Marrakech – 4th January

On Sunday 4th January I’d taken to using my work phone (which was on silent) to take the photos. I managed to get photos of the breakfast, the roof terrace and a grumpy cat who had sat in my seat. Today’s breakfast didn’t have yoghurt, which neither of us like, but it did have fruit salad and a different type of bread product which reminded me of pikelets crossed with pancakes, these were called baghrir. There was also chocolate cake which Captain Caveman didn’t have and I had only half of my piece despite it being very good.

Today we decided we would have a walk around and venture a little further. We aren’t ones for shopping (we only had underseat luggage anyway) but we did wander through the souks. We found walking with purpose (Captain Caveman is not a dawdler) and not touching any items, meant we had zero hassle from anyone. We did see tourists touching items which then lead to the stall owner thinking they were interested in buying. Nothing has prices on so haggling and bargaining are expected. Marrakech is a traditional Muslim city where most of the local women cover their hair, tourists don’t need to but it’s still a good idea to dress appropriately. I did see a woman in very fitting yoga pants almost give a stall holder a hard on!
It had rained quite heavily during the night so I was definitely glad of sensible footwear today as the streets were a bit grubby. Our lunch stop today was Café Des Éspices which, by the time we left, was very busy so we were glad to have gone early. Service was quick, it had the tiniest (but clean) toilet I’d ever been in – and I’ve spent a lot of time in small toilets! We just ordered a falafel wrap for me and a köfte sandwich for Captain Caveman with hot drinks and a bottle of soda water for just shy of £20. The dishes were great but I had food envy for the harira (traditional soup) which all 3 people on the next table ordered.

We visited Dar El Bacha, the Museum of Confluences, which barely had a queue and cost under £10 for the 2 of us. I was really taken with the patterns and just how much work went in to the buildings. Every wall, floor and ceiling was amazing but we avoided the coffee shop as it was extortionate! As we were leaving, the staff member told us to keep our ticket and it would give us free access to the Music museum which sounded right up my alley! We were going to be too late getting there to do it justice so the man said the ticket could be used tomorrow – we were impressed by that.

Our wandering had taken us outside of the Medina walls and we found a rooftop bar that had been recommended, Kabana. We did have to look carefully as it was a small doorway which led up to a massive rooftop bar. We had 2 glasses of red wine & 2 pints of lager for £35 so it wasn’t cheap but the Moroccan wine was palatable and they had excellent toilet facilities – this was also the second place we’d been where men and women use the same toilets so there are no male and female signs to look out for – very modern!

Our next stop was another bar on the roof top of Riad Monceau. It was very nice and we just caught the Happy Hour. We sat at the bar where Captain Caveman had a pint of lager and I went mad and ordered a Pina Colada. The bar man was friendly, made a great cocktail but they certainly knew how to charge in the Jungle Bar – £21 for our 2 drinks at Happy Hour.

We hurried back as we needed to be back at Jemaa El-Fnaa to meet Suzanna and Hugo. They were keen to watch the football but I could already tell from the crowds of supporters in the streets that it was going to be busy wherever we went. As we got to the Grand Balcon Du Café Glacier, I could see it was rammed and there were staff on the doors. I get claustrophobic and am a little over the top on health and safety so I told Captain Caveman to go in without me. I sat downstairs on the outside terrace and ordered a mint tea. I also observed more and more people squishing in to the downstairs space where the football was on the TV. I envisaged getting trapped in there and didn’t want to be part of a Swiss New Year’s Eve scenario so refused to go inside. Captain Caveman came back when he realised Suzanna and Hugo weren’t there anyway and he joined me for a mint tea.
We met just as the match was finishing at a place called Address, the prices there were high (no alcohol) and the staff not as welcoming so we didn’t stay after the match finished.
For dinner that night, we chose a lovely little restaurant which was almost full (always a good sign). La Cantine Des Gazelles was very pink in décor and we all ordered Moroccan food. My chicken tagine was amazing and we had lots of the soda water we were now partial to. When we ordered extra bread, we didn’t get charged for it and our total bill for 4 of us came to just £32.50.
I was stuffed and could not have managed a dessert but Hugo fancied a crêpe from the street seller. There was quite a queue but it went down quickly and we then said our goodbyes. It had been good to finally meet them both and we wished them well for the rest of their trip.
We wove our way back to the riad but didn’t have any rum tonight as Captain Caveman had started to feel a little unwell.

Gratitude List
1. Great food
2. Meeting up with Suzanna & Hugo
3. Rooftop bars.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Marrakech – 3rd January

Breakfast was included at our riad and was served on the rooftop terrace each morning between 8 and 10am. Our first breakfast on Saturday 3rd January consisted of several bread based items, yoghurt with a sauce in, a piece of cake, juice and a choice of coffee or mint tea. I tried to take a photo of the spread and the photo was there, but later disappeared from my phone. This was to be the start of my phone deciding it was going to delete photos just minutes after taking them, with no warning! Captain Caveman had his coffee which he said was alright but didn’t eat the cake or the yoghurt. I tried a bit of everything but it was very sweet for a breakfast. We both liked the dosa type bread which we later learned was called Msemmen. I ordered the mint tea and it became my drink of choice throughout the week. At first I thought it was simply a healthy mint tea but it’s actually made with gunpowder green tea and plenty of fresh mint and sugar!!! The Moroccans pour the tea from the pot at a height to aerate it and it looks a bit like dirty water or whisky.
Captain Caveman had only exchanged £50 at the airport, ironically so that we had cash for the taxi! We decided to walk around the Medina and get our bearings a bit. Captain Caveman had marked a route and the way to an ATM on his offline maps. Neither of us used WiFi or a SIM once out of our accommodation as it can be expensive, plus we didn’t really need it.

We called for some lunch on the rooftop dining area of Chinguitti restaurant in the square where the spices are. The sun was shining and I actually had to take my hat and hoody off. They didn’t sell alcohol so I ordered a mint tea, Captain Caveman a coffee and both of us chose tagines for our meal – a minced meat and egg for Captain Caveman and a chicken for me. The waiter was friendly and spoke french, we can get by in french too (although I’m a little rusty, food is my forte). The menu was in French and English so it was easy to order. A selection of olives with a basket of warm bread was given for free and we ordered a bottle of water as it was getting quite hot on the upstairs terrace.
The food was excellent and I really enjoyed my mint tea, this time with no sugar! Our tagines were around £8 each and were filling. The most expensive drinks on the nenu were about £2.50 for a juice. Our next stop was at the ATM, which you can choose English as the language before you start your transaction. This time we got 12 Dirhams to the pound so was a better rate than the airport, of course. The queue was long and the likelihood of people trying to push in happened but we stood our ground. A french lady told us that this ATM didn’t give the best rate and that we should walk to the post office to get money, we were fine to use this ATM as I was there now. Captain Caveman had transferred £500 to me, which we had allotted for a 7 night holiday and then, because I had Wise, we would use it all from my account.

We had more of a wander round the Medina and then I needed the loo! Everywhere I go where I eat out, I often end up with a dodgy tum but it didn’t last long and I was ok after a cafe visit. I ran off to the top floor of Argana in the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square, shouting back to Captain Caveman to just order me anything to drink.
When I came back down, Captain Caveman was drinking an Espresso and had ordered me a freshly squeezed orange juice – probably not the best choice in my predicament and I didn’t have any imodium on me. The drinks were reasonable and the cafe nice (good toilets that were free for customers) – we paid £2 for coffee and £2.33 for the juice, which Captain Caveman had to finish off.
Our next stop was to meet Captain Caveman’s sister-in-law and nephew at a rooftop cafe. Le Grand Balcon Du Café Glacier was the perfect spot to watch the goings on in the square below and meant we could avoid watching any potential animal cruelty. A small amount of snake charming and monkeys for photos is still going on but my theory is to not give it any attention, so that it will eventually die out as an attraction. It was my first time in 14 years of knowing Captain Caveman that I had met Suzanne and Hugo, so it was great to spend some time with them. We sipped soft drinks or mint tea (they don’t have alcoholic drinks) on the roof terrace and caught up. The excursions they had booked already had cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions Morocco was experiencing this week and were staying in Marrakech for one more night before taking the train to Casablanca. Le Grand Balcon Du Café Glacier had an interesting toilet arrangement that I thought worthy of note. There is a toilet attendant who pretends he doesn’t have change so you can end up paying more than you should – like I did, twice! Captain Caveman went in for a free one and said I’d already paid for him just to even the score up a bit.
We walked past a snack place called Adam but we didn’t choose there to eat. Instead we went to a place near to it, that I forget the name of. Suzanna wasn’t hungry so just had soda water – which is excellent in Marrakech and cheap for a large bottle. Hugo had a local sausage dish and an Orangina, Captain Caveman ordered lamb, roasted veg and couscous tagine and I chose chicken shish and chips to be kind to my stomach. The food was good and cheap, it started raining as we were leaving and the restaurant we were at filled up quickly. We walked back to our respective riads with arrangements to meet up tomorrow to watch Morocco play football. We got back to our room before the rain got heavy and had a spiced rum for a night cap! Our first day in Marrakech had been surprisingly lovely and very relaxed.

Gratitude List
1. Riad Lalla Khadija was very comfy and in a good location
2. Having some really nice food and drinks
3. Meeting up with family in Marrakech.

Photo credit – Captain Caveman, Suzanna, Facebook groups.

Manchester to Marrakech – 2nd January

I woke up having had a good night’s sleep at The Tribe hotel, Manchester airport, on Friday 2nd January. Our flight to Morocco wasn’t until 3.25pm and check out at noon so we had plenty of time. When we went down for breakfast it was very busy and lots more guests than average who didn’t know how the toaster worked. It turned out that there were about 500 people in the area who’s plane had been cancelled so had ended up in hotels for the night. The hotel was very cold but the breakfast was pretty good. I stayed in the restaurant while Captain Caveman went back to the room for his morning meeting. I caught up on some blogging and checked my social media posts for Resort Experts.
We checked out and walked from The Tribe hotel to the airport (it’s very close) and, as we only had hand luggage we were through security fairly quickly. By 1.15pm we had bought some Duty Free, paying £17.29 for a bottle of Captain Morgan’s Black Spiced rum. We knew Marrakech was likely to be expensive for alcohol so we could have a drink in our hotel room if we liked. Interestingly, Facebook sent me 3 posts to recognise improvements in my conversations and posts on social media – at least someone appreciated me chatting on in my unique way!
The airport was busy and we decided to get a drink in one of the bar/restaurants upstairs. The service was slow so Captain Caveman went to the bar and bought us a couple of pints for about £18.
Next we took it in turns to have a wander round and decided to go to the gin bar downstairs. It was quieter but the gin was pricey. Captain Caveman had a pint and I had a glass of red wine (less than £20 for the both). We got chatting to a couple who were going to Poland and had another round. Neither of us has been to Poland so it got added to our list of places to visit.
The Happier January chart that I was following said ‘Make time today to do something kind for yourself’ so a wine at the airport and a trip to Marrakech seemed a good start!
Our flight was delayed a little and on the way to the gate, Captain Caveman bought 2 meal deals at Boots for £13. Once on the plane, Captain Caveman put his headphones on and that was him done for the journey.
When we landed, it was gone 10pm, the main doors to the airport exit were cordoned off due to a problem with the facade of the building. We were redirected to the nearby domestic terminal and there were no taxis there, just a large carpark. I noticed that there were taxis still parked up where we should’ve exited but Captain Caveman was having none of it and we started walking. The temperature was quite mild but it was very windy as we walked down a dual carriageway. I’d had 3 wees on the plane but, as we walked, I started to think I might need another one. Captain Caveman had maps on his phone and was confident we could get a bus. I noticed that even when there were bus stops the buses were in different lanes, in the middle of the dual carriageway and weren’t able to stop. Of course, Captain Caveman wasn’t listening, I ran out of water, he had to carry my bag after an hour of walking and I really needed the loo. By the time we got to where a hospital was it was after 11pm and I started to worry our accommodation would assume we weren’t turning up. In the end I got upset because, as usual, Captain Caveman was determined for us to walk all the way and I was not up to it. My (previously broken just 4 months ago) foot hurt, I was desperate for a pee and I was frustrated at the speed Captain Caveman was walking. This happens pretty often and I never learn – I saw cars and taxis and insisted we get in a taxi. When we got dropped off after a journey of less than 10 minutes, which the driver still tried to charge us £20 for, Captain Caveman was miffed that we were almost there and the taxi was unnecessary. We managed to find the riad, which was in the medina, and a young boy was trying to con tip money out of us for showing us the way, even though we had maps. Captain Caveman was having none of it and told him to bugger off. I had to wait until we’d checked in and given our passports for a photocopy before being shown to our ground floor room. The bathroom was small, traditional and clean – the room smelled nice.
Finally we had arrived and we were in bed before midnight. I logged on to the WiFi to check the map and saw that it said our riad was 1 hour and 40 minutes’ walk from the airport! At least it was flat but I was pretty annoyed at Captain Caveman because he would’ve known how long it would take to walk it – he had the map! I couldn’t, and would never, understand why this always happens and he knows it always ends in tears, but does it anyway. The taxi would have only been £20 for the whole journey and was less than 20 minutes’ drive.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely breakfast at the Tribe hotel
2. Drinks and food at the airport
3. Finally, making it to our accommodation.

Pontefract, Hull & Manchester – 1st January

$Pontefract, Hull & Manchester – 1st January$

Captain Caveman and I were up and about early on Thursday 1st January, New Year’s Day, as we had somewhere to be. As Captain Caveman was in the shower I checked December’s income v expenditure and found, because Captain Caveman had been paying for everything since I arrived, I still had £41 left to carry forward in to 2026! Without him, that would have been depressing and I had questioned the rationale of still going on holiday but it was for my birthday and Captain Caveman needed a holiday. Because he’d been paid well for working over Christmas, Captain Caveman insisted ‘we’ could afford it. I needed to earn more money this year, though, as I didn’t like being poor or having to rely on Captain Caveman so much. I was so good at being frugal now that it concerned me when we did spend money. Yesterday marked 11 years since I’d left my well paid ‘proper’ job at Aviva and, although I didn’t miss it, I did miss getting paid a regular salary each month.
While we waited at Pontecarlo train station I started noting down 3 things to look forward to this year;
1. Marrakech with Captain Caveman
2. Selling (& publishing) more books
3. Trips to Madrid, Bulgaria & Brussels for festivals which we already had booked for July and September.

But first, we were off to Hull today as we had been invited to a free sporting event. I’m not a football fan but Captain Caveman is and he was chuffed to bits to be my plus one at the Hull v Stoke football match in the executive box at Hull. I was more looking forward to seeing Amanda from Anex Tour UK, our host, for a good catch up, a few drinks and an incredible 5 course meal!
We took the train via Leeds where it was so cold that I could hardly feel my legs. Captain Caveman had to get a coffee at McDonald’s, which I was surprised to see was heaving with customers. He also got us a ham and cheese sandwich for us to eat on the train.

We were carrying our bags (hand luggage only) as we were straight off to the airport later. The walk from Hull train station to the football ground was fairly long but flat and we arrived early, placing our luggage behind reception. We took the stairs up to the executive box where we were the first to arrive. Next to arrive was Paul, a travel agent from the local area, and his 2 guests. I liked Paul straight away and he had a good sense of humour – they usually do in Yorkshire. We were joined by a semi professional golfer and his partner who were actually here to support Stoke. I went to the loo having ordered a pint of tap water as I had a big thirst on, when I returned there was a large glass of red wine too and Captain Caveman had ordered a pint of Guinness. There was lots of pre match chat until Amanda and her guest arrived. I’d met Amanda on the Antalya fam trip so it was great to see her again, this time she wasn’t drinking as she had to drive and was technically working. The drinks flowed, the meal was delicious and then the football started. We had our own seated area outside but it was really cold. I was glad to get back in for halftime snacks and more drinks.

The second half went in to extra time, of 17 minutes, which may have been a record. I stayed inside in the warm and we nibbled on an amazing cheeseboard.
After much laughter, chatting and stuffing our faces, it was time to say farewell and leave. Captain Caveman and I had a train to catch to Manchester Airport. On the way, I was glad that despite the cold it didn’t rain. Unfortunately, I’d upset Captain Caveman who said I had talked too much and that he’d found me annoying at today’s event. That cheesed me off as I had thought the day had gone really well. We didn’t speak on the train – well, I’d already had my quota of chatting, so that Captain Caveman could enjoy the silence and play Bridge on his phone. I had a theory that Captain Caveman was suffering withdrawal symptoms from being apart from his phone and had decided to cause an argument so that he could get some peace and back to his Bridge.

We checked in at The Tribe hotel where we would spend the night before our flight to Morocco tomorrow. Captain Caveman then spent the rest of the night playing Bridge. We didn’t go to the hotel bar, we didn’t speak and we didn’t watch TV. The Tribe hotel cost us £98 for the 2 of us, was super comfy and included breakfast.

Gratitude List
1. Making it through a tricky 2025 on a tight budget but having no debt
2. An amazing day out at Hull FC courtesy of Anex Tour UK
3. The Tribe hotel.

Photo Credit – some photos by Amanda at Anex

Sheffield to Pontefract – 30th & 31st December

$Sheffield to Pontefract – 30th & 31st December$

After a good night’s sleep, Captain Caveman and I got up early to start work on Tuesday 30th December. It was that weird week between Christmas and New Year where everyone else I interacted with seemed not to know what day it was. We had a new system with Resort Experts which meant we could see tasks, enquiries, bookings and payment due dates all in the same place. The aim was to enter all our existing clients in to ‘The Zone’ to test that it worked. It was meant to be my last day at tomorrow so I got cracking.
At lunch time Captain Caveman treated the 4 of us to fish and chips from Tony’s Chip Shop. It cost £45 for 4 fish, too many chips, 1 mushy peas and a bottle of chip shop vinegar but what a treat it was. I really enjoyed it and was keen to have it while I was back in Mosborough. I’d heard that people were struggling to eat out more in the UK due to the increased prices but, in the week I’d been in England, I hadn’t seen any evidence of that yet. Everywhere I went, places seemed very busy – even in Tony’s I was 10th in the queue with lots of people buying cod or haddock (on a Tuesday)!
Back at the laptop, I checked us in for our forthcoming holiday to Morocco on Friday, and downloaded the Atol certificate. As I sell Jet2 Holidays, I’d decided to take advantage of the discount which Resort Experts gives me. Captain Caveman had booked our first package holiday and I hoped he’d enjoy it.
That evening, Ma & Pa excelled themselves by throwing and impromptu early new year celebration for us 4, plus Gayle, Neil and Morgan (April was working). Dad was on drinks duty and Mom had done a massive buffet which went down very well – as did the drinks. We decided to play party games where we had to guess ‘Who am I?’ but the post-it notes kept peeling off. It was hilarious and Dad was not impressed with this game.

Gratitude List
1. The Zone – a new CRM system for Resort Experts
2. Fish & Chips
3. A family party with lots of laughter.

Wednesday 31st December, or New Year’s Eve, was a very quiet one for us. Mom made us a breakfast and both Captain Caveman and I worked in the morning. I was meant to be taking my measurements and getting weighed but I decided not to bother depressing myself. I could tell I had already put weight on this week. I’d not eaten and drunk this much for quite a while.
We would have stayed at my parents longer but we needed to get back to Captain Caveman’s and pack for our holiday, plus my parents were off out. My sister had got excited and arranged for the family to start the new year celebrations with a pub crawl from 11.45am. Captain Caveman was baffled as he thought he’d misheard and that they were being picked up at 11.45pm, in time to see in new year. Gayle had arranged for them to go to a new(ish) place in Mosborough called Grandpa Joe’s Potting Shed. Before we left, Mom made sure we’d eaten more – including a mince pie and a cup of tea before we headed off to Captain Caveman’s house in Pontefract, or Pontecarlo as I like to call it. We each left some clothes for when we got back from Morocco as we were coming back for some more celebrations.
In Pontecarlo we popped the central heating on and got the house warm then worked for the rest of the day. Captain Caveman heated up the pasta ready meal for dinner and we both struggled to stay awake until midnight. I think we both nodded off but then woke up at 11.55pm, watched some fireworks from out of the bedroom window before going to bed. We had exciting, and somewhat unusual, plans for tomorrow which I had arranged for the both of us.
2025 had been a very tough year financially for me and we had also spent too much time apart. Next year we had plans to improve things significantly; I was determined to have more income and more trips away with either Captain Caveman and/or friends. I don’t really make New Year’s Resolutions but I was determined to be successful. How about you? Did you make any plans for 2026?

Gratitude List
1. Spending time with my family and Captain Caveman
2. Being back in Pontecarlo
3. Planning for 2026 to be a better year.

Barnes to Sheffield – 28th & 29th December

Captain Caveman was fit for nothing on Sunday 28th December as he was tired. I’d thought he might’ve been cooking a breakfast for everyone but he stayed laying on the bed until gone 11am. His parents were already up and about long before that and I’d logged on to my laptop to do a bit of work. Today was going to be another family day as Captain Caveman’s brother, sister-in-law and 3 nephews were coming to stay for a few days. Originally we had planned to go to Sheffield on this day but had decided to stay to see The Sprouts (called that because they live in Brussels).
It was just before noon when Captain Caveman got in the kitchen to cook us a brunch. Mine was sausages, bacon and mushrooms on a pancake (using the self raising flour batter mixture from yesterday). It was very nice and tasty and of course not Slimming World friendly at all!!!
I worked for the rest of the afternoon, then at 4.30pm I encouraged Captain Caveman to come to the shop with me. We spent about £10 on some chocolates and a gift for a friend. It was so cold out and I was assuming the North tomorrow would be colder.
When we got back in the house I noticed that the table was set much like a Christmas Day – there were crackers! To my surprise, I was actually joining in a belated Christmas celebration as well as us all celebrating Anna’s birthday.
The Sprouts arrived and it was great to see them again, wine was poured and there was even gift exchanges. The hats, earmuffs and Turkish Delight were well received, Captain Caveman was pleased with his boozy gifts and I loved my fancy lip balms (much needed in this winter weather too)!
The dinner was delicious and I felt so grateful to be enjoying it with the family. The ‘icing on the cake’, though, was the home made (by Captain Caveman’s Ma) Christmas cake – the best thing I had all Christmas!!!

Gratitude List
1. An extra day in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his family
2. Laughing
3. Cake.

Monday 29th December was a working day for Captain Caveman and I, so we got up at stupid o’clock to get to Chesterfield before Captain Caveman’s first meeting at 9am. We had a McDonald’s breakfast – my first in years and, for the price, I won’t be in a rush to have another. My sausage (no egg) muffin tasted very salty and the hash brown oozed grease. My cup of tea was decent though. Captain Caveman left me editing some content while he went off to his meeting.
We reconvened, then drove to call in on a friend, who was in recovery from a major operation. I had got my flu jab in Turkey, had brought masks and was trying to minimise passing on any germs by prioritising seeing her before I did the rounds up North!
I was very surprised to see how well my friend and her hubby were doing considering their situation and I almost cried when I saw them. It was just so good to be able to visit and hear all about the very slow and tricky recovery period.
Since I’d last seen them, a new addition to the family had arrived in the form of the cutest little dog. Unfortunately, she was on high alert and in protective mode so we didn’t get any cuddles – maybe next time. She still managed to snaffle some treats from Captain Caveman though, she’s not daft!
We didn’t stay long on account of my friend needing rest and us having to get back to work once we reached our next ‘home’.
My parents had kindly offered to put us up for a couple of days. We both managed the work schedules very laissez-faire in the afternoon and decided to finish at 5pm. I got a photo from my sister who had been bought my new planner for Christmas and she was over the moon with it. She was in Scotland with the dog and was about to start filling it in.
Captain Caveman and I nipped to the shop as we hadn’t had chance to get any wine for dinner. Here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Co-op Supermarket
Radox shower gel 1.05
Pasta bolognese ready meal 3.80
2 curry paste packs 4.00
1 bottle of Pinot Grigio 7.65
1 bottle of Prosecco 9.00
Total spent £25.50

Captain Caveman, my parents and I decided a walk to the local pub, The Alma, a good idea for pints of beer or cider before dinner.
We just had a couple with it being a school night and then Mom cooked us a lovely dinner, which we had wine with! It was cold but didn’t seem any colder than London.

Gratitude List
1. Visiting friends in Chesterfield
2. A post Christmas catch up with Ma & Pa
3. More lovely food and drink in Mosborough.

Barnes – 26th & 27th December

One good thing about not celebrating a traditional Christmas Day was that Boxing Day, Friday 26th December, was not spent recovering from it.
We didn’t have the hotel breakfast in Barking as Captain Caveman wasn’t bothered and we thought we would get back to Barnes.
Instead, he took me to the pub hoping for a pub lunch. The Brown Dog was closed so we ended up in the Red Lion. Captain Caveman spent £45 on our lunch which consisted of 2 pints of beer, a beef and horseradish sandwich for Captain Caveman and a pint of tap water, a glass of white wine and a prawn and crayfish sandwich for me. It was lovely despite the very annoying family of 5 sat round a 2 person table next to us. We ended up moving to an adult only table across from the bar, which was a good move.
Back home we watched TV; Undercover Boss, Gordon’s Kitchen Nightmares and Grand Designs – I’d missed UK TV.
For dinner Captain Caveman prepared some sourdough, bought from Gail’s earlier for a small fortune, with a baked camembert and we finished off the port. It was a very nice, relaxing day and a chance for Captain Caveman to rest after his 12 hour shift yesterday.

Gratitude List
1. Pub grub
2. A relaxing boxing day
3. More cheese.

Captain Caveman’s parents were due back from Spain on Saturday 27th December so Captain Caveman had offered my culinary services to make a welcome back dinner that evening. I was pleased as it had been 5 days since I’d eaten anything I’d cooked myself – most unusual! We popped to the shops and I decided to have a look in the Sue Ryder charity shop. Even though I had new clothes for Christmas I still didn’t have more than 1 top and had been wearing Captain Caveman’s t-shirt yesterday. I also didn’t have anything that wasn’t casual (not that I was due to be going anywhere fancy). The charity shop always has some amazing items in there, mainly good brands which I can never afford. Today, Captain Caveman was there to treat me again and I found a lovely tunic dress for £12 – it was only a size 12 and I didn’t try it on in the shop but it did fit when I got back home.
Next, we popped to one of my favourite shops to get the food for later, here’s what we got with the prices in pounds;

Marks & Spencers
Chicken 7.15
Raspberries 3.90
Blueberries 3.63
Sage & onion stuffing 2.50
Orange Juice 2.50
Peppers 1.50
Carrots 1.25
Green beans 0.80
Parsnips 0.50
Total spent £23.71

We called at the Farmer’s Market on the way back but there were limited stalls out, with it being between Christmas and New Year. We did manage to pick up some sausages and black pudding for Captain Caveman to cook us a breakfast tomorrow. I made some Yorkshire pudding mixture but there was only self raising flour and it didn’t really work.
In the afternoon, we decided to take a walk to see if the Brown Dog was open today and it was. We sat by the Christmas tree with a pint each (mine was cider) for a total of £13.60.
Back home, Captain Caveman’s parents were back and it was lovely to see them. I cracked on with making the dinner and we had a drop of wine to go with the meal.
Afterwards we went upstairs to watch TV and chill out – I even got in to watching Traitors.

Gratitude List
1. A new dress
2. A pint in the Brown Dog
3. A lovely family meal.

Barking – 25th December

Captain Caveman’s alarm went off at 7am on Thursday 25th December, or Christmas Day, in the Barking Ibis hotel. The bed was super comfy, particularly great pillows and black out curtains so I didn’t get up when Captain Caveman did. He went for breakfast with his work team mates and I lolled about in bed.
Captain Caveman came back to the room and said the breakfast was ‘alright’ for £12.95 and said he’d be back for 8.30pm tonight. He took samosas, tomatoes and mozzarella for his lunch, leaving me with 2 of my favourite salads and a pack of sausage rolls. In the corner of the room was a bag full of cheese, some charcuterie meats, chutney, crackers, a bottle of port some wine and a box of mince pies. These were for later when Captain Caveman got back.
I had plenty to keep me busy for the day and just needed to get the WiFi password so that I could use the internet. I had GiffGaff credit but the signal didn’t seem to be very good.
I had a shower with all the nice products in the bathroom and then went to breakfast. Even though it was Christmas Day, all was continuing as a normal day; breakfast was from 6.30 to 10am and, for the price, was pretty good value. I troughed down a full English, pastries, meats, cheeses, orange and apple juices then lots of tea. The hotel was fairly busy too which I was surprised at and there wasn’t a Christmas jumper in sight.

Back in the room there was no luck with getting any WiFi so I decided to have a chill out day. I opened my proof copies of ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ and checked the amendments I’d done were showing – they were. I was really pleased with the look of the book and I just needed to get it seen by more people. Amazingly, I had got the font size right, making it easy for anyone to read and use.

Video of me opening my proof copy of The Handy Travel Planner

The Handy Travel Planner Amazon link is here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0G7S5VX47/

For the rest of my Christmas Day I relaxed on the bed and watched a Miss Marple on TV. Although I have a TV in Turkey, I no longer pay to have any channels on it so tend not to watch any UK TV at all. This was fantastic and I really enjoyed doing nothing, eating my favourite salad followed by a mince pie and a cup of tea.

Photo Credit – Christmas ones from a London Facebook page

Captain Caveman called at 8pm to say he, Richard and Tom were on their way back and I should be ready for a cheese night!
I asked the receptionist if we would be allowed to bring our own cheese and port in to the restaurant and the hotel obliged. It turned out to be a really good night; Captain Caveman’s colleagues were really nice and were grateful for the cheese. Captain Caveman had gone above and beyond, even bringing a cheese knife and chopping board. We stayed in the reception until 11pm when I decided I couldn’t eat any more cheese nor drink any more wine! I left Captain Caveman and Richard discussing caving rope techniques – I’d had enough excitement for one day so left them to that conversation!
Back in the room, my phone connected to the WiFi but, interestingly, I’d not missed any messages at all! How did your Christmas Day go? Did you celebrate?

Gratitude List
1. A lovely hotel breakfast
2. A very relaxed, restful and easy going day
3. Cheese with Tom, Richard & Captain Caveman.

London – 24th December

Wednesday 24th December, or Christmas Eve, started with me having a face on that I had no clothes to wear. Captain Caveman had forgotten to bring my bag down from Pontefract – it was a good job I’d managed to bring knickers and bras with me! So today’s exciting activities would include clothes shopping – which I don’t enjoy. Captain Caveman already had it all planned out in his head but I wasn’t as confident that I would be able to find clothes which either fitted or suited me.
First thing was to get weighed and take my measurements. It seemed a bit futile, knowing that I was going to put weight on while in the UK, but at least I’d know my starting weight. The scales in Barnes said I had lost 0.3kg (0.7lb) which was a good start. My measurements were really good;
Bust no change, Waist -8cm, Hips -2cm.
Thankfully, the stomach issue had gone and my swollen belly had gone back down. I was still 5cm over my waist target, though, even after losing 8cm in a week.
I nipped to the shop as I had forgotten to bring my toothbrush and contraceptive pills. It was so cold out but Barnes Pond was beautiful. I spent £1.75 on a toothbrush in Sainsbury’s and £21 on a 3 month pack of pills.
I’d had deliveries of my book but I decided I would open them later, I did open a free book that Claire Clarke had sent me instead. That would definitely come in handy on my next publication too. Captain Caveman made us bacon sandwiches with brown sauce for breakfast and then we headed off to Wandsworth.

Captain Caveman was convinced I’d be able to get totally kitted out in TK Maxx, a shop I usually avoid on account of the confusing way the clothes are laid out and the resemblance of a jumble sale. I was a bit miffed and convinced I wouldn’t find anything. After an hour of looking, moaning and trying on items I would never had ordinarily chosen, Captain Caveman had forked out more than a hundred quid to sort me out. Here’s what we got with the prices in pounds.

TK Maxx
Black trousers 7.99
Thermal footless tights 8.00
Yoga leggings (with pockets) 19.99
Black hooded top 24.99
Black Dockers 69.99
Total spent £130.96

I wasn’t going to allow Captain Caveman to spend £70 on boots but he convinced me. I loved the docker style with leopard print tongues. They were sturdy, stylish yet practical and even had laces and zip opening. They were a make called Cavalli which I wasn’t familiar with so Captain Caveman Googled them to find that they were originally £330. While I thought they were an expense we could do without, these boots would turn out to be one of the best things Captain Caveman could’ve spent money on this Christmas. I was very pleased with my emergency clothing ‘Christmas presents’, which we don’t normally buy, and the treats continued.

Captain Caveman took us for brunch at Megan’s in Wandsworth. It wasn’t busy and, although on the pricey side compared to what I’m used to, it was a really lovely treat.
Here’s what we had and what Captain Caveman paid for, in pounds.

Megan’s
Sweet potato fries 5.90
Pigs in blankets 8.50
1 Rose wine 175ml 8.50
1 Bloody Mary 9.90
Shakshuka 12.90
Service charge 5.71
Total spent £51.41

We walked to the nearest convenience M&S petrol station and bought some items for tomorrow’s lunch; 2 salads, samosas, sausage rolls, tomatoes & mozzarella cheese for a total of £13.88. We had a quick pint in The Alma as I needed the loo and we needed to get the train back to Barnes. It was 4pm when I started packing for our 2 night trip away. Captain Caveman had agreed to work a 12 hour shift on Christmas Day so I was going to join him in Barking. I opened a lovely Christmas card from a friend and it felt quite nostalgic – we’ve not done Christmas cards for years now.
It was 8pm before we checked in to the Ibis hotel in Barking. Captain Caveman was already in the bar with his work mates when I came down from the room, dressed in some of my new items. We had a drink and Captain Caveman introduced me to the lads; there were 9 of them in total, all working today, tonight or tomorrow on some railway engineering job. They all seemed really fun and friendly but I was surprised that none of them had brought their other halves, as Captain Caveman had said a couple of them might do. When I asked, they said their wives had not fancied spending Christmas Day in an Ibis hotel while their partner worked – just me then!?
Captain Caveman left the fellas to it and we went to the dining area to eat, he had pie and I was tempted but decided to have lasagne with chips and garlic bread. To say we were only in an Ibis, I was impressed with the food and the red wine was pretty good too – I had 2! It wasn’t a very late night as Captain Caveman needed to be up and out early tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. New clothes and boots from Captain Caveman
2. Brunch at Megan’s
3. A different but interesting Christmas Eve with Captain Caveman and his work colleagues.

Dalyan to London – 23rd December

Tuesday 23rd December was jam-packed as I was about to leave Dalyan for 26 days!!!! I was really looking forward to going back and we had so many different things planned! My flight was at 4.10pm to Gatwick so I had time to cram in just 4kg of my own stuff in to the 15kg hold luggage. This wasn’t an issue, though, as I had all my work stuff in my underseat bag and when I got to the UK, a bag of my stuff would be waiting for me. Captain Caveman had promised to bring my bag which had a few sets of clothes, pyjamas and a pair of boots!
With plenty of time before I left, I popped round to Jamie & Drew’s to say bye to Norman, with me being away for so long! He seemed in fine spirits and I promised him I’d be back to look after him in January.
Next, I went to Ela’s Kitchen for a breakfast with Karen and Andy who were on the same flight as me and were very kindly giving me a lift to the airport. We all had an English breakfast, which was a bit ironic, given where we were off to. It was delicious as always. Karen also ordered sandwiches to take with them but I decided I’d be ok without, after eating a breakfast. I spent 960 lira (£17.14) for my breakfast, a Yorkshire tea and my lift’s takeaway sandwich. Karen and I popped to the shop next door for some travel sweets and snacks – I got them as it was only 114.25 lira (£2.04) and they were giving me the lift which saved me the taxi fare.

At the airport it was a bit of a farce as I had to go back through security check twice when my boarding pass wouldn’t scan. This also meant I had to faff about with taking my laptop out on both occasions as well as shoes off! It was badly organised and no seating or repacking area. It would not have been ideal for anyone who struggled with this process.
Once at the gate, I bumped in to Dave, one of the regular boat trip blokes from Dalaman. We had a chat and a good laugh as he’s got a really good sense of humour. We took a photo to send to our mutual friends.
The plane left on time, I did a little blogging and watched some Netflix on my phone. When the drinks trolley came round I decided to have some water, a red wine and a cheese and crackers snack box for a total of 822.45 lira (£14.69). I was due to land at 5.40pm and had nodded off before that.

Once landed at Gatwick around 5.40pm, I retrieved my 15kg suitcase and said bye to Karen & Andy. I wrapped up in my hat, scarf and winter coat and headed to the train station. It wasn’t as cold as I expected but it was definitely chilly in England. I got the train to Barnes via Clapham Junction and Captain Caveman was there to meet me from the train. We then hurried to his parents’ house to drop off my luggage and then go back out.
I’d arranged to meet Stacey and Tracey, from Anex Tour Uk, in Hammersmith. Captain Caveman and I got the bus and arrived at The Swan pub first. Captain Caveman ordered himself a pint of ale and I had a pint of cider – he paid on card so no receipt but I don’t think there was much change from £20!
Stacey and Tracey arrived shortly after and we had a really good night, they are such a good laugh and Captain Caveman got on well with them too. After a few drinks we decided to order some food and I wolfed down the fantastic baked camembert with truffle fries like it was my death row meal – it was so good! I must’ve been quite tiddly when we said our farewells in Hammersmith train station as the group photo didn’t come out as I’d hoped at just before 11pm!!

Captain Caveman and I got back to Barnes by 11.35pm and I was knackered as my head thought it was Turkish time, 3 hours ahead. As I got in to bed, I saw a picture from a friend who had received her copy of The Handy Travel Planner and I was so pleased! She loves a holiday as much as I do so I knew it would be perfect for her to plan all of her adventures.

Gratitude List
1. A nice last morning in Dalyan
2. Seeing Captain Caveman again
3. Meeting up with 2 of the Anex ladies for pre Christmas celebrations.

Dalyan – 22nd December

There’d been 2 events that I’d contemplated doing on Monday 22nd December, my last full day and night in Dalyan this year. It was a friend’s birthday party at 4pm and I’d thought of a trip to Köyceğiz on the yellow boat had I been in a position to take the day off. However, it was the launch of The Handy Travel Planner and I was too anxious to sit and wait to see how it went.
Because I would be travelling tomorrow and that I would be taking some time off to see Captain Caveman, I wanted to get my scheduled social media content done for the next week or so. I spoke to Captain Caveman on video call who was already in London where I would join him at his parents’ home. We were both looking forward to seeing each other, even though it had only been 3 weeks since we’d last seen each other. Today was our 14 year anniversary too but we had already celebrated it while we’d been together in Dalyan last month.
I forgot to eat all day but by 4.30pm I was hungry and decided to warm up yesterday’s Christmas dinner. I spent the evening working and packing – I was really looking forward to my trip!

Gratitude List
1. The Handy Travel Planner was launched and ready to buy in paperback and hardback on Amazon
2. Seeing Captain Caveman was looking forward to seeing me again
3. Leftover Christmas dinner!

The Handy Travel Planner Amazon link is here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0G7S5VX47/

Dalyan – 21st December

I was up and working before 7am on Sunday 21st December so that I could catch up from being slack and time away from my desk on Friday and Saturday and knowing I had to be somewhere this afternoon. I had more cruise training to do and I thought the Arctic cruises were particularly interesting. I did more prep for The Handy Travel Planner which was officially launching tomorrow and I still hadn’t seen a hard copy, myself! I also checked in for my flight on Tuesday afternoon and then got ready for some celebrations.
I had been invited to join friends for a Christmas meal at Ela’s Kitchen. At our table there were Jamie & Drew, Ann & Stuart with their family, Charlotte & Kenny plus Nanny Kay and me. My stomach was still iffy from yesterday so I decided to drink soda water and I had took my tupperware so that I didn’t waste my food.
I had the prawn cocktail for starter and it was very good. The Christmas dinner was impressive and I did have some left overs because I needed to save room for the a Christmas pudding. I did manage a glass of red wine but I didn’t feel 100% despite the meal being delicious. We had a good laugh, especially as I was sat between Stuart and Nanny Kay who are both hilarious. Nanny Kay rounded the meal off with an After Eight chocolate sliding down her face, playing that game where you have to get the chocolate from your forehead in to your mouth without using your hands.
At 7.30pm I paid my bill of 2500 lira (£44.64) including the tip and hurried off to meet more friends. I wanted to catch up with Janet & Ian before I went back to the UK so we met in Ren Garden and I had a couple of glasses of red wine at 140 lira (£2.50) each – I would miss these prices when I got back to London!
It was lovely to finish off the weekend with more friends and farewells too.

Gratitude List
1. Being prepared for my book launch tomorrow
2. Christmas lunch at Ela’s Kitchen with friends
3. Farewell drinks with Janet & Ian.

Photo Credit – Ann, Stuart & Jamie for some of the photos

Dalyan – 20th December

My weekend continued to be eventful and Saturday 20th December was another busy one. I had quotes to do for work, last minute Christmas markets were looking popular this year and luckily, even though I don’t particularly celebrate Christmas, I had been to a few of the European Christmas markets in the past.
It was cold, grey and wintery with rain forecast over the next couple of days in Dalyan. Nanny Kay had kindly given me a couple of black tops, one of which was a jumper and would come in handy for my trip to England. She had also been throwing out her plate collection so I had inherited lots of spare plates. I had to put the weekly market on hold a while because I had been invited for a tea and mince pie with Debbie & Mike. Debbie had also invited Ghislaine and had very kindly baked for us. I had 3 cups of tea while we chatted and caught up on what had been happening. I still needed to go to the market so Ghislaine offered to drop me on her way home.
I didn’t end up buying anything at the market as I started to feel unwell. I called in to the Şevikoğlu Supermarket and bought more Turkish Delight for Captain Caveman’s mom and my mom as they are both partial to it. They serve it fresh at the counter and I just spent the equivalent of a few pounds on 2 different flavours, to complement what I’d already bought yesterday in the fancy shop. On the way home, I walked past the white dogs and said hello to them, they were very pleased to see me and one got belly rubs.
My next friend meet up was with Penny & Phil (I had to pop home to pick up the Forerro Rocher first) and I was still feeling a little unwell. When I got to Ren Garden it was busy with other friends as well and we decided hot drinks and cake would be a good idea. I had a delicious brownie and a hot chocolate for 400 lira (£7.14) and we chatted to the waitress who is very nice.
I had to leave after that to go meet another friend at the Kaunos tea gardens where I had 2 large Turkish teas for 30 lira (54p). I spent most of our 2 hours there going back and forth to the toilet. It just shows that when I decide to break the Slimming World plan, my stomach does not react well to it. Back home I got messages from family and friends who had been on my mailing list to get ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ first. Their copies had arrived and they were delighted. I’d obviously not seen the actual book yet so I was really happy to get photos – they looked good! My first actual sales has started and I really hoped it would do well as I’d put a lot of thought in to how to help people have better holidays by planning.
I just had soup for dinner and went to bed early as I had another busy day coming up tomorrow!

Gratitude List
1. New tops and plates from Nanny Kay
2. Catching up with friends before I flew to England.
3. The first book sales of my new planner.

Dalyan & Ortaca – 19th December

Friday 19th December was a great day, in fact my last weekend in Dalyan this year was about to be rather eventful. I made a decision to take some time back to spend it with friends! After a walk to the bank to get cash out, I had a phone call with one of my UK friends. It was good to talk about general stuff as usual but this time it was a chance to arrange to meet up while I was in Sheffield.
My next excitement came in the form of a long awaited hairdresser appointment which Captain Caveman was treating me to. I’d arranged to go with Debbie (Darling) who I hadn’t seen for ages and we joked it was our work Christmas party. She met me at 1pm after having to rescue a cat out of her pool and we went to get the bus to Ortaca. We share the same hairdresser, Emrah, and we’d decided to make an afternoon of it. Luckily that we did, as Captain Caveman had asked if I could get Christmas gifts for his brother and his family of 5 while I was there.
Debbie (Darling) and I chatted so much and had a really fun shopping trip. We bought gifts for people and I managed to get woolly hats for all the Spillane family plus plenty of Turkish Delight.

At the hairdresser’s we had Emra to ourselves and we opened up the chilled prosecco (which we’d had in the fridge) while we waited for our dye to take. I loved it and we both ended up with a change of colour. It cost me a total of 2,500 lira (£44.64) and I felt so much better for having it done.
As I’d bought the fizz, Debbie paid for a taxi back to Dalyan and we popped in to Ren Garden for a quick wine to round off our wonderful afternoon.

I took my shopping home and picked up a coat as it had got chilly once it was going dark. I grabbed a bite to eat at home and then went back out. I met Nanny Kay in Ren Garden too and we had a nice little mulled wine and a good chat.
I’d really enjoyed switching off and relaxing as it’s not often I do, fully.

Gratitude List

Spending valuable time with friends
A trip out to Ortaca with Debbie (Darling)
Getting my hair done, drinking fizz and buying the Christmas Gifts for less than £120.

Dalyan – 18th December

I had to have a bit of a word with myself on Thursday 18th December. I was not getting enough rest, I wasn’t making and eating healthy meals and I wasn’t making time to see friends. So, I agreed to meet a friend at Ren Garden at 4.30pm so that no matter how my day went, I had to put down my laptop and go out. I had a friend in the UK who was having surgery today and I was thinking about how that would go, feeling sorry I wouldn’t be nearby to see them.
On going to open the fixed curtains it turned out one of them wasn’t fixed. I let the fixer know and I got told how to move the string to sort it out myself. It stil cost 1500 (£27), which I thought was amusing but what I was told to do, did work and they looked good.
I spent most of the day really trying to get my head around Canva and produce enough promo content for the next few days, ready for my new book launch day on Monday. It was hard, I didn’t like it, I wanted to quit but I kept going.
I made myself do a walk round the block and call at the bank for the curtain cash, before lunch. I was missing walking Norman and needed to stretch a bit. I called at the shop and bought the following, prices in lira:

BIM Supermarket
Wholemeal loaf 31.50
6 eggs 65.00
125g blueberries 85.00
Total spent 181.50 lira (£3.24)

I had a cheese sandwich for lunch and carried on with the promo designs. My eyes were tired and I was getting a bit tetchy with it, so at 3pm I went to the bank to buy my travel insurance for the UK and Morocco. It cost 1,001.67 lira (£17.89) for my 3 week trip, in 3 separate policies, which wasn’t bad. On the way back home I popped to the off licence and bought a couple of bottles of fizz for something I had arranged for tomorrow. It was 565 lira (£10) per bottle and was one I’d had before. Prosecco is really hard to get decent stuff in Dalyan.
At 4.15pm, as promised, I hurried over to Ren Garden with some of the chocolate for my friend. She had chosen the Forerro Rocher and I obliged, after all I was meant to be on a diet! When I arrived, she wasn’t there so I messaged her to see if she was on her way and I ordered a hot chocolate. They had no idea we had arranged to meet and apologised. I didn’t mind as it meant that I could get back to my Canva and I ended up eating some of the chocolate I was going to give her. It was almost midnight when I finished but it meant I was up to date with my marketing schedule and I could take some time off this weekend.

Gratitude List
1. Getting out and running errands
2. Being on track with my marketing schedule
3. Mastering Canva enough to get some marketing material done.