My first task on Sunday 25th January was to encourage Norman, who was very snoozy, to go outside. He was quite sleepy most of the day but he did have a corner or 2 of toast before napping. I got on with work and it was going to be a long day as I’d signed up for a free course which started late tonight. I had a lunch break at 3.30pm and decided to go to the shops to stock up for the rest of the week. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
I made a chicken and leek pasta bake for dinner which was amazing and had a few portions left for fridge/freezer. Norman put in another complaint when he thought his dinner was late as we had been back from a walk for over 30 minutes. In the evening we watched some TV and I fell asleep on the sofa until my alarm went off for a Facebook Live session I’d agreed to join. Tomorrow was the start of a challenge called the Race to Recurring Revenue with business strategist Lisa Johnson, so I joined an 11pm welcome party on my laptop.
Gratitude List 1. Norman 2. Food shopping 3. A tasty dinner.
I landed at Dalaman airport at 12.30am on Sunday 18th January and waited quite a while for my suit case, in fact I was one of the last out of the airport. I hadn’t managed to drink the prosecco on the plane so I had some to bring home, I didn’t bother with anything at Duty Free as I was going to try to cut down on alcohol. Unfortunately, while going through the nothing to declare exit, I got stopped. The staff member there opened my suitcase and, because of the last minute cramming in of produce, it was in a bit of disarray with food all over the place. The man asked me what it was and pointed at the food. I replied it was food as I was cooking dinner for my family and friends tonight. He smiled, said ok and let me go! I was so relieved because I really hadn’t want it to be confiscated. My usual taxi man, Sonuç was on his way to the UK with his family so he had sent Engin. He took my case and we travelled back fairly quickly to Dalyan where he dropped me at the gate to the apartment complex and the fare was £30. The taxi rank at the airport is only £25 but I prefer to have a driver I know when arriving in the night/early hours and they don’t always drop you at your home when coming from Dalaman. I went in, put the electric back on and decided to unpack so that I could get the food in the fridge and freezer. Despite having to leave some back in the UK, I still had loads of lovely stuff which is either expensive or unavailable in Turkey. I went to bed and although it was quite cold in Dalyan, it was still a bit warmer than London. I didn’t set an alarm as I didn’t have to be anywhere until later in the day. I didn’t have the internet with it being a Sunday so it was a nice quiet day. I did manage a bit of a walk round the town and to the bank. I got an update from 2 of my customers who were on a sleeper train, heading to Dong Hoi and were going to be staying in Phong Nha, Vietnam. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so far and I was looking forward to finding out how they would like Phong Nha. At 5.30pm I popped my new Christmas and birthday clothes on and I met Jamie at Ela’s Kitchen for a Sunday dinner. I’d been a bit reluctant when he asked to book it in as I thought I’d have had enough English food but I decided to go for the Sunday dinner. It was a relatively new thing at Ela’s, with soup for starter, beef for main and cake for afters. They offer choice of chicken or nut roast at 850 lira (£15), beef at 950 lira (£17) or lamb at 1,100 lira (£19) which included the 3 courses. The food was really good and I was super stuffed, I also had a glass of red wine to wash it down with. When we went to get the bill, Jamie insisted on paying for it as a birthday treat, which was really lovely.
Gratitude List 1. Getting back to Dalyan with a suitcase full of treats 2. Having a good sleep 3. Sunday dinner birthday celebrations with Jamie.
It turns out it wasn’t the ‘snow’ that ruined my birthday on Sunday 11th January, it was me. My hangover was immense and I could barely function to open my birthday cards and presents. My present from Captain Caveman had been to pay for Marrakech as well as all the Christmas and birthday Shenanigans. My parents and sister gave me money which I was grateful for and promised I would buy something I needed with it. I also got a travel toiletry kit and a birthday cake from my sister and the family, which I didn’t realise how lovely it was until much later. On Facebook I had so many messages to say Happy Birthday and I couldn’t reply as my phone was playing up and my head was banging! Captain Caveman took himself back to bed, he was also in a state. We were meant to be getting the train to Pontecarlo around 3pm so Ma cooked us a lovely Sunday dinner. We had forgotten that the eggs had been eaten at breakfast so we sent Captain Caveman out to get some. When he returned he looked broken and had bumped in to Neil who was walking the dog to the Angel at Spinkhill to get the car. He reported back that their household were mainly in a state too. Captain Caveman was so bad that he didn’t even eat half of is Sunday dinner – and he left the crackling! After dinner, Captain Caveman went back to bed again and I still felt rough and resigned myself to staying in Mosborough another night. Captain Caveman decided we would leave Mosborough and we got the bus in to town, it was dark, cold and trying to snow. There were certainly no train tins on our journey back and we even got a taxi from Ponte station to Captain Caveman’s house where we got in and went straight to bed.
Gratitude List 1. Birthday cards, money and gifts 2. A pork Sunday dinner with Yorkshire puds 3. A very low key birthday!
One good thing about not celebrating a traditional Christmas Day was that Boxing Day, Friday 26th December, was not spent recovering from it. We didn’t have the hotel breakfast in Barking as Captain Caveman wasn’t bothered and we thought we would get back to Barnes. Instead, he took me to the pub hoping for a pub lunch. The Brown Dog was closed so we ended up in the Red Lion. Captain Caveman spent £45 on our lunch which consisted of 2 pints of beer, a beef and horseradish sandwich for Captain Caveman and a pint of tap water, a glass of white wine and a prawn and crayfish sandwich for me. It was lovely despite the very annoying family of 5 sat round a 2 person table next to us. We ended up moving to an adult only table across from the bar, which was a good move. Back home we watched TV; Undercover Boss, Gordon’s Kitchen Nightmares and Grand Designs – I’d missed UK TV. For dinner Captain Caveman prepared some sourdough, bought from Gail’s earlier for a small fortune, with a baked camembert and we finished off the port. It was a very nice, relaxing day and a chance for Captain Caveman to rest after his 12 hour shift yesterday.
Gratitude List 1. Pub grub 2. A relaxing boxing day 3. More cheese.
Captain Caveman’s parents were due back from Spain on Saturday 27th December so Captain Caveman had offered my culinary services to make a welcome back dinner that evening. I was pleased as it had been 5 days since I’d eaten anything I’d cooked myself – most unusual! We popped to the shops and I decided to have a look in the Sue Ryder charity shop. Even though I had new clothes for Christmas I still didn’t have more than 1 top and had been wearing Captain Caveman’s t-shirt yesterday. I also didn’t have anything that wasn’t casual (not that I was due to be going anywhere fancy). The charity shop always has some amazing items in there, mainly good brands which I can never afford. Today, Captain Caveman was there to treat me again and I found a lovely tunic dress for £12 – it was only a size 12 and I didn’t try it on in the shop but it did fit when I got back home. Next, we popped to one of my favourite shops to get the food for later, here’s what we got with the prices in pounds;
Marks & Spencers Chicken 7.15 Raspberries 3.90 Blueberries 3.63 Sage & onion stuffing 2.50 Orange Juice 2.50 Peppers 1.50 Carrots 1.25 Green beans 0.80 Parsnips 0.50 Total spent £23.71
We called at the Farmer’s Market on the way back but there were limited stalls out, with it being between Christmas and New Year. We did manage to pick up some sausages and black pudding for Captain Caveman to cook us a breakfast tomorrow. I made some Yorkshire pudding mixture but there was only self raising flour and it didn’t really work. In the afternoon, we decided to take a walk to see if the Brown Dog was open today and it was. We sat by the Christmas tree with a pint each (mine was cider) for a total of £13.60. Back home, Captain Caveman’s parents were back and it was lovely to see them. I cracked on with making the dinner and we had a drop of wine to go with the meal. Afterwards we went upstairs to watch TV and chill out – I even got in to watching Traitors.
Gratitude List 1. A new dress 2. A pint in the Brown Dog 3. A lovely family meal.
I had just 4 days left with Norman and 10 days left in Dalyan on Saturday 13th December. I hoped to be able to fit a few things in here, before the end of the year. The weather was good, Norman was snoozing and I got a notification to tell me that my author’s proof copy was arriving in Pontefract this morning! Even though I’d woken up with a sore arm from the flu vaccine, I thought that nothing could spoil my day! I didn’t bother with the Saturday market but had a walk in to town and met Penny & Phil, content in the knowledge that Captain Caveman had the weekend off and would soon be opening ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, getting the red pen out to correct any obvious mistakes. We had chatted about having a video call so that I could then update the book and get it ready for people to start buying before Christmas on Monday! At Jik’s, Penny had already ordered and was eating a breakfast, I decided to treat myself to a bacon and mushroom sandwich with an orange juice which was lovely. We got chatting and then decided to move tables to sit in the sun and I had a couple of red wines. We saw lots of passing Dalyan Dwellers who had already been to the Winter fair and decided we would have a wander over to the Mosque Square to look round the fair, too I paid my 700 lira (£12.50) bill and off we went. It was very busy with lots of stalls, Penny found it hard to walk round for too long so I left her and Phil at Corner Bar. I had a mulled wine and a chocolate brownie from the Ren Garden stall for 150 lira (£2.68) while saying a quick hello to Görkem. I bought some books for 800 lira (£14.29) at the book stall which had a ticket for each book. All the tickets went in to a draw to win a bag of goodies. This is where I met the stall holder, Ali, who was raising money for the dog shelter. The books I picked were all detective/thriller novels for Dad to read, as I know they only bring hand luggage out and books he hasn’t read are difficult to get. I popped to Kate’s stall where I managed to spend just a few quid on some new coasters. She was raising money for Arthur’s Legacy, a cat charity. It was so very crowded, the busiest fair in Dalyan I had seen and I went back home to drop stuff off then over to Jamie’s to check on Norman. While I was there, I checked if Captain Caveman had got my book and had he looked at it yet – he’d decided to go away for the weekend and so, disappointingly, the answer was no. He was due back tomorrow night and would look at it then, if it hadn’t been left out in the rain! I decided to walk Norman back in to town but he was not keen on going far. We got as far as Ren Garden, where Penny, Phil and Caramel now were so I joined them. Norman loved it in there and I even let him off the lead to see if he and Caramel would play together – they didn’t. Penny had bought a whole cooked chicken from the butchers to feed Caramel with so of course Norman wanted to eat it too. I was hesitant as I didn’t want it to affect his tum but he did share some and snaffled it down. I had 2 mulled wines and a piece of really good carrot and walnut cake. I paid a total of 500 lira (£8.93) and we stayed out until 9pm. Norman was very sprightly walking home and was so pleased with himself to have had extra chicken from Penny and Caramel.
Gratitude List 1. A good day with friends at the Winter fair 2. Norman 3. Mulled wine.
Sunday 14th December had any plans I might have had, cancelled. Poor little Norman had an accident at just gone 7am. He’d sneezed, coughed, farted and shit himself on the tiled floor of the dining room. The chicken he’d had last night had not done him any favours as I moved him away from a puddle of orange liquid that smelled foul! I felt awful for him and let Jamie know, seeing as I probably shouldn’t have let him eat the chicken. I’d only just finished cleaning it up when Nanny Kay popped round for a visit and Norman was pleased to see her. We had a good chat and a laugh then arranged to have a pre Christmas drink on Friday as well as seeing each other next Sunday before I left for the UK. Norman managed a short walk but he wasn’t his usual sprightly self so we chilled on the sofa in the evening. I had a homemade chickpea and spinach curry with couscous for dinner, which was nice. I waited for Captain Caveman to call or message to say he’d got my planner but I never heard anything! This meant that ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ would not be going on sale tomorrow. I was yet again disappointed and mad with myself for not planning it better.
Gratitude List 1. Seeing Nanny Kay 2. Norman 3. Healthy curry for dinner.
Friday 5th December was one of those stay at home days and keep out of the rain. I got a bit wet in the morning going to feed my friends cat and then I sat at my desk and watched the bad weather while I ploughed through my to do list. At 11am I had beans on toast and a Yorkshire tea for brunch. Not long after, my Turkish phone received a text to warn of heavy rains and flood risks across our province. In the afternoon I helped out a fellow Travel Agent from another company who wanted some info about Dalyan. The rains came and didn’t stop for the rest of the day so I had to venture out in it to feed the, who didn’t show up. I warmed up a Thai green curry for dinner with couscous and then found my wool socks and sheepskin slippers to warm my feet. They were cold after getting wet, walking through the water of our overflowing swimming pool. The mulled wine evening at Ren Garden even got postponed due to the weather so Jamie and I decided we would not be venturing out.
Gratitude List 1. Beans on toast 2. Thai Green curry 3. Warm feet.
The rain didn’t stop on Saturday 6th December so I got absolutely soaked on my last cat feeding mission. Even the white dogs did not come out or look up from their shelters this morning! I decided to call in to the Fataç shop to see if they had any wellies. I’d only got pumps which, although had a chunky sole, were totally inadequate for walking through the puddles. As luck would have it, the owner was there and let me try on a lovely pair of industrial wellies which he fitted with some super comfy spongy insoles. They did set me back 1700 lira (£30.36) which was not budgeted for but they made me feel like I would never have wet or uncomfortable feet again. Mr Fataç insisted I kept them on and gave me a plastic bag for my soggy sneakers. On my way home, I sploshed about like a child who’d been told not to go in puddles and it was amazing! I knew that my friend was on her way back from her trip, the cat was fed and looked after and I was looking forward to no animal caring for the next 2 days. I messaged Captain Caveman to let him know I’d spent a load of money on wellies and he thought that was a bargain for dry comfy feet! I obviously didn’t venture to the weekly market and decided I could make do with what I had. I made halloumi and roasted vegetable pasta for lunch which was fantastic. I spent the rest of my day avoiding rain and checking on our roof leaks – the bathroom needed a container to catch the drips from the leaking window.
Gratitude List 1. New wellies!!! 2. Puddle sploshing 3. Good food.
I tried my best to have a lay in on Sunday 7th December, however, my body clock must’ve got used to being awake between 6 & 7am as I was in the Wide Awake Club. I even joined Jamie on a dog walk with Norman as they had felt cabined up and wanted to get out now that the rain had gone. I was keen to splash about in my new wellies so agreed to meet Jamie. As we were walking we decided that we would partake in the postponed mulled wine night at Ren Garden later. Jamie had a birthday lunch to do in the afternoon but said he would make it between 7 and 8pm. In the meantime, I spent my day faffing about with suitcases trying to find my clothes that needed to go to charity. It turned out I must’ve already donated them as I only had what was in one box and one wardrobe! I made a simple but tasty chicken and veg pasta for lunch and finally was able to get a couple of loads of washing out to dry. I arrived at Ren Garden around 7pm and was chatting to some friends who were already there. By 9pm I decided I had already drunk sufficient mulled wine, which I really enjoyed, and that I would go to Migros for some shopping. I paid my 600 lira (£10.71) bill and said farwell to the people of Ren Garden. Jamie messaged to say he was still out at the birthday celebrations and was sorry to not make it after all. I was quite tipsy so I decided to get myself a ready made pizza for dinner. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Pasta 21.71 Milk 59.90 Dark chocolate 59.95 1 pepperoni pizza 179.95 Socks 388.95 Total spent 700.43 lira (£12.51)
I went home, cooked and ate the pizza and was glad of being in bed before midnight.
Gratitude List 1. Norman 2. Wellies 3. Mulled wine.
It was still raining when my alarm went off at 6am on Sunday 30th November. I didn’t go to feed Baby C until it stopped raining around 7.30am. On the way home I checked on the 2 white dogs who were fine but one of them had a half wet blanket.
Back home, I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and decided I would go with Captain Caveman on his Sunday Walk. As usual he’d had lots of people saying they might come but no definites and it’s always hard to know who’s coming when it looks like rain. My parents and several Dalyan Dwellers were going to the Çaliş fair so it looked to be a quiet Dalyan. I was hoping to sit and drink tea but when we got to the Kaunos tea garden meeting point there was only us. We decided to have a walk around the edges of Dalyan, just as it started to rain again. Opposite the tombs is a ridiculous wooden frame with plastic flowers draped over it, which were coming loose and blowing in to the river. I picked up several plastic flowers and put them in a bin. After about an hour and 15 minutes of walking we reached the Kefal tea gardens and ordered something to warm us up. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;
That was breakfast sorted and we decided to continue along the river walk towards the Denizkızı ferry. We bumped in to Ghislaine and her dogs so had a chat and I found it tricky to walk through the puddles with tons of stray cats round my feet, who may have thought we had come to feed them.
We got home before 1pm as we needed to shower and get ready for a lunch arrangement. Sezgin and Nur wanted us to join them for lunch at a place they love to go to eat lamb. Joining us were Debbie and Mike who we hadn’t had chance to catch up with yet either, so that worked well. I don’t eat lamb but I know that Captain Caveman loves it so I was happy to oblige. Sezgin recommended we all try the Tandır Lamb dish which is roasted lamb in the oven, slow cooked for a few hours. It came with plenty of bread, salad and pickled vegetables so I managed to eat just a little of the lamb. Mike ordered kofta (meatballs) instead but I wanted to try the dish Sezgin and Nur really liked. It was good, and cooked really well. Captain Caveman loved it and we even took some home to have for tomorrow. Here’s what we paid for our share of the meal with water to drink;
Köprübaşı restaurant 1,850 lira (£33.64)
After, we drove back to Kefal tea gardens for a second visit and had a drink and a chat. I paid for the drinks and here’s what we had with prices in lira;
Kefal tea gardens 1 soda water 25 2 Large Turkish tea 40 1 Espresso 65 2 Black coffee 80 Total 210 lira (£3.82)
It was almost 4pm by the time we got in, so on the evening cat feed I took Captain Caveman with me so we could go for another walk after. We were surprised to see people we knew in Sofra bar who were already back from Çaliş, including Jamie. We decided to join them for one and ended up having 3 drinks. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;
Sofra bar 3 Efes Malt 450 3 Red wine 540 Total spent 990 lira (£18)
We didn’t stay out late as it had turned quite cold and we needed to get some rest before Captain Caveman’s last day tomorrow. We walked past a new cafe which Ozzy was opening and would cater for people arriving late from the airport. Before bed, I checked where my finances were on my income & expenditure spreadsheet as it was the last day of the month. I had just about managed to get back to breaking even; I’d spent £780 against a budget of £1,000 so I was pleased with that. I’d also got a surplus of £392 to take in to the last month of the year. My credit card was paid off (as always) and all the bills were paid.
Gratitude List 1. A Sunday Walk for just the 2 of us made a nice change for me 2. Traditional Turkish Lunch out with friends 3. Being within budget.
It was quite windy and cold out on Sunday 23rd November as I left Captain Caveman in bed, snoring away. I fed the cat as usual and was back home before 8am, the weather didn’t look great for Captain Caveman’s Sunday Walk but he was up for it. I’d already been made aware that I wouldn’t be able to do the walk due to the difficulty level so I had taken it upon myself to meet up with others who couldn’t do it either. Captain Caveman had arranged to meet at Kaunos tea gardens at 9am and there was quite a turn out. A few of us less athletically inclined today, had planned to join the walk as far as the Portakal ferry then walk back to get a bit of light refreshment, however, someone was running late. I didn’t want to hold the main Sunday walkers up so off they all went and I said to Captain Caveman I would meet him at the Kefal tea gardens after they had finished. Our little group got a hot drink inside the new indoor bit, it was a little chilly without any sun and Nur had to rescue a bird from a cat. Sezgin and his family had to get back home so they said their farewells and off we all went. Vanessa, Janet, Julie and I then ambled from one tea garden to the other, one where we sat indoors and ordered breakfast and drinks. The sun came out and it warmed up nicely. I had a Turkish breakfast plate and a Turkish tea for only 290 lira (£5.27) and it was really tasty. I had plenty left when Captain Caveman and the walkers arrived and ordered a beer. At the tea gardens they had now switched from Efes to Tuborg beer and it cost 150 lira (£2.73), a bargain compared to the prices he was used to in the UK. Captain Caveman and I called at the shops on the way home and this is what we bought, prices in lira;
Back home, after sitting on the balcony to dry off my wet hair, I prepared some food ready for later as we were going to be eating a roast chicken dinner. I decided to call to feed the cat early as the weather looked a bit iffy and I wanted to check all the windows were closed. She was very pleased to see me and got some tickles, I then walked back past the bank and got out some Turkish cash for Captain Caveman for tomorrow. I’d hoped we might be off out on the yellow boat to Köyceğiz as I’d took the day off, but he was already booked up. Before dinner we had a quick drink in Tez bar to say hello to Tez then went home for White Russians and a lovely dinner.
Gratitude List 1. A lovely non Sunday Walk with like-minded friends 2. Great food 3. Spending most of the day with Captain Caveman.
Saturday 15th November was one of those days where I was totally cheesed off. I don’t have many days like that because generally I try to keep positive and upbeat wherever I can. I try to tackle problems with a solution as soon as I can. I was also finding that going through the menopause was having an impact on my emotions and I was so much more easily put out of sorts by things I couldn’t control. I fed the chaotic 7 cats. Norman, the 3 legged cat, wasn’t about but there was a black and white one in its place. I worked on my planner but was disappointed to realise that on Canva my margins had come undone and I had lots of changes to update. It meant that I was further delayed to submit the copy to Amazon for a proof copy. I was miffed as, if I’d known earlier, I would’ve planned better. I got another Fikri taxi back home but had to be back before 6pm as a friend was coming over for pizza (again). When I got back to Kate’s, there had been a cat incident; Norman the 3-legged cat was back and tormenting JC and Baby. There was a dead blackbird as a gift at the back door and Mork had, what looked like, a cat’s tail in his mouth! It ended with me having to let Kate know and her telling me to me to contact Sue to come get her cat. When Sue and Graham arrived they went to get Norman in the cat carrier but decided he would rather stay where he was and went home without him! Baby had still not come home and it’s tail is the same colouring so we had some drama trying to find it. Me and my friend had to form a search party for a cat without half of its tail. We gave up looking once we got hungry and ordered Ozzy’s pizzas. It came to 800 lira (£14.55) for 2 and was lovely. At 11.15pm, when my friend was leaving, Baby came home with her tail in tact and demanding to be fed. We were all very relieved but there was still the mystery of who the tail belonged to.
Gratitude List 1. Still finding something to be grateful for 2. Fikri 3. Friends who understood.
On Sunday 16th November I fed the cats and was met by another gift of a dead bird – they really do like me. After disposing of the second bird in 2 days, the second without a head attached, I decided the cats were all going out in the sun for the day. I also decided to take myself off on my own Sunday walk and was intending to pop home to put some washing on. I treated myself to lunch at Çağrı, where I had chicken casserole, garlic spinach, rice and bread with a bottle of water for 720 lira (£13.09) including a tip. There was enough to take half home but that’s when I realised I hadn’t brought my house key. I took it with me and called in to Bim Supermarket where I bought some sweets and a Dido chocolate bar for 77 lira (£1.40) then I needed a toilet stop.
I called in to Mono where I ordered a green tea for 60 lira (£1.09) and sat relaxing and updating my diary. They had a new promotion on for Friday night Indian food with a set menu at 1,390 lira (£25.27) for 2 people, not including drinks. I got chatting with the owners and accidentally found myself with a large portion of delicious carrot cake for 295 lira (£5.36). It was probably the most expensive piece of cake I’d eaten in quite a while but it was very good and I didn’t manage to save half, as intended. I walked back to Kate’s, a bit cheesed off at having forgotten the key but pleased I’d had a day out, even if I had unexpectedly spent over £20. Back at Kate’s I fed all but 1 of the cats who didn’t turn up that evening.
Gratitude List 1. An impromptu Sunday walk 2. Great food and cake 3. Having most of the cats fed and watered.
There was a craft fair in Dalyan on Saturday 8th November and I’d arranged to accompany Nanny Kay to it. I got up early to walk Norman and had a slight hangover but it soon went after my tea and toast. I spoke to Captain Caveman before he got up and he was looking forward to seeing me in exactly 2 weeks’ time. He did want me to check the beach bus timetable as he was planning a couple of Sunday walks and wanted to see if the beach was a viable route. I’d misunderstood the timings of today and Nanny Kay didn’t arrive until lunch time so I could’ve gone back to bed after the dog walk. We had a browse round the stalls and Nanny Kay got a couple of nice Christmas ornaments. It probably won’t surprise you that I just bought food items. Here’s what I got with the prices in lira;
I had a lovely few hours out, in the sun for just 620 lira (£11.26). We’d had to have a sit down and a beverage at Jiks as it was just so hot. Norman was asleep when I got home but when he woke up he was pleased to see me and we went out for a walk. It was 3.15pm when I had sourdough, olives and cheese for lunch. Norman reminded me that we still hadn’t been to buy any treats and that we should go today. I reassured him he could have some tomorrow and that he’d be ok as he’s put quite a lot of weight on recently. I did a few more updates for my forthcoming planner and then had more sourdough as it was just so nice. Tomorrow, I was meant to be taking the day off but I really needed to be getting my book finished and delivered to Captain Caveman so that he could bring a proof copy out for me to check. I wanted to get it published and on sale before Christmas. On the evening dog walk, we called in to see my parents and I gave them some pasties from the fair but didn’t go in as Dad was getting in the shower and they were off out later.
Gratitude List 1. Sourdough 2. Norman 3. Spending time with Nanny Kay.
I wasn’t planning on seeing anyone on Sunday 9th November as I’d decided to get on with the internal pages of my planner. My parents and their friends had gone on a Yellow boat day trip so I hadn’t arranged to meet them. I took Norman on a dog walk in the morning, in the middle of the day and again in the evening. He only went a couple of blocks but at least it was not raining. He slept a lot and I got on with stuff, slower than I wanted to be doing! When I finished for the evening, I fed Norman and he hinted that he wanted some treats so I decided to go to the shop. As I went in Migros, Julie came running up behind me to say my parents were in Ozzy’s and I should come and say hello after their boat trip. I quickly grabbed some dog treats and some human ones too for a total of 174.10 lira (£3.18) and then wandered over to join my parents, Julie & Gareth, Adam & Kath. I ended up having a couple of red wines and a chicken pizza in Ozzy’s and my parents shared a pizza too. My dinner with drinks came to just 705 lira (£12.82) and was an unplanned and tasty surprise. Ozzy was giving residents a 10% discount during the winter which was a lovely gesture and his pizzas are excellent.
Gratitude List 1. Getting a little further with my planner 2. Norman 3. An impromptu meal and drinks with my parents & friends.
It was still a bit wet out on the morning of Saturday 25th October so I had decided not to bother with the market. As the ground was wet with puddles and I was still wearing sandals, I thought I’d rather not get wet feet. By the time it got to lunch time the sun was back out so I changed my mind and ventured out. I took a proper bag to the market and I’d already got cash so there was no faffing about today. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Stall 1 3 potatoes 20 lira (37p)
Stall 2 Tulum cheese White cheese Olives 600 lira (£11)
Total spent 1,270 lira (£23.29) which was probably the most I’d spent in the market in a long time – it was also the most I’d carried since breaking my foot and I managed. I’d gone a bit mad on the cheese as the stall holder had the nice strong Tulum which looks like a regular cheddar but tastes more like a blue cheese without the blue in it – it’s very strong and lasts ages. I always get to taste the cheese and the olives too, even though I usually buy the same ones. When I got back, Norman hadn’t even noticed I’d been gone and was still fast asleep. I ate my very tasty gözleme for lunch and then did some work in the afternoon/evening. Ma & Pa popped round, I gave them some eggs and they brought Norman’s towel & bowl back – they didn’t stay as they were off for a walk but I suggested we might catch up tomorrow. For dinner I had a pasta dish and put a sprinkling of the tulum cheese on top. I didn’t have any alcohol as I was trying to be good tonight.
Gratitude List 1. Managing a full market shop and walking back with it all 2. Norman 3. Nice, simple food.
On Sunday 26th October I didn’t wake up until 7.50am and when I went downstairs, Norman had had an accident – runny poo on the tiled floor and he’d slipped in it. Poor Norman had to be cleaned as well as the floor and he had a sorry look in his eyes. I told him everything was going to be ok and stayed with him all morning, I even made him some eggs for breakfast. I decided to make a pumpkin soup in the slow cooker and did a bit of work, despite it being a Sunday. For lunch I had leftover pasta with the rest of the salad from Friday’s takeaway and Norman, although sleepy, seemed to be doing much better. I left him for an hour when my parents called to go for a walk to the Kefal tea gardens. They both ordered a mackerel sandwich and drinks but I just had a plate of chips. I decided to ask my parents over for a Sunday dinner and we walked back past the Şevikoğlu shop to buy provisions. Unfortunately, they had no whole chickens left, nor any decent wine so we had to make do with chicken breasts and I would order the booze in.
Here’s what I bought, with prices in lira;
Şevikoğlu Supermarket 1 plastic bag 0.50 Red cabbage 21.39 Wet wipes 39.90 3 Dido nut chocolate bars 89.70 1.6kg chicken breasts 295.04 Total spent 446.53 lira (£8.19)
When we got back, Norman was pleased to see us and had been fine. I messaged the off licence for them to bring us wine – my parents were surprised you could do this but it saved us walking and carrying it.
Yaman Büfe Wine Soda water Total spent 1,040 lira (£19.08)
We sat on the terrace with our wine and Norman potted about, he was having trouble with the steps so we tried to fashion a ramp out of a big tile. Norman seemed interested but it wasn’t really safe. I served up the pumpkin soup, a first try of it for my parents who said they liked it (they didn’t have seconds though). We had sliced chicken breast with roast potatoes, carrots and red cabbage for main, I didn’t have any stuffing to put with it. I saved Norman some chicken as he’s quite partial to a roast dinner and he wolfed it down. Our dessert was just a Dido chocolate bar each and we didn’t have a late one as I had to be up early tomorrow. It was nice to have Sunday dinner with my parents and have the afternoon off.
Gratitude List 1. Good food 2. Norman 3. Spending time with my parents.
It was our last full day and night of the Anex Fam trip on Sunday 12th October. We had another early start with the last of our hotel inspections, a planned boat trip and a visit to Side old town. We had been told that the evening was ours to enjoy the hotel restaurant at our leisure and we could do as we pleased that night before our checkout and return journeys tomorrow. We had a good old nosey at the Astoria Bloom hotel which had super comfy beds and pillows. I think it was this hotel or the Selectum Family Comfort Side, where cake was offered to us but I declined as I’d had lots to eat at the buffet breakfast. At lunch time we had driven out to a remote place to have a boat trip but unfortunately, the wind was up and it wasn’t safe for us to go. Instead, we were invited to sample a local eatery where we were served BBQ chicken with accompanying veg and pasta. As we had been spoiled in the 5 Star hotel restaurants, it was a bit basic and it was the only time nobody went for seconds. Next, we called at a tourist trap shopping centre where they charged a whopping €35 for a kilo of Turkish delight. Of course, living in Turkey, Jamie and I could see the ripping off a mile off and didn’t buy anything. Back in the car park while waiting to get on the buses, we sang happy birthday to a Travel Agent and she was given a cake, then we had to decide where we would prefer to go next. We could choose between Side old town or going back to the Selectum Luxury Resort hotel. Having been to Side before but knowing I would find the walking a bit of a stretch, I went with going back to the hotel. I was looking forward to a rest or maybe even a massage in the spa.
On arrival back at our hotel, we were given the opportunity to stuff chocolate covered strawberries in our mouths and drink a glass of fizz. Debby had gone to Side so I had the bathroom to myself and even had a lay on the bed before doing a few emails and a couple of customer quotes. At 7.30pm a few of us met in the bar and then went for dinner. The Side bus got back very late and they all looked exhausted – I was glad I’d not overdone it by going. Instead we had been given a tour around our hotel to the more family friendly accomodation which was great. I got taken on a golf buggy while drinking champagne! I could get used to that. The meal in the restaurant was lovely and of course I overindulged on the food big time! After the dinner we retired to the bar area where I ordered a glass of wine. Debby and I decided to go for a walk to the beach bar, where we found most of the fun bunch. We had a quick drink there with everyone then it started to turn a little cold. I retired to bed early, knowing we were due to leave after breakfast tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. More hotel inspections 2. Getting to enjoy more of our hotel 3. Making the most of our last night of the Anex Fam Trip.
Photo Credit – some photos by attendees of the Anex Fam Trip
I’d not seen The Aussies for a while so we arranged to have breakfast together on Sunday 28th September. I’d already checked that nearby Okyanus did a Turkish breakfast and they did, so I booked us in for 9.30am. We each had the Turkish breakfast with Turkish tea and extra pomegranate juice and it was so lovely. The total for the 3 of us came to 1,940 lira (£35.27) and we didn’t leave until gone 2pm. I was meant to have been spending time today on the book and planner content but I didn’t get the chance. I went home briefly and then set off for my next meeting with a friend at Books & Cookies. She’d just had another grandchild so was keen to update me and had plans to visit the baby in England. I had 2 cookies and a hibiscus tea plus a herbal tea for a total of 445 lira (£8.09). I had to dash back for a video call with Captain Caveman. He wasn’t impressed at how expensive the flights to Dalyan were in October so he suggested we delay his visit. Of course, I was disappointed but there was nothing I could do and neither of us were willing to pay over the odds for flights. That evening, I caught up on emails and then had some leftover food from Simple which tasted just as good being reheated.
Gratitude List 1. Breakfast with The Aussies 2. Afternoon tea with a friend 3. Leftover takeaway.
Rain was forecast on Monday 29th September and it was no surprise to me, as I was due to look after Norman, the dog, from tomorrow. I had my first go at using something called a Trello board, an online whiteboard that can be shared for workflow and project tasks. I was using it for the handy travel planner I was working on – something to help anyone plan for, and have, a better holiday. I was also finding out quickly that I wasn’t a fan of Pinterest, at all. There was also an early birthday celebration get together for Drew at Ela’s Kitchen. I’d asked one of the girls for a lift and hobbled down to Lukka bar to meet her but she’d forgotten. I couldn’t really justify getting a taxi there and it would take me too long to walk. I’d just got back in and sat down when Jamie messaged to say he was coming to get me, on his scooter I decided to have my favourite meal at Ela’s, the full English breakfast, and a large bottle of water. My food was excellent, and Nanny Kay’s lasagne looked very good too. Natalie made probably the best carrot cake I’ve ever had, for the birthday cake and we all sang Happy Birthday. I paid 600 lira (£10.91) and got a lift back with Nanny Kay as it was raining. On the way back Nanny Kay and I arranged that she would come visit Norman and I later in the week, while Jamie and Drew were on holiday.
Gratitude List 1. A full English breakfast 2. Getting out for Drew’s birthday celebrations 3. Birthday cake.
On Tuesday 30th September Norman was pleased to see me and wasn’t unduly bothered that Little Daddy (Jamie) and Step Daddy Drew were off on their holidays. For lunch I warmed up a chickpea and spinach curry. At 6pm, I was trying my best to get Norman to go out for a walk – he wouldn’t and went back to door to be let back indoors. For dinner I made a mushroom pasta and then did some content writing. I also totted up my September budget, which had not gone well. I’d received a refund from the Yücelen of 3500 lira (£63.64) because they had decided I had overpaid. This meant that the entire amount that I had paid out, including 3 consultations, 3 x-rays, the translator services, 3 prescriptions and a compression bandage had come to just under £85. Despite having an unrealistic budget of £1000 for this month, I had managed to spend £1,890. Even though Captain Caveman had transferred some funds, I’d also had to take another £106 from next month’s budget, already. We had enjoyed Captain Caveman being on holiday for a week and the costs of a broken foot for that, though. October was going to be a tight month but I was ready for the challenge.
Gratitude List 1. Norman, still in good health and coping well without Edna 2. A refund from my health insurer 3. Having had an expensive but enjoyable September.
I woke up with my foot throbbing and itching at 7.15am on Saturday 20th September. The skies outside were still a little smoggy and the nearby fires were still ongoing. There were some posts on Facebook about local charities sharing, or not sharing, money donated from a recent event which involved some friends. I decided to leave all of the Facebook groups this related to as it was getting silly. I also did a sweep of any other Facebook groups or pages I followed that I no longer had time to follow and removed myself. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and some cheese spread on toast for breakfast then did a little bit of work and caught up on my blog posts. Debbie very kindly went to the Saturday market for me again this week and here’s what she bought for less than 200 lira (£3.64), which I was delighted with; 2 onions 2 potatoes Mushrooms Red & Green peppers 4 carrots 1 lettuce Bananas Green Grapes The lettuce alone was 50 lira (91p) which Debbie was unnecessarily apologetic about, given that they were cheaper last week. She also gave me more fresh figs, some black grapes and plums from her own stash. We had a drink and a chat, which was nice. Later, Ma & Pa called in with some quark and bread for me from the shop. They didn’t stay long as they were off out with friends on a Dalyan night out. I warmed up some pasta Bolognese for dinner and spoke briefly to Captain Caveman who was working on site this weekend in North Wales.
Gratitude List 1. Cutting out the Facebook group crap made me feel better 2. Market produce brought for me by Debbie 3. Bread and Quark from my parents.
On Sunday 21st September I rested up mostly and caught up with some writing – I was quite behind. I treated myself to a bacon sandwich with the last packet of bacon from the freezer and the loaf my parents had brought yesterday. I contemplated inviting my parents over for a meal but they were having a rest day as it had been a late one last night. Meanwhile, I was feeling the benefits of not having had any alcohol for 16 days with several more to go. Captain Caveman was in Newark meeting up with some friends for a Sunday lunch. I reheated a roast chicken meal for my Sunday dinner and even treated myself to some gravy. I tried to have an early night, as I was up early for another hospital visit tomorrow morning, but I couldn’t sleep because of my foot pain and I had already taken the maximum amount of pain relief.
Gratitude List 1. Bacon 2. Writing 3. Sunday dinner.
It was market day on Saturday 13th September and I’d offers from a few people to get me some shopping in, should I need it. I was running low on a few items so I asked Debbie if she would mind grabbing me some items. I spared my parents having to carry their own stuff and mine but did ask if they would get me some items from the shop, including a wholemeal sliced loaf for toast. The water man came and, luckily, he always brings it upstairs and replaces it in the cooler, all for 100 lira (£1.82). Debbie arrived in the afternoon and brought me nectarines & onions from the market, figs from the garden and a Dido chocolate bar and some homemade cookies. It was a lovely treat and we sat and had a good natter over a cup of tea. I should send her to the market more often as it came to less than 100 lira. My parents arrived with shopping and it was hot outside as Dad moaned about Mom forgetting the shopping list. Ma bought me a loaf, a whole chicken and some cheese spread. They didn’t stay as they were a bit out of sorts with the heat, and Dad didn’t even notice Debbie was there. That evening, I made a chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice, which was very tasty and had spare for the fridge/freezer. I also had some naan bread in the freezer which I had to go with it.
Gratitude List 1. Having people who were able to go shopping and to the market for me 2. Tea and a chat with Debbie 3. Curry for dinner.
I’d toyed with the idea of inviting my parents round for a Sunday dinner on Sunday 14th September, not quite sure if I could hobble about long enough to cater. They had been here a week already and I’d only seen them twice. It turned out they were busy when I asked if they had plans but I decided if I cooked a roast chicken anyway, it would make me quite a few meals for the week. I had fresh figs, nectarines and cheese for breakfast, which was delightful. I had beans on toast for lunch and then excelled myself on the roast dinner – I even did stuffing (but no Yorkshire puddings). It tasted lovely but I think I’d overdone it as the washing up took longer than I thought and my foot hurt a lot. By the time I spoke to Captain Caveman at 8pm I was tired, in pain and emotional. He reminded me that it was not even 2 weeks since I broke 2 bones in my foot and that I needed more rest.
Gratitude List 1. Having nice food 2. Being able to cook for myself still 3. Knowing that things could be a lot worse and I would get better soon.
joloyolo 