Dalyan – 29th to 31st August

On Thursday 29th August I had the pleasure of looking after Norman and Edna. In Vietnam, Captain Caveman was off to Dong Hoi as he was on his way to Hanoi where he would be catching up with several friends. I had fruit for breakfast with a cup of Yorkshire tea and then went over to Jamie’s. Norman didn’t give a stuff but Edna was very excited to see me as I explained what was going to be happening this week.
As I was busy working and fussing dogs, I had a quick lunch of cheese on toast and some crisps, followed by 2 pieces of fruit. I was trying to keep to plan again this week and figured a few crisps instead of booze would be ok on my syns. For dinner I made a stir-fry with chicken, spring onion, courgette, mushrooms and egg noodles.
I had another zero spend and no alcohol day, much to Edna’s surprise as she wanted some wine. In the evening, once it had cooled down, we had a nice walk around the Gulpinar area. The evening consisted of lounging on the sofa while watching The Chase and eating the rest of the crisps, which I was meant to be saving.

On Friday 30th August I was awake at 6.30am so that I would be up to sort out Norman and Edna with their breakfast. Neither dog was particularly impressed by being woken up at 7am for ablutions and biscuits. I had brought all the food I would need over and I was hoping to not spend any more money for the last 2 days of the month, as well as not going out to eat or drink. The water bill came out of my bank account today, so I was skint. I did have some foreign currency left to pay in to the bank but I was waiting for the new month to be able to deposit for September’s amount.
I worked all day, only breaking off for leftover stir-fry for lunch.
For dinner I had fruit while I waited for my potatoes with cheese to cook.
After dinner and walkies, it was time for The Chase and a bit of fetch with Edna while resisting going to the pub for a drink.

The end of the month had arrived and I decided to treat myself to a simit with cheese spread and a cup of tea for my breakfast, on Saturday 31st August. I also decided not to go to the Saturday market and make do with what I had already. Norman and Edna were now used to my routine of getting them up early and even appreciated my office at the dining table. Unfortunately, Norman had put in a formal complaint about the lack of toast corners since Little Daddy’s departure and we had to have some toast at elevenses.
While I was working, Captain Caveman got in touch with some disappointing news. In order for him to leave Vietnam, he needed to wait for his criminal/police check document and he had been told it wouldn’t be available in Quang Binh until the 25th or 26th September. He had been hoping to fly from Saigon around then, and it also would mean relying on the weather conditions being appropriate for him to leave Phong Nha or Hanoi. I was obviously upset but there was nothing I, nor Captain Caveman, could do about the situation. We both agreed it would also be a good idea for him to stay until he had this document and any outstanding pay/taxes sorted too. I did feel sad that I couldn’t be there to celebrate/commiserate him leaving Oxalis, or that he wouldn’t be in Dalyan with me sooner.

For lunch I cheered myself up with a Slimming World style pizza which I added some thinly sliced sucuk to and it was delicious. While I worked all afternoon, the pooches napped and then they came to tell me it was tea time a bit early.
They had their biscuits and we went out for a bit of a longer walk, making sure I didn’t go near any bars that would tempt me to drink some alcohol.
Back home, I had chicken and chickpea curry which I had brought over with me and it was really nice.
Before bed, I totted up how much I had spent in August and was surprised that, including the first 11 days of the month being in England, I had spent just under £840. Obviously I had been treated in the UK very generously but I did sit back and wonder if I could afford to live anywhere else but Dalyan.

Dalyan – 18th August

Sunday 18th August got a bit out of hand! I’d given myself the day off, with it being the weekend and I had an invite to a special birthday party. Debbie (Darling) was having her 60th birthday party at Laguna, a new river side restaurant at the top end of town. The party started at 1.30pm so Jamie, Drew and the 3 nephews came to pick me up in the car. The sun was out and it was pretty hot out there so we squeezed in, rather uncomfortably, and managed to get quite near to the venue. Jamie would leave the car as we would (obviously) have a drink. We were welcomed with a free cocktail which was pink and had gin in it for the adults and a mocktail for the kids. It was rather good but the youngest nephew thought his ‘would be better with a gin in it’! Laguna had also arranged that all drinks of beer or wine would be 100 lira (£2.33) for the duration of the party, which was a really good deal and made it easier to pay as you go. It also made it a little too easy to drink too much and I had 2 wines on an empty stomach! Debbie (Darling) looked lovely and happy as she took a drink of wine from her birthday cake. Yes, you read that right! Louize had made a cake in the shape of a wine barrel which had actual wine in it and the tap turned to pour out in to her glass. It was so clever. As the buffet was being put out, Jamie went off-piste and ordered a rather nice bottle of wine for him, Drew and I to share. The food was very good and I over ate; there were chicken goujons, spaghetti, cheese rolls and various delicious accompaniments which went down well. Debbie (Darling)’s daughter, Mel, did a lovely speech and Sioned took some great photos of everyone (I borrowed some for the blog too). I saw lots of people I knew, which was nice. Laguna was a lovely venue and looked like a great place to go for an evening meal one day. I left with Jamie, Drew and the 3 nephews with the intention that they were going to buy some last minute souvenirs and gifts and I was going to walk back to my parents’ with them. And that is where the frivolities should have ended!

As we got past the Post Office, sauntering down the street in Dalyan, one of the boys needed a toilet break. Sofra bar was close by and not busy, as everyone was still at Debbie (Darling)’s 60th birthday party. We sat down, Ahmet rearranged seating for us and I said I would have a glass of wine, before popping to the loo too. On my return, I saw that Jamie and Drew had ordered another bottle of the same wine from Laguna, between the 3 of us. This meant I was having more white wine on top of the free cocktail, 2 glasses of wine and the third of a nice bottle – I was already past my usual non-sloshed limit. A beautiful butterfly landed on the pavement behind our bench and several of us got a photo of it, I’d not seen one like that before. When it was time to leave, I gave the rest of my wine to Drew as I couldn’t manage it. It was agreed that Jamie and the 3 lads would go to buy a couple of things and then see us at home. Drew and I would go to the bank and Yaman Büfe to buy some wine and crisps for a follow up drink at their villa. I should have said no and that I’d already had enough to drink but, having been back in Dalyan a week already, I was up for it. I took out money at the bank but then I needed the loo again and we decided we would head to Jiks, where I could nip to the toilet. However, as my eyes caught sight of Ren Garden, I suggested we go there. On the short walk from the Bank to Ren Garden, Drew’s brother called and we spoke to him to say we had been to a 60th birthday and were a little tipsy (understatement from me) but we understood that he had just booked his flights to bring the family to Dalyan next year. How lovely!
We got a drink in Ren Garden, as it would have been rude not to. I paid 270 lira (£6.28) for an Efes Malt and a wine and soda which was very nice. Jamie was already at home as we went to the off-licence where I bought 2 bottles of Angora white wine, and 3 packets of crisps/Doritos. It cost just 694 lira (£16.14) – which was a lot cheaper than I expected! I didn’t have any of the wine in the end as, when we got to the house, Jamie was ordering pizza from Sosyete for us all and had already promised the boys. I drank water, fussed the dogs and when the pizza came, I paid the delivery guy 600 lira (£13.95) for 3 pizzas, chips and some chicken nuggets – a reasonable price. I was hungry and I felt that the food helped to sober me up a bit. I vaguely recall Drew thrusting some money my way for the takeaway, etc and getting home about 11pm, regretting drinking so much.

Photo credit – 60th birthday party photos mostly by Sioned Wyn Duran

Dalyan – 15th & 16th August

Jamie, Drew and the 3 nephews were off to the waterpark on Thursday 15th August so I was happy to agree to a bit of dog sitting over the lunch time period. My day started with bread, cheese spread and Yorkshire tea then working all morning. I had some chicken casserole for lunch and popped the rest in the freezer, before heading over to see Norman and Edna. They were both asleep but I managed to coax Edna out for a wee. Norman did not wake up for a while, and when he did he looked at me and went back to sleep. The electric went off so I ended up being there for 2.5 hours and had to contact Jamie to be able to get the key to manually get out of the electric gate. It was hot, I had prescription sunglasses and a hat on and was in a kerfuffle trying to bend down, see what I was doing and listen to Jamie’s instructions.
I called round to the shop as I needed an onion and ended up buying 2 onions, some bread, 2 lemon sodas and a piece of Turkish salami for a total of 200 lira (£4.65). The shop was very nice and I helped some holiday makers who were confused about bags for the bread and which was the butter.
Back to work in the afternoon, once I had chucked the ingredients for a curry in the slow cooker and realised the chickpeas were actually beans but had tipped them in anyway. I worked all afternoon and stopped, very much looking forward to my curry.
I didn’t enjoy the curry as much as I hoped I would, probably due to the chickpea/bean mix up.

I was invited round to Jamie & Drew’s for a BBQ with the boys and Nanny Kay after work on Friday 16th August. It looked to be quite an eventful weekend in Dalyan as I had plans for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I started the day with bread, cheese spread and Yorkshire tea before cracking on with some work. I was meant to be meeting a friend, and her friend who owned a hotel in the town centre of Dalyan, so that I could check it out for when I needed to move out of my parents’ place. We moved the meeting to next week as I was ok for now but it was likely that I would need somewhere for a few days in September.
I had a couple of plums and a quick break, for my lunch I had some chicken casserole and a nectarine. After work, I popped to the Yaman Büfe Off-licence where I got some bargain bottles of wine for the BBQ. I paid 279 lira for the white Angora, which I know Jamie likes, I also bought an İdol rosé for 215 lira and a Rituel red for only 172 lira. It worked out at £15.51 for the 3 bottles in total and I was pleased with that.
We had a really good night and I enjoyed the burgers, meat and salad plus a drop of wine with Nanny Kay. Jamie and Drew are so hospitable and we always have a laugh with Nanny Kay. I was meant to be being good but the cheese cake was hard to resist and I had to have a slice. The nephews were very well behaved too so the BBQ night was very lovely and I was happy to be invited.

Dalyan – 13th & 14th August

By 9.30am on Tuesday 13th August I was in the supermarket getting some essentials, having been to the bank to deposit more cash. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
3 onions 4.48
Fresh bread 10.00
Pasta 10.75
Milk 28.25
Chickpeas/beans 31.90
Tinned Tomatoes 40.95
Carrots 49.67
Cheese spread 54.00
400g Mushrooms 59.95
Total spent 289.95 lira (£6.77)

Having read some Facebook posts about how expensive everything was in Turkey now, I was pleasantly surprised to have got a bag of shopping for less than £7 and was definitely not seeing a massive increase, yet. For breakfast I had some fresh bread with cheese spread and a cup of Yorkshire tea and then for lunch I had a cheese sandwich without butter. I was going to put a wash on as I realised Ma & Pa had a washing basket of stuff that could do with putting in the machine and I had quite a bit to do too. I popped to the A101 shop and bought 1.5kg of washing powder which was on offer at 62.75 lira (£1.47) which was pretty cheap. I spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and washing, then I popped round to Jamie’s to pick up my cases. I met the nephews who were very polite young men as well as having a quick catch up with Jamie and Drew. Of course, I got to have some love with the dogs, Norman and Edna, who seemed happy to see me and Edna wanted to know if I’d got any wine!
Back home I made a simple mushroom and tomato pasta, using a bit of pasta water and a cheese spread triangle for the sauce. It was Fat Club weigh in tomorrow, after several weeks in England, and I knew it was going to be bad so I ate some cheese and crackers before bed. My total syns for the week were 393 so I really needed to get back to the Slimming World plan in an effort to shift some of the weight I had so clearly put back on.

At 8.30am on Wednesday 14th August I was at the bank putting in the rest of the lira required in my Turkish bank account to maintain my residency. It had taken a bit of effort but I’d managed and had a little bit at the ready for next month. By 9am I was in the supermarket again getting more shopping now that I’d had time to plan a bit, for what I would need. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Potatoes 5.58
Red cabbage 27.53
2 tomato puree 31.90
1 tin chopped tomatoes 40.95
Sweet potatoes 41.86
2 Quark 59.90
Chicken thighs 121.97
Chicken breasts 148.54
Spray olive oil 149.90
Total spent 628.13 lira (£14.68)

There was a definite increase in the price of meat and Quark since I’d last been here but it was still very cheap in comparison to the UK. I called round to see Sonuç, of Dalyan Airport Transfers, to pay him for my taxi which was £30 but I gave him 1300 lira.
Back home, I did my measurements to find I had lost 3cm from my bust, my waist had stayed the same and I had put 2cm on my hips. I had Yorkshire tea and some chocolate for breakfast, which wasn’t ideal, then cracked on with some work. Today marked 2 months of working for this employer which meant it would be pay day tomorrow. It would be given to Captain Caveman, so I still didn’t physically have it and I had to be ultra-careful with money until he arrived in October.
At 3pm, I was at Fat Club to face Carol’s new scales and a funky new app that tells you lots of information about your body. I had put on 1.6kg (3.5lbs) in the last week but 4kg (9lbs) since I was last at Fat Club 6 weeks ago. I had a small water which now cost 25 lira (58p) and a good natter with the girls who were all looking fabulous and had lost more weight while I had been in England.
After Fat Club, and feeling motivated to get back on the wagon, at least until the weekend, I called in to the supermarket again for some fruit. Here’s what I got, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Plums 20.55
Nectarines 32.07
Curry powder 39.95
Oats 47.95
Frozen berries 99.95
Total spent 240.47 lira (£5.62)

For my very late lunch I had more mushroom pasta followed by nectarines with Quark then got back to work, but not before throwing a few ingredients in to the slow cooker for a chicken casserole.
After work, I ate some crackers and cheese spread while I waited for the casserole to be finished for dinner. Captain Caveman called, he was on holiday from the caves and had a trip to Cambodia planned. Instead of a glass of wine, I had a cup of Yorkshire tea, unpacked my Clinique moisturiser and had an early night.

Otford – 10th August

Saturday 10th August was my last official full day and night in England and the girls had plans to really make sure I enjoyed it to the fullest. I had once again declined the kind offer of an outdoor fitness session in favour of getting a bit of work done before the fun began. My legs still ached from the last one and the top up of impromptu dance moves last night. One of our other friends, Liz, was driving to Otford today to meet up and was already on her way by the time I met Claire and Clare for breakfast. Sally’s Café Emporium in Otford is absolutely amazing and, before I’d even tasted the food, it was going on to my list of favourites. The amount of cakes they had was immense and we were going to have breakfast there first, then take cakes away. I ordered pancakes with fruit and honey, Clare had eggs benedict and Claire had the fantastic combination of porridge, fruit and a hash brown. The tea, of which they had lots of different ones, came in china teapots and cups with saucers and our breakfast was a veritable treat. We paid for breakfast, which was reasonably priced and then got in the queue for the cakes. Claire, Clare and I chose fruit scones with butter, jam and clotted cream to take away, we got one for Liz and a brownie for Mark. The 5 cakes only cost about £20 and were massive.
Back at the house, I was still fuming about the Nationwide bank issue and Clare, who uses the same bank, transferred £50 in and I gave it her in cash. That way, if I couldn’t get it sorted before the next £13 charge, and because I wouldn’t be in the country from Monday, it wouldn’t incur more charges. My mom would bring my card out before the end of September and I could use the online banking to close the account. Clare and I also decided that I was going to send another strongly worded complaint to them in an effort to close the account and be done with it.

Liz arrived in the afternoon and made it into the town centre car park so that she could charge her electric car. Claire went to collect her and there were tears when we hugged each other. It had been such a long time since we last saw each other and I was really looking forward to spending time with Liz. Claire had prepared the spare room for her to stay over, I’d put the duvet and pillow cases on, and Mark had the heavy job of sorting the sofa bed out. Unfortunately, though, Liz was unable to stay and would have to drive home after dinner. I was sad that she couldn’t stay longer but at least we had the day together – it was a travesty that she would miss the Kake & Karaoke night which Claire had booked us in to tonight. Meanwhile, our other friend, Kelly, was on her sick bed and couldn’t make the weekend either and was feeling rather sorry for herself to be missing out.
Lunchtime was great and we had a chicken caesar salad with edamame beans in and then it was time for tea and the scones. It was the first time in my 5 weeks of being in England that I had eaten them and it was well worth the wait – there was even a proper tea pot and tea cosy.
In the afternoon, we had a wander to Otford town to pick up Liz’s car and called in to the antique shop for a quick look around. A drink was had in The Bull where last night’s dance floor had turned back into a dining room for pub food customers and we sat outside in the sun. It was a glorious day, ideal for getting me ready for the Turkish temperatures I would soon be enduring. Mark and Claire put on another BBQ and I’m sure they were getting even tastier each time. I ate sausage, chicken, pork, sweetcorn, feta salad and baby new potatoes. The pink fizz was flowing for the girls who didn’t have to drive and Mark joined us with beer. Poor Reg, the dog, had a long lesson in patience as he tried his best to get in on the meat action.
It was sad saying bye to Liz, although there was a chance I would see her, Clare, Kelly and Louisa in Rhodes next month, if all went well with my residency renewal.
I checked in online for my flight from Gatwick, leaving the next day at just before 9pm and would arrive at Dalaman at 3am. The rest of the evening was spent playing cards, something I rarely do as I’m not good at concentrating on the game. Mark taught us a game I had never played before, called Cheat, and I loved it. It was really funny playing with friends we know so well and a man I had only known for a few days with a lengthy career in the police force. Of course, it was absolutely hilarious and we sacked off going to the Karaoke night in favour of playing Cards Against Humanity – one of my favourite card games.

Otford – 5th & 6th August

Monday 5th August at Claire’s was really nice, I had tea and toast for breakfast and gave Reg, the dog, some attention. All the kids were away now and Mark had gone to work so Reg was finding the house rather quiet. Both Claire and I had work so she took to her desk in the office and I used the dining table. I called Herdy back about my broken Herdy bag and the nice person asked me to email photos and organised a new one to be sent to Claire’s address this week. I offered to post the old bag back but they were happy with just photos and didn’t want me faffing around. I was very impressed with their customer service so can highly recommend them if you happen to be in the Lake District any time soon.
At lunchtime Claire and I broke off from work for a quick trip to Sainsbury’s. I needed an adapter plug for my Turkish laptop to charge it up and Claire had found a pack of 3 for £11.99, they didn’t do just one. For lunch Claire made us a rather lovely chicken caesar salad and we had strawberries, blueberries and raspberries afterward. I was being good until tea break when I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and 4 biscuits. I was already on over 350 syns for this week with a couple of days to go to weigh day so I was not doing too well.
After work, we walked Reg and I saw how pretty the village of Otford was, then Mark and Claire cooked an absolute feast of a BBQ and we sat in the garden with a cider or 2. I had chicken legs, vegetables and rice and it was so tasty. In the evening we lounged, chatted and ate some chocolate.

Claire had very kindly booked me in for a class on Tuesday 6th August, first thing in the morning. She regularly does a class in the nearby park and had invited me along. Claire’s also training to run another marathon so, as you can imagine, the class was way beyond my (lack of) fitness capabilities. There was a beep test and floor exercises and running – quite frankly, it nearly killed me for about 45 minutes. I also ruined any good work I had done by having a sausage sandwich with my cup of tea for breakfast as soon as we got home. Even in the shower my legs were like jelly and I knew I was going to ache tomorrow. I did a couple of hours work before Captain Cavemen called, he was doing his next Oxalis briefing in a few hours. For lunch Claire and I had chicken, cheese and sweetcorn pittas followed by a chocolate rice cake and another cup of tea. More work was done before getting ready for an evening out in Bromley – it had been a while since I’d last visited. Upstairs I found a new friend in Dave, the cat, who had been napping on my bed after I had left the bedroom door open. He did not want to move so I left him there while Claire and I nipped off to the cinema.
Bromley did not look like it had changed too much and we managed to get parked on a side street and find a supermarket to get our cinema snacks from. Tesco definitely had a better choice of Meal Deal items and I treated us both to ‘dinner’ for just £6.80 as Claire had paid for the tickets to see Longlegs.
I opted for a Katsu chicken wrap, a Naked Blue Machine smoothie and a Wall’s pork sausage roll while Claire chose a spicy bean wrap, a protein bar and a chocolate milkshake. I’d been reading tips from a money saving expert about how never to buy water or crisps on the meal deal as you’re not getting the best value. It was an absolute bargain as the non-deal price was £13.30. We had really good seats which reclined and were super comfy. The film, starring Nicholas Cage as a nutter, was pretty scary and jumpy. I’d say worth a watch but don’t have a blueberry smoothie open at the scary bits! We didn’t have any popcorn but we did take a packet of Minstrels in from Claire’s and ate a few but were full from our lovely meal deals. I had finished the week on 450 syns and was quite glad that I would not be going near Carol’s Fat Club scales tomorrow. I was intending to face them the following week, though.

Sheffield to Otford – 4th August

I’d taken the day off work on Sunday 4th August as I was leaving Sheffield and going to visit Claire in Sevenoaks for a week, before flying back to Turkey in 8 days’ time. Claire had already offered to take me to Gatwick airport when I left so that I could get back in time for Nanny Kay’s birthday meal on the 12th. Even though my National Express bus from Sheffield bus station was at 12.45pm, I had decided to go early because of the delays we had with Captain Caveman’s departure. At 10am I was outside the garage door with my suitcase, waiting for my parents to lock up and come with me. Dad had my rucksack, complete with teabags and wine bucket – it was finally leaving Mosborough!
We arrived in to the bus station before 11am and decided to walk over to the nearby train station. None of us had eaten breakfast but when I take a bus I refrain from it so that I don’t have a bad stomach. While Ma went and got her and Pa bacon sandwiches and coffee at the Starbucks, I bought a bottle of water for £2.49 in WH Smiths – how much!? I should’ve brought tap water but I didn’t have a bottle to put it in.
When the Sheffield Tap opened (at 11am) my parents were still eating their bacon sandwiches as there had been a long queue. We decided to have a pint in the pub before it was time for me to walk back to the bus station. A pint of pale ale, a stout and a cider cost me about £15 – better value than bottled water!
We walked back to the National Express stop where there were 2 buses and I said my goodbyes and thanks to my parents. I got on the second bus which wouldn’t be stopping at Golders Green but going directly to Victoria, just what I wanted.
I sat about 3 seats from the front next to a man who, when he was on the phone was quiet, so I liked that. The drivers were not quiet, however, and we had to listen to endless drivel about their colleagues and political opinions all the way. We stopped off at Northampton services for a toilet break and I bought some sweets and some chocolate as I was peckish. £5.50 for 2 bags was a bit of an extravagance but that included a supposed £2.48 discount and I did have to use a self-scan check-out.
We arrived in to London Victoria bus station on time at 5.15pm and I had a train to Otford due at 5.42pm. I went straight for the information desk and they told me which platform. Captain Caveman had already bought me the train ticket when he bought me the bus one and I just made the train. By the time we were pulling in to Otford station I didn’t even realise mine was that stop but saw Claire waiting on the platform. It was great to see her after what we think is probably over 5 years!
We got to her house and was met by Reg, the cute pup. I met 3 of the 4 kids as Bee, ironically, was in Turkey and Mark for the first time. The Prosecco was opened and an amazing roast pork Sunday dinner was dished up – my first since being in England! We had a great night, drinking fizz and later rum while catching up and I felt like we’d not really been apart. My bedroom was so lovely with a comfy bed and I slept so well that night.

Sheffield – 1st August

I was awake really early on Thursday 1st August, contemplating life in general with it being the start of the month. It had been over 3 weeks since I arrived in England, half expecting not to really like being back, but I had loved it so far. August looked to be a busy and expensive month, though, so I was trying to focus on only spending time and money on the things that were worth it. I was leaving Sheffield this weekend and I was definitely going to miss it and had not had nearly enough time to see everyone.
I had cereal and a cup of tea for breakfast and carried on with work. I didn’t get much done though as, when Mom was up and about, the pressure was on to start the shredding. I could tell Mom was impatient to have me get it out of the way and it took a lot longer than she, or I, wanted it to. It felt very odd shredding any evidence of my existence and made me a bit nervous that I no longer would have any paperwork aside from birth, marriage and divorce proof plus some pension statements. I’d always kept at least 7 years of stuff, just in case, so it made me worry that I’d be asked to provide something that I’d shredded. Some people save birthday cards and all sorts of memorabilia and now I hardly existed.
For lunch I warmed up leftover sweet and sour chicken and added more veg to it and some cooked egg noodles – it was lovely. More shredding happened, and again after work, but I had a deadline of 5.30pm as we were all off out for my last night of favourites. My parents and I got to The Alma for 6pm to meet up with Chris and Amanda for an after work beer garden drink. I had the obligatory 3 pints of cider and we had a great night, but I refrained from wearing Amanda’s clothes as it was now sunny. The dogs came too and loved that the beer garden was busy. We did have to set an alarm to make sure we got to Tony’s chip shop on time as we were chatting on so much. This time, I got my hand in my pocket – it was the least I could do with Amanda and Chris treating us last week to drinks and my parents had splashed out on me quite a bit while I’d been in Mosborough. Fish, chips and peas for the 5 of us came to £43 and a round of drinks in The Alma had only been about £20. It had been amazing to spend time together, and lucky to do so more than once this trip. A definite highlight of my visit as I do love a local boozer and a chippy tea. That chippy tea, cooked perfectly by Rob, was spot on and I would definitely miss his fish & chips.

Sheffield & Derbyshire – 29th July

I woke up to a message from Captain Caveman on Monday 29th July who had booked me a National Express bus. I would be leaving at the weekend and going from Sheffield to London by coach for less than £10. The train would’ve cost around £70 so I was pleased with that bargain and that I would be able to get my heavy bags to Claire’s without any hassle.
I had tea and a toasted teacake for breakfast and did just an hour of work as I was off on a family walk today. Gayle and Neil had invited Ma, Pa, me and their kids on a walk in Derbyshire with lunch at The Maynard Arms. I’d not been since my old boss, Lindsey, got married there so it was definitely a while ago and they had renovated it again since.
Me, Ma & Pa got in the car which Neil was driving and had Sumo in, while Gayle came in Morgan’s car with April. The route we walked was familiar to the rest of the family whereas I didn’t really recognise it. It was a nice walk which finished with a hill to reach the pub. It was a warm sunny day and none of the outdoor tables had full shade so Neil and I had to take the sunny seats – I didn’t think I’d be needing sun cream on in England. I’d forgotten to bring my phone as I’d left it on charge so Mom lent me hers to take a few photos, which was good. Dad and I ordered the steak sandwich, Mom chose duck, Neil I think had a burger, Gayle ordered a poke bowl, and the girls went mad with a greek sharing plate, extra chips and extra halloumi. We shared some bread and olives to start with. The food was very nice and I really enjoyed my steak sandwich which came with cheese and fig chutney. I also had a glass of red wine and we had a laugh at Gayle and April who were arguing, mainly because they were both hangry. It got very sunny and even Mom was in the sun by the end of the meal. When I went inside to go to the loo and get the bill, we found out that Neil had quietly already gone in and paid. What a treat and to give an idea of cost as I didn’t see the final bill here’s what I had with the prices in pounds;
Steak sandwich £12.95
Skinny fries £4.50
Tap water Free
1 large red wine £8.00
Total £25.45

As April had to get to work, we all decided what a good idea it would be to go to the pub where she works. Gayle had to pick up her car from the garage too so she was going to do that and meet us at the Queen’s Head. I got my emergency midget gems out in the car on the way back and we shared them. Sumo was super tired and was trying not to fall asleep as he put his head on my lap. When we arrived at the pub, I got the first round in; Mom had a pint of John Smith’s, Dad a cider, Neil a Moretti shandy and me a Coors – it was only £17 for the 4 drinks. Morgan arrived after and April twisted he arm to have an Aperol Spritz which I bought for £8 (not bad for a cocktail). When Gayle arrived, I asked if she wanted a soft drink or an Aperol Spritz and she said yes to the cocktail and Neil had another shandy but neither drank them straight away because they realised Gayle’s car had been pranged and they had to take it back to the garage. We stayed in the beer garden for more drinks as Mom wanted to get another round in and we also got some pork scratchings and crisps between us all. It had turned out quite an expensive day for Gayle and Neil as we said bye and Neil dropped us off. We sat in the garden, Dad had to get the cushions out again, and we had some wine meaning I was on 320 syns for the week already and still had one more day to go before weigh day!

Sheffield – 27th July

Gayle & Neil were throwing a party for April’s 18th birthday on Saturday 27th July from 2pm. My parents and I were all excited and there was talk of what we were wearing, how we were getting there and even which door we would be leaving from. I carried on trying to get as much work done as possible but I could tell Dad was excited to be going. Before we left for the walk up the hill, wearing sandals, out of the garage door, I had some beans on toast (I was too busy for breakfast) and had a quick video call with Captain Caveman who had returned from the cave yesterday.
At Gayle and Neil’s we were unfashionably bang on time and the birthday girl was still getting ready. It wasn’t her actual birthday yet so we put the presents and card on a table to be opened another time and admired the lengths my sister had gone to, to trim up the house. It reminded me of when I see American’s having a party as there were nicely arranged balloons and a light up massive number 18 in the living room. The table was ladened with treats and nibbles, outside was fizz in an ice bucket and more garlands/swathes of balloons on the pergola. The kitchen was jam packed with so much food that I wondered who was coming to ‘the small party just for close family’.
We all had a glass of champagne, avoiding the larger champagne flutes which Gayle went for. April came out to say hello and fixed herself an Aperol spritz while Gayle, in her lovely summery dress, wrestled with Sumo, the dog, over a cardboard box for empties. Morgan and her boyfriend, Harry, joined April and Harley and I got to meet Harry for the first time. I was already eyeing up the beautifully presented charcuterie board and macaroons while I helped myself to a top up of Prosecco. By 3.20pm I was in the kitchen videoing the extravaganza as Gayle did some last minute preparation while chatting on. There was lots of red wine I noticed too and I was intrigued as to what the shell full of blue balloons was for – maybe a party game was coming later!

*****************************************

Video of all the food in the kitchen

Neil’s parents, Susan & David, and their 2 dogs arrived who I don’t think I’d seen since Gayle and Neil got married over 20 years ago. I got Sue a fizz, Dave was driving, and the adults went to sit on the decking area while I chatted about music with the kids. I noticed Gayle had accidentally on purpose got herself a bit tiddly with the extra large champagne flute of champers and she flashed her knickers. She decided that she would take her dress off as she was too cold. Just as we were getting comfy there was a bit of excitement as it was time to have a go on the piñata. Much hilarity ensued and the funniest people to have a go were my Dad and Neil. Poor Neil seemed like he might’ve been working out some stress or anger and we all couldn’t stop laughing!!!

April, before the piñata bashing started

April V Piñata

Dad V Piñata

Neil V Piñata (1)

Neil V Piñata (2)

Jill and Rita, our aunties, arrived just after we had finished the piñata. They brought their new dog, Seacole, who joined Sumo, Milly and Holly. Neil was on with the massive BBQ mission and the food was fantastic. My diet was once again on hold as I wolfed down a burger and a hot dog. I got caught out by the chillies in the rice and had to have more Prosecco to get over it. By this time Dad had switched up to a larger champagne flute and I noticed Mom had slowed down on the booze. I went on to red wine as I ploughed through the cheeses and meats. Around 7.30pm I realised we hadn’t taken any birthday photos so we did our best to get a few group and individual photos. Of course, I took so many where Dad was messing about and would not face the camera.

Gayle had done some games, with prizes, to see how well we knew April with some hilarious answers that even April didn’t know. It was funny and tricky to concentrate as Sumo had taken a romantic interest in Seacole and we had to keep them separate which was hard to do. Harley did a really good music quiz and I teamed up with Neil and Jill. We did well but didn’t win, which was a shame.
It was easily gone 9pm by the time any one left and my sister dished out food to take away as they had so much left. It would have been prudent for my parents and I to have taken a doggy bag and walked home too but we’re not well known for having sensible family shindigs. Gayle had asked us before we came if we wanted to stay over and my Mom had said no. I also had to work tomorrow so would rather get a good night’s sleep and be up early at my parents’ house, where my laptop was. Some sausages were warmed up for a midnight snack and I knew Dad was drunk when he ate 2, with onions on, and didn’t mention eating late or indigestion. Mom and I also had a hot dog and I had another red wine. As Dad was getting more merry I could see that Mom was considering staying over but she didn’t want me to walk home on my own and I couldn’t because she knew the alarm system which was on and I didn’t. To me, it seemed silly for me to stay over to wake up really early tomorrow morning to go to my parents’ house to still not be able to go in because of the alarm so I insisted I would leave that night. I didn’t realise it would take so long to walk home as Dad kept trying to walk on the road and take his sandals off. Mom was in a right mood with him and it was such hard work trying to get him to walk home properly without putting himself in danger. We eventually got in and messaged Gayle to say we made it in one piece (only just, for Dad) and I was gutted we forgot our leftovers. 12 hours after the party started, I was finally in bed having had a great day and night.

Photo credit – some from the Leesing family

Sheffield – 25th & 26th July

Briony’s plane was delayed by at least a couple of hours on Thursday 25th July so I got on with work until I heard from her to set off to go to meet her. I’d also bought a bottle of pink prosecco and a punnet of strawberries to welcome her for just £10 from M&S. I knew she’d be jetlagged and possibly hungover or hungry. Louisa was on standby to meet as she had the day off and we were all just waiting excitedly on Briony’s arrival. I eventually went to the Mercure hotel to meet Briony and she looked so good. America had been kind to her, her hair was a different colour and looked great. She had got a taxi from the train station as her suitcase was so heavy. We drank some Prosecco and ate a few strawberries as we messaged Louisa to say to come join us. She had missed a bus so had to drive and we said we would meet her at the car park. As we shared how excited we were to be drinking tap water again, Louisa was on her way and we walked towards a strange looking multi story car park. It was very windy and really cold for both me and Briony so we messaged Louisa to say we had gone to find a warm pub. Once again, I found myself in town looking for a pub that was open in the day time on a Thursday. Briony and I could only remember the Benjamin Huntsman as we’d had many a cheap drink in there over the years so we headed there. I dont think Louisa was enamoured with the choice of bar but Briony and I were very pleasantly surprised. You can pay cash, they have wine on tap and the prices are good as it’s a Wetherspoons. This time it was Briony’s turn to go for a pie, I chose the curry deal that is on the Thursday Curry Club and I had the spinach and chickpea curry with rice, poppadoms and a naan bread, plus another wine for £11. Louisa went for a coke, some chicken nuggets and onion rings and ordered it all on an App where the order arrives, miraculously, to your table.
Time went too fast as my alarm went off to tell me I needed to go get the bus. I’d arranged to meet Chris & Amanda at The Alma tonight so I needed to get back. I said my goodbyes with promises of meeting up again and hurried for the bus. I got to The Alma a bit late, Amanda and Chris were already there and had got the drinks in, including for my parents who I joined along the walk from the bus stop. They remembered what we drank which was really kind but they hadn’t brought the dogs this time. We had a great catch up and such a laugh trying to remember everyone we used to work with back in my Aviva days. It was such a good couple of hours and I was a bit tipsy by the time we left to go for fish and chips at Tony’s. We only just made it to the chip shop before it closed, too. My parents took their’s back home but I joined Chris and Amanda as I wanted to see the dogs and Amanda had some clothes for me to try on. The dogs were so fussy but soon calmed down when they saw me putting a bit of fish to one side for them to have when I had finished my dinner. The fish and chips are just so good and it’s a good job I don’t live in that area as I would be too tempted to eat them more often.
Trying clothes on after fish and chips and several ciders wasn’t the best idea but I went for it. Amanda knew I’d been feeling the cold and had no clothes with me so gave me 3 pairs of jeans, a T-Shirt, a shirt and a jumper. I loved the clothes and they all fit really well so I was happy. Downstairs I caused havoc when I threw the ball for the dogs in the lounge, which isn’t allowed so it was time to leave before Bruno or Ted damaged something.

On Friday 26th July I was working very early so that I could finish at lunch time. The jeweller at Crystal Peaks had let me know that they needed to send my G-Shock watch off to be fixed and it could take up to a month to come back but would most likely be as good as new for £60. I agreed and he asked me to call in to get the necessary paperwork and receipt so that my Mom could collect it when it was fixed. While we were at Crystal Peaks, Mom picked up a couple of things and then I popped to Beres sandwich shop. I got 3 roast pork sandwiches for £3.90 each and we took them home for lunch. Dad was in a better mood on our return this time, but we hadn’t been out long. I carried on with some work emails until it was time to meet Briony. Even though she didn’t have a phone SIM while in the UK, she had decided she would chance getting on a bus to Mosborough and I would meet her at the bus stop. It was a nice day, my parents had already gone for a walk so they had declined to come and meet Briony with me. She managed the bus fine and we had a wander around Mosborough while chatting. It was just like old times even though it was now 10 years since her and husband had got married, then moved to the USA. We walked via the kid’s park then we had a drink in the British Oak where we sat outside but got moved due to a private party coming at 4pm when it was 2.30pm. The round of 2 halves came to £6.40 and it was quite pleasant sat outside chatting about anything and everything. Our next stop was at The Alma beer garden where 2 pints came to £9.60 and the weather was pretty nice. We turned the Mosborough walk in to a pub crawl and finished off at Craftworks. Here we discovered the Fuggle Bunny Jammy Dodger ruby ale which was only £2.60 for ⅔ of a pint. We had 2 of these each and then missed the bus Briony was thinking of getting. After seeing Briony on to the later bus, I walked home to find Mom had saved me some dinner, another favourite of chicken fajitas. We had also forgotten about the strawberries and cream we bought in Sainsbury’s so I had some of those saved for me too. I’d really enjoyed today but as the weekend approached, I still needed to fit in a bit more work this week to make up for doing a few hours less last week.

Dalyan to Dalaman airport – 6th & 7th July

I went over to Captain Caveman’s apartment on the morning of Saturday 6th July, so that I could see the maintenance company in action. I knew they wouldn’t be there and that the garden area still wouldn’t have been done and I was now fed up. The tenants would arrive back this weekend and wanted to meet up with me before I went to the airport tomorrow night. I felt sure they would want to move out because of the complex grounds not being maintained well enough. Captain Caveman was in Saigon but would be flying to London from midnight tonight. My friend, who had kindly given me a lift, had come round to look and also agreed our gardener was not telling me the truth – nothing had been touched since my visit yesterday.
My friend and I got the bus to Ortaca and I was in a bit of a mood about the garden situation. Apart from buying a brush, a hose and some other tools to do it myself, I didn’t know what else to do. I messaged the maintenance man and said I was sick of it and wanted to meet him tomorrow. I also let the agent know so they could try harder to get something done before the tenants arrived tonight.

We got off the bus at the Ortaca bus station and walked a short way to a clothes shop which ladies from the moonlight boat trip had recommended to me. They had lots of choices and I tried loads on with my friend being honest on what looked good and what didn’t. In the end, I had narrowed it down to a red shirt dress, a burgundy long dress, a bright dress for boat trips and a patterned one for the family wedding. The 4 dresses came to not much more than the dress which I almost bought in Köyceğiz at a total of 1,500 lira (£36) and I was very impressed with the shop and could easily have bought more.
We called at the Gratis pharmacy where I bought a Dove deodorant stick for a whopping 199.50 lira (£4.78) as I had almost run out. I prefer the solid sticks as you can use them on thighs and under boobs to prevent any chafing. We had a bit of a walk around Ortaca and managed to get lost but found a nice stream and some columns which looked to be old and part of the Lycian way. It was very hot and I wish I’d brought sun cream as we walked past the hospital and a closed antique shop. We decided to stop at Cafe Deryası for lunch where we both had a water, a juice and Turkish ravioli (mantı). The lunch was really good and I would definitely go there again. It cost 390 lira (£9.35) each so it wasn’t cheap but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Both my friend and I had to get back to work so we got the bus back, it was hot and sweaty but at least we had a seat. As it was my last night staying at my friend’s we decided to have our dinner with wine on the roof terrace. We decided to call at the supermarket for some bits and have a little picnic style dinner. Here’s what I bought for my contribution with prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
Crackers 34.90
Salt & Vinegar crisps 35.00
Peanuts 84.90
2 bottles of Cumbuş red wine 199.80
Total spent 354.60 lira (£8.50)

I also brought cheese, brownies and some cherries that I already had in the fridge. It was such a lovely evening and we stayed out there until it went dark.

I was in a bit of a rush on Sunday 7th July to fit everything in. I didn’t have anything for breakfast but I did do some washing and packing. I worked all morning and then had a lift in to town to drop my stuff off at Jamie’s.
We went for a last meal together at Kefal tea gardens where I had a cheeseburger and 2 lemon sodas for a total of 160 lira (£3.84). While we were there we saw a turtle, 2 snakes and lots of fish which was amazing.

Watersnake

The turtle

The turtle and the watersnake

After, I was dropped back at Jamie’s so I could check on the dogs, as Jamie was out, and repack all my stuff. My flight was after midnight tonight and I only had the smallest easyJet hand luggage to fit all my stuff in to. It was a squeeze with my laptop and I was sad to leave my toiletries behind. I had a little sit down on the sofa with Norman and Edna only to fall asleep for about 3 hours. In the meantime, Captain Caveman had arrived in London and was heading to his parents’ house in Barnes.
I went to Ela’s Kitchen to say hello to Nicola and Sev, bumped in to Melanie and Gareth and had a big bottle of water before going back towards town. Later on, I decided to have a rosé wine and soda in Grandma’s Garden and enquired how much their rooms were per night for next month. It was out of my price range unfortunately but the owners seemed very nice. I called at the bank to withdraw some money as I was meeting the tenants and Jamie for a drink at Lukka later and then I decided I was hungry so I called at one of my favourite restaurants.

It was quiet at Duble as I was early and I asked for the chicken soup as a starter, a large bottle of water and then for main I chose the chicken and mushroom pasta to be made without chicken. The food was lovely, especially the soup but I did notice that the prices had definitely gone up a bit and my mushroom pasta was still the same price as the chicken one. The water was only 55 lira, the chicken soup was 120 lira and the mushroom pasta 350 lira. My total meal came to 525 lira (£12.59) which was more expensive than I’d expected but it was rather tasty. Luckily, it did mean I had 500 lira (£12) left to get me a drink at Lukka and for any emergency at Dalaman airport.
I arrived before Jamie and the dogs and introduced myself to our tenants. They ordered proper drinks for them but I just ordered a soda water to keep it cheap. They were very nice people and we had a bit of a laugh as well as discussing concerns that were all to do with our pool and garden company. Jamie was taking me to the airport so he wasn’t drinking either so when it came to pay, I said I’d get Jamie’s. Unfortunately, the bill came all 4 of us together and we decided to split it, although I put in 500 lira (£12) for mine and Jamie’s drinks, but it wasn’t enough and Jamie had to add more for our half. I hoped my flight wasn’t delayed as I now didn’t have spare cash to get anything at the airport. Norman and Edna came to the airport with us and it was a first for me to say bye to pets at Dalaman. I said bye to Jamie and the flight was still as scheduled. The queue to check in was huge and it took a while, the man behind me got quite shitty about the special assistance queue having so many people in the entourage of the disabled person – one wheelchair user got a group of 14 checked in together and he nearly lost it. Once through security, chaos ensued and my flight was delayed by 2 hours.

Dalyan & Köyceğiz – 4th & 5th July

By the time I woke up on Thursday 4th July, my parents had already left for the airport so I didn’t get to go and wave them off. Ordinarily, this would not have happened but given that I would see them in 13 days time none of us were upset about it. I had tea and toast for breakfast then got my stuff packed to move accommodation. I worked in the morning and then ate the rest of the blueberries for lunch, sharing them with Norman and Edna. Blueberries are meant to be good for dogs so Edna wolfed them down, Norman was yet to be convinced. I left some stuff at Jamie’s, including my laptop, as I was off on a moonlight boat trip that afternoon. It was another one of the ‘Ladies only’ ones that I had helped to organise with a friend. We boarded Captain Fuat’s Adil boat around 4pm, bound for Köyceğiz. As we were setting off, one of the ladies went to the shop with the Captain to buy a last minute purchase and then it was time to go. Captain Fuat shared some fruits from his garden, the fresh figs were amazing, as well as a delicious cake made my his daughter.
We had a mooch around Köyceğiz where I tried on a dress for a forthcoming wedding in Penrith. It was a nicely fitting, off the shoulder, green and flowery number but I noticed it was coming apart at the seams a little. It was also 1200 lira (£28.92) so I decided it was out of my budget. We all left the shop and I was the last one to go, as I was leaving the older lady of the shop started to turn angry with me and accused me of ripping the poorly sewn garment. I walked out without saying anything and decided I wouldn’t be going in that shop again.
Back on the boat, we had a very lovely evening with more excellent food including hot chips after our first swim stop, courgette fritters and chicken nuggets to nibble on before dinner. One of the ladies had sold her parents’ house and wanted to share with us her good news so she had bought a couple of bottles of fizz for us all. I had a couple of glasses of rosé wine with a couple of the other ladies but I noticed most of the women weren’t drinking much, if at all – it was very civilised.
Not everyone swam but a friend and I went a few times round the boat and the sunset was amazing. We had a delicious tomato based soup as a starter and then the main course which was a mixture of dishes to accommodate meat eaters and vegetarians. I really enjoyed it and the evening was finished off with fizz/rosé and stargazing which was very relaxing.
We didn’t get back until almost midnight after what had been an amazing moonlight boat trip. The cost was £30 (1,250 lira) and Captain Fuat always looks after us very well.

I was up very early on Friday 5th July as I needed to walk over to Jamie’s to say bye to Drew, Nick and Mark before work. They were off back to the UK after a lovely holiday/stay. I called at Migros to buy a thank you bottle of wine for Jamie and I grabbed some noodles which were on offer. I spent just 337.90 lira (£8.10) and I even got Angora wine for that. I needed to get my laptop and a few things I’d not taken on the boat with me last night. It was only 24°C at 7am but there was an excessive heat weather warning for later and I also wanted to check Captain Caveman’s apartment complex again. I had been told by the pool and maintenance bloke that they had worked there this morning so I was going to inspect. When I arrived, it was less than satisfactory and obvious that no one had been that morning, or even in the last few days. Dead plants, dried leaves and generally weeds needing sorting which were easy and obvious jobs. I wasn’t happy and I messaged the maintenance man, who once again told me that they had been this morning. He blamed it on not having a hose and that there was nothing he could do as all 10 apartments needed to give him money for a hose. I told him to go buy one and I would pay and I didn’t hear back, only to say he had ordered one. I checked on Trendyol and the most expensive one was not more than 2000 lira (£47.96) and I just wanted the place clean and tidy for our guests – it was proving far too much to ask for. I sent the pool and garden man photos as I was stood there and he said that he also had photos from his brother and that it didn’t look the same – how dare they call me a liar! I suspected his workers were either tired, lazy or lying and so he promised me he would personally check every day – he had already promised this several times so I didn’t hold my breath! I also let the rental agent know but she was on holiday and the guy left in charge wasn’t able to get through to the maintenance company either. It was a joke and I really wished we’d never agreed to rent the place out. The ironic thing is that Captain Caveman and I had never agreed to this maintenance company but we had been told we were outvoted. The Aussies downstairs had not experienced any complaints from their tenants (of which they had several different customers) so it was unfortunate that only my tenants were being affected.
Because of all the faffing about, I wasn’t back ‘in the office’ until 11am, having picked up a bottle of water and a couple of simits for a bargain total of 31 lira (74p).
I worked all day then had a video chat with Captain Caveman, he was flying from Dong Hoi to Saigon tomorrow to start his journey back to the UK for his holiday.
In the evening I headed to the tea gardens for dinner with my my new house mate. We had sandwiches and soft drinks followed by an ice-cream for a total of 400 lira (£9.64). The place was very busy but there was a lovely breeze and the staff were very efficient. We went back home and arranged to get up early to go to Ortaca before work tomorrow.

Dalyan – 3rd July

Wednesday 3rd July was a lovely day for me in Dalyan. Jamie and the boys were still celebrating Mark’s birthday so I gave the dogs their breakfast and made sure they had their wees and poos before it got too hot. I also took my measurements in readiness for weigh-in at Fat Club this afternoon. I had put 5cm on my waist and hips but there was no change to my bust. This was not good news and would definitely mean I had put weight on too. I had strawberries, olives and a simit for breakfast then cracked on with some work on the patio. Midmorning I popped to the shops for some essentials;

Migros Supermarket
Quark 29.95
Skimmed milk 37.95
Soda water 40.00
Total spent 107.90 lira (£2.60)

I called at the bank to deposit cash (English and Lira) so that my total amount was met for July in regard to the residency rules. I worked more until it was time to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. After 17 weeks away and without my own kitchen I knew I should not expect miracles but I was certainly hoping I’d managed not to put too much weight back on.
I was pleased to see I had only put 0.1kg (0.2lb) on since last week and just a total of 1.4kg (3lb) in the time I’d been away from Dalyan. My last Dalyan Fat Club weigh-in had been at the beginning of March and now I was just 2.1kg (4.6lb) over my target. That wasn’t too bad, although I was off to the UK in 5 days time so I couldn’t see it being easy to stick to the plan there.
At Jamie’s, the guys were back and we were booked in to celebrate Mark’s birthday with a fancy meal out at Le Bohème that evening. I had to close up my outdoor office as the wine was being poured and the guys were having a dip in the pool. Nanny Kay and Hannah joined us at the villa for a cheeky pre dinner drink. When we arrived at the venue, there was a lady outside having some sort of allergic reaction which Mark and Hannah went to help with while ex nurse Nanny Kay and I swerved the situation and went on inside.

Le Bohème was very nice and we had a lovely table where Emma and Yusuf were already waiting for us. We shared the beautifully presented mixed mezes for a starter and had some white wine between a few of us. For main I chose the chicken with halloumi, spinach and potatoes and it was really tasty. I was thoroughly impressed with all the food, the service and the ambience of Le Bohème. I think my share of the meal came to about 1600 lira (£38.55), including thirds on 2 bottles of good wine. It was more expensive than where I usually eat but not extortionate for what we had and I would certainly recommend for a special occasion or treat. After the meal some of us went to Aşkın’s bar for another drink and to round off the lovely evening. A round of 3 drinks came to a reasonable 450 lira (£10.84) and is definitely one of our go-to bars.
Back ‘home’, I was meant to set my alarm for tomorrow as my parents were leaving for the airport at 7am.

Photo credit – Jamie/Nick

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd July

On Monday 1st July I did some work first thing and then joined my parents, Adam, Kath & Kate on the yellow boat trip to Köyceğiz. Like an idiot, I forgot to take my phone so there were no photos of the day out. Kate and I headed to the market as soon as we got there while everyone else went for a drink. I bought what I would have got from the market in Dalyan on Saturday, if I’d not missed it; strawberries and a bit of veg. At Carrefour, I bought 2 bottles of Prosecco for 720.05 Lira (£17.35) ready for tonight as Jamie and the boys had invited me, and Nanny Kay, for dinner again. For lunch we all ate at Tuana where I had a chicken burger and some lemon soda as I didn’t fancy alcohol, for a change.
I nipped to the supermarket on my way back for some treats for the house and bought the following, prices in Turkish Lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
Tutku biscuits 30.00
Plain crisps 35.00
Blueberries 49.95
Chocolate brownies 65.00
Chocolate Dido bars 75.20
Frozen raspberries 107.95
Total spent 363.75 Lira (£8.77)

We had a lovely chilled out evening at Jamie and Drew’s, with lots of laughs and a very tasty chicken salad for dinner. Drew’s homemade croutons were definitely a hit, Nanny Kay’s chocolate brownie with jelly was so good and I really enjoyed the meal.

I woke up early on Tuesday 2nd July and had tea and toast for breakfast. Tomorrow was weigh day and I’d completely gone off track this week with the food and booze. Jamie and the boys were off on a trip for Mark’s birthday, just local, but I was going to spend the day with Norman and Edna. I did some washing and then got on with some work. Edna wanted to help send some emails and got on my knee to get nearer the laptop. By 9am I was in the newly kitted out köşk enjoying the fresh air while I worked. I saw an unusual critter on the table and the temperature shot up to 35°C in the shade.
In the afternoon, I attempted to arrange to meet up with our elusive pool and garden man but, unsurprisingly, he wasn’t forthcoming. Our tenants were arriving again in a few days and I was concerned that Captain Caveman’s apartment complex still looked a mess and it was getting very frustrating.
I worked some more in the afternoon and in the evening I was meeting my parents for our last meal in Dalyan. They were off to Göcek tomorrow with their friends so I needed to say bye to them tonight. They would fly back to England on Thursday morning but I would see them in Sheffield in July.

After feeding the dogs and watching Norman confidently patrol the property perimeter, I went to call for Ma & Pa. I still needed to see Sonuç to pay hım the £30 (or 1200 lira) that I owed him for the airport pick up when I arrived, so I popped over to his new office. It was very smart and looked good. Our next stop was for a cheeky drink in Cafe Ivy where they do a nice white wine at a reasonable price.
For dinner we decided to try Sea Breeze, as we know the owner, Suha, from when he was a waiter at Bistro Blue restaurant. It was the day of a football game that we wanted to avoid so it looked like a nice quiet place to eat. An older waiter took our order and we decided not to have starters. We ordered a bottle of house red wine which was 750 lira (£18) for the cheapest Buzbağ brand. We got a bottle of water to share for 80 lira (£1.93) and we all had a steak. My parents had onion steaks, I had a blue cheese steak and the price was 850 lira (£20.48) each. When it was served, it was presented on wooden boards which I really don’t like so I asked for a spare plate and transferred it over. It’s very common in Dalyan to serve meals on wooden boards but I find it not only looks bad, it’s unhygienic and impractical, especially if having a sauce. This was evidently not the cheapest place in town but the food quality and taste was excellent. We all really enjoyed our dinner but I felt a bit uneasy about the waiter and wondered if he regularly worked there. He asked us to put a review on Trip Advisor before we’d finished and, when he cleared the plates, he ate a leftover vegetable from Dad’s plate. This was the first time this had happened to me ever in any restaurant and it did take me by surprise. I usually do leave reviews but this then put me off doing one and I haven’t bothered. I paid the 3,380 lira (£81.45) on my credit card and Ma gave me cash so I could continue to add money to my Turkish account to keep up the residency requirements. I didn’t think £27 each for a decent meal was too bad and it did include a free appetiser of olives, warm bread and dips. I wanted to get back for Norman and Edna so I invited my parents over for a nightcap. We went to Yaman Büfe off licence on the way and bought a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine for just 590 lira (£14.22) – and we splashed out on Angora. Dad and I shared the red, Mom had some of the white while we had to pretend to give Edna red. I was giving her water from a glass behind my red wine but when she realised we were hoodwinking her, she wasn’t too happy.
It was gone 11.30pm when my parents left and we said goodbye – Norman had already fell asleep but Edna came to say farewell, unaware she wouldn’t see them again until September.