Barnes & Gatwick – 1st & 2nd June

The medication was starting to do its thing by Sunday 1st June and I was glad as it was my last full day and night in the UK. I was off back to Turkey tomorrow so the plan had been to have a lovely day together, while Captain Caveman had a day off. We’d talked about going to Kew Gardens, as I’d never been, but I wasn’t well enough for an outing. Instead, I checked my stats for my blog to find that I was up 42% on views from the previous month. My top readers were located in the UK, Turkey and USA and I even had some new reader in Botswana. I was hoping for a good month and I even saved a post from my colleague, Helen the Resort Expert in Italy, which was promoting Joyful June – we could all do with a bit of that. Captain Caveman and I were very grateful to his parents for letting us stay, even more so when they potentially unwittingly allowed us to do a load of laundry. At lunch time, Captain Caveman and I decided to have a little walk to the shops in Barnes to eat our lunch in the park, near Barnes Pond. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
2 tins of Baked Beans 0.80
1 Double Decker chocolate bar 0.85
Fairy Liquid 1.25
6 packs of Mini cheddars 1.50
Parmesan cheese (for Carol) 3.95
Weetabix (for Vanessa) 4.00
Total spent £12.35

There wasn’t much going on for lunch options in Sainsbury’s, not for the first time, so we went to Marks & Spencer – my favourite! Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;

1 pack mini sausage rolls 2.10
1 pack raspberries 2.65
1 salad box with edamame and nuts 2.90
1 Feta & sun dried tomato pasta 4.25
Total spent £11.90

My salad was delicious – I wish I’d bought two, and the raspberries were so lovely. We ate them sat on a bench while watching a young family who were attempting to let their young boy climb a tree, rather badly.
Of course, after they had moved and we had eaten, Captain Caveman had to shimmy up the tree to show how easy it was. We also discussed the idea of me flying back to the UK on the 17th of next month to help Captain Caveman celebrate his birthday. The flight was only £53 and we contemplated booking it but decided to wait.
The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting laundry and me packing, then we had a walk to the Brown Dog pub. Captain Caveman had a pint of a new beer that was on while I had a tap water. I was only functioning at 50% and needed to be ok to travel by tomorrow. I still had 2 more days worth of antibiotics but I think they were starting to have a positive effect. That evening, Captain Caveman’s parents had prepared us another tasty home cooked chicken dinner and then we watched a TV programme of Guy Martin in Vietnam. It was a relatively early night for me and I was rather upset that my last few days and not been as good due to being sick.

Gratitude List
1. Progress on the Blog views, it was still being read!
2. Being in Barnes, which is idyllic, to eat our lunch (and climb trees).
3. Captain Caveman’s parents being so easy going.

My flight from Gatwick was not until 8.50pm on Monday 2nd June so we were both working from home in Barnes. I checked in online for my flight and was given an aisle seat near the front. There was still some laundry drying so I did a bit more packing and, at lunchtime, Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shops. I bought something for lunch and also something for later, here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;

Tesco Supermarket
1 Sausage Roll 0.73
5 Bananas 1.35
1 Naked Smoothie 1.61
1 Hoisin Duck Wrap 1.66
1 pack Jacob’s Cream Crackers 1.80
1 pack Raspberries 2.10
2 packs Edamame beans 3.50
Total spent £12.75

I ate some of it for lunch and saved the rest for the flight. In the afternoon I got notification that I had been paid from my book royalties and it was my first proper month so I was quite pleased. It wasn’t an amount I could retire on just yet but it was enough to top up my income for the month. I was pleased to see that I had sold more than 1 copy per day on average and I had already started to get some great (5 Star) reviews.
At 5pm, Captain Caveman and I had finished work and were ready to set off to Barnes train station. Captain Caveman came with me as far as Clapham Junction so that he could help with my case. Interestingly, there were announcements saying the lifts weren’t working and I thought I’d struggle with my case, but they were all working fine. Captain Caveman waited with me for my train connection to Gatwick and we said our goodbyes. I was a bit sad because we had enjoyed spending time together so much and had not had one argument, which is an achievement in itself with Captain Caveman and I. The fare from Barnes to Gatwick was £15.60 and took less than an hour at rush hour.
Once at the airport, I had to get in to the queue for the bag drop, and it was a good job I went early as it was rather long. By 6pm I was getting some English money from the cash machine to use for boat trips in Dalyan. I strolled through Duty Free and was unsure what to get, so messaged Captain Caveman to see what he thought was the best value. By 7.10pm I had bought one of my own favourite tipples a Ron Zacapa Rum for £48.19. I saw that there was a Wagamamas, which I love, and decided I just had enough time to eat something there. I ordered a vegan rice dish of pulled shiitake donburi for £13.50 and it was amazing! I boarded the flight and had plenty of Netflix Downloads to keep me busy. I was glad of the aisle seat as I was constantly up and down for the toilet. Although feeling much better, the water infection was still there.
My flight with the 20kg hold luggage had cost just £49.99 which I thought was very reasonable, and I was due to land in Dalaman at 2.55am tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Passive income from ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’
2. Edamame beans – I love them
3. Captain Caveman’s help to Clapham Junction.

Sheffield to Barnes – 31st May

Captain Caveman came back to the Jonas Hotel in Sheffield in the early hours of Saturday 31st May. I woke up because he had to turn on the light and go to the bathroom. He’d also not been able to get in with his key as, when I had asked for another, they had cancelled the first one. I didn’t get much sleep due to Captain Caveman’s snoring and we were up for breakfast early. The hotel included a hot beverage and a croissant (plain or chocolate) which was very nice and meant I could take a tablet. I was meant to be calling in to see my parents but I was still quite unwell and decided it would be better to push on and get the journey down to London over with. I’d already warned Captain Caveman that I’d need to stop for several toilet breaks along the way. Our first stop off was at Dunston Hall Garden Centre where I had a soup with a pot of herbal tea, Captain Caveman ordered a sausage sandwich and chips with a coffee. The food was good but the service seemed a bit chaotic and amateur. Captain Caveman paid the bill while I had another toilet visit and got stuck in the one way system of the Garden Centre.
We drove down to London, with just one more very brief pee stop and finally got to Barnes in the late afternoon. Captain Caveman and I were welcomed by his parents and sat out in the garden, meeting some friends of theirs. There was wine but I just had a juice and some of the crisps.
I went to unpack and managed to have a little lay down but no sleep and then we were given a lovely home cooked pasta dish for dinner. I was fit for nothing and in bed very early which was a shame as I’d not seen the in-laws for such a long time.
I managed to check my finances as I was very keen to see if I’d managed to come in within the £400 budget I had set for myself this month. With 11 days in the UK, mostly with Captain Caveman, I doubted that I had managed it so at first I was only going to count my Turkish Bank, which I only use in Turkey. I had put 20,716 lira (approx £400) in to that account for my budget. Unbelievably I had managed to spend 20,598 lira including 2 water bills, the electric bill and paying my credit card off in full. I was pleased at that but then I looked at my Wise account which I use mainly in the UK. Between me and Captain Caveman we had deposited £603 in total, unfortunately we had then spent £673, with £261.55 being spent on stuff that was only related to me! This meant I’d gone over budget by £260 at least in May, this also didn’t include anything that Captain Caveman had paid for directly. June was going to be tough and I needed to keep under budget to be able to start to get some savings in again. May had been such a fantastic month, though, and I was finally feeling like things were getting better financially.

Gratitude List
1. Making it to London despite feeling rather unwell
2. Seeing Captain Caveman’s parents
3. Being able to have some treats which meant going over budget.

Sheffield – 25th to 27th May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asda Supermarket

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

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

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

Sheffield – 22nd & 23rd May

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

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

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

Aldi Supermarket

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 20th May

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

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

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

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

Parlak bakery
1 loaf 15 lira (29p)

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

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

Dalyan – 18th & 19th May

It was 17°C at 7am on Sunday 18th May when I got up and had a cup of Yorkshire tea and some wholemeal toast. By 8am I was at Sezgin’s house as we had decided to do a Sunday Walk to the Günlüklü restaurant and back. Due to the hot weather of previous weeks, Debbie had hung up her walking shoes for the summer so it was just me, Sezgin and Zen. We set off full of enthusiasm and Sezgin knew a shortcut through a farmer’s field which ended up not having a way out and we had to backtrack. The farmer came to help us and we climbed over a gate to get out and decided to turn back. We had drunk any water we had, but the farmer thought we looked thirsty and went off to pick us each an orange. All of us were grateful for this kind gesture and recognised it was a good idea to turn back as the sun was out and there was very little shade. We’d done 6.5km (4 miles) by 9.10am and it was due to get up to over 25°C with very little breeze. Sezgin was quite sweaty, I was doing ok considering I rarely leave the apartment, but then I got invited to breakfast. Nur got a phone call and was able to whip up quite a feast at the last minute. Her food was delicious and I ate so much before going home for a shower. I did some work on my laptop on the balcony before getting back to work. In the evening I was preparing a roast chicken dinner, while watching something on Netflix. I ate a portion then saved the leftovers for the fridge and the freezer. I had just 2 days left in Dalyan and was surprised to see that our swimming pool had lights in it that worked again.

Gratitude List
1. Walking with Sezgin and Zen, and a free orange
2. Turkish Breakfast by Nur
3. Chicken dinner.

I had Yorkshire tea and cereal for breakfast on Monday 19th May before heading out to meet Jamie. We’d arranged a Resort Experts meeting to talk about how things were going and share ideas. It was a lovely day so Jamie brought Norman and Edna who were really excited to see me. I just had a Turkish tea, Jamie ordered coffee and a mixed toastie. Edna was talking to me to say she needed a bit of the toast and Norman stood waiting for a morsel too. We walked the dogs before it got too hot and said goodbye when we got to the turn off to mine.
Back home, I decided to have an early lunch of pho (chicken noodle soup) and some strawberries. It was all very nice and I had an impromptu call from Captain Caveman. He was up north and was working hard but seemed to be doing well.
I did some social media posts and then got a bit peckish so had a bacon sandwich with brown sauce – it needed eating up.
After work, I popped over to Vanessa & Matt’s, with a delivery of Captain Fuat’s fantastic homemade olive oil soap. I wanted to borrow a case for my hand luggage and we could check in online for our flights.
Matt checked me in so that I could sit next to Vanessa on our Sun Express flight – it did cost an extra £10 to pick my seat and we had some issues getting the boarding pass with a barcode on and my card wouldn’t work on the Sun Express website so Matt paid and I owed him £10. I had a cup of tea and a biscuit then needed to get home to pack. Matt was giving us a lift to the airport on Wednesday morning so they invited me to stay over on Tuesday night so that it was easier.
I worked until 9pm and then had a chicken tikka with steamed rice. I was already on 190 syns for the week so it wasn’t looking good for weight loss. I would also be missing Fat Club for the next 2 weeks while I was in England.

Gratitude List
1. Tea Gardens with Jamie, Norman and Edna
2. Good food
3. Getting prepared for my trip to England.

Dalyan – 16th & 17th May

It was my last weekend in Dalyan for a little while, on Friday 16th May, as I was popping back to the UK with Vanessa next week. I’d also got a busy last weekend planned. After a cup of Yorkshire tea I nipped out to the shops as I had guests coming over for dinner tonight. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 small cartons of milk 19.90
5 potatoes 22.68
Total spent 42.58 lira (83p)

BIM Supermarket
4 Dido chocolate bars 78.00 lira
Total spent 78.00 lira (£1.51)

Unfortunately, there was no Quark in either shop so I would have to do without and try again tomorrow. For breakfast I had a bacon and sausage sandwich with brown sauce as I needed to cook the sausages for a slow cooker casserole I was making for my dinner guests. I would do roast potatoes and vegetables later to go with it. I worked all day and used my ‘lunch break’ to clean the house. My friends were invited to eat at mine but they had messaged with a change of plan due to not being able to manage to get up my stairs. Instead, I would go to theirs but I still needed to take the food as I had cooked it already!
Captain Caveman booked me a flight back from Gatwick to Dalaman for the 2nd June. We’d been waiting to see if I might be needed to help my parents out while my sister was away and the Manchester flight I was hoping to get with Vanessa had gone up by £50 since I’d last checked. Luckily, Captain Caveman had spotted one for a third of the price and including luggage but going from London. It meant I could have a couple of extra days in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his parents before I went back to Dalyan, so that had worked out well.
I finished work, my friends came to pick me up in the car and help me carry the food and a bottle of red wine. The food was well received and we chatted about all sorts of things, while drinking quite a lot of wine.
Although it was quite late when I left, I was more than happy walking it home and left my pans to go in the dishwasher. It had been a lovely night but it was rather late on a school night.

Gratitude List
1. Having a clean house
2. Being busy
3. Sausage casserole and wine with friends.

There was more excitement in my life on Saturday 17th May as I decided to ditch the Dalyan weekly market visit in favour of work so that I could be free by 3pm to meet friends. I just had tea and toast for breakfast then cracked on with some enquiries. For lunch I had some salami with radish, gherkins, cheese and olives for a bit of a change.
I arranged to meet Debbie at Books and Cookies for a tea at 3pm. I arrived just before Debbie and ordered a tea I’d not had before; Rooibos is meant to be good for Diabetics, those on a diet and to prevent wrinkles – I just ordered the one pot for 60 lira (£1.16) which made 2 cups and was easy to drink. I’d say it was more of a winter drink, though. Debbie had a drink and a couple of the delicious homemade cookies. We had a very quick catch up and I signed a copy of my book ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ for her before saying farewells and on to my next appointment. I had arranged to meet a couple of friends at Retro bar where it was quite sunny still. We had a good catch up and I had 3 red wines at a total bargain price of 270 lira (£5.23). The owner and friend, Nusret, had done a really good job of the renovations and had added more seating, a shuffle board, a swimming pool and better toilet facilities – it looked great. Retro bar seemed to be back in favour again with the Dalyan Dwellers as the drinks were so cheap compared to anywhere else, granted the wine was the Diamond brand which is not particularly a quality wine but, given most of the women drink white wine and put soda in it, it passes muster. I had red wine and it was drinkable, a whole bottle was only 350 lira (£6.78) but I wasn’t going mad. While we were there, some of the Dalyan Dwellers arrived back from a trip on the Yellow boat and some came to say hello to us. Friends of my parents came to ask how they were doing and wanted to know when they were coming back to Dalyan, which was nice. It was too late to do anything or eat by the time I was back home so I just went to bed, ready for an early start tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. Tea at Books & Cookies
2. Cheap wine with friends
3. Sunshine.

Dalyan – 14th & 15th May

After yesterday’s boat trip frivolities, I was definitely expecting weigh-in day to be rather unpleasant on Wednesday 14th May.
I took my measurements to find my bust had stayed the same but I had put 3cm on my waist and 4cm on my hips – not good. I rushed to get my Turkish homework done before my lesson at Lukka at 11.30am. Our pool and garden company had sent someone to tidy the decking areas, remove the tree branch and sort the pool out. I just had fruit for breakfast but then had leftover curry and rice for lunch. Today, Carol was away so I was in charge of the scales and books at Fat Club. So that people didn’t have to tell me their weight if they didn’t want to, we all got weighed privately and I left it up to the ladies to let Carol know how they had done. Bizarrely, I had lost 0.95kg (2lb) which I was so pleased about.
I was busy in the afternoon so I didn’t have time to make the dinner I had planned to. Instead, I had marmalade on wholemeal toast. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was still in the sunny north of England and seemed to be doing fine.

Gratitude List
1. Leftover curry
2. Losing weight
3. Speaking to Captain Caveman.

On Thursday 15th May I was up early and had even been shopping by 10am. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Pharmacy
400mg Ibuprofen 113.62
Plasters 140.00
2 packs contraceptive pill 658.36
Total spent 911.98 lira (£17.64)

Migros Supermarket
Chickpeas 33.95
Wholemeal loaf 52.50
Cashew nuts 84.50
Silicon spatula 109.95
1.95kg while chicken 152.22
Total spent 433.12 lira (£8.39)

I noticed that there was Peja, alcohol free beer, in Migros for just over £1 per bottle. Back home, the complex was starting to look a bit more summer ready and the pool looked ready for the first time this year. I had strawberries with Quark for breakfast and then got on with a busy day. I had a cheese and lettuce sandwich for lunch and dialed in to our Resort Experts Team Meeting at 1pm. We were introduced to a new Resort Experts Facebook page; Holiday Help from Locals – feel free to follow and like here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/holidayscheckitbeforyoubook/?ref=share&mibextid=lOuIew
It was to help people looking for holidays get actual advice from people who lived in those destinations (us) and for us to share quotes, tips and any other holiday and travel related information.
I had cheese and roasted vegetable pasta in the evening which was simple but very good.

Gratitude List
1. Being able to afford medicine
2. Tasty food
3. Resort Experts and the colleagues who were supporting me.

It was to help people looking for holidays get actual advice from people who lived in those destinations (us) and for us to share quotes, tips and any other holiday and travel related information.
I had cheese and roasted vegetable pasta in the evening which was simple but very good.

Gratitude List
1. Being able to afford medicine
2. Tasty food
3. Resort Experts and the colleagues who were supporting me.

Dalyan and Ekincik – 13th May

Often in Dalyan, I don’t get invited to anything for ages and then 2 things crop up at the same time. On Tuesday 13th May I was booked on to a friend’s private boat trip for the day. I’d also been invited to a Ladies Night boat trip but couldn’t go to both. The Villa Duran boat is owned by Captain Ünal and his wife Sioned, my Turkish teacher. On board for the day were Julia, her parents, Jamie, Nanny Kay and her 3 friends, so a lovely small group of us. We left at 10am and were tucking in to the home made Welsh cakes by five past. It was my first boat trip of the season, we went to Ekincik Bay so I made sure I took a sea sickness pill as I’m prone to getting sick out at sea.

One of the things I noticed about the boat was the extra wide steps which were good for anyone who might have just had knee surgery (my Dad) on their next visit. Our BBQ lunch was served about 1.30pm and I had chicken, köfte, chips and some salad with a couple of glasses of red wine.

Video of me testing out the steps

It was all very lovely and I really enjoyed the day out. We got to swim in a few spots, saw a turtle, ate delicious ginger cake and got dropped off at Julia’s jetty to see the dogs and have another drink. The boat trip worked out at £40 each, which I had paid by bank transfer before the start of the trip, and we paid for our own drinks at the end. Drink prices were not dissimilar to prices in the bars and the wine was a really nice.
Here’s a video of the boat, on Facebook, which is definitely one of the biggest and is super comfy and immaculate. Captain Unal is super professional and a good chef too.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Z9WvQP2Pr/

I walked from Julia’s with Jamie, Norman and Edna and having really enjoyed the day out, a private boat trip is one of my favourite things to do in Dalyan! Back home, I had a shower and a lay down but didn’t set an alarm. I woke up at almost midnight thinking it was the next day!

Gratitude List
1. Being lucky enough to be on my first private boat trip of 2025
2. Swimming in the sea
3. Spending the day in great company.

Photo credit – some photos by Jamie and other guests on the boat

Dalyan – 11th & 12th May

I had arranged to do a Sunday walk with some friends on Sunday 11th May. It was sunny and getting warmer in a morning earlier now. We met at 9am and walked around the Dalyan roads, with Debbie having planned a route we’d done a few times before, but this time in reverse. There were some lovely flowers to look at along the way, I spotted a snake in the road but it was dead, plus we all saw the storks flying. Unfortunately, we also saw a dead bird hung out as a kind of scarecrow and a dead fox. We decided that it would be nice to have a hot beverage and, as Kingfisher restaurant was on route, we would go there. By this time it was 11am on a Sunday morning so it was very busy with customers enjoying Turkish breakfasts. We went out to a decked area in the garden and ordered teas or coffees, I joked that it would probably be expensive here and not to expect the tea garden prices. While drinking our hot drinks and water, it was mentioned that it was probably too hot now to be doing the Sunday walks and that it would be good to think about doing something else instead. I suggested boat trips, breakfasts, meeting for tea/coffee.
When I came to pay for my cup of Turkish black tea, it was 100 lira (£1.94). Granted, it was 5 times the price of the one in the tea gardens but the Kingfisher is a lovely spot where you can watch the terrapins. It also had excellent toilets that are spotless so I was happy to pay it.

On the way back, Nur had come to pick up Sezgin and Zen as it was too hot to walk home. Debbie jumped in the back of the car for a lift as they live nearby. It was gone midday and I needed to get to my next appointment. I showered quickly, messaged Penny to say I would be late and ate 2 bananas as I walked over in the now very hot sun. Lady C was not in the least bit pleased to see me as she had decided she liked the neighbours house and had gone round there. I had to coax her back home with some chicken which the lovely neighbour gave me and then I set up my office in the new sun room which was so lovely. I worked on a few enquiries for Vietnam and was checking out Ha Long bay cruises for most of the afternoon. Caramel slept most of the time and was super relaxed and easy to look after the rest of the time. When Penny got back she invited me to join her and Phil for a drink (or 2) at Tez bar and we had a lovely evening. I spent 600 lira (£11.63) on white wines on my night out and didn’t get in until 9.45pm. I was hungry, having only had chance for a couple of bananas all day, that I warmed up left over curry for dinner and then was still hungry and had some leftover sausage casserole too.

Gratitude List
1. A beautiful Sunday walk in the sunshine
2. Doggy day care
3. Impromptu drinks with friends.

Monday 12th May was a quiet day as I worked through my to do list and dealt with a few Vietnam enquiries. It was also great to see that the number of visitors to Vietnam in the first 4 months of 2025 were higher than previous years. I had strawberries and quark for breakfast with a Yorkshire tea.
My lunch was a late one of a chicken salad wrap and the afternoon flew by as I priced up luxury hotel stays in Hanoi.
I turned my laptop off at 6pm and decided I fancied beans on toast for dinner, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I spoke to Captain Caveman who was somewhere up North, he had good weather and was looking forward to seeing me again soon.
Tomorrow I was taking the day off as I had an exciting adventure planned!

Gratitude List
1. Healthy and tasty food
2. Doing a job I love
3. Video call with Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 8th & 9th May

I had less than 2 weeks left in Dalyan on Thursday 8th May, before I would be taking a trip back to the UK to see Captain Caveman, friends and family. I also started to look at flights to Gatwick for Captain Caveman’s birthday in July. They weren’t quite as cheap but between £58 and £85 one way, without hold luggage. By 10.30am I had started work while sat on the balcony after seeing that the pool was almost ready to go in. A neighbour had told me about the loquats on our trees and that you could eat them. They tasted a little bit like a citrus plum and have 3 seeds inside. By midday I was off to Jamie’s for a Resort Experts related catch up and cup of tea. On the way back I noticed our neighbour’s mulberry tree had lots of fruit on and tried one – she had said to help myself.
At 1pm I joined a training webinar with Wendy Wu tours, they had some new tours in South East Asia which looked amazing, some included rail or cruise and stay and all were fully guided. Perfect for solo travellers or people who liked a bit more of a personal touch and hand holding, all of the accommodation they use is 4 star so also makes it more affordable. Some of the new tours were inspired by a TV programme called ‘Race Across the World’, which I hadn’t seen as we don’t have English TV but I heard it was incredibly popular back in England. I actually quite fancied doing one of their tours myself, perhaps with a group of friends, and they even sort out all visas which makes it easier.
I had a very late lunch of beans on toast with bacon before getting on with more work, finishing at 7pm to go to the shops.
Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Milenyum Shop
Bin liners 70.00
Hair Conditioner 90.00
Total spent 160.00 lira (£3.10)

BIM Supermarket
Milka Chocolate 45.00
350g frozen berries 129.00
Total spent 174.00 lira (£3.37)

Migros Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.50
2 tomato purée 35.90
Boiled beans 53.95
6 eggs 59.95
Museli 82.50
Mozzarella cheese 89.90
620g chicken breast 110.95
Total spent 433.65 lira (£8.40)

Parlak bakery
Fresh bread 15 lira (29p)

I just had cheese and olives for dinner before having an early night as I was tired.

Gratitude List
1. Free fruit from the trees in the garden
2. Wendy Wu training
3. Bacon.

I didn’t even leave the house on Friday 9th May. I was awake at 7am and spent the first couple of hours updating my blog. I always keep it at a month behind but I was almost at 6 weeks behind now as I’d been quite busy. Luckily, using scheduling on my Facebook and WordPress makes it easier. I had muesli and Yorkshire tea for breakfast and cracked on through my to do list. I had a cheese and lettuce sandwich at lunch and didn’t turn my laptop off until gone 9pm.
I decided to make a curry for dinner from one of the ready made sauces from Holy Cow which Captain Caveman had brought over on his last visit. It made 4 portions and was absolutely delicious – not particularly Slimming World friendly so I had to use some syns. With it being a Friday, I even had an Efes beer with my curry, which I finally ate about 10.15pm.

Gratitude List
1. Keeping busy
2. Meta Business Suite
3. Holy Cow sauces.

Dalyan – 3rd to 5th May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuşadası to Dalyan – 28th April

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

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

Blackburn to Dalyan – 23rd & 24th April

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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