Captain Caveman arrived about 5am on Saturday 23rd August while I was fast asleep. Sonuç had picked him up from Dalaman airport and it cost just £30. He’d had a good journey but was tired after a busy week. Our plans to go for breakfast at La Sorella were postponed. It was time for Captain Caveman and I to get in to full tourist mode and enjoy our holiday in Dalyan. Our first job was to pop to Aksoy Jewellers to change some English pounds. The rate was 54 lira to the pound so Captain Caveman changed just £100, obviously giving us 5400 lira to spend over the weekend. I felt rich, given that in January that amount had almost been my entire month’s budget. Our next stop was for lunch, we had skipped breakfast, and we decided to sit by the river at Okyanus. On the way, we bumped in to one of the boat men who used to play football before an injury. He had spotted Captain Caveman’s Dalyan Spor football top so was having a chat about that. I’m not a fan of blokes on holiday wearing football tops (probably because I don’t like football) but it turns out that if you’re wearing a foreign one, no one thinks you’re English – the Croatian one always catches people off guard. Okyanus is one of our favourites due to both the location, right on the river, and the friendly waiter, Üstün, who we’ve known for some years. My parents had introduced us to him and he’s got a great sense of humour. Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt (for breakfast, as he’d not eaten) while I ordered a soda water. We both had chicken wraps, mine with homemade chips and Captain Caveman ordered onion rings. We got chatting to Simone, a fellow Yorkshire lass, who I’d not seen for ages. It was good to chat and see her and Üstün were still doing well. We paid 1,490 lira (£27.60) for 3 dishes and a couple of drinks each.
Our next stop was to see our old mate, Mehmet, at Lukka bar. Obviously, with living so near to Lukka, I see Mehmet and Katrina often but Captain Caveman likes to make Lukka one of his first stops to say hello. We sat at an outside table enjoying the view and with me moaning on about sport on TV – unless it’s F1 I’m not interested. Obviously, it took me 30 minutes to realise that Captain Caveman was not listening intently to me rambling on about holiday plans – he was watching the footy on the TV behind me! We paid 500 lira (£9.26) for 2 Efes Malts, 1 Angora white wine and 1 soda water. Captain Caveman was keen to nip to the shops so here’s what we bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 red cabbage 26.22 2 toothbrushes 27.95 710g tomatoes 42.56 1 lettuce 49.95 Sliced bread 64.50 Cherry juice 89.95 Total spent 301.13 lira (£5.58)
We did laugh at how cheap all those tomatoes were and I confessed I had started to eat them in Dalyan as they are just so cheap! Back at home, we had a bottle of prosecco with our chicken salad and had our first night at home, just relaxing.
Gratitude List 1. Spending the whole day with Captain Caveman 2. Seeing familiar faces in Dalyan in our favourite places 3. Prosecco – I had been saving it to celebrate Captain Caveman’s arrival.
Captain Caveman and I were booked on the Princess of Ekincik boat trip to Devil’s Bay on Sunday 24th August with Nanny Kay. We were really looking forward to it, however, the sea was too rough out that way so the captain had to change it to Ekincik Bay. We didn’t mind as we still had time to perhaps fit in a Devil’s Bay later in the holiday. Ivona, the captain’s wife, was also on board which Nanny Kay and I were pleased about as we don’t get to see her too much during the holiday season. We left at 10am and were given tea or coffee with some biscuits as we sailed towards Iztuzu beach. There was a convoy of boats at first as they all carefully navigated the sandbanks. We were soon in bays where there were fewer boats and we were able to get in for a dip. The day was made up of lots of swimming, eating and drinking and the boat trip was just £35 for the whole day, including a massive lunch.
There was the usual BBQ chicken and meatballs with some really tasty dishes and mezes. My favourites were the prawns, and the grilled courgettes. Around 3.45pm we were given more food in the form of cake and fruit. I had another glass of wine and we spent a total of 2000 lira (£37) on the drinks. We’d decided to give the ball a bit of a kick, we had enjoyed it so much – the Princess of Ekincik boat is one of my favourites. The seats are comfortable, the toilet is the best I’ve seen on a boat and they have proper steps to get in and out of the water – ideal for those with mobility issues.
Back home around 6pm, we got showered and changed before venturing out about 9pm. Ordinarily, I’d be in bed by now but, as we had the day off tomorrow, we went to see Tay at Rehab bar. We had contemplated going for a meal but decided we didn’t want something too big – we were still full from the boat trip feast. I took a photo of the taxi prices and what it didn’t mention on the sign was that they charge just 200 lira (£3.70) for a Dalyan centre journey. This is quite handy to know if you’re wanting to go from one end of town to the other, or to each others’ hotels/villas. I thought that minimum fare was very reasonable but tonight we walked it back through town. We ended up at Çağrı where we had wine and beer plus a pide for Captain Caveman and a lahmacun with salad for me. It was delicious and not badly priced at 900 lira (£16.67), including a tip.
Gratitude List 1. An excellent boat trip with Princess of Ekincik 2. Swimming in the sea 3. Eating incredible food and having some drinks
Weigh day certainly seems to come round a bit too quickly; Wednesday 20th August was meant to be my last good weight loss before Captain Caveman arrived for our 2 week holiday. I’d definitely cut down on the alcohol and only had 5 glasses of wine all week but I had been round to a friend’s for dinner and been on a boat trip this week, so I hadn’t avoided 2 lots of desserts. At home I’d lost 0.45kg (1lb) but we would see if Carol’s scales differed later. My measurements were good and I’d put 1cm on my bust but lost 2cm from my waist and 1cm off my hips. I got on the bandwagon with the water bottle to make sure I drink more water. I always drink at least 2 litres per day but, as it was hot, I was aiming for 3! I popped over to Jamie’s for a quick Resort Experts conflab and I intended to pick up his loppers and pruners but forgot them – we were too busy chatting about holiday destinations. On the way back, I remembered as I went in the Block A entrance rather than Block B, that side looked much better, as if the gardener only does that side of the complex then gets bored. At Fat Club I was pleased to find I’d lost 0.6kg (1.3lb) although I was still 4.35kg (almost 10lb) over my target now. It just goes to show how much crap I was having in the UK, how quickly I was putting weight back on when I went there and wasn’t following the plan. It would be interesting to see how much I put on when on a 2 week Turkey holiday with Captain Caveman in just 3 days time! I missed a Zoom call about my forthcoming travel planner which happened to clash with Fat Club and then I also had to get back for a client call. This one was the start of a special enquiry as it was with a friend’s husband who was wanting to organise a surprise trip for a specific birthday next year. I can’t say too much on here as she will probably be reading it and it’s going to be one of the best kept secrets! The call went so well and I actually couldn’t wait to see what I could find on this one. We had quite a long discussion and there were lots or requirements and a specific budget but it was a good ‘un! Jamie popped his gardening tools over to mine so that we had them ready for Captain Caveman. For dinner, I had a mystery meal from the freezer with mushrooms in (forgot the photo as I was hungry) then decided I needed to go shopping at 9.30pm. I had hoped the supermarket would be less busy at that time but it wasn’t. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
It was certainly a sign things were better than at the start of the year as I would have thought twice about buying nuts as they were a treat. I was still concerned at the sharp rise in Quark prices, though.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week (even if it wasn’t much) 2. More new enquiries for my travel business 3. Being able to rely on Jamie for gardening tools.
There was a bit of excitement on Thursday 21st August as I had been invited round to a friend’s after work. I was really apprehensive about taking time off when Captain Caveman arrived but I knew how much he needed a holiday, and I probably did too. I didn’t want to be spending the money we were getting in just yet, as I really wanted to build back up some emergency funds and rainy day money. I was also a little worried that I might miss some precious holiday bookings and book sales. I was still at the stage that each opportunity was important and every bit of commission counted. I was keen not to be ‘unavailable’ should a potential customer want to book. Captain Caveman wanted to travel around Turkey and some of the journey by train, which meant I probably shouldn’t take my laptop with me. It’s a fine line but I would see how the first week went, I was already pre scheduling all my social media posts up to the end of the first week of September, just in case. I had quark with berries (no oats) for breakfast then I worked all day. In the morning I had a catch up with my friend and colleague, Dagne, in Majorca. There was a Resort Experts team meeting too at lunch time, so I ate beans on toast around 2.15pm. In the afternoon I played telephone tennis with one of the suppliers I had asked to price me up a bespoke trip. I switched the laptop off at bang on 5pm and walked over to Janet and Ian’s villa. It was precisely 24 minutes but would have been 25 had Ian not come to meet me at the shortcut through some bushes. I met their friends, Sam & Lucy, who had a lovely daughter and they seemed somewhat familiar. We hit it off right away and we all had a lovely afternoon. I joined Janet with a glass of wine or two and it was very relaxing just sat by their pool. On the drive back to take me home, Janet, Ian and I decided to nip to Mono and More for a bite to eat. Janet had been telling me about the scampi she had tried so I was keen to eat that. We both ordered the same with a glass of wine while Ian had soup and fish and chips. All the food was very lovely and at a reasonable price for non-Turkish meals. The scampi was whole-tail, not the reformed stuff, and I really enjoyed it. I did see one of the owners eating a Chinese dish which looked amazing. Funnily enough I only ever eat a Chinese meal when I’m in the UK and even then, not very often but the portion size and the food looked impressive. I was even invited to try a mouthful, on account of my eyeing up of her food, but of course I politely declined. I’d had a really lovely evening and we made plans for when Captain Caveman arrived too. Ian offered to drive me home but I decided it would be a good idea to walk off my meal. Recently, I had seen various Facebook posts and news articles saying how quiet Dalyan was. If the streets by the mosque were anything to go by, that wasn’t true. It was 11.20pm as I walked past lots of tourists either on their way to a bar or doing some browsing in the shops.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a holiday with Captain Caveman 2. Eating great food 3. Having a wonderful time with friends.
It was only 23°C when I awoke on Friday 22nd August but, looking at the forecast for today and the week, the weather was looking great for Captain Caveman’s visit. I was super excited and his flight was tonight at 9.50pm from Gatwick. We both still had our last day at work to go but I had already put on my out of office and had a to do list longer than my arm. In my lunch hour I nipped to buy eggs from Şok and ended up getting 15 eggs and some jellies for 104.95 lira (£1.93). I also bought a Turkish loaf and a simit for just 30 lira (55p) from the bakery. I ate the simit for lunch and got straight back on to the to do list for another hour. Captain Caveman called me while he tucked in to a more substantial lunch (I think a fish finger buttie) and he was really looking forward to getting back to Dalyan. I tidied up, changed the bedding, did the laundry and ran out of time to do more cleaning up before dinner. I ate a chicken and mushroom Slimming World concoction for dinner at 10.15pm, but didn’t particularly enjoy it. I went to bed, knackered and thinking I’d probably forgot to do something important.
Gratitude List 1. Sunny weather in Dalyan 2. Captain Caveman coming to Dalyan in just hours 3. Getting a lot done, even if I still didn’t finish everything.
I had another busy day on Saturday 16th August and I had planned time in my diary to write more of my next handy travel tips book. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do that as I was busy with doing Resort Experts quotes. I also spent some time researching the train routes and times in Turkey. At 1pm I met a friend who Jamie had introduced me to for ideas and help with planning a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 2026. I met another friend at Kaunos tea gardens at 4pm for a cup of tea and a catch up before our evening event. Here’s what we had and the prices in lira;
2 small waters 30.00 4 Turkish teas 80.00 Total spent 110.00 lira (£2.02)
Some Dalyan Dwellers complain about the prices in the tea gardens but you can still get a cheap tea and I think it’s the cheapest water in town. One of my friends had arranged a moonlight boat trip from 6pm so I paid just £30 to go on an amazing boat trip. It was with Captain Fuat who makes the best courgette fritters and the Adıl boat is big and comfy. This time we had a mixed male and female group rather than keeping it to a ladies only night, some people came from Dalaman. It was a really lovely trip.
We ate, we drank and we swam quite a bit. The wine was 180 lira (£3.30) per glass and I stuck to my limit of 3. My plan to keep on the healthy Slimming World plan had already been thwarted by the delicious cake to start the evening. Towards the end of the night, out on the lake, we lay on the comfy cushions on the top deck and gazed at the star filled sky. It was just 4 days after the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower and we were very lucky to see 7 shooting stars. We had a wonderful, relaxing time and we discussed future boat trip plans that I might be able to attend too. It was gone midnight when I got home, feeling very relaxed and ready for a busy day of work tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Getting more holiday enquiries 2. The moonlight boat trip 3. Seeing 7 shooting stars in one night.
I had a busy morning with holiday enquiries with Resort Experts on Friday 15th August, a few friends had asked me to do them some quotes for winter sun holidays. I’d suggested Turkey to a few of them as it tends to stay nice weather until the end of October, and they can see me if they want to, too. I didn’t eat lunch until 2.50pm, fried rice, as time was running away with me. I was acutely aware that while I’d been in the UK I had eaten much less fruit, so I took a walk to the shop after lunch to get some fruit. Here’s what I got from the shop, with prices in lira; 3 onions 4.10 4 nectarines 69.30 4 bananas 101.46 Total spent 174.86 lira (£3.21)
The bananas were more pricey as it’s not the season but still I needed fruit! I’d had a request from my friend, Sausage Dick, to meet up with his daughter who was in Dalyan. He had bought a copy of my handy travel tips book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ and wanted me to sign it for him. Georgina was staying at Central Park, a lovely small hotel in the Gülpınar area with a really nice pool. I agreed to arrive at 6.30pm and I was about 5 minutes late. When I went in, there was no one around and Kudret the owner wanted to check who I was and what I was doing before letting me in (a safe hotel). I sat in the bar area outside and the only 2 people I could see were snoozing face down on sun loungers. Kudret told them I was here and Georgina joined me first. Shortly after, Tom grabbed a beer at the bar then came to say hello. We exchanged stories of Sausage Dick and I gave her the signed book, which was in a bag. She didn’t look at it but promised she would take it back home. I was only there an hour tops and then walked back home to start dinner. I made a meatball and mushroom pasta which I portioned up for the freezer too. It was 9.20pm by the time I ate dinner and then I was back booking hotels until 11pm, including one for myself.
Gratitude List 1. Getting some fruit 2. Sausage Dick buying a signed copy of my book 3. A delicious dinner at home.
I had arranged for Sonuç of Dalyan Airport Transfers to pick Drew and I up from Dalaman airport at 3.45am on Tuesday 12th August. I nipped through Duty Free and bought some Prosecco for 900 lira (£17) by which time Sonuç was right outside the door. He charged just £30 in total to take each of us to our gates in Dalyan. Even though it was dark, it felt very mild outside, but not uncomfortable. My plan was to have at least 4 hours sleep before starting work. When I got home I turned everything on but didn’t have WiFi at home. At 5am I nodded off to sleep and I didn’t wake up until almost 10am! It was evident that the pool and maintenance man hadn’t been recently so I didn’t think I would be chancing a swim in the pool. I did the bare minimum, conscious that I was still tired, then ventured out to put the internet back on and get some provisions. Here’s what I spent in lira;
I wasn’t sure what had happened with quark but it had increased in price by 158% since June! Interestingly, the exchange rate was the same as when I was last here at 54.5 lira to the pound.
The Fire Opal complex looked quite untidy and grubby, someone had put bowls of cat food at the bottom of the steps so there were plenty of ants. I got the scissors out to trim the plants that were hanging in the way of the path and likely to have my eye out but I couldn’t do much with just scissors. A cute dog came to watch me and just sat on the path outside.
That evening, Jamie & Drew picked me up in a taxi and we surprised Nanny Kay by bringing her daughter, Elaine, in to Luz bar with us. It was such a lovely moment when Nanny Kay set eyes on Elaine, then went in to a panic about where she was going to sleep. Nanny Kay had arranged a very intimate gathering of close friends and family to celebrate her 80th and she wore a gorgeous outfit, ideal for photos and a birthday party. Ivona, of Princess of Ekincik fame, joined our table and we had a lovely chat. Nanny Kay had provided nachos for us all to nibble on as we had a drink. I stuck to wine which I remember being about 360 lira a glass (£6.61) so although pricey for Dalyan, it was about the same or a little less than prices I’d been paying back in the UK. I ended up having 4 drinks which is more than I should’ve. The party was really lovely and there was even a birthday cake. My bar bill was 1500 lira but with a tip worked out at about £30 and was a nice place for a treat. While Nanny Kay said her goodbyes to people I decided to join Jamie, Drew, Elaine and a grandchild at Sofra bar, where I had just one more red wine. I left the others in the bar and went home at a reasonable time as I had to be up early tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Sleep 2. Sun 3. Nanny Kay’s 80th Birthday party with friends.
My last day in the UK had arrived and I was sad to be leaving London on Monday 11th August. I could easily have stayed longer if it wasn’t for Nanny Kay’s 80th birthday celebrations tomorrow and the fact that it was so much more expensive being in England than Dalyan. Captain Caveman and I started work early but did break for an early lunch together and to get some shopping for dinner. Here’s what we bought with the cost in pounds;
The rice noodles were for me to take back to Turkey, the salads for our lunch, which we ate on Barnes Green. We went to pick a seat near the tree (which Captain Caveman climbed on my previous visit) but were met with a huge disappointment. ‘Our tree’ had been recently cut down and we were both quite perturbed about it. I tucked in to my favourite Marks and Spencer’s salad, the one with nuts and edamame beans in. Captain Caveman was met with more disappointment as he tried to snaffle his salad which smelled and tasted like freshly mowed lawn! He wouldn’t be having that one again.
Back at the house, Captain Caveman found me a water bottle so that I could take it on my journey and we both had calls and meetings to get on with. At 3.15pm I shut down my laptop and decided I had done for today, I packed my hand luggage only but had to leave a few items of clothing and some food weighing scales behind. I decided to go to the shop to see if I could get some nice travel sweets but I ended up buying myself a bar of chocolate and some Mentos for £2.05 in Tesco. I enjoyed my last walk through Barnes and pondered when I might next come back to England – probably 2026. My flight wasn’t until 9.45pm and I was meeting Drew at Gatwick to fly back to Dalaman together. My train tickets allowed any-time travel so we decided I needed to leave Barnes station at 6.30pm. Captain Caveman finished work just after 5pm and came in to the room with quite an urgent sounding question; he asked if I fancied a quick…(Now, at this point I honestly thought he might be about to ask if I fancied a ‘quickie’ but I had unnecessarily thought wrong)….game of Scrabble. He’d obviously been thinking that he would like to even up the score from yesterday as it was the first time I’d beaten him. We quickly got the Scrabble board out and were up against the clock as we still had to cook and eat dinner. Of course, I let Captain Caveman win at Scrabble just so that we could eat without me missing my train or flight. We had the pasta with dough balls of which Captain Caveman had 9 to my 3!!! Then it was a bit of a rush to get out of the door for the short walk to Barnes Station. I was sad saying goodbye to Captain Caveman but I would see him again in 11 day’s time, when he arrived in Dalyan.
My train arrived in to Gatwick at 7.40pm where I met Drew in the Whetherspoons for a quick drink. I also bought 1 litre of Bombay Sapphire gin for £13.76 in the Duty Free. On the easyJet flight I was in row 2 and Drew in row 3 but there was a bit of jigging around and people in wrong seats so we both ended up in row 3 with our preferred window and aisle seats. I spent a small fortune on pink prosecco, water and pringles while on the plane, had a laugh with Drew, watched some rubbish I downloaded on Netflix and fell asleep. We were due to land at 3.45am tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a last lunch in the park with Captain Caveman 2. A quick game of Scrabble before I left 3. Having Drew as my travel partner for the first time.
We had all the plans to make the most of my last day in London on Sunday 10th August. Captain Caveman had mentioned a walk, perhaps Kew Gardens (which I still hadn’t been to), or a Sunday lunch at the Brown Dog. Unfortunately, none of that happened and I had to nag Captain Caveman to get up and eat breakfast. I think he had overdone it yesterday so he was in bed just playing Bridge on his phone. I’d like to think it was his way of coping with the fact that he was sad that I was leaving and that he would miss me. That was not the case, though, as he had booked a flight to come to Turkey in less than 2 weeks time and he had his first fortnight off work since he started there. By 11.30am we were only just having breakfast, and we had got some food in for a BBQ tonight so I suggested we didn’t bother going out for Sunday lunch. The Brown Dog wasn’t doing Sunday lunch today anyway, and I wasn’t bothered about trying the regular menu. I probably shouldn’t have said anything as that then was interpreted by Captain Caveman that we would not be doing anything together at all today. When it got to 3pm Captain Caveman was still horizontal on the sofa playing Bridge and I had lost my patience. I made myself some lunch, Captain Caveman didn’t want anything. I caught up with some content ideas for my travel planner and updated my blog.
At 4.30pm, Captain Caveman surfaced to put his phone on charge and we decided to go for a walk. We ended up in the White Hart, a pub by the river, which is always rammed packed and today was no different.
I had a pint of cider, Captain Caveman a couple of ales, then we walked back along the Thames for the last time. We passed some lovely houses including one of a famous TV presenter, which is fantastic. Back home, Captain Caveman still wasn’t hungry and I was a bit worried about him as he’d not eaten since breakfast and all he wanted to do was be on his phone. I was miffed because I had hoped we might make the most of our last full day together but I wasn’t a priority today. It was disappointing after such a great day yesterday but this often happens and he doesn’t want any interaction.
Eventually, Captain Caveman decided he would cook the burgers and sausages in the house but we would sit in the garden to eat. We opened a bottle of wine and the weather had been quite nice – typically the summer was back now it was time for me to leave. We didn’t eat until 8pm by which time it was a bit chilly for me to be outside but I persevered without getting my fleece. Despite Captain Caveman saying he wasn’t hungry, he managed to eat his own burger, a hot dog, salad and coucous plus half of my burger as it was a bit underdone for me.
We went indoors and before Captain Caveman got into a mammoth doom scroll on his phone again, I suggested a quick game of Scrabble. He loves Scrabble so he agreed and although I find it slow and tedious, I managed to win! I was so pleased as I have never won Captain Caveman at Scrabble but this only assured me that he wasn’t his usual self.
Gratitude List 1. My last English breakfast for a while 2. Eating outside in the garden 3. Winning at Scrabble
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
I worked and packed my things up in the morning of Tuesday 5th August. Mom came in to ask if I fancied a roast pork sandwich for lunch from the shop and I’d not had one this visit so, of course, I said yes. All 3 of us went for a walk as I wanted to get Captain Caveman a tin opener. He’d declined to buy the £1 one in IKEA which was probably rubbish so I got him one for a whopping £7 from the Co-op. Ma left Pa with me while she went to the post office and cash machine but the sandwiches were ready before she returned. I had everything but dripping on, Dad had everything and Mom had her’s without apple sauce. I paid £14.60 for 3 sandwiches and a packet of pork scratchings which I didn’t think was bad and is cheaper than Beres. My sister, Gayle, popped round in the afternoon with Sumo, the dog, and we all said our goodbyes, hoping to see them in Turkey soon enough. I got the 5.30pm bus in to town for £2.60 and then I got the 18.49 train from Sheffield to Wakefield Kirkgate. There, it was after 7pm and the waiting room closes so I was really cold in the wind as I had to wait 20 minutes for the train to Pontefract Tanshelf. I ate a packet of salt n vinegar discos while I waited and wondered why I’d not been eating more crisps this visit. I didn’t realise there were no toilet facilities at the station so I was pretty desperate for a pee when I got on the train. Luckily the train had toilets and it meant I arrived just after 8pm to be met by Captain Caveman, without jogging about for the loo. He took my bag and we walked straight to the Robin Hood pub ready for the quiz. There were no seats inside and the huge beer garden was very smokey so we stood up next to the entrance. The quiz was a good one where we didn’t embarrass ourselves but we didn’t win. I had cherry beers and, at half time, they did sandwiches which were welcomed. I’m not usually a fan of a pub quiz, especially with genius Captain Caveman, but I did enjoy this one. I was tired by the time we walked home so it was straight to bed without even checking where all the IKEA items were.
Gratitude List 1. Pork sandwiches with my parents 2. Being able to say bye to Gayle and Sumo 3. Pub quizzing in Pontecarlo with Captain Caveman.
Captain Caveman had admitted defeat about the bath mat by the time we woke up on Sunday 3rd August. My friend, who I wouldn’t get to see on this visit, was off on her holidays and sent me a photo to let me know she was reading my book on the flight to Lanzarote, which was nice. We decided to join my parents on a walk but first we had to nip to the shop to pick up a birthday card for my niece. I had intended to put money in a card but when we got to there, they had one of her favourite tipples on offer. We bought a bottle of Aperol, a bottle of Prosecco and a card from the Co-op and hurried back as Dad was ready to go walking. We decided to walk up as far as my niece’s and then we would go drop off the birthday present, which Captain Caveman was carrying. Ma & Pa thought they might not want visitors so they carried on with their walk. When we got to my sister’s, there was a full house all eating a cooked breakfast so we didn’t stay long. My sister was stressing over a sushi situation and they didn’t have specific plans for later. We said we would probably go for a walk and end up at the pub if they fancied a birthday drink but nothing was arranged. Captain Caveman had got the wrong end of the stick that my Dad had said they were walking to the Phoenix pub for a drink so we set off to catch them up. I was struggling to make it or keep up with Captain Caveman’s pace, as usual. I had worn jeans and a black long sleeved top so, for once, I was too hot once the sun came out! When we got to the top of Ridgeway Road, I was really flagging so we decided we would walk down to the Queen’s Head for a refreshment and miss out the Phoenix. While there, I called my Mom to check if they were in the Phoenix but they had not got that far either and were now back at home. Captain Caveman had the bright idea that we would cut across the fields and meet them in the Alma pub. He reckoned it would take 40 minutes and I suspected it would be twice that, at my pace. We set off walking and all was quite pleasant, we picked blackberries and raspberries and ate them as we went along.
Unfortunately, I got slower and slower while Captain Caveman sped off with my bag which had the working phone and water in! We got to a bit of a field that had recently been burned so the path was not clear. I was fuming and convinced we were going the wrong way. A couple of ramblers were heading our way and I saw Captain Caveman chatting with them. When they got to me, I asked if I was heading to the Alma and Mosborough. The man said I needed to turn back and I just lost it and even used the F word. He then looked concerned and said he was only joking and that I was going the right way. I thought Captain Caveman had told the guy to play a trick on me for a laugh so I shouted to him to wait for me! When I got to Captain Caveman he swore he did not and that the man made the joke of his own accord – what is wrong with people!? I eventually got to the pub and my parents had been there a while, waiting! It took us 1 hour and I was surprised it wasn’t longer. They were laughing as when they asked how our walk was Captain Caveman said it was great while the look on my face said it all. I was pleased Captain Caveman had enjoyed his Sunday walk as he doesn’t get much exercise and fresh air these days, but I was hot, sweaty and tired.
While at the pub I got a message from Jamie, back in Dalyan, to tell me that our pool was a funny colour and half empty. He wondered if we knew about it, as it’s unusual for this to happen during the holiday season. We didn’t know so Captain Caveman and I were a bit concerned that the pool and garden company were not doing their job properly (again). My mom noticed in a Facebook group that there was a bloke nearby giving away a dining room table so Captain Caveman, my Dad and I decided to say we would have it and we arranged to call and collect it. We had a couple of pints and then Ma cheered me up no end! She had decided to make us all a Sunday dinner, the second one in a row. Captain Caveman was so pleased that he even raced to the shop to buy stuffing when Ma said she didn’t have any. He also bought more wine and chopped up the whole cabbage – he knew I wasn’t eating enough veggies. The Sunday dinner was so good and we each got 3 Yorkshire puddings and I even had a drop of gravy! Ma excelled herself as we also got fresh strawberries with evaporated milk (my favourite) for afters. More wine was had and Ma gave Captain Caveman some of the kitchen things I had left at their’s over the years, including a board for cheese and a pie maker, plus her massive slow cooker she had already promised.
Gratitude List 1. Getting to wish my niece happy birthday in person 2. Knowing that Captain Caveman thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday Walk 3. Spending time with Captain Caveman and my parents at the pub and having a Sunday Dinner.
Saturday 2nd August was a more stressful day, as we had to wait all day for the Virgin engineer to come. We had been using our phones on GiffGaff as hotspots which was fine in certain parts of the house but Captain Caveman had also bought EE as a hotspot which required me to keep logging in every hour. I was getting a bit tetchy about it and was also a bit aggrieved that there was only one towel in the house that we had to keep washing, drying and sharing. 15 years ago I’d have had a complete meltdown at that situation as I used to be that woman who used a massive bath towel for body plus a smaller towel for hair and a decent bath mat! Over the years of knowing Captain Caveman I’d grown accustomed to using just the one towel, and often a lot smaller in size when we lived in Asia. He was surprised that I had not brought my travel towel with me from Turkey but I had wrongly assumed there may have been adequate provision for towels. I was trying to convince Captain Caveman he needed more stuff, he was adamant that he had only rented until the end of the year so was reluctant to spend any money or time on getting things he could do without. Meanwhile, I was stressing over not having a bath mat and having to use a t-shirt to stand on so I didn’t slip on the tiled floor. I packed all my stuff up while Captain Caveman waited for the engineer, we were meant to be doing things in Sheffield but we got delayed. Finally, the engineer arrived, agreed with Captain Caveman on the cause of the problem and proceeded to instal wires and fix it. He finished by 6pm and we were on the road, heading for Mosborough via a trip to IKEA. At Ikea, we ate food first then I pretty much followed Captain Caveman around trying to keep up and suggest things he ‘needed’, then face an argument that he didn’t need things. The main thing we needed, in my opinion, was a bath mat, needless to say we did not agree on that item and we almost didn’t get one! Here’s what we did buy with the prices in pounds;
IKEA 1 washing up brush 1.00 Oven glove 2.00 1 corkscrew 3.00 1 plate rack 3.00 1 draining board 3.00 1 bath mat 4.00 1 pair of scissors 5.00 1 bath towel 6.00 1 small frying pan 7.00 2 pillow cases 8.00 1 fitted bed sheet 9.00 2 roller cheese graters 10.00 2 pillows 12.00 1 double bedding set 20.00 3 pans 35.00 1 office chair 60.00 Total spent £203.00
We attempted to get 2 folding chairs but they were out of stock and only had one available so I suggested we come back for them tomorrow. The assistant said he would have more out tomorrow but Captain Caveman wasn’t keen on that idea so he just bought the one chair. I left him to do the check out as I needed the loo and by the time I got back he was ready to leave. He was not in a good mood and neither was I, I think we were still bloody arguing about a £4 bath mat. The good thing is though we both had a new roller cheese grater which I had seen at his parents, they are a game changer – especially for parmesan straight out of the freezer! It was late when we arrived at my parents, we’d brought them an adapter plug, some Pontecarlo midget gems with liquorice black ones in and a bottle of wine. My head was frazzled so I suggested we opened the wine then showed off my new cheese grater! It was too late to go out so we had a couple of drinks with Ma & Pa and they laughed at us falling out in IKEA.
Gratitude List 1. Finally getting Virgin internet sorted at Captain Caveman’s home 2. A successful (as in we got necessary items) trip to IKEA 3. Finally arriving in Mosborough for drinks with my parents.
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