Dalyan – 23rd November

After the usual morning walk on Thursday 23rd November, Captain Caveman had gone Dogging. I had some lentil soup for brunch which I watered down quite a bit. I went to meet the Le Mitchell family, my parents and Captain Caveman at Kefal tea gardens later. They all had food and drink, I just had a water and a bite of Captain Caveman’s toastie as I was trying to be good. Hilarity ensued as the kids, Howie and Michael, were messing about on the grass and managed to get covered in cat shit. Much toing and froing went on as they attempted to clean themselves up. Bich then had to clean the bathroom as it was covered in cat shit too.

Off they went to explore Dalyan while my parents, Captain Caveman and I went back to Jamie’s to see the pooches. Norman surprised us by bringing his ball and asking to play football, even though he’s not as sprightly as he was – he literally gave the ball a good kick. We had a little snifter on the patio with my parents and I finished making a beef, lentil and veggie lasagne using that cabbage I still had left. My mom didn’t seem convinced that cabbage went in a lasagne but it didn’t half bulk it out more, making 8 sufficient servings.

We wouldn’t get to eat it though as that evening we all met up for dinner at River House, one of my favourites. The meal and service did not disappoint and we all enjoyed our food. Here’s what we had;

Bread and dips (free)
Börek 100
Garlic mushrooms 100
3 bottles of water 150
Pide with salami 210
Pide with egg 210
Margarita pizza 240
Mushroom chicken 290
İskender kebab 345
King prawns 450
Onion steak 530
2 Singapore noodles 740
2 carafes white wine 1060

Total bill 4,425 lira (£124.65)

Based on the exchange rate at the time, this averaged at £13.50 per person which was great value. I was happy that our friends had all been impressed with their meals, especially Bich with the prawns and Howie with his Singapore noodles as they were both really missing Vietnamese food.
Captain Caveman and I were home just after 10pm and little Norman was sound asleep already.

Dalyan – 22nd November

Wednesday 22nd November turned out to be quite a good day, despite the rain. As I wasn’t at home, I couldn’t have a cheeky weigh so I just did my measurements; no change to my bust and 1cm off both waist and hips. I’d had 265 syns this week so it was a bit of a 50/50 chance as to whether that would show a loss on Carol’s scales at Fat Club. Most of the day was spent with Norman, Edna and Captain Caveman (who was playing Bridge on his phone). The selfie taking with the dogs was proving a challenge as Norman didn’t want to but Edna was taking it too far now. I made lentil soup in the slow cooker using Carol’s trusty recipe but without the chilli. It turned out quite thick but using Jamie’s stick blender was great. I definitely needed to get myself one as it makes such a difference to the soups. Fat Club went well with a loss of 0.4kg (0.9lb) so I was pleased about that.

In the evening we went to meet our next lot of Australians, who had come from Vietnam to visit Turkey during the winter season. Veronika, Ben, Bich and the 2 boys were in Dalyan for a short stay and had been in Capadoccia. Caroline had made it there but they unfortunately didn’t get to meet as, on day one, Caroline had a knee injury and had to fly back to Vietnam.
The Le Mitchell family, who we know from Phong Nha Farmstay and Victory Road Villas back in Phong Nha, were checked in to the Smyrna hotel and met us at the restaurant opposite, M-Eyhane, for dinner at 7pm. My parents also joined us as they hadn’t seen our friends for quite some time. We all ordered a mixture of starters and mains and, as is usual with a group of 9, Dad ordered the wrong thing and didn’t enjoy his main course. It didn’t help that there was a power cut and we had to eat by our phone torches but Dad has trouble seeing his food anyway. The white wine was very good and went down well as it was only 100 lira (£2.82) for a decent measure! It was great to see everyone and hear about how much they had been enjoying Turkey so far. After saying goodnight, my parents, Captain Caveman and I had a quick drink in Cafe Ivy. We had to get back for the dogs so I wasn’t up for a late one, however, my parents got talking to an English couple and didn’t leave until way past midnight. It had been 5 weeks since we had all arrived back in Dalyan and it was good to see my parents making the most of their holiday.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st November

On Monday 20th November I had no work, because I’d worked 16 hours instead of 8 when my hours were first reduced. It wasn’t ideal but was better than not getting paid for what I had worked. It was nice to have the week off work but with hardly any spare cash to spend it was a bit limited. I was very conscious that what money I did have I would need to ration.
I had bread with cheese spread, a cup of Tetley’s tea and a couple of tangerines for breakfast. Captain Caveman had gone Dogging today and my parents popped round to see me and the dogs for a cup of tea and a biscuit.
For lunch I had mushroom pasta and I made a chicken curry for dinner, which we had with a bottle of red wine – on a Monday!

On Tuesday 21st November Captain Caveman went to Bridge club, I had one of my favourite breakfasts; vegetable and egg fried rice. Of course, I was still using that bloody cabbage which Caroline had suggested I buy.
For lunch we had a feta cheese salad and then we went shopping to top up our provisions while we were at Jamie’s for another week. Here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Tomato purée 10.52
2 tins chopped tomatoes 44.84
Hot chilli sauce 49.90
Turkish salami 65.45
Mozzarella cheese 86.90
Cheddar cheese 86.90
1 whole chicken 101.50
Coffee 124.90
Minced beef 152.90
Total spent 723.71 lira (£20.39)

It was the most we had spent on a single shop in quite a while as we decided to buy cheese and beef. Both are expensive but I fancied making a lasagne later in the week as a bit of a treat. We also bought 2 more bottles of Rituel red wine while it was on offer and a lightbulb for our kitchen. Things weren’t so bad that I’d had to give up booze, just yet!

For dinner Captain Caveman made spaghetti carbonara and I refrained from having any alcohol as it was weigh day tomorrow and I wanted to keep the syns below 300 for the week. Edna provided the evening’s entertainment when she brought her teddy to play fetch with Captain Caveman. She was reluctant to bring it back at first but she soon got in to it and we all played for ages, while Norman refereed from the comfort of the sofa.

Edna playing fetch with her toy

Dalyan – 18th & 19th November

Norman, Edna and I were out in the garden by 7.30am on Saturday 18th November. I had a cup of tea before their walk and they came to snuggle or lick me. They are so cute but they were also a bit miffed that they had to sleep downstairs.
By 9.30am Captain Caveman and I were at the weekly Saturday market, getting our fresh fruit and vegetables. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira:

Market stall 1
Green peppers & tomatoes 20

Market stall 2
Leeks & red peppers 35

Market stall 3
Potatoes & onions 63

Market stall 4
Pumpkin & mushrooms 70

Market stall 5
Bananas & grapes 72

Market stall 6
Tangerines 10

Total spent 270 lira (£7.61)

For breakfast we had a gözleme each; my cheese and mushroom was 60 lira, Captain Caveman’s 50 lira which was a total of £3.10 and definitely worth it as they are so lovely.
By 11.30am the pooches were having a snooze, which they absolutely love, while the 2 of us ate grapes and tangerines. By 2.30pm there was a bad storm that took us a bit by surprise, and it was game over for the rest of the day.
At 6pm the rain eased enough for us to have a short dog walk. For dinner we had a sausage pasta dish which was very tasty. The dogs love Captain Caveman and so they were all snuggled up and snoring before 10pm.

Captain Caveman had arranged a Dalyan walk on Sunday 19th November which was an easier one than last week. I decided I would join them for a bit of exercise. I had a banana and a cup of tea (Jamie has Tetley’s) for breakfast and we took the dogs out. Captain Caveman nipped home to get something so I met everyone at the Kaunos tea gardens. Captain Caveman was late so people were asking me why. He’s rarely on time, but pretends it’s me who makes him late because I’m slow. It was cold when we set off but towards the end it was shorts and T-shirt weather. I only did 11km of it as, ironically, I had to get back to take the dogs out, so I left with 2 others at a spot not too far from Jamie’s.

I had cheese on toast for lunch and, in the afternoon, Captain Caveman and I sat outside on the patio with the dogs as it was glorious weather. We enjoyed a nice rum (or 2) while sitting with Norman and Edna in the afternoon sun. For dinner I banged some ready made falafel in the oven and we had it with wraps, lettuce and some of that huge cabbage that was still going strong.
I was a bit naughty again as Captain Caveman was having kaymak on bread and I couldn’t resist a piece too. I was already on 235 syns for this week so I was going to have to really be careful for the next few days, if I didn’t want to put weight on.

Dalyan – 16th & 17th November

I cycled over to Mark and Kate’s place on the morning of Thursday 16th November to feed the cats. There were usually 6 but last night only 4 had come for food. Today there were still only 4, one of the babies and Kylie were missing. I put the food out, gave them some attention and then took some photos of the scenery as it was still flooded but looked beautiful. Captain Caveman had gone Bumming when I returned home, so I had my breakfast of cheese spread on wholemeal toast and a cup of Yorkshire tea.
For lunch I just had fruit as I was doing my best to have a low syn day today.
Captain Caveman was doing dinner so I went a bit early to feed the cats, this time only 3 were there when I arrived; Bubble, Squeak and Kylie were missing. I left enough food out for when they returned which was handy as Squeak showed up as I was leaving. She was over at the other side of the flooded road but I coaxed her over and off she ran to get her dinner.
We had a really nice chilled evening with sucuk (Turkish cured sausage) and vegetable pasta for dinner and an early night.

On Friday 17th November Jamie was off to England for 12 days so Captain Caveman and I were moving in to his villa to look after Norman and Edna. Before that, I had a bit of cat drama; Kate and her birthday entourage were heading back from Jiva Beach this afternoon so it was my last time of feeding her cats. When I arrived there was a bit of a surprise as the box that all the wet and dry food had been stored in, was on the garden. The cats had obviously worked together to feed themselves when I’d been 45 minutes late and had ransacked the stash. I took photos to send to Kate, who later replied to say it wouldn’t have been her cats who did it and maybe a stray dog did! One of the babies had a scratched nose and Casha was trying to tell me who was to blame!
For breakfast I was a bit naughty and had wholemeal toast with kaymak and honey on which wasted 8 syns. I went over to Jamie’s where Norman and Edna were pleased to see me and were looking neatly groomed. The sun was shining so I was sat outside on the patio when Captain Caveman arrived from his Bridge club. I’d browned some sausages (Heck ones from the UK) so we had one in a wrap with onions, ketchup and mustard, more syns! Edna had bought me a couple of bottles of wine with the condition that she got a little bit of it so we had a drink before popping to the shops.
Here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Fat free yoghurt 22.50
Cherry juice 29.00
Hummus 40.75
15 eggs 41.75
Total spent 133.50 lira (£3.76)

Yaman Büfe
2 bottles of wine 270 lira (£7.61)

The exchange rate had increased yet again and was now 35.5 Turkish lira to 1 English pound. Fine for people with English money but a nightmare for Turks.
For dinner I’d made a sausage casserole which we had with the rest of the wine and we stayed in watching TV until gone midnight, cuddling the dogs.

Dalyan – 13th to 15th November

Caroline left Dalyan on the morning of Monday 13th November, with plans to return after seeing Gazientep and Capadoccia. She took all of her stuff, just in case there wasn’t enough time for her to fit that in. Captain Caveman and I said our goodbyes to our friend and, despite her no-plans go with the flow lifestyle, we would miss her. It had certainly been a lively 2 weeks but we were quietly looking forward to getting back to normal.
I worked from 10am until 3.30pm while Captain Caveman went Dogging. When he got home he made us a chicken and vegetable pasta for lunch. That evening I made a samphire dish, a new first for me, and it turned out not too bad. I cooked it with garlic and peppers but I didn’t realise I had to take out all of the stalks, including the finer ones. It took some getting through but we ate it and it was quite good. Next time I’d have it more of a side dish and less at a time as its incredibly salty.
Tomorrow we should have been joining a 3 day breakaway for Kate’s birthday but, due to work and a delayed pay day, we weren’t able to go. Lots of our friends and my parents were going on the 3 night all inclusive stay at Jiva Beach in Fethiye and it looked amazing. When my hours got cut we had thought we’d just go for 1 or 2 nights but I just couldn’t justify it. I had let Kate know we couldn’t make it and that we were gutted about it. She was quite happy as it now meant she had extra cover to feed her 6 cats.

It was finally pay day on Tuesday 14th November but it was all spoken for already. I’d done my working hours for this week by 2pm and had the rest of the week off. Even though we were missing out on the birthday celebrations for Kate I was determined not to dwell on it. It was a perfect opportunity for Captain Caveman and I to spend time together and eat some healthy meals at home. We went shopping for a few bits for dinner which Captain Caveman was making. Here’s what we bought and the prices;

Şok Supermarket
Lavaş wraps 31.50 lira (93p)

Migros Supermarket
2 packs of Jasmine rice 63.00
1 pack of turkey 125.90
Total spent 188.90 lira (£5.56)

On the way back we picked oranges from our tree and had them as a snack in the afternoon. They were so sweet and juicy – of course they were free so tasted even better! Captain Caveman had to be reminded to stop playing bridge on his phone to do the dinner. He made turkey fajitas which were gorgeous. Before 10pm he was snoring away as we tried to watch something on Netflix. No alcohol was consumed, which was probably a good job as it was Fat Club and weigh day tomorrow. I’d not even counted my syns this week so it was not looking good.

On Wednesday 15th November I woke to news that Hoi An, where Caroline lives in Vietnam, was flooded. I took my weekly measurements and they were promising;
Bust – no change, Waist -1cm, Hips -2cm.
I was pleased with that and decided to pop a new recipe in the slow cooker for cabbage rolls. Caroline had never got round to cooking the cabbage, or sharing her recipe, so I had loads of it to use up. I just had fruit to eat for lunch so that I was syn free until weigh-in at 3pm. Carol’s scales showed that I had lost 0.4kg (0.9lb) which wasn’t bad considering the week I’d had.
After Fat Club, Captain Caveman and I met Jamie in Waterfall and I had a couple of beers. It was getting a bit colder of an evening so Jamie offered to take me to Kate’s to feed her cats. Just before we got to the house the road had been flooded with water and it was a good job I had a lift or I would have got very wet feet and ankles. Jamie was coming to our place for dinner, he went back home so he could collect his dogs, Norman & Edna. To go with the cabbage rolls I made a chicken and leek bake, more in case the first dish wasn’t very good. Fortunately, both dishes were really tasty and we had a lovely evening. It turned in to a wine fuelled late night and it was about 1.30am when Jamie and the pooches left for home.

Dalyan – 3rd November

In my head I had planned to have an easy going, low-cost day on Friday 3rd November. Captain Caveman had gone to play Bridge and Caroline had taken 2 buses to Ortaca then Marmaris. She had decided she was going to collect her rented motorbike from Marmaris so that she could have a practice drive back to get used to the roads. I had some berry ‘muffins’ for lunch as was trying to stick to the Slimming World plan.
When Caroline returned she insisted that, as it was Friday night, we were going out for dinner and drinks, it was her treat for letting her stay with us as she would be off on her road trip soon. Captain Caveman pointed out that some bad weather was expected, possibly stormy on Sunday and that she might want to hold off until that had passed.
For dinner, the three of us ate at Çağrı where we ordered some random dishes and a beer each; 2 pides, green beans, baked beans, salad, yoghurt, chillies, bread and beers which came to a total of 980 lira (£28.82) for the 3 of us and Caroline paid.

The night did not end there as Caroline was in hot pursuit of the best frozen margarita in Dalyan. We decided to join Mark, Kate, Linda and a few of their friends at Aşkın’s where I was certain they would know how to make a frozen margarita. Unfortunately, we ended up with a mix of strawberry daiquiri and margarita minus a salty rim which İpek insisted was just what we had asked for. We soldiered through it but it took me quite a while to drink the strange cocktail. Our next stop was at Tequila bar where one of the Toprak brothers was manning the bar, surely he would know how to make a frozen margarita. This one came without the ice and we couldn’t seem to make him or Kaan understand that we wanted a margarita which was made with crushed ice. Another street dog joined us so we soon forgot about the frozen margarita and gave it some attention. On the way home we stopped at Sofra bar where the frozen margarita came just as requested. It was about 1.30am when we got home, Caroline had decided that she wouldn’t leave for her motorbike adventure tomorrow as she’d drank far too much, she would plan to go on Sunday.

Photo credit – some from the Riverbums and Caroline

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd November

I was surprised to learn it was Caroline’s birthday on Wednesday 1st November. Not only had she arrived a week earlier than we thought she would, but I would not get paid for 10 days and even then it was only half the pay I had planned for. Ironically, we had a very full fridge, freezer and cupboards at home as I was expecting not to be going out too much in the lead up to our friend’s visit. I didn’t hear from Captain Caveman or Caroline first thing as I let the dogs out then fed them and made a cup of tea. Norman was cute when I got my cuppa as he wanted to go upstairs ‘back to bobos’. We sat on the sofa for a bit of an extra sleep until it was time to go for a walk. I did my measurements to find my bust was the same but I’d lost 4cm from my waist and 3cm from my hips. This looked promising for Carol’s scales at Fat Club later. I worked in the morning and then I made my taster session food for Fat Club. I made the flour-less syn free muffins which look terrible but taste quite nice. Captain Caveman popped round and he’d been out with Caroline last night for drinks then food. Captain Caveman was very hung over and there was still no word from Caroline. I suggested we go to one of our favourite restaurants tonight for Caroline’s birthday and invited my parents too. It turns out that Captain Caveman and Caroline had been drinking at Bistro Blue last night but we would still go again tonight for an impromptu birthday meal. I left Jamie’s place and the pooches to go to Fat Club. I was disappointed to only have lost 0.1kg (0.2lb) but a loss is a loss, as they say at Fat Club. I couldn’t share the lentil soup that Carol made or the fritters by Janice, as they had chillies in but I did get the recipes to make my own without the heat. I couldn’t eat the fishy offering either but I did try and I enjoyed the mushroom paté as well as the hummus. My berry and banana ‘muffins’ were tried and people agreed they weren’t quite as terrible as they sounded or looked.
Jamie was back by tea time and he’d unfortunately inherited a street dog on his complex who some holiday makers had brought home. He asked me to take the dog back to bar street as they aren’t allowed to have them wandering around the complex. I did, and the dog seemed genuinely happy to get back to his fellow pooches for the night.
That evening, Captain Caveman had said he would pay for our meal so I didn’t even take my purse to Bistro Blue or Tez bar, where we started the birthday celebrations. My parents danced with some of the other Tez-pats to ‘Sweet Caroline’ as a thoughtful birthday treat for our friend. Caroline was happy to meet Tez who was going to help her organise a motorbike for her adventure tours to Şanlıurfa and Cappadocia next week. We had some amazing food at Bistro Blue although I noticed Caroline didn’t eat all of her’s. She said she felt unwell so she left before we had finished our drinks. When we came to pay Captain Caveman didn’t have enough on his card and I hadn’t brought any way of paying with me so we had to borrow the money from my parents. It was 1,740 lira including wine, which was just over £50 and not an expense I had budgeted for this week. The food and service had been great and I’d really enjoyed it but we now needed to make sure we stayed in to eat what we had at home.

While Captain Caveman went Bumming on Thursday 2nd November, Caroline had a lay in. I popped to the shops for sanitary towels and milk which cost a total of 36.75 lira (£1.08). Surprisingly, milk was more expensive than sanitary towels in Dalyan and it’s not usual or easy to find tampons in Dalyan supermarkets – they can be purchased at the pharmacy. When Caroline got up she had a banana for breakfast as she doesn’t eat breakfast and then went to ask Tez about hiring the motorbike. She was heading over to see the famous archaeological sights at Göbeklitepe, Şanlıurfa, and wanted to do it on a big motorbike. Both Captain Caveman and I do like to plan things but Caroline had said she was much more of a non-planning type of traveller. Her mission on this trip was to ‘search for people’s truth’ which I was sure that I fully understood.
Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the water company to get his deposit back from when he had the water in his name, unfortunately they didn’t understand our English or my Google translated Turkish, which was convenient for them!
At 2.30pm Captain Caveman and I met up with Caroline at Kaunos tea gardens where I had a double çay and a chicken döner, Caroline a juice and a chicken döner and Captain Caveman had an Efes beer and a mixed toasted sandwich. I paid the 305 lira (£8.97) but I did say we would be eating in tonight as we were on a budget and I was meant to be on a diet!
My words fell on deaf ears as we bumped in to Kaan at Tequila Bar and joined him for a drink, sat in the sun. Captain Caveman and I just had beer but Caroline, who was on her holidays, had a couple of Aperol Spritzes. Another stray dog or two joined us, one was particularly cute but a bit smelly. When the sun went in, Caroline decided she needed some white tops ready for her motorbiking adventure. We popped to the shop where she picked up a couple of t-shirts/sweatshirts. On the way home we stopped at Tez bar to finalise the bike arrangements for tomorrow and for Captain Caveman and Caroline to have a beer.

Dalyan – 29th to 31st October

We had a nice relaxing day on Sunday 29th October. Captain Caveman got his bicycle wheel fixed for 135 lira (£3.96) which he was pleased about. We shared a sausage roll and a cheese & onion roll each for breakfast and both agreed they were lovely. For lunch I had cheese spread and bread but I decided to make a vegetable curry in the slow cooker for dinner. While I was chopping the veg, Captain Caveman got a call from our friend Caroline. We know her from Phong Nha, in Vietnam, she lives in Hoi An now and is Australian but had been in Greece for the last month. Caroline had made loose plans to see us in Rhodes but they never materialised so she would like to come and visit us in Dalyan…. tomorrow! Her flight would land in Dalaman airport at 3pm so it was all systems go to make up the spare bed and get the house clean for our friend’s arrival.
We had the veggie curry with steamed rice which was delicious and, of course, we had some spare. We had a few grapes after and wondered how long a visit to Dalyan Caroline was planning.

I worked from 8am until 5pm on Monday 30th October and this would be my last week of working 16 hours. I’d already done some extra from last week so it meant I’d definitely be finished by Tuesday. I had Yorkshire tea and buttered wholemeal toast for breakfast. Captain Caveman went dogging, he likes to walk the dogs at the dog shelter so sometimes he goes up there to help out. He was back for lunch so we had leftover cauliflower mac and cheese.
As we knew Caroline was arriving this afternoon, we asked the taxi to take her to Lukka bar, where Captain Caveman would go to meet her. I would finish working and then join them.
As I was getting changed to go meet Caroline and Captain Caveman, I saw a post on Facebook reporting a dog that had turned up at someone’s house in Dalyan. It looked similar to Debbie (Darling)’s Brinny but had a different collar on. I messaged Debbie (Darling) who said it was Brinny’s sister, owned by a Turkish man.
I also had a message from Kelly, back in the UK, the girls were hoping to be able to book their holiday to Rhodes for next September and had a few questions. It was a long way off but I hoped I’d be able to join them for a holiday.
I met Caroline and Captain Caveman at Lukka bar, she looked well and was dressed for winter despite the warm weather in Dalyan. We had a beer together and she told us a bit about her trip to Greece and Sweden. We couldn’t sit about as we had a night out to get to so it was back home for curry before heading out to Sofra bar. The Bengisu Boys were playing a gig and they are great musicians so it turned in to a good night. By 10pm both Captain Caveman and I were on the Sofra ‘dancefloor’ giving it what-for! Caroline was too cool for dancing with the ‘olds’ but was testing out the drink menu and being acquainted with our friends.
VLS arrived and I did a karaoke song with her. It was awful and I could see that Şükrü would never let me put in another request! By 11.30pm Brinny’s sister, the escaped dog, had found us and was keeping us company. The walk home, at just gone midnight, involved several stray dogs escorting us home and Caroline tried not to get attached, as she loves dogs.

On Tuesday 31st October Captain Caveman went off to Bridge so that I could work in peace, leaving Caroline with me. I had plans at lunch time to go over to Jamie’s as I was looking after his cute little dogs, Norman and Edna, for a few days. It turned out I’d got confused about the amount of hours I needed to work this week as my boss only wanted me to do 8 per week with immediate affect as from last week, so I’d already worked them. It was going to be incredibly tight for money for the next couple of months so it’s a good job we don’t do Christmas presents or celebrate Christmas out here, in Turkey.
I left Caroline to her own devices following a discussion about the use of psilocybin mushrooms for trauma. I packed a bag and headed over to Jamie’s, taking my lunch with me.
Around 1.15pm I was just getting a nice feta cheese salad ready to eat when Captain Caveman arrived at Jamie’s. He was meant to have been going back home to see Caroline for lunch but shared my salad. I sent him over to look after our guest with instructions to keep in touch while I looked after Norman and Edna. I didn’t see or hear from Captain Caveman or Caroline again that evening so I had a lovely quiet one with a leftover chicken and veggie curry. I obviously stayed over at Jamie’s and the pooches wanted to come upstairs to bed with me. I told them they had to sleep in their own bed downstairs and gave them a kiss. I didn’t have any alcohol, it was Fat Club tomorrow and I was only on 273 syns for the week. The Fat Club meeting tomorrow had a taster session that we all had to take something for so I’d brought over my ingredients to make something in the morning.

Dalyan – 19th October

I’d previously been invited, but declined, an invite from Kate to go on a 12 island boat trip from Fethiye on Thursday 19th October. At the time of asking I’d not known when my residency renewal appointment or me having to leave Turkey date would be so we couldn’t commit.
My parents, on the other hand, didn’t have these problems and had said they were going and were being picked up from Lukka bar at 10am.
More recently, Jamie had invited Captain Caveman and I on Drew’s private boat trip for his brother’s birthday and we had agreed. This one was with Ünal, Sioned’s husband, on Duran Duran boat. My diet started badly with a homemade (by Sioned) Welsh cake and a cup of tea as we set sail and got introduced to everyone. There was Jamie, Drew, Robert, Lucie, their 2 (well behaved) teenage children, Ann, Sharon, Ali and us two. Drew’s family were lovely and we all had an absolutely fantastic day out with excellent company and amazing food. I ate fresh bread, courgette fritters, şakşuka, spinach, pasta, green beans, carrots, chicken, meatballs, chips, red cabbage, couscous and more bread! I pushed the boat out a bit and had a beer (just the one) too.

We all went swimming, walked on the beach and generally had a really good laugh. There was numerous stops (beach and the lake), there was crab fishing, which I didn’t do but all the crabs caught were females so they had to be put back in to the sea. Ünal really spoiled us in the afternoon with fruit platters and a delicious cake. We sang Happy Birthday to Robert and I probably should have said no to finishing off Captain Caveman’s piece of cake too.

When we left the boat, everyone went back home but we reconvened at Lukka bar, where there was another surprise singing of Happy Birthday. An impressive chocolate cake was shared out and I managed a slice. Norman and Edna had joined us and wondered why they didn’t have such treats.
I didn’t need any dinner that night and we were quite sensible with an early night. My parents, on the other hand, were still giving the ball a right kick!

Lindos – 12th October

The breakfast at Lindos Athena on Thursday 12th October was pretty good and I enjoyed it. My parents sunbathed by the pool, Captain Caveman kept covered up and out of the pool due to his rash. I did a bit of work and organised for Steve and Michelle to come over later on.

When Steve and Michelle arrived they gave my parents a lift down Cardiac Hill, in to Lindos town, while Captain Caveman and I walked. My parents had a look over the edge to the sea, next to the bust of Ionnais Zigdis, a Greek politician. We walked to Mario’s as we were off to introduce my parents to the curry sauce. It was very busy, we ordered drinks and food. Dad had pork with curry sauce which was a normal size but Mom had a huge pork chop. It was so good and we got given free shots from the owner at the end of our meal. After our meal we had a walk through the streets of Lindos, calling at Pals for a drink. We bumped in to an old friend and ex-colleague of mine, Elaine. She was in Rhodes, staying in Pefkos, with her hubby and friends and we had been trying to meet up for a few days. Steve and Michelle had work the next day so couldn’t stay out out but they kindly dropped my parents back off and picked up some luggage to take back with them to Lardos, where we would be going tomorrow. We had a couple of drinks at the bar before going back to our rooms for the last sleep at Lindos Athena. It was a lovely hotel but not one of us had been in the pool which was a shame. We managed to pay our bills for drinks and breakfasts, which came to €135 (£115.81) for Captain Caveman and I on our room for the 2 nights (not including the accommodation). Our last round of drinks for the evening was €36.50 (£31.31). Tomorrow we would be up early and off to Lardos but at least we didn’t have to carry as many bags on the bus.

Dalyan to Lardos – 6th October

I was awoken on Friday 6th October by my phone. It was 5.50am and it was Fikri calling to say he was outside. He had also seen me last night, several times, as guests booked him to go home. He knew I was one of the last to leave and was concerned I might overlay. How kind is that! He got me to Ortaca bus station early enough for me to buy a bottle of water at the small shop before getting on the first bus to Fethiye. I was surprised to see it so busy and hoped I would get to the ferry port in time, which was a good 10 minutes drive from the bus station after this bus journey. The taxi from Dalyan to Fethiye was too expensive for me so I chanced the bus and it paid off. It was a bit of a rush really, especially with my wheelie case and the extra taxi to the port. I got on the ferry without taking my seasick pills and was feeling somewhat fragile as I joined Rachel, her mom and 2 little kids. They were off for a short break in Haraki, Rhodes, and I know Rachel from my Turkish classes. I could have done without having to be sociable and even a Turkish tea didn’t sort me out but having friends to chat to kept my mind off feeling rather fragile.
By 1pm I was sat waiting in the Rhodes Town MacDonald’s for Steve and Michelle. They were coming to pick me up to go back to Lardos, where I was staying with them for the weekend. I had a cheeseburger and a coke which cost €5.20 (£4.46) so it wasn’t cheap but seemed to be a good enough hangover cure.
When we arrived, I logged on to the internet on Matt’s laptop and said hello to Bob, the cat, and Xena, the dog. It looked to be quite a lively weekend as tonight we were off to Flyer’s, in Pefkos, for one of their Greek Nights.

Having been before with Captain Caveman, I was ready to do it all again and this time we were taking it steady as I was still flagging from last night’s shenanigans. I had Milokleftis cider and we tucked it to a delicious feast of pitta, tsatziki, feta salad, lamb, pork, chicken and french fries. There was live music, singing and the Rhodian ballet with dancing, which we were encouraged to join in on.

Michelle and I took to the floor for a bit of dancing, as you do, but the real stars of the show were the male volunteers. It was a fantastic night and we really enjoyed one of the last Greek Nights of the season.
Back in Lardos, we called for a nightcap in Cuckoo’s Nest where we bumped in to Bob, the cat! I’d survived until midnight but I really was begging for mercy and needed my bed.

Rhodian Ballet

The audience participation was great

Dalyan – 5th October

Captain Caveman and I had both been invited to a wedding on Thursday 5th October. Of course, Captain Caveman was in Italy and couldn’t make it, but he’d also got shingles and wouldn’t have been there anyway. I had accepted the invite and needed to take it steady as I had a ferry to catch to Rhodes early the next day. Our initial plan for my parents and I to meet Captain Caveman in Naples had been scrapped, not just because of the shingles. Dad was waiting for an eye appointment and didn’t want to be in Italy when it came. Instead, we had agreed to meet in Rhodes Town on Monday (9th), where we would all spend 6 nights in Rhodes together.
I worked for a couple of hours in the morning, packed for my Rhodes trip and then had some leftover food with rice.

The wedding of Bill and Jaxx took place on a boat so we met at Paradise Hotel to get on the boats, where there were some familiar friendly faces. When Bill arrived he was having the 2 dogs, Big Boy and Lucy, with him for the ceremony. He’d also supplied some punch for us to have on the journey to pick up his beautiful bride.

Jaxx looked like a beautiful little doll in her wedding dress and the 2 boats sailed together to a spot for the ceremony. I had a couple of the punch drinks which I was convinced was made from cherry and vodka but my fellow guests said they didn’t think it was alcoholic and had quite a few.
There was a female celebrant who did a rather unique service and speech which everyone enjoyed.

The sun was shining and it was a beautiful wedding, followed by a dinner and party back at Bill and Jaxx’s lovely villa, with the bar and garden kitted out for the wedding party. We had a great time and my plans to not drink too much went out of the window as the champagne was poured. Dinner was served quite late so I was rather trollied as we enjoyed the steak dinner followed by some gorgeous cheese. One of the wedding party even shared her port with us and I, of course, made some new friends who were absolutely lovely.
I vaguely recall getting in, after a lift in to town with my new mates, setting the alarm for 5.30am and hoping I didn’t sleep through it. Fikri’s taxi was booked to pick me up at 6am and take me to Ortaca so that I could get the first bus to Fethiye.

Dalyan – 1st to 4th October

Sunday 1st October had some of my favourite things; dogs and curry! I had to wake the dogs up at 8.10am as I needed a wee. We went for a little walk and they shared water when they got back as both were thirsty. I had left over chicken tenders for breakfast and then had a bad stomach! By 11.20am I was feeling a bit better and had started catching up on my blogging; Edna was helping, while Norman snored away from his bed. Edna soon got bored as there was no juicy gossip and had a snooze. It was raining before 2pm and both dogs were snoring away as I typed.
That afternoon I got some bad news from the computer repair man. My laptop was going to cost too much to fix and would be better to buy a new one. I took the dogs on a reluctant but short walk in the rain and then gave them their dinner – they love meal times.
I couldn’t be bothered to cook and I’d not been to the market so I decided to order a curry from Spice Garden, as a treat. I decided to go for the chicken set menu which was 445 lira (£13.28) and included the following; Chicken Tikka starter, Chicken Masala main, Saag Aloo side. For a bit extra I also added in a garlic and cheese naan bread and then would split the whole lot over 2 meals. The food is obviously not prepared or cooked by Indian chefs but it’s as near as I was going to get in Turkey and it tasted great. At bed time Norman and Edna were the first to go to bed, not leaving me much room on the bed!

I had another day off on Monday 2nd October so that I could go back to the Fethiye office to complete my residency renewal by taking a copy of my water bill, in my name. I was still looking after Norman and Edna but Jamie had said they would be ok left after their morning walkies and breakfast, as he was due back around 1pm. I decided that it would be a bit irresponsible, should he get delayed for any reason and I’d be all the way in Fethiye on a bus so I arranged with Vanessa to get the 2pm bus.
I also got a message from the computer repair man to say he had found me a potential new laptop; a Toshiba i5 cpu 8GB RAM 240GB SSD with an English keyboard. I know nothing about laptops so I sent it on to Captain Caveman to check out and see if it was worth the 7,500 lira (£220) it was priced at.
At 3pm we were in the Fethiye office, where I saw the same lady. It turned out she spoke English and didn’t remember my application. I helped her find it on the pile, gave her my paperwork, which she copied. She then passed me the paper to say I had renewed residency for just under a year. My card would be posted within the next month and I’d been in there less than 3 minutes. I was so relieved but couldn’t help thinking that all this extra expense and stress could’ve been avoided!
Just 14 minutes later, Vanessa and I were about to tuck in to a Big Mac meal each in MacDonald’s. By 4.15pm we had decided to walk it back to the bus station as it was glorious weather. It was great to have had Vanessa there with me and it made a nice afternoon. It was late by the time we got in to Ortaca, where we decided to have an ice-cream as we were peckish and thirsty. Michelle messaged to ask if I would buy her some vitamins which are expensive in Rhodes, but we had already left Fethiye by the time I got the info. We walked out of the bus station in Ortaca to find a Gratis pharmacy, and they had 3 bottles left. I bought 2 at 99 lira (£2.91) each and with discount. We were late getting back to Dalyan so I warmed up some curry for dinner about 9pm at home. I lit some candles and relaxed – my residency renewal was finally done and I could relax until August next year!

On Tuesday 3rd October I had 3 days left in Dalyan before I went back to Rhodes. The plans to join Captain Caveman in Italy had changed as it turned out his rash was shingles! Instead, he and my parents would meet me in Rhodes in 6 days time.
I had fresh figs, peach and strawberries for breakfast then got on with work. For lunch I had cheese on toast, done in the Airfryer. It was a lovely, sunny day but I was indoors working, after being off yesterday. Steve sent me through my ferry ticket which was only €25 (£21.60), with discount. It did mean getting up at 5.30am on Friday morning though. For dinner I put the leftover chicken tikka starter in to the saag aloo and had that, very nice it was too. Fat Club was probably not going to see a loss from me tomorrow, but I had definitely drank less alcohol as I couldn’t afford to go out now!

It was weigh-in day on Wednesday 4th October and I wasn’t optimistic. I took my measurements to find I had put on 4cm on my bust but lost 4cm from my hips and 2cm from my waist. I worked for a couple of hours in the morning and I was quite enjoying the red keyboard of Matt’s laptop.
At Fat Club, Carol’s scales showed that I had put on 0.3kg (0.7lb), which wasn’t ideal.
I decided to make a stir-fry for dinner which I ate with steamed rice and it was delicious. I worked a few more hours later on then, around 9.30pm I spoke to Captain Caveman who was now in Turin but suffering with Shingles. I had an early night as tomorrow I had something exciting planned for my last day in Dalyan.

Dalyan – 30th September

I packed my bag on Saturday 30th September for a 3 day dog sit at Jamie’s, as he and Drew were off on a romantic break away. I got there about 9.30am, Norman & Edna were pleased to see me and Edna was hoping we would be going down the pub to see Skippy. We had some cuddles and some fun outside in the sun before an afternoon walk. I was tempted to take them to Rehab bar to see the pool gang but decided it might be better for them to stay home, as Norman loves an afternoon/early evening nap.

I walked in the sun to Rehab bar where I met up with a few of the regular attendees, most had already gone home as the pool match was coming to an end. Someone left their sunglasses on the table so we all tried them on and I posted on Facebook so the owner might notice.

It was getting a bit chilly and almost time for me to get back to feed the pooches so we had a quick refreshment in Aşkın’s bar on the way home. Vanessa was still out, Matt had gone home earlier so she was going to Fry Box to take him back some dinner. I’d never tried it but a few people had said how good it was so I decided to go along and get some too. It was certainly not Slimming World friendly and I knew I’d regret having it. I took it back to Jamie’s and fed Norman and Edna before I ate my KFC style chicken strips and chips with BBQ sauce. It was very nice but as I was eating it, I did wonder if my stomach would be able to tolerate the fried food. That night the dogs insisted that they come to bed with me and we were all settled down before 11pm.
September had been a busy month, however, October wasn’t about to get any quieter.