Dalyan – 24th & 25th July

By 9am on Monday 24th July I was off to the bank to draw out more cash. I’d promised to pick up 3 boxes of baklava for Morgan and April to take home as gifts. I got it fresh from the bakery and went for the medium sized boxes, hoping they weren’t already over their weight allowance on hand luggage as it was very heavy. When I arrived, Gayle was still tidying, Neil was moving stuff downstairs and the girls weren’t quite ready. They had all kindly left me some spare toiletries and food which Gayle had bagged up for me. She also mentioned there was ice-cream and wine in the fridge, including the remaining half bottle from yesterday that I’d taken over. In the kerfuffle of them leaving, moving luggage and me getting the bag of gubbings, we left without the ice-cream and wine!
We had hugs, said our farewells and I was genuinely sad to see them leave. It had been lovely to share a big part of their family holiday and we’d had so many laughs. I was going to miss them a lot and the itinerary plans! If you think I’m funny, you should meet my sister – she really is hilarious! I waved Fikri’s taxi off with tears in my eyes and then walked back to mine.
I worked from 1pm to 7.30pm with a break for food and I decided I needed to spend the next week getting back to the Slimming World plan and saving money for my next adventures. I made a diet friendly pizza for dinner and had a much needed early night.

Tuesday 25th July was a quiet day for me in Dalyan. I’d been in communication with Steve and Michelle in Lardos who had managed to go back to check on things but it was still pretty horrendous over there.
I got up late, ate fruit with quark for brunch and worked from 12.30 until 8.30pm with a break in the middle to chat to a drunken Captain Caveman in Vietnam. I ventured out to buy a replacement water for 40 lira (£1.20) but the guy forgot to bring it round and I had to chase him. I had a chicken and veggie wrap for dinner with some Airfryer chips. I’d not even counted my syns this week but tomorrow I had to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. I was bound to have put weight on but I was determined to get back on it.

Dalyan – 23rd July

It was Gayle, Neil, Morgan and April’s last day and night in Dalyan on Sunday 23rd July as they were leaving tomorrow morning.
They had planned to have a cleaning, tidying and packing day followed by lounging and swimming round the pool for their last day. They had booked to go out for a meal and I was going to have another day off. We’d had a great time and, surprisingly, not one fall out or complaint.
In the afternoon I got flight confirmation from my friends, Kelly and Clare, who were coming to visit me next month. I was looking forward to seeing them after 4 years of not being able to see each other.
Later, I went over to where my sister and family were staying and we had a dip in the pool. Some friends from Fethiye and Mark stopped by just to say hello and I met them at the gate for a few minutes.
When I went back in, the family were getting ready and said I should join them for their last dinner out in Dalyan.

I’ve not been to La Bohème this year, it was very busy but we had a reserved table by the river, overlooking the rock tombs. We decided cocktails would be a good idea and I ordered a pornstar martini. We shared the meze plate for starters and each of us ordered some really good main courses. My surf and turf was one of the best meals I’d had in Dalyan. We shared wine and had a brilliant last night celebrating a wonderful holiday. As we came to pay the bill, there was a power cut which meant we all had to put our cash in to pay.

The girls weren’t too pleased about that as they had been promised a look round the shops. A lot of the shops were unable to take card payments but we did find a couple that could so the girls could get some souvenirs.
On our walk back towards home we decided that it wouldn’t be a farewell send off without a quick drink in Bistro Blue.
We must have left about 12.30am as I have a receipt for the drinks at that time and the electric in Dalyan was back on.

Dalyan – 22nd July

After a hot and humid night’s sleep, the temperature on Saturday 22nd July felt like the hottest day so far in Dalyan. It was already above 33°C when I got up and was forecast to be 43°C in the afternoon.
Today I was having a day and night off while the family went on a jeep safari and then for a meal at Alegria. Yesterday’s amazing boat trip had been paid for by Gayle and Neil so I’d only had to pay for my wine. I felt very grateful that I’d only spent 600 lira (£18) and was off to the market today for some provisions. Due to the heat and weather warnings I went at a more sensible hour. I bought 2 red peppers, 4 green peppers, 1 red cabbage, 500g of cherries, 1 punnet of strawberries and 6 peaches which cost 193 lira (£5.80) then had to call at a new cafe on the way back. It was hot and I needed refreshment so I called in to Asaf Bey which had been recommended on Facebook groups for coffee and cake. I’m not a coffee drinker so I had a juice and a water which took a good while to be served as there were already 2 other customers. It’s a nice place, the staff are friendly and they do the traditional coffee, made in sand. I personally didn’t like much on the menu but they had a fan on and it was a nice place to cool down a little. I paid 50 lira (£1.50) for my 2 drinks and a cool down in a nice peaceful environment so I was happy as I went out in to the now midday sun.
On the way home I bought lavaş wraps, cherry juice and smoked turkey at Migros supermarket for a total of 117.50 lira (£3.53). I made a turkey, cabbage, carrot and quark wrap for lunch, whacked on the AC and rested up.
The weather forecast had been accurate and it was extremely hot, the humidity had dropped though. Unfortunately, other countries were suffering the heat far worse than us and things in Rhodes had took a turn for the worse. There were forest fires which were spreading across certain areas in Rhodes and, by 2pm my friends, Steve and Michelle, were having to evacuate their home in Lardos. It looked pretty scary and I was worried about the people I knew there. I offered to put them up at our place and said if it got worse to get on a ferry to Fethiye and come to Dalyan.
For dinner I made a chicken and veg stir fry which I ate while worrying about my pals in Rhodes. I had an early night but didn’t sleep much as I was watching the Rhodes news.

Dalyan – 21st July

I was lucky enough to be invited on an amazing private boat trip on Friday 21st July. After a gap in the itinerary had presented itself, Neil had decided he’d quite like to enjoy some time with just the family, out at sea. The 4 of them had asked me to join their full day and evening on the Princess of Ekincik boat, which they had managed to book for exclusive use at the last minute. We were bright eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to set sail, at 10am. We had tea/coffee and biscuits while Captain Ismail took us out towards the Devil’s Bay area. Our first swim stop was lovely and the water felt amazing in our deserted little bay.

Our lunch had some of the best tasting mezes I’ve had this year and they took in to account all our allergies and requirements. The meat was top quality and the hygiene second to none. We had an absolute feast of a BBQ lunch and we were all stuffed. We set sail just as the sea got choppy and I had to take a sea sickness pill (just as a precaution). Captain Ismail was very adept at getting us through the fairly choppy sea and he sailed further out and then across to save us getting too disturbed as we lounged and sipped on iced tea or rosé wine.

It was getting quite hot and a tad humid as we got to the next swim stop which had crystal clear deep water. We were the only ones there, at 5pm, because most boats were on their way back from the day trips and the moonlight ones were not out yet. I felt so lucky that we could do this on such a lovely boat, great setting and one of the best crews in Dalyan.

By 6pm we were making our way to Little Dalyan, behind the beach, where we would stay for our last swim stop, dinner, sunset then stargazing. Neil and Gayle had a walk across the beach to the sea, the girls went paddle boarding and then we tried our luck at crab fishing. I’ve never been a fan and have thought it cruel however I did catch 3! Neil, being the fisherman of the family, caught the most.

As we watched the sun go down, we ate a delightful chicken casserole with rice, salad, bread and the BBQ crab. It was my first time eating crab and I was a bit concerned in case I was allergic to it. Ismail showed us how to get the meat from the shell and he opened mine for me. It was so fresh and tasty with no allergic reaction. There was lots more rosé wine had and we all loved the trip.

We got back to Dalyan after 10pm and, as we sailed in, the air felt very different than it had out at the beach. It seemed to be several degrees hotter and very suffocating, we all noticed it and started to sweat straight away. The humidity levels had increased and, despite there being no sun, the temperature seemed to be extreme for an evening. We paid our bills, said our thanks and goodbyes to Ivona, Ismail and Ege – we knew this wouldn’t be the last trip with them this year!

Dalyan – 20th July

I had another lovely day with Gayle, Neil, Morgan and April on Thursday 20th July. While they were all getting ready, I had been to the bank to draw out more money. It had only been 3 months since I was living off 1400 lira (£41.86) for the week but now 3000 lira (£89.69) wasn’t lasting more than a few days with going out and about more. I bought more credit and data for my Turkish phone which was now 160 lira (£4.78) per month, compared to 110 lira (£3.29) last time.

Today’s itinerary was a little bit laid back as I met up with the family for a late breakfast/brunch. They’d been wanting to try Ela’s Kitchen as they fancied checking out all the hype about the place. I think I’d mentioned that both the menemen and Sev’s sausage had been recommended so they were keen to see. As there were 5 of us, I’d had the common sense to send a cheeky message to book us in and I’m glad we did. About 5 minutes after we got sat down the place was full. Nicola greeted us all with a smile and took our orders for water and hot drinks while we checked out the menu. This is what we ordered (mine without egg or tomato, my niece without tomato) with prices in lira:

2 large waters 70
1 Yorkshire tea 60
2 iced caramel coffees 160
3 Coffees 210
1 omelette 230
1 Menemen 230
1 Sausage Baguette 255
1 mini full English breakfast 255
1 large full English 375

Total spent 1845 lira (£55.16).
All the food was delicious and the portions extremely generous, even for a Fat Club Chubster like me! Of course, pork is an expensive product in Turkey so it’s not surprising that the breakfasts containing English bacon and sausages were the most expensive. Recently, businesses had been struggling to get the pork products and the prices of it were constantly increasing. Our maveraged at £11 per person with the drinks so not bad for what we had. We all really enjoyed our food and we were stuffed, looking forward to a leisurely afternoon.

Our next destination was Iztuzu beach, where we got the cooperative boat to for 100 lira (£2.99) return.
We had a nice chilled out few hours in the red hot sun, we used all the spare clothes we had to put on the rattan parasols to stop the sun coming through. We all went in the sea and I even had a Magnum, I don’t normally have an ice cream as they don’t really agree with me.

Later, we got the boat back and went back to our respective apartments to get ready for dinner. I’d arranged for the 5 of us to eat at Hotel Dalyance where they had Turkish Day on. This meant we could choose a main Turkish meat dish from a select menu and a cocktail, beer or glass of wine for just 499 lira (£14.92). This seemed like a good offer as well as a way to introduce the family to a bit of Turkish cuisine.
April was the only one to not order from the Turkish menu, even though she had chosen steak most nights out so far. She ordered chicken fajitas, Neil went for the Adana kebab, while the rest of us all ordered Ottoman kebab. I had red wine, the others ordered cocktails then Neil ordered a bottle of rosé to go with dinner. The food was nicely presented and definitely a little different to what we had been having. I really enjoyed my dinner but I think Neil and Gayle are used to a more generous serving. A few of us had the cheesecake dessert which is really nice at Hotel Dalyance and Neil had ordered a second bottle of wine. It was a good night but Gayle had got the taste for it and fancied going on for another drink somewhere. We ended up seeing Jamie and his 2 friends (Nick and Mark) in Aşkın bar so we joined them for one. It turned in to two(!) and we had a right laugh before finally going home about 1am.
I’d had a great time but I was a bit concerned we may end up with a casualty for tomorrow’s itinerary plans if we stayed out much longer.

Dalyan – 19th July

It was weigh day on Wednesday 19th July and I had a quiet day planned. In the last week I’d been on 2 boat trips, a hen party, a leaving meal, a wedding and a meal out last night. I’d drank alcohol 5 nights out of 7 so it was bound to not be a good result at Fat Club this afternoon. I took my measurements in the morning;
Bust +2cm,
Waist -4cm,
Hips -1cm.
I think the waist measurement was a fluke and I still wanted to lose another 5cm there.
I couldn’t work in the morning as I had internet issues but I started work after lunch. I had leftover lentil Bolognese with airfried aubergine chips and it tasted great.
At Fat Club I had put on 1kg and really needed to get back on it, once my family had gone. On my way home I called at Migros Supermarket to buy provisions and I even got some items with the airfryer in mind.
Here’s what I bought and prices in lira:
6 eggs 24.95
2 Quark 29.90
Cheese triangles 32.95
500g cherries 39.90
Beetroot 44.90
1.8kg whole chicken 88.82
Total spent 261.42 lira (£7.82).

I was pleased with the shop as I got a bag full for less than £10 quite easily.
Back home, I popped the whole chicken in the airfryer as adviced by Fat Club Carol and got back to work. I did another 3 hours of work before eating the chicken which was an absolute success. I ate chicken with courgettes and mushrooms, also done in the airfryer while I carved up the chicken. I saved the carcass and skin to make a stock for soups another day.

Dalyan – 15th July

On Saturday 15th July we had entered a heatwave coming from Morocco and were advised by the authorities to stay indoors during the daylight hours. Of course, we decided to ignore that and actually it didn’t feel quite as hot as Vietnam so I was doing ok.
I decided to go to the market in the midday sun, which is about a 15 minute stroll away. I had my sunhat on and took water with me. On the way I saw the homeless guy, wearing black and looking very warm. I bought him a peach and some water and helped him wash the peach. The market had been exceptionally empty when I got there at about 12.30pm so it was easy to grab what I needed and get back home quickly. I bought cherries, peaches, courgettes, aubergines, carrots and mushrooms so spent less than 200 lira easily. On the way back, I called in to Bim supermarket where I picked up a loaf of bread and a pack of nan bread for just 27.50 lira (82p). I noticed they had air fryers in for 1800 lira (£54), a few people from Fat Club were in to them so I was tempted and I know my mom fancied one.

By 2.30pm my mom and I were back in Bim on Atatürk Road buying the last air fryer then over to the other Bim in the Turkish quarter to buy another one. They were reduced to 1699 lira (£50.76) so we decided to get one each. The bank had been out of order, I only had card so my mom paid for both. They weren’t heavy but in the heat it was hard to walk about carrying the bulky boxes. It was unfortunate that my parents wouldn’t get to try it out just yet, though, as they were leaving late tonight, going back home to England.

That night we decided to celebrate in style and had booked a table for the 7 of us at Bistro Blue, one of our favourite restaurants. Beforehand, we met at one of my parents’ new favourites, Tapa, for drinks. I called at the bank to find that they were temporarily limiting withdrawals to 250/300 lira which is less than £10 per time so it was taking ages for people to get enough money out and it was all in small denominations – I’ve never had so many 10 lira (30p) notes!
The drinks at Tapa aren’t the cheapest in town but, despite it’s river location, it is also not the most expensive. The wine is a good one, Angora, for 95 lira (£2.84) per glass. A Turkish cider cost 150 lira (£4.48) which I don’t think is worth it so I no longer drink cider in Turkey. Our drinks bill came to 1,380 lira (£41.23) for 10 drinks, including 4 ciders, 4 pints of Efes and a Tequila Sunrise, which was definitely cheaper than what my family would have paid back in Sheffield.

At Bistro Blue we all had starters and main courses, including prawns, mushrooms, liver & onions, fish and steaks washed down with several wines. It was delicious and an excellent choice for celebrating my parents’ last night. We even splashed out on a couple of the bottles of nice wine with it being a special occasion, the end of my parents’ holiday and the last time we’d probably all be together for a while. The food and service was as lovely as always and I really enjoyed my pepper steak, my parents had their last fix of liver and onions which got great reviews too. Annie & Selahı made sure we gave Ma & Pa a good send off and we all had a cheeky amaretto for our farewell drink.

After seeing our parents off, and trying not to cry, the rest of us went for another drink at Tapa where Gayle tried one of the new marshmallow martini cocktails which was a bit like a dessert and Morgan had a daiquiri. It had been a great night and I was looking forward to putting my feet up for a bit of a rest tomorrow, but of course I had another event to attend.

Dalyan – 14th July

I’d been out of Vietnam for 2 weeks on Friday 14th July and I wasn’t missing the heat. Here in Dalyan it was getting hotter and today looked to be the hottest I’d had here yet. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea, which was now on rations as I only had a few left.
At 4.30pm I was trying to work out what to wear for Pamela’s hen party tonight as the dress I’d bought in Rhodes was going to be too clingy in this heat. I went for the old faithful M&S pink number which I’ve worn quite a bit when it’s hot. My mom and sister, who were also invited, called for me and we headed up to Kaunos tea gardens to meet the rest of the hens. Kate was the maid of honour and had organised for us all to have Team Bride transfers on, ready for when Pamela arrived for us to get on the boat. There were 24 of us on a bespoke Captain Boris private cheese and wine boat trip for just a couple of hours. Of course, I couldn’t get my Team Bride tattoo to stick so I put the last spare one from Kate in my purse for later. On board we all had some champers and we got ready for a Mr & Mrs style quiz that Kate and I had organised. Pamela’s fiancé, Glynn, had refused to answer any of the more risqué questions but Kate and I didn’t let that get in the way of some comedy gold, by asking her the questions anyway!

Rebecca and Boris did us all proud with a feast of all sorts of cheeses, meats, fruits, jams, olives, crackers, bread, snacks and some lovely wine, served in decent measures. I finally managed to find somewhere to stick my Team Bride ‘tattoo’ and of course hens will be hens with a cheeky bit of bum biting from Tracy. We all loved the hen party boat trip with the copious amount of delicious cheeses and there was plenty left over to take with us to the next stop, the Rum Bar. I stuck to wine but the others tried all sorts of cocktails as we munched on left over fruit and Kate’s homemade lemon drizzle buns.

The diet had been put on hold yet again as some people went home but a few of us, including the bride to be, went to Rodrigo’s for another drink. My mom and Gayle wanted to get back to see how Dad, Neil and the kids were doing but the men were still out when they returned. I dropped some stuff off at home before bumping in to my nieces on my way to Rodrigo’s, Dad and Neil were still in Bistro Blue. I joined the remaining hens and we also met up with some of the other halves and friends.

Our last stop was one in Sofra bar, one for the road but n. I had a great laugh, mainly chatting to Harris who felt like an old mate from back home despite me only meeting him a couple of times before. I walked home by myself about 2.30am after a very good and funny evening. I’d managed to not go too mad as I knew we still had my parents’ last night and another 10 days with my sister and family.
The total amount of money I spent on the whole night was 1,215 lira (£36.30) – I don’t think I’ve ever done 9 hours of a hen do for that amount of money, it was an absolute bargain and I even had a bag of spare cheese in the fridge.

Dalyan – 13th July

I worked from 11.30am to 5.45pm on Thursday 13th July so that I could accommodate the evening itinerary. I just ate plain noodles in chicken stock for lunch as we would be eating a feast tonight. It was also the hottest it had been since I’d got back to Dalyan and the temperature was over 40°C in the afternoon. I had to put the AC on!
At 6.30pm Ma, Pa, Gayle, Neil, Morgan, April and I were joining a group boat trip. It was booked a while ago for us to join the Princess of Ekincik Moonlight boat trip from 6.30pm until bedtime and we were all looking forward to it.
This trip allowed for a few swimming stops, the first at the lake where we were joined by a turtle while we were all in the water. Luckily, I had taken Steve’s sunglasses with me as my mom had lost her’s while I’d been away, so I gave them to her.

We had a delicious BBQ meal and went to the mud baths. Gayle and Ma had a fish foot experience while I went in the hot sulphur pool. The 3 of us went in the domes where there are hot pools and it was really nice. Captain Ismail sailed to Little Dalyan next, where we could relax, swim and walk on the beach. Later we all looked up at the sky for some star gazing and a few beverages were had. When we got back it was unusually hot in the town and we’d been lucky to have had the breeze on the boat. By 11.30pm we were saying our goodbyes and I paid my bill which was 1320 lira (£39.41) for my trip and drinks. The boat trips were definitely working out better value than going out for a meal! We had a quick drink in Tez bar before going home, just to finish off the night. Tomorrow would be another fun day in Dalyan and I was already looking forward to a celebration.

Dalyan – 12th July

It was another expensive day on Wednesday 12th July as well as it being my first Fat Club since the beginning of May. I did my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from my bust, no change to my hips and I had put 2cm back on my waist. My home scales said I was 0.4kg heavier than last week at Steve and Michelle’s so I wasn’t holding out for a good result on Carol’s scales this afternoon.
I spent 520 lira (£15.50) for 2 month’s worth of internet, and 72 lira (£2.15) at Migros where I bought 2 Quark, 3 packets of pasta and fabric softener. On the way home I bought a replacement water for the cooler, which was 30 lira (89p) for 19 litres.
I worked from 12.15 to 2.45pm then popped to Fat Club. To my amazement it wasn’t as bad a result as I thought it would be; I was 1.5kg (3.3lb) lighter on Carol’s scales than I had been on Steve and Michelle’s last week. I was happy with that and had a spring in my step as I walked to the hairdresser’s. I paid 600 lira (£17.89) for a colour, cut and blow dry with Emrah then went back home to carry on working. I had the leftover chicken shish from My Arancia the night before last and it was even tastier than the original. I served it with steamed rice to try to keep healthy, for a change.
When I finished work at 8.30pm my parents and the rest of the family were still at their apartments, having some drinks after a BBQ by the pool and had invited me round. I took some soda waters so that I could be good and have a night off the booze as I had work tomorrow. They were having another boozey one but I did well to resist and I didn’t join mom and my nieces in the pool as I’d just had my hair done. I left before 11.30pm which I didn’t think was bad to say I was sober.

Dalyan – 11th July

I had another day off on Tuesday 11th July with more plans from the ‘behind the scenes itinerary’. Gayle and I had put together the plan of what we were doing most days for the following reasons;
1. We wanted everyone to have a good holiday without the hassle of deciding and trying to agree what to do each day, or where to eat for each meal.
2. Being a group of 7 in the school holidays/high season would mean activities, trips and restaurants will be busier than usual and may not have availability.
3. Neither of us wanted to deal with having to decide at the last minute, what to do or where to go, or worse – end up doing nothing!
We both felt being organised would benefit everyone better. Mom, Neil and Morgan much preferred to be more spontaneous and for us to wing it but Gayle and I were having none of that and had become a bit bossy.
At 9am I had paid the deposit for 5 of us (not ma and pa) to go on a horse riding trip next week and I was scared! By 10am the full family contingent and I were walking towards the ferry as we had a booking for Turkish breakfast over the river. I’d booked the 7 of us in at the Çandır Resort and had arranged the pick up service to take us up the mountain. They didn’t do gluten free food for Gayle but there were naturally gluten free things that she could have that she liked. I often struggle with a Turkish breakfast as I don’t like tomatoes, eggs or cucumber. The pastry and some cheeses often give me a belly ache too, so I took some tupperware to take some home. I was on the end of the table so I was the Turkish tea monitor and we all had a fresh orange juice. The cost of the breakfast for 7 of us, including the pick-up/drop off service, the juice, and a coffee was 3,395 lira (about £100) so not the cheapest but very lovely. I even brought the leftover olives and 2 pastries home with me.

On the way back we decided to call at Kaunos tea gardens for a beverage where everyone but Dad had soft drinks.
We didn’t get home until almost 3pm which didn’t leave much time to relax before our next activity on the itinerary, which not everyone was as enthusiastic about as Gayle and I.

We had decided to book everyone in for a night; Lukka bar had their music bingo night on so I’d booked a table. Joining our family were Debbie (Darling), Roy, Ann, Jamie, Drew and his 2 guests, Karen and Alicia. I’d booked the table ahead of time for the 14 of us but it meant we all had to be sat at the pool table (with a top on it). Debbie (Darling), Roy and Ann had already said they were just coming for drinks but the rest of us decided to eat there. Katrina had already sent us a copy of the menus so that we could work out the gluten free options. We got there early and introduced everyone, Jamie was already quite merry as my dad ordered a pint of draft, Mom and Neil had Efes malt, I had a glass of wine and the rest of our party were on the cocktails. When the drinks came my dad said he hadn’t ordered a pint (he did) but Jamie put him straight and sloshed the pint in front of him. I could already see my dad was not enjoying the night so far. My parents both ordered the Asian chicken, I ordered sweet and sour chicken, April chose steak, Morgan and Neil had lamb or chicken shish, Gayle opted for the salmon. Unfortunately Karen had ordered chicken curry but took my sweet and sour and started eating it, until Alicia mentioned it looked a bit like her yum yum chicken. I had to wait for a new one and Dad should have stuck to something he knew he’d like better.

Jamie was getting very touchy with Dad and I thought the night couldWhen everyone was together and the music bingo started, we all gave the ball a right old kick. As the night went on, more cocktails and wine was drunk. Most of us got up to dance and we had a great time. Our bill for the 7 of us came to 7,418 lira (£220) which worked out about £31 per person on average. By the end of the night Dad was on the brandy and we were probably going to have a hangover in the morning. It was a good job Gayle and I didn’t have much on the agenda for tomorrow, the kids had requested a pool day!

Dalyan – 10th July

I was awake early on Monday 10th July and I was excited to be spending my first day back in Dalyan on a boat trip with my family. Ma, Pa, Gayle (sister), Neil (brother-in-law), Morgan (eldest niece) and April (youngest niece) and I had booked to join the Duran Duran boat trip to Köyceğiz market from 10am this morning. I’d already been to the bank then to get phone credit and had packed my swimmers, factor 50 and travel towel ready to take advantage of the sunny day. The weather forecast said 36°C for this afternoon and I wasn’t working today.
Ma and Pa called on for me while Neil went to find a sun hat and I faffed about putting money for the market separate to my money for the boat trip.

We joined a group trip, but a private trip, and were sat having a hot beverage and a biscuit before 10am ready for our day out.
The leisurely sail towards Köyceğiz and through the lake was lovely and calm, but we were all too busy talking and laughing to really enjoy the scenery. Once at Köyceğiz, the ladies headed for the market while Dad and Neil popped along to a lakeside cafe for a light beverage and to wait for us. I’d took my rucksack to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables but when I went to get my money out, it wasn’t there. Neither was my boat trip money so I assumed I’d left it at home and had to borrow 300 lira from mom. I didn’t buy an awful lot but I did get 2 blocks of cheese, cherries and strawberries to keep me going.
We rejoined the men and had a cold beverage with them, the beers were a reasonable 85 lira (£2.58) and soft drinks were 35 lira (£1.06). We were back on the boat for 1pm so that Captain Unal could take us for a swim stop, then get ready for our BBQ lunch.

The food was delicious and catered for all of our fussy and Coeliac requirements without any bother at all. Gayle and Mom had fish and Halloumi, I had chicken and halloumi and others had chicken and meatballs. There was lots of mezes and pasta for us all to have a big portion. It was so good that I didn’t even take any photos of the food as I was too busy eating it.
Around 4pm we headed to the mud baths where everyone on the boat except for April and I went in. It’s optional and we were happy to admire the view and look at some goats instead. I may have had a cheeky wine while we chatted. Once everyone was back on board, Unal served fruit and cake, Sioned (Unal’s wife) had made Gayle 2 gluten free desserts which were really good.
We were back to Dalyan just before 6pm and we settled up our bills. I had to pay by bank transfer on account of ‘losing/forgetting’ my cash. My boat trip plus my drinks came to 1,075 lira (£32 approx) which was a bargain for such a lovely day out.

We stopped off at Tapa, formerly River Terrace, for a drink and got chatting to the staff there. I popped home to check I had left my money there and it was on the table, which was a relief. After a couple of drinks at Tapa, we decided to chance a table for the 7 of us at My Arancia restaurant, part of the Doğa hotel. The owner rearranged the tables and chairs to get us in at a nice table by the pool and we ordered food. We all shared a mixed meze plate for starter which was very good. April and I both had chicken shish for main, which was nice but a lot more oil than I’m used to. It cost about 300 lira (£9) for the shish and came with chips, rice and salad. Gayle had a mixed grill without the rice which is naturally gluten free. I couldn’t manage all my dinner so I took some leftovers home for another day. Our first family day had gone very well and we were looking forward to more Dalyan excitement tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Rhodes – 7th July

The first thing I noticed when I woke up at 6am on Friday 7th July, was that there was no internet. I didn’t particularly need it as I wasn’t scheduled to work today but it was unusual, given that Steve and Michelle work from home. On entering the living room area I saw the problem, there had been an incident involving cats, a basket from the shelf and the router getting knocked off. None of the cats were forthcoming but Trixie looked like she knew what happend and was keeping quiet. Lulu and Bella were particularly hungry today and were quite impatient for their biscuits this morning.
Steve and Michelle messaged to say they were on their way so I stripped the bed and had a general tidy round. I was just getting the hoover out when they arrived back from a lovely jaunt over to Crete. Xena was beside herself with excitement that mom and dad were back, Trixie was also very happy but tried to play it cool by napping on Steve’s bag and pillow. I had a chocolatey croissant-like pastry for breakfast then it was all systems go.

Life is always more lively with Steve and Michelle around so we went out for a lovely lunch at Alabama bar. Steve and Michelle took the healthy options and had wraps which looked great, I had a very good chicken burger with chips. We all had a cheeky beer and I gave people a headache by chatting on too much, not realising we were in a rush to get back.
That night was the Greek night in Lardos and I was looking forward to my first one, having not drank much alcohol this week, I was about to make up for it!

We started the night in Cuckoo’s Nest cocktail bar, my drink of choice was red wine. The measures were large and I seemed to get quite plastered as more of Steve and Michelle’s friends joined us. By 11.30pm the Tequilas were out and we were on that slippery slope to extreme drunkenness. I was tired and tried to have a little nap in Cuckoo’s Nest but Steve and Michelle’s friends were having none of it and proceeded to encourage more drunken antics over at Memories bar.

By 2.30am I had made some new friends, including a cute little dog. Michelle and I got in at 3.45am to a passed out half naked (thankfully the top half) Steve on the lounge sofa bed. It was good to have them back in Lardos and, as far as I can remember, we’d all had a fantastic night.

Rhodes – 6th July

On Thursday 6th July I was up early, busy with plant watering and animal duties then I worked 9am to 4.30pm. After feeding the cats, getting the hang of who’s indoor and outdoor, I decided a quick trip to the shop was a good idea.
I spent €13.30 (£11.41) on Prosecco, crisps and chocolate at Big Family supermarket then decided to stop at a bar. I ordered a cheeky Milokleftis cider with ice at Yamas bar and sent a message to Louise to see if she had finished work. Shortly after, she arrived and ordered a coffee but another Milokleftis and a cocktail arrived. What was a quick drink after work with a new friend, turned in to quite an impromptu evening. After a few ciders I decided I couldn’t be bothered to go home to cook so suggested we eat out.

Louise and I both love Valentina’s restaurant in Lardos and it was very close by. We opted for a white wine each then I had a carafe of red wine while Louise ordered a lemonade then a passion fruit cocktail. There was a complimentary pumpkin soup which was very tasty. We had the amazing cheese balls and some garlic bread to share for starters and we both ordered steaks with mushrooms and onions for mains. Once again we got complimentary dessert of baklava with ice-cream and watermelon ouzo shots to round off the meal. It was amazing and I was impressed with the food, yet again – I’ve never had a bad meal there. The total bill came to €79 (£67.79) which was reasonable for what we had and I went home with a doggy bag!
I think Xena disapproved of me coming back drunk without her parents, but they were due back tomorrow.

Rhodes – 3rd to 5th July

I had the luxury of being flexible on the hours I worked, however Steve and Michelle had to be ‘at work’ early on Monday 3rd July. I woke up still very red in places and my eyelids and back were clearly sunburned. As Steve and Michelle have bathroom scales I thought it wise to get on them. It was time to face the music and compare my weight now, to when I was last here. I was 4.2kg (9lb) heavier today than when I last used these scales back in May.
I worked from 10.30am until 1pm then broke for lunch. Michelle made us burgers with cheese and chorizo wraps which were very tasty. I worked from 2pm to 7.45pm with a break to say bye to Steve and Michelle as they were off to Crete for a friend’s wedding. I was looking after Xena, the dog, the 6 house-allowed cats, a clowder of outdoor cats and I was looking forward to having a bit of a rest.

My day started with a Captain Caveman video call on Tuesday 4th July, he tried saying hello to Xena but she wasn’t receptive. I was up by 6am as Trixie wanted breakfast, and LuLu was so hot that she tried to cool her bum on the freezer door. I worked from 9am until 11am with Trixie trying to help again. After a quick lunch I did a few more hours work and decided to finish about 4.30pm for cat and dog feeding. I went to the bakery for some bread and called at the ABC supermarket in Lardos square where I bought the following;

1 Bounty 0.95
1 pack wine gums 0.95
1 pack cream crackers 1.05
2 packs of plain noodles 1.28
1 pack oriental noodles 1.91
100g Stilton cheese 1.94
1 pack of sausages 2.57
1 Lurpak butter 3.57
200g Feta cheese 3.75
Total spent 17.97 Euros (£15.35)

I didn’t think the prices were too bad for Europe and I got some pork and cheese so I was happy with that. In the evening I watched TV and even got some snuggles from Milo, the (not so) pissy cat.

I was up and about early on Wednesday 5th July to feed and check on the animals. Lulu was particularly eager to get fed and Xena was happy to run about in the garden.
I did my measurements to find my bust and hips had not changed but my waist had increased by 2cm.
I worked from 8am until 6.30pm with breaks for meals, garden watering and pet tending. I did try to stick to Slimming World again and didn’t have any alcohol so was doing well. In the evening I watched TV and spent time with the pets before having an early night.