Dalyan – 18th & 19th May

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 11th & 12th May

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

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 3rd to 5th May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Çeşme to Kuşadası – 27th April

After a lovely breakfast on Sunday 27th April, at the Kerman hotel in Çeşme, it was time to check out and restart the 2 car convoy. The plan for today was for the 6 of us to drive to Kuşadası with a stop or two on the way. I took a last photo of the small beach beside the hotel and I got in the car with Captain Caveman while Sezgin took the others in his car.
Captain Caveman had got his phone on Google Maps and had programmed our hotel address in, for if we got lost. That turned out to be a good move as we lost the other car when we stopped for petrol. I paid 691.92 lira (£13.51) for petrol for Captain Caveman’s hire car and 15 lira (29p) for a small bottle of water before we decided what to do. There was no sign of Sezgin and we thought he may even have been taking the toll road. Captain Caveman wasn’t sure how the toll road worked for a tourist in a hire car and wanted to avoid it so we chose to head directly to Kuşadası. We arrived around 1.30pm and couldn’t work out where the car park was, I went to the hotel reception and asked and it was in the main public car park behind the hotel – and free. At the Sunday Beach hotel reception we had a bit of confusion as they weren’t sure the rooms were ready to check in. After explaining there was just 2 of us and 4 would arrive later, we were given a key. I paid 2600 lira (£50.78) for 1 night in a double room with sea view and breakfast. and the room was really lovely with a great view, it even had tea and coffee making facilities so I had myself a cup of tea. Captain Caveman was tired so he had a bit of a rest while I had a shower, unpacked, repacked and did a bit of work. Although Captain Caveman had taken Friday and Monday off, I hadn’t so I was a bit behind on my posts for this week – ironically, while in a great holiday resort in Turkey!

In the afternoon, while our friends were still making their way to Kuşadası, Captain Caveman and I had a stroll along Ladies Beach, all the way to the end then back. I noticed there were waiters at most places trying to encourage you in to their establishments, some trying to insult us to make us laugh which had the opposite effect.

Captain Caveman and I decided to have a late lunch at Blu Notte as the others were still off exploring the area and hadn’t arrived yet. I had a glass of red wine, and Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt while we perused the very promising menu. We decided to share a vegetarian pizza and admire the sea view on such a lovely sunny day. There were quite a few people in the sea which I was surprised about – I hadn’t brought my swimmers. Captain Caveman is always prepared for any eventuality so had packed his. We had another round of drinks before paying the bill, prices in lira;

Blu Notte
1 veggie pizza 310
2 Efes Malt 280
2 glasses of Red wine 400
Total spent 990 lira (£19.34)

It was funny that I would ordinarily have found that expensive for Turkish prices but we had being pay that for just 2 drinks in a London pub so Captain Caveman found it cheap.

After a short walk, we decided to find another bar and let the others know where we were, we were at Ladies Beach Hotel and Restaurant which you couldn’t miss. We had another round of drinks, which were a bit more pricey. An Efes Malt was 150 lira (£2.93) and a red wine was 240 lira (£4.69). By 6pm it was getting a bit chilly so Captain Caveman nipped back to the hotel to get jumpers while I sat admiring the sea view.

By 7pm we were back in the room, watching the sunset from the balcony. We had some wine left from last night, which Mike had given us to bring back. We didn’t drink it as we were saving it for the others, who unbeknown to me had arrived but I didn’t realise it at the time and thought we were waiting for them.

I took my time getting changed in the room and put on my recently purchased New Look size 12 dress. When we went downstairs, our friends were sat in the hotel bar having a drink. Sezgin looked tired from all the driving. Debbie filled us in on what a great day they had seeing the sights today. It was a shame we had missed it however, it had been nice to relax a bit with Captain Caveman. We ordered a beer and a red wine but I was already quite merry by this time. All of us agreed that we had really enjoyed our weekend roadtrip and we would have to plan another one later in the year, it had been too short. We got chatting and we had not realised that the others weren’t going to be going out for dinner so we had another round and our 4 drinks came to 800 lira (£15.63) – half the price of a similar round in Barnes, London. When we realised Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike had already eaten, it was 9.15pm so Captain Caveman had a look of urgency in his eyes – he’d only had half a pizza 6 hours ago!
We decided to go get some food and, as it was our last night together, we splashed out a bit, at the only decent place still serving food. It was cleverly called Somewhere Else and was rather busy inside. We threw caution to the wind, as we were tiddly, and Captain Caveman ordered a bottle of Angora red wine with our meal of 2 starters and 2 main courses. Here’s what we had, with prices in lira;

Somewhere Else
Garlic Mushrooms 198.50
Onion rings 207.50
Smash Burger 487.50
Sweet & Sour chicken 699.50
1 bottle of Angora red wine 990.00
Total spent 2,583.00 lira (£50.45)

Our day and hotel stay in Kuşadası had cost approximately £160 in total but I’d really enjoyed myself and at least Captain Caveman had got the chance to unwind. I wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye to him tomorrow. When we got back to the room it was late, Captain Caveman checked the times and feasibility of buses from Kuşadası to Dalyan so that we might perhaps have another day together tomorrow, before Captain Caveman’s late flight back to the UK. It was doable but with changes that could go wrong and I didn’t think I should risk it. It had started to rain and there were storm warnings so I preferred to get back safely with our friends.

Gratitude List
1. Time spent with Captain Caveman
2. Sunday Beach hotel and the stunning Ladies Beach, Kuşadası
3. Having more than my fair share of wine to celebrate our last night together.

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Barnes – 13th April

It was my first time at the Oxford and Cambridge boat race on Sunday 13th April. As Captain Caveman had grown up in Barnes, he had often been a keen observer so I was looking forward to the experience. We even had free tickets to the Bull’s Head where live band, The Brockalites, were playing later on. But first we had a breakfast of champions; beans on toast with bacon and potatoes for me, a full on fry up with uncle Paul’s eggs and some extra black pudding for Captain Caveman. I was glad of it and the 2 cups of tea, as I was a bit woolly headed from the drinks yesterday!
Captain Caveman was annoyingly sprightly and even booked my flight back to Turkey for in 10 days time. This meant I was staying longer than I thought I would be but it was going so fast and I still had plenty to keep me occupied in the UK. After being apart for 3 months it was good to spend time together even if it was just for 3 weeks and we were both working.

After making sure all my quotes and social media posts were done we headed out to the River Thames to watch the race. It was quite exciting and I should have put money on Cambridge winning as it was a clean sweep in all the races. We got chatting with some other spectators, had a beer (£6 each) from the Bull’s Head, which I couldn’t finish and gave it to Captain Caveman.

…………

Captain Caveman’s video

After the race it started to rain, the first time it had rained in my 13 days of being in England so we walked quickly to the next nearest pub. At the Sun Inn we met up with an old friend and Aviva colleague, Jacky, who I’d not seen in ages. Jacky was still exactly the same funny guy and he introduced us to his partner, Michael, who was great fun too. We had a fantastic and hilarious afternoon, sheltering from the rain in the pub. I spent £68.70 on a couple of rounds of drinks, Jacky and Michael also got a few rounds in so it was an expensive and fairly merry Sunday but I absolutely loved it. We met a funny local guy and his Australian lady. We nicknamed him Pissy Steve on account of the amount of toilet visits he had. He accused me of being too funny and that I was making him laugh too much – I came to the conclusion he either had a bladder the size of a peanut or a recreational drug habbit.
At the bar I bumped in to a young man we had seen at the boat race and he was from Manchester so we got chatting – us northerners always find each other in a London pub! He was only the new brand manager from a well known biscuit company and we discussed the product in-depth!
The day was a really lovely one full of more laughter – something I had missed a lot recently. At just after 7pm, as the rain stopped, we all said our goodbyes and we headed to Sainsbury’s for some vegetables. We bought 500g of carrots for a bargain of 60p and splashed out on 120g of green beans for £1.10. I saw that they had Jammy Dodgers on the shelves and sent a photo to Hugo as proof they were available in Barnes.
While Captain Caveman rustled us up some potatoes with the ham hock and veg, for dinner, I tried not to eat too many Mini Cheddars (which I had no idea where they had come from)!
We were in bed so early as we both had a busy week ahead.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast of champions
2. The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race
3. Having such a laugh with the fellas in the Sun Inn.

Barnes to Sheffield – 6th April

Sunday 6th April would turn out to be quite an expensive day. The Flixbus I had booked for £35 was leaving London Victoria at 1.30pm. Captain Caveman had worked out when we needed to get the bus from Barnes to get there on time. I suggested that, because I walk slower and had my wheelie case with me, we could go earlier ‘just in case’. Captain Caveman wasn’t bothered about getting there too early and we stuck to his original plan. The bus came but we didn’t go the whole distance on it due to a traffic jam and us being stuck not moving for about 20 minutes. We were likely to miss the bus if we didn’t get off and walk but, of course, bus drivers these days will only let you get off at an actual bus stop. When we did eventually get off we had to run through Putney and over the bridge, full of tourists. It was hard work and we made it to a train station just as a football match was starting so it was busy. On the tube we went slightly wrong and had to backtrack but eventually got to Victoria station and ran to the bus station. It was a good job I was a stone or two lighter than I used to be as I would never have managed the run otherwise but I was quite pleased to even keep up. We had a feeling we were going to have missed the bus but still ran in to the Victoria Bus Station where I shouted that I was ‘coming through’ as I ran to the departure lane. There was no Flixbus to be seen so we assumed we had missed it, as we were 5 minutes after the departure time. I went for a pee while Captain Caveman went online to buy new tickets for the next bus. He couldn’t get it to work so he walked off to the ticket office when I returned. I checked my phone and had a text from Flixbus saying it was delayed by 15 minutes so it hadn’t arrived yet!!!
I called, text and messaged Captain Caveman but he didn’t answer and came back with 2 National Express tickets for £54, leaving from the opposite end of the station at 2pm. I was a bit peeved we had wasted more money on this but we didn’t see the Flixbus and might have been stuck in London until the evening if we didn’t get the 2pm bus, which we decided to do. The journey went well and we got off in the Sheffield bus station to then have to walk to the Hampton by Hilton at West Bar. It was £59.85 for the 2 of us including breakfast and was very comfortable.
Captain Caveman had already set his mind on going to a restaurant in Kelham Island which sold burgers. I’m not a burger fan really so asked if they did anything else. I also pointed out that it might be a bit of a waste of a hotel bed for me to eat a burger as, if I did, there was probably little chance of any romance – for me, burgers are the worst thing to eat on a date night! Captain Caveman was still adamant that he wanted the burger and said I could have cheesy chips, instead. On the way Captain Caveman bought us a pint each and some pork scratchings (back in Yorkshire!) in The Shakespeare. Next, we went to Saw Grinders Union and ordered a pint each and the bacon cheeseburger with fries. I had high hopes for it at £15.50 each, after all we were no longer in London. When it came it looked like a better version of a Big Mac and it tasted pretty good. I don’t understand the need to cover fries in red powdery dust, though. Captain Caveman had another pint and our whole meal came to a whopping £48.50. My stomach issues started before we even left the building and I made full use of the bathroom facilities back at the hotel. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten it – it was a bit of a waste of money too.

Gratitude List
1. Still getting to Sheffield from Barnes
2. The Hampton by Hilton Hotel being very nice
3. Still smiling despite today being a bit of a to-do, costing us £200 and ending on a belly ache!

Dalyan – 30th March

Sunday 30th March was the day that Captain Caveman would be flying from Gatwick to Dalaman just to see me for a couple of days. When we initially booked the flight for £27, we had booked it without hold luggage. Since then, Captain Caveman had added on a case so that he could bring me some items that were cheaper or only available in the UK. He’d started buying the items before we decided that I would also fly back with him on Tuesday. I was up and about early as I was excited for his arrival, even though his flight didn’t leave London until 13:40 UK time. He was due to arrive in to Dalaman at 19:50 and our friend, Debbie, had volunteered to pick him up, taking me with her! The weather wasn’t fit for a Sunday stroll as it was raining and the skies were grey.

I’d arranged to meet my friends at Kefal tea garden at 10.30am as we wanted to discuss arrangements with Sezgin about our surprise BBQ (no longer a BBQ) tomorrow and our trip to İzmir at the end of next month. We were looking to do a cheese and wine trip for a couple of nights and Captain Caveman would fly directly to İzmir to join us. Tomorrow we had decided that Nur would cook a Turkish meal at their home and I just had to get Captain Caveman there as a surprise. Debbie and I agreed I would be at her house for 7.15pm tonight to go to the airport. No one had any breakfast at the tea gardens so I stuck to my 2 hot beverages. It’s still so cheap at the tea gardens, tea is often half the price of a tea elsewhere in Dalyan.

Kefal tea gardens
2 Turkish teas 40.00 lira (81p)

Back home, I ate overnight oats with berries for a late breakfast and decided to ask the AI tool, Chat GPT, about my book. It was hilariously inaccurate and read like it had made it up just from the title. I decided to reply to let ChatGPT know it had got ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ wrong but I didn’t expect an apology. I was impressed with that and decided to use it for marketing purposes in the future.

After doing a bit of work and making cheese pasties for lunch, I popped to the shops. I needed to buy booze to take tomorrow, as well as get some beer for Captain Caveman’s arrival tonight. I already had treats at the ready. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Yaman Büfe 2
2 Salt & Vinegar crisps 120.00
1 bottle of white wine 229.00
1 bottle of Rakı 1095.00
Total spent 1444.00 lira (£29.41)

Migros Supermarket
Mints 18.45
2 Quark 70.00
2 Efes Malt 134.00
1 Gluten Free Efes 105.00
Total spent 327.45 lira (£6.67)

Parlak bakery
Bread 15.00 lira (31p)

About an hour after returning home, Captain Caveman messaged to say they hadn’t took off yet. They should have left at 3.40pm (Turkish time) and I was tracking the flight. It said it had taken off at 3.53pm (Turkish time) but would land earlier than scheduled so all was still good, according to the internet. Unfortunately, Captain Caveman reported back that an engineer was coming to fix something and it looked like it could be delayed an hour or 2. Interestingly, the flight tracker showed it had departed on time and was flying over Serbia as Captain Caveman told me they were all getting off the plane and on to a new one. We cancelled the lift to and from the airport as we didn’t know what time Captain Caveman would depart, if at all, and he was still not on a new plane by the time 3 hours had passed. This meant he would now get compensation but wouldn’t land until after midnight. I was more concerned about all the goodies that might be getting a bit warm in that suitcase! I thought about asking someone else or a taxi to pick him up but as it was Bayram that proved tricky. Captain Caveman said he would just get a taxi at the airport. They finally took off on the new plane just before 8pm, Turkish time, I decided to make more cheese pasties so that he had something to eat when he arrived.
At 10pm I sat down with a glass of wine and watched something on Netflix while I waited for Captain Caveman to arrive, which would be around 1am!

Gratitude List
1. Having a Plan B for tomorrow’s cancelled BBQ
2. Slimming World style Cheese pasties
3. Knowing Captain Caveman was finally on his way but could claim £350 compensation for his flight delay.

Dalyan – 23rd March

I took the morning off on Sunday 23rd March. A few of us had decided to go to the beach as it was looking to be a nice day.
We walked along the beach, I had to take my jeans off and have a paddle in the sea. It was cold but not freezing and braver people than me would certainly enjoy a swim in it. We walked back and had a cup of tea where we came up with a plan to have a bit of a trip to İzmir. I said I would invite Captain Caveman and he could perhaps fly in to meet us for the weekend.
I walked back home from my friends’ house, passing Jamie and Drew’s villa. Edna was outside and was barking to say hello but I didn’t go in. I had my jeans in my hand still and needed to get back to shower off the sand.

I also needed to get ready for the Sunday dinner that I had invited people to. I’d meant to have made the Yorkshire puddings in advance yesterday, so I was already a stage behind. I only just had enough chairs and the table was a bit of a squeeze, having moved the sofas forward.
Along with plenty of Yorkshire puddings, I made roast chicken, roast potatoes, carrots, and stuffing. Then I opened a bottle of Levissi Gamay red wine which was still going strong, while I waited for my guests to arrive. Everyone brought something that they had made and we had so much food on the table. We had mücver and börek from my turkish friends, veggies and strawberries plus a trifle from my other friends. I almost forgot to make the gravy so one guest got drafted in to help stir. As soon as I sat on the stool (my only spare chair) it cracked and I nearly went through it. I then had to use the folding step stool which I use to reach the top cupboards. The food was well received and everyone was kind about my cooking. I’m not one for catering for large numbers usually but it turned out fine. We had wine and a good laugh – I really enjoyed it

Gratitude List
1. Going to Iztuzu Beach
2. Yorkshire puddings being a success
3. Sunday dinner with friends

Dalyan – 16th March

It was 15°C and cloudy when I got up on Sunday 16th March and I thought it might be a bit chilly for a walk. I had overnight oats and a cup of tea for breakfast while the dogs had a wash. I started the walk with the usual suspects at 9.30am and it was a little chilly. We had a nice leisurely walk where we got a little lost again. It was almost 30 degrees by 11am and I was sweating. We had done over 10,000 steps just on that walk.

When I got back I took Norman & Edna for a walk, calling at Fire Opal on our return. Back at Jamie’s, we sat outside in the sun and I ate a frozen yoghurt bar as I was too hungry to wait for my lunch. I warmed up a portion of spaghetti and meatballs for lunch and then had to have a trip to the shop for some emergency lady items. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
1 chocolate biscuit 12.50
Haribo jellies 17.00
A 4 finger Dido 29.50
Sanitary Towels 95.00
Total spent 154.00 lira (£3.25)

Most shops in Dalyan don’t sell tampons so the best place to get them is the pharmacy, there is usually one open on Sundays somewhere in the town but I made do with what the nearest shop had.
Captain Caveman had been on the Sheffield Round Walk and sent me a photo from the top of a hill as he knew we had been on a walk today. He also decided to surprise my parents by calling in, on his way through Mosborough. He had messaged my Mom and she had messaged me to let me know that they weren’t available. My Mom and sister, Gayle, were at a spa for the weekend. Captain Caveman was a bit disappointed as I think he was looking forward to seeing them – it had been 4 months since the last time, over 2 of those had been living in the same town.
In the evening, I had warmed up curry and rice then briefed Edna about my plans for tomorrow as she was going to be in charge of things tomorrow morning, while I was in Fethiye. Within minutes of me turning on the TV and pouring a glass of wine, both dogs were snoring away.

Gratitude List
1. Sunday Walk with friends
2. Captain Caveman trying to visit my parents and sending me a photo from Sheffield
3. Frozen yoghurt bars.

Photo credit – Sunday Walk friends & Captain Caveman

Dalyan & Köyceğiz – 9th March

I had big plans on Sunday 9th March, not all of them would be carried out, though. I met up with some friends for a bit if a Sunday stroll and we tried to follow a route that Captain Caveman had told us about with a bridge. We didn’t find it but we did have a nice walk and the sun was out. I was pleased to see the first stork of the year too but my camera wasn’t quick enough to get a photo.

After the walk, Janet & Ian had asked if I would like to go with them to Köyceğiz so they waited while I went to check on and let the dogs out. Norman was snoring away, while Edna wondered if we were going to a pub and could she come.
We drove to Köyceğiz and had a wander along the lake front to a place called Ayaklı Göl restaurant and was one of Ian’s recommendations for a very good Turkish breakfast. He wasn’t wrong and it was fantastic. It had everything you could imagine and more with Turkish tea and a fresh orange juice for 400 lira (£8.46) each. I loved it, we definitely couldn’t eat it all and we were too full to take any leftovers home. We had another wander then, back home, we called in to Janet & Ian’s for a cheeky glass of wine (or two) and a bit of a sunbathe as it had turned really warm.
Back at Jamie’s, I walked the dogs and then we had snuggles and watched TV. Edna prefers The Chase but I couldn’t get it to work so we watched Death in Paradise – Norman’s preference. I didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day as the Turkish breakfast had sorted me right out. I didn’t even have a bad stomach from it, which I often do with Turkish breakfasts.

Gratitude List
1. Sunday walking with friends
2. Köyceğiz breakfast with friends
3. Norman & Edna snuggles.

Dalyan – 2nd & 3rd March

At 3am on Sunday 2nd March I was wishing that the bathroom lay out had the sink and toilet closer to each other! The chicken kebab I had eaten last night was not quite as enjoyable on its way out. I was so ill and felt terrible. I spent a few hours in the bathroom before trying to go back to sleep but didn’t really manage it. I had to call in sick to the Sunday meet up and had at first thought it was because I wasn’t used to drinking so much wine these days. When I went to pick up the bag with the kebab wrapper in, to take to it out to the bin, it made me puke again. I was in a bad way most of the day but there was no rest as I had 2 holiday enquiries for last minute deals that needed focusing on. Luckily, I found some ginger and honey tea in the cupboard and the dogs gave me lots of love. Edna knew I was sick and kept herself near to me. I managed a short walk with them in the afternoon but didn’t eat anything until late afternoon and then I managed toast and a cup of tea.
I eventually ate a proper meal at almost dinner time, of curry with a wrap. After finishing off some work and lining up a couple more bookings for March, I had a lazy evening and watched TV. I was in bed relatively early and ready for a busy Monday.

Gratitude List
1. The kebab syns might not have stayed in long enough to count
2. Ginger tea
3. Norman and Edna being so easy to look after when I was feeling delicate.

I started the day with tea and toast while feeling a lot more human again on Monday 3rd March. Edna was overly fussy as she wanted to check I was well again, while Norman was wondering why we were all up so early.
Rain was forecast so I took my laundry home, called at the bank and went to the shops to buy provisions while waiting for UK work related people to wake up. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 tin of tomatoes 21.95
1 wholemeal loaf 49.95
Walnuts 65.90
576g of chicken breasts 120.96
Total spent 258.76 lira (£5.64)

I had 2 bookings to complete plus more enquiries today so things were definitely looking good for holiday bookings as more people got ready to book their breaks.
I had leek and potato soup for lunch and had made a chicken and mushroom stroganoff in the slow cooker for dinner. I enrolled on a Planner Ideation course with Claire Clarke who I had briefly worked with before and had last spoke to her before I published my book. I was very busy after the dog walk and, when I dialled in to a Lisa Johnson Make Money Online Masterclass, the electric went off and I couldn’t continue the webinar.

Gratitude List
1. Enrolling on a course with Claire Clarke
2. Being in a position to apply for residency now
3. Treats of walnuts in my shopping.

Dalyan – 23rd February

There was no Sunday Walk, secret squirrel or otherwise, on Sunday 23rd February. It was just too cold so I had arranged to meet some friends at Kefal Tea Gardens (indoor area) for a bit of a send-off for Zen. He was going back to work so it would be the last time we saw him until mid-April. We decided on meeting at 11.30am and joining the big table there were 8 of us. I wrapped up warm as it looked so sunny but was very cold outside.

When I arrived, the waitress helped me to move the tables in to place, in a sunny corner of the indoor area. I ordered a large Turkish tea, there were no gözleme available today. Everyone arrived and we had a good chat and beverages before ordering food. I ordered the breakfast portion (without egg) and it was rather substantial for the price of 225.00 lira (£5). I even took some of it away as I couldn’t eat it all. The sun had been very warm where we were sitting so it was very nice to feel hot and I even had to take a few layers off. My total bill with 2 teas, plus another which came included with the breakfast, came to just 255.00 lira (£5.67). I really enjoyed my Sunday Turkish brunch with friends but we were all sad to say bye to Zen.
I got back in time to have a chat with a friend, living in Hoi An, Vietnam, as we were looking at planning a trip to Easter Island and Peru for her. Unfortunately, she had an incident at work so the call was put on hold. Around 5pm, I popped to the shops and here is what I bought with prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Fresh Garlic 64.90
Tomato Ketchup 39.00
Total spent 103.90 lira (£2.31)

Migros Supermarket
2 tins of tomatoes 44.92 lira (£1)

I still hadn’t managed to find a notepad and I had an important call tomorrow that I needed one for. After eating a chicken dinner, I went to look for a notepad. None of the nearest supermarkets had one but I bumped in to Kaan who took me to the Şevikoğlu where I got one for 49.90 lira (£1.11) in the sale. I walked back and called in BIM where I bought a couple of Dido chocolate bars for 39.00 lira (87p). I spoke to Captain Caveman who was in the Yorkshire Dales, he would be back in Dalyan in 5 weeks.
At 11pm I was on a live Facebook update with Lisa Johnson getting ready for tomorrow’s Race to Recurring Revenue, which I was really looking forward to.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast at Kefal with friends
2. An enquiry for Peru
3. A new notepad finally purchased.

Dalyan – 15th & 16th February

I decided I didn’t really need anything from the market that was important enough to brave the cold on Saturday 15th February. I’d had a bit of a lay in because I didn’t want to get out of bed on what looked to be a cloudy and grey day. I also had 3 ongoing holiday enquiries that I wanted to get sorted too. I had my tea and toast in the office with the AC on warm before getting on with things. At lunch time I had leftover veggie curry and rice with sweet corn. After completing a couple of bookings, one of which I was particularly pleased about as it was a second booking for a good friend, I decided to make some brownies. I used chocolate spread to make them but I got distracted by someone asking me about Sapa in Vietnam, and they were overdone. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was already making plans for his first pay day. It was midnight by the time I got to bed, having had red wine and brownies for dinner because I forgot what time it was. I set the alarm as I had promised to meet friends for a trip to Çandır tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. A lay in
2. Being able to help a friend get another good deal on a hotel booking
3. Chatting to Captain Caveman about money.

I was awake before the sun on Sunday 16th February and was looking forward to meeting up with some friends for a little trip over the river to Çandır. As I walked through Dalyan to the Migros Supermarket nearest the Portakal ferry, the town looked like lots of work was being done during the winter months, in readiness for the holiday season.

The ferry cost was 15 lira (34p) each way and we had a lovely walk with the sun shining. Johnny the dog joined us and one of the walkers brought a flask of tea. At the end of a beautiful morning we stopped off at the Kaunos tea gardens to meet a couple of other friends, who hadn’t been able to join the walking part of our morning. I had a chicken sandwich and 2 large teas for 155 lira (£3.52) – a bargain even in Frugal February. I got a lift back to mine as Janet had kindly given me some clothes as I’d been complaining all my clothes were now massive on me. I’d gone from a size 16/18 down to a 12 and it showed now – I didn’t even have a belt small enough to keep my baggy jeans up.

When I got home I did a bit of work before a family video call and a call with Captain Caveman – separately. It was funny that Captain Caveman had been living in Sheffield now for over a month but he hadn’t had chance to see my family yet as they had not been available for a visit. Luckily, he was keeping busy and today he had collected a suitcase from Vanessa then had driven to a village near Hull to pick up his Irata log book, ready for his course tomorrow. He had eaten fish and chips with bread & butter and a cup of tea at the seaside for £16.50! I had leek & potato soup followed by several brownie/biscuits for dinner and wished it was fish and chips.

Gratitude List
1. A trip out with friends
2. Lunch at the tea gardens
3. Chatting to family and Captain Caveman.

Photo Credit – some photos by Debbie

Dalyan – 9th February

Sunday 9th February was still pretty cold as I went to meet friends for a Sunday stroll. I’d had a cup of tea and some overnight oats for breakfast and we aimed to walk to Gunlüklü and back. I hoped my feet would be ok as my trainers had fallen apart and my wellies still smelled of shit so I had to wear my Vietnamese porter sandals. I put an ankle support on my sore ankle to help and had a pair of socks in my bag, just in case. The walk was very nice but we did go back to show the others Shits Creek where Debbie and I got a bit of a surprise. The road with all the puddles on had been levelled off and the manure in the arık had been ‘tidied up’ somewhat. In the dry weather it did look as if it would have been impossible for the incident I had previously found myself in, to have happened without noticing. We had a cup of tea at the Gunlüklü, walked past the dinosaur and, at the end, decided to go to Kaunos tea gardens. By which time it was a bit warmer and we decided to have some food, even though my tummy had been iffy this morning. I had a sage tea and a chicken sandwich which was fantastic for 165 lira (£3.75).

On the way back home I decided to pop to the supermarket, here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Onions 15.52
Chickpeas 30.95
3 Didos 35.50
2 Quark 70.00
Cashew nuts 84.50
Meatballs 188.95
7% fat beef mince 215.95
Total spent 642.37 lira (£14.60)

It was a sign I had increased my monthly budget, as I was splashing out on nuts and beef in the same shopping trip!
I was meant to be meeting Jamie and his friend, Aimee, to celebrate her birthday but I lost my phone, which turned out to have fallen out of my pocket in Migros. When I went back the girl who found it had put it in the till, which was so good of her. Once home and after a hot shower, I did a couple of email replies, then realised I needed to rest my foot and didn’t go to join Jamie, Aimee and Scott. I ended up having left over Sunday dinner and painkillers that night and staying in. Before bed I had a sage tea and a Dido chocolate bar.

Gratitude List
1. Sunday Walk with friends
2. Ankle Support bandages
3. Dido chocolate bars.

Photo Credit – some photos by Debbie, the last one from Captain Caveman on his Sunday walk in the UK

Dalyan – 2nd February

I had an incredible day on Sunday 2nd February; Debbie and I were back to safety in numbers on a Sunday get together . Sezgin had invited Debbie, Mike and I for a trip to the beach. I had some work to do in the afternoon so it was perfect timing that I would go to the beach and be back before 5pm, which is 2pm UK time. I got a lift there with Debbie and Mike, who were still laughing at last Sunday’s debacle, so I was determined not to have another incident this week. We met Sezgin & Nur at Iztuzu Beach café where they introduced us to their son, Zen, for the first time. We all took a walk along the beach, it was beautiful and sunny – warm enough for a paddle too. It felt so nice to have the sand and sea between my toes and the breeze in my face.

We took a few photos, all chatted about a variety of subjects and I learned there was an alternative book publishing company to Amazon. Zen told me all about Kobo and how he used that to read books on his phone, without even the need to have a Kindle. All the young people he knew used this but I needed to look into it as I’d never heard of it.
We ate lunch at the beach and here’s the prices, in lira;

1 Water 15.00
1 Lemon Soda 30.00
1 Mixed Toastie 125.00
1 Tuna Salad 150.00
1 Chicken sandwich 150.00
Total spent 470.00 (£10.68)

We left the beach all happy to have made the effort to have a Sunday outing and I had a task for Sezgin back at Fire Opal.

Captain Caveman needed his Irata Log book which was in a cupboard above the stairs so, on the way home from the beach, Sezgin and Zen came to help get it down. Captain Caveman had told me where the key was which was to unlock a ladder, attached with a bicycle lock to the outdoor balcony. I was then to place the ladder half way up the stairs to be able to go up it to get one of the boxes out and pass it down to Sezgin. I didn’t want to try it alone in case I fell or hurt myself doing it, but by the time I had got the ladder unsecured, it was obvious that Sezgin was tall enough to not need it. Sezgin thought it hilarious that Captain Caveman thought he needed to secure a ladder to a balcony railing when we are on the second floor. The 2 men got both boxes down and all was good – no incidents, so I was very grateful. It did mean that I needed to take photos to send the contents of the book to Captain Caveman and then would have to take it to him if/when I went to visit. I was still hoping to go to England in a couple of weeks’ time.
I went back to Jamie’s and took the dogs out for a walk. In the evening I cracked on with work and was really pleased to be able to organise a family holiday for a good friend. For dinner I had a lentil and chickpea curry and then a cuddle on the sofa with the dogs who had been so well behaved today. Edna had not had as many snuggles as usual but she said she wasn’t going to complain if I could guarantee it was a one off. We had a video call with Captain Caveman who was preparing for his first day of work tomorrow. I was so proud of him and wished him luck, I admired how self-sufficient and confident he is and knew he would do well – his new employers were lucky to have him.

Gratitude List
1. An outing to the beach
2. The ladder fiasco which made us all laugh
3 Being able to help my friend with a surprise family holiday.