I had been looking forward to Friday 24th July for a while, and not just because Captain Caveman and I would be going to Sheffield. I’d planned in the diary to spend the weekend with Captain Caveman and our friend, Claire. I’d not seen her since Spain in June, so we were excited. I left Barnes around 9.30am so that I could use my train ticket from St Pancras and I worked on the train. I managed to go from Barnes via Vauxhall and didn’t get lost. I arrived in to Sheffield at 1pm and made my way to Captain Caveman’s flat. It was quite cool compared to London and I hoped the Sheffield summer wasn’t over. Captain Caveman worked all day in London and was getting back very late so I planned a girls night in. I tidied the flat up and made up a bed with an airbed in the spare room. The flat doesn’t have much in the way of furniture on account of Captain Caveman wanting to buy a place so not really wanting to buy stuff he needs to move up to the 2nd floor, only to have to take it out again when he moves out. Claire arrived around 5pm, after she had finished her working day near Manchester. We had a wander round the Kelham Island area and then called in to one of my favourite local pubs. The beer garden at the Gardener’s Rest was very nice with a pint of cider, scampi fries and bacon fries. We had a good laugh with a lady on a 3 wheeler mobility scooter who was manoeuvreing between the tables and benches. Back home, Claire and I were in our pyjamas while it was still daylight, drinking red wine and eating snacks with cheese. We shared a beanbag on account of not having a sofa and laughed a lot. We also put a plan together for a bit of a staycation early next week. Captain Caveman got back late and we made plans for more fun tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Getting back to Sheffield after being away for over 8 weeks 2. Spending time with Claire 3. Having a night in with cheese and wine.
After a few more days of galavanting and travel I was back at the temporary desk in Barnes early on Tuesday 21st July. I didn’t even have tea and toast until far too late. At 5pm Captain Caveman and I both finished work as we had quite a bit of excitement planned for the evening. A friend from Dalyan was also in London and had invited us to the Victory Services Club for dinner. It meant wearing smart clothing so I wore a dress with my Vietnamese porter sandals while Captain Caveman had to borrow something as he only had casual/shorts. We met our friend in the bar, where we had already bought a drink each. We ordered water and wine with dinner, Captain Caveman ordered the schnitzel while my friend and I had a curry special that was on. It was delicious. All 3 of us had a cheese board for dessert which was lovely and we went through to the bar for a last drink of wine/coffee. It was a really lovely evening with lots of chatter and laughter plus some organising of plans in Dalyan for when we were all going to be there. We got the train back and it was quite late when we got back to Barnes with more plans to meet again tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. A busy and productive day 2. Meeting a Dalyan friend in London 3. Being wined and dined at the Victory Services Club.
It was another busy morning at the office for both Captain Caveman and I on Wednesday 22nd July. I nipped in to town at lunch time to meet one of the owners of Resort Experts. It was my first time meeting Paul, who’s based near London, and it was a good job I had got there early as I was in the middle of a last minute cruise booking and was taking payment when he arrived. We met at the Beer House in Waterloo Station, which I’d suggested knowing that Paul could only spare an hour before he went to meet his walking buddies. It was good to meet in person, share ideas and have a drink together before each going to our next appointments. I was meeting Clare and Captain Caveman at the King’s Arms pub and our friend from last night also popped along with a former colleague of her’s too. It was a good night and quite boozy. For dinner I had pork scratchings with my white wine. It was a lovely evening catching up with and introducing friends. When we got back to Barnes we had a ready meal and some stuffed potato skins. I expected to be hungover in the morning.
Gratitude List 1. Meeting Paul from Resort Experts at Waterloo 2. Meeting up with friends for drinks in the King’s Arms 3. Being too busy enjoying myself to take many photos.
Captain Caveman had booked tickets for us to see Faithless on Thursday 23rd July, in Reading with cousin Anna. We had train tickets booked from London to Reading and then up to Sheffield the next day as Anna had kindly agreed for us to stay at hers. Unfortunately, the Faithless gig had been cancelled but, as we had already got the train tickets, we decided to still meet Anna in Reading but just for lunch. This meant that we could still see Anna and use the train tickets in a slightly practical way so as not to completely waste all the train tickets. Due to a slight misunderstanding on the communication, I didn’t realise that Captain Caveman had took the day off and we were getting the 9.20am train to Reading. I had to work on the train, in a cafe and on a platform for my work from home schedule as I had not planned ahead. I’d not seen Anna since a family wedding last year so it was really lovely that we managed to cram in a walk by the river and lunch at a cute little cafe where Anna treated us to delicious sandwiches and a cuppa. It was great to catch up and talk about future plans and how the rest of that side of Captain Caveman’s family were. As we said our farewells and got ready to go back to the train station, I got a bit of a rumble in my tummy. By the time we were at the platform I was desperate for the loo again and sweating profusely. We got back to London with me being thankful for working train toilets. The train cost £22 for the one way ticket. I worked in the Richmond library for a couple of hours while Captain Caveman went to a Bridge game. Our next engagement involved a trip to the Roebuck pub in Richmond to meet some friends for a drink. We were late as I needed to stop off for another toilet stop and therefore had to buy a beverage in a pub and some crisps to put me on. At the Roebuck, we had 2 bottles of the very nice rosé wine at £34 per bottle between 4 of us. We had lots of laughs and got back to Barnes late for beans on toast. Tomorrow we would use the rest of the train tickets to head to Sheffield where we had more excitement planned.
Gratitude List 1. A lovely lunch meet up with cousin Anna 2. Toilets on trains 3. Drinks with friends in Richmond.
Our flight from Bulgaria to the UK wasn’t until 8pm on Monday 20th July. We planned to get the train at midday from Plovdiv back to Sofia, arriving around 2.45pm. The train was hot and sweaty, no AC and had 8 of us per compartment. I couldn’t do any work until I got to Sofia so we decided to go back to the 5 Corners bar for a late lunch. Captain Caveman ordered the meatballs and I had pork schnitzel, both of which were really good. Our bill came to a total of €32.60 (£28) including drinks. At 5.15pm we headed off to Sofia airport by Metro and I reset up my office there too. It’s very convenient being able to work anywhere but it is getting more difficult to take a full day off now. On the flight home, I had an aisle seat and Captain Caveman had a window seat – the middle seat was empty! The flight landed in Heathrow at 9.20pm and we got the bus back, following a quick stop at M&S for some snacks. We were back ‘home’ in Barnes before midnight and quickly scoffed the snacks before bed. It had been a brilliant trip to Bulgaria and it was firmly on our list to return. The fun wasn’t about to stop just yet though as we had more plans for the summer.
Gratitude List 1. Surviving a hot and busy train from Plovdiv to Sofia 2. 5 Corners bar in Sofia 3. Back safely in Barnes with some M&S snacks, after a wonderful trip.
I’d been away from Dalyan’s Fat Club for so long now that the weigh day on Wednesday 15th July almost felt pointless. Luckily, we Fat Club ladies have a group chat and they are 2 hours ahead in Türkiye so there were already messages – mainly encouraging and humourous. It’s great because it keeps me conscious of trying to maintain some semblance of sensible eating and I do miss the group a lot when I’m not there. So, I got on the scales in Barnes and took my measurements (I always carry my tape measure). I was shocked to find I had lost 1.5kg (3.3lb), lost 2cm from my bust, no change to my hips but had put 2cm on my waist. I was pleased with that but I now still needed to lose quite a bit more to get back to my target weight. What I didn’t realise is that Captain Caveman had done his work for the week, was now on holiday and was sat playing Bridge on his phone when I came back from the bakery. I’d been to get croissants from Gail’s but there was a massive queue. A cute dog alerted me to a counter at another bakery a few doors down, he was waiting to be served and there were dog biscuits on the counter. I paid £6.20 for a croissant and a pain au chocolat, the dog biscuits were free so my new pal got given one for helping me. There was no sign of an owner but the dog was obviously a local. After me cramming in some work, we left Barnes at midday. We said farewell to Captain Caveman’s Ma but I only shouted up ‘bye’ to Pa, who I hope had his hearing aid switched on. Captain Caveman’s parents are always so welcoming and accommodating so I was actually sad to be leaving. We got the bus back to Heathrow airport (again) ready for our 3.25pm BA flight to Sofia. We were off to Bulgaria for the Phillgood festival in Plovdiv and were really looking forward to seeing more bands. On our way through a precinct in Hammersmith we nipped in Tesco to stock up on meal deals for dinner as we didn’t want to be spending money unnecessarily in the airport or on the plane. We paid £12 for 2 meal deals which included a chicken katsu bento box for me and a sandwich for Captain Caveman. We both had a snack and a smoothie too.
The flight to Sofia went as planned and we landed in to Sofia where we were staying for 2 nights. The navigation of the train/metro from the airport to our hotel was easy and it wasn’t busy at 9pm. We arrived at Hotel Niky which I had booked with Resort Expert’s for an excellent price and it was very comfy and in a great location. Captain Caveman decided we would pop to an ale house for beer and sausages but it was closed. Instead we ended up at a lovely pizza restaurant on the main street. At La Piazzetta we ordered a beer and a red wine and 2 pizzas. The wine serving was massive and so were the pizzas. Captain Caveman had a spicy one and I had a BBQ chicken. They tasted great and it wasn’t expensive – Captain Caveman paid. Back at the hotel, it was late so we were looking forward to a good sleep and exploring Sofia tomorrow – neither of us had been before.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week 2. Being able to stay in Barnes again 3. Another trip away to somewhere new, with Captain Caveman.
I had a busy day at my laptop on Monday 13th July but I wasn’t complaining. I love the old bureau with pull out loper arms and desk flap which is in the spare room at Captain Caveman’s parents. It was sunny but a pleasant cooler change from the heat of Madrid. I worked on invoices, a couple of private trip enquiries, a last minute hotel enquiry and some PDFs I’d been producing on Canva that might help holiday makers have better holidays. After a few phonecalls to complain to TFL about my overcharging a couple of weeks ago, they were no use and said I had to write in. They then gave me an incorrect email address which bounced back my email. I scheduled the rest of my July daily posts, knowing that Captain Caveman and I were off for another trip later this week. After he finished work, Captain Caveman said he was taking me to Richmond as I’d only seen it from the bus last night. We said we would be back for dinner which was going to be a mix and match style dinner that wouldn’t spoil if we were late. We took the bus and had a good walk round what was once Captain Caveman’s home town as a child. I was fascinated and took quite a few photos of the lovely buildings. There was a Holland & Barrett so I called in for some sea sickness ginger sweets. I normally pay about £8 per box but they were on offer at only £3.89. I spotted a car in the shape of a boat, driving down the high street so I went to get a photo. The driver and passenger gave me a smile as they drove past.
Captain Caveman had a genius idea that we should walk to a place that was the perfect picture but I was too busy wondering where there may be a loo and we had to call in to the Princes Head. We sat outside for a drink and I had a pee before the ascent of Richmond Hill. If I’d been glad of the cooler temperatures in the UK, now was the time to fully appreciate it. I was a bit of a hot mess by the time we got to be standing at the point where both JMW Turner and John Constable, among other artists, had painted their famous masterpieces of Richmond Hill and the Thames. It was totally unexpected and very stunning. In need of a little sit down and a beverage, Captain Caveman took me to the Roebuck pub where I had one of the nicest rosé wines I’ve had in a while. We also splashed out on rather expensive peanuts! The pub was beautiful and the staff had a good laugh with us. We called in to the Waitrose on the way home, where we picked up a bottle of rosé wine, some laundry detergent sheets (ideal for travels) and some sausage rolls for £18.65. Back home the parents had eaten their dinner so we grabbed ours and had a drop of wine while discussing our plans for the rest of the summer.
Gratitude List 1. Getting through a busy day in the office after being away in Madrid 2. Having a wander round Richmond, seeing the sights 3. Being back in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his parents, for a couple of days.
Tuesday 14th July was spent doing all the last minute preparations and repacking for our 6 day trip tomorrow. We were off to another music festival in Europe and had tagged an extra days on to our holiday. I spent most of the day in the working from home office while Captain Caveman sorted getting the washing dry and then cooking bacon right after the cleaner had been and cleaned the kitchen! Work admin took longer than I thought but I got most of it finished. We were taking 3 of our favourite travel products with us; the Scrubba to wash clothes, the deodorant crystal and the toothpaste tabs, both non-liquid. I also spent some time researching the venue of the music festival and found a map of the stage layout. In the evening Captain Caveman’s parents invited us into the garden for wine and nibbles and we had a pre birthday toast which was lovely. They were also off on holiday the day after us and we would all be away for both Captain Caveman’s and his Dad’s birthdays.
Gratitude List 1. Being lucky enough to be going away again 2. Preparations for the next holiday 3. Having birthday toasts in the garden with Captain Caveman and his parents.
Our British Airways flight from Madrid to Heathrow on Sunday 12th July was at 7pm so we had plenty of time to recover from the fabulous 4 day Mad Cool festival. My job was to clean the apartment and Captain Caveman’s job was to make sure the bin was out and the property was secure and the AC off. I thought I’d done a good job of cleaning the apartment, including the bathroom so I was a bit cheesed off that Captain Caveman decided to use it afterwards – I cleaned it again. At 1.30pm we went for lunch at a lovely tapas restaurant which Captain Caveman’s brother had recommended to us. El Guichi was small with excellent service and the staff spoke English. We took wine recommendations from the owner and had a few dishes to share. We had pork, croquettes, tortilla, a toast with meat on and 2 glasses of wine each for a total of €39.50 (£33.86). It was very tasty and quite filling, if we hadn’t had to get off to the airport I could easily have stayed longer. Our flight ended up delayed so we had a beverage and a sandwich in the airport. Our seats on the plane were the back ones, near the toilet which is always good for me! We arrived back in to Heathrow and had to get a replacement bus which was absolutely rammed. It also took a long time and we ended up back in Barnes very late, so we went straight to bed, knowing the working day tomorrow would be a long tiring one!
Gratitude List 1. A lovely tapas lunch with Captain Caveman in Madrid 2. Being able to stay in a wonderful apartment in Madrid 3. Having sandwiches and drinks for dinner in Madrid airport.
I spent Monday 6th July drastically trying to finish all the priory items on my to do list and failing. I did manage to squeeze in a Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge at 10am which was insightful and I learned a few things. I had toast for lunch as I was so busy and worked until 6.30pm. Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shop where my card got declined at Sainsbury’s due to me not realising my balance was so low. Captain Caveman had to buy the water and travel sweets in Sainsbury’s as tomorrow evening we were off to a 4 day music festival in Madrid. Back home, we sat in the garden with Captain Caveman’s parents and had a glass of wine. For dinner we had chicken and salad which was lovely as the temperature was definitely on the increase now.
Gratitude List 1. The Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge 2. Getting stuff done before we left London 3. Looking forward to my first visit to Madrid.
Captain Caveman had booked tickets for the Mad Cool music festival and arranged for us to stay at his brother’s family apartment in Madrid. Our flight from Heathrow wasn’t until 8pm on Tuesday 7th July so we still had a busy day, for a Tuesday. We both worked at our separate working from home desks, I attended the 2nd session of Lisa Johnson’s Offline Challenge. At noon I packed up my stuff as there was an important event arranged. Captain Caveman’s parents had invited us to the Red Lion in Barnes for lunch and to say bye before we all jetted off on our holidays. The Red Lion is one of my favourites and the food there was excellent. We sat in a shady spot outside and it was definitely summery weather now. I ordered roasted veg on toasted sour dough for starter while Captain Caveman chose to spice up his hummus order with a bit of lamb! We had a bit of a laugh over the menu wording of the bread which made it sound like it had it’s own home on a farm, and had to order it. All became clear once the waiter explained the difference and it wasn’t just ordinary bread. Captain Caveman had a chicken dinner which got snaffled with enthusiasm, Ma ordered a burrata with salad, Pa opted for a schnitzel and I decided on the butternut squash pasta. Captain Caveman’s parents treated us to the meal which was very kind given that they were letting us stay with them and I’d tried to tell Captain Caveman we should pick up the bill. We really enjoyed ourselves and could have quite happily sat there for longer but Captain Caveman had to get back for a 2pm meeting. We finished work at 4pm, got our bags, said our farewells and we were off to Madrid. We were at the airport 2 hours before as we had been notified we had to go to check-in for our hand luggage to be checked. All was fine and we went straight through to the bar for a quick pint. On the flight I spent €12 (£10.28) on a couple of beverages and then fell asleep. We landed at 11.30pm and had a bit of a faff finding the right tram/metro to Atocha, where we were going to be staying for 5 nights.
Gratitude List 1. Free challenges with Lisa Johnson 2. A fantastic family lunch at the Red Lion 3. A good flight from Heathrow to Madrid.
There wasn’t much happening on Saturday 4th July so I caught up on some of my blogging and writing content for my business page. At one point Captain Caveman and I got to get the diaries out and he caught me up on what plans he had scheduled in for the rest of July. We were about to have some interesting times. At lunch time we had a walk round Barnes Pond and I ate some red cabbage and beetroot salad from Marks and Spencer for lunch. I showed Captain Caveman’s mom some of the photos and videos from last night’s Metallica gig and she thought it was good. For dinner we were treated to one of my favourites, a home cooked roast pork dinner – with fabulous crunchy crackling. We also had a glass or 2 of rosé wine which was rather nice. It was great being back in the UK and it was fairly warm but not quite heatwave weather (yet)!
Gratitude List 1. A relaxing day in Barnes 2. Syncing diaries with Captain Caveman 3. A lovely family dinner.
Sunday 5th July was another amazing day with some new experiences. After my mini meltdown on a hot, busy tube on Friday, Captain Caveman had been thinking of how he could avoid a repeat performance and get back for part 2 of the Metallica gig without incident. His mom had offered sage advice when I’d told her that I was definitely finding I had got worse with the feeling of being trapped; ‘get used to it and get on with it’. Captain Caveman wasn’t sure I was able to do that and had come up with an elaborate master plan within his Sunday day out. At 9am prompt, and without any breakfast, we set off on a short walk to the bus stop, then a bus to Putney where we waited for an Uber boat at Putney Pier. Captain Caveman had popped to the bakery and got us a couple of croissants which we ate at Putney Pier and I got the flakey bits in my hair. The ticket of £22.70 each to go all the way to Barking Riverside was steep but I’d never been on this journey before. It was an absolute genius move from Captain Caveman as it was an amazing 2.5 hours of sightseeing. I’ve not spent too much time in London and I had never been this far along the river Thames before. It was a very comfortable boat with toilets and a cafe on board, I even did a bit of work while we sailed along. We saw so many famous buildings and statues, we had to get off to change boats and I even spotted a blimp which had returned to the skies after 4 years and was one of only 20-25 still remaining. When we got off we walked across some wasteland and to a train station where we got the train to Blackhorse for another surprise treat from Captain Caveman.
A table was booked at Black Cactus for 1.30pm and we arrived 15 minutes early. It was a pop up BBQ restaurant in a brandy distillery called Burnt Faith and it smelled amazing as we walked in. I walked back from the toilets to where Captain Caveman had been seated at the end of the bar and he looked to be drinking a brandy! I climbed on to my high stool to find you get given one for free so I also had a brandy. Captain Caveman also had an Espresso Martini while we perused the menu. Captain Caveman took the liberty of ordering the BBQ tray which had on the following; beef, Turkey, pork sausage, focaccia, cabbage, patatas bravas, pickles, and dips. It was pretty big but we had seen the dining couple near us order something for a starter that we quite fancied. We decided we would have that at the end of we managed the shared tray. Captain Caveman had a couple of beers with his meal and I had a couple of glasses of red wine. The food was amazing and of course we managed to finish the whole tray. This meant we could order the PBJ burnt ends and they were so good – I’ve never tasted anything like them but they were my favourite from the menu. Captain Caveman picked up the bill for the meal and it wasn’t cheap but it had been excellent and I would definitely recommend it. The staff were great too and we had a shot with the manager before we left to get the bus as it was time to go to the London Stadium.
The doors for the second part of the Metallica gig opened at 3.30pm. We had arranged to meet some friends outside for a pint before going in to the gig. Vinnie was waiting for us with a pint in hand, on some fake grass. I’d last seen him when he was visiting his brother-in-law and partner in Dalyan, his wife and I had sipped prosecco together in the pool. Captain Caveman and Vinnie had met last year at an ACDC concert. Joining us were Captain Caveman’s cycling mate, Phil, and his friend from America. We had a drink together before walking to the venue. Phil and Captain Caveman know each other through their involvement with the Saigon Children’s Charity and the cycling events that they organise and participate in, in Vietnam. Phil also had VIP tickets and was going to another gig next weekend which Vinnie was attending. They were introduced and swapped numbers and we all got to the gig in time to watch Pantera. Everyone was going mad for this support band but, if I’m honest, they weren’t for me. Metallica were absolutely fantastic again, and of course the novelty of a plane flying over the crowd while the rock songs blared out, had not got tiring to me. The finale was amazing and the gig had been a real treat for me, gearing us up for more live music this summer! A couple of pints cost me £17.70 and the transport back to Barnes cost me £11.45 so I’d done well today on the budget because Captain Caveman had treated me to such a memorable day out.
Gratitude List 1. The Uber boat from Putney to Barking with Captain Caveman 2. Lunch and drinks at Black Cactus 3. The Metallica gig part 2 with Captain Caveman and our friends.
One of the reasons for my travel to London was for Captain Caveman and I to attend the Metallica gig at London Stadium on Friday 3rd July. The communication between Captain Caveman and I about the plans for the weekend had been limited at best so I went in to the upstairs bedroom and used the desk there to crack on with my day. Ordinarily, if Captain Caveman has already done his hours for the week by 4pm on a Friday, he sometimes finishes then, but I had no idea that he had planned to finish at lunch time as the gig had doors opening at 3pm. Much to Captain Caveman’s frustration that I couldn’t read his mind about what time we both needed to finish work, we didn’t get to outside the venue until 5.30pm. It didn’t help when I had a mild meltdown on the overcrowded tube when it stopped in the underground and I had to get off. This meant we had to walk and Captain Caveman thought he’d solve the issue by getting us on an overground train – which was driverless. It freaked me out that I was in the front seat where the driver should’ve been – I was not a fan. I’m not good with big crowds and directions so our first job before the No Repeat Weekend of Metallica, was to suss out our meet up points at the venue. I took photos of them as we decided on the two outside the venue and more inside the venue. We missed the first band, Knocked Loose, who I was unfamiliar with, but we did get to see Gojira for the first time. I thought they were great and it was good that we had standing tickets in the round. We grabbed drinks which were obviously pricey so there was no danger of us getting drunk. Since working in travel, I’m always on the look out for how accessible a venue is, I was very impressed with the London Stadium which had lots of wheelchair user spaces and it was very easy to get around. When Metallica came on, the crowds got excited, we were about halfway back as I don’t like being too close that I get squished. There were also a lot of very tall men about – living in Vietnam and Turkey, you see far fewer tall people in general. The band played 16 songs without a break except for when Kirk and Rob did a couple of covers while James went for a quick freshen up. We had hoped to meet a friend there but it was so busy and he was probably in the mosh pit giving it what for! I got on Captain’s nerves by getting excited when a plane flew overhead as we watched Metallica – apparently they fly over very often, but it was a first time experience for me. At the end of the gig, we were a bit peckish so decided to get a pizza from a van. I got talking to a man from Leeds and his mate who lives in Norway. We had a good laugh and the pizza was ok despite it being a bit on the expensive side. I spent a total of £51.33 on food, drinks and transport but Captain Caveman bought the tickets and bought a couple of rounds of drinks too. I was pleasantly surprised that the tap water was free but, disappointingly, the cups at the bar were all single use plastic. Back home after a bit of a walk from the stadium, it was quite late and we went straight to bed.
Gratitude List 1. First time watching Gojira 2. Metallica, who were fantastic 3. Being able to watch good live music again.
My flight on Thursday 2nd July was not until 6.30pm but I was ready for the off. The time had come to go back to the UK and spend a month with Captain Caveman. I spent the morning doing some work then put my out of office on, until it was time to say some farewells. My first one was to pop over to see Jamie and little Norman to say bye. Norman, the dog, was still doing his best to live a long and happy life but we never knew how much longer he would live – he’s 15 now. I gave him a cuddle and a peanut paw, he was happier with the treat than the affection, then had a glass of water on the patio with Jamie. I hadn’t booked my flight back yet as they were still a bit out of my budget during summer holidays. After a quick run down of where I was going to be and a bit of a chat with Jamie, I said my goodbyes and walked over to my parents’ place for the next farewell. This one was also accompanied with us going out for breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen, ironically, for bacon sandwiches. Ma and I ordered bacon and mushroom sandwiches, which were huge and came with chips and salad, Pa ordered menemen which had a few chips and some bread. We had water and coffee for Ma & Pa, Yorkshire tea for me. I was pushing the boat out as I had loads of Yorkshire teabags at home, which Richard and Michelle and very kindly brought me over on their recent visit. It was hot in Dalyan now and we sat outside in the shade trying to tackle the huge portions. I ended up taking half of mine away for the airport and Dad ended up finishing Mom’s sandwich. Here’s what we had and what we paid in lira for our breakfast;
Ela’s Kitchen
1 large water 140 1 Cherry juice 150 1 Yorkshire tea 160 1 Cappuccino 190 1 Caramel latte 210 1 Menemen 410 2 Bacon & mushroom sandwiches 1,000 Total spent 2,260 lira (£35.87)
I paid on card and tried to treat my parents but Mom insisted on thrusting some cash at me for their share. I said bye and left my parents to pick up a mirror from the shop and I walked up to the Dalyan Turkish Delight shop to get a few gifts. It was hot and I spent 2,093.20 lira (£33.23) on boxes of rose and pistachio Turkish Delight. It seemed a little extravagant but I wanted to get the freshest and best I could – it’s my favourite place to buy it but isn’t usually open in the winter. The man in the shop gave me a free chocolate helva and said that was for me! I also managed to sample a few, even after my breakfast. I walked back home along the river, bumping in to friends so I got to say bye to them too. I had time for a shower and a bit of a sit down before Sonuç came to pick me up. Captain Caveman had booked me an underseat bag and cabin luggage with an aisle seat so I was happy with that.
At Dalaman airport I investigated the new CIP lounge; it’s upstairs and costs £29 if booked in advance on Wise/Revolute. If paying as a walk in customer it’s €60 and, when I asked, it was unlimited drinks and snacks for up to 3 hours. I didn’t stay as I was just doing research and I wasn’t about to waste the money when I could get 3 cocktail tins from the fridge in duty free for less. I bought 2 Margaritas and 1 Pina Colada for €11.50 (£9.83) and had my leftover bacon sandwich with a cocktail tinny for lunch, while waiting at a random gate. I took a selfie but then blocked out the brand on my can because the advertising of alcohol in Turkey is banned. It has been for a while but as from 1st July there seemed to be a surge in fining anyone who posted it on social media. The flight was fine and full, and I arrived in to Gatwick just a little later than planned. I got the train to Barnes, changing at Clapham Junction and arrived a little earlier than Captain Caveman. He was on his way to his parents’ at the same time but I got there about 10 minutes earlier. I had an issue with my Turkish bank card only letting me tap on at Gatwick but not tap off at Barnes so it was probably going to overcharge me. My journey door to door was 7 hours and I still had some of my frozen water left. At Captain Caveman’s parents’ home, I got a warm welcome and a nice cup of tea before bed.
Gratitude List
1. Farewell breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen with Ma & Pa 2. A smooth journey from Dalyan to Barnes in 7 hours 3. A nice welcome back to Barnes from Captain Caveman and his parents.
Wednesday 1st July was my last day in Dalyan for a while, as I had some fantastic summer plans – mostly spending time with Captain Caveman in the UK and to celebrate his birthday month with a couple of trips away. But first, I was making the most of my last Dalyan day, doing what I enjoyed the most – a boat trip. I was up and about 3 hours prior to the boat trip to fanny about with banking with it being a new month. I decided that a limit of £30 per day as a budget for July would be the most I could afford and I was extremely hopeful to set it at that – not completely believing I could do it.
It was weigh day but I didn’t get weighed or do my measurements, and I was missing Fat Club today.
Our boat trip was quite a full one with it being a private trip organised by friends and we had quite a few of the usual faces. It was a choppy ride out to sea and we went out quite far, way beyond Ekincik. I’d taken extra strong seasickness tablets so I was fine until someone mentioned fried eggs (I don’t like eggs) and I had to really concentrate on not being sick.
We had our first swim stop in a turquoise bay which proved a little tricky to get back on to the boat due to the swell. Luckily, Shaun was able to help Nanny Kay and I get on safely, as I didn’t have my glasses on. It isn’t usually that bad but there were lots of big tourist boats causing bigger waves. We had a lovely couple more swim stops, we even had a photo on a rock. Cath, who is a non-swimmer even enjoyed it and we had a couple of minor scrapes from messing about on the rocks. Both Keith and I had to have a plaster on! Captain Fuat always does plenty of choice on the food, and we ate fantastic BBQ food and, as it was my last boat trip in Dalyan for a bit, we had a few wines. I was so busy enjoying being on the boat and chatting to friends that I didn’t take many photos, luckily the keen photographers onboard did. Paul got some excellent photos of the group who swam on to the rocks plus a laughing donkey who posed for him. We had a really lovely trip and I was almost sad to leave, I spent £40 on the boat trip and I forget my bar bill – definitely less than £20 on wine. I got home, did the laundry, packed my bag and did a bit of a tidy round, before getting in bed. Tomorrow, my taxi to the airport wasn’t coming until 3.30pm but I still had a few plans in the morning.
Gratitude List
1. Getting the opportunity to go back to the UK again
2. A fantastic boat trip
3. Being ready to enjoy July with Captain Caveman.
Photo Credit – photos by friends on the boat, including Paul C.
It was a rather busy day on Monday 29th June and I had to take some time away from my office desk to do some important things. My first job of the day was to meet a friend for a little walk before it got too hot. We walked along the river and then went to Kaunos tea gardens for brunch. We each had a bottle of water, a large Turkish tea and a cheese and onion toastie, with chips and olives for a total of 390 lira (£6.30).
I’d not checked my budget for this month as I expected I was way over and decided to do it all in a couple of days at month end. I had definitely underestimated how much money I would need for July, August and September being out of Turkey. After a couple of customer calls, some admin and a chat with a friend it was time to venture on a hot and sweaty bus to Ortaca. I wanted to get my hair done before my next UK and Europe trip and today was the only day Emrah could fit me in at short notice. I arrived early, and glad of the air con as Emrah and the girls worked their magic. I had to get the bus back and was meeting a friend for a farewell drink at 4pm so I asked for an updo. I paid 2,000 lira (£32.26) for the colour, cut and blow dry which I thought was very reasonable and is always so professional. I got the bus back and it was pretty packed and hot.
When I got back to Dalyan I made my way over to Ren Garden where I had arranged to meet my friend. Her and her husband were moving back to the UK and I wanted to wish them well and have a catch up before we both set off. We sat in the back room for a bit of privacy and decided to have a wine (or 2) to mark the occasion. As is the Dalyan way, we did get interrupted when some of the Dalyan Dwellers, who’d been on the yellow boat, came back from their Monday Köyceğiz market trip. Two of them came in first, a bit tiddly, asking if I had seen my parents. I replied that I hadn’t and they were the ones who had gone on a boat trip with them. Apparently, they were all meeting back at Ren Garden after getting off the boat. My parents arrived a few minutes later, also merry, and asked if I’d seen their friends who were now sat in the front bar. This went on a while as more people turned up all looking for each other within a small vicinity. My friend’s husband had joined us and all privacy had gone out of the window so we said our goodbyes and I went to join my parents and the group of boat trippers. I had another couple of wines with them and we chatted to a nice bloke, Ricky, who was staying at Grandma’s Garden, the hotel at Ren Garden. I paid a total of 1,030 lira (£16.61) for 6 wines, 2 soda waters, and 1 water, a very reasonable amount! My next stop was to join my parents for dinner where we had pizza at Heybe and it was very tasty.
Gratitude List 1. Having my hair done 2. A farewell drink with a friend 3. An impromptu catch up with my parents.
Tuesday 30th June was the end of the month and I was astonished at how quickly the first half of this year had gone. It had been both a tough year so far, in many ways, but it had also been pretty good in lots of other ways. In June alone I’d split my time across quite a few different countries. Out of the 30 days this month, this is where I actually spent my time:
Dalyan 7 days Sheffield 7 days Cruising (Budapest, Bratislava, Tulln and Vienna) 5 days Spain 4 days Sevenoaks 3 days Mallorca 2 days Vienna 1.5 days Istanbul (airport) 0.5 days
So I was on holiday for at least half of the month, despite still working most of the time. It was also time to face the music with the monthly finances too, which had certainly taken a hit! I had given myself a budget of £25 per day, so a total of £750 for June. My total spend ended up being £802 so I was £52 over! Captain Caveman had needed to help me out to ensure I got my required amount in to the Turkish bank too and I was about to start July in a deficit of £115 after paying off my credit card. I do that every month and it only has a very low limit. For July I hadn’t set a budget as I knew I was likely to spend more than I had this month and would be relying on Captain Caveman a lot too. All I did today was work as it was the last day of the month and I wanted to maximise any earnings. There was so much fun coming up from July onwards, all of which I was going to continue to do with a frugal mindset and while doing more holiday research for my potential customers.
Gratitude List 1. Being very lucky to be able to work from almost anywhere in the world 2. Having a busy day and tying up lots of loose ends 3. Looking forward to a great summer.
I was a giddy little kipper on Wednesday 17th June as the day of my 5 day Riverside Luxury Cruises and Travelpack Fam trip was here, at last! In the afternoon I would be boarding the Riverside Mozart ship and sailing down the Danube from Budapest to Vienna. When my alarm went off at stupid o’clock that morning, I was feeling sad to be leaving Mallorca and really had enjoyed an amazing 1.5 days cramming in stuff with the Mallorca Resort Expert. My flight was at 6.50am so the taxi was booked for 4.30am and was costing 50 Euros. We said our farewells, both knowing we had forged a great friendship and would definitely see each other again. The taxi was good, the driver spoke English and there was no traffic. My flight was with easyJet back to Gatwick, it was practically empty and I had nodded off before takeoff. Pauline, my petite pink under seat case kept her wheels on and there were no issues. I landed in a very rainy and cold London at 8.30am and had to get a bit of a spurt on. My next flight, which had been booked for me by Travelpack, departed at 11.05am and I had a small dilemma. They had booked me a Wizzair flight from Gatwick to Budapest with 20kg hold luggage and an underseat case. It would be my first time flying with this airline. Unfortunately, Pauline my petite pink case was 5cm too tall without the detachable wheels and couldn’t go as hand luggage. Wizzair staff at the bag drop told me that they would be strict at the gate so it would be better for me to pop Pauline in the hold and definitely not to chance taking her as an underseat bag. I wasn’t keen on this, with her being so small, and I had to take out my laptop, chargers, diary and other work related stuff, which I put in a shoulder bag. There was barely anything left in Pauline – mainly just dirty laundry, toiletries, a pair of sandals and a new sandy travel towel. Wizzair weighed my checked luggage and, although allowed 20kg, it was only 7kg and I got a receipt. Of course, I had the obligatory wait in the airport near a screen until an hour before the departure time, when the gate would be made public. It was too early for me for an airport pint so I ended up spending almost a tenner in Boots and doing some work. Oddly there was a member of staff there complaining to me about the heat and apologising that the AC wasn’t working. I had my hoodie on as it was comparatively cold to Spain and Mallorca. Here’s what I bought, prices in pounds;
Boots 1 paper bag 0.18 1 chocolate bar 1.00 1 smoothie 3.00 1 Hoisin Duck wrap 3.75 Meal Deal discount -2.75 1 mini cocoa butter 2.20 1 mini mouthwash 1.80 1 mini toothpaste 1.65 3 for 2 minis discount -1.65 Total spent £9.68
I’d had to buy the toothpaste when I realised I had left the rest of my toothytabs in Mallorca. I also didn’t really need the paper bag from Boots but it was another travel hack. If you buy a bag from any of the airport shops you can count this as an extra hand luggage at no extra cost. I used it to put my lunch plus diary, headphones, water bottle and other bits and bobs in. At the gate, I witnessed every passenger have their hand luggage measured and weighed with many having to pay a £70 fine – even some passengers who argued they had been told they could take carry on. The Wizzair gate staff were having none of it, they definitely charged a lot of people extra and boarding took ages. The Wizzair plane was not particularly clean and I got sat on an aisle seat near the back of the plane. A stag do of 10 lads had decided they weren’t that bothered about paying to select seats together so they were spread out, one in the window seat of my row and one behind us. We had a chat and it was a nice lad who offered me one of his jelly bears. I didn’t partake incase they were laced with drugs but the stag lads turned out to be a lovely bunch. They let me wear one of their masks, I shared a few travel tips with them and we had photos and drinks to pass the time on. When I told them about the neck pillow filled with clothes travel hack, they loved it – especially as one of them had paid an extra £70 and wasn’t happy about that as it was more than the cost of the flight. We landed in Budapest at 2.40pm and it was probably the longest I’ve been in a passport control queue in a while. Luckily, I got chatting to a man who often holidays in Budapest and he gave me a few ideas and tips based on his several visits. He even saved my space in the queue when I needed the toilet.
After about 90 minutes, I was through to pick up my luggage – needless to say little Pauline was on the baggage carousel belt on her own. I picked her up and walked out to arrivals where I was met by Suzie, an employee sent to accompany me on the private transfer to the ship. She looked shocked and apologised that my hold luggage, which she presumed had got lost, would be retrieved and brought to the ship as soon as they could. I explained that I travelled light, there was no more luggage, and she was even more shocked. The minibus driver asked where my luggage was, I explained and he and Suzie had a good old laugh together about that. While Suzie gave me some tips on how to say the basics in Hungarian, we drove along the Danube, where I would board the ship. Even the view from the minibus was fantastic and I was very excited for my first ever river cruise.
As I boarded the Riverside Mozart docked on the river Danube in Budapest, the porter, the receptionist and then a waiter were equally baffled over my lack of luggage and that I hadn’t lost any. I was given a welcome glass of champagne, a lady in the bar shouted hello but I wasn’t sure who she was until later and then I was shown to my cabin, number 153. My only comparison was a ferry so I was extremely impressed with my sleeping quarters for the next 4 nights. My cabin was a Harmony Suite with a picture window and was around 20 square metres. It was the ‘basic’ level cabin and I was certainly impressed with it – it was much better than any hotel room I’d been in this year. This was my first ever cruise and I had never had myself down as a cruiser – that was about to be challenged! It was also my first time visiting Hungary, Slovakia and Austria so I saw it as a great introduction to 3 countries I may want to see more of in the future. The Riverside Mozart wasn’t a massive ship but it can fit 162 guests and 82 crew – so far I had seen far more crew than guests and, at 23m wide, this boat felt pretty roomy. I had a welcome bottle of fizz and some rather lovely chocolates in my cabin and a note to welcome me. The bathroom was an absolute delight with one of those Japanese style toilets which can wash and dry your nether regions while having a heated seat! The shower was marvellous and had opulent toiletries so I needn’t get out my travel ones. I learned that Riverside Luxury Cruises do not charge a single supplement for any of their cruises! This was good to know as I often get requests from solo travellers who obviously don’t want to have to pay up to double the price. I also learned that I was on the Premium All Inclusive package with included excursions and that was an absolute bonus – I am partial to the odd tipple and the diet was certainly on hold from now on.
I felt so lucky to have won this trip and I almost skipped to the bar to find the other travel agents. On the way, I found the free DIY launderette and popped in my dirty laundry so I could start with a full complement of clothes. The bar was fantastic, the kind of place they hand out Taittinger like it’s water and the nibbles need a Google to work out what they are. Our first task was to listen to the safety briefing from a very dishy Captain, who’s priority was only the safety of his passengers. My fellow sailors on this Fam trip were; • Victoria – the Business Development Manager at Riverside Luxury Cruises • Joely – the Business Development Manager at Travelpack • Amy • Grant • Paul • Cath • Sam So, there were 8 of us in total; 5 other Travel Agents, me and the people in charge of putting on the trip. They seemed a nice bunch as we went through to the Waterfront dining room.
We sat over 2 tables and had a waiter, a server and a sommelier at our table, making sure we were waited on very well. There was a menu which changed daily, as well as a menu that was available throughout our stay. Amy & I chose the Asian spring roll to start, it was pretty and delicious. Grant and Cath had what looked like parma ham wrapped round bread sticks on a bowl of salad – they liked it. The next course for me was a soup, also very nice, I was on my second lot of bread and double parked with wine and champagne. Cath had a pasta dish which also looked good but rather filling as an interim course. For main, we all had the beef and it was absolutely delicious – fancy, but not over the top! Of course, it was served with fabulous wine which was probably too expensive for me to even appreciate, given I’d had 3 champagne, 1 white wine, and now an ample pour of Merlot. The desserts on the menu looked good but I had laundry to attend to, much to the amusement of my fellow Fam Trip winners. I excused myself to tackle the rather enthusiastic tumble drier, hoping to reconvene for a cheese plate and more Merlot. I got chatting to a guest in the laundry room, she was younger than I’d imagined the average cruiser would be and this was not her first rodeo with Riverside. She could not praise them enough and she told me that I was going to love the excursion tomorrow. We chatted a little before me taking my laundry back to my cabin to find someone had been in there. It turned out that I had a butler, who had brought me a treat and turned down the luxurious bedding, on the off chance I was too lazy to know how to get in bed unaided. Daniel, the butler, had popped on some mood lighting and closed my picture window curtains. The bottle of champagne was chilling and my ice bucket was full. So, this was what luxury cruising was about! There was a note on the desk to say to call Daniel or WhatsApp him if I needed anything at all – including room service! I messaged to say hi, ordered a glass of red wine and a ‘bit of cheese’. I made sure I was drinking water as there was plenty in the fridge and I read the itinerary for the next day.
I popped back up to the top deck bar, where my fellow Fam trippers were, and had a drink with them while we sailed down the beautiful Danube. My photos really didn’t do it justice and it didn’t help that I was somewhat merry. I said goodnight, leaving my new friends having a night cap, and returned to my cabin around 10.45pm where a substantial cheese plate with a glass of red sat waiting for me – this was the life! When I finally got in to the huge bed, it was so comfy that I fell asleep instantly!
Gratitude List 1. A fun journey from Mallorca to Budapest, via Gatwick 2. Being part of the Fam Trip with Riverside Luxury Cruises and Travelpack 3. Being wined and dined like royalty on Riverside Mozart.
Photo Credit – some photos taken by the rest of the Fam Trip Attendees
There were so many things that we could have done on Tuesday 16th June but I was aware that with only one day and another night, the best thing to do was live like a local in Santa Ponsa. My host, the Mallorca Resort Expert, had asked if I’d wanted to do a boat trip, go to the pirate show or see any of the sights while I was there – I preferred to spend time with her. I did have some work to do but we kept it to a minimum as well as working on content ideas for our social media work pages. My friend had took the liberty of guessing what I might like for breakfast and had served it up on the balcony, overlooking the beach and sea. Our meal was a feast of yoghurt with fruit, cheese and ham on bread with garlic dip, olives, tomatoes, more bread and a hot drink. It was so good and we ate while people watching the goings on at the beach below. We decided that’s where we would spend some time today, on the beach! We donned our swimmers, put on the suncream, grabbed our beach towels (my new one was super light) and a parasol before tackling those steps down to the beach. The sand was soft and hot but there was a lovely breeze as we sat down with a small bag of picnic type items. We had to keep an eye on the cheeky gulls who were well practiced in stealing any treats they fancied from people’s bags while they were in the sea. It was my first time this year, just lazing on the beach. Despite being so near to it in Dalyan, I rarely have a day off for beach going and thought perhaps I should do more of it.
Around 4pm we decided to head back ‘home’, after a walk along the seafront path and calling at the shop. I noticed my face was pretty pink and decided it might be a good idea to treat us to a face mask to prevent my skin looking like a typical Brit abroad, later! Here’s what we bought, with prices in Euros;
Santa Ponsa Supermarket 1.5l bottled water 0.31 Apple juice 1.00 500ml Fanta Lemon 2.00 1 can Mixed fruit cider 2.35 2 Aloe Vera face masks 3.00 Total spent €8.66 (£7.36)
I did a bit of work then we popped on the face masks and had a 10 minute lay down which turned into a cheeky cat nap but my face felt and looked loads better after it. Back on that fantastic sea view balcony, we ate a really lovely meal of mozzarella, tomato, avocado and basil served with fresh bread, olives, rice crackers and a peach. I chatted on about how Fanta lemon in Spain is different to that in the UK. We also managed to have a croissant which we hadn’t eaten earlier. I was stuffed and feeling relaxed and happy, but not looking forward to leaving at 4am tomorrow morning. The visit had gone too quickly but I was still glad to have had some time in Santa Ponsa, which was so beautiful.
The evening plan was to simply watch the sunset at Il Chiringo, in Costa De La Calma. It was a place the Mallorca Resort Expert had been to many times before and she wanted me to see it for myself. After dinner we walked to the venue, bumping into a man with his dog on the way, who invited us to go to his house. We didn’t go but it struck me that the locals were friendly, and his dog was cute. When we arrived we had timed it perfectly and were sat amongst the other locals who were all coming in from a swim to have a sunset drink or bite to eat. It was beautiful and I felt so lucky to get to see it, I perhaps wouldn’t have found out about this hidden gem if I wasn’t staying with my friend. I wasn’t sure what to order to drink so I tried my first shandy made with lemon Fanta (commonly called Clara) for €4 (£3.40) and my fellow sunset watcher had an alcohol free beer which was slightly more at €4.50 (£3.83). I thought this was very reasonable given the location – the Fanta shandy was an absolute game changer. We walked back, taking those steps for the last time where a cat watched us. He was nicknamed The Manager as he was in charge of the place. I packed my stuff in to Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, I had a full neck pillow too but this time I was flying with easyJet so there was no need for booking the exit row seat. We both set alarms on both phones so that we could make sure I didn’t miss my flight.
Gratitude List 1. Spending time, both for work and personally, with the Mallorca Resort Expert 2. An afternoon at the beach 3. Sunset at Il Chiringo
The day of our girls’ trip was here on Friday 12th June. Our group of 7 women and 1 (gay) man had been counting down the days until this much needed holiday. What had initially started as a group of about 10 and me being their travel agent had changed in to 7 of them and me being invited to join the booking! A first for me and definitely not an opportunity I wanted to pass by. Of course it helped that one of my best mates was in charge of the booking and I knew 2 or 3 of the other ladies so it was definitely a no-brainer when I was asked to join. I had not been on a girls trip for what seemed like forever so Claire and I were super giddy. I’d been up since 4.30am for a pee and to check my phone to see if my customer had arrived at the hotel after a flight delay last night, but I had heard nothing. By 6am I was up and getting the contact details for the hotel to ask them to get my friend to contact me when they arrived. Captain Caveman said farewell and was off to Bristol for work. As I accompanied him outside to his van to see him off, he made me laugh; we hugged and kissed goodbye and I said I loved him, he just said ‘yeah, I know’ but didn’t say it back – he never does. I was off on a 6 day trip to Spain then a 5 day Fam trip luxury river cruise and then meeting up with a friend in Vienna, after today, but he didn’t wish me well for any of that either. I would next see him again in 3 week’s time when I would be joining him in London. After dropping Claire’s daughter off at school and taking Reg for a run about on the field, Claire and I decided to have sausage sandwiches at the cake shop/cafe. At just after 9am (UK time) my friend messaged to say she had arrived at the hotel at 1am but hadn’t connected to the WiFi to let me know they had arrived – they had both had a good sleep and were about to have their first breakfast in Marrakesh. I was relieved and meant I could get on with getting excited for my own trip now.
Our flight was at 3.25pm and I had to make sure I had packed everything for my next 10 days; Spain, Mallorca, Hungary, Slovakia, Vienna and back to Türkiye – although I’d not booked my flight back from Vienna yet! Claire had checked us in as 5 of us were on the flight from Gatwick to Malaga but the others had already departed from Bournemouth very early this morning. Claire drove to the airport and we picked Dawn up on the way – now there were 3 giddy girls on their way to Costa Del Sol for a long weekend. At the airport we joined Carol and Spawn who were already in the Wetherspoons, drinking Prosecco. We had a few glasses of fizz each and then did a stock up for lunch on the plane at Pret a Manger, a posh sandwich shop which I usually avoid because it’s pricey! I chose a Turkish style salad which looked great and some chocolate, we all got water too – the tin water bottle would come in very handy for the holiday too. We were all excited, I did a Friday travelator dance while singing and I snaffled most of my delicious salad before take off – I was now a Pret fan! As we had exit row seats, I had to put the rest of my food up in the cabin for take off. Pauline, my petite pink underseat case, also had to go up overhead too – she didn’t mind as she got to keep her detachable wheels on! I nodded off, as I was tired from being up so early, but the girls continued with the fizz from the trolley.
On landing we all had to do the finger print thing at Málaga airport, where there were no queues, it was quick and straight forward for all but one person who had a dodgy finger. They had to go to a counter with a person at it and we went to pick up the one suitcase. Our Suntransfers driver was waiting when we arrived and we had a fairly straightforward journey to our hotel. We were staying in the Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham, located between Fuengirola and Mijas. The driver dropped us off at the top end of the massive resort and we walked through to find reception, passing wild boar on the way. We checked in and had to pay €20 deposit each for a pool towel – they don’t mess about in Spain! Claire, Dawn and I were sharing a room with 1 bedroom and a pull-out sofa bed in the lounge. We had got a cheeky upgrade, which was nice. Carol and Spawn were sharing a twin room and they went to their room, with instructions to meet back in 20 minutes. Our room had a washing machine and kitchen, despite us having booked to include breakfast, and I was on the sofa bed which seemed pretty comfy.
It was after 8.30pm so we didn’t even get changed as the Bournemouth 3 were already out and we needed to catch up with them for dinner. We got 2 taxis which I paid about €12 for one of them down to a beach side restaurant called Ella’s in Fuengirola. Everyone said hello and were introduced to me, as we were celebrating Dawn’s 50th, Spawn’s Hen and Jamie’s 40th so a real good mix of celebrations this weekend. The rest of us were just celebrating being on the Costa Del Sol with some really fun people. I ordered a delicious tagliatelle carbonara which was only €14 and shared some wine and plenty of water. Claire wasn’t hungry so ordered a salad but when it came, it was massive. The weather was pleasant and the food was very good. As there was 8 of us, we split the bill and I paid €40 including the tip for my share. I took half my meal home to eat the rest tomorrow as it was a big portion and I wasn’t going to waste it. No one else did this and I realised it’s not a very common thing for my English friends to do. Most of the gang wanted to carry on so we went to a bar but I couldn’t physically drink any more. I was also tired from being up so early this morning so Claire and I went to buy bottles of water. We all got a couple of taxis back and for one at after midnight it was around €15 with 4 of us in, so pretty reasonable. It had been a good first night but tomorrow was our first proper day and we planned to make the most of it.
Gratitude List 1. Sausage sandwiches to start the holiday off 2. Airport fizz with 4 of the gang 3. Dinner and drinks with all 8 of the gang.
joloyolo 