I was so busy on Thursday 19th June that I’m not sure I had time to eat breakfast or lunch. Captain Caveman had a few meetings and the weather outside was very hot. We eventually went to the shops about 6.40pm and here’s what we bought, prices in lira;
We also tried to get another kitchen sink plug but failed. I managed to get up to Module 3 on a course I’m doing for publishing a planner.
Gratitude List 1. Both being able to work from home 2. Shopping 3. Dubai chocolate.
I’d tried to organise some after work drinks for Friday 20th June, given that the Friday Bar crawl didn’t seem to be happening. Captain Caveman had said he would finish work at 4pm so I would try to do that too. Usually weekends and evenings are when I get the most enquiries/bookings for holidays so I was finding it hard to change my working pattern. Our first treat of the day, though, was a quick trip to nearby La Sorella so that Captain Caveman could have a proper coffee and a croissant. He ordered a plain one but I ordered the chocolate one with banana and fruit – it was immense and I was so stuffed. The prices for what we had were as follows;
La Sorella 1 Green tea 60 1 Double Espresso 120 1 croissant 130 1 chocolate croissant with fruit 290 Total 600 lira (£11.32) but we got 50 lira (94p) off.
I’d never have spent that if Captain Caveman wasn’t here but it was a really lovely treat. I called at the bank before work and sent messages to friends asking if anyone fancied meeting us later. Most people responded to say they couldn’t make it apart from one friend who was up for tonight. I was pleased in a way that it looked like Captain Caveman and I could spend some time together, but was also a bit disappointed that we weren’t going to be out with friends for him to see them before he left for the UK. We had bacon sandwiches for lunch and we both had lots to do in the afternoon. Captain Caveman and I worked until 6pm (which was only 4pm UK time) before getting ready to go out. We decided to go to Okyanus for a drink where a friend came over to meet us. We saw Üstün, the waiter who was previously working at Tapa and who me and my parents like, and we got chatting and taking photos. We had 2 white wines and 3 beers for 900 lira (£16.98) and then decided to say bye to our friend and have a wander in to town. Captain Caveman chose Cafe Ivy to go to and we sat down to briefly say hello to Lou and the kids. We found some sunglasses which didn’t seem to be anyone’s and Captain Caveman said he would borrow them and then hand them in. While at Cafe Ivy, we got a message from Debbie to say she was going to pop to join us for one and Ghislaine went past with some friends and her dogs, so came to join us after all. Here’s what Captain Caveman and I had with prices in lira;
Cafe Ivy 2 Efes Malt 280 2 Glasses of white wine 300 1 chicken strips 300 Lots of free popcorn Total 880 lira + 100 lira tip = 980 lira (£18.50)
After our night out, we went home and warmed up a curry for our dinner.
Gratitude List 1. Breakfast at La Sorella 2. Nice food 3. A night out.
Captain Caveman arrived before 2.30am on Wednesday 11th June. At Manchester Duty Free he’d bought us a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin for £29.99, then on landing at Dalaman he’d bought 2 bottles of Prosecco for €31.80 (1,443.08 lira). He’d also brought me the following treats, some of which I’d asked him to; Chopsticks, Eye mask, Tea Towels, Robinson’s cordial and Thai Curry pastes. After a bit of sleep, I was up first to start work and get weighed. My home scales surprisingly said I had lost 1.6kg (3.5lb) but that couldn’t be right. My measurements showed my bust and hips had stayed the same but I’d put 1cm on my waist – that will be the alcohol at the weekend! I topped up the Turkcell with 50GB of data for 425 lira (£8) as Captainnet isn’t always reliable and there was now 2 of us working from home. By 11am, Captain Caveman was on his morning video call and he was so loud, I expected the neighbours to complain. I left him shouting and complaining about not having any coffee and went to Turkish class at Lukka bar. I made us a salad for lunch and then I went to Fat Club in the afternoon. Carol’s scales were not as forgiving as my home ones but I was still shocked to find that I had lost 1kg (2.2lb). We had a bit of a laugh that the wine & Prosecco diet had done me well this week, but now I had to watch putting on weight next week! I called at the shop on my way back and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Milk 33.95 2 Dido chocolate bars 43.90 2 tins tomato paste 59.90 Roasted red peppers 79.95 Walnuts 98.50 Coffee 164.95 Total spent 565.65 lira (£10.67)
Captain Caveman had been less than impressed that I’d given him a coffee made from Jamie’s decaf this morning and had insisted I get proper ground coffee – he was missing Vietnamese coffee! He didn’t have one though as, as soon as he had finished work at 7pm (5pm UK time), I was whisking him off to meet people! I’d arranged to meet Jamie, Drew, Norman and Edna after their dog walk, in Lukka bar, for a quick hello/goodbye drink. Drew was heading back tomorrow so he and Captain Caveman are rarely in sync and it would be a quick meet up. Edna was the most excited to see Captain Caveman and I think she had hoped to get some wine. I ordered a soda water and Captain Caveman had his first Efes Malt of the visit. We all noticed that Edna was doing a little cough and I know she does that sometimes for attention. Norman got a stroke and was happy checking the floor for any scraps he could eat. Captain Caveman and I decided to have another drink, as we were having a roast chicken dinner at home for our meal and it was still in the oven. We tried a glass each of the house red wine and we chatted about all sorts. Drew mentioned Edna had been slightly off her food that day (which never happens) so Jamie was taking her to the vets before I dog sat on Monday – just in case. I paid the bill for Captain Caveman and I, prices below in lira; 1 Soda water 60 1 Efes Malt 160 2 Red wines 380 Total spent 600 lira (£11.32)
Despite it being on the more expensive scale to what I’m used to, here in Dalyan, Captain Caveman was impressed at how cheap it was compared to the UK. We said our farewells and headed home for our chicken dinner which was delicious. I forgot to take any photos and we had a relatively early night as tomorrow we were both very busy.
Gratitude List 1. Captain Caveman arriving in Dalyan (& with chopsticks!) 2. Losing weight despite a messy weekend 3. Seeing Jamie, Drew, Norman & Edna.
I had a busy day on Monday 9th June as I had decided to embark on a course to work on publishing a travel planner. After spending many an unsuccessful browse in book shops and stationers I’d realised there was a gap in the market for this book. I wanted to design, write and publish a planner that would enable buyers to plan their year of either small holidays or the big bucket list trip. It was a product I’d needed for myself, in the past, and I thought it might be really useful for others and to also add to my passive income stream. I had veggie noodles for breakfast and then got on with work. I attended another training webinar for a hotel chain in various European locations which was really good. I didn’t have lunch until gone 3pm and then it was a warmed up curry with steamed rice. I worked until 8.30pm and then messaged friends I had missed yesterday to apologise for me being AWOL. At 9pm I made myself 2 small pizzas from tacos, which were very nice. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was at work and cold in the UK.
Gratitude List 1. Starting to produce a Travel Planner 2. Good food 3. Training
There was a bit of excitement in the air on Tuesday 10th June as it was the day that Captain Caveman was travelling from Manchester to Dalyan after work tonight. While he worked in Warrington all day, I worked from home and tried to get quite a lot of my to do list done so that I could take the weekend off. At lunch time I nipped to the shops and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Green tea 34.95 2 Quark 70.00 A 2.2kg Chicken 219.69 Total spent 324.64 lira (£6.13)
Unfortunately, I saw a tortoise wandering towards a gate which it thought it could get under, so I had to move it. I rushed back to attend a webinar at 1pm which was about the new improved Quote Away platform and was very informative. I had a late lunch of jacket potato with cheese, done in the Airfryer and served with lettuce and carrot – a last ditch attempt to be healthy before tomorrow’s weigh-in! At 3pm I got a request from Captain Caveman to check he had his sunglasses here, and he did – he was finishing work soon and was heading to the airport for his flight at 7.20pm. I let Sonuç, of Dalyan Transfers, know that he’d be arriving at 01.35am tomorrow. Before dinner I went back out to the shops to get some provisions ready for Captain Caveman’s arrival and also because I wanted to take advantage of some offers that were on. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Dalyan Şarküteri 1 tin baked beans 65.00 1 tin coconut milk 75.00 250g Lurpak 220.00 Total spent 360.00 lira (£6.79)
Parlak Bakery 1 loaf 15.00 1 simit 15.00 Total spent 30.00 lira (57p)
At 9.30pm I got a photo from Captain Caveman who was on the plane and it wasn’t even full so he had extra space to spread out. He also sent me a list of the holidays he had requested from work. I had planned on going to bed but I decided to wait up for Captain Caveman and I caught up on my Turkish homework while I waited.
Gratitude List 1. Rescuing a tortoise 2. Finding a big chicken 3. Captain Caveman was on his way to Dalyan.
The medication was starting to do its thing by Sunday 1st June and I was glad as it was my last full day and night in the UK. I was off back to Turkey tomorrow so the plan had been to have a lovely day together, while Captain Caveman had a day off. We’d talked about going to Kew Gardens, as I’d never been, but I wasn’t well enough for an outing. Instead, I checked my stats for my blog to find that I was up 42% on views from the previous month. My top readers were located in the UK, Turkey and USA and I even had some new reader in Botswana. I was hoping for a good month and I even saved a post from my colleague, Helen the Resort Expert in Italy, which was promoting Joyful June – we could all do with a bit of that. Captain Caveman and I were very grateful to his parents for letting us stay, even more so when they potentially unwittingly allowed us to do a load of laundry. At lunch time, Captain Caveman and I decided to have a little walk to the shops in Barnes to eat our lunch in the park, near Barnes Pond. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
Sainsbury’s Supermarket 2 tins of Baked Beans 0.80 1 Double Decker chocolate bar 0.85 Fairy Liquid 1.25 6 packs of Mini cheddars 1.50 Parmesan cheese (for Carol) 3.95 Weetabix (for Vanessa) 4.00 Total spent £12.35
There wasn’t much going on for lunch options in Sainsbury’s, not for the first time, so we went to Marks & Spencer – my favourite! Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
1 pack mini sausage rolls 2.10 1 pack raspberries 2.65 1 salad box with edamame and nuts 2.90 1 Feta & sun dried tomato pasta 4.25 Total spent £11.90
My salad was delicious – I wish I’d bought two, and the raspberries were so lovely. We ate them sat on a bench while watching a young family who were attempting to let their young boy climb a tree, rather badly. Of course, after they had moved and we had eaten, Captain Caveman had to shimmy up the tree to show how easy it was. We also discussed the idea of me flying back to the UK on the 17th of next month to help Captain Caveman celebrate his birthday. The flight was only £53 and we contemplated booking it but decided to wait. The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting laundry and me packing, then we had a walk to the Brown Dog pub. Captain Caveman had a pint of a new beer that was on while I had a tap water. I was only functioning at 50% and needed to be ok to travel by tomorrow. I still had 2 more days worth of antibiotics but I think they were starting to have a positive effect. That evening, Captain Caveman’s parents had prepared us another tasty home cooked chicken dinner and then we watched a TV programme of Guy Martin in Vietnam. It was a relatively early night for me and I was rather upset that my last few days and not been as good due to being sick.
Gratitude List 1. Progress on the Blog views, it was still being read! 2. Being in Barnes, which is idyllic, to eat our lunch (and climb trees). 3. Captain Caveman’s parents being so easy going.
My flight from Gatwick was not until 8.50pm on Monday 2nd June so we were both working from home in Barnes. I checked in online for my flight and was given an aisle seat near the front. There was still some laundry drying so I did a bit more packing and, at lunchtime, Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shops. I bought something for lunch and also something for later, here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;
I ate some of it for lunch and saved the rest for the flight. In the afternoon I got notification that I had been paid from my book royalties and it was my first proper month so I was quite pleased. It wasn’t an amount I could retire on just yet but it was enough to top up my income for the month. I was pleased to see that I had sold more than 1 copy per day on average and I had already started to get some great (5 Star) reviews. At 5pm, Captain Caveman and I had finished work and were ready to set off to Barnes train station. Captain Caveman came with me as far as Clapham Junction so that he could help with my case. Interestingly, there were announcements saying the lifts weren’t working and I thought I’d struggle with my case, but they were all working fine. Captain Caveman waited with me for my train connection to Gatwick and we said our goodbyes. I was a bit sad because we had enjoyed spending time together so much and had not had one argument, which is an achievement in itself with Captain Caveman and I. The fare from Barnes to Gatwick was £15.60 and took less than an hour at rush hour. Once at the airport, I had to get in to the queue for the bag drop, and it was a good job I went early as it was rather long. By 6pm I was getting some English money from the cash machine to use for boat trips in Dalyan. I strolled through Duty Free and was unsure what to get, so messaged Captain Caveman to see what he thought was the best value. By 7.10pm I had bought one of my own favourite tipples a Ron Zacapa Rum for £48.19. I saw that there was a Wagamamas, which I love, and decided I just had enough time to eat something there. I ordered a vegan rice dish of pulled shiitake donburi for £13.50 and it was amazing! I boarded the flight and had plenty of Netflix Downloads to keep me busy. I was glad of the aisle seat as I was constantly up and down for the toilet. Although feeling much better, the water infection was still there. My flight with the 20kg hold luggage had cost just £49.99 which I thought was very reasonable, and I was due to land in Dalaman at 2.55am tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Passive income from ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ 2. Edamame beans – I love them 3. Captain Caveman’s help to Clapham Junction.
Captain Caveman came back to the Jonas Hotel in Sheffield in the early hours of Saturday 31st May. I woke up because he had to turn on the light and go to the bathroom. He’d also not been able to get in with his key as, when I had asked for another, they had cancelled the first one. I didn’t get much sleep due to Captain Caveman’s snoring and we were up for breakfast early. The hotel included a hot beverage and a croissant (plain or chocolate) which was very nice and meant I could take a tablet. I was meant to be calling in to see my parents but I was still quite unwell and decided it would be better to push on and get the journey down to London over with. I’d already warned Captain Caveman that I’d need to stop for several toilet breaks along the way. Our first stop off was at Dunston Hall Garden Centre where I had a soup with a pot of herbal tea, Captain Caveman ordered a sausage sandwich and chips with a coffee. The food was good but the service seemed a bit chaotic and amateur. Captain Caveman paid the bill while I had another toilet visit and got stuck in the one way system of the Garden Centre. We drove down to London, with just one more very brief pee stop and finally got to Barnes in the late afternoon. Captain Caveman and I were welcomed by his parents and sat out in the garden, meeting some friends of theirs. There was wine but I just had a juice and some of the crisps. I went to unpack and managed to have a little lay down but no sleep and then we were given a lovely home cooked pasta dish for dinner. I was fit for nothing and in bed very early which was a shame as I’d not seen the in-laws for such a long time. I managed to check my finances as I was very keen to see if I’d managed to come in within the £400 budget I had set for myself this month. With 11 days in the UK, mostly with Captain Caveman, I doubted that I had managed it so at first I was only going to count my Turkish Bank, which I only use in Turkey. I had put 20,716 lira (approx £400) in to that account for my budget. Unbelievably I had managed to spend 20,598 lira including 2 water bills, the electric bill and paying my credit card off in full. I was pleased at that but then I looked at my Wise account which I use mainly in the UK. Between me and Captain Caveman we had deposited £603 in total, unfortunately we had then spent £673, with £261.55 being spent on stuff that was only related to me! This meant I’d gone over budget by £260 at least in May, this also didn’t include anything that Captain Caveman had paid for directly. June was going to be tough and I needed to keep under budget to be able to start to get some savings in again. May had been such a fantastic month, though, and I was finally feeling like things were getting better financially.
Gratitude List 1. Making it to London despite feeling rather unwell 2. Seeing Captain Caveman’s parents 3. Being able to have some treats which meant going over budget.
Friday 30th was meant to have been my last day to catch up with various people I’d not seen yet, as well as some I already had. The plan had been to finish work early and meet Louisa then, when Captain Caveman finished work, he would come join along with Vanessa and some of her family before attending Caz’s birthday celebrations that night. My sister was hoping to be able to meet me too before she went on holiday and I needed to say bye to my parents before I went back to Turkey. Captain Caveman and I were driving back to London the next day and I would get to see his parents before I flew back to Dalaman on Monday. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling worse and the cystitis medication was doing bugger all to alleviate the pain, or the symptoms. Most of the day was spent in pain, feeling nauseous and a bit blurry. Vanessa was dealing with a delivery of a couple of sofa throws which had been ordered for her settee in Dalyan and they were really nice, but heavy and big. She’d asked Matt to get some made in Dalyan to save paying for luggage but he’d not been able to get any. I agreed to take one in my suitcase as I had enough room and was already taking a jar of Branston, which they had forgotten on their last trip out, plus a couple of bits. I didn’t mind at all but I only had space for 1 of them, poor Vanessa would have to take the other in her under seat bag. I started doing some packing while Captain Caveman was in meetings and Vanessa went out to meet her son and his girlfriend, with arrangements to see us at the Lescar pub later. I doubted I would be able to go but I really wanted to see people before I left as I didn’t know when I would be back. At lunch time, Captain Caveman gave me a 2 minute warning that we needed to pack up and leave during his lunch hour as he had another important meeting and we needed to get across town. Months ago when Captain Caveman had arranged to go to Caz’s birthday celebrations he had thought he would stay at a hotel he had used before, the Jonas hotel, Endcliffe. I wasn’t quite with it as I hastily packed and rushed to the toilet in between as I still was in a predicament.
We arrived at the hotel which is located in a student area and is really stylish. Captain Caveman logged on in the communal working area ready for his 2pm meeting and I ordered a cup of Yorkshire tea and a cake for £4.50 as my lunch (there were no sandwiches left). I took the key and went up to the room where I tried to have a little sleep but I felt quite sick. I googled my symptoms and decided I needed to see if I could get antibiotics from somewhere and set off walking to Boots on Ecclesall Road. I got as far as the Tesco Supermarket and was nearly peeing my pants so went in to find a toilet. They didn’t have one, but I did find an adaptor plug for £4. At the pharmacy, still desperate for a wee, there was a massive queue and I could hear the on duty pharmacist saying he would love to visit Turkey for a holiday to one of the staff. That member of staff then told the woman in front of me that there was not a prescribing pharmacist on duty today so she would need to go to the walk-in centre. I was already distressed and desperate for a pee so I decided to ask the lady at the counter if I could speak to the pharmacist in private. Mo, the on duty pharmacist, obliged and we went in to the room next door where I explained my predicament. I also told a bit of a fib that I was due to drive to Gatwick tomorrow to get my flight back to Turkey and that I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to travel. We chatted about Turkey, politics and how if he needed a pee sample I could probably fill a bucket while crying, right now. He prescribed me Nitrofurantoin and said it was probably a bladder infection. By 4pm, I left the Boots Pharmacy, having paid £9.90 and was so relieved to have seen Mo. He was a lovely fella and really helped me out in a predicament. I located the nearest chain coffee shop for the toilet, in desperation. I had to buy an overpriced bottle of water (£2.25) to get a code to get in for the biggest (painful) pee of the day. I was so relieved and took my first tablet while on the loo. I walked back to the hotel but got lost and ended up walking quite far out of my way, up and down big hills, which I’m no longer used to. I got back and went to bed, which was super comfy but would’ve benefited from extra pillows.
I’m not much of a tablet taker so I immediately noticed that the Nitrofurantoin was having a weird effect on me, in the afternoon. I’d already had to start letting people know I wouldn’t be in any fit state to see them today. I needed to take my next tablet with or after food and needed to avoid citrus and spicy food. It was such a shame as Captain Caveman had finished work and wanted to go out for a nice meal before going to meet Caz and all the others at the Lescar for drinks. We decided to walk down the hill and find a restaurant to get a meal and I could take my next tablet. After mooching about and me not fancying anything because the thought of eating didn’t appeal, we settled on a Spanish Tapas place. That way, I could nibble on something and Captain Caveman could enjoy a nice meal with a drink or two. Here’s what we had with prices in pounds;
Iberico Restaurant Olive oil with Balsamic 1.00 Alioli (extra) 1.00 Bread 3.50 75ml sherry 4.00 Belly pork 5.00 Chorizo with honey and toast 5.00 Artichokes 5.00 Tortilla 7.00 Ham Croquettes 9.00 250ml red wine 11.00 2 Manchego with Membrillo 12.00 Lots of tap water (free) Total spent £63.50
I loved the Manchego cheese and even managed to eat the meat dishes but, when the tortilla came, I had to make a dash for the toilet to be sick. Eggs can often make me feel nauseous when I’m ill but I was in a state and needed to lay down. As we were so near to the Lescar, we decided I would go and wish Caz a Happy Birthday, say thank you and farewell to Vanessa and hopefully see some of the other friends while I was there. Captain Caveman and I were the first there, shortly followed by Caz and Tim. I said hello, apologised for being ill, found out water infections are more common during menopause and drank just half of my tap water. I was in a bit of a state but I did have time to at least say hello to Caz and friends and get in a photo. I had to run to the loo to pee and throw up but was conscious of wasting the antibiotic so swallowed it! Vanessa and Brad didn’t arrive and I couldn’t wait any longer so Captain Caveman and I left, he would return after walking me back. My sister messaged to say she was sorry she hadn’t been able to meet me but was at a family meal at Gill’s & Co on Ecclesall Road. We were walking past it, so we went in just to say bye to everyone. I had a soda water, Captain Caveman had a drop of the bottle of wine on the table and my sister was on good form. It looked like a lovely place to dine. I paid visits to the toilet more than once and then I just had to get back to the hotel for a lay down. I said bye to everyone with promises to see them in the summer, so not too long to wait. Captain Caveman left to rejoin Caz’s birthday bash and I walked back up the hill to the hotel. I could see the hotel so went in my bag to get the hotel key, only to realise that I didn’t have it. I called Captain Caveman and text but no answer. When I did speak to him, I was already in the hotel reception toilets, trying not to throw up. He wasn’t about to come back with the key so he said to ask reception for a new one, which they were very accommodating about. I had the second shower of the day and put my PJs on to go to sleep, just hoping I would be well enough to get to London tomorrow. At 9.20pm Vanessa messaged to say they were still at Grandma’s having had a Chinese so wouldn’t be able to make it out, after all. She wished me well for my journey and I her for her flight tomorrow and I would see her in Dalyan next week.
Gratitude List 1. Mo, the pharmacist – life saver! 2. Iberico – I will have to visit again when I’m better to fully appreciate it. 3. At least seeing Caz (and friends) on her birthday night out and saying bye to the Lessing family.
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.
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;
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.
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
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.
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.
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;
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.
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;
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.
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;
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.
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.
joloyolo 