Dalyan to London – 23rd December

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

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 11th & 12th December

I was up at 6am on Thursday 11th December, half expecting to come down to Norman having had an accident. He was fast asleep still and only woke up once I’d got comfy under the Christmas blanket on the sofa.
Outside, Norman was still not out of the woods so I made him some egg to mix in with his breakfast. The weather was fine and looked to be good all weekend. It was just 2 weeks until Christmas Day and only 12 days until I saw Captain Caveman again.
I worked all day from the dining room table, including a Resort Experts team meeting.
Norman let me know at lunch time that he needed to be sat in the chair nearest to me. He could see what was going on but then was snoring super loudly within minutes.
I didn’t eat much during the day as I was busy so, at 5.30pm, I downed tools for the dog walk before dinner. I warmed up a chicken dinner and saved Norman a little bit of chicken, which he loved. It had been another zero spend and no alcohol day so I was pleased with that.
I sat down on the sofa to watch something on Netflix but started to fall asleep. I managed about one episode of Drive to Survive, about Formula 1, before I drifted off.

Gratitude List
1. No accidents from Norman
2. Less than 12 days until I arrived in London
3. Chicken dinner.

By 7.15am on Friday 12th December, Norman and I had been out and we were having some sofa snuggles. Usually when Edna had been with us, she had taken the priority spot for morning strokes but now Norman quietly put himself against my leg and instantly fell asleep. After working in the morning, I decided to pop to the pharmacy to see if they had any Covid and Flu jabs. I hoped to visit people in the UK over Christmas who had compromised immune systems so I wanted to try to prevent spreading anything.
Interestingly, there were no Covid vaccines available but the flu jab was out of the packet and in the back of my left arm before I could say anything else. After, I asked the reason for the lack of Covid jabs and they said they no longer stock them. I asked if I could go to the nearest hospital to get one and they said not and that Turkey didn’t have them.
This was my first flu jab so I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was surprised at the price as I had no idea what they cost;

Balcı Pharmacy
Flu jab 568.99 lira (£10.16)

Next, I went to the bank to ask about insurance for my forthcoming trip to Morocco but by the time I got upstairs I felt faint. I learned that the bank couldn’t do travel insurance until next week, as it needed to be nearer the date of travel. I had a quick trip to the supermarket which resulted in me buying some new drinking glasses to have water in, prices in lira for what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 7.16
Chocolate bar 19.95
Biscuits 37.75
Chickpea rice 37.76
Marshmallow 39.95
Dark chocolate 49.95
Cereal bars 60.90
2 drinking glasses 84.94
Dates 89.95
Total 428.31 lira (£7.65)

I called at the bakery to get a simit but also ended up with a cheese börek (pastry) for a total of 45 lira (80p) I had to walk all the way back to Jamie’s without passing out as I had started to feel weak so ate the börek outside with Norman. Unexpectedly, Norman had a bit of an incident where he was looking at me eating, he fell backwards down 2 steps then toddled towards the pool, almost falling in!
A proof copy of my new book ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ was meant to be being delivered today to Captain Caveman so that he could proof read and check it for me, but it didn’t arrive.
I went for a walk with Norman after work and, as it was Friday, we went to the pub for a drink. I had a couple of rosé wines and soda at Ren Garden and Norman behaved really well. The total cost for 2 wines and 1 soda was 330 lira (£5.89) but I rounded it up to include a tip so spent 400 lira (£7.14) in total – not bad for a Friday treat.
Back home, I made a pasta dish for my dinner and we saw that Jamie had indeed made his way on to the Maldives flight – he was not going to have to slum it in Benidorm, after all. I let Norman know but he was more concerned as to if he was getting egg in his dinner or not. After dinner, I had loaded the dishwasher and put the tablet in, Norman was inquisitive and wanted to see what it was all about. I explained to him that dishwasher tablets are not snacks, despite Jamie storing them in the fridge!

Gratitude List
1. Being able to get a flu jab
2. Norman
3. Knowing a proof copy of my book was due to arrive in Pontefract, probably tomorrow.

Dalyan – 20th & 21st October

It was back to it on Monday 20th October and I had plenty to do, before looking after Norman on Wednesday. The weather forecast over the next few days predicted rain.
At lunch time I had a break and warmed up a curry I had got out of the freezer, then cracked back on with the to do list.
I finished on the laptop at 5.45pm and made myself a ‘pretend’ pizza with a wholemeal wrap base, but forgot I didn’t have any grated mozzarella – I used cheese balls instead and it still tasted fine.
At 9.30pm I had a video call with Captain Caveman who was continuing to work hard in the UK. We both agreed it felt a long time to be waiting to see each other again.

Gratitude List
1. It not raining yet
2. Easy and tasty meals
3. Speaking to Captain Caveman.

I had a bit of excitement on Tuesday 21st October; I pushed through the to do list in the morning and then had arranged to meet up with friends, Dot & Ian.
The rain hadn’t started yet so I made my way to Okyanus where we had some drinks and a lovely lunch. Dot ordered Menemen, Ian a breakfast sandwich and I had a chicken wrap with homemade chips. Dot and I had a couple of white wines, Ian drank Efes and we chatted loads. It was great to hear their future plans and it was lovely sunshine until the rain came. I’d helped them out with a passport situation when I was in London last so they insisted on paying for lunch, which was very kind and totally unexpected. I really enjoyed our catch up, the lunch was lovely and it was nice to take a little bit of time off too. We said our farewells at my gate and I spent the afternoon catching up on some content writing. I even sat out on the balcony as the sun was back out and it was rather warm. A friend had organised a ladies night boat trip which I had to decline, not just because it wasn’t in the budget but, because I had a full diary until 6pm and it started at 3pm. I got a message saying I would be missed which was thoughtful.

I messaged my parents to see if I could call in after going to the shops later, as it had been a week since I saw them. Unfortunately, they already had plans to join friends for a night out and were waiting for confirmation of where and when to meet them. At 6pm I decided to pop to the shop to get something for dinner and see if there was Quark in stock. My Mom messaged to say they could meet me for one drink before they went out with their friends, if I wanted, so I said yes.
Here’s what I bought in Migros, prices in lira;

Migros Süpermarket
Green peppers 13.98
Red peppers 15.88
2 Dido chocolate bars 49.00
Bananas 53.70
2 Dido Gold bars 54.00
2 packs of Mozzarella cheese 147.80
Total spent 334.46 lira (£6.14)

I walked over to meet Ma & Pa in Jiks, which is opposite the supermarket. They already had Efes Malts on the go and I ordered a white wine and soda (with it being a school night). Mom kept checking her phone to see if her friend had sent the location of where they needed to be and my plan was to go back home with my shopping and make some dinner, once they left.
We had a couple of wines in Jiks and, when I went to the loo, Dad ordered me a third wine. This meant I’d had 5 wines today and was quite tipsy – weigh day tomorrow wasn’t going to go well!
We paid the 1300 lira bill at Jiks (£23.85) and we were ready to leave. Ma & Pa still hadn’t heard from her friend so we decided to call for one in Ren Garden. There is a cute cat that hangs about in there and it had befriended my parents (who don’t usually like cats). Once we got in there, we didn’t leave until midnight. I was sozzled and hadn’t had any dinner. Our bill in Ren Garden came to 1400 lira (£25.69) which I paid for and I don’t remember getting home!

Gratitude List
1. Lunch with Dot & Ian
2. Getting to see my parents for an impromptu night out
3. Remembering to take my shopping home.

London – 9th August

With just 2 more days left for me in the UK, Captain Caveman really pulled out the stops again on Saturday 9th August. He had told me he was taking me out for a surprise in the afternoon so I was excited to know what it would be. He had got in from work at 4am and had slept for just 6 hours after working all day and night!
In the morning we had a wander round the Barnes Farmers market, which is so lovely. Captain Caveman bought his usual black pudding, bacon and sausages but we didn’t get any sausage rolls or belly pork this time as we were off out for lunch. I always admire the Cakehole stall but I never allow myself a treat from there – the cakes look amazing though. I did have bacon, a sausage, beans and toast for breakfast, cooked by Captain Caveman and it was delicious.
We also booked my train ticket from Barnes to Gatwick for Monday evening, which made me a little bit sad. After more than a month in England you’d think I would be itching to get back to Dalyan but I had really enjoyed being back and the month had gone so fast.

The time had come to set off for our afternoon surprise and I definitely would not have guessed what it was.
We arrived in Brixton Village at a place called Fish, Wings & Tings and we found the only 2 seats available outside in the sun. Time was of the essence so I hurriedly chose chicken wings, Captain Caveman ordered cod fish fritters and we both had a Carib beer. When it came, mine was super spicy and my mouth was a bit numb from the chillies (which I thought I’d picked out) so Captain Caveman got to eat all 6 of his fish fritters and half of my chicken wings. I had to order second beers as my mouth was on fire and I hoped whatever activity we were in a rush for next, did not involve having a good stomach. Our total bill for lunch with 4 beers came to £38 and that wasn’t the surprise.

The surprise was amazing and I soon forgot about my mouth being on fire. Captain Caveman had booked us tickets to a film at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton. He went to the counter to pick up the tickets and I still had no idea what we were going to see. The cinema was quiet and we didn’t get any popcorn or other snacks.
As soon as the film started, I knew exactly what it was. One of the best concert films of all time, especially if you’re a Talking Heads fan; ‘Stop Making Sense’ was made in 1984 and is just fantastic.
I was so happy and it was probably the first time I’d sat and listened to most of these songs without singing along – but I wanted to! I’d never seen it on the big screen before either so it was just an amazing experience. It was a really thoughtful surprise and we both thoroughly enjoyed the showing, although I think I saw Captain Caveman napping.

On the way back to Barnes we popped in to a Holland & Barrett for more Gin Gins (ginger sweets which are great for sea sickness) and were £11.84 for 2 packets. As it was sunny, we had a stroll around the stalls in Brixton Village on the way back to the station. We decided to get off at Barnes Bridge for a walk along the Thames and a crafty drink at the Coach and Horses, where I’m very partial to their house wine. We called in to M&S for provisions where I didn’t keep Captain Caveman’s receipt – probably because he knew I’d comment on how expensive tomatoes are compared to the ones from Dalyan market – he wouldn’t miss that, when I’d gone!
To finish the wonderful day off, Captain Caveman knocked up a carbonara for dinner which we had with rocket and raspberries for afters. We drank red wine and I didn’t fall asleep on the sofa as we had crisps to nibble on. Tomorrow would be our last full day together so we had more plans for a lovely day.

Gratitude List
1. Brixton beers in the sun
2. Seeing ‘Stop Making Sense’ at the Ritzy with Captain Caveman
3. The effort Captain Caveman put in to the day, despite him being knackered from working so much.

London – 8th August

Captain Caveman had volunteered for site work on Friday 8th August so he was working all day until 4pm, then having a sleep before doing a night shift! I cracked on with work and book stuff too.
At lunch time, I popped to the shop to get a card for a friend, I also noticed they had personalised Toblerones and she loves them. I generally no longer spend money on cards or gifts but I decided to splash out, seeing as though it was her 80th birthday next week and I was invited to her party. She was also getting a copy of my book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ to go with it as she does ride a bike and she might find it useful.

Here’s what I bought at the local gift shop, prices in pounds;

Presents
Birthday card 2.99
Toblerone 4.99
Total spent 7.98

I went back home and worked on various ongoing projects and then finished at 4pm. While Captain Caveman went for a sleep, I went out shopping, here’s what I bought and what I spent;

Marks and Spencer’s
Raspberries 2.50
Blueberries 2.50
Olives 2.66
Tomatoes 2.66
Edamame beans 2.67
Parmesan 3.40
4 mini Cheeses 5.30
Total spent £21.70

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Garlic 0.55
Rocket 0.89
1 Double Decker 0.95
1 Mars bar 1.15
Cream crackers 1.45
2 Fajita mix 2.00
Options drinking chocolate 5.95
Total spent £12.94

What I didn’t realise until I got back was that the mini cheeses were 5 for £4 but I’d only got 4 and paid £5.30! But now there are no cashier’s, no one points these things out and, even if I went back, there was not anything I could do. I usually avoid self scan supermarkets but it was getting harder to do. Some of the items I got to take with me back to Dalyan, so I put those to one side.
We had a chicken and chorizo pasta for dinner before Captain Caveman went to work in East London for the night.

Gratitude List
1. Being in Barnes with lots of nice shops nearby
2. Stocking up on a few treats to take back to Dalyan
3. Finishing at 4pm on a Friday.

London – 7th August

The weather was a tad warmer in London on Thursday 7th August but I was still feeling cold at 16°C. It was hard to believe it was summer! Captain Caveman was on a course in London and I worked from the dining room at his parents’ home.
I decided I would take myself off to Tesco, for lunch and some shopping, which is the far side of Barnes. I wanted to see if my new Club Card app worked, and it did. Here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;

Tesco Supermarket
500g Penne pasta 0.69
1 pint skimmed milk 0.85
Wholemeal bread 0.99
Chocolate croissant 1.30
6 eggs 1.75
Peppers 2.00
225g chorizo 2.70
Meal Deal 3.60
400g chicken breast 4.45
Total spent £18.33

I had a saunter back with a heavy bag, while eating the chocolate croissant in the park. Back at the house, I did a mixture of work and laundry. I struggled to tie the washing line and Captain Caveman wasn’t there to help, so I improvised.

In the evening I got the train in to London where I met Captain Caveman and Clare at The Hole in the Wall, a pub very close to Waterloo station – I even found it without getting lost.

Next, we decided to try Vaulty Towers, an unusually decorated pub, which served food. It was very busy and we had to wait a bit for a table but then we had drinks and food. Captain Caveman had tacos, Clare had a fish finger sandwich and I had a chicken burger which was very nice but did cost £16.95 and a large glass of wine was £10. It was a fun pub, though, and they even have a tree house you can sit in to escape the bustle of the bar area.

Clare had to get her train back to Southampton so we walked back, paying tribute to an ex Aviva colleague and friend, Rob Marsh, by singing ‘What’s that coming over the hill?’ as we passed Cafe Del Marsh on Lower Marsh. A quick trip to M&S in Waterloo station where I insisted on train tins, £8.50 for 3. Captain Caveman and Clare got a G&T and I had a Pina Colada (and yes I did sing that song too)!
We were home before 9pm and I fell asleep on the sofa (again)!

Gratitude List
1. Being a fully working Clubcard member at Tesco’s
2. Finding my way to The Hole in the Wall pub
3.Meeting up for another great night with Captain Caveman and Clare.

Pontecarlo and London – 6th August

There were lots of shenanigans for Captain Caveman and I on Wednesday 6th August. It didn’t go unnoticed that it was weigh day, the last one I would be in the UK for, but we didn’t have any bathroom scales in Ponte. I did my measurements to find they weren’t too favourable but that was to be expected with the amount of treats and booze I’d consumed. I’d put 2cm on my bust, waist and hips! I had a chance to see the IKEA products in situ, around Captain Caveman’s house, which was nice and I even had a shower using a fresh new towel and standing on a lovely bath mat – it’s the little things, eh!?
Captain Caveman made us bacon sandwiches for breakfast as Fuck İn was closed for a holiday!! We both had work and meetings to do before we set off for a trip back to London.
Captain Caveman and I both had a full diary so there was no let up, Captain Caveman had work calls on his way south and I attended a Zoom meeting about my Travel Planner with Claire Clarke. I could hear Claire speaking but noone could hear me and I only realised afterwards that it was because my phone had Google maps on. My phone had assumed that I was driving (I wasn’t) so wouldn’t let me participate, I also was super travel sick by the time we arrived in Barnes at 2pm.
I was excited to find a test notebook had arrived from Amazon which I’d been trialling a glossy book cover on, in readiness for my new travel planner. After a bit more work and various calls, it was time for a trip in to the city of London to meet a friend.

I had arranged for Captain Caveman and I to meet Clare after work on Bond Street. Clare had booked a table at a Malaysian restaurant called Med Salleh, which none of us had been to before. Amazingly, they had Saigon Red beer on the menu so Captain Caveman and I ordered one at £4.50 each. The food was amazing and I had a chicken, prawn & tofu noodle soup which was massive and good value at £16. The others also enjoyed their food and I would love to go there again.

The building itself was impressive and I had a good look round when I nipped to the toilet. After our meal, it was still early so we decided to have a couple of drinks in bars nearby, one of which was the Bayswater Arms. It was great to see Clare again and we even decided we could meet again tomorrow, after work, for a final farewell of this trip.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing the bath mat was worth the arguments in IKEA
2. An eventful journey to London
3. A fab evening with Captain Caveman and Clare in London.

Sevenoaks and London – 24th July

Claire had needed to be in London for work on Thursday 24th and, as luck would have it, so did Clare. This meant I could tag along and work from Claire’s office and sit with her daughter who was also tagging along in the hope of a shopping trip afterwards.
I worked in the morning and then we took the train in to London, walking past a couple of places of interest. We met Clare at a nice spot for lunch where we braved sitting outside. The restaurant already had prepared for all weather with sunglasses and blankets, and we ordered quickly so that people could get back to work. Both Clare and I ordered a duck salad, Claire had a rainbow salad and her daughter ordered a burger with some duck bao buns to share. The food was fantastic and the waiter very good, we even got an extra portion of bao buns due to a mix up which we hadn’t even noticed. Typically, my dishes had tons of chillies in so I picked them all out, Clare who had the same, and likes chillies, had far fewer in her food. Here’s what we paid, in pounds, keeping in mind it was in London;

D&Ms
1 pint of tap water (free)
1 Elderflower cordial 0.60
1 tonic 2.95
1 diet coke 4.10
1 Homemade lemonade 4.95
Duck Bao Buns 10.95
1 Rainbow salad with Halloumi 18.45
1 Cheeseburger 18.95
2 Duck salads 33.90
12.5% tip 11.86
Total spent £106.71

Given that I was staying with Claire and had not paid for anything, I paid for the 3 of us at £81.71 and Clare paid for her share. I found it hard to get my UK phone to work in the centre of London and when I mentioned it, my 2 friends said they had the same issue. I missed the Resort Experts weekly meeting and ironically I’d also missed a zoom session on ‘Manifesting for Sceptics’.

Next, we said bye to Clare and went to the other Claire’s work. We had to get a pass, go through security to go in and up to a very high floor. The canteen was fantastic and I had a hot chocolate which was better than most cafes. Claire’s daughter shared her dried mango with me while her mom was in a meeting and was really well behaved while I did a bit of work. As we were leaving the office, I got a bit of a shock when I bumped in to an ex-Aviva colleague – the one and only Dan Holmes who now works in International insurance. What a small world it is.
We walked back to London Bridge station, via buying a new jacket for Claire’s daughter, and then did a bit of food and drink shopping, here’s what we got with prices in pounds;

Holland & Barrett
Diablo Dark chocolate 2.99
2 packs Gin Gins 7.78
Total spent £10.77

Gin Gins are great for seasickness, which I suffer badly from, so I was stocking up.

M&S
Sour cream snacks 1.25
Apple & peanut butter snack 2.65
Sparkling water 3.10
Super nutty salad 3.20
Edamame beans 4.25
Tuna and sweetcorn salad 4.50
Prawn layered salad 5.25
Sushi selection 5.75
Cray fish salad 6.50
3 ‘Train Tins’ 8.50
Total spent £44.95

On the journey back to Otford, we got a bit excited as we had Train Tins – let me explain for the uninitiated; these are tins (or cans) of premixed drinks sold by supermarkets in train stations so that you can have a takeaway alcoholic beverage on your train ride! Genius idea and Marks & Spencers do a really good range at only £8.50 for 3. We chose a Pornstar Martini each and then shared a limoncello with sparkling wine. What we didn’t really account for was a pretty full train with commuters on and the fact that, while the child in our care dined on sushi, sliced apple and peanut butter washed down with a juice, we were downing train tins before 5pm like a couple of soaks!
It was my last night with Claire and we had a nice relaxing evening with our salads and nibbles for dinner. I’d been well and truly spoiled at Claire’s and was going to miss them all, even Dave the cat and Reg the dog!

Gratitude List
1. London lunch with some of the girls
2. Going in to Claire’s office
3. Discovering Train Tins

Sevenoaks & Pett – 23rd July

In the morning of Wednesday 23rd July I didn’t get weighed despite it being weigh day, my 2nd one since being in the UK. I did take my measurements though and was surprised they weren’t worse;
Bust -1cm and under target, Waist -2cm and on target, Hips -1cm and also on target!
Claire and I worked from her home, with me doing some enquiries which included the Con Dao Islands and Gia Lai, both in Vietnam. I also saw an interesting Facebook post on ways to stay organised. My 3rd session with Ade on Substack was at 10am and also clashed with day 3 of Matt Hall’s Audience Growth training. I played catch up on that session but it’s not the same as doing it live. I did more work on my travel planner which involved key words and categories for marketing purposes. I had another zoom call about book publishing at 3pm and that went really well.
By 5.30pm Claire, her daughter, Mark and I were in the car on our way to the seaside. Mark had something to attend to at their holiday cottage in Pett and Claire thought it would be a great opportunity for us to join him. The initial plan was for us to have fish and chips there too but when we arrived in Pett (not too far from Hastings), the fish and chip shop was closed on Wednesdays. What a shame, so we went for Plan B and went to Peking Takeaway for a Chinese takeaway instead. We must’ve been hungry as we ended up getting £50 worth of food for the 4 of us, including half a crispy duck with pancakes. The holiday cottage was lovely and it was great to be there, the Chinese food was fantastic and must have been my first in such a long time. There was loads left so we bagged it up to take back with us.

After stuffing our faces and Mark doing all his jobs, we drove to the beach. It was still light at 8.45pm and the beach had a glow about it. We had a laugh trying to copy Mark skimming stones in to the sea and I got a few photos of us on Pett beach. The drive back felt long as we were all a bit tired and there were road closures but it had been totally worth the trip out. Tomorrow would be my last full day and night with Claire and her family as I was heading up to Sheffield next – the time had gone so fast!

Gratitude List
1. My measurements still being good after 12 days in the UK
2. Chinese food for dinner
3. A fantastic impromptu visit to Pett.

Dalyan – 18th July

To celebrate Captain Caveman’s birthday on Friday 18th July I decided to get him out for a coffee and a croissant before work. We went to a local coffee shop called Hermanos, where I had a pain au chocolat with an earl grey tea and Captain Caveman had a plain croissant with a double espresso. I enjoyed mine but Captain Caveman wasn’t impressed. He popped to the shop while I drank my pot of tea and he bought a Hovis wholemeal loaf for £1.39 from Sainsbury’s.

We were back home and working before 9am and Captain Caveman had a very busy day ahead so we would celebrate his birthday tonight. I had a sandwich for lunch around 1pm and we finally finished work about 6pm. Captain Caveman’s Ma had been to get a cake so we all gathered in the garden. Captain Caveman’s Pa was in charge of beverages and opened a bottle of fizz to mark the occasion. I was surprised to find out that singing Happy Birthday wasn’t required. I was having none of that and we sang, even though Captain Caveman isn’t one for celebrating birthdays particularly. The carrot cake was delicious and the bubbles was such a lovely thing to do, sat in a sunny spot in the garden. I’d even popped on a dress to wear as Mike and Gill had booked us in at Omm, a Lebanese restaurant, for dinner.

We had a nice stroll to the restaurant, Barnes is such a lovely area of London. It was my first time visiting Omm and I was very impressed. The place was stylish, there was lots of staff and we had a nice table. We decided to share lots of sharing plates and some rather pleasant Lebanese rosé wine. The food was absolutely delicious and we all had a great time. At the end of the meal, Mike and I got chatting to the owner who was really friendly. It was another one of my new favourite places to eat now. Captain Caveman fancied a nightcap in the pub on the way home so we persuaded Ma & Pa to join us. It was gone 10pm when we got to the Coach & Horses where the men ordered pints, I had my usual red wine and Gill had already had sufficient so decided it was time to call it a night.
Despite it being a normal working day for Captain Caveman and I, his birthday and turned out to be rather lovely – thanks to his parents. Tonight was my last night with Captain Caveman for a week, as we were going to be spending time apart, after a rather eventful Saturday!

Gratitude List
1. Getting to spend Captain Caveman’s birthday with him
2. Cake, candles and celebrations with the family
3. An excellent birthday meal at Omm.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman & Gill

Barnes – 16th & 17th July

I’d been in the UK less than 5 days on Wednesday 16th July, which was weigh day. I popped on the bathroom scales and had already put on weight since I’d been here. I was 0.9kg (2lb) heavier and wasn’t surprised given the amount of food and drink I had consumed. I did my measurements and found that I had already put 2cm on my bust, 1cm on my waist but my hips remained the same. It was cold and cloudy in Barnes today as I got on with some work. I also did some promoting of my book which I hoped I’d get more sales from. My friends Janet and Ian, in Dalyan, had finally got their copy and were having a good laugh at it, they sent me some funny photos.
At 10am I attended the second Substack webinar with Ade and found it very interesting. I had a Lisa Johnson networking session at 1pm which was really different. There are certainly some very unusual people working in the online space and I got to meet a few of them.
My book had arrived in Phong Nha at last, courtesy of Jamie, and she had passed it to Ben at the Phong Nha Farmstay.
At 4pm I finished work early to go to the post office with my friend’s passports. It was just £8.75 to post them recorded delivery to Edinburgh and the man in the post office said they would arrive tomorrow. I thought that seemed quick but surely he must know. I messaged the lady and let her know my return fare to London had been £10.50 and the postage just £8.50 so she just owed me £19. She replied straight away to say she was transferring the money and I nipped in to Barnes Pantry. It was Captain Caveman’s birthday in a couple of days and I wanted to get him a little something, perhaps a bottle of wine. In the shop the wine was quite pricey so instead I bought something to go with our curry night dinner. Here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;

Barnes Pantry
1 Cadbury’s Twirl 1.19
Geetas Chutney 2.49
Poppadoms 3.19
Total spent £6.87

I decided I would make my way to M&S where they had cheaper wine available and I set off walking. My phone pinged to say I had received money in to my Wise account. I checked and the Passport lady had transferred me more than she should have. I called her straight away to alert her to the mistake and for me to transfer back the extra amount. I was a bit overwhelmed as she had meant to pay me extra for doing it which I had not expected at all. We talked for quite some time and had a good chat, I came off the call feeling quite emotional and this time I couldn’t blame it on the menopause. What a lovely thing to do and she also told me to enjoy time with Captain Caveman for his birthday. I completely forgot about wine buying and walked back eating the chocolate.
Back home, while Captain Caveman finished off some work, I put some washing on and made a new friend, Motthew the Moth. For dinner, I put the Indian starter items in to the oven and we had them with the chutney and a couple of poppadoms.

Captain Caveman had suffered a hectic day so he was quite shattered but in need of fresh air. It wasn’t raining so we decided to have a break and eat the mains later so we had a walk through Barnes Green, and had a drink in the Sun Inn. Captain Caveman had a beer and I had a red wine for a total of £16. We wanted to sit inside the pub as it was cold but there was a singer giving it full pelt. I was fine with it but Captain Caveman needed quiet so we sat outside, with me shivering. I listened as Captain Caveman offloaded the frustrations of his day and I tried to help where I could.
Back home, neither of us were hungry so we didn’t bother with the rest of our Indian meal and both fell asleep in the lounge.

Gratitude List
1. Good free training on things that were new to me
2. Unexpected payment for doing a friend a favour
3. Spending time after work with Captain Caveman.

Both Captain Caveman and I had very busy days on Thursday 17th July which meant we just cracked on with our mornings. I had a Resort Experts team meeting which I dialed in to, followed by a 121 training session on Quote Away where I was using version 2 to make bespoke holiday quotes. We went for a walk at lunchtime and as we were coming back to the house, we saw Captain Caveman’s parents arriving back from their holiday in Europe. They were unloading the car so Captain Caveman went to help his Dad, who had practically finished. It was good to see Mike and Gill as the last time I’d seen them, I’d not been feeling 100%. I think both Gill and I could smell it at the same time; I thought it was the bin that might have needed emptying but Gill knew it was the bananas that were on the turn. Before we really knew what was going on, we were having a bit of a laugh over my slapdash approach to making a banana loaf. Gill got the scales, bowls and ingredients out as well as leafing through the pages of her Delia Smith recipe book. Obviously, I had one more banana than was needed and I wanted to use less sugar, we didn’t have large eggs so I used 2 small ones. We adjusted the flour but we both agreed we didn’t need walnuts in it and I continued with the large tin when the smaller one may just have sufficed. Of course, Gill offered to get the electric mixer out, however, I’ve never used one so I opted for the special mixing fork and did it by hand. Captain Caveman thought it a bit odd when he came to see what the nice smell was. He was a bit surprised that we’d just rustled up a treat to have with a cup of tea that afternoon. It came out a bit too moist but the bottom was not too soggy. Once cooled a little, I sliced some up and Captain Caveman carried up the tea tray for us all to try it in the living room, some of us with a little butter.
It tasted rather nice but it was a little too wet. Captain Caveman and his Ma did have a little bit more and I wasn’t sure if it was just to be polite or not. Even though it hadn’t turned out as Delia would have expected, I’d actually enjoyed doing this impromptu activity with Gill.
That evening Captain Caveman and I ate the Indian meal we should’ve had last night which was very nice. Tomorrow was Captain Caveman’s birthday so we had plans to all celebrate as a family after work.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy with Resort Experts stuff
2. Baking with Captain Caveman’s Ma
3. Afternoon tea with an over moist banana loaf.

London – 15th July

On Tuesday 15th July I had a mission to do for a lady I hadn’t seen for a while. We used to go to the same Turkish class in Dalyan a few years ago and she lives in Scotland. I’d responded to a request for help on Facebook as she needed her passports picking up from London and I was in London, or certainly a lot nearer than she was. I decided to take the morning off work and head in to the city. I got the train to Tottenham Court Road and then walked towards the British Museum to collect the passports at a small office. I’d got all the relevant paperwork and permission so I picked up the passports in a straightforward manner. I was going to visit the British museum afterwards but it was still closed.

By 10.45am I had wandered down the very empty street to a Burger King where I got myself a cup of tea and a sausage sandwich for just under a fiver. I let my friend know I had her passports and they were safe, I would post them up to Scotland from Barnes tomorrow. I was going to go straight back to Barnes but the weather started to take a bit of a turn, it started to rain and was extremely windy. Luckily, I wanted to buy a strapless bra and some hand luggage/wheelie case so I headed back towards the tube station to Uniqlo and Primark.
Captain Caveman had booked me my flight back to Dalaman and we had chosen to return on the 11th of next month. As the rain came down and it got chilly I wondered if a month in England was wise. I would be on the same flight as Drew and I just had hand luggage so I wanted to get something more useful than what I had now. I browsed for ages but only managed to buy a dress for £20 in Uniqlo and try on far too many bras which didn’t fit! I didn’t manage to find any bras but I did buy some treats instead, here’s the info with prices in pounds;

Primark
1 pack of travel bottles 1.00
Zebra Print Flipflops 1.50
A black backpack 10.00
Total spent £12.50

The backpack had been reduced from £24 and had a separate laptop section which I was pleased with. It came in handy to put all my stuff in as I braved the weather on Oxford Street. By 1.20pm the rain had eased off and the panic buying of umbrellas had subsided. I’d messaged a friend who works in London to see if she was free for lunch. She wasn’t, but could meet around 3.30pm so I decided to find something free to do until then.

Captain Caveman had recommended places nearby that I could do some sightseeing at, which was good. It might not have been the best choice given the weather, but I’d picked the Post Building which has a Roof Terrace worthy of checking out. If you’ve not been, it’s worth a look if you’re in the area and the man on the security desk is very nice and helpful. I did have to show photo ID and put my backpack through a scanner which I guess is the norm in London now.
The rain stopped and although it was quite blowy at the top of the Post Building, the views were amazing. It’s only on the 9th floor but it feels higher, there’s nowhere to sit, it’s just a view point and some pretty plants. There is also a toilet which I, of course, took advantage of. After taking some photos and chatting to a lady from Grantham about Doris Stokes, I made my way back down and out to Oxford Street. It had been a nice way to spend half an hour and it’s free so even better. I’d even learned something about mailbag delivery and chutes!

I decided to make my way back to Waterloo, hoping to catch a quick meet up with my friend when she finished work. I managed to resist a full English breakfast, fish and chips or anything else that wasn’t healthy. When I got to Waterloo I was hungry so I grabbed a late lunch of my favourite Super Nutty Wholefood salad from M&S and a chocolate bar for £4.80.
I ate it in the station while keeping an eye out for pesky pigeons then I wandered up to the pub to meet Liz. I bought a pint of Inchs cider for £7.20 and sat at a table next to the toilets.
When Liz arrived it was so good to see her, even if it was just for an hour before she got her train home. We laughed, chatted, almost cried and made the most of our catch up. I completely forgot to get a photo too, which I regretted as soon as I got on my train back to Barnes.

I messaged Captain Caveman to say I was on my way back and he was just finishing a taxing day at work. When I got back, Captain Caveman looked tired and we decided to go for a walk to the Coach and Horses and the shops. Captain Caveman bought me a glass of red wine and he had a pint of beer which was around £15 for the two. My red wine was really nice and I asked to get a photo of the bottle for future reference.
We decided to buy stuff for tomorrow’s meal too as we had both got very busy work days coming up. Here’s what we bought at Marks and Spencer, prices in pounds;

M&S
Fusilli pasta 0.75
Garlic baguette 1.30
Pilau rice 2.20
Indian starters 4.25
Lamb Rogan josh 4.15
Chicken tikka 4.40
Raspberries and blackcurrants 5.25
4 cans of Guiness 5.75
1 bottle of red wine 6.00
2 bottles of fizz 13.00
Total spent £47.05

Captain Caveman made sausage and veg pasta for dinner which we had with garlic bread. I was conscious to try not to eat so much bread so I only had 3 pieces and Captain Caveman polished off the rest. By 9.15pm we were on the sofa in the lounge, trying not to fall asleep when the heavy rain came. I remembered that Captain Caveman had opened the upstairs bedroom window and went up to check it was closed in case rain could get in. I hadn’t seen rain for a bit so I stood and watched it, feeling quite chilly and wishing I’d brought some socks!

Gratitude List
1. Being able to help save time, money and stress for a friend by picking up her passports
2. Sightseeing and seeing Liz in London
3. Spending time with Captain Caveman after our busy days.

Barnes – 14th July

Monday 14th July was a normal working day for both Captain Caveman and I, as we plonked ourselves at desks in different parts of his parents’ house. I had lots on my To Do list, including booking in more training, attending an online Hotseat session with Lisa Johnson and then catching up on some content ideas with a couple of other Resort Experts. I was meant to be cracking on with a test book for a travel planner I was doing too, but that would have to wait.
Today was meant to be my pay day, but this month I hadn’t earned that much so I’d rolled it over in to next month’s. Next month’s pay day was looking quite good but as I get paid based on when people travel then it’s not always consistent. I was slowly building up a more regular income and word was starting to get out a bit more about me.
At lunch, we had a sandwich and I decided to peel some veg to make a sausage casserole for dinner. I found a very oddly shaped carrot which caused a bit of a giggle before going back to work.
At 5pm I started to look into a company called Intele Travel as someone I follow on social media had started working for them and was encouraging people I knew to join. I’d recently started using my ChatGPT assistant to fact check stuff and asked my ‘JoBot’ about it. It told me to stay clear and gave me a run down of how it was similar to an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) scheme.
I thanked my JoBot and got a really lovely answer. It said that my authentic independent approach suited me much better and mentioned my genuine passion for travel.
Captain Caveman and I had a walk through the park to get some fresh air and call at the shop for ‘essentials’. Here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Marks & Spencers
6 eggs 1.45
Butter 2.00
1 bottle of red wine 6.00
Total spent £9.45

The sausage casserole went down well with roast potatoes and the smooth bottle of red from M&S but, once again, I fell asleep on the sofa before I’d finished my wine.

Gratitude List
1. Having a nice house and space to be able to work from home in
2. Working better with AI following some of the courses and training I was going on to learn more about effective use of it
3. A lovely meal at home, with wine.

London – 13th July

Captain Caveman had arranged a day out on Sunday 13th July and the main event was a surprise – it would turn out to be one of the most memorable days in a long time. All I knew was that we were going out for lunch and that I should wear something nice. I had brought my favourite black dress but it required a strapless bra and I’d yet to go shopping for one, so that was out. I didn’t know what else I could wear as I’d only brought cycling shorts and t-shirts which, apparently, would not be suitable. I also only had Vietnamese porter sandals, one of which had a tear down the back. Captain Caveman said that wouldn’t matter and no one would notice my feet. Even though I was having a day off, I still started the day with checking my Jo Lo – Resort Experts business page on Facebook. I noticed I had finally got my 300th follower and was really happy about that. These days it’s all about growing an audience and it’s something I was still struggling to do, despite having a lot of contacts in real life and 1700 friends on Facebook, it was one of the hardest things to do to get people to follow and like my travel page. I wasn’t sure why, especially when some of my colleagues were in the thousands on theirs.
Captain Caveman made me beans on sourdough toast with bacon and a cup of tea for breakfast. I probably shouldn’t have bothered eating so much but I was unaware of what the surprise was for today, at this point.
I put on my cycling shorts, porter sandals and the only other dress I had with me, over the top – my £8 red Primark one from my last visit. Captain Caveman was wearing his bespoke shirt made in Saigon, with storks on. I had a feeling we were going somewhere nice.
We walked to Barnes station, got the train, all with me asking questions about the surprise. I only knew we were going for lunch and Captain Caveman had booked us in for 1pm. We arrived at a fairly ordinary looking building in Clapham and Captain Caveman said we were here and we were going upstairs. What I didn’t realise at the time was that we were at Trinity, a Michelin star restaurant which has a second restaurant, above it, called Upstairs (I saw what they did there)!

We walked in, were greeted professionally and shown to a table, which were all high tables and stools. I did my best to get seated without flashing my cycling shorts but couldn’t be certain the polite staff hadn’t clocked them. The place was small and pleasantly decorated with an open plan kitchen area. We were given water (choice of still or sparkling for free), and of course we opted for ordinary tap water. A set menu and wine list were popped on the table as the lady attending to us explained that we would be enjoying a 3 course set Sunday lunch which would be served to everyone in the Upstairs restaurant at the same time. I was impressed already and started to peruse the wine menu. When I saw the prices, I passed the menu to Captain Caveman and thought we may be sticking with just water. Of course, I was still used to tight budgeting and living in Dalyan which is super cheap compared to London. Captain Caveman ordered a bottle of the Falanghina Di Majo Norante, an Italian white wine, at £46 per bottle. The place started to fill up and I was obviously the cheapest dressed person in the room, including the staff!

When our first course of chilled Ajo Bianco came, I had no clue what it was so I tried it tentatively at first. It was basically a cold almond soup which, if I’m honest, sounds unpleasant but it was absolutely fantastic. It was served with toasted chunky bread and went well with the wine. I even asked for the recipe, as did fellow diners near to me. They gave me a card with the recipe on which I thought was great.
Our next course was the best Sunday dinner I’ve had in a very long time. Veal with carrots and potatoes which was amazingly tasty, I even had seconds and gravy. We’d polished off the wine, before finishing our second helping so Captain Caveman insisted we have a glass each of the Chateau La Marche Canon red wine. I was so full but I continued to eat every mouthful, completely forgetting we had dessert to follow.
Captain Caveman is not a sweet person but he had eaten his fig leaf panna cotta before I could even ask if he liked it, he then ate the other half of mine that I couldn’t manage.
The whole experience had been fantastic and a total surprise. To be able to see all the dishes being prepped too was great and I was so full I could have had a sleep. Captain Caveman paid the bill, here’s what the prices were;

Upstairs
2 Sunday lunches £90
1 bottle of white wine £46
2 glasses of red wine £24
Service/tip £20
Total spent £180

While I wrestled with the notion that we had just spent on one meal what, only 6 months ago, was more than my monthly budget, Captain Caveman went to the upstairs toilet. I hadn’t realised there was an upstairs toilet so I had been going downstairs each time, through the Trinity restaurant to use that toilet. I felt quite emotional that I had been treated to such an experience, it was also quite difficult not to feel guilty at spending so much. However, the day wasn’t over and we had more to come as Captain Caveman navigated us to our next event.

By 3.30pm, Captain Caveman and I were walking from Upstairs and Trinity, in Clapham, to our next venue. I was quite sluggish, having eaten one of the best Sunday lunches for a while. We passed Joe Public which sold pizza and the smell made me queasy. Captain Caveman has a habit of being close by one minute and then zooming off so when I pointed out the Dubai Bun chocolate stall, it was to another man who stopped and bought one, on my suggestion, when I’d thought it was my other half. We passed a museum and I took photos of buildings I liked but there was no sauntering involved.

We arrived around 5pm to the Physic Garden in Chelsea where we were booked to listen to live music outside. The weather was very pleasant as Captain Caveman got out his picnic blanket and we sat down on the grass. Everyone else arrived and were getting out their picnics, we just sipped water and tried not to fall asleep before it started.
The concert in Physic Garden started at 6.30pm and was absolutely amazing. Hanzhi Zhang on the piano was phenomenal and didn’t really get any recognition as she was just accompanying, but she was top notch. There was a German born opera singer who was very talented and I forget his name. My favourite performer was the Japanese violinist Ryo Koyama who I had already read about and he even did an improvised session with the opera singer. There was a Vietnamese guy who was outstanding at playing the zither while singing and it was great to watch and listen to. The main act of the show was Sarah Small on her Viola da Gamba which she had been cycling around with on tour. She was extremely good too, although how she held her bow really bothered me, and we both enjoyed all of the performers. I was surprised that Captain Caveman was into it as string concerts are more my thing. The cost of the ticket was just £20 each which was a bargain. The concert finished around 9.15pm and we left to go back to Barnes, passing a house where a blue plaque showed that Bob Marley had lived there 48 years ago. Today had been a really special day that I would remember for a very long time – I felt extremely lucky and happy to be in London with Captain Caveman.

Gratitude List
1. Reaching the 300 follower mark on my business page
2. Being surprised with a fabulous meal at Upstairs of Trinity restaurant
3. Enjoying live music in the beautiful Physic Garden.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Barnes -12th July

Saturday 12th July was such a wonderful day which started with me waking up cold at 7am – I was still on Turkish time. I got weighed on the bathroom scales, more as a benchmark to see what I weighed on those scales and to track while I was in the UK. The scales said I was 1.3kg (2.9lb) lighter than I had been on Carol’s scales last Wednesday.
That meant I was only 1.1kg (2.4lb) over target and I knew that I was going to be enjoying quite a few treats that weren’t Slimming World friendly while I was in England. Captain Caveman made me bacon sandwiches for breakfast and I had a cup of tea. Shockingly, it wasn’t Yorkshire tea but I still drank it. We had a trip out to the Farmer’s Market and the supermarket where I got my first glimpse of a couple of things; 1) how expensive things were going to be compared to Dalyan and 2) how much more choice there would be available to me. Here’s what we bought with the prices in pounds;

Farmers Market
1 Black pudding
1 Sausage roll
1 Scotch Egg
1 Pork Belly
Total spent £15

M&S
Milk 0.75
1 bag of salad 1.70
Cream cheese 2.50
Sourdough 2.65
Shropshire blue cheese 2.75
2 Avocados 3.70
Red Leicester cheese 3.80
250g Raspberries 3.90
Total spent £21.75

Today was an important date in the Barnes calendar as it was the day of the Barnes Fair. We’d planned my trip especially so that I could experience it for the first time. Luckily, I had arrived in the heatwave of England as all of my UK friends had been warning me about. I’d only brought summer clothes, sandals and flipflops with high expectations of enjoying the English summer while escaping the heat in Dalyan.
By 1pm we had started to browse the stalls of the fantastic Barnes Fair and I had spotted a Zebra stool that I thought would make a great present for a friend, who’s birthday BBQ we were going to next weekend. We ummed and ahhed about the logistics of taking it on a train and whether it would even fit with their design of the new house and decided to leave it for now.
We wandered round the various stalls which were really good but I was conscious not to buy anything I didn’t need. We did stumble upon a gift that was easier to carry and bought artisan chilli jam products from a lovely lady at Chilli Porter. While Captain Caveman took the stuff back to the house, I perused the list of stalls and took a photo of the map in case I got lost. I spoke to one of the organisers and volunteered Captain Caveman for the hold a plank competition. Upon his return, Captain Caveman was not up for the competition and we went off to the Sun Inn pub for a lunchtime beverage. Here 2 pints were £15 and everything was being served in plastic cups because of the event. We shared a table with a few interesting people and the atmosphere was very nice.
Back home, I posted some photos on the family WhatsApp group as I was so impressed with the fair. It was very warm for London and we had a bite to eat, some water and some raspberries at home. I then fell asleep on the sofa (perhaps from too much excitement)!

At 5pm, Captain Caveman woke me up and we went back to Barnes Fair for another look around. We wanted to find certain stalls on our list and end at the Brown Dog. We didn’t find the Brown Dog stall so settled for the Wimbledon Brewery one. I chose a glass of pink fizz for £8.50 but they didn’t have any left. There was champagne for £11 but I was reluctant to pay that much to drink it from a plastic flute, so I didn’t bother. Captain Caveman ordered a pint of SW19 for £7.50 and had to pay an extra £2 for the plastic cup deposit. I was a bit shocked by this and even more surprised when they couldn’t give the refund at the end as they had no process in place. It was getting a bit busy, lots of families with prams and dogs and it was actually a bit sweaty.

We decided to stroll round to the Coach and Horses for a pint, still £14 for 2, but served with a better service, a friendlier attitude and an apology for their plastic cups. Next, we wandered round to the Brown Dog where it was only £12 for 2 pints, in glasses, and I had a rhubarb beer which was great.
Back home, Captain Caveman made pasta for dinner, which should have been last night’s meal. It was good but I was so tired that as soon as I got on the sofa, I fell asleep.

Gratitude List
1. Barnes Fair
2. Sunny England
3. Having fun with Captain Caveman.