I’m not sure if I’d overdone it yesterday or if my cold was getting worse on Wednesday 3rd January. I’d hardly slept and at 5.30am I was tracking the progress on Captain Caveman’s flight while coughing up a lung. His flight from Istanbul to Saigon had been delayed by 4 hours, but his flight from Dalaman had been moved forward. It was a good job he’d made it to the airport on time, last night, as he didn’t know it was flying earlier than planned. It did mean he had several hours during the night in Istanbul airport, which was not ideal. I walked the dogs, separately and Lucy insisted on going first. I explained to Big Boy that he would be going next and he waited patiently. It was a cold misty morning, very wet underfoot and I was coughing a lot. The 2 walks went well but I needed my cup of tea when I got back. I decided I was too sick to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to Fat Club and spent the day on the sofa with the dogs. I didn’t really eat that much on account of me being poorly; fruit for breakfast, noodles and a tangerine for lunch and a treat for dinner. I couldn’t be bothered to cook so I had cheese, crackers, apple and chestnuts. I tried to have a small glass of wine but it just made me cough too much. Captain Caveman arrived in Saigon and was flying on to Dong Hoi the next morning. I didn’t get to speak to him as he was tired.
On Thursday 4th January I was still ill but functioning ok. I walked the dogs and had tea with fruit salad for breakfast before trying a new dish. I decided to make a wild boar stew using some meat Jaxx had told me to use. I popped it in the slow cooker and didn’t eat until dinner when I had a cheesy jacket potato. Big Boy and Lucy were really cute and Lucy kept telling me she wanted a snack. Captain Caveman called me from Oxalis, his work place, he’d arrived in Phong Nha and was happy to be back. We discussed flight options and I looked at going via Athens with Scoot. The costs were between £446 and £502 for a return fare if I went mid March to early June. I could then incorporate a work related trip to Rhodes on either direction. We didn’t have the money to book it yet so I had to be patient.
Tuesday 2nd January was far from sunshine and rainbows for me, but I didn’t expect it would be. It was the day Captain Caveman left to go back to work in Vietnam for his 8 months stint. Edna had recovered, Norman was improving and they were happy to go back to bobos while I had my cup of tea, Strepsils, ibuprofen, a hot lemon and a pancake using up yesterday’s batter. I had one of the busiest days ahead of me and I felt like death, having had less than 2 hours sleep. The dogs could tell I was out of sorts and were super sweet, I was going to miss them. Captain Caveman had booked Fikri, the taxi man, for 8.30pm from his apartment where all his luggage would be. I’d told a few friends and my parents, who we’d not seen for over a week, that he would be in Waterfall at 3pm for a farewell beer. I’d also told Captain Caveman this so that he could make sure he was packed in good time to meet everyone. The 2 of us could then get some food together before his long journey ahead (about 24hrs) and say goodbye. We’d decided we’d have a romantic meal for 2 before his taxi came, somewhere like YOLO, where we had both still not got round to trying. With this in mind, I got on with my jobs; feeding and walking the dogs, packing all my stuff up, stripping and remaking the bed, getting all the bedding and towels washed and dried, emptying all the bins, sweeping, hoovering, mopping – cleaning the bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and living room before moving my stuff back home so that it could be left there, or taken to Bill and Jaxx’s. At 9am I got a message from Greg, the Aussie, to say he and Amanda were going to head over after 10am to see Captain Caveman, as they hadn’t had chance to see him yet. He was going home after walking the dogs to pack all his things for Vietnam and move all his personal affects in to storage cupboards for when we rented out the apartment! He’d walked Big Boy and Lucy for the last time and cycled home to make a start on dismantling the bicycle to store away. I decided to put my phone on silent and get cracking. At 12.45pm I had a cup of tea and a sit down, after letting the dogs out for a toilet break. I saw some bad news on Facebook that Foreigners with Turkish residency had to put a minimum of 25,503 lira (£680.08) in to their Turkish bank account every month. This was going to affect me, if I wanted to keep my residency here. Jamie was on his way and the flight was on time so I had no time to lollygag, this villa wasn’t going to finish itself. I also needed to go home to cart my stuff back, shower and change to get back to meet Captain Caveman but it was already 3pm. I shoved more medication down my throat, told Norman and Edna that Little Daddy, Step Daddy Drew and Aunty Julia were on their way and I left.
It was 3.20pm as I got my key out to open the door to the apartment, the drugs were starting to kick in but the heavy bag I’d carried over had done me in. I’d already had a message from Nanny Kay to say Captain Caveman hadn’t arrived yet and she was sat nursing a coke. On opening the door, I saw why! The Aussies and Captain Caveman were sat in the living room having a chat. I was not happy with Captain Caveman and I let it be known that he had people waiting for him in Waterfall. I had minutes to get ready so I went upstairs to shower while shouting orders to Captain Caveman of what to bring me to wear and a towel. I hurried and came downstairs to get my shoes on, Amanda pointed out they had brought us gifts of collapsible Tupperware and Factor 50 suncream, which was amazing. It took longer than I’d have liked for us to get to Waterfall where, luckily, only a couple of people were waiting. I was away with the fairies after 1 wine and the flu medication so I don’t really remember much. Ma & Pa arrived and they were still not 100% better but doing ok. Jamie and Drew arrived straight off the plane, just to say bye, but they didn’t stay long as they were knackered. Of course, we never got to go for the meal and I had to get back for the dogs dinner time. I was so hungry too because I’d not had time to eat since breakfast. Captain Caveman must’ve been hungry and he wasn’t flying until 11pm so he needed to eat. At 7.30pm, Captain Caveman said his reluctant goodbyes and we walked to get a kebab from Hatay’s. I asked for mine without chillies and they insisted they don’t put any form of chilli in them. We took them back home with just enough time to eat some of it before the taxi. We got in the taxi together and I got dropped off at Villa Infinity where Big Boy and Lucy were desperate for their dinner! I don’t even think we had a goodbye snog as Captain Caveman was in a rush to get to the airport. I hoped to see him in a couple of months or so but we weren’t certain. Once he’d gone and the dogs had eaten their food, I popped the heater on and we sat on the sofa. I finished off my half of kebab and was convinced it had chillies in. By 9.15pm I was in the bathroom and I was not well!
At least I started yet another year without a hangover on Monday 1st January but I felt terrible. This cold/flu bug really had put the kibosh on any new year or farewell drinks with Captain Caveman or my parents. I’d barely slept because of the coughing! I messaged my parents and Captain Caveman to invite them over to Jamie’s later in the day to exchange new year wishes, seeing as we had all stayed in, in the 3 different places last night. Captain Caveman said he was feeling better this morning and had given me some advice about walking Big Boy and Lucy on 2 separate walks when I take over, as they both had a likelihood of chasing cats or other dogs. Lucy had also had to be given some medication because of gun shots in the area. I’d been taking Norman and Edna separately so that was no bother and they weren’t concerned about fireworks. Captain Caveman said he would come over around lunch time. My mom replied to say she was off on the Yellow boat trip to Köyceğiz again today with some other Dalyan Dwellers and it would depend on their plans after the boat trip as to whether they would be free to pop over. As it was Captain Caveman’s last day, and it would turn out to be our last meal together, I decided to cook a Sunday dinner with Yorkshire puddings. I made roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, the Yorkshire puddings and realised I didn’t have any gravy. I messaged Jamie to ask if I could use his and, he not only said yes, but said to use some stuffing too! Captain Caveman and I were so excited as we’ve not had stuffing in quite some time. I opened the Prosecco and we had a really lovely last lunch. It’s always weird saying bye to Captain Caveman not knowing exactly when I will see him again. Captain Caveman went back to Villa Infinity with a full belly, in plenty of time to feed Big Boy and Lucy. I braved the walk to the pharmacy and found it was open. I stocked up on Strepsils, Tylol and Advil at a cost 653 lira (£17.41) which was horrendously expensive. I messaged Mom to say I was popping out, in case they popped over. At around 6pm, I was back to being fully dosed up and was trying to get a taxi to take Kate some medication as she was also out of supplies. At 6pm Ma messaged to say they were in Tez and wouldn’t be calling round as the weather looked unpredictable. I couldn’t get a taxi, neither could Tez, so Penny kindly went to take Kate some medicine. I got in to my pyjamas, both Captain Caveman and I stayed in our respective temporary homes with our borrowed pets and had early nights (again).
I woke up on Saturday 30th December and went downstairs to check on Norman and Edna. After a wander around the patio, Edna wolfed down her breakfast but Norman was not too eager to eat, he also was refusing to drink any water, which was odd. After several cups of tea and a back to bobos on the sofa session it was time to go to the market. Captain Caveman had come over from Villa Infinity so that we could shop together but he could take what was needed at Bill & Jaxx’s house and I could keep the rest at Jamie’s.
Here’s what we bought at the Dalyan weekly market but I didn’t make a note of all the individual prices. 2kg Tangerines 2 onions Spinach 3 red peppers 1 green pepper 2 apples 6 bananas Spent 145 lira (£3.87)
Gözleme x2 110 lira (£2.93)
When we got back, Captain Caveman and I took the dogs for a walk, to the Waterfall. They like it in there and Norman loved a nosey from his pushchair as to what was going on. I just had a soft drink because I felt rubbish but I was trying to chivvy myself up a bit for tonight’s party at Ghislaine’s. I went back to Jamie’s and Captain Caveman went back over to see to Big Boy and Lucy. Unfortunately, Norman had had an accident in his pram and needed another wash. Captain Caveman came back before 7pm, all dressed up and ready for a party. I felt worse and couldn’t go but I packed off Captain Caveman with 2 bottles of fizz and 3 bags of marshmallows. Mark & Kate and Carol & Ian were going to be there so he’d know other people and he does love a curry. I ended up having my homemade pumpkin soup and an early night, napping on the sofa with the dogs. I really hoped to be better for tomorrow, as there was a Sunday walk, it was New Year’s Eve, I’d not seen my parents since Christmas Day and our friends, the Aussies, were arriving.
Historically, New Year’s Eve has not been the best time for me as I’m usually sick. Sunday 31st December was no different and I woke up feeling terrible. I’d hardly slept from coughing all night and when I finally got to sleep, Edna had come scratching at my door at 5am. I was coughing a lot, my body ached and I had to use an inhaler once I started coughing as I couldn’t breathe properly. When I eventually went downstairs at 7am, Edna had been sick on the rug and on the sofa, which is not like her. So now we were the poorly trio and it was time for cups of tea and back to bobos on the sofa, after all the scrubbing and putting a wash on. Both dogs were off their food and I forced down a banana so that I could take my medication. I called in sick to Captain Caveman’s Sunday walk which was his last until next October. He’d organised the walk so that it finished at Günlüklu restaurant but I wasn’t fit enough to make it and didn’t want to pass on my germs. I spent the day with Norman and Edna, forcing Norman to drink water as I think he was dehydrated. After a very short walk, we sat out on the patio and had a little sunbathe, while dosed up on flu medicines and drinking cups of tea. Kate had arranged a New Year’s Eve bash at Tapa bar for this evening and I thought nearly all of our Dalyan friends were going. I’d likely be in my pyjamas by the time it went dark, cuddled up with the dogs. Even my parents were going to stay in as they weren’t well either. The Aussie’s, Amanda and Greg, had messaged to ask where the party was and where we were all meeting up but the best I could do was send them the invite to Tapa for tonight. In the afternoon I tried to get in touch with Captain Caveman and couldn’t, I assumed he’d gone to Günlüklu and carried on having a new year drink there but when he did respond he’d gone to bed feeling poorly after the walk. He was flying back to Vietnam in a couple of days and really could do without getting ill for his journey. I had nothing planned for dinner and really couldn’t be bothered to make anything, I was down to my last Strepsil, which were giving me a dodgy tum and I had no hot lemons left. I decided to go to the chemist but when I got there it was already closed for new year. There would have been an alternative open but I couldn’t walk that far. I decided to go to Migros and see what they had in the freezer section for dinner and I thought some sucky sweets might help my cough and sore throat. Here’s what I bought from the shop with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 2 Dido chocolate bars 15.75 2 packs of wine gums 21.00 1 chocolate Magnum 25.00 1 Ginger Ale 43.00 1 box of frozen pizzas 95.92 1.6Kg whole chicken 115.06 1 bottle of Prosecco 279.90 Total spent 595.63 lira (£15.88)
I was impressed with a decent bottle of fizz for less than £7.50 and a full sized Magnum ice-cream only being 67p. I wondered why I hadn’t had one before now, as I ate it on the way back to Jamie’s – it soothed my throat better than a Strepsil. I saw Fikri and he wished me a happy new year, which was nice, as he rode past on his motorbike. I popped the stuff in the fridge and had one of the frozen pizzas for dinner, they weren’t bad. I had no intention of drinking the fizz tonight but I thought my parents and Captain Caveman may want to pop by tomorrow to raise a glass to the new year. I had fell asleep watching TV but woke up before midnight and went to bed.
That’s another year of my Shenanigans done, it finished the way it started; snuggled up with a pet in someone else’s house. What a year it had been, it’s hard to remember sometimes how much happens. Overall, I ended 2023 weighing 4.7kg (10lb) lighter than I started it, which I was pleased about. 2024 looked to be a little uncertain, with a few challenges to suss out but I was hopeful things would work out in my favour. With Captain Caveman and my parents leaving in January, I was gearing myself up for a quiet Dalyan winter. My priority was to earn enough money to keep my residency and continue on the Slimming World plan to keep the weight off. I didn’t make any new year’s resolutions, as I never stick to them, but I did make a note to prioritise my health a bit more.
On Friday 29th December Captain Caveman and I walked Big Boy and Lucy together and then I got ready to leave Villa Infinity, until the 2nd January when Captain Caveman would be leaving. This morning, he was off to Bridge club and I was going to Jamie’s for 5 days. He cycled, obviously, while I caught the bus a little later, and went via home to drop off and pick up more clothes. We arranged to meet for lunch so that we could finally try Sheche Burger too.
When Jamie left, I played with Norman and Edna, let them out on the patio for a bit then headed off to try the burgers at Sheche – diet once again on hold. Captain Caveman and I both ordered the Smoked Beef Burger which came on a tray like a fast food joint. It was piping hot and very fast but I had forgotten to ask for mine without sauce. Captain Caveman loved it and said it was the best he’d had in Dalyan for a while. I managed to scrape off the mayo (which I hate) with an over-powdery french fry. I did eat all of the burger and it was very tasty, the brioche buns aren’t my favourite but I’m generally not a burger person. The cheese, bacon and gherkin were great but I couldn’t finish my chips. A lot of eateries like to jazz chips up with powdery stuff (paprika, chilli flakes, dried herbs) but I prefer them plain or with salt. On the way home we called in to Bim for wholemeal bread and some marshmallows. A friend had invited us to her birthday curry night at the weekend and I was taking fizz and marshmallows for round the firepit. I wanted to buy more than 3 packets but Captain Caveman said that was more than enough. Our shopping cost us just 87.50 lira (£2.33) and we hurried back to Jamie’s.
Poor little Norman was in his bed near the TV when Captain Caveman and I got to Jamie’s. Edna was looking worried and kept looking from Norman to us and wouldn’t come to us from off the sofa. As I went to check on Norman it was clear that he was in a bit of a tangle and had to be picked up and taken for a shower. He was such a good dog and sat in the shower waiting, I grabbed towels, gloves and soap while running the water to the right temperature. He looked slightly concerned when I took my socks, jumper and jeans off! Captain Caveman was there to help me but that was more luck than planning. I did the showering by myself so I could cope if I needed to do it again but he was there if Norman and I needed him. After his thorough wash, Norman was dried and wrapped in hamam towels, given lots of love and reassurance, then taken downstairs to the sunny patio. Edna was still upset and wouldn’t go near any of us. I grabbed Norman’s little pushchair and popped him in that and he seemed to be doing ok. Jamie had warned me that Norman was having trouble with his back legs, hence a dog pushchair, and would need extra love and attention. When Captain Caveman left to go back to Villa Infinity, to feed and be with Big Boy and Lucy, we had lots of cuddles and I tried to make sure Edna was ok. I was a bit worried about Norman and I could tell she was too. She wouldn’t go to him and we had to have a little story about what happens when doggies get old, while she was on my knee and he was in his pram. I hadn’t left time to make any dinner, I was still full of cold and a sore throat so I made myself a crisp sandwich. Norman slept loads and Edna watched TV with me, it had been a while since I’d watched A Place in the Sun.
On Wednesday 27th December I couldn’t function without a Strepsil in my mouth and the cold/cough had got a little worse. Captain Caveman and I walked Big Boy and Lucy and we took turns with each dog so that I could feel confident when Big Boy pulled, as he’s a very big dog! Lucy was easier to walk on a lead but neither of them would stop if a command to do so was needed. Captain Caveman decided he wasn’t feeling up to going to the Dog Shelter and we were both a bit chilly so he got on with making the fire. I had a bit of toast using up the bread in the cupboard before getting ready to go to Fat Club. Captain Caveman was going over to Fire Opal to pick up more of our belongings and provisions from home. Unfortunately, Fat Club got cancelled and I was kind of pleased, but I had no idea how much I weighed. I think I may have had a lucky reprieve as, even though we hadn’t celebrated Christmas, we had still overindulged quite a bit. We had a leisurely evening with the dogs and had my homemade lentil soup with a cheese sandwich for dinner. Unfortunately, some bad news came about the increase in the minimum wage in Turkey from 1st January. It was great news for the locals, not so much for business owners and expats as it meant that the minimum amount for foreigners to deposit per month to keep residency would increase by the same percentage. I was concerned that my reduced hours weren’t going to provide enough income for me to remain a resident and a Plan B could be needed. Captain Caveman was due to leave Dalyan in a week’s time, so it meant I would be spending less on the food shopping but it wasn’t a huge amount.
We had a busy day planned on Thursday 28th December, but things didn’t go according to plan. The nasty cold/cough that was going around Dalyan seemed to have affected quite a few people, not least my parents and me. Back in the UK, Josh and Martha had also got some of the symptoms. Our day started with us both walking the dogs together and this time we put a choker lead on Big Boy and it was much better for me. After the walk, Big Boy was happy with sofa snoozes but Lucy had a mad half hour. I had overnight oats for breakfast and Captain Caveman cycled in to town to go Bumming. I was meant to meet him after he finished so that we could go for lunch at Sheche Burger, as we’d not tried it yet. We cancelled as I wasn’t feeling too good and had lentil soup at our temporary home, sat on the terrace. Jamie had also cancelled our loose plans to go to Günlüklu because Norman hadn’t been too well. I got the slow cooker out and made a leek and potato soup for dinner. By 4pm it was getting chilly and the fire was on. The soup turned out better than it looked and there was quite a lot of it. This was also our last night together as Captain Caveman was off to Vietnam in 5 days and I was off to look after Norman and Edna from tomorrow.
It was the day that Josh and Martha had to go home on Tuesday 26th December and I was going to miss them a lot. We had laughed so much this last week and had done some really nice things together; mainly eating and drinking! It had also got me through the depressing fiasco of having not been paid and took my mind off being skint. My Christmas Day this year had been one of the best I’d had abroad and we’d spent less than £120 between the two of us. I wondered how much the average Christmas Day spend had been amongst my friends in the UK! I cut up an apple and some of the Köyceğiz cheese and fanned it out all posh on a plate so that Martha could have a nibble or two before we had to leave the apartment. Josh was on ‘provisions for the airport’ duty and I helped by giving him spare food. I had my overnight oats with persimmon for breakfast, I was going to have to get back on the Slimming World plan as the weigh in on Wednesday was probably going to be quite enlightening. When Martha had packed she asked me if I would like her hair straighteners, as she was buying new ones when she got home. What a lovely thing to do and it was my first set of hair straighteners in years. I’m not sure what on earth was going on in Captain Caveman’s head because what happened next was awkward! We’d mentioned previously that we would be getting the bus to Bill and Jaxx’s, who were on the same flight as Josh and Martha. Jaxx had said to get to Villa Infinity, between Marmarlı and Okçular, for about noon and we could go through the final dog requirements and have a wee drink before the taxi came at 1pm. Captain Caveman and I were sharing the dog sitting while they went back to the UK to visit Bill’s mom. I’d mentioned the bus several times, we’d toyed with the idea of getting a taxi but had discounted it as we would have 4 of us, plus bags meaning not enough room for a regular taxi. We were ready and about to put our shoes on when Captain Caveman said he was cycling and would see us there. I was confused, I didn’t have internet on my phone so I couldn’t call or find it if we got lost and, if there had only been 3 of us we would have ordered a taxi. I was fuming with him, why hadn’t he said this earlier? I knew he’d probably done it to force me to learn how to find my way to places as he hates that I don’t use maps and I get lost easily. It was embarrassing and I could tell that Josh and Martha were doing the looks to say this was one of ‘those moments’. I didn’t even say bye to Captain Caveman as I was so annoyed that he would be so rude and the rest of us went to the bus stop. We got off the bus and Captain Caveman was waiting at the side of the road a bit further up to point out the turning to us. I was even more mad now that he probably thought we couldn’t manage to find it without him. I knew in his head he wanted to make sure he had his bicycle with him because he probably wanted to go Dogging tomorrow, after missing it yesterday – but he could have communicated it. Josh and Martha could see I was mad and couldn’t understand what was going on either, they didn’t even laugh at the situation this time. Big Boy, the big black dog, and Lucy, the Airedale terrier, were pleased to see us and were friendly. They really liked Martha and tried to encourage her to share her pack-up for at the airport. Bill took Captain Caveman in to the kitchen to show him how to work the TV, coffee machine and fire, show him what was what with the dogs, etc. I sat outside with Jaxx, Josh and Martha and had a wine. The taxi arrived and we all said our goodbyes, with plans to visit Josh and Martha in July 2024. The dogs were a little sad that their parents had gone and I tried to speak to Captain Caveman about what was going on with the bike v bus palaver earlier. He didn’t think he was wrong, obviously, and he got more wine and some pastries out of the kitchen. Bill and Jaxx had told us to help ourself to wine and food but I didn’t want to take advantage, I never do. Captain Caveman was on fire duty and we both cuddled and stroked Big Boy. Lucy was a bit more free spirited and quite vocal. When it came to the dogs’ dinner time, they wolfed it down and enjoyed it, they also had some home made dog biscuits which looked great. Captain Caveman cooked us some veggie pasta for dinner and we had a cosy night in our new temporary home. I still totted up my syns for the week and was on 426, 4 times the allowance! I was bound to have put weight on but I’m sure anyone who had said ‘well, it is Christmas’, would be in the same boat.
I was fast asleep on Sunday 24th December when Captain Caveman woke me up. It was 4.30am and he could smell something; his observation was that ‘the baking of the cake smelled less like cake and more like biscuit’. He deduced that the fruit cake was done and that I should get up and go and check it. I did, using a wooden skewer and found that it was indeed cooking much faster than the 7 hours on low, as specified! I gave it another 30 minutes then turned it off and let it cool for a bit on a wire rack (the grill shelf from the oven as I’m no baker). It smelled amazing but it was rather well done on one edge. I went back to bed but by 7am I was back in the kitchen working out how best to cut up fruit cake while eating one of Jamie’s spare mince pies from last night – well it was Christmas Eve! Captain Caveman, Josh and Martha had decided they were going to do the Sunday walk where the route would end at the beach, ready for the beach party. Each year, Dalyan Dwellers take food and drink to Iztuzu beach to share with each other and celebrate Christmas Eve. Many English-Turkish families join and bring the whole family and it’s always busy and a good cheap way to have a great afternoon. I had decided not to do the walk and was going to take the fruit cake, cheese, red wine, beers, tupperware, corkscrew and cups. I also decided to just get the normal bus and my parents had decided to join me. The fare is cheaper and there is less fuss involved. It left Dalyan bus station at 12 noon and returned at 4.30pm which was enough time for me to enjoy celebrating Christmas Eve. I always find it hard to eat much because of not knowing the ingredients of things and potentially getting a bad reaction/being allergic. Captain Caveman makes up for me by snaffling absolutely everything he can get his hands on.
When my parents and I first arrived, Captain Caveman and our guests were at the turtle sanctuary as it was Martha’s first trip and it’s a must see. It was already fairly crowded so I suggested to Ma and Pa that we have a quick walk to the sea and get a Christmas Eve photo to send to my sister. Back at the tables, there were loads of people setting up and already drinking. Captain Caveman, Josh and Martha joined us next to Bill and Jaxx. I had one of Bill’s special cocktails and I had another nice walk down to the sea with Jaxx, Captain Caveman and Brad. Captain Caveman went in the sea, as did Michele and everyone commented that it was too cold but it seemed pretty warm today. Brad and Daisy had a paddle, Josh and Martha had swims and a beer – it was certainly lovely weather. I popped my Christmas cake and cheese out near Bill and Jaxx and quite a few people gave it a try. I got a lot of compliments and one of Captain Caveman’s friends said it was the best he’d had yet.
I managed to eat a delicious pasty from Bill, a spring roll made from Christmas dinner from Carol and Ian (surprising but not bad) and rather tasty sausage rolls from Cath. Even though I was sat with my parents, Mark, Kate, Vanessa, Matt, Andrea and John for a while I didn’t even see what food they had on offer so I missed trying their’s. I gave out Christmas cake with cheese to Ma, Pa, Matt, Mark, Brad, John, Andrea and Martha and poured myself a small red wine. Adam and Kath gave me some food but I suspected it had chillies in so I gave it Captain Caveman. I chatted to Jamie, who had brought Norman & Edna in their Christmas outfits, Nanny Kay, Katrina, Debbie (Darling), Mel and Roy plus a few familiar faces before coming back to where we had stationed ourselves. I’d had a cheeky piece of Mel’s Cadbury’s rocky road which was fab too! At 3pm there was a large amount of people leaving the beach to get their pre-booked buses back. Kate mentioned that they should be getting on a bus but had said it would wait for them until they were ready to leave and hoped to stay for sunset. Vanessa was absolutely pissed as a fart and becoming a bit loud and wobbly. I took her with me to say hello to Jackie, a friend with her leg in a cast, sat propped up near the path and toilets. Vanessa was hilarious, nearly knocking Jackie over with a hug and calling her mom by a different name, repeatedly. We came back and packed up for the 4.30pm bus, which was busy and some passengers had to stand. We left a few people on the beach saying they would make the buses wait until they were ready or get a taxi back. We were home by 5pm, dropped stuff off, grabbed warmer layers and headed back out to the pub. My parents decided to go to Tez bar to meet Vanessa, Matt, Brad, John, Andrea, Adam, Kath, Mark, Kate and Daisy whereas I had already said wed see Bill, Jaxx and Fat Club Carol at Sofra.
Jamie had been home quite a bit earlier than us so he was ready for a quick drink in Waterfall and we popped in as Sofra was closed already. It was cosy in there, not at all smokey and quite busy, mainly with Dutch people. We sat/stood at the bar at first where a cute pooch was actually laid on the bar. We had meant to pop to Ozzy’s bar but once we were comfy we were quite happy, especially once we’d moved over to comfy seats. I thought my parents might come over but they were happier at Tez bar with our friends, who’d eventually managed to get back from the beach after the buses had left. After a couple of drinks we got peckish and decided to walk to the river for food. At River House Josh, Martha, Jamie, Captain Caveman and I were the only ones in the restaurant and they built a fire to keep us warm. We were given dips and plenty of bread for free and we ordered a carafe of wine which was good. Captain Caveman and I shared garlic mushrooms for starter, he had İskender kebab for main while I chose the Singapore noodles without chilli. Martha tried baklava for dessert but when it came, we hid it while she was in the loo and pretended we had eaten it. She sussed us out quite quickly, though, and we all returned the pieces we had moved from her nicely presented plate. The food was excellent and when we came to pay, Josh and Martha paid for ours as a thank you. That was so kind and it made me a bit emotional – what a lovely end to a wonderful day and Christmas Eve.
It was all go on Tuesday 19th December and we were both excited for Josh and his girlfriend to arrive in Dalyan that afternoon. Today was also Daisy’s 25th birthday with a party booked at Tapa from 2pm. The cleaner was not at our apartment at 8.30am, as agreed, so we waited to see if she turned up. She was late as the office wasn’t open for her to collect the keys any earlier but no harm done. Captain Caveman and I decided we would go to a cafe or somewhere for a hot beverage, maybe some breakfast, before he went to Bridge Club. After walking round Dalyan to find nowhere open yet we bought 2 chocolate croissants for 37.90 lira (£1.02) from Migros and walked round the streets eating them.
When Captain Caveman left, I waited for Kaunos tea gardens to open and had a tea. I messaged Jamie to see if he fancied meeting up and I had a second breakfast with him, at Ela’s Kitchen. As tomorrow was weigh day, I tried to make as sensible a choice as I could. The beans on toast that I ordered was a very generous size and I was pleased id managed to resist Sev’s sausage. By 11.30am I was on my way to my parents’ place as arranged so that I could go to Jiks with Dad, while Mom went for her hair cut. Captain Caveman would meet us at Jiks for lunch. Ma finished early and we all ate together; Dad a burger and the rest of us had pizza which was great – my diet was well and truly blown! While there, Jamie messaged to ask if I would be able to take 2 bed side lamps to Tapa for Janet. He was selling them for a friend, Janet, who was going to be at Daisy’s birthday party, where we were going to go for one, before Josh and Martha arrived. Of course I agreed and we carried them over to Tapa where the Dalyan gossip started that Jamie must have sold his house because he was getting rid of some lamps!
Daisy’s 25th birthday party at Tapa was busy with lots of friends. My parents had a cold but had managed to muddle through and I had a bit of a sore throat coming. We’d already said we weren’t staying long as we needed to get back to greet Josh and Martha who were on the plane. Captain Caveman left first with instructions to ring me when he knew that Josh was in the taxi. He forgot, so when I got back home our guests were already there! It was great to see Josh again after a year and it was impressive to see he’d really done well for himself. Captain Caveman and I liked Martha straight away as she was really lovely – it takes a special kind of person to agree to a week in Dalyan with us lot (as I’m sure you can imagine). I just hoped we wouldn’t be spoiling her Christmas holiday and that she could get through the Dalyan shenanigans. We decided to ease Martha in gently with a trip to the Waterfall so we could have a drink together and get to know each other a bit better. She had a good sense of humour and it was obvious we were going to have a great week. Jamie popped in for one with Norman and Edna and he wasn’t too pleased that Dalyan Dwellers thought those lamps were his – surely they knew he had better taste in décor! We asked my parents, who had also left Tapa when I did, if they wanted to join us to meet Martha and welcome Josh back. Dad had already got bored at home waiting, so they had gone back to Tapa. The four of us decided to go to join them where we introduced Josh and Martha to everyone, some people Josh had already met. We had a couple of drinks and decided we were going to go for a meal as we were all peckish and I’d already booked Simple for the 6 of us. Daisy didn’t want us to leave and Josh, the not so devout vegan, managed to eat a slice of chocolate birthday cake as we were departing.
Simple was lovely, just the 6 of us indoors, with Onur the chef making us very fresh and tasty food. Josh and I had the vegan pumpkin soup, the others had the chicken soup – all were delicious. Martha and I had the pulled beef burger (with chips), Captain Caveman had a chicken quesadilla and the rest had the Asian noodles (meat for my parents, veggie for Josh). All the food was excellent although the noodles were on the spicy side. Simple is not licenced for alcohol but we were able to get beer and wine from next door. The prices were reasonable to say it felt like a private dining experience. Unfortunately, my 2 breakfasts, a pizza lunch, a few wines and a loaded burger meant that I had completely gone over the top on the syns this week. We went back to Tapa to rejoin the birthday shenanigans which were now getting even more lively. It had been a great day and we had more excitement planned for tomorrow. Fat Club was going to be a bit more like a confessional for me tomorrow, having had 548 syns.
Norman, Edna and I had quite a lazy day on Sunday 10th December; I was on my second cup of tea and the dogs were still in their bed when Captain Caveman set off for his Sunday walk. He’d woken me up at 7.45am when he noisily emptied the dishwasher, so I’d been awake early but was still lounging about. I had my overnight oats made with quark and persimmon for breakfast then had a banana and egg Slimming World style pancake as a second breakfast. It was cold and misty out so I just did a short walk with the dogs before coming back for snuggles on the sofa. Lunch was lentil soup with bread and cheese once Captain Caveman returned from his walk. Jamie was due back about 7pm so we left after feeding the dogs. For our dinner we had pasta with sucuk (Turkish sausage) and veg which Captain Caveman cooked at home.
Monday 11th December was the start of my last week at work for 2023 and I had decided to split my hours between today through to Wednesday. Captain Caveman went to the dog shelter while I cracked on after my cup of Yorkshire tea, a banana and a tangerine. I finished work at 1.15pm and heated up more lentil soup for lunch, by which time Captain Caveman had returned home. We had a chocolate bar and a tangerine then had a leisurely afternoon. For dinner I heated up the lasagne and we had it with green beans. Later, we started watching 1899 on Netflix and had homemade popcorn as a snack.
On Tuesday 12th December I had a cup of tea, a banana and a tangerine for breakfast then got on with work until 1.15pm. Captain Caveman was at Bridge Club but we reconvened for lunch. I reheated some chicken and vegetable curry and we had it with the remaining bread which needed eating up. In the afternoon we went shopping, here’s what we bought with the amount spent in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 tin tomatoes 29.90 15 eggs 60.00 622g Chicken thighs 62.14 Frozen fruit 79.90 2 IPA beers 111.00 Total spent 342.94 lira (£9.42)
Millennium shop 1 laundry powder scoop 3 Yorkshire pudding bowls 1 metal tongues Total spent 125 lira (£3.43)
Captain Caveman treated us to 0.5kg of brisket which was 200 lira (£5.49) from the local butchers. I was looking forward to seeing if the ceramic pots we had bought would be good for airfryer Yorkshire puddings. For dinner I decided to try something new from one of the Slimming World books, chicken and cauliflower bake. It was a great success and even Captain Caveman had seconds despite not being a fan of cauliflower. My weekly syns total ended on 306 which, from past experience, would mean I would have put weight on at Fat Club tomorrow.
I chopped and deseeded the rest of the persimmon on Friday 8th December, so that I could use them for my overnight oats. Captain Caveman had gone to Bridge Club and would meet me at Jamie’s villa. Jamie was off to Istanbul with friends for a birthday weekend, while we looked after Norman and Edna. For lunch I did us a jacket potato with cheese for a nice change then we walked the dogs. It started raining while we were out so we had to take shelter. Edna loves to nip in to Waterfall, her local pub, so we went there for a drink. Mehmet gave Norman and Edna some sausage which they enjoyed but Edna was disappointed as her boyfriend, Skippy, doesn’t frequent the bar on a Friday. Back home we had some chicken curry with steamed rice for dinner and some tangerines for after.
Saturday 9th December was quite a lively one but started off lazy. I was still in my pyjamas on the sofa with Norman and Edna at 10am. I had Tetley’s tea and my overnight oats for breakfast before eventually getting ready to walk the dogs prior to our weekly jaunt to the market. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;
Stall 1 Potatoes & onions 29
Stall 2 Red & Green peppers 25
Stall 3 Persimmons & bananas 53
Stall 4 Tangerines 30
Stall 5 2 spinach gözleme 100
Total market spend 237 lira (£6.51)
The lira had dropped to 36.4 to the pound yesterday but it was still set to increase again. Captain Caveman chose a different stall for tangerines this week and she charged us 3 times more than the guy last week.
Back at Jamie’s, I fell asleep on the sofa and my parents went for a walk ending up in a visit to Tez bar. Mom was looking for the new location of Emrah the hairdresser so I told her where it was, next to the Şarküteri shop along from the butchers. We were waiting for Norman to wake up so that we could go to Sofra bar for a drink and meet Ma & Pa. Edna insisted that we go to see Skippy in Waterfall as she, quite rightly, pointed out that football would be on at Sofra meaning talking would be frowned upon. We got there about 5.15pm and let my parents know so they could join us, they were very merry when they arrived. By 7pm Mom was murdering Bonnie Tyler’s ‘It’s a heartache’ to a bewildered Norman and Edna. I have a video but Ma will not allow it to be published, so I took a screenshot of the dogs watching and listening. We took the dogs home and gave them a late tea, Norman grumbled something about it being a good job they get treats in the Waterfall if dinner is going to be this late! We left the dogs, snuggled up in their bed, to go back out for dinner with my tipsy parents.
We decided on Mahir’s Kebabs which have fantastic fish and chips and cheap wine – yes my diet was going well! On the way I showed Ma where the hairdresser was now located and she looked in through the window to check it out. At Mahir’s, Dad had chicken shish, Mom ordered an Adana kebab, Captain Caveman İskender kebab and I (obviously) had the fish and chips. The food was so good and service from Mahir is always excellent. A beer or a wine was just 80 lira (£2.20), Captain Caveman’s meal was 230 lira (£6.32) and mine was 280 lira (£7.70) which we thought was reasonable for the portion size. Mahir gave us free chocolate treats at the end of the meal too. We went straight home after dinner as I don’t like to leave the dogs too late, plus my parents probably wouldn’t remember getting home as it was.
I stayed in bed until after 10am on Wednesday 6th December as it was raining heavily. I had the usual tea and a banana for breakfast. It was weigh day so I did get on the home scales to find I’d lost 0.25kg (0.5lb) which was surprising after all the cheese and wine last night. My measurements were also quite promising; 1cm on my bust, hips remained the same but I’d lost 1cm from my waist. At lunch time I tried cooking the sweet potatoes to find they weren’t as I expected them to be. They took ages in the air fryer to cook, and I’d have been better off doing our lunch in the oven. Captain Caveman popped to the shops when the rain stopped and bought 2 jars of passata as it was on offer at 39.80 lira in total (£1.09) – a bargain. At Fat Club, Carol’s scales were not so forgiving and I had put on 0.1kg (0.2lb) so I really did need to be more disciplined this coming week. Having said that, we were invited out this evening again. I popped to the shop on my way home, here’s what I bought;
Migros Supermarket Bicarbonate of soda 6.50 Lentils 20.00 Milk 22.50 1 tin of tomatoes 29.90 4 Dido chocolate bars 42.00 Total spent 121.80 lira (£3.34)
That evening we got the bus out to Bill & Jaxx’s villa, not far from the Günlüklu restaurant. On the way we saw an outside toilet and a dinosaur which were great landmarks for us to get off at the right bus stop next time. Bill picked us up and I should have took more notice of the route, but that was Captain Caveman’s department! We had agreed to house and dog sit for them later in the month so we were going over to discuss further and for Captain Caveman to meet their dogs. We had a lovely evening, with lots of wine, garlic bread, chicken pasta, a cheese board and port. It was so indulgent and delicious and we had such a good laugh. The dogs were great and we knew we would enjoy looking after Big Boy and Lucy while their owners were away. It was gone midnight when we left, a little bit merry!
On Thursday 7th December Captain Caveman went Bumming, I had my obligatory Yorkshire tea in bed then got up for my overnight oats which I’d added frozen raspberries and persimmon to. For lunch we had chicken wraps with fat free yoghurt, carrot and red cabbage which were lovely. For dinner we were happy at being invited over to my parents’ place for dinner and wine. We had a great time and a tasty chicken casserole too. I went off my diet yet again when I was tempted to eat the crisps and some chocolate. It was only Thursday and I’d already consumed 162 syns so far this week. I was going to have to try my best to curb it a bit more this weekend but it would be tricky as we had some nice plans.
Sunday 3rd December was a wonderful day spent with Captain Caveman and seeing my my parents. Captain Caveman had arranged another easy Sunday walk which all of us went on. Surprisingly, we weren’t hungover but the fresh air certainly did us good and I really enjoyed the walk. I’d started to get to know a few other Dalyan Dwellers that I wouldn’t necessarily see in the bars and was enjoying that. The walk was really nice despite me, Ma and Debbie taking a wrong turn (too busy chatting) and getting a bit lost. It was only 7.4km but my body could certainly tell I’d done it. Back home for lunch I did us each a portion of lasagne (the one with lentils and cabbage in) in the airfryer, it looked rather well done but tasted great. We spent the afternoon relaxing in front of the TV and it was the first day I’d actually started to feel it was getting a bit nippy. For dinner I did us a roast chicken dinner and, not being content with my airfryer Yorkshire pudding process, I tried making one giant pud directly in the basket. This tasted good but didn’t rise as well as I expected, I needed to find some heavier ‘tins’ to fit in the airfryer. The meal was lovely and we had spare leftover for another dinner, we didn’t have any alcohol as I was already on 270 syns for the week and had work tomorrow.
There was not much going on, but work, on Monday 4th December. Captain Caveman went to help at the Dog shelter to keep out of my way. I had cheese spread on bread and a cup of Yorkshire tea for breakfast. I stopped work for a quick lunch with Captain Caveman, he made a veggie pasta which was nice. I drank green tea in the afternoon and had a couple of tangerines when I finished work. I’d made a slow cooker chicken curry for dinner. More fruit was had for snacks and I had no alcohol.
Captain Caveman went to Bridge club on the morning of Tuesday 5th December, but not before bringing me a cup of Yorkshire tea in bed. For breakfast I was back on to having overnight oats to be healthy. I had some work to finish off so I did that until noon, when I was then done for the week. Next week would be my last week to work before Christmas. When I finished work I popped to the shops to stock up on a few bits, here’s what I bought and the cost in lira;
For lunch we had beans on wholemeal toast, they were Tom’s homemade baked beans which were really good, they tasted just like Heinz. Captain Caveman had his with a fried egg on top. Around 3.30pm Captain Caveman and I went for a little walk and popped in to the off licence, Yaman Büfe 2, to top up our wine shelf. Rituel wine had now gone up to 125 lira (£3.42) per bottle and it was pretty good. We got plenty in as we spent 867.50 (£23.77) in total on wine and snacks. We had a cheeky drink at Tez bar as the sun was shining and Captain Caveman made us a Slimming World style sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice for dinner. It was delicious and I’d definitely have it again. That evening we were invited over for a cheese and wine night with Jamie, Drew, Nanny Kay and Ann. We had a great evening with lots of wine, cheese and laughs. I stupidly left my phone at home and Captain Caveman did take a couple of photos but he preferred to be snaffling down the buffet! My week’s syn total completely tipped over the edge to 338, so I would have to accept the inevitable tomorrow at Fat Club.
Jamie was due back later on Monday 28th November so we had a tidy up and packed our stuff ready to return home. I’d had a simit for breakfast and we had a roast chicken for dinner back at home. It was good to be home and have everything we needed to hand. Tomorrow it was weigh day and Fat Club again, I really needed to get back on it before the end of the year if I wanted to reach my target, as I’d definitely gone off plan a bit.
I felt like I was rich on Wednesday 29th November, as I’d been paid. Even a weight gain at Fat Club would not put me in a bad mood today! I got weighed at home and did my measurements. I had lost just 0.1kg (0.2lb) according to the home scales, 1cm off my bust, stayed the same on my waist but I’d put 1cm on my hips. I had a green tea and popped a chicken casserole in to the slow cooker while I cracked on with some work. I had a linden tea then a rose tea and stopped work for lentil soup at lunch time and again to go to Fat Club. To my surprise, I had lost 0.3kg (0.7lb) so I was pleased with that. I only needed to lose another 2.1kg (4.6lb) to reach my target. I called at the supermarket on my way home, to pick up some essentials, and here’s what I got, with prices in lira;
There were a few extravagant purchases and chocolate as a treat, with it being pay day. The exchange rate was now 36.5 lira to the pound too. I went back home to finish off my work for the week, which was lucky as the internet went off at 6pm. We decided to go to Tez bar just for one drink and spent 250 lira (£6.85) on 2 beers and a wine! Back at home, we had a chicken and leek bake for dinner and saved the chicken casserole for tomorrow.
Captain Caveman wasn’t Bumming on Thursday 30th November, due to bad weather. He brought me a cup of Yorkshire tea in bed and I didn’t bother with any breakfast as I had a cheeky lay in. Captain Caveman decided to go shopping as we needed some bulky items as well as the regular food stuff. Here’s what he bought with the prices in lira:
Migros Supermarket New Migros card 4.00 2 bags pasta 17.80 2 Quark 31.90 Peanut butter 62.00 Toilet roll 69.90 3 cartons cherry juice 114.00 Washing powder 219.73 Total spent 519.33 lira (£14.23)
We had leftover lentil soup for lunch and I accidentally ate some crisps. I looked through the Migros leaflet to find there were a couple of bargains to be had. Around 3pm Captain Caveman went back to the shop to pick up the extra items, here’s the info;
Migros Supermarket (2nd visit) Soda water 17.45 Cheese 49.00 Coffee 133.52 Fairy Liquid 139.90 1.8kg whole chicken 96.53 Total spent 436.40 (£11.96)
Captain Caveman also called in to the barbers and to put the internet on until the end of September. Our next appointment was to meet Adele and Vanessa at the Kaunos tea gardens. It was raining quite hard and Adele didn’t make it. It was pretty cold and wet but the Sheffield lot carried on regardless; Vanessa and I had a cup of tea each, still only 10 lira (27p), Captain Caveman had 2 beers and a cheese & onion toastie. Vanessa and I finished off with a wine each. The total bill was only 425 lira (£11.64) between the 3 of us. Back home, Captain Caveman and I had a rum to warm us up, chicken casserole for dinner and some roasted chestnuts. I did the chestnuts in the airfryer and followed mom’s instructions but ours weren’t cooked as well as her’s. Tomorrow was the start of Captain Caveman’s last month in Dalyan, time was going too fast!
After a cuppa and the dog walk on Friday 24th November, I tidied up and got myself ready to meet our Aussie/Viet friends for the last time. They were off this afternoon, on their journey to Istanbul, via some remaining archeological places. Captain Caveman had gone to Bridge so I met Veronika at Pier Gusto for a hot beverage. Bich and the kids joined us shortly after and we all had drinks while I listened to the tale of the missing hotel master key. I opened my purse to pay and found that I had picked up the white plastic card (the key) at the tea gardens yesterday, not realising what or who’s it was. They were delighted and it saved them paying for a new one. We decided on a spot of lunch at Çağrı where we had a selection of food both off the menu and from the chiller cabinet. Bich had a beef stew but found it a bit salty, Veronika enjoyed her soup, I had chicken casserole with rice, Micheal and Howie had chicken wings. Captain Caveman joined us later and snuck in a Lamuchan and the kids leftovers. I couldn’t manage all of mine and took the rest home for the freezer. Ben didn’t join for food but swung by in the car to collect everyone. It was a lovely last lunch and I was definitely sad to see our friends leave. I was already looking forward to seeing them again in Phong Nha. I was meant to meet Vanessa in the afternoon but she had already been to Kefal tea gardens while I had arranged to meet Adele at the Kaunos tea gardens. It is walking distance but Vanessa had a bad foot and she thought it may rain. We saw Adele and then went back to Jamie’s for more cute dog cuddles and to eat some lasagne (with cabbage in it!) for dinner. By 9.30pm everyone, but me, was having a bit of a snooze.
Saturday 25th should have been the Dalyan Winter Fayre but it was postponed to next week, due to the bad weather. I was slightly relieved as, I wouldn’t be getting paid until next week and I didn’t have any spare cash. We stayed in with the dogs and watched TV as more storms were predicted.
For the next 2 days I didn’t do much, aside from looking after dogs. On Sunday 26th November Captain Caveman did the Sunday walk. The rain had temporarily stopped so he and the one other walker were lucky with the weather but everyone else had been put off. Captain Caveman got some great photos and I wish I’d gone for the exercise, he said it would have been too difficult for me.
Because we were house and dog sitting for just the weekend, I moved my working day on Monday 27th, to later in the week. It would be easier back home to save bringing my laptop over and when Captain Caveman is out. The storm at not done any further damage aside from knocking a few outdoor plants over, and moving the patio furniture, which was lucky. We got Jamie a shepherd’s pie out of the freezer to defrost for him tomorrow and Norman and Edna snuggled up with Captain Caveman.
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