Sheffield – 29th May

Captain Caveman was working in Stoke all day on Thursday 29th May and I decided, as Vanessa was going back to Dalyan before me, I would take the afternoon off to spend time with her.
After tea and toast for breakfast I did a full morning of work, including our Resort Experts team meeting. I’d finished around 12.30 and we got the tram to Crystal Peaks. Vanessa and I were both really surprised at how neither of us had got a hangover, especially after at least 6 rum & cokes and 3 ‘Blow Jobs’ yesterday. Oddly though, I had a strange pain in-between my stomach and groin area, which I’d never experienced before. Vanessa thought my symptoms seemed like it could be Cystitis and she used to be a doctor’s receptionist so I took her word for it. Our first stop was at the retail park and Boots where I bought mini face wash, mouth wash, moisturiser, plus a bottle of water and some cystitis medication for a total of £6.80. Our mission of the day had been to have a KFC because it’s our favourite junk food. Usually Vanessa would just have a 1 piece meal but today we both ordered a 2 piece meal, I went large but Vanessa had normal with BBQ beans. I had water and she had a strange drink I’d never heard of before and it looked like a milkshake but with things in it. The food was great but my pain was getting worse and I did not feel well at all.
In Marks & Spencer they had bras in my size but, because of all the weight I’d lost I was now a 34B and I’d been a 38E at one point! If only I could shift that much from my waist! I bought a pack of 3 for £20 and I didn’t even need underwired anymore! I’d always thought I’d got big boobs but it turned out I was just fat! While in M&S I started to feel even more unwell and I needed to pee 3 times. Granted, I had drank quite a bit of water before bed last night and again this morning plus the cystitis meds but it felt different – like it was coming on all of a sudden. Our next shopping stint was in I Love Sweets, a traditional sweet shop which had every type of childhood confectionery you could think of. We were like the proverbial kids in a sweet shop and I bought Floral Gums, Yorkshire Mixture and Sherbet Pips – I could easily have bought more and if you’re in the area I can highly recommend the place. We had a lovely nostalgic chat with the owner and I loved the shop.
Unfortunately, as we left I needed to pee again and felt a bit woozy. I wasn’t sure what was happening as one minute I was absolutely fine the next I thought I might collapse. I had started to really need a lay down so, as Vanessa headed over to Poundland to see if they had Weetabix, I had to nip to the loo again. I ended up in Peacock’s where I bought some size 12 pyjamas (without trying them on!) and another bottle of water as I was now desperately thirsty. I paid £12.75 and didn’t realise until later that I had picked lilac and grey, which were Vanessa’s colours.

I had to cancel my plans for the evening and I really struggled to make it back to Vanessa’s without pissing myself. I was now at the stage where I didn’t know if I needed to pee or not and when I did I was crying out in pain.
I had a rest on the bed and Vanessa made us all fajitas for dinner which was a lovely meal. I was a bit upset that I’d had to cancel my evening plan to meet friends but I felt so poorly. Even Captain Caveman, who was meant to be going to a caving catch up before joining me and my friends, didn’t go out. I took more medication, drank loads of water and went to bed early, hoping I’d be ok for tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. KFC for lunch with Vanessa
2. Bras
3. I Love Sweets

Apologies for lack of photos, I was too busy feeling poorly.

Sheffield – 25th to 27th May

On Sunday 25th May Captain Caveman and I decided on an outing in to Sheffield town centre. I needed a hairbrush and some clothes and Captain Caveman had said he would treat us to a trip to the Curzon cinema to see The Phoenician Scheme. As the cast of this Wes Anderson sounded good, I had agreed and was excited to finally be going to the cinema. The last film I’d seen had been a disappointing Barbie film in Fethiye. In the morning I did a bit of work as I had forgotten it was Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow so Captain Caveman was off for the day.
We got the supertram in to town from Gleadless Town End at £3.40 each. Once in Sheffield, our first stop off was at Superdrug, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Superdrug
Ibuprofen 0.39
Sanex Stick deodorant 2.49
Sudocrem 2.99
Hair brush 4.50
Total spent £10.37

I went in to Primark, Captain Caveman isn’t a fan so he mooched about while I bought 5 pairs of socks for £3.50. I saw a large suitcase for only £38 and wanted to get it but we were going to the cinema. I wanted clothes but there was nothing to my liking so Captain Caveman suggested Blacks. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;

Blacks
4 tops (for me) £31.44
A coat (for him) £59.00
Total spent £90.44

While I looked and found nothing in New Look, Captain Caveman went back for the £38 suitcase from Primark. We shoved all our stuff in to the case and took it to the cinema, as you do.
The Curzon was very nice and Captain Caveman had a beer, I had a glass of wine but no popcorn! The film was a massive disappointment and I’ve never been in a cinema where most people around me were snoring at one point or another. Even I fell asleep!
We left in confusion and rain, wheeled our new suitcase to the bus station and got the bus to Mosborough, which cost £2.60 each. We called briefly to see my parents and pick up the van before going home for a nice meal at ‘home’ with Vanessa. She had been to her grandson’s birthday party where one of my other Sheffield friend’s son had gone. They got chatting and worked out they both knew me and that I had invited Vanessa to Caz’s birthday celebrations next Friday. It’s a small world.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman taking me shopping
2. A new suitcase
3. Having a nap in the cinema.

As it was a Bank Holiday in England on Monday 26th May, we decided to have a day out in Sheffield. Check out the old stomping ground and see the sights. I’d been waiting to hear from my Mom who needed taking to an appointment but luckily my sister could take her so Captain Caveman’s offer of a lift wasn’t needed and we could go out.
We got the bus in and had a wander along a canal, down by the old Castle Market area and then along to our first pub stop, The Harlequin. A great bar where Captain Caveman had a proper beer and I had an Ascension cider.

Our next stop was Riverside where it had now started to rain so more drinks were had as we took shelter. By this time I was getting peckish and the menu looked good.

Captain Caveman had an alternative plan and took me for a mint tea and vegan sausage roll at Gaarde. I was dubious at first as to if the sausage roll was vegan as it was one of the best I’d had in ages.
We had a trip to the Wellington and had pork scratchings with our beers there, intending to get the tram. There were track repairs and a bus replacement that went past us. After that we had an uphill walk through Sheffield to the cathedral where we caught the tram back to Vanessa’s as there was a curry and rice waiting for us, made in the slow cooker. It was delicious and we watched Race Across the World on TV which Captain Caveman loves.

Gratitude List
1. An impromptu day off
2. Spending time in my home town with Captain Caveman
3. Great night in front of the TV with Vanessa.

Both Captain Caveman and I worked all day on Tuesday 27th May while Vanessa went out with a friend in the afternoon.
At lunchtime we drove to the nearest Asda to buy some more shopping, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Asda Supermarket

Lasagne sheets 0.64*
2 garlic bread 0.70
Bananas 0.85
Orange juice 1.62
2 sausage casserole mix 1.90*
2 Thai curry paste 2.40*
Toilet roll 2.76
3 Fajita packet mixes 3.15*
Chicken 4.42
1 bottle of red wine 7.27
Total spent £25.71
The items with a * were for me to take back to Dalyan in my suitcase.

In the evening, Captain Caveman made a Spaghetti Bolognese for us all and we watched more Race Across the World on TV.

Gratitude List
1. Shopping at Asda
2. A lovely meal
3. Spending the evening with Captain Caveman and Vanessa, watching TV.

Sheffield – 24th May

Captain Caveman and I had been invited to my niece, Morgan’s, 21st birthday BBQ on Saturday 24th May at 3pm. Before that, though, we arranged to visit my parents. Unfortunately, as Dad had recently had a knee replacement operation, Ma & Pa had decided they weren’t feeling up to being able to attend. It was a shame, as Dad was making great progress but just not able to leave home just yet.
We drove over to my parents, calling at Crystal Peaks shopping centre on the way. Captain Caveman treated us all to Beres Pork sandwiches as the local shop in Mosborough no longer does them. They were really good and I’m glad we got the big size ones. I also managed to drink lots of pints of tap water, my favourite drink when I’m in Sheffield. For afters, Ma got some chocolate biscuits out and we all had one with a hot drink. It was good to see them and Dad was doing pretty well moving about. It had been just over 6 months since Captain Caveman and my parents had seen each other in Dalyan, despite being in the same town for almost 4 of those months. He’d tried to visit a few times but they had not been in when he’d called. We didn’t get much time with them, though, as we had to be at Gayle and Neil’s for the party.
Neither of us were really feeling like drinking after last night’s shenanigans in Woodseats but it’s not every day we get to celebrate a 21st. We gave Morgan a present and a bottle of champagne, plus we took some wine and beer to drink. Her birthday was later in the week so she didn’t open any presents. April, my 18 year old niece, was in charge of making cocktails and had already started trying them out. I had Prosecco, Captain Caveman had beer and then we went on to Margaritas which were very good.

There was a piñata which is always a laugh, 3 dogs running about, lots of booze and a massive BBQ and buffet. Neil and his Dad did an excellent job of cooking the meat despite my sister grumbling it was a bit later than expected. Harley, April’s boyfriend, did a fab music quiz which Captain Caveman and I came 2nd at – surprisingly as Captain Caveman always says he’s no good at music.
We had a brilliant afternoon and ended up getting a taxi home just as it was starting to get a bit messy! I also was a bit disappointed that I had not taken many photos and didn’t get any of the birthday girl. Someone had taken group photos but I couldn’t remember who and forgot to ask if I could have some. Luckily, my sister came up trumps on the photos later.

Gratitude List
1. Getting to see my parents and have pork sandwiches
2. An amazing 21st Birthday BBQ for Morgan
3. Captain Caveman being able to join me at a family event for the first time in 13 and a half years.

Captain Caveman having a bash at the piñata

Photo Credit – most photos & video by Gayle Leesing

Sheffield – 22nd & 23rd May

Having done sweet F A, but travel and eat yesterday, it was a day of grafting on Thursday 22nd April. It was only 9°C at 7am which I wasn’t used to so I got a cup of tea and went back to bed. It was weigh day and I had brought my tape measure but I didn’t take the measurements. I did get on the scales though and found I had put on 0.2kg (0.4lb).
I cracked on at the living room desk while Vanessa pottered about. We had bacon sandwiches at lunch time and then I had an online meeting.
I had forgotten to bring an adapter to plug my Turkish laptop plug in to the English socket and we said we would pop to Asda later to pick one up.
After work, Vanessa’s son came to pick us up to go to his house for dinner. We called at Asda and had no joy with an adapter but we got some wine! Vanessa and I were excited as we were, not only seeing the rest of the family, but we were having fish and chips with them. We decided that we would share a portion between us, which was plenty and really good. We got a taxi back so the whole night had cost me £20 and I’d had a really great time.

Gratitude List
1. Bacon
2. Spending time with Vanessa and her family
3. Fish and chips.

I had a good night’s sleep and woke up just after 6am on Friday 23rd May, it was 7°C in Sheffield.
I worked all day and Vanessa was the hostest with the mostest as she made me pancakes which I ate with strawberries.
She had a busy weekend planned because it was her grandson’s birthday celebrations and I had some plans too. Captain Caveman still hadn’t moved in to a house up north and was using his parents’ place in London as a base these days. Vanessa had kindly agreed for him to come and stay for the weekend and he was driving back from Scotland today.
As Vanessa and I don’t have any transport and the nearest local shop is a 10 minute walk away, I asked him to get a load of shopping in for us. He arrived at a decent hour, having had an eventful shopping trip to Aldi. He’d not got everything on the list as he didn’t have a pound coin for the trolley and had to do it all by basket and his arms. I imagined it was like a Friday Crackerjack where they had the game of holding lots of stuff, including cabbages. I am showing my age now!
Anyway, here’s what he bought with the prices in pounds and listed cheapest to dearest;

Aldi Supermarket

1 plastic bag 0.30
Garlic 0.37
1 tin of tomatoes 0.45
Chickpeas 0.49
Tomato puree 0.59
Cucumber 0.69
Mushrooms 0.69
Toothpaste 0.69
Lettuce 0.77
Carrots 0.79
Red onions 0.95
Spinach 0.99
Brown sauce 0.99
Baby potatoes 1.09
3 tins Baked beans 1.23
Pasta 1.29
Double cream 1.39
4 pints of milk 1.55
White onions 1.59
Peppers 1.60
Red potatoes 1.95
Bacon lardons 1.99
Wafer thin ham 2.29
Tomatoes 2.35
12 eggs 2.45
Cumberland sausage 3.49
500g beef mince 4.19
Chicken fillets 4.65
2 bottles of Champagne 30.00
Total spent £71.76

I thought tomatoes and eggs seemed more expensive than I’m used to.
We opened a bottle of the champagne and had a toast to all being in Sheffield, before going out for the evening.

Captain Caveman had decided he wanted to take me out on the town on Friday night, well down to Woodseats at least. We figured we could get the bus to Norton and then walk down. We did invite Vanessa to join us but they were off out for a family birthday meal.
After a very steep downhill walk we arrived at Guzzle, a micro pub that Captain Caveman had been to before. The lady behind the bar was fun and friendly and she had 2 cute little dogs. They also served Prosecco on tap and had pork scratchings – it was my perfect pub. We had a few drinks there and I petted Commander Riker, the friendliest and younger of the 2 pooches. We were getting ready to leave when an ex Aviva colleague arrived to join a group of fellas at the bar. We’d been having a bit of Sheffield banter with them and I’d had a few drinks so we said hello to Richard and he went for a toilet visit. His mates asked how I knew him and I lied and said I couldn’t say much but we went way back to when he was involved in the sex industry. They weren’t sure whether to believe me at first but I was convincing and they left. Captain Caveman and I were laughing at the conversation they were going to have in the next pub!
We also decided to move on to The Herd where we were hoping to get some pizza for dinner. It had gone 9.30pm so no food was being served but we were offered Salty Dog nuts with our pints of beer.
We decided on an Indian and went to Viraaj, also at Woodseats, for what ended up being a feast. The food was amazing and we had more drinks but when we came to leave it was pissing down with rain. We had to wait a bit for a taxi outside while talking to some German customers. When we got home, Vanessa was still out!

Gratitude List
1. Aldi shopping
2. Captain Caveman coming to Sheffield
3. Meeting Commander Riker.

Dalyan to Sheffield – 21st May

By 4.50am on Wednesday 21st May, I was ready to start my journey from Dalyan to Sheffield. Vanessa had made us all a cup of tea, I’d made the sandwiches and Matt was kindly driving us to the airport.
After a quick goodbye and thanks to our driver (Matt) at Dalaman airport, we were through to the first security check. We both had our own food and a bottle of unopened water each, hoping to get them through. The airport was relatively empty but the family in front of us got their juice cartons taken off them and we had to drink our water. For the first time, they also tried to take my tweezers and nail clippers from me but I said no and they gave them me back, this did mean they emptied my hand luggage bag completely but I didn’t mind as long as I got my stuff back as I only had hand luggage. It was quick and it now meant we had no water but we would be boarding soon. Vanessa’s bag was just an under the seat one which had a pair of men’s Crocs in so the bag kept tipping over. By 6am we were at the gate and doing the obligatory Facebook status update for everyone to see we were on a girls trip to England.
I needn’t have paid the extra £10 to book a seat as the Sun Express plane wasn’t full and I moved on to Vanessa’s row who had it to herself. On the flight I bought us some drinks and here’s what we had and spent.

2 small waters
1 can iced tea
1 tea
Total spent €13 (536.82 lira)!!!

The chicken sandwiches I’d made us were great too and we even managed to stop chatting long enough to watch something we had downloaded and fall asleep.
On landing at Manchester we had almost an hour until our train so we went to the cafe where Vanessa treated us to a cup of tea. I opened the share bag of crisps, ate the cheese and had several biscuits too. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Manchester had some sun and I didn’t need my coat on!
Our first train at 10.48am left on time and we changed at Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately, the second train was delayed due to a slow train in front of us. We did the whole journey at mostly 20mph and we didn’t actually get to Sheffield until 1.15pm.

By this time we needed a wee so I suggested a call to the Sheffield Tap for a cider/beer and to use the facilities – the station toilets had a queue. We also picked up a claim form at the station as we were entitled to a full refund of our train tickets.
A quick shop in M&S and then we were ready for the taxi ‘home’, to Vanessa’s where I would be for the next 10 days. The taxi was only £11 which I thought was reasonable from Sheffield to Gleadless.
We were through the door at 4.30pm which made our total journey almost 14 hours door to door (with the 2 hours time difference)!
I was truly spoiled as we had a cup of tea first, obviously, then Vanessa’s daughter and grandson came over for dinner. Chelsea made us delicious chicken tacos with air fryer chips and it was bloody lovely. Vanessa and I shared a bottle of wine to celebrate being back in Sheffield. It was a great evening and I really enjoyed being back in England.

Gratitude List
1. Having a fun journey from Dalyan to Sheffield
2. Lovely food and a place to stay
3. Family dinner at Vanessa’s.

Dalyan – 20th May

I started my last day in Dalyan on Tuesday 20th May, with a bacon sandwich and a cup of Yorkshire tea. I had lots to do including packing, work related stuff and some project related social media posts. For the last 10 days I had been doing a free course with Strategist Lisa Johnson and had rather enjoyed it. I did some promoting of my favourite vegan restaurant in Vietnam, Phong Nha Vegan, and I chatted on messenger to the staff and owner there. I missed them and their delicious and healthy food.
By lunch time, I was using up ingredients in the fridge by making myself chicken, sweetcorn and egg fried rice which was so tasty. I cracked on with my busy to do list as I needed to be over at Vanessa’s at a decent hour and I was fast running out of time. I took a breather about 4pm to nip to the shops for some snacks, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Crackers 11.50
Popcorn 16.75
Licorice 19.50
Plain crisps 31.00
Total spent 78.75 lira (£1.51)

Today the exchange rate had risen again to 52 lira to the pound and the temperature had reached 30°C. Meanwhile, I was making a mental note to get a big coat and socks added to my packing as it was going to be cold in Manchester compared to Dalyan. I realised I still needed more items for my journey back to the UK and went back out again.

Migros Supermarket
2 small waters 7.90
Mentos 20.95
Haribo jellies 22.45
Biscuits 31.95
Dubai chocolate Magnum 75.00
Total spent 158.25 lira (£3.04)

Parlak bakery
1 loaf 15 lira (29p)

I ate the Magnum on the way back home and really enjoyed it – it would be my last one for a while! I didn’t have time to make any dinner so I ate the last of the radishes and some olives. I packed, put any perishables and leftover veg in a bag for Matt and took leftover chicken, lettuce, bacon and cheese with the bread to make for Vanessa and my airport pack up. My bags were heavy so I was lucky to bump in to Murat and his dog, Latte, who gave me a lift on his mobility scooter.
Over at Vanessa’s, we had some cups of tea and chatted before getting ready for an early night and a very early get up. We were leaving at 5am so I set my alarm for 4am.

Gratitude List
1. Bacon
2. Fitting everything in my small case
3. Managing to finish in time to get to Vanessa’s.

Dalyan – 3rd to 5th May

On Saturday 3rd May the sun was back so there was lots of outside activity. I walked the dogs a couple of times, I washed and hung out wet towels and throws, I moved the sunbeds cushions to dry those off and also worked quite a bit. I didn’t have time to go to the weekly market today.
I spoke to Captain Caveman who was working this bank holiday weekend on site and seemed to be enjoying it. I had leftovers for my meals and decided to try again to go shopping in the evening. It rained again and I only got as far as the corner shop!

Gratitude List
1. Dog walks
2. Having meetings with the dogs
3. Knowing Captain Caveman was doing well in the UK.

Sunday 4th May was the last full day of my doggy day care for Norman, Edna, Coco and Bebe and the sun was shining. They were so pleased to be able to go in and out as they pleased, they had 2 walks and Norman slept in all the available beds but his own.
I did some work which included promoting a 10 night twin centre holiday to Bali in November. We hadn’t arranged a Sunday walk this week with me being in charge of the dogs but I did walk 6km by myself plus another walk to the shops and back. Here’s what I bought on my first trip with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Cucumber 3.09
Tomatoes 15.58
Lettuce 29.95
Dubai chocolate 35.00
Lays plain crisps 42.00
Red cabbage 46.76
Carrots 70.15
Walnuts 98.50
620g Chicken breast 123.97
Total spent 465.00 lira (£9.08)

I’d arranged to meet Nanny Kay for lunch and I prepared us a very simple chicken salad which was very nice. Nanny Kay brought chocolate digestives which was a real treat, especially when they had melted stuck so we had to eat them as a triple biscuit! The dogs loved seeing Nanny Kay too and they all got some fuss. We had an unexpected phone call from Vanessa on her husband’s phone. I answered it because I knew they were meant to be in İzmir today, however, they had arrived in to Dalyan early and didn’t have their keys. I had a set at Fire Opal but we were at the other side of town. Luckily, Nanny Kay saved the day by driving us over to mine, where Vanessa could pick up her keys and on the way back we called in to Nanny Kay’s house. It had been a lovely day and when I got back I took the dogs out again then went to the shop. I needed something to go with a mystery meal I’d got out so I bought bulgar wheat and Haribo jellies at the little Migros for 66.90 lira (£1.31). I had a glass of red wine on the terrace, enjoying the sun. My curry with bulgar wheat and chickpeas turned out to be a winner. I finished the evening off with 4 happy, snoring dogs on the sofa while we watched something on Netflix – a perfect Sunday.

Gratitude List
1. Sunshine
2. Lunch with Nanny Kay
3. Dog snuggles.

Monday 5th May consisted of working, book related stuff, free training courses, cleaning and laundry. I popped to Migros and bought more bulgur wheat and some chocolate brownies for 98.90 lira (£1.93).
Coco called another meeting and wanted me to know she still hadn’t had the required number of cuddles.
I said goodbye to Norman, Edna, Coco and Bebe after feeding them their dinner. Back home that night, I had a quiet one and finished off some work until late.

Gratitude List
1. All the dogs being happy
2. Having a productive day
3. Getting all my jobs done before bed.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd May

I had to declare the day a doggy duvet day on Thursday 1st May. The storm in the night had been quite bad and I’d ended up with 3 out of 4 dogs in my bedroom. When I went downstairs before 7am I had been left 3 presents; 2 wees and a very small poo. I let the dogs out, who were still reluctant to go in the rain, while I cleaned up. It felt pretty chilly out and even indoors was cool, as I had my tea and toast for breakfast. I brought all of the available dog beds out so each pooch could choose their own bed after each one had been towel dried and had their paws cleaned. Norman was hilarious as he tried every bed but his own. Even Edna preferred a different bed. It rained heavily all of the day so it was nice to keep dry.
Today was also the first pay day of my book royalties as Amazon pay me 2 months after the sale went through. It was a small payment this month but at least I knew it was working. I still needed to sell more and decided to promote it more on social media this month.
At 1pm I joined the Resort Experts team meeting, then had a call to Captain Caveman before a near miss with a cat happened. I’d let the dogs out for a wee and they cornered a ginger cat on the balcony railing so I had to go and rescue it in the rain.
After veggie curry for lunch, a chat with my Majorcan colleague and lending some friends a duvet for their grandkids, it was almost time to see if the rain had stopped enough for a dog walk. Norman had taken to scratching at the door to where he knew the food was kept a few hours before feeding time! That night I had spaghetti bolognese for dinner, no wine and was in bed by 10pm.

Gratitude List
1. Receiving my first book royalties as passive income
2. Doggy duvet day
3. Being in bed by 10pm.

I had tea and toast for breakfast on Friday 2nd May as 4 cute dogs looked on in anticipation of snaffling a morsel. I reminded them that I didn’t have a nibble of their dentistix or biscuits! We’d all been up since 6am and all 4 dogs had made it to the bedroom during the rainy night.
By 9am it was dry and warming up so I decided we would get out for a walk. Bebe had gone back to bed so I took Norman and Edna first and then Coco and Bebe. We didn’t go too far and I didn’t let any of them off the lead.
Back home I did some work before realising it looked like another downpour was on its way so I decided I should get to the supermarket while I could. Here’s what I got, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Tomato purée 22.95
2 Dido chocolate bars 39.90
Turkish salami 49.90
Wholemeal bread 49.95
Mozzarella cheese 69.90
Dubai Magnum ice-cream 75.00
Cashew nuts 84.50
Wholemeal wraps 93.50
Total spent 485.60 lira (£9.48)

While I was in the shop I checked out the prices of booze, as you do. Here’s what I noticed about the prices, in lira;
Angora red wine 439.50 (£8.58)
Isabey red wine 325 (£6.34)
Fiona red wine 250 (£4.88)
Can of Efes 85 (£1.66)
Large bottle Efes 83 (£1.62)
Large bottle or can Efes Malt 70 (1.37)

I walked back eating the Dubai chocolate flavoured Magnum which was unbelievably good. I also made a Slimming World pizza wrap for my lunch.
I did loads of work all afternoon while the dogs slept and it rained again. I was so glad to have done the walks earlier.
That evening, I realised I didn’t have enough in for my dinner and could do with a glass or two of wine so I set off to the shop. I’d only gone a few metres down the road when it started to rain again so I made it to the corner shop and bought essentials. Just wine and cheese for a total of 450 lira (£8.79).
For dinner I had bolognese with pasta and a Dido for afters before snuggling up with the 4 dogs who all wanted to be nearest to me. It was a good prevention from drinking too much wine as I couldn’t move to reach the coffee table.

Gratitude List
1. Lots of work done
2. Dog walks
3. Prices of wine in Turkey.

Kuşadası to Dalyan – 28th April

Captain Caveman’s flight back to Manchester wasn’t scheduled until 8.50pm on Monday 28th April so he had a long day. I was expecting a bit of a lay in but Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike had already had breakfast and were ready to check out of the Sunday Beach hotel by 9.30am. When we went downstairs for breakfast our 4 friends were ready to leave so they decided to go on a sightseeing trip to a castle on an island while we had breakfast and then got ready. Captain Caveman would then drive me to them around 11.30am so that I could go back to Dalyan with them. The storm forecast could start this afternoon and there were also some road closures so Sezgin was keen to set off back in good time.
Our breakfast was very nice – buffet style with lots of choice. I kept it simple and avoided all the Turkish börek which might affect my stomach. Captain Caveman had dialled in to his 9am (UK time) team meeting, even though he was officially on holiday, and I checked my emails and responded.
We checked out and I went to the ATM to get some cash out for Captain Caveman, but none of the machines were working. This left us in a bit of a fix as Captain Caveman was going to need to get more petrol and spending money for whatever he was going to do all afternoon. I decided I would give him my cash card for my Turkish bank so that he could use it until he left tonight. I could use my credit card until I got it back from him. When we got to meet the others in a retail park it was time to say bye to Captain Caveman and head back to Dalyan. The drive back was pleasant and I felt like I would sleep well when I got to bed tonight. On the way we stopped at Ateş Doner and I had a chicken wrap and a lemon soda for 175 lira (£3.38) which was ok but I couldn’t finish it all, as was thinking about my stomach being affected for the drive. It turned out to be fine which I was pleased about. We were back home by 4.30pm and Captain Caveman’s flight was delayed by almost an hour. He had managed to spend 877.45 lira (£16.97) on parking, petrol and some food, which was very frugal.
I noticed the pool and garden was being worked on but the pool was still empty.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast with Captain Caveman
2. Not being ill from the kebab shop lunch
3. Being back home after a wonderful weekend.

Çeşme to Kuşadası – 27th April

After a lovely breakfast on Sunday 27th April, at the Kerman hotel in Çeşme, it was time to check out and restart the 2 car convoy. The plan for today was for the 6 of us to drive to Kuşadası with a stop or two on the way. I took a last photo of the small beach beside the hotel and I got in the car with Captain Caveman while Sezgin took the others in his car.
Captain Caveman had got his phone on Google Maps and had programmed our hotel address in, for if we got lost. That turned out to be a good move as we lost the other car when we stopped for petrol. I paid 691.92 lira (£13.51) for petrol for Captain Caveman’s hire car and 15 lira (29p) for a small bottle of water before we decided what to do. There was no sign of Sezgin and we thought he may even have been taking the toll road. Captain Caveman wasn’t sure how the toll road worked for a tourist in a hire car and wanted to avoid it so we chose to head directly to Kuşadası. We arrived around 1.30pm and couldn’t work out where the car park was, I went to the hotel reception and asked and it was in the main public car park behind the hotel – and free. At the Sunday Beach hotel reception we had a bit of confusion as they weren’t sure the rooms were ready to check in. After explaining there was just 2 of us and 4 would arrive later, we were given a key. I paid 2600 lira (£50.78) for 1 night in a double room with sea view and breakfast. and the room was really lovely with a great view, it even had tea and coffee making facilities so I had myself a cup of tea. Captain Caveman was tired so he had a bit of a rest while I had a shower, unpacked, repacked and did a bit of work. Although Captain Caveman had taken Friday and Monday off, I hadn’t so I was a bit behind on my posts for this week – ironically, while in a great holiday resort in Turkey!

In the afternoon, while our friends were still making their way to Kuşadası, Captain Caveman and I had a stroll along Ladies Beach, all the way to the end then back. I noticed there were waiters at most places trying to encourage you in to their establishments, some trying to insult us to make us laugh which had the opposite effect.

Captain Caveman and I decided to have a late lunch at Blu Notte as the others were still off exploring the area and hadn’t arrived yet. I had a glass of red wine, and Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt while we perused the very promising menu. We decided to share a vegetarian pizza and admire the sea view on such a lovely sunny day. There were quite a few people in the sea which I was surprised about – I hadn’t brought my swimmers. Captain Caveman is always prepared for any eventuality so had packed his. We had another round of drinks before paying the bill, prices in lira;

Blu Notte
1 veggie pizza 310
2 Efes Malt 280
2 glasses of Red wine 400
Total spent 990 lira (£19.34)

It was funny that I would ordinarily have found that expensive for Turkish prices but we had being pay that for just 2 drinks in a London pub so Captain Caveman found it cheap.

After a short walk, we decided to find another bar and let the others know where we were, we were at Ladies Beach Hotel and Restaurant which you couldn’t miss. We had another round of drinks, which were a bit more pricey. An Efes Malt was 150 lira (£2.93) and a red wine was 240 lira (£4.69). By 6pm it was getting a bit chilly so Captain Caveman nipped back to the hotel to get jumpers while I sat admiring the sea view.

By 7pm we were back in the room, watching the sunset from the balcony. We had some wine left from last night, which Mike had given us to bring back. We didn’t drink it as we were saving it for the others, who unbeknown to me had arrived but I didn’t realise it at the time and thought we were waiting for them.

I took my time getting changed in the room and put on my recently purchased New Look size 12 dress. When we went downstairs, our friends were sat in the hotel bar having a drink. Sezgin looked tired from all the driving. Debbie filled us in on what a great day they had seeing the sights today. It was a shame we had missed it however, it had been nice to relax a bit with Captain Caveman. We ordered a beer and a red wine but I was already quite merry by this time. All of us agreed that we had really enjoyed our weekend roadtrip and we would have to plan another one later in the year, it had been too short. We got chatting and we had not realised that the others weren’t going to be going out for dinner so we had another round and our 4 drinks came to 800 lira (£15.63) – half the price of a similar round in Barnes, London. When we realised Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike had already eaten, it was 9.15pm so Captain Caveman had a look of urgency in his eyes – he’d only had half a pizza 6 hours ago!
We decided to go get some food and, as it was our last night together, we splashed out a bit, at the only decent place still serving food. It was cleverly called Somewhere Else and was rather busy inside. We threw caution to the wind, as we were tiddly, and Captain Caveman ordered a bottle of Angora red wine with our meal of 2 starters and 2 main courses. Here’s what we had, with prices in lira;

Somewhere Else
Garlic Mushrooms 198.50
Onion rings 207.50
Smash Burger 487.50
Sweet & Sour chicken 699.50
1 bottle of Angora red wine 990.00
Total spent 2,583.00 lira (£50.45)

Our day and hotel stay in Kuşadası had cost approximately £160 in total but I’d really enjoyed myself and at least Captain Caveman had got the chance to unwind. I wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye to him tomorrow. When we got back to the room it was late, Captain Caveman checked the times and feasibility of buses from Kuşadası to Dalyan so that we might perhaps have another day together tomorrow, before Captain Caveman’s late flight back to the UK. It was doable but with changes that could go wrong and I didn’t think I should risk it. It had started to rain and there were storm warnings so I preferred to get back safely with our friends.

Gratitude List
1. Time spent with Captain Caveman
2. Sunday Beach hotel and the stunning Ladies Beach, Kuşadası
3. Having more than my fair share of wine to celebrate our last night together.

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Dalyan to Çeşme – 25th April

I was up and out by 7.30am on Friday 25th April, having had a Yorkshire tea, a slice of buttered toast and a travel sickness tablet.
I was the first to arrive at Sezgin and Nur’s house, ready to meet Debbie and Mike for a weekend road trip. We had arranged for the 5 of us, driven by Sezgin, to have a trip around the İzmir area of Turkey. Captain Caveman would meet us in Çeşme, at the Kerman hotel after picking up a hire car from İzmir airport upon landing, later tonight.
We left around 8am with me sitting in the middle of the back seat to start with. After a couple of hours on the road, we stopped next to a reservoir/picnic stop so that Sezgin and Nur to eat whatever breakfast we had brought. I avoided any gluten or stodge by having a banana for my snack while the others shared their food. Sezgin pointed out places of interest along the way and we stopped for comfort breaks, our next one being in a lovely fishing village called Urla. Sezgin and Nur had previously lived in İzmir so it was good to get first-hand local knowledge about the surrounding areas and see where they had lived before Dalyan. Sezgin told us a funny story about him, his friend and a famous singer in the Dokuz Pub, as we walked past it. There were all types of fish available, which could be browsed in the stalls outside.

I took a turn in the front passenger seat in the afternoon as I’d been fighting the affects of the travel sickness pill which I realised was one of the stronger drowsy ones. We visited a beach and I ate quite a few sweets, trying to stay awake. We stopped at the Altın Yunus (Golden Dolphin) hotel, where everyone had took the mickey out of me for not realising a joke about the wind turbines being there to cool us down when it got too warm. Debbie and I had a Turkish tea while enjoying the lovely sunshine and views of the marina below us.

The last leg of the journey took us on a detour to a very unusual house which had live fish and octopi, plus a random eel, in the walls of the garden. It didn’t look like the creatures had a great existence, although I was assured the owner loved and cared for them! It was definitely one of the weirdest houses I had ever seen. From that point we could see our hotel across the bay.

It was just 3.20pm, when we checked in to our sea view rooms at the Kerman Hotel in Çeşme. Sezgin had negotiated some discount so we paid 3,500 lira (£68.36) for a 2 night stay in a double room, for 2 of us including breakfast. We had originally looked at staying at the The Ilıca hotel which was a bit more swish but to keep the costs down I think everyone was happy to choose the cheaper alternative. I was happy with the Kerman as the rooms were clean, comfortable and basic with a small balcony and an amazing sea view which was definitely worth paying the extra for that room type.
Captain Caveman’s flight wasn’t due to land until 8.10pm so we took a walk around the town of Çeşme. I really liked it and had a chuckle to myself on how the Cheap Chasers in Dalyan would react to the prices of alcoholic beverages at some of the bars. We didn’t even drink in our own hotel because they kept changing their minds about the cost of beers in the bar downstairs. It was empty, yet they raised the price to almost 300 lira (£5.86) for an Efes stating that it was to pay for the live music which was on later. The cheapest I saw advertised on a board, was 175 lira (£3.42) for an Efes. The town was a mix of old and new and it felt very calm, I didn’t notice any English people and most of the bars along the water front were empty.

We came across an eatery which had the perfect name; Friendly Corner Steak House. It was ran by a friendly Turkish guy who had lived in the UK for a while and the restaurant was located on a sunny corner. They also sold steak but we had beers first then some delicious hot chips. I’m always a bit boring and go for the steady option to placate my iffy stomach and to ensure the restaurant is unlikely to serve me a rubbish meal. I plumped for a chicken shish which was served with rice, chips and a fair amount of salad. Sezgin ordered the chicken schnitzel and Nur the chicken strips – I tried the schnitzel and it was very good. Debbie took me by surprise a little by ordering sardines which Sezgin checked if they were fresh with the staff, they were frozen but Debbie was fine with that. There was about 8 sardines and some salad. Mike ordered a pizza which wasn’t great but he managed about half of it. To give an idea of costs, I paid 1,000 lira (£19.53) for my share of the meal and drinks (including discount and tip). I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and was actually thinking I should have been a bit more adventurous with my choice.

We had a post dinner stroll while watching a lovely sunset over the harbour. We got as far as a mermaid sculpture when Captain Caveman’s plane landed. I didn’t expect he would call or text me so we had been tracking the flight, which landed just 10 minutes late. Captain Caveman had booked a hire car from İzmir airport and we worked out he would be due to the hotel by 10pm. Our hotel now had a rather loud, and not that great, live band on so we didn’t fancy the hotel bar. Many of the bars were telling us they didn’t sell Efes in the area, which we knew they did so we avoided them. We called at the shop where we bought some beer (Efes) and wine and took it to my room to wait for Captain Caveman’s arrival. He didn’t have a Turkish phone and his English phone probably wouldn’t work so I just had to hope he arrived. By 11pm we had all retired to bed having got no answer when I called any of his numbers. Sezgin went outside to walk about and keep a look out for him and I was a bit concerned he was this late. By midnight, Captain Caveman was still not in Çeşme and we had no word from him. I reassured myself that he’s extremely well travelled and would be fine. I would go to bed and hope he arrived or contacted one of us soon.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely drive to Çeşme, taking in some fantastic sights
2. Kerman Hotel sea view
3. A wonderful evening with friends at Friendly Corner.

Photo credit – some photos taken by my fellow travellers.

Blackburn to Dalyan – 23rd & 24th April

Wednesday 23rd April would ordinarily have been weigh day back in Dalyan so I still did my measurements. I had lost 1cm from my bust, waist and hips, making all my measurements on or below target. I estimated that I had put on about 2lb or 1kg in weight, though. I worked in the morning and was comparing some holiday destinations between 2025 and 2026 with Gold Medal holidays. Captain Caveman was on a work conference call by the time it was time to leave so I let myself out. It would be only a very short time until we were reunited in Turkey.
My train was at 10.48am from Blackburn to Bolton and I was a bit early. There is nothing to do at Blackburn station so I could have left later, but I had a wander and found the cinema and a Nandos. One of the things on my list to do in the UK was to go to the cinema but we hadn’t, so it was on my list for next time, along with a visit to Chatsworth, chip shop fish & chips and an afternoon tea. My train was on time but then it got held up so I had to rush to get my next train in Bolton. The 11.18am train from Bolton to Manchester airport was also delayed so I treated myself to a takeaway cup of tea for £2.45. I arrived at Manchester airport in good time and had a wander through the Duty Free without spending any money. The cost of Dairy Milk chocolates was rather pricey! My flight was at 14.40 and no gate was displayed so I thought I had time to get a meal and a drink at the pub that wasn’t a Wetherspoon’s. It turned out that I didn’t really have time but had already bought it and then had to get it to takeaway as the flight gate got announced and then was boarding straight away. Here’s what I got with prices in pounds;
Chicken sandwich and chips 18.00
1 glass of white wine 9.00
Total spent £27.00.

On the flight I was lucky enough to be sat in the aisle seat of row one and had two rather lovely ladies next to me. Sam and Michelle were travelling with their family, a few rows behind us, and were all from Wigan. I was in good company as I snaffled my now cold chips and chicken sandwich down me and I noticed the girls had those massive water containers. They had made the genius move of popping alcohol in them for the flight! So they looked healthy drinking so much water/juice but were actually getting right on it! Meanwhile, I spent £13.10 on drinks and a snack but we had a really good flight. It was after 9pm when we landed and I just had time to go to the loo, buy a bottle of water for 2 Euros and say farewell to Sam, Michelle and family.
Jamie and Drew arrived not long after from their Gatwick flight and we shared a taxi back to Dalyan, it cost £30 in total so only £10 each. We were all a bit knackered and I couldn’t wait to get in to bed.

Gratitude List
1. Losing centimetres despite eating too many syns this week
2. First row flight buddies, Sam and Michelle, to make the journey more interesting and fun
3. Sharing the taxi journey back with Jamie and Drew.

I was up and about by 7.30am on Thursday 24th April and ready for a full day of work. My to do list was fairly lengthy so I worked methodically down it. I attended a Webinar with Jet2 which was really useful and then I had to nip to the bank and the shops. Here’s what I bought, with prices back in to lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 28.50
Cheese spread 34.90
3 Quark 57.00
250g butter 96.50
Total spent 336.51 lira (£6.57)

The exchange rate had been just under 50 lira to the pound when I left Dalyan, 3 weeks ago, but it was at 51.2 lira today. I had cheese on toast for lunch before getting back in to work.
I didn’t finish work until 7pm so I decided to have a takeaway for dinner. I ordered the chicken noodles which are one of my favourite dishes at Simple and cost just 365.00 lira (£7.13). While I waited for it to be prepared I nipped to the shop to get some sweets for tomorrow’s car journey as I was off on a weekend away with friends. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Popcorn 16.75
Haribo jellies 17.00
Boiled sweets 50.00
Total spent 83.75 lira (£1.64)

I’m not a good traveller so I knew I needed to take something to stop me getting car sick. While I ate my fantastic dinner, Captain Caveman was still back in the UK but not for long. He was in the excellent Tribe hotel at Manchester where he would be working from tomorrow. I’d booked it through Resort Experts to try it as a new hotel and it definitely impressed us and is within walking distance of the airport. Captain Caveman had arranged to get a flight to meet me and our friends, not too far from Izmir, late on Friday night!

Gratitude List
1. Being back home
2. Shopping
3. Simple takeaway.

Harrogate to Blackburn – 21st & 22nd April

I did a bit of work on Easter Monday 21st April before we left Harrogate to go to our next town. We said our goodbyes to Cas and Mama Cas and headed over to Blackburn, where Captain Caveman was going to be working the next day. He’d booked us in to an Airbnb which we could check in to in the afternoon so we popped to the shop to stock up on a few bits. Here’s what we bought, with prices in pounds.

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Spinach, watercress & rocket 1.35
2 Large Sausage rolls 1.50
Sliced chicken 1.99
250g Butter 1.99
Sourdough 2.10
Stuffed peppers 3.50
Mozzarella pearls with pesto 3.50
Falafel 3.50
Halloumi & veg wrap, crisps & water 5.00
Total spent £22.93

Captain Caveman ate his meal deal and I had a sausage roll in the car park of a retail park, before we went to have a look in Boundary Mill. I had a bit of a funny turn and needed the toilet as the suspended flooring made me feel a bit wobbly. I left Captain Caveman by the saucepans and told him to wait for me but he didn’t, obviously. We then spent much longer than necessary of me going in, out and round the shopping area looking for Captain Caveman and him not answering his phone.

The Airbnb was rather nice and had a washing machine for us to get some much needed laundry on. Unfortunately, it was going to be a challenge getting my stuff dry in readiness for me to pack for Turkey.
We had a lovely picnic for our dinner, after finishing work late. We had a wander around the town which I expected to be a bit rough, but it was fairly pleasant. The cathedral looked pretty in the evening light and we picked up some Morrisons own baked beans to have for our breakfast tomorrow.
At 7pm I attended an online course and then fell asleep as I was tired. The bed wasn’t too sturdy and I ended up going through the slats when I tried to move.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy with work
2. Captain Caveman finding a nice Airbnb in the town centre of Blackburn
3. A picnic style dinner.

While Captain Caveman was at Blackburn Rovers for work, on Tuesday 22nd April, I spent all day working from the Airbnb in Blackburn. The internet was good and the place was quiet, I was also left in charge of rotating the laundry through the washer/dryer in an attempt to get my clothes dry before my flight tomorrow. I had beans on toast for breakfast, leftover picnic food and Easter egg for lunch then did more work. After work, I checked in for my flight and found that I had been allocated seat 1C for free, which was nice.
Once Captain Caveman was back, we decided to go for a walk on our last night in England together. Our first stop was at the very close train station to get my train tickets for tomorrow’s train to Manchester airport. I paid £9.90 for a train via Bolton which wasn’t bad and meant I needed to be up fairly early tomorrow. Next, I did a bit of research in Waterstones on travel books and planners, we went through the shopping centre and then decided to have a drink in the Drummer’s Arms. This city centre pub, which closes at 7pm, was fantastic. We had 2 pints of beer and 2 bags of Scampi Fries for less than a tenner – definitely a contender for the cheapest round on my trip. The staff and customers in the pub were friendly, it had great music and I really enjoyed it in there.

Our next stop was to get some food so we decided to go for a curry at Akbar’s. Captain Caveman was unlucky as both his starter and main choices were unavailable and he was disappointed. The waiter recommended alternatives, we shared onion bhajis, garlic naan bread and pilau rice. I ordered a butter chicken and Captain Caveman enjoyed the lamb dish which had been recommended. Ahmed, the manager, personally apologised for not having Captain Caveman’s first choices and even said he could come back tomorrow for them, on the house. We got a free dessert and chocolates to finish off our lovely meal and we were both impressed. There were some leftovers for Captain Caveman to have tomorrow, too.

Gratitude List
1. Research in Waterstones
2. Drinks at the Drummer’s Arms
3. Dinner at Akbar’s

Harrogate & Grimwith Reservoir – 20th April

Our Easter on Sunday 20th April was an amazing celebration for the birthday of Mama Cas. We started the day with a lovely breakfast before packing a picnic, complete with flasks of hot beverages, and headed to Grimwith Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales for a fantastic walk with our Harrogate hosts. It was so beautiful and I loved being out in the fresh air. I had stomach issues as soon as we got there but I was ok for the walk, which I was glad about. It was a pleasant walk which we didn’t return from until almost 5pm.

The sun was shining so we sat outside the front door in a sun trap and sipped rosé wine while chatting to some neighbours.
Mama Cas opened cards and birthday presents and we had a bit of a laugh when Cas had a nap before his bath. Seeing them again after so long we had forgotten they were in their 70s and I could have done with a nap too but resisted.

We got a taxi in to town and tonight’s birthday meal was at a lovely Greek restaurant where we had more wine and some delicious food. Cad and Mama Cas just had calamari as they weren’t too hungry but I managed a beef stifado which was a good sized portion. It had been 12 years since the 4 of us celebrated Mamma Cas’s birthday in the Old Bell last time so we certainly gave the ball a good kick and had 2 bottles of wine between us too.
Back home we had a night cap and Captain Caveman fell asleep!

Gratitude List
1. A fab Sunday Walk with picnic
2. Celebrating Mama Cas’s birthday
3. Greek food with plenty of wine.

Chesterfield to Harrogate – 19th April

I had originally thought I would need to be back in Dalyan by Saturday 19th April for 2 reasons; today was the date of expiry for my current residency card and I was meant to be dog sitting for Norman and Edna. I had decided that if I could be back within a week after the expiry date I should be fine and Jamie had asked another friend of his to look after the dogs. This meant I could spend longer with Captain Caveman which I was glad about, as we had been invited to spend the birthday weekend of one of our good friends in Harrogate – I was so pleased I could join the celebrations. We said our sad farewells to Becca and Steve who, despite their own stuff going on, were the perfect hosts. If ever they decide to run a B&B they’d definitely get 5 stars. The cooked breakfast sandwiches were top notch and set us up for our drive to stay with more friends. I secretly signed Becca’s copy of my book which was on the desk in her office too. I was sad to leave and hoped to see them again on the next visit, which hopefully wouldn’t be as long this time.
We were on the road again but first we had a bit of a detour as Captain Caveman was playing a 4 hour Bridge tournament in a hotel in Harrogate so we went there. While there, I did a bit of work and had 2 client calls in the very nice reception of the big hotel.
We then drove over to the home of Cas and Mama Cas to start our celebrations. We had a wine and then got a taxi to the Wetherspoon’s in town for more wine before a lovely meal at Spice Culture, a really good Indian restaurant in town. We took our own booze as it’s not licensed and chatted to our waiter, Ali, who is a law student. The food was so delicious and we loved it. It was such a lovely night but I was so tired from all the excitement of a hectic week that I was in bed, fast asleep before midnight.

Gratitude List
1. Becca and Steve
2. Harrogate with Cas and Mama Cas
3. Indian food