation with Claire Clarke, who has a business producing planners, journals and such like to enhance businesses. I thought this would be a good idea for the future if I decided to set up my own business. I was very much sure that I would be going back in to the travel industry in some way and I just needed to figure it out.

Just before I got ready to join Captain Caveman’s party from a far, I got a reply from my Mom. I’d mentioned getting together before they left for Cappadocia in a couple of days time but unfortunately she messaged to say she wasn’t sure they would have time and would have to see how things went. Obviously, I was disappointed but they were only going to be away for a week so I sent her a cute photo of Coco & Bebe. For lunch I polished off a cheese sandwich and a pot noodle, for convenience, poured myself a glass of wine and went down to the river front ready for Tatas to call me. I messaged her and Captain Caveman to let them know I was here and ready to virtually join in the celebrations. I also recorded a video as I suspected that they might be having so much fun that they would forget to call me. I was right and, after an hour of waiting, I finished the wine and went back to the house.

In the afternoon I received notification of the water bill for Captain Caveman’s apartment and it was 7 times the amount of the previous month, which was a bit of a shocker when money was tight and I’m between jobs. Apparently, the electricity and water prices had increased quite a bit recently.
At 3.30pm I attended the first session of the planner course and it was quite informative and full of ideas. This was good as it helped give me some motivation and guidance for the ideas I’d already had. By 5.30pm I was relaxing in one of the huge hammocks and assuming that Captain Caveman would now be pretty drunk. I made pasta for dinner and totted up my syns for the week, ready for weigh in tomorrow. I had consumed 394 syns so it wasn’t going to be a good result, especially as I had been out, eating and drinking with my family and while on holiday with friends over the last week.

Captain Caveman was still out drinking at stupid o’clock Vietnamese time, when Chung and Uy called me to say he was at their house. Now it was my turn to not be that interested in speaking to him as I was trying to cook and he’d forgotten earlier. After 2 sets of walkies and trying to beat the mozzie spraying vehicle back home, Bebe came to me with one of her toys for snuggles and was so cute. Norman and Edna slept in their beds but Coco and Bebe were a little more clingy while their mom was away.

Fethiye & Dalyan – 23rd September

My residency renewal appointment was at 8.30am on Monday 23rd September at the Fethiye Government office. I had enlisted the help of a friend so that I wasn’t doing it alone and at least I wasn’t on the bus as I needed to be at Julia’s straight after to look after the dogs.
When I got to the Government building, I gave my documents in to a woman and waited. After less than 15 minutes I got called in and she asked if I had paid the application fee/taxes yet. I said not and she gave me a piece of paper, with the $55 fee written on it, to go and do that. I’d been hoping I could apply for 1 year but it wasn’t to be and I could only go for 6 months. We went to the tax office and paid the fee, which was fairly quick. Back at the Government building, I gave the lady I saw before, my receipt and she granted me my residency renewal, for 6 months. I got the official piece of paper and some of my documents back. I was pleased although now it meant I would need to apply again in February for the next one and wouldn’t be able to leave the country for more than 15 days until after I got my new card at the end of April, which was an inconvenience. We walked back to the car, calling at a bag shop to get a handle fixed for my friend. Then we were off back to Dalyan, as I needed to be back for the 4 dogs. In the car, we ate the sandwiches, biscuits and mints which I had brought and then drove back.
I should have felt excited that I was able to celebrate another 6 months of legally being able to reside in Turkey. For some reason I didn’t feel that and I wasn’t sure why not. It had not cost me as much as a lot of people had been saying it would either – here’s the breakdown of what I spent the money on;

Health Insurance for 1 year 1924.20 lira
Residency application fee for 6 months $55 (1,883 lira)
New Residency card fee 565 lira
2 lots of passport biometric photos 750 lira
Post Office and eDevlet sorting 400 lira
Location check for my address on the system 500 lira

Total 6,022.20 (£132).

I was pleased that I hadn’t had to wait for a delayed Captain Caveman to return for us to pay for a new rental agreement when I could use the original one from 2019. It also turned out I hadn’t needed the other ones we had paid to translate at the notary in the subsequent years, as the original one is on a rolling 12 months anyway.

On opening the gate at Julia’s house at 11.30am, I was met by a cheeky looking Norman, who was patrolling the perimeter. All the other dogs were inside, in the AC, having a chill out. I was so glad to switch people for dogs as I messaged Jamie to let him know I got approved and that I was now back in Dalyan with some very happy dogs. For lunch I had been left a tasty bolognese that needed eating up so I reheated it and had that. Later, I popped my bikini on to have a swim in the lovely pool. I did 2 separate walks with Norman & Edna first and then with Coco & Bebe.

That evening, I relaxed with the dogs who were so cute and I ate a Sunday dinner which Jamie, Drew & Julia had left for me to eat and it was delicious. All 4 dogs wanted some but they didn’t get any as they had leftover chicken and steak saved for them.
I was so happy to be sat having cuddles with cute dogs while having a glass of red wine and some chocolate as a treat to myself for getting another 6 months residency. I was glad to know that my parents were already on their way to Dalaman airport and would be arriving after midnight tonight. I was very much looking forward to seeing them again.
I left the dogs snoozing and I walked in to town and called at the supermarket. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Gold Chocolate brownies 7.00
Milk 8.95
Soup 25.90
1 Pot noodle 19.95
Wholemeal sliced loaf 44.95
Total spent 107.00 lira (£2.35)

The rate had reached 45.6 now so this was an absolute bargain in English money.

Dalyan – 22nd September

Gayle messaged me on the morning of Sunday 22nd September asking where is good to go for Menemen and did I fancy a last breakfast with them. I don’t eat eggs and tomatoes generally so it’s not a dish I like but everyone I know who does, says that Ela’s Kitchen has the best one. Gayle said they had already been there 3 times this holiday so had wanted to try somewhere else and was thinking of Cinar. They didn’t have Menemen on their menu so we ended up at Ela’s, anyway. Beforehand, I had walked over to their’s and they had helped me bring all the rest of my stuff over from my parents’ upstairs room. My parents were arriving in a couple of days but I only had a 2 day window to get my stuff before they left for a holiday in Cappadocia.
Once at Ela’s Kitchen, one of my favourite breakfast places, Neil and Gayle both had their usual and I was extra hungry so I had a large full English (no tomatoes or eggs) and a cup of Yorkshire tea. The food was as good as always and I ate every bit of it as I was pretty peckish. The bill came to a total of 1300 lira (£28.63) for all of us so less than an English tenner each for a great breakfast.

After breakfast, Gayle & Neil were going back to get ready for leaving Dalyan tomorrow and, as I was up and off to Fethiye really early, today was the last day I would see them. They invited me to join them at Kingfisher restaurant that night but I was mindful they would probably want a romantic night by themselves. I did invite them to call in at mine for a drink before or after though, so we could say goodbye. I had really had a great time with them and I wasn’t really sure when I would see them again. I popped to the shops and picked up some essentials, including provisions for my trip to Fethiye tomorrow, prices below in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
1 Quark 29.95
Water 34.90
Total spent 65.10 lira (£1.44)

Şok Supermarket
Water 9.75
Biscuits 17.00
Turkey ham 22.00
Cheese slices 28.50
Total spent 77.25 (£1.70)

Bakery
1 fresh loaf 10 lira (22p)

When I got home, I had a video call with Captain Caveman and I mentioned about me going to Fethiye tomorrow. He didn’t seem at all interested and was preoccupied with something else. He said he would call me back after he had a shower but then he forgot. I was a bit cheesed off that he had not wished me well for my appointment either. Was I maybe imagining that he really didn’t care if I got it renewed or not!?
Jamie picked me up at 6.30pm and I was outside trimming the bush that our gardener still hadn’t touched. The elusive gardening company were still experts at doing absolutely nothing and the bougainvillea was below face level for anyone going through the gate. My neighbours were older than me and had to duck beneath the spiky branches. We drove over to Julia’s so that I could pick up a key, meet her dogs and go through the requirements of what I was needed to do for the next few days of doggy care. Coco & Bebe were a little shy of me at first, while Norman & Edna were pleased to see me. Edna was a bit less giddy than usual but it was probably because she was at Aunty Julia’s house and wanted to show she was behaving better than the resident dogs! I wasn’t there long and then decided I would walk the 20 minutes back in to town, calling at the shops again on the way back. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Dido Trio chocolate bar 13.50
Dido Lemon chocolate bar 14.00
Popcorn 21.50
Total spent 49.00 lira (£1.08)

Nova Market (used to be Selcuk Market)
1 bottle of white wine 200.00 lira (£4.41)

I was definitely noticing that, although prices had gone up a little in Dalyan, the prices for drinks and snacks in the shops were definitely cheaper here than in England and Rhodes.

I made cheese and turkey ham sandwiches for tomorrow’s trip to Fethiye, even though it should have been a short visit once there. I was preparing for if it was not straight forward as I didn’t want to be spending money on lunch out. I ate a sandwich while waiting for Gayle & Neil to pop in after their meal at Kingfisher.
When they arrived, they weren’t as merry as I had expected they might be on their last night. They had a lovely meal but said they were finished quite early and then had to sit around for a while waiting to get the boat back. We had a couple of drinks and a good laugh. We had used my parents’ shopping trolley earlier to bring some of my stuff over, so they took that back with them.
We had hugs goodbye, which is unusual as my sister is not normally one for hugs or soppy farewells. We had all had a really good time together on the occasions I had joined them and there had not been any falling out whatsoever – we were obviously maturing! I was actually very sad to see them leave and a little bit glad that I wouldn’t be able to see them drive off to the airport tomorrow at 9.30am, in case I got upset. I don’t think they wanted to leave Dalyan, having had such a great holiday but they had to get back for the dog.
I got all my documents together and set my alarm for 6am so that I could be up and ready for tomorrow’s residency renewal appointment.

Ialyssos (Rhodes) – 17th September

My day on Tuesday 17th September started with a healthy breakfast but would not continue in that vein – it was probably a good thing I was missing the Dalyan Fat Club tomorrow! I ate a banana and a plum with my cup of tea, then got on with work. At lunch time the girls were going for a walk so I decided to close the laptop and join them. On our walkabout, we spotted a lovely rooftop bar and went in for some lunch and a drink. Kompologaki restaurant also had sunbed rentals by the beach across the road and we had nice views of the sea from our corner rooftop table. There were lunchtime specials on so we ordered from that menu where it came with a beer or wine included in the price. It had one of those QR code readers to view the menu so we used that and I made a list of who wanted what so that I could go back downstairs and order, here’s what everyone chose;
Kelly: Pasta Carbonara + beer + Sprite + Mai Tai cocktail
Louisa: Gyros plate + beer + Sprite
Clare: Gyros plate + wine + soda water
Jo (me): Gyros plate + beer

We also ordered a bottle of still water for us all and the total came to 62.30 Euros (£51.76) and I really liked my lunch. I also ended up with 2 small beers because the lovely waitress had miscalculated the included ones, thinking all 4 of us wanted the beer and not 3 plus a wine. We also got a good deal on 3 bottles of decent wine for 30 Euros (£25), split between Clare and I.

On the way back to the villa, we called at the supermarket for provisions too.
Back ‘home’ I did a bit more work while the girls relaxed by the pool. I was happy to close the laptop and join them for crisps and a wine in the early evening. One of our other friends, Liz, was on her flight to come and join us. We were looking out for her plane, which would be flying directly above us. As we were waiting, we got a bit peckish and started our buffet for dinner, Kelly plated up some for Liz so that we didn’t eat it all. Clare took a video of the BA plane which Liz was on as she came in to land and we were all super excited when she arrived. There were hugs, tears and extraordinary footwear. Wine was had but not the fizz in the fridge as that was for when we went in the Jacuzzi in the main bedroom – oh wow, I hadn’t realised there was one! The rosé wine Clare and I had bought went down a treat and I even got to wear some fancy shoes of Liz’s while we caught up on her news. It was like having the band back together and I was so happy that Liz got the short straw and had to share my twin room for the next 4 nights.

Dalyan – 8th September

I only had a cup of tea on the morning of Sunday 8th September as I was busy checking out the updates on Typhoon Yagi and the havoc it had wreaked in Hanoi, before I headed off on a day trip. I was happy that Captain Caveman was safe in Hanoi now but still worried he would be ok on the 5th floor of a building. He assured me he was fine, despite the capital city looking like it was a scene from the film ’28 Days Later’.

I was off on a boat trip which started at 10am with Captain Fuat on Adıl boat with some friends and family. There was a quick introduction for everyone then tea/coffee and some simit to nibble on as we sailed out towards Köyceğiz and the lake. The sun was shining, the scenery was lovely and I was looking forward to a day out with Gayle & Neil. Captain Fuat put on a delicious lunch which catered for everyone’s requirements easily (and there were quite a few of us that needed different allergies taking in to consideration). I obviously was not really concerned about the amount of syns I shoved in. I ate chicken, pasta, salads, meatballs, bread, fruit and, later, cake.

We did quite a bit of swimming, where we met a friendly terrapin who we called Bob. He took a shine to Ann’s chest and kept going really close to her, even though she wasn’t keen. He even went off and brought 2 more friends over who swam amongst us and seemed to want to play with us. We called these 2 terrapins Rita & Sue and then when we thought Bob had returned, but it was actually another terrapin who was slightly more interested in the ladies and their chests, we called him Bob 2. I probably found it funnier than most other guests that we had called our new friends Bob, Rita, Sue & Bob 2 after the film.
The day was really relaxed and easy going with lots of swimming, which I loved. By the time we got off the boat I was quite merry and I’d gone way over my usual wine consumption by having 5 glasses.

We got off and said our goodbyes to everyone. Ann, Stuart, Gayle, Neil and I were walking the same way home so we ended up stopping off for a quick drink in Askın’s where I ordered a pint of draft Efes. I ended up having a gin & tonic at Neil’s insistence, back at theirs and then Jamie, Drew, Norman & Edna were passing for the dog walk so they popped in to say hello. Edna took to Neil very quickly and wanted to sit on his knee while Norman had a sniff about to check for any scraps of food. I did the dog walk with Jamie & Drew and then realised I was a bit tipsy and peckish. The night ended with me getting pizza that I didn’t recall until the next day.
My Sunday had been so good and I still managed to do it on a budget; the boat trip plus drinks on the boat 2100 lira, a beer at Askın’s 120 lira and pizza 310 lira – a bargain total of 2,530 lira (£52.81).

Photo credit – Vietnam ones taken from various news and Facebook pages. Boat trips ones shared from various attendees.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th September

On Tuesday 3rd September I spent most of the day working on my laptop. I had cereals for my breakfast with a Yorkshire tea. At lunch time I had to make do with a cheese and lettuce sandwich. I spoke to another Health Insurance provider who said they could insure me for a lot cheaper than the existing one so I said I would think about it while other companies came back with quotes.
It rained in Dalyan for the first time since I’d been here and I had to bring the outdoor cushions in. It was soon over and it dried up very quickly again. For dinner I warmed up some of the chicken casserole that I had previously batch cooked and then had a walk with the dogs. I spoke to my parents back in Sheffield who had booked their flights to come to Turkey and were excited to be getting back to Dalyan soon.

It was weigh day on Wednesday 4th September and I was hoping that the 178 syns I’d had this week, combined with some dog walking, would mean I was lucky enough to still lose weight. I did my measurements to find I had put 1cm on my bust and hips but lost 1cm off my waist so it wasn’t looking optimistic for the Fat Club weigh-in. I had wholemeal toast with cheese spread and a cup of Yorkshire tea for breakfast and cracked on with work.
Before 11am, I was at the Turkcell shop getting phone top up of 400 lira, on top of the 200 lira I’d already paid online. It seemed a bit steep to have to pay 600 lira (£13.39) for a working phone that I barely use but I needed to have it for my residency renewal application and to receive an OTP code from the post office for my E Devlet.
I called at the bank to put more money in – it was turning in to a part time job, keeping tabs on how much and when. I had guests coming over tonight so I also had a quick trip to the shops while the dogs were at home, sleeping. Here is what I bought at various shops and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Peppers 6.99
Pot Noodle 19.95
Chicken noodles 33.75
614g Chicken 119.73
Magnums 139.90
Total spent 320.32 lira (£7.15)

BIM Supermarket
Pide bread 50.00 lira (£1.12)

Şok Supermarket
Biscuits 12.00
Wine gums 15.00
Crisps 54.00
Total 81.00 lira (£1.81)

I nipped back to the bank in the afternoon to ask about increasing my 10,000 lira (£223.21) credit card limit but they now require a document from a UK pension which has been translated. Obviously, I am not retired therefore I don’t have such a document and they couldn’t increase it. I did ask if I could get a letter from an employer but they said no. This was a bit of a pain as with the rate going up and up, I had not increased my limit accordingly. If ever I needed to use the card for anything more than a bit of shopping, it was going to be too low a limit. Back at Jamie’s, I threw the ingredients in to the slow cooker for a chicken curry and did some more work. I didn’t have time for lunch so I just had an apple and legged it to Fat Club to see how kind Carol’s scales were to me.
To my delight I had lost 1.4kg (3lb) so I was really pleased with that and was spurred on to keep on the plan to get back to target – I had just 4.4kg (9.7lb) to lose!
I finished work at 5pm, Ann & Stuart (the tennants) came over later and we celebrated with Prosecco for Ann & I, and beer for Stuart. We had a good laugh and the dogs really enjoyed having more visitors. We had a lovely curry and the pide bread I bought earlier, doubled up as a great naan bread substitute. We had a fab time, going on to the wine after the Prosecco and taking photos to send to Jamie as we sat at his dining room table. It was quite a late night and I had drank quite a lot, the most I’d had in 2 weeks, so I might regret it tomorrow morning when the alarm went off at 7am.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd September

Sunday 1st September was Independence Day in Vietnam and Captain Caveman was celebrating by meeting our friend, Johan, in Hanoi for a Sunday brunch. I was a little envious as I had a simit with cheese spread and washed it down with my cup of Yorkshire tea. This month was going to be full of surprises and some adventures and it was the last month of me being without Captain Caveman.
My first mission was to go to Captain Caveman’s apartment where our tenants had kindly agreed to let me rummage through my locked cupboard for my documents from when I did my residency renewal last year. We had a chat, mainly about the incompetence of our pool and garden company, then I tackled the cupboard in the spare room.
I went through every single box and thing, to not find the set of documents, or my diary, from last year. However, I did find what looked like Captain Caveman’s original copy of the Tapu (deeds), which would be handy.
A hot sweaty mess, I went back downstairs for a glass of water and to ask if Ann & Stuart would like to join a boat trip when my sister and brother-in-law are here next week.
I called at the bank, the supermarket and the bakery on my way back to my parents’ apartment and was in a quandary as to where my documents must be. The lira was now 44.8 to the pound which was pretty high and people in Turkey were speculating if it could reach 50 by the end of the month. Here’s what I bought, price in lira;

Bakery
1 fresh bread 10.00
1 Simit 15.00
Total spent 25.00 lira (56p)

Migros Supermarket
Crisps 20.05
1 Bounty 29.50
BBQ flavour crackers 35.00
Sliced wholemeal loaf 53.95
1 bottle of Prosecco 379.90
Total spent 518.40 (£11.57)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 Bottle of Rituel red wine 210.00
1 Bottle of Cielo White wine 315.00
Total spent 525.00 lira (£11.72)

I only had fruit for lunch because I had invited Nanny Kay over for wine and a takeaway in the evening. We had originally decided to go to Simple but it was closed on Sundays so we decided a takeaway from Mahir Kebabs would be ideal for us. It had been a little overcast and looked like there could be some rain but it held out enough for Nanny Kay to cycle over. Norman and Edna had been looking forward to seeing Nanny Kay, especially Edna who had heard that there was going to be wine.
We had a lovely evening where we both ordered the Chicken Kapsalon which is layers of French fries, chicken doner meat, cheese and salad – not Slimming World friendly. The dish is very filling, cost 400 lira (£8.93) each with free delivery and was very speedy. After 12 whole days of abstaining from alcohol, we shared a bottle of red wine and I could tell I’d had it. We limited it though, so that Nanny Kay could cycle home safely.

There was a power cut first thing on Monday 2nd September but, luckily, I had already done some work and was with Norman and Edna at Jamie’s villa. For breakfast I had Yorkshire tea, melon and strawberries, then a lovely homemade lentil, carrot and tomato soup for lunch with some bread and butter. I was tempted to eat the rest of the chicken kapsalon from last night but when I got it out, I decided not to and threw it out. As it was a new month, I went to the bank to put some foreign currency in to my Dollar/Sterling accounts. Meanwhile, in Hanoi, Captain Caveman was meeting up for lunch with Lien and then spending the evening with Martin and possibly Martina. It was his last night in Hanoi for now, as tomorrow he planned to go to visit more friends in Sapa.
I spent time on the laptop and looking after the dogs but I did manage to pop to the shop for some essentials and order some water for the cooler, at Jamie’s. It costs 70 lira (£1.56) which is cheaper than the shop that I use but I did have to walk to the shop to order as I didn’t have the right money. I managed to spend 155 lira (£3.46) for coconut milk and curry paste at the Şarküteri which I didn’t think was bad.
I wasn’t hungry at dinner time, which is unlike me, so I just had some BBQ crackers and a cup of tea while watching some TV. I was already on 158 syns for the week so far, with one more day to go.