My first day back in Dalyan on Thursday 21st September should have been a quiet one and, as I’d been away for a while, I had a few errands to run. The first job was bank related to sort out stuff for my forthcoming residency renewal meeting, the second was to contact Sonuç to ask if he had got my appointment date yet. It turned out that he had not been able to go any further with that while I was out of the country, because I had not yet paid for my health insurance for next year. I asked for a price and to get that sorted so we could proceed then went to the supermarket and bakery to get some provisions for breakfast. Here’s what I bought and the prices back in Turkish lira:
Fresh loaf of bread 7.50 1 punnet of plums 27.14 2 Quark 35.90 Total spent 70.54 Lira (£2.11)
I was surprised to see that Quark prices had increased, but good that plums were in season now and really cheap. By the time I got home I had a price of 2,100 lira (£58.78) for a year’s insurance so I arranged to go in to the office and pay it. I also popped to the photographer for new passport sized photos at 200 lira (£5.60), again for the residency renewal application. At 5pm I met Sonuc, and Leanne, at Lukka bar where I gave him my passport photos and signed some documents. He told me I worried too much and to stop taking any notice of what other people were saying about the renewal process and people getting rejected as I would be fine. By 7pm I had popped round to Jamie’s to give him his birthday wine and the bottle of Tanqueray gin then accidentally ended up staying to try pineapple gin with diet lemonade which Jamie was having. It went down very well and I got asked to stay for dinner – a delicious veggie pasta bake with cheese. It was a lovely night and I was a bit tipsy when I got home. Drew was leaving for the UK the next day so it was good to have a bit of an impromptu send off session.
On Friday 22nd September I had more excitement in the diary; after a breakfast of fresh bread with butter and a cup of Yorkshire tea then a lunch of Toblerone and plums I was ready to get picked up for a quick trip out of Dalyan. I was going with a friend to Fethiye to run an errand. It went as expected and we even had chance to stock up on sea sickness tablets and some migraine tablets for a Dalyan dweller who was having trouble finding them locally. Once we had done the task we went for, we had a cup of çay before coming back to Dalyan. For dinner I made a Slimming World chicken and chickpea curry with steamed rice and it was rather good.
On Tuesday 19th September Michelle made us all a sausage and mushroom breakfast wrap which was so good, then we got on with work. Steve booked in some training so that he could give me a new task, working on UK social media. Because he and Michelle were playing catch up on work since their holiday, they were busy with lots to do. For my last night in Rhodes, Michelle made a delicious veggie curry and I went to the shop for some ciders. €8.70 (£7.63) for 6 Milokleftis was much cheaper than going to the bar so I was happy with that. It did mean that this week I had consumed 227 syns and had very little chance of having lost any weight on weigh-in day tomorrow! I’d enjoyed my stay looking after Xena and the cats – I’d finally remembered all the names of each cat now, much to Winnie’s disgust that it took me so long!
It was time to leave Lardos on Wednesday 20th September and I was ready to get back to Dalyan. I love looking after pets, especially as we aren’t able to have our own, but I was definitely looking forward to having a little break from it, maybe even that elusive lay-in on a morning. I got on the scales to find I had lost 0.2kg this week, not bad considering the booze I’d had in the last 2 days. My measurements were also good; no change to my bust, 3cm off my waist and 1cm from my hips. I had 2 options to get to my ferry but I chose to take the bus. It would have been almost a 3 hour round trip for Michelle to drive there and back, during the working day and she was pretty busy. I decided I would get the 10am bus which takes 2 hours to Rhodes Town and then take my time getting to the port. I said my goodbyes to Steve and Michelle as well as Xena and the cats that were around, before walking to the bus stop in the village square. The bus was due at 10am but it didn’t arrive until 10.13am and the journey cost just €5.60 (£4.91). The bus wasn’t too full and the AC was working so it was quite a pleasant journey and we arrived in Rhodes Town at noon.
I walked, in the hot sun, towards the port, taking a diversion in to the old town to go get some lunch. I decided to go to Nimmo’s where I’ve been before and isn’t too far from the port. I had a litre bottle of water as I was pretty thirsty when I got there, then ordered a pork souvlaki for lunch as it would be the last time I ate pork for a few weeks. I decided to have a glass of red wine to wash down my lunch and this is what I paid: 1l water 3.90 Pork Souvlaki 10.60 1 glass of red wine 3.10 Tip 2.40 Total spent €20.00 (£17.53)
My ferry was at 4.30pm but I had to get there an hour before to collect the ticket, the crossing was fine and took around 2 hours in total. I bought Jamie a bottle of Tanqueray Gin as they didn’t have any sherry for another friend and it’s much cheaper than in Dalyan. I’d arranged to meet Stef at the Erasta shopping centre in Fethiye when I arrived so I walked to the big Migros, stopping to get some Turkish delight on the way for less than £1 at Tuğba. Stef was in good spirits and we talked about me setting up my own business over a hot beverage in a café. I eventually got the bus back to Dalyan and was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home at 11.45pm.
Xena and I had our last walk together on Sunday 17th September, she was feeling better but I threw away the pork bone from Valantina’s as I didn’t want to chance giving her it. After my bran flakes for breakfast, I spent most of the morning getting prepared for Steve and Michelle returning that night. At lunch time I ate the macaroni cheese snackpot, some pitta, hummus and Baba Ghanoush before taking myself off for a walk. It was too hot for Xena’s paws and quite warm for me but I went to Alapou wine store. I had 1 glass of great wine from the taster menu and also bought 2 bottles of wine to take home with me. One was a present for Steve’s birthday, a nice Merlot recommended by the owner, the other bottle was a cheaper rosé wine for me to drink, also recommended. On my way home I bought a big sandwich and a cheese pastry from the bakery at a bargain €3.70 (£3.24) – that was my dinner with half of the bottle of rosé! Steve and Michelle arrived back from an amazing time in Switzerland and we had some nice cheese, charcuterie and, of course, more wine. Xena was so pleased to have her parents back too! Steve and Michelle had bought me gifts; a bottle of Black Sheep Greek red wine and a giant Toblerone which was very kind.
We’d gone to bed at gone midnight, Steve and Michelle were back in their bedroom and I was on the comfy sofa bed in the living room. At 2.30am on Monday 18th September Bob, the cat, decided he was going to start climbing all over me, then he sat on me and just stared. I did eventually get back to sleep but then I was awake once everyone else stirred. We all worked that day and, while Steve and Michelle went to the bakery for their lunch sandwiches, I had hummus, pitta and Baba Ghanoush at home. We finished work before 6pm then Michelle drove the 3 of us to Flyers in Pefkos. I was also tagging along on the big shop near Faliraki, about an hour away in the car. I decided to use the cash machine to get out some euros so that I could buy some provisions and maybe some pork products to take back to Dalyan. Unfortunately, I didn’t realise until later, but the machine kept my card – great! We did the big shop, I spent €17.44 (£15.29) on cheese, salami, gluten free pork sausages and coconut milk powder while my hosts bought a massive trolley full of stuff, including lots of pet food. On the drive back we stopped at Gyros & Burgers in Afandou. Steve had a burger, Michelle and I had the Pork gyros and all the food was super tasty and they have ultra clean and well decorated toilets.
I don’t know if it was because Xena knew that Captain Caveman was leaving or that she had eaten something she shouldn’t have, but we were woken up at 4am on Friday 15th September with her being sick on the bedroom floor. She seemed fine after that but I decided to keep my eye on her today and not give her any of the leftovers or the bone from Valantina’s. At 6.30am we were at the bakery getting a sandwich for Captain Caveman to take with him on his 2 hour bus ride to Diagoras airport in Rhodes. The bus was at 7am so we said our goodbyes and, of course, I was sad to be parting ways again but it made sense for me to stay in Turkey while Captain Caveman spent the rest of his 41 days out of Turkey. Money was tight and I needed to work so there was no point me going with Captain Caveman, spending more money.
I took Xena for a walk, she was a bit sad and didn’t want to go far so we just did the short walking route which Steve had suggested. I had grapes, a peach and some yoghurt for breakfast and then worked from 11am to 4.15pm with breaks in between. This meant I had already worked a bit of my time from next week. When I went to take some washing in, I noticed that someone had put some discarded takeaway food on to the terrace for the cats to eat. It looked greasy and smelled disgusting so I removed it and threw it away. Apollo was not happy with that decision and had a face on with me. When I fed the cats the Friskies, they went mental for it, apparently it’s got something in it that makes it very moreish. For my dinner I made egg fried rice which I had with some left over pork, onion and potatoes – it was very nice. Xena had snuggles as she was missing Captain Caveman and we had a quiet Friday night in. She wasn’t sick again but I wanted to stay in with her, just in case.
I was looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday 16th September but at 4.15am Xena was sick again. Trixie knew Xena was out of sorts so we all got on the sofa in the living room for cuddles. It was just bile but I was worried and decided to just walk her a short way around the block at 7am. By 7.30am we were back and Xena was hiding behind a tree in the garden while I watered the plants. Before 10am I had a video call with Captain Caveman who was concerned if Xena was ok too and came on the phone to talk to her. Later, I decided to nip to the shops to stock up on things to take back to Turkey, as well as a few provisions to tide me over at Steve and Michelle’s for the next few days. I spent almost €18 (£16) on Teriyaki sauce, Sweet & Sour sauce, bacon lardons, cereal, pitta bread, crisps, plums and snackpots – using the rest of the cash Euros I had left. Aside from that quick shop, I stayed close to Xena and kept an eye on her. For dinner I ate the mushroom snackpot, some crisps, bran flakes and a couple of plums. I watched a bit of TV but had an early night.
It was Captain Caveman’s last day in Rhodes on Thursday 14th September, as he was catching a flight to the UK tomorrow. He would spend a month in Europe, seeing family and friends and I hoped to meet him in Italy if work and funds allowed. I still had another 5 days in Rhodes then I was going back to Dalyan. He took Xena on her last morning walk with him and I knew they were going to miss each other. Our first job of the day was to go to buy the pet food. I’d consulted with Steve who had told us which ones to get. The big supermarket they go to, near Faliraki, has it much cheaper than a local supermarket but we had no option as there was very little left. At ABC Supermarket we bought the following: Fairy Liquid 2.79 2 x Dog food 3.74 2kg Friskies Cat food 10.70 Total Spent €17.23 (£15.04)
After shopping, we saw Mark and Maria, in Memories bar sat having a coffee so we went to join them. I ordered a juice but Captain Caveman ordered an Alpha beer! By 12.30pm we had been for a walk to find the house Captain Caveman had booked for us and my parents when they come to visit next month. It was very close to the village centre and looked like it would be a lovely Airbnb so I was pleased. Next, we went to Cuckoo’s Nest for coffee (I had water) with Louise and Mark. It was Steve’s birthday today so we took a photo to send to him. Captain Caveman had been trying to have pistachio ice-cream since being in Lardos but they never seemed to have any. Today they did, on his last day, so he had one and I had a lemon sorbet. Back home we had bread, hummus and Baba Ghanoush for lunch and we had plans to celebrate our last night together for a while, with a meal out. We didn’t have much money between us so we didn’t want to go mad. In Rhodes I can’t change lira and some places won’t accept my Turkish bank card.
We started our evening out with Mojitos at Cuckoo’s Nest and for some reason my Turkish bank card does not like the machine there as it wouldn’t work. Captain Caveman had to pay using the last of our cash Euros, aside from his bus fare to the airport tomorrow. We had a gorgeous meal that evening at one of my favourite restaurants in Rhodes, Valantina’s. Here’s what we had with the prices in Euros; 1 cheese balls starter 7.50 1 Moussaka 11.50 1 Tomahawk pork steak 15.90 2 Carafes of red wine 16.00 Total spent €50.90 (£44.43)
My pork steak and all the trimmings was amazing and I think Captain Caveman wished he’d had that, even though his moussaka was nice, just not as big a portion. Valantina’s was definitely on the list for when my parents visited Lardos too. The complimentary pomegranate ouzo shots went down well and we wandered home feeling satisfied, with some leftovers for me and Xena. We decided to finish off the night watching a bit of Jimmy Car on Netflix but Captain Caveman fell asleep.
I worked from 8.30am to 11.30 am on Monday 11th September, while Captain Caveman went shopping and prepared meals. Here is what he bought at the shops with prices in Euros; ABC Supermarket 1 orange pepper 1.16 Orange juice 1.29 Mayonnaise 1.99 Grapes 2.08 Baba Ghanoush 2.50 Hummus 2.50 Eggs 2.69 Spaghetti 3.04 Cheese 3.12 Total Spent €20.37 (£17.65)
After a quick break to let Xena on the garden, check on the cats and discuss meal plans for today, I was back at work until 1pm. I had a chicken wrap for lunch with chicken, rocket and a bit of cheese then got back to work until 6pm. At 6.30pm we went to the pharmacy and to buy another notebook and pen. Here’s what I bought from the chemist, who was super helpful and offered advice on how to get rid of my eczema (which was definitely getting worse on my back): Paracetamol tablets 2.00 Aerolin Inhaler 2.20 Imodium tablets 4.51 Aloe Vera Gel 12.00 14 Farviron Tablets 20.94 Total Spent €41.65 (£36.09)
I’d ran out of Aloe Vera gel, which I buy much cheaper in Dalyan and use to soothe my eczema so we had to pay the price. The medication to treat the eczema is an anti-fungal tablet, usually used to treat thrush. The chemist told me it was expensive but would definitely work so I took his advice and got it. This was probably the most expensive medication I had ever purchased. I had no idea how much it would be over the counter in England but I did think the inhaler was very cheap. On the way home we called in to the supermarket to cost up dog and cat food as we were running out and we decided to take photos and ask Steve and Michelle which would be best, before buying any. We weren’t flush and didn’t want to be wasting money unnecessarily, I also thought we had an extra cat as Steve had mentioned they had 13 but I was convinced there was 14.
We had a couple of drinks at Yamas Bar and then went home for a cat count to check that I wasn’t feeding one extra. Captain Caveman made a pasta with pesto sauce for dinner which was very tasty and I was getting used to having my chef back. I put the aloe vera gel on, took the first of the 14 tablets and hoped the €21 had been worth it. We were going to watch another film but it was getting late so we went to bed after pet cuddles.
I worked 9am to 4pm on Tuesday 12th September, with breaks for lunch and pet checking. I had buttered toast and a cup of tea for breakfast, once Captain Caveman and Xena had come back from their walk and the cats had all been fed. We had a bit of a picnic style lunch with all of the stuff we had in the fridge. At 6pm I had got myself involved in a cat photo identification parade as I tried to work out which cat was which and who the extra one was. I had already eliminated Billy Big Bollocks from next door who came to bully Steve and Michelle’s cats and try to steal their food – he was not included in the total amount of cats. In the end, it turned out I was correct about the number of cats that Steve and Michelle were responsible for, but it was 13 plus Billy Big Bollocks who they sometimes feed but I hadn’t been! I’d been thinking that Winnie and the Bella Lookalike were different cats but they were actually the same one! For dinner Captain Caveman made chicken fajitas with wraps and they were very good. We watched Ted Bundy & the Green River Killer later on but that was also a bit of a let-down and Captain Caveman fell asleep this time.
Captain Caveman and I had established roles by Thursday 7th September; I was in charge of cats, pet feeding, garden watering and working while Captain Caveman was responsible for laundry, dog walking and preparing lunch and dinner. Xena absolutely loves Captain Caveman and she was so much calmer under his watch, it was cute to see them together. I had a banana and a cup of tea for breakfast, he had some sausage/tomato and sourdough combo. For lunch we had Baba Ghanoush, hummus and pita bread. For dinner it was pasta again followed by peaches with yoghurt. I worked from 8am to 5.55pm with breaks in between. There was more after work shopping and here are the items we got, with prices in Euros:
ABC Supermarket Bag 0.15 Blue Cheese 1.80 Halloumi 3.32 Chicken 11.92 Total Spent €17.19 (£14.94)
The other supermarket Bag 0.12 Mushrooms 0.61 Potatoes 0.88 Peppers 1.53 Eggs 1.53 Pesto 3.68 Total Spent €8.35 (£7.25)
Because I got a bit peckish in between meals I ended up eating some biscuits from the cupboard which were not diet friendly but I did only consume 14 syns, making it a total of 31 syns so far this week.
Wednesday 6th September was a much less hectic day. Captain Caveman and I started the day with a short walk round the block with Xena, the dog. We did 4km and were back home before 8am, for me to get ready for work and to feed the cats. As it was Fat Club day back in Dalyan, I got weighed on Steve and Michelle’s scales to find I was 1.3kg lighter than when I was last here, a month ago. Captain Caveman was 1.5kg more than last time. My measurements weren’t so good though, as I had lost 2cm from my bust but put on 4cm on my waist and 1cm on my hips. For breakfast we were rather naughty and had croissants from the Lardos bakery on the way back from ABC Supermarket. Here’s what we bought at the supermarket and the prices in Euros: Bag 0.15 Tomatoes 0.62 Pasta 0.79 Potatoes 0.89 Red Onions 1.03 Peaches 1.85 Hummus 2.37 Baba Ghanoush 2.50 Yoghurt 3.54 Gluten Free Sausages 4.58 Coffee 5.31 Total Spent €23.63 (£20.53)
As expected, the shopping basket in Rhodes is more expensive than what I’m used to in Turkey, but it wasn’t ridiculous. After working for a couple of hours, I had a break for lunch with Captain Caveman, we had salad with the hummus and Baba Ghanoush and some lovely sourdough, also from the bakery. I went back to work until 6.15pm then had a break and another walk. On the way back home we called at a different supermarket to buy the following: Washing Powder and Fabric Softener €9.79 3 boxes of passata €1.78 Toothpaste €1.35 Total Spent €15.55 (£13.51)
Toothpaste is more expensive in Dalyan but washing powder is almost half the price and it’s always interesting shopping in foreign supermarkets you’re not familiar with, while trying to pick out some bargains. For dinner, Captain Caveman made sausage and veg pasta in a tomato based sauce, which was really delicious and had some leftovers for tomorrow.
At gone 2am on Monday 4th September I was up needing a wee and to put the AC on, it was over 30⁰C and rather sweaty in our room. I’d also got a message from my friend about dates for a holiday in Rhodes next year so I was mulling over how I was going to be able to plan ahead, knowing I still didn’t have my residency renewal appointment date for this year and wouldn’t know until Sonuç could confirm on the system. Now that I was out of the country I couldn’t access the system for an appointment so would have to wait until I got back to Turkey to find out more. For breakfast Captain Caveman had found us a nearby café called Dali Extraordinary Art Bistro, it had fancy tea and pancakes with some interesting combinations. Nanny Kay ordered pancakes with ice-cream, caramel and biscuits on, Captain Caveman had bacon, cheese, spinach and egg, smothered in a mayo sauce. I had plain pancakes with bacon on and they were very nice.
We went to Marks & Spencer’s and I was so disappointed to find they did not have a food section or sell booze. They had a few snacky things and some Percy Pig sweets but nothing that I wanted, even the clothes and underwear were not my style. I wanted to get a bottle of sherry for a friend as a thank you for all the bags of nice clothes she’d given me recently. All 5 of us had a wander round the shops and through the old town, stopping at a place called Streat for lunch, where Captain Caveman and I shared a pork gyros plate which was rather tasty. That night we had plans to celebrate Jamie’s birthday at a rather lovely restaurant Captain Caveman and I had been to before and we’d really enjoyed it.
We had arranged to meet at the Mexican place at 7pm, before dinner, as the restaurant we were going to was opposite it. Captain Caveman had his new shirt on which he’d had made in Vietnam, I had on a nice dress and Nanny Kay had wore her lovely dress from when it was her birthday. We looked the part and were excited for our night out to celebrate Jamie’s birthday. When we arrived at the bar, it was evident that Jamie had been celebrating his birthday already and was quite tipsy. Drew was definitely a little merry too but we all had some drinks and we hoped some food would sort Jamie out a bit. At Piatakia we were seated in the small restaurant upstairs and given our menus. Captain Caveman and I had already mentioned to our friends that the last time we came we had really enjoyed the tasting menu, despite me being rather fussy and having allergies. The tasting menu had 7 courses for €30 (£26.22) which was very reasonable so Captain Caveman and I were going to do that again. Nanny Kay was up for it too and we looked over to see if the boys were in agreement. They weren’t, as Jamie said there were too many foods he didn’t like, he wasn’t that hungry and didn’t want it to be a waste. They decided to just have a main course of the beef stifado, one of the dishes on the tasting menu, which none of us took note of the price of at the time. As luck would have it they also offered wine flights which was €27 (£23.60) for 4 different wines or €23 (£20.10) for 3 which Captain Caveman and I chose the 4 wines flight, obviously. I also made sure to tell the waiter about my allergies, especially molluscs in case they happened to be used in the prawn risotto. Unfortunately, Jamie and Drew were not impressed with their meal as it was the same size as our taster plate. At €21 (£18.35) just for that course, it wasn’t good value for the size of it. It didn’t help that a storm had started, the restaurant was full but some of it was open to the elements as the rain got heavier and started to come in through the ceiling and the large windows. Our table was getting very wet and we had to move to the bar to finish our last 2 courses but, to placate customers, the waiter served everyone that wanted one a glass of champagne. Then the power went off and the chef continued cooking in the dark on a gas stove. We were assured our risotto would be served soon and given top ups of fizz while Jamie started making his point about his stifado portion being on the small size. The waiter told Jamie he didn’t have to pay their bill, which also included their drinks. Jamie insisted he would pay all or some of the bill (I wasn’t following exactly by this point) and put forward his card. As the storm had affected power, the machine wouldn’t work so he ended up not being able to pay at all. The waiter said it was on him, as they weren’t happy and he probably had a lot of other issues to sort as diners started to leave. Jamie and Drew left just as our risotto came and another top up of the sparkling stuff, which was moreish. While we ate the delicious prawn risotto, we were asked if we still wanted to continue with dessert and our wine flight. We did, even though the storm was definitely getting worse. Nanny Kay ended up having my pana cotta dessert as I started to feel a bit unwell, all of a sudden I couldn’t breathe and I thought my throat was closing up. Captain Caveman thought I was having a panic attack after the stifado fiasco but I knew I wasn’t. Luckily, Nanny Kay used to be a nurse and had an inhaler with her. She made me use the Ventolin and I instantly started to feel better, I coughed and drank warm tap water but I was ok. Nanny Kay said it had been an asthma attack, which was really weird. When we went to pay, Nanny Kay had to lend us cash as, like Jamie, we only had cards. We were only charged €133 (£116.23) between the 3 of us as we only had 3 wines in the end and it was still pouring rain in. The 3 of us didn’t really mind the rain and sploshed back the short distance to the hotel where we shared a cheeky bottle of red wine and had a bit of a laugh about the whole Jamie’s birthday celebration debacle. Nanny Kay, Captain Caveman and I had thoroughly enjoyed ours and we all agreed the taster menu was the only way to go. Nanny Kay had probably saved my life with that inhaler too and we realised that maybe there was clam juice in the risotto but in the chaos, the chef had probably forgot about my allergy requirements.
Photo credit – some photos taken by Jamie & Captain Caveman
At 9am on Saturday 26th August I would ordinarily be thinking of getting to the Saturday market for some fruit and vegetables. They do sell lots of other things there, including bags, shoes, clothes, spices, Turkish delight, as well as being able to buy a cheap gözleme (Turkish pancake). I’d asked Kelly and Clare if they fancied a wander round it later but they weren’t really up for a 15 minute walk (each way) in such hot weather, especially as they didn’t really need anything in particular. I knew I’d mostly be eating out with my friends, rather than cooking at home, so there was no point stocking up either. We all spent the morning in the treatment rooms of the BC Spa and had mixed massages. I had some reflexology which was fantastic while the lady sorted out Kelly’s back. Clare was in another room getting a full body massage. We were all super relaxed by the time we emerged and we were fit for doing nothing, except for maybe a stroll down the river for some lunch. I suggested an old favourite to eat at, Yakamoz, so we could sit and admire the river view. It was a hot day so the slight breeze was welcome and we got a couple of glimpses of a turtle swimming nearby. The starters had a theme of cheese; stuffed mushrooms, cheese rolls (sigara böreği in Turkish) and Halloumi all with salad garnish and plenty of fresh bread. For main I ordered the chicken shish, Kelly had chicken casserole and Clare had the mixed casserole. We all had soda water or a soft drink as we needed to keep hydrated. My meal came to 570 lira (£17) which was a bit steep for lunch time and wasn’t the biggest, or best, chicken shish I’ve had in Dalyan. The girls enjoyed their casseroles so I’d probably have that the next time.
We strolled back through town and the girls grabbed dessert at the Dalyano ice-cream shop, 70 lira (£2.09) for 3 scoops. Next, we popped in to the Dalyan Turkish Delights and More shop on the main shopping street to buy some Turkish delight. It wasn’t as cheap as when I get it in Fethiye but it was very fresh and the lady let us taste quite a few flavours. I bought rose for me and pistachio for Captain Caveman, who would be arriving in Dalyan tomorrow. Our final shopping spot was Aladdin Bags, where we browsed the purses. I have a Hermes purse which I bought a couple of years ago and he was selling them for the same English price as back then which was good. Both Kelly and Clare got themselves a bargain and it meant it was time for a light refreshment.
On weekends it can often be tricky to find a reasonably priced bar which doesn’t have sport on so when I saw that Corner bar was empty and had no TV on, we plumped ourselves down on the comfy seats. I ordered a pint of draft Efes, the girls opted for a cocktail. While the drinks were being prepared a half naked English bloke and his mates came up and asked for the football to be put on and the bar man obliged. Our peace was shattered, Kelly went off for another browse round the shops for souvenirs while Clare and I tried to ignore the football on TV. We left after the one drink and sauntered back to BC Spa. Around the same time, Captain Caveman was boarding his plane from Saigon to Istanbul. We stayed around the girls’ hotel room and had leftover nibbles and wine for the evening. I got home after midnight again – this time knowing that when I woke up tomorrow, Captain Caveman would be on his way from Istanbul to Dalaman.
I spent the morning of Friday 25th August making sure I had all the paperwork and information that I needed for my residency renewal appointment. Next week we were able to apply for the appointment date as it can be applied for up to 60 days before my existing expiry date. At 11am, we were all booked in to BC Spa for our spa treatments which consisted of a foam and scrub in the hamam, a face mask and a massage. The classic package cost us £35, lasted 75 minutes and was really good, even better than the last time I had it. For lunch the 3 of us treated ourselves to a meal at Egehan with a glass of wine. We had complimentary starters of hummus, red pepper and walnut dip and baba ghanoush – all were delicious. For mains we had the following; Clare Sea Bass 370 lira (£11), Kelly meatballs 300 lira (£8.96) with an extra side salad instead of the usual rice and chips, I had mantı, Turkish pasta, 270 lira (£8.06). The food was delicious and it’s a lovely little boutique hotel with dining by the pool. After Egehan, the girls fancied an ice cream so I introduced them to the delights of Cherry Up where they both selected 3 scoops in a tub for 70 lira (£2.09) each. I’m not a huge ice-cream fan so I didn’t have any, I was still full from lunch. Our next stop was the supermarket as we had decided to stay in at BC Spa tonight. We chose to take a bit of a buffet/picnic approach where I bought the shopping and the girls bought the wine. Here’s what was in the shopping basket and the prices in lira:
Kelly and Clare thought it might make a nice addition to our evening dining to get some takeaway meat from the Kokoreç place. We waited for a fresh portion to be cooked but I wasn’t sure if it would be very nice, especially as I don’t tend to like eating lamb or goat. It cost 180 lira (£5.37) for just 100g so it wasn’t cheap but it is considered a delicacy in Turkey.
I called at home on the way back so that I could get changed and pick up a corkscrew, more wine from the fridge and a few bits and bobs from the fridge/cupboard. We had a feast and plenty of wine, while chatting away. The ofal didn’t end up getting eaten as it looked disgusting when we took off the lid and none of us could bring ourselves to taste the very fatty, now cold, meat. I got home after 1am, a little merry after another great day with my friends.
It was Captain Caveman’s last day in Phong Nha on Wednesday 23rd August; his caving season had ended and he would be off to Saigon tomorrow for some fun before he flew to Turkey. Meanwhile in Dalyan, for some reason, I stopped writing down what I ate as from today which meant I was likely to go off track with my Slimming World Plan. I got weighed at home and had stayed the same as last week. Strangely, my measurements were a bit unusual this week; I’d put 4cm on my bust, lost 2cm from my waist and 4cm from my hips. This was the slimmest my waist had been in ages and was only 2cm away from my target. I still had Fat Club Carol’s scales to face this afternoon so I would see how I did there. I popped to the bank to withdraw some cash as I was running low and had a leisurely morning. I checked flights to Naples and found that for me they were around £130 one way, via London or Istanbul. For my parents they were only around £25 from Manchester. I messaged Kelly who was already on her way here, to ask about plans for meeting later. Fikri was already booked for a taxi to pick Kelly up from Dalaman airport when she landed at 9.35pm and take her to BC Spa, where she was staying for 5 nights. We agreed to play it by ear for this evening as she wasn’t certain how late it would be or how tired she might feel and would text me when she got to the hotel. At Fat Club I had also stayed the same as last week which was a bit disappointing but, not a loss. On my way home I did a bit of shopping and here’s what I got, with prices in lira.
Migros Supermarket
Green tea 16.90 UHT skimmed milk 20.50 1 can boiled beans 21.50 6 eggs 27.75 2 cans of pink grapefruit drink 30.00 Walnuts 44.50 Fabric Softener 67.50 Total spent 228.65 lira (£6.72)
Şok Supermarket
Plastic bag 0.25 Washing powder 175.25 Total spent 175.50 lira (£5.16)
Again, I’d made the sensible choice not to go to Rehab bar to meet the pool gang and be tempted to drink too much alcohol. I did eat macaroni cheese balls done in the airfryer for lunch which was a bit naughty and not diet friendly at all. I sat on the balcony and chilled out a bit but the new holiday renters staying in the apartment opposite were very noisy, especially the father of the English family. They spent hours in the pool as it was still hot at 6pm, I couldn’t fault them even though I still hadn’t been in our pool yet. For dinner I tried something new, airfryer cauliflower steaks and roasted veggies which I had on the balcony with a vodka and grapefruit.
At 11pm, Kelly contacted me from the hotel and was up for meeting up. I walked over to BC Spa and we had a big hug – it had been far too long! Thinking we would just go somewhere nearby, I suggested Okyanus for a drink and a catch up but it might have been the wrong choice. We ordered a bottle of white wine and Kelly had not had dinner so she asked our friendly waiter, Bakı, if she could just have tomatoes and cucumbers as a salad. He was very obliging and I’ve known him for some years now. He took a bit of a shine to Kelly so we couldn’t enjoy much of a private conversation without him joining us – one of the downsides of living in paradise but Kelly didn’t mind. I walked Kelly back the short distance to BC Spa where she had a lovely room and we arranged to meet tomorrow, ready for Clare arriving. I got in just after 1am and was so excited to have seen Kelly again, this next few days was going to be amazing!
This was probably the most that I’ve ever spent in the supermarket this year in one shop and I struggled to carry it home. I called in to a couple of other shops along the way back where I bought Airfryer liners and bun cases for 95 lira (£2.78), coconut milk for 60 lira (£1.76) and a water refill for 50 lira (£1.47).
I had fruit and quark for breakfast and I was trying hard not to fall off the Slimming World plan. I went back to check on, play with and feed Molly, she was pleased to see I’d got her more food. I took 112 lira out of the pot for the Whiskas too which had 8 pouches in. For lunch I had some of the airfried chicken in a salad with beetroot and 2 cups of green tea. At 5.30pm I met Ann at Kefal tea gardens for a çay and a chat. I checked on Molly again and let her know I would only be there twice tomorrow as I had plans. For dinner I made a chicken chow mein with mushrooms and broccoli in and it was delicious. In the evening I had an apple and some cherries but resisted alcohol, this meant my syns for the day were only 10.
Fat Club had been moved to a day earlier due to the women’s football, so I got weighed at home on Tuesday 15th August to find I was 0.5kg lighter than last week. As always, Carol’s scales were what mattered so my real result would be this afternoon. I did my measurements to find I’d lost 1cm from my bust, my hips were the same but I’d put 1cm on my waist. I’d only drank alcohol 3 times in the last week, which was helping keep on track. I went to Rob and Tracy’s to feed and play with Molly, the cat, and had just cherries for breakfast. On my way back home, I noticed that the gardening company had done a bit of pruning around the complex but it still wasn’t looking great. I popped back to Molly at lunch time and fed her some treats then it was time to get ready for Fat Club. I was disappointed to find I had stayed the same as last week on Carol’s scales. I was a bit naughty when I went shopping, I got myself some treats. Here’s what I got at the shop and the prices in lira:
Şevikoğlu Supermarket
2 chocolate orange bars 6.50 Black tea 18.90 Greaseproof paper 23.90 Tortilla wraps 29.90 Gherkins 36.90
Total spent 116.10 lira (£3.41)
Seeing as I had no Yorkshire tea left, I’d had to resort to Turkish black tea, which I had with a couple of chocolate orange bars. The tea is meant to be good for eczema, which was not getting any better. I fed and played with Molly again in the early evening before going home for dinner. I had a tandoori style chicken with a wrap and some quark. Then had another treat of popcorn and crisps while watching Netflix.
Wednesday 16th August was pay day for me and I’d been invited to go up to Rehab bar in the afternoon. I have no interest in watching football, women’s or otherwise, so I decided on a nice relaxing day at home. I had a green tea and some beans on wholemeal toast for breakfast. I made a pizza wrap in the airfryer for lunch then had a healthy feta and beetroot salad for dinner. I also cooked the whole chicken in the airfryer so that I had meat for the rest of the week’s meals. I took my cat sitting duties seriously and went to look after Molly 3 times, she really was a sweet cat. That evening, I finished off the bottle of rosé wine at home and watched Netflix.
By 8am on Monday 14th August I was in Rob and Tracy’s apartment feeding Molly, the cat. While I was there, I took some photos, played with Molly and spoke to Captain Caveman who was at a party with some porters. We discussed me meeting him in Naples at the beginning of October but the flights went via London which was a bit of a faff and they weren’t particularly cheap. Before work, I had cheese on toast for breakfast, but no Yorkshire tea as I had ran out. I messaged our gardening company, to let them know they needed to tidy the grounds of our complex and they replied to say they would come today – they didn’t. I went back to check the cat at lunch time and, as the owners had not left enough food or cat litter in for Molly, I located the spare cash as instructed by Rob. I would check the price when I next went to the supermarket as I had no idea how much cat food was, these days. I played with Molly for a bit, she’s a lovely cat but a bit on the chunky side. I took more photos and admired the river view. Back at home, I had mantı (Turkish pasta) for lunch then got back to work. I went to meet Kate, Mark and Jamie at Sofra bar at 7pm Kate explained she’d been unable to bring me a 2024 diary back from England and she’d forgotten about the Yorkshire tea. I was back to being on a constant look out for a diary as I was getting quite booked up for 2024 already. I messaged Captain Caveman and he said he would try to get me some Yorkshire tea and a diary when he came back from Vietnam in 2 weeks. I finished my drink, kept hold of Teddy, the AWOL dog, until Ghislaine came to collect him again then I went back to feed Molly. I called at the shops for some provisions and got the following items:
It was late by the time I was going home and I’d forgotten to get anything out for dinner. I decided to have a Hatay kebab which tasted great at the time but I’m sure I’d come to regret it at Fat Club on Wednesday.
joloyolo 