Dalyan – 14th December

It was the new day of the postponed Dalyan Winter/Christmas fayre on Saturday 14th December and most of Dalyan was excited that it was finally happening. There were also 2 parties happening that night to celebrate Christmas; a Zumba one and the Tapa Christmas party. We were going to neither and we only were going for a look at the Christmas market as we didn’t need to buy anything in particular. After tea and grapefruit for breakfast, Captain Caveman and I went to the ordinary weekly Saturday market, here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Stall 1
Potatoes & onions 60 lira

Stall 2
Red & green peppers, carrots, tomatoes and red cabbage 250 lira

Stall 3
Bananas 55 lira

Stall 4
Başlamak bread 70 lira

Total spent at the market 415 lira (£9.41).

Although we had still spent less than £10, which was great, I was definitely noticing some things seemed to be getting more expensive at the Dalyan market.
After popping back to Jamie’s and Fire Opal with the various shopping and to get showered, we let Norman and Edna out before we went to the Christmas Fayre. We decided not to take them as it would be too busy and they probably wouldn’t enjoy it. The weather was good and the workers at Jamie’s were making a bit of progress.
At the Christmas Fayre we saw a few familiar faces and stopped to chat, it was a lot more Christmassy than I expected it would be. It was time to leave as Captain Caveman was off to Ortaca with Sezgin to play Bridge. I was tempted by the sight of the sausage rolls and Captain Caveman asked me if I wanted one, I did but I resisted as I was so near to reaching my target.
We walked back to Jamie’s and ate a Dido for lunch because Captain Caveman was in a rush. Norman, Edna and I went to Sezgin’s with Captain Caveman and we met his wife, Nur, who was very nice and the dogs liked to meet them both too. Back at home, I had leftover fajitas for lunch then got on with work while it was nice and quiet. I also managed to get a chapter of my book written.
Captain Caveman was back quite late so we just had leek and potato soup for dinner with some of the başlamak bread. Tomorrow’s weather was looking good so we were looking forward to a nice Sunday Walk.

Dalyan – 13th December

Friday 13th December was one of those unusual days and it really cheered both Captain Caveman and I up, I had 2 cups of tea to start my day and a grapefruit. I had a bit of a shift in attitude and decided I needed to be a bit more positive and grateful for the things I did have. Our first mission of the day was a first for me – taking Norman and Edna to the vets. They had their appointment for some routine medication so Captain Caveman and I walked them along to Kaunos vets. They both seemed fairly happy to be in the vets and Edna even jumped on the scales and tried to choose herself some treats for being good – this was before we got in to the vet’s room. Once inside, Norman knew exactly what was going on and was already moving back towards the door. Each dog was to be given 2 tablets and one was pretty big for a small dog. First up was Edna and I told her the tablets were treats! I barely saw both of hers get swallowed but I did see her try to eat Norman’s too. Norman was very crafty and he pretended to swallow the first smaller tablet, I actually saw him swallow, so the vet gave him the larger one and held his mouth shut. He waited and then spat both out!! The second and third attempts were more successful. On the way out Norman had to be lifted on the scales but Edna jumped on and waited for her result. They had both lost weight and Edna was pleased to be doing so well on her weight loss journey.
We called at the shops, where Captain Caveman and the dogs waited outside. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
1 tomato puree 19.90
1 tin of tomatoes 23.90
880g chicken breast 140.71
Total spent 184.51 lira (£4.19)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 bottle of red Idol wine 215.000 lira (£4.89)

Migros Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 28.50
1 packet Tutku biscuits 35.50
Mozzarella cheese 89.90
420g Feta style cheese 278.30
Total spent 268.80 lira (£6.11)

Back home we had the obligatory soup, with bread and a Dido chocolate bar each. Edna had decided she liked the sunny sofa arm and I did a quick video for Jamie and I finished work early, with it being a Friday. Captain Caveman and I shared making fajitas for dinner.
We arrived at our friend’s villa on time and armed with 2 bottles of wine and some chocolate biscuits. Joining us were 2 ladies who had only met briefly before but had quite a lot in common. We all knew each other from the Sunday walks, which was nice. The night was so lovely, with perfect hosts; there were pastries, mince pies, chocolate cake, pickled onions (which I love) and plenty of mulled and normal wine! I didn’t take any photos on account of the company who prefer not to have photos taken so I didn’t want to be rude and I was too busy enjoying myself to get my phone out anyway. It was just what we needed!
I got rather tipsy with 3 mulled wines and 3 red wines before we staggered home. I had one of those drunken epiphanies that one sometimes gets after reading too many words of wisdom on social media!

Dalyan – 11th December

It was weigh day once again on Wednesday 11th December and I was hoping, but not confident, that I may have reached my target weight. My measurements were OK but both my bust and waist had remained the same and I had lost 2cm from my hips. I was now under target on my bust and hips and only 1cm over on my waist. I updated our shopping list and had pink grapefruit for breakfast and then did my Turkish homework upstairs, leaving it a little late before the lesson. On Jamie’s scales Captain Caveman had lost 1.4kg (3lb) and I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) but Carol’s scales would be the deciding ones later.
I was running late for Turkish class as I was waiting for the curtain pole workmen to arrive at Jamie’s. It also meant that I didn’t join Captain Caveman who went to say bye to a fellow Riverbum, who was moving towns.

The Turkish class was at Ela’s Kitchen again and was the last one for 2024. I treated myself to a lovely cup of Yorkshire tea for 80 lira (£1.82).
At midday Captain Caveman went on the postponed Sunday Walk and we had left the dogs in the front bedroom so they weren’t disturbed by the curtain men. When I got back to Jamie’s the workmen were still there so I had some bread and butter in the bedroom with Norman and Edna. Jamie had messaged and was missing the dogs so I took the opportunity to do a video for him.

At Fat Club, I had done well and had lost 0.7kg (1.5lb) but still had a tiny bit left to lose now.
After the group, I decided to get the shopping in and then struggled to carry it all back. Here’s what I bought, with prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
1 lemon Dido 9.90
1 Salt & Vinegar Lays crisps 30.00
12 Toilet rolls 84.00
Total spent 124.15 lira (£2.82)

BIM Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.25
1kg basmati rice 62.50
6 Dido chocolate bars 101.00
Total spent 163.75 lira (£3.72)

Yaman Bufe 2
2 bottles of red wine 460.00 lira (£10.45)

Migros Supermarket
1 tin tomatoes 14.95
2 Quark 59.90
15 eggs 87.50
Total spent 162.60 lira (£3.70)

I’d had to buy plastic bags as I couldn’t find any and needed more than I had in my bag. I bought the chocolate bars on offer and intended to take them to a friends on Friday night – if we didn’t eat them all first!

I’d barely put the shopping away when Norman decided he wanted me to play football, so we did. Captain Caveman made us spaghetti bolognese for dinner and then it was time for my Resort Experts team meeting where Jamie got to see his dogs cosied up on the sofa.
After the meeting we attempted to watch TV but Captain Caveman and the dogs were snoring away.

Dalyan – 4th December

Captain Caveman was up out of bed before 7.30am on Wednesday 4th December. He brought me not only my usual cup of tea in bed but 2 dogs who had been out and it had not been raining. While Norman licked the pillow and space which Captain Caveman had slept in, Edna had come to tell me that there was no breakfast served for the doggos yet and that Captain Caveman had eggs on. I had a second cup of tea and overnight oats after feeding Norman and Edna, Edna took a fancy to my woolly hat so I put it on her.
As it was weigh day, we got weighed on our home scales; I had lost another 0.5kg (1.1lb) and Captain Caveman had lost 0.7kg (1.5lb) so we were both pleased. My measurements weren’t so favourable though and I was concerned Carol’s scales may not show a loss later. I had lost 1cm from my bust, but had put 2cm on my waist and 3cm on my hips – I knew it was because of eating more bread. I went to Turkish class and only had a small water at Ela’s Kitchen this week which is 40 lira (91p) and half the price of a Yorkshire tea, which I had already had 2 of this morning.

We walked back over to Jamie’s to have lunch and Captain Caveman did the soup and bread for us, he was getting a bit better at doing stuff now that he had got used to being in both houses. At 1.45pm Captain Caveman decided he would take the dogs on part of the Wednesday Wander which Michele had arranged. We weren’t sure if Norman’s little legs could manage it all so he was going to go to Kaunos tea gardens to meet everyone and only join the walk along the river before coming back. The electricity went off at 2pm so I tootled off early to go to Fat Club as I was still standing in for Carol. I had a Turkish tea which cost just 30 lira (68p) this week and was only small. Carol’s scales weren’t quite as good as the home scales and I had only lost 0.3kg (0.7lb) so I really needed to try harder and not just cut out/down the alcohol. On the way back to Jamie’s, I called at the bank (yet again) and then to the shop. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
1 packet of jellies 17.00
2 chocolate bars 21.00
4 tins of tomatoes 59.96
Total spent 97.66 lira (£2.21)

The main reason I had bought the tomatoes was because they were on offer but when I got them home, I realised they were tins of tomato paste!
Captain Caveman excelled himself, as did little Norman who walked 6.1km without any problem whatsoever. I had pizza wraps made for me in the Slimming World style and in time for me to finish them before the Resort Experts team meeting at 8pm.
Jamie ironically dialled in from his cruise in Hawaii as we had the cruise training from our Cruise expert. It was so good and I really learned quite a lot, it even got me thinking that I would perhaps even consider a cruise in the future but it would definitely have to be one of the cruises with an entertainment schedule for the younger client and I would have to have an outside cabin so that I didn’t feeling claustrophobic. Jamie was able to offer some first-hand insight to the benefits of the drinks packages on board that could be pre-booked too. Some of the best offers would be for trips in the first few months of 2025 and I also considered it on my list for my birthday in 2026, perhaps.
It was gone 11.30pm by the time I finished work and the dogs were still awake in their bed.

Dalyan – 3rd December

Captain Caveman had now taken to getting up very early so that he could be the one to be on dog duty. On Tuesday 3rd December he brought me a cup of tea in bed, but with some bad news; Bridge Club had been cancelled for the rest of the year. I was very concerned how this might affect Captain Caveman as he loves Bridge Club. I came downstairs and had overnight oats for breakfast. I expected the builders would be back at Jamie’s so we decided to keep the dogs at Fire Opal for the morning with Captain Caveman while I needed to run some errands. I did more bank deposits and even changed some currency then I called at the shops, here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
2 Strawberry Dido bars 24.00
400g of sucuk 67.50
Total spent 91.50 lira (£2.08)

Migros Supermarket
1 bag Pasta 11.75
1 bag Orzo 11.75
1 bag Vermicelli 11.75
Total spent 35.25 lira (80p)

Since being really frugal last month had paid off, I was definitely able to spot a good bargain and had took to buying the offers when I saw them. While walking, I spotted at least 2 hedgehogs and I also collected more oranges from my parents’ tree as they were so nice.

Captain Caveman made us some of his very good red vegetable soup which he put some of the vermicelli in and had bread with it for lunch. We ate the Dido chocolate bars which were strawberry flavoured and on offer but they weren’t as nice as the other flavours.
Captain Caveman excelled himself today and joined me on dog walks, washed up and made chicken and veg pasta for dinner. Tomorrow was Fat Club and I really hoped I had done enough to lose a little more – I had not had any alcohol at all this week so surely that would mean a loss!?

Dalyan – 2nd December

While Jamie was on his cruise on Monday 2nd December, I had a more ordinary day. It started with Captain Caveman bringing me tea and toast in bed. Then he took himself off to the dog shelter for the morning. No work men came so I looked after the dogs and worked. As it was a new month, I went to the bank to pay in more money for my residency requirements and called at home before a dog walk.

I did a quick check of any leaks or storm damage and our apartment was fine. The Aussies’ place had a plant that had blown off the stairs, smashing the plant pot, so I put it back on the floor rather than the step. The swimming pool had got that full with rain water yesterday, that it had overflowed a little bit. I noticed that Captain Caveman had finally fixed the netting on the door to stop the stray cats spraying on our stairs and I was so pleased as I hate the smell and it ruins my wellies.
I also went to the shops for provisions and here is what I bought, prices in lira;

Bakery
1 loaf of bread 10.00 lira (23p)

Migros Supermarket
3 tins of chopped tomatoes 65.85
A 1.9kg whole chicken 148.07
Total spent 213.92 lira (£4.86)

I called to pick some oranges and lemons from my parents’ trees as they were starting to go to waste and my Mom had told me to eat them.

I was getting ready to have lunch, when I got a call from Captain Caveman who was outside Jamie’s gate and had attracted the company of a huge dog which looked like a polar bear. We took photos to post on Facebook to see if anyone had lost it and generally fussed the beautiful dog before it got bored and ran off.

After a lunch of vegetable soup with fresh bread, Captain Caveman decided to make himself useful in the kitchen by making more soup. From 1.30pm to 5pm I worked to the sound of vegetables being chopped and pots, big enough to roast them in, being found in the kitchen cupboards.
Even snack-starved Edna kept out of the way of the kitchen, by sitting on the back of the sofa cushion. For dinner I did a roast chicken with pumpkin, potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots and green beans. While that cooked I had a look at the 10 Cheapest countries to travel to for a holiday and then got engrossed in planning a city break to see the Christmas Lights in Puglia, Italy, where they have some of my favourite wine!
The dinner was lovely, although it seemed to take ages to cook the chicken and I put it down to it being a bigger one than usual. We managed another short walk with the dogs but it had been pretty wet out today. Over in Rhodes it was still raining – it was pretty horrendous and I hoped it wasn’t coming our way.

Dalyan – 30th November

It was the last day of the month and I was surprised and relieved that I had managed to survive the month without losing it, to be quite honest. Saturday 30th November was a fairly busy day for me and it started when Captain Caveman’s alarm went off at 7.30am. The weather app said it was a mild 9°C, with a likelihood of 19°C later on, but rain was very much on the cards. After seeing to Norman and Edna, I updated my shopping list ready for a market visit and had my cup of tea.
Captain Caveman and I were at the market by 10am and here is what we bought, prices in lira;

Stall 1
Potatoes & onions 60 lira

Stall 2
Carrots 34 lira

Stall 3
Başlamak bread, pumpkin, spinach, spring onion, green beans and fresh mint 250 lira

Stall 4
Mushrooms 50 lira

Stall 5
Sweet potatoes 60 lira

Stall 6
Peppers 84 lira

Total spent at the market 538 lira (£12.17), which was a bit more than usual.

We didn’t take Norman and Edna and we decided to share a cheese and spinach gözleme (pancake) sat at the little stall in the market. They are quite big and cost 80 lira ($1.81) for the one we had and it was so fresh and delicious – not Slimming World friendly, either.
Back home, and after leaving Norman and Edna for the first time alone, we had soup for lunch and the water man delivered us more water for 70 lira (£1.58) and was super efficient. I decided to attempt to clean the kitchen a bit while Captain Caveman went over to Fire Opal to collect more stuff. I also put all the ingredients for a Bolognese in to the slow cooker and decided I would try out one of Jamie’s new ovens with a lasagne for dinner. We managed a dog walk while it was cooking but the rain came down in the afternoon and most of the evening. Norman and Edna didn’t mind one bit as it meant they got to be lazy and have sofa snuggles until they fell asleep.
I totted up how much we had spent in November so that I could compare it to October and plan for December. The 2 of us had lived off just over 20,000 lira and was about £455 in November – it was double that of October but I was very proud of myself for being able to manage it as it was less than the Turkish minimum wage for 2 people. Of course, we had no mortgage or rent to pay but that included bills, food, drink, transport and any hobbies etc. I doubted I could live off that for just myself back in the UK, let alone the 2 of us here in Dalyan.
Before bed Captain Caveman and I watched Undercover on Netlfix, which had not previously worked but was ok now so we got 2 episodes in. Tomorrow we would start December, Captain Caveman’s last month in Dalyan, with a walk.

Dalyan – 29th November

It was only 6°C at 7am on Friday 29th November when I woke up. I made myself a cup of tea and sorted the dogs out. Edna had been sleeping on the sofa cushion and Norman was up and about. After their breakfast, Norman wanted to go back to bobos with me. I had toast for breakfast and then Captain Caveman and I walked the dogs. We decided to spend some time at Fire Opal with the dogs – I would work there while Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club. I noticed that he still hadn’t mended the hole in the gate, which he had said he would, and cats were still coming in and spraying their scent on the staircase. I’d found him some netting and had put it next to the door ready to use. The sun streams in to Fire Opal making it warm indoors and the dogs could take off their jumpers and relax. They loved it at our place and they snoozed on the sofa for ages.
I made pizza wraps for lunch but asked Captain Caveman to make something for dinner so that I could carry on working. He also went out to do the shopping and here’s what he bought with prices in lira;

Hardware shop
100 zip ties 65.00 lira (£1.47)

Migros Supermarket
Milk 37.95
15 eggs 81.50
Fabric Softener 99.95
Total spent 219.40 lira (£4.96)

Balcı Pharmacy
1 pack Cerazette 329.18 lira (£7.45)

I had it in my diary to message a friend to meet up tomorrow but I decided I was not in any fit state to be out and about socialising. My back still hurt most of the time and I was going between the 2 houses. My friend kindly offered to come over to see me but I wasn’t sure which place I would be at and when for her to pop over. A close friend had messaged me about coming over to Dalyan for a visit in February and I was already really looking forward to that so much, as I missed my friends from back home.
We walked the dogs back over to Jamie’s for their dinner, Captain Caveman cooked pasta but he was not enjoying cooking in a different house. I washed up and by the time I came to sit down, Captain Caveman and the dogs were all asleep. I woke Captain Caveman up and we watched more of ‘Until I Kill You’, which was good and made my problems look insignificant.

Dalyan – 23rd November

Captain Caveman had invited a couple of friends round for breakfast at our place on Saturday 23rd November at 10am. I was hungover and Captain Caveman had promised I would make them Pho Ga, chicken noodle soup. Christine, who is a friend from Fat Club too doesn’t even like it that much but she had agreed to come out of politeness and I was absolutely not with it. Usually I would use cooked chicken but it had all gone in to last night’s curry so I had to roast some chicken in the oven while I messed about doing the soup.
Luckily, Captain Caveman had got up and cleaned the house after last night’s drinks with Jamie, but we were only just ready when our guests, Christine and Jez, arrived. They very kindly brought us limes, kefir limes, fresh mint and coriander and we drank green tea or Vietnamese coffee with the breakfast. It was not as good as my usual efforts and I think the chillies might have been a bit lively. Regardless of my hangover and me having to polish off pink grapefruit pop to feel a bit better, it was really nice catching up with Jez & Christine. They even gave us a lift to the market after as it did look like rain and I definitely needed to go there this week. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;

Stall 1
Bananas 85 lira

Stall 2
Potatoes & onions 60 lira

Stall 3
Apples, peppers, tomatoes & garlic 200 lira

Total spent at the market this week was only 345.00 lira (£7.97) and I felt like it seemed more expensive than usual for what we bought at stall 3. It was still relatively cheap but I would keep my eye on it over the coming weeks. The new market roof was being built but not ready for the stall holders just yet.
We were back home by 1pm and the skies on the walk back were looking very dark – rain was certainly coming. By 2.45pm it was raining quite heavily again so I got on with some work stuff while Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone. For dinner we had more of what we had last night and it tasted even better the day after, as curries often do.

Dalyan – 22nd November

On Friday 22nd November it looked like the rain and storms were over and we had a glimpse of some sunshine. As I had my cup of tea and some cornflakes, I read a little about an alternative destination in Lapland, called Oulu. Usually visitors at Christmas flock to Rovaniemi but it can be busy and pricey so Oulu was looking like a good option for anyone wanting to go to Finland at Christmas. I’d always fancied it although I thought it would be for kids but this city looked like it had lots to do. It was on my list for the future!
Unfortunately, Captain Caveman’s Bridge Club was cancelled so he wasn’t too happy but I managed to find something to keep him from despair! Someone we knew well, wanted us to go and look at a property that was for sale and I needed Captain Caveman to help me find it. I had my reservations as to whether it had been advertised correctly so we decided to go and look without the agent to get an idea of location and condition, just from the outside. It turned out to be very similar to one we had looked at before Captain Caveman had bought Fire Opal. We thought it would be too small for the potential buyers and that it might be overpriced.

It started to rain while we were out but not nearly as bad as it had been yesterday so we persevered and called at the shops. Here’s what we bought and the prices in lira;

Yaman Büfe 2
1 Idol white wine 215.00
1 Idol red wine 215.00
Total spent 430.00 lira (£9.93)

A101 Supermarket
2 packs mini wraps 30.00 lira (69p)

Migros Supermarket
1 pack spaghetti 11.75
2 packs pasta 23.50
1 pack broken rice 24.95
580g Chicken thighs 91.35
1.6kg whole chicken 108.98
1kg Chicken breasts 196.03
Parmesan cheese 199.90
Total spent 656.46 lira (£15.16)

As we passed the bus station, Captain Caveman took a photo of the new timetable for the bus to the beach. There was only the one winter service now, going at 12 noon and returning at 5pm. We bought the usual fresh bread from the bakery across from the bus station and fresh bread is still so cheap in Turkey. We paid just 10 lira (23p) and the bread is very good.
As Captain Caveman had free time on his hands, he made us a chicken salad sandwich with sweet potatoes done in the air fryer, for lunch.
We messaged back to the UK with photos and videos to the potential property buyers and I asked if they fancied a video call to discuss – they didn’t as they were busy and had also had snow where they were in England.

I carried on with work while Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone. Tonight our team meeting had been moved from Wednesday so I had invited Jamie round so that we could do it together. Our boss had given strict instructions that, as we were at a team meeting on a Friday night, we should bring a bottle of wine from the country we were in. Jamie and I had no problem with that and he had a bottle of Rituel and I had chosen Idol, both red. Norman and Edna came too and they had cuddles with Captain Caveman while we tried not to get too merry for the team meeting. I’d done a curry in the slow cooker and I’d also made some curried sweet potato samosas to have as a starter with a cucumber, mint, lemon juice and quark dip. Jamie was on a health kick too so I’d made everything Slimming World friendly. We had the samosas before the meeting as Captain Caveman couldn’t wait and I was getting peckish.
The meeting went well and we had an update from the bosses about a new website for villas which anyone with luxury holiday villas, in any part of the world, could add on to the site, as a host, to attract customers through Resort Experts.
After the meeting we snaffled down the chicken, sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice and başlamak bread, then finished off the wine. It turned in to quite a night – Jamie, Norman and Edna didn’t leave until gone midnight!

Dalyan – 19th November

Captain Caveman had reached the halfway point of his 90 day stay in Turkey on Tuesday 19th November. I took the dogs out for their morning stroll, gave them breakfast and made my own cup of tea. I then went to the shop and bought Captain Caveman some more coffee beans as he was desperate for coffee now that the Vietnamese one was gone. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Peanut Butter 79.95
Coffee beans 349.95
Total spent 429.90 lira (£9.82)

Wow, coffee was dearer than I expected.
I had my breakfast of cornflakes and got on with my to-do list while Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club. After a lunch of soup and both of us doing a dog walk, I carried on with my work and Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone. I got a weather warning on Facebook that said the area was about to start to get some more rain in the next few days and I thought this typical, especially with dogs to keep warm and dry. We both walked the dogs in the evening as Captain Caveman needed to put the bins out but rain was imminent.

For dinner we had a lovely treat when Captain Caveman made a roast chicken dinner with vegetables, and rosé wine but no Yorkshire puddings. The dogs weren’t given any on account of Norman having a sensitive tum and Edna being on a diet but it didn’t stop them trying to get a morsel. I did more social media post scheduling for my Resort Experts Facebook page in the evening.
I did the dog walk late at night on my own as Captain Caveman had done the washing up (again). When I totted up my syns for this week I was on 313 and was definitely not going to be getting a loss at Fat Club tomorrow – why do I always forget to be better on a Tuesday!?

Dalyan – 17th November

Captain Caveman had changed the walk on Sunday 17th November to an easy one as the one he had planned would have been slippery and wet after last night’s storm. He was up early and took the dogs out for their walk first and then brought me a cup of tea in bed. My weather app predicted more rain today but Captain Caveman has more weather apps that said it was going to be fine. Once I had fed the dogs and Captain Caveman had his breakfast and left for the walk, I put all the ingredients for a bolognese in the slow cooker. I also made myself a pho for breakfast and really enjoyed it before getting on with work, as well as doing some writing I needed to do. I added more items to the shopping list and, when Captain Caveman got back from his walk we had cheese sandwiches for lunch. The Sunday Walk had turned out to be a good one and they hadn’t had the rain predicted. I could’ve gone but I had the dogs to look after and it was too far for their little legs to manage.

I had a bit of a mission that I needed to carry out in the afternoon as I had agreed to update Matt, Vanessa’s husband’s, Play Station at their apartment. I decided it would be a good idea before I got on the phone with Matt to go round (I had a key) to their apartment and check I could switch on the electric and that the internet would work. Captain Caveman and I took a dog each and did a walk along the way, when we arrived at Vanessa and Matt’s I realised there are cats living there so Norman and Edna had to wait outside the gate with Captain Caveman. I got in the apartment and found the meter to switch on but while I was there I heard the neighbour, shouting me. I came downstairs and she said that her and Captain Caveman had heard me shouting – I had not uttered a word. I went back up and as I reached their apartment door, it was closed and the key was inside.
Oh shit, I was in a dilemma and had already sent Captain Caveman and the pooches off back home. I messaged Vanessa to tell her what had happened. Luckily, there was a spare key and all was ok. Not even an hour later, I had logged in to the device, followed Matt’s instructions over the phone and sorted it out. I’d even learned a new skill of being able to use a Play Station controller, which was a first for me – a man definitely invented that gadget!
On the way back home, I called at the shop for a few essentials and here’s the details;

Migros Supermarket
1 pack of filo pastry 54.95
1kg Sweet potatoes 73.10
A 1.6kg chicken 124.40
400g of beef mince 191.96
Total spent 444.41 (£10.17)

Of course, the beef mince was expensive but I didn’t realise that I had got it at a better discount than it should’ve been as I chose the 7% fat as opposed to the 20% fat, but still got it for the same price as the fattier meat. That evening we had Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner with some red wine and we took the dogs out together. Norman and Edna were reluctant to go out but I think it was because they knew it was rainy/stormy.
I had a video call with Vanessa and she updated me on everything she had done since leaving Dalyan, 12 days ago. Her trip to Istanbul had been good and she was glad to be back in the UK. While we were on the call, my Resort Experts Facebook page had hit 10,000 views and it had not been active a month yet, so I was pleased things were taking off a little bit.
Downstairs, I got relegated to the sofa where I get a stiff neck if watching TV, while Captain Caveman and the dogs comfortably took the other sofa. By 10pm, all 3 of them were fast asleep and snoring away.

Photo credit – some photos taken by people on the Sunday Walk, including Captain Caveman

Dalyan – 15th November

Friday 15th November was my parents’ last day in Dalyan, as they were off back home to Sheffield tomorrow. I was feeling a bit sad as I had no idea of when I would see them again and hated not being able to plan. They had been here since late September and I felt like I’d not seen them as much this time in Dalyan. To make up for not seeing my parents in bars and restaurants, as we chose to stay home, I had invited them over for dinner for their last night. Captain Caveman brought me a cup of tea in bed and asked if I was ok – he doesn’t usually enquire about feelings so he could tell I was sad. Luckily, he knew to remind me that I would soon be cheered up as I had a couple of visitors on their way.
Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club, I got up and ate my overnight oats for breakfast but was still in my lounge wear when the doorbell rang. Jamie was here with Norman and Edna and they were super excited to see me. The dogs were going to be staying with us, even though we aren’t allowed dogs on the complex so we had to keep them in our apartment and not let them bother anyone. Jamie didn’t stop long, he dropped off 2 leads, 2 food bowls, 1 water bowl, medicine, food, a few poo bags and a dog bed. By 10.35am both Norman and Edna had found a comfy spot each on the sofa while I did some work.
When Captain Caveman returned, we ate cheese and olives and leek & potato soup for lunch before taking the dogs for a quick walk. At home, Norman and Edna live in a villa and are used to saying when they want to go in the garden but at our place we are on the first floor so it’s not as easy to let them out. Once back home, I went out a couple of times, once to the bank, then to find Captain Caveman some ground coffee – he had almost run out of the Vietnamese one and I imagine he would miss not having that. I found some alternatives in Migros but, given I never drink coffee, I took photos and came back to check before buying any. Here’s what I did buy, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1.2kg Carrots 32.44
Chocolate cakes 34.50
15 eggs 79.50
A 1.6kg Chicken 126.00
Total spent 272.44 lira (£6.23)

Yaman Bufe 2
2 bottles of Idol wine 430.00
1 bottle of Isabey wine 215.00
Total spent 645.00 lira (£14.76)

While Captain Caveman played Bridge on his phone and cuddled the dogs, I spent the afternoon doing a bit of work and then preparing for dinner with my parents. As the electricity had been on and off, I almost didn’t get any Yorkshire puddings in but Captain Caveman helped me get them done in the air fryer. We walked the dogs again and took them via my parents so we could walk back with them to ours. Norman and Edna were really pleased to see Granny Annie and Grandpa Stupot, as we affectionately call my parents. Edna was so excited and wanted some wine but Little Daddy (Jamie) had put her on a diet and neither dog was allowed any treats. As Norman already had the runs we kept them on water and no snacks – they were likely to put in a complaint.
The rest of us took advantage of wine and a roast chicken dinner, although Mom really was taking it easy and only had a couple of wines with soda all night. They were flying at 6.25pm tomorrow and she didn’t want to be hungover to go to the airport. We had a lovely evening and I was disappointed after my parents left that none of us took any photos of our last night together. Before bed, we took out Norman and Edna for another toilet walk, just around a block or two. It was cold out and we all were pleased to get back indoors.

Dalyan – 13th November

There was no Turkish class on Wednesday 13th November as our teacher was on a holiday, which gave me a couple of hours free to do my blogging. It was a lovely sunny day in Dalyan as I got on the home scales and took my measurements. Surprisingly, I had lost 1.05kg (2.3lb) on the home scales but, as we know, I had to wait until this afternoon to get on Carol’s scales at Fat Club. My measurements were very favourable with 2cm off my chest, 1cm off my waist and 3cm off my hips. Captain Caveman had only lost 0.05kg this week and I think he expected more, as did I. It was definitely making a difference us not drinking alcohol so much and it was helping to lose the weight.
As I left the house that day, Aslı (from A Block) and her painter friends were doing some cutting down of the bushes that the gardener had not done last month, so that the painting could be done. There was a young boy doing some painting with his mother and an older grandmother sat supervising – it looked like Aslı had a whole family doing the painting. They had cut down quite a lot of the bushes and put them at the bottom of the steps and gate to our apartment. Luckily, I could pick up the branches and move them to get out of the house because I was meeting with a clothes buyer. This lady bought another item and we had a good chat before I nipped for a bit of shopping. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Green peppers 16.87
Wine gums 17.00
Cake mix 21.85
10 eggs 65.00
550g chicken breasts 115.50
Total spent 236.22 lira (£5.42)

Back at home, I had a chicken wrap with lettuce and cabbage in it and then popped back out to meet another clothes buyer. The lady was coming to buy a dress but it didn’t fit, she did try on a couple of others and ended up buying 2 dresses, instead of the one she came for.

In the afternoon I went confidently to Fat Club thinking I would have lost 1kg, as I had this morning at home. Unfortunately, I had lost only 0.15kg (0.3lb) which was quite poor but still a loss. I still had 2kg to lose to reach my target and it was proving difficult. I didn’t help myself, though, as I went to the shop on the way home and bought some treats, here’s the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate (Gold) bars 31.00
1l Schweppes tonic 45.00
1l Schweppes pink grapefruit 45.00
2 Quark 59.90
Mushrooms 74.95
Total spent 255.85 lira (£5.87)

For dinner, Captain Caveman made chicken fajitas which were really nice and we used Quark instead of sour cream. At 8pm it was the Resort Experts team meeting and we had some training on Costa Blanca and learned about a luxury villa website that Resort Experts were launching soon. We were going to be able to ask villa owners we knew around the world to list their properties so that we could offer these to any customers looking to book a luxury villa for their 2025 holidays. I already had a couple in mind from Vietnam and Thailand which I hoped would be suitable to be added. Jamie and I also decided that we were off to Costa Blanca at some point next year.

Dalyan – 11th November

There was a planned power cut on Monday 11th November but we couldn’t work out whether our street was 9am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm. I decided to have a veggie egg fried rice for my breakfast before the electric went off, so that I wouldn’t be too hungry at lunch. Captain Caveman had already had his, played some bridge and then left around 10am for Dogging. I did some writing as it’s something I don’t need to be connected to the internet or have power for. The electric didn’t go off until lunch time and it was fortuitous that I had prepared a salad for lunch. When he returned from Dogging, Captain Caveman had a shower and then we went to the shops – here is what we bought, prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Wraps (lavaş) 43.50
Kitchen roll 65.00
630g chicken breasts 132.30
Olive oil 245.00
Total spent 485.00 lira (£10.97)

Green Grocers
Red peppers 90 lira (£2.04)

In Turkey, olive oil is known for being pricey but kitchen roll is so cheap! Our salad was rather good and Captain Caveman added boiled eggs to his.
The electricity came back on after only a short time and I managed to have a hot drink while doing some more work on the laptop. We both went back to the shop later, as I needed a break from my screen, here’s the details of what we got and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 bags pasta 23.50
Green peppers 67.95
Feta style cheese 74.75
Ricotta style cheese 79.90
Sucuk 95.90
4 tins of tomatoes 119.80
1kg Melty cheese 244.90
Total spent 706.70 lira (£15.99)

Unfortunately, cheese can be expensive in Dalyan, with just the melty stuff costing a third of the total bill. We were also being even more frugal than usual as an unplanned for amount of money had to be paid without much notice. Captain Caveman had agreed to give 5,000 lira (£113) to Aslı, our neighbour in A Block. She had quoted all the owners a total of over £1,000 for the whole block to get the external garden walls painted. I’d have done it myself if I’d known how much it would be! When we came back in from the shops the painter looked like he had made a start. Captain Caveman didn’t seem too put out at the cost but I wish we’d got other quotes to compare. For dinner, Captain Caveman made us a pasta dish which is always really tasty.