Sheffield to Scotland – 17th August

On Monday 17th August I woke up with a very swelled up stomach and I felt like I might explode. I decided to have a walk round the block to see if I could ease it a bit before a long car journey. Captain Caveman and I were off to Scotland today and would be staying in a place called Airdrie, not far from Edinburgh.
When we set off I was still unwell so we called in to the supermarket to see if the pharmacist had anything. She didn’t and just recommended I buy some Colpermin off the shelf. I did and they were £9 in the big Tesco.

We drove north and the temperature was getting cooler and it looked like rain.
We stopped at some services in Richmond where I experienced a first time experience; watching camels run around in the field next to the services! They seemed very happy and even smiled at cars going past them.
In the shop Captain Caveman decided he was going to buy a sausage roll for lunch and, of course, I wanted one but couldn’t eat it for fear of an upset stomach. We still bought 2 for a whopping £7 and I got a packet of 95p sweets for the rest of the journey.
Nearer to our destination, Captain Caveman got a coffee from Macdonald’s and we watched as crows tried to bully other birds and scavenged the bins outside.

Back on the road it was raining and much cooler for the rest of the way and I started to wonder if I’d brought enough suitable clothing.
We arrived at The Tudor Hotel and had to hurry in as it was now raining quite hard. The hotel was nice and we decided, instead of eating in the hotel restaurant, that we would pop to a shop and get something from there. Here’s what we bought with the prices in pounds;

Morrisons Supermarket
Ribena drink 0.70
Ziplock bags 1.00
Monster munch 1.20
Blueberries 1.29
Cherry tomatoes 1.35
Raspberries 1.79
Grazing platter 2.00
Cocktail sausages 2.60
Green salad 3.00
Chicken noodle salad 3.50
1 bottle of red wine 5.12
2 pairs of black leggings 10.00
Total spent £33.55

As I didn’t have any other warm clothes except for the jeans I had on, we bought a 2 pack of leggings. My stomach was still iffy, as I’d eaten the sausage roll once I got to the hotel, but I’d taken the Colpermin and was hoping that would help. It was an early night as we both had long days tomorrow but we were happy to have a comfy bed with a duvet on as it was pretty chilly in Scotland.

Gratitude List
1. Colpermin tablets
2. New leggings
3. A comfy, warm bed.

Sheffield – 11th to 13th August

My new whiteboard was a game changer on Tuesday 11th August and I had popped it on the spare room windowsill. Captain Caveman was working on site today and tomorrow so it meant I could borrow his work desk. It was great to have more space and I had started to really get through my tasks today. At lunch time I met Vanessa who had popped over to see me. I’d had the great idea to go to The Grind cafe but it was a bit much for Vanessa’s stomach and she just had toast and I had a Greek salad. We both had a cuppa and, as the weather was nice, we sat outside. One of Vanessa’s favourite places at Kelham Island is the Fat Cat so we went there next and had just a quick drink. We chatted on about how good the 60th birthday 80s night had been and Vanessa still had some more celebrations to do next month.
Back home it was a busy admin afternoon/evening and I forgot to have any dinner.

Gratitude List
1. My improved productivity from having a new whiteboard
2. Using Captain Caveman’s desk
3. Meeting Vanessa for lunch.

Ordinarily, if I’d been in Dalyan, Wednesday 12th August would be weigh day and I’d be going to Fat Club. It had now been 7 weeks since I had last been to the group and got weighed. I knew I had put weight on, even without any weighing scales, because I could tell on photos of my face!
I decided to still take my measurements which I last did a month ago and it wasn’t quite as shocking as I’d expected. I’d lost 1cm from my bust, put 4cm on my waist (that will be the bread) and my hips had stayed the same. I decided I would walk in to town for some exercise and also I wanted to see if I could order The Handy Travel Planner at Waterstones yet. It turned out I could and they said they would order it in for me and call me when it arrived, which could take 2 weeks. I nipped in to Barclays to ask if it was ok for Captain Caveman to bring his bicycle in when he came for the mortgage appointment and while I was there I met the mortgage advisor and asked some generic questions. The mortgage advisor was very helpful and the branch had been done up very nicely. Next, I popped in to TK Maxx where I noticed a men’s manicure kit for £3 so I bought it for Captain Caveman ready for his forthcoming holidays. In Holland & Barrett I picked up some Gin Gins, tea for a bad stomach and some healthy snacks, spending a total of £9.32. I took photos of the cherry supplements for Captain Caveman so he could decide if he wanted any to help with his gout symptoms.
I had also arranged to meet my parents in town and then we were going to be doing another pub crawl in Kelham Island. Captain Caveman was working so he couldn’t be there. Ma & Pa met me outside Boots and we got on the tram and went to the Wellington for a pint. Mom got the round in and it was very reasonably priced in there and is one of our favourites. It was warm enough for a sit out in the beer garden too. Our next stop was the Alder for a quick pint each at a total of £12.46 and then we decided to try the Neepsend Social Club which is very nice and had ice cold Aircon on. We decided to order some halloumi fries and chips with our drinks and I decided to go on to wine. The round worked out slightly cheaper at £12.19 and we were the only ones in there. We also did a video message to Nanny Kay who was in the UK celebrating her birthday this year.
By this time we were peckish again but Ma & Pa didn’t fancy the main meals in the Neepsend Social Club so we decided to go for pizza at B’Reyt Dough, just round the corner. I had a pepperoni pizza and a large glass of red wine, Dad had Margherita pizza and a large red wine and Mom had a calzone and a smaller white wine. Dad ended up having a laugh with the waiter and we completely missed the eclipse. The total bill came to £62.25 for the 3 of us which my parents paid and I ended up with some leftover pizza to take home. I walked them back to the tram stop as we were all a bit merry, having had a really good time. It was also a farewell drink as all of us were going to be away on our holidays soon.

Gratitude List
1. A successful trip to town
2. Another Kelham Island pub crawl with Ma & Pa
3. Pizza and wine.

On Thursday 13th August it was more holiday planning for both me and friends. As we would be joined by Briony in Vegas she had sent her flight details through and we were lucky to be landing within 10 minutes of each other.
There was a Resort Experts Team Meeting where updates of the eagerly awaited websites were spoken of and were looking likely for next month.
In the afternoon I met with a friend who had booked to holiday in Dalyan while I was there so we had a walk to Tescos. I finally found some rice noodles and we carried on to her house for a late lunch and a glass of wine while we sorted out boat trips and taxi pick ups. I had a Greek salad pitta pocket while my fellow diner had tuna and cucumber in hers. It was a nice afternoon and we planned to meet up for drinks again very soon.
As Captain Caveman was not back until late, I got to occupy the beanbag at home but I did have trouble getting back off it.
I totted up the 2nd week of the month’s spending and it was much better than last week at £131.69, so less than £19 per day, but still too much and I needed to be more frugal next week, even though I had plans which required spending money.

Gratitude List
1. Knowing the Las Vegas arrival times were lining up nicely.
2. Rice noodles
3. Catching up with a client and friend for more holiday planning.

Sheffield – 9th & 10th August

Sunday 9th August turned out to be a bit of a disappointment and a lot of wasted time on our day off. Captain Caveman and I decided we would go to watch some of the events at the Transplant Games, to support our friends, Becca & Steve. Unfortunately the Sheffield (not so) Super Tram had other ideas.
We popped to the tram stop and noted the sign which said there was a bus replacement service from the Cathedral, as the tracks at the delta area (between Fitzallen Square and the train station) were being repaired. We bought a £10 day ticket for both of us and went from Shalesmoor to the Cathedral with no bother at all. The notice had told us to go to a bus stop outside Lidl so we walked down to there and waited in a big queue which also had bus drivers and Super Tram staff in it. There seemed to be a huge amount of disorganisation and chaos as the bus drivers didn’t seem to know that they needed to set off every 10-15 minutes. Instead, they waited until the bus was full. Captain Caveman was in agony with his foot and could hardly walk, otherwise we would have attempted to walk to wherever the next working tram stop on the way to Meadowhall was. Captain Caveman had not brought any painkillers so I quickly nipped in to Boots to buy more, 2 packets were £1.68 and we had a pack each as I now had a headache! After sitting on a replacement bus that was very hot and busy we set off, driving past the many bus stops closer to the tram stop, which would have been better used by disabled/old people – or us with someone with a bad foot!
It was lucky we hadn’t tried to walk to the next tram stop because it turned out that there were several closed in this track repair work and the next stop was quite a way off. When the bus pulled in we had to wait a bit more for a tram and by this time we were commited to continuing on, rather than abandoning the trip altogether. Captain Caveman was not impressed and we both could see it would be absolute chaos for Monday morning workers trying to get anywhere tomorrow. We timed the delay and it was 57 minutes – totally unacceptable as it was meant to have been 13 minutes maximum. I suggested Captain Caveman send a strongly worded complaint email and ask for a refund, knowing of course that he would not bother. The petanque games were only on until 3pm so I was concerned we were now later than we had wanted to be and, when we arrived, we had missed our friends who had already gone home.
The sun was out and it was hot as we watched some of the other games, mainly as we couldn’t deal with the bus replacement fiasco for the return journey just yet. Captain Caveman had wandered off to sit on a rock as he was in agony.
We were back in town by 2pm, even more annoyed with the whole Super Tram business. I’d learned that the heaters on buses can’t be turned off by a bus driver and that an engineer needs to be booked to do this when I asked why the bus was so hot and, again, we waited until it was packed full to set off. It was a joke and we decided we would not use the tram or replacement bus service again during the repair period which was not due to end until 31st August.
Between the bus replacement arriving on High Street and the tram leaving from the cathedral I had time to call in to Sainsbury’s for a loaf of bread (£1.35!) while Captain Caveman limped to the tram stop.
We got back home and I was of course upset that I hadn’t been able to get to the games to support Becca and Steve so I was in a mood. Captain Caveman went for a lay down as he was in pain and sick of my complaining so I decided to do a bit of work. Today on my Facebook business page I had posted 2 different cruises; the very high end luxurious 4 day Danube one, which I had been on with Riverside Luxury Cruises going in November and another which I’d quoted for a client who wanted a no fly, no frills cruise in France next spring, with Ambassador.
I was cheered up by a post of the litter clean up organisers who had also sent me a thank you email and photos from yesterday’s helping out.

Gratitude List

1. Paracetamol
2. A rock for Captain Caveman to rest on
3. Promoting great cruise breaks.

In addition to a full day at my laptop on Monday 10th August I also managed to do some more holiday research. I made notes in my copy of The Handy Travel Planner (available on Amazon if you’ve not already bought one) about what I might like to see, do and eat while in Poland, Belgium and America. My £25 voucher came from one of my suppliers and I had chosen Waitrose vouchers so I could give them to Captain Caveman to get a nice bottle of gin or wine perhaps. I’d not got him anything for his birthday so this was a bit of a treat instead.
For lunch Captain Caveman made us a pasta dish which was very tasty and after we both finished work we went to Aldi. I was a lot more excited about this shopping trip than Captain Caveman was, as I hadn’t been to an Aldi for quite some years but Captain Caveman was adamant that it was and in and out quick trip, not a browsing of the middle aisle type of shop. I bet you can guess what happened!
Here’s what we bought, with prices in pounds;

Aldi Supermarket
Radishes 0.39
Tomato puree 0.59
Spring onions 0.65
Rocket 0.69
White sliced loaf 0.74
2 tins chickpeas 0.82
Ginger 0.85
Garlic 0.85
Soft cheese 0.89
2 tins lentils 0.90
Greek yoghurt 0.95
Crackers 0.95
Bananas 0.96
1 kg dried pasta 1.19
4 red peppers 1.38
Tomatoes 1.49
Onions 1.49
Hummus 1.59
Spinach 1.59
3 packs of salted peanuts 1.77
Pastrami 1.89
Raspberries 1.89
2 packs of wraps 1.98
Sliced chicken 1.99
Cheese slices 1.99
6 Energy drinks 2.19
Peas 2.25
Beef 2.25
Toilet roll 2.79
12 eggs 2.89
Mini Cheddars 3.19
3 packs of chocolate bars 4.35
1 Whiteboard with pens 4.99
Crispy Duck ready meal 6.49
1.8kg Chicken thighs £10.78
Total spent £72.64

Some of this was for Captain Caveman’s work breaks when he was working on site and I was shocked to see he had bought energy drinks which I never knew he consumed. I have a bit of a phobia of them as the smell of them makes me feel sick. In the middle aisle I had spotted a whiteboard that was just perfect for me to keep track of my entire life admin and to do lists so we got it! I’d tried to get one in Dalyan but they weren’t as good as this one so I was very pleased with my purchase. I had also wanted rice noodles but had not been able to find them. The crispy duck ready meal was for our dinner that night, instead of getting a takeaway (which we rarely do) or eating out. We had it with the little pancakes, Hoi Sin sauce, cucumber and spring onion – it was delicious! I forgot to take a photo.

Gratitude List
1. Holiday research and planning
2. A trip to Aldi and a good find in the middle aisle
3. Crispy duck pancakes for dinner.

Sheffield – 3rd & 4th August

I was lucky to not have a hangover on Monday 3rd August, after a mammoth Kelham Island pub crawl with Captain Caveman and the parents yesterday. I had morning training sessions with Travel Gossip where I got right in to their Costa Rica webinars. I learned loads of insights which put this year round destination firmly on my bucket list for when I could afford to splash out on this type of holiday. I got confirmation from the Estate Agent that they were going to arrange a viewing for the nearby flat and I checked out the floor plan to see if there was enough room for Captain Caveman and I to both work from home when I came back to Sheffield, usually during the summer.
Captain Caveman made us a late lunch of beans on toast (one of my favourites) with a slice of bacon.
We both were so busy at our desks (me at the kitchen table) that we had to stop in time for the Kelham Mills Residents Meeting. It was the first one that Captain Caveman had been invited to and he had said I could come as long as I didn’t stick my nose in and talk too much. I was glad he was going to it so that he could raise issues about the post being left in the wrong buildings, the car parking permits and anything else. It was held in the Kelham Wine Bar which is attached to the building where Captain Caveman lives. I got chatting to the owner, Sarah, who was very nice and holidays in Türkiye. We had a couple of drinks each for a total of £22.29 while we were there and met Josh, the organiser, and a few other nice local residents. I was pleased we had attended as Captain Caveman’s issues were raised and getting sorted, plus he was added to the group Whatsapp. It made me think that him buying a place here was a good move as it felt really welcoming. Back home, Captain Caveman made us beef brisket with potatoes and veg then I did us a cheese plate using some of the new cheeses. It was amazing but I ended up with a bad stomach which made Captain Caveman question if it was dairy I was intolerant to!
At bedtime I used my new lamp, balanced on a cardboard box, as my bedside light. Captain Caveman had given it me and I loved that it was in the shape of the moon.

Gratitude List
1. Training webinar on Costa Rica
2. The Residents meeting
3. Good food at home.

As Captain Caveman had plenty of beef brisket left over, I decided to treat us to a sourdough loaf on Tuesday 4th August. I also got a croissant for Captain Caveman and a pain au chocolat for me. It cost £8.26 and was very fresh from Depot Bakery, nearby. I had a little walk around to stretch my legs and the weather looked like it might be nice again.
I had more training webinars on Costa Rica to attend in the morning, all of which were very interesting.

Captain Caveman was working from the Stoke office today so I had arranged to meet Louisa during my lunch hour. We ended up at the Fat Cat and I spent £12.50 on snacks and drinks. We were getting excited as Captain Caveman had invited Louisa to join our holidays to Poland and Belgium at the end of August and in to September. Then Louisa, plus 2 more friends and I had plans to be together in Las Vegas. It was exciting but, as per usual, I was concerned about the cost of it all and would need to be frugal on all 3 holidays. In the afternoon I was pretty busy until Captain Caveman arrived home. He’d called at Aldi on his way and done a big shop. Here’s what he bought with prices in pounds;

Aldi Supermarket
Garlic 0.45
4 baking potatoes 0.79
1 bunch of bananas 0.80
1 red cabbage 0.89
1 pack of rocket 0.89
Cucumber 0.99
1kg dried pasta 1.19
2 packs of English muffins 1.30
Leeks 1.37
2 packs of tortilla wraps 1.98
6 Red peppers 2.07
Gruyère cheese 2.99
Manchego cheese 2.99
2 packs Fish fingers 3.30
4 packs of tortellini 3.96
2 packs frozen berries 3.98
2 packs of butter 3.98
1 bottle of red wine 4.99
900g chicken thighs 5.39
1 bottle of rosé wine 8.99
Total spent £53.29

Captain Caveman had also gone mad and bought an air fryer and a hand held blender, both for under £35!
We rounded the evening off with brisket and cheese on sourdough for dinner and then had a relaxing evening.

Gratitude List
1. More free Costa Rica training with Travel Gossip
2. Meeting Louisa in my lunch break to discuss forthcoming holidays
3. Captain Caveman’s big shop, including new kitchen gadgets.

London to Bulgaria – 15th July

I’d been away from Dalyan’s Fat Club for so long now that the weigh day on Wednesday 15th July almost felt pointless. Luckily, we Fat Club ladies have a group chat and they are 2 hours ahead in Türkiye so there were already messages – mainly encouraging and humourous. It’s great because it keeps me conscious of trying to maintain some semblance of sensible eating and I do miss the group a lot when I’m not there. So, I got on the scales in Barnes and took my measurements (I always carry my tape measure). I was shocked to find I had lost 1.5kg (3.3lb), lost 2cm from my bust, no change to my hips but had put 2cm on my waist. I was pleased with that but I now still needed to lose quite a bit more to get back to my target weight.
What I didn’t realise is that Captain Caveman had done his work for the week, was now on holiday and was sat playing Bridge on his phone when I came back from the bakery. I’d been to get croissants from Gail’s but there was a massive queue. A cute dog alerted me to a counter at another bakery a few doors down, he was waiting to be served and there were dog biscuits on the counter. I paid £6.20 for a croissant and a pain au chocolat, the dog biscuits were free so my new pal got given one for helping me. There was no sign of an owner but the dog was obviously a local.
After me cramming in some work, we left Barnes at midday. We said farewell to Captain Caveman’s Ma but I only shouted up ‘bye’ to Pa, who I hope had his hearing aid switched on. Captain Caveman’s parents are always so welcoming and accommodating so I was actually sad to be leaving.
We got the bus back to Heathrow airport (again) ready for our 3.25pm BA flight to Sofia. We were off to Bulgaria for the Phillgood festival in Plovdiv and were really looking forward to seeing more bands.
On our way through a precinct in Hammersmith we nipped in Tesco to stock up on meal deals for dinner as we didn’t want to be spending money unnecessarily in the airport or on the plane. We paid £12 for 2 meal deals which included a chicken katsu bento box for me and a sandwich for Captain Caveman. We both had a snack and a smoothie too.

The flight to Sofia went as planned and we landed in to Sofia where we were staying for 2 nights. The navigation of the train/metro from the airport to our hotel was easy and it wasn’t busy at 9pm. We arrived at Hotel Niky which I had booked with Resort Expert’s for an excellent price and it was very comfy and in a great location. Captain Caveman decided we would pop to an ale house for beer and sausages but it was closed. Instead we ended up at a lovely pizza restaurant on the main street. At La Piazzetta we ordered a beer and a red wine and 2 pizzas. The wine serving was massive and so were the pizzas. Captain Caveman had a spicy one and I had a BBQ chicken. They tasted great and it wasn’t expensive – Captain Caveman paid.
Back at the hotel, it was late so we were looking forward to a good sleep and exploring Sofia tomorrow – neither of us had been before.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight this week
2. Being able to stay in Barnes again
3. Another trip away to somewhere new, with Captain Caveman.

Madrid – 10th July

Before we even contemplated leaving the apartment in Madrid on Friday 10th July, I read that fans of Twenty One Pilots had been queuing since stupid o’clock this morning ready for tonight’s performance at the Mad Cool festival. People were suffering from heat stroke and there had been incidents of medical attention being needed. I had a morning of work and then we popped to Lidl to replenish the food stocks. Here’s what we bought with prices in Euros;

Lidl Supermarket
2 bread rolls 0.58
Onion 0.84
2 apples 0.88
Crisps 0.92
Coffee 0.95
Bread 0.99
Gazpacho 1.05
Salami 1.79
Fruit Mentos 1.99
Cheese 2.75
Total spent €12.74 (£10.90)

Captain Caveman was still feeling a bit dehydrated so he had a coffee drink and a cold Gazpacho drink to sort him out a bit. My blisters were pretty bad so we called in the pharmacy where I bought Blister plasters for €5 (£4.28) and some effervescent rehydration tablets for €9.80 (£8.38). There was a fire engine near the apartment and we thought it was a fire or a cat rescue, it turned out to be a falling branch.

It was insanely hot now in Madrid and we were struggling to get motivated for day 3 of the Mad Cool festival. We got there in time to see The Pixies who were excellent and definitely another highlight for us. I was particularly hopeful for Kings of Leon who followed on the big stage but they didn’t wow me as much as I thought they would. The crowd seemed to love them and maybe it was just because we were too hot. We made a sensible decision to miss the last band and leave Twenty One Pilots to the youngsters. It was still just after midnight when we got back home but the over 40°C temperatures were certainly taking their toll on us. Tomorrow was the last day and we had the horrible dilemma of at least 3 acts who were overlapping and we wanted to see them all.

Gratitude List
1. Surviving Day 3 of the Mad Cool festival
2. Seeing The Pixies
3. Blister plasters and rehydration tablets.

Dalyan – 26th June

I met a friend for a walk and talk at 7.30am on Friday 26th June. We talked about how my trip to England and Europe had gone. She’d also been busy so it was a good catch up and we had to wait at Kaunos tea gardens for it to open. We just had 1 large tea and 2 waters for 65 lira (£1.05) then both went back home to get on with our days.
Upon my return, I snipped as much of the unruly bushes that I could then messaged the gardening company to ask them to do the rest – it had obviously not been touched for 3 weeks at our side of the complex, but Block A looked very tidy.
I finished work at 4pm, despite having a lot to do still, as I needed to get prepared for my guests. I’d invited Richard and Michelle over for a curry at mine but I needed to get some ingredients in as I’d not done a proper shop yet. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Star Gurme
1 tin baked beans & 1 jar curry sauce
Total spent 300 lira (£4.84)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 bottle of Angora red wine 525
3 Dido chocolate bars 105
Total spent 630 lira (£10.16)

BIM supermarket
Naan Bread 82.95
770g Chicken 199.43
Total spent 282.38 lira (£4.55)

I didn’t need the beans or curry sauce but had walked all the way to buy curry paste and they didn’t have the one I wanted. I couldn’t remember if I had an alternative at home so I bought the jar in case I needed it to make a quick version of my chicken curry. The naan bread is just a pide type of bread but does the trick.

I threw everything in to the slow cooker and had a paste at home I could use, plus it didn’t need to be ready until 9pm so I had time; 4 hours on high.
I met my friends in Retro bar for a pre dinner drink (or 2) and they brought me some gifts which was really lovely and much appreciated. I paid the bar bill this time at 950 lira (£15.32) and then we went over to mine for curry. We had another drink while I popped the rice in the rice cooker and we had a good old chat, mainly about holidays and future plans. The curry went down well and the Dido chocolate bars worked as a dessert. It wasn’t a late one as I had work in the morning and my guests were off on a boat trip.

Gratitude List
1. Walk by the river with a friend
2. Retro bar for drinks with friends
3. Hosting a curry night at mine.

Mallorca – 16th June

There were so many things that we could have done on Tuesday 16th June but I was aware that with only one day and another night, the best thing to do was live like a local in Santa Ponsa. My host, the Mallorca Resort Expert, had asked if I’d wanted to do a boat trip, go to the pirate show or see any of the sights while I was there – I preferred to spend time with her. I did have some work to do but we kept it to a minimum as well as working on content ideas for our social media work pages.
My friend had took the liberty of guessing what I might like for breakfast and had served it up on the balcony, overlooking the beach and sea. Our meal was a feast of yoghurt with fruit, cheese and ham on bread with garlic dip, olives, tomatoes, more bread and a hot drink. It was so good and we ate while people watching the goings on at the beach below.
We decided that’s where we would spend some time today, on the beach! We donned our swimmers, put on the suncream, grabbed our beach towels (my new one was super light) and a parasol before tackling those steps down to the beach. The sand was soft and hot but there was a lovely breeze as we sat down with a small bag of picnic type items. We had to keep an eye on the cheeky gulls who were well practiced in stealing any treats they fancied from people’s bags while they were in the sea. It was my first time this year, just lazing on the beach. Despite being so near to it in Dalyan, I rarely have a day off for beach going and thought perhaps I should do more of it.

Around 4pm we decided to head back ‘home’, after a walk along the seafront path and calling at the shop. I noticed my face was pretty pink and decided it might be a good idea to treat us to a face mask to prevent my skin looking like a typical Brit abroad, later! Here’s what we bought, with prices in Euros;

Santa Ponsa Supermarket
1.5l bottled water 0.31
Apple juice 1.00
500ml Fanta Lemon 2.00
1 can Mixed fruit cider 2.35
2 Aloe Vera face masks 3.00
Total spent €8.66 (£7.36)

I did a bit of work then we popped on the face masks and had a 10 minute lay down which turned into a cheeky cat nap but my face felt and looked loads better after it.
Back on that fantastic sea view balcony, we ate a really lovely meal of mozzarella, tomato, avocado and basil served with fresh bread, olives, rice crackers and a peach. I chatted on about how Fanta lemon in Spain is different to that in the UK. We also managed to have a croissant which we hadn’t eaten earlier. I was stuffed and feeling relaxed and happy, but not looking forward to leaving at 4am tomorrow morning. The visit had gone too quickly but I was still glad to have had some time in Santa Ponsa, which was so beautiful.

The evening plan was to simply watch the sunset at Il Chiringo, in Costa De La Calma. It was a place the Mallorca Resort Expert had been to many times before and she wanted me to see it for myself. After dinner we walked to the venue, bumping into a man with his dog on the way, who invited us to go to his house. We didn’t go but it struck me that the locals were friendly, and his dog was cute.
When we arrived we had timed it perfectly and were sat amongst the other locals who were all coming in from a swim to have a sunset drink or bite to eat. It was beautiful and I felt so lucky to get to see it, I perhaps wouldn’t have found out about this hidden gem if I wasn’t staying with my friend.
I wasn’t sure what to order to drink so I tried my first shandy made with lemon Fanta (commonly called Clara) for €4 (£3.40) and my fellow sunset watcher had an alcohol free beer which was slightly more at €4.50 (£3.83). I thought this was very reasonable given the location – the Fanta shandy was an absolute game changer.
We walked back, taking those steps for the last time where a cat watched us. He was nicknamed The Manager as he was in charge of the place. I packed my stuff in to Pauline, my petite pink under seat case, I had a full neck pillow too but this time I was flying with easyJet so there was no need for booking the exit row seat. We both set alarms on both phones so that we could make sure I didn’t miss my flight.

Gratitude List
1. Spending time, both for work and personally, with the Mallorca Resort Expert
2. An afternoon at the beach
3. Sunset at Il Chiringo

Sevenoaks – 11th June

Typical of a last day before a holiday, I was busy on Thursday 11th June and had an early start. Claire and I also made sure I booked the airport transfer to our hotel tomorrow which, as a Resort Expert, worked out cheaper for me to book with Suntransfers. I attended an online workshop about copy content with Georgina and then checked in for my flight tomorrow. Although I only planned on taking Pauline, my petite pink under seat bag, I was cheating a bit by sharing toiletries with Claire which would go in her checked in bag. I wasn’t taking my own shampoo, conditioner or shower gel, but I was taking a deodorant stick and toothy tabs. I was also taking Captain Caveman’s ‘Scrubba’ a portable washing contraption in case I wouldn’t have the use of a washing machine over the next 10 days in various destinations.
At midday it was the Resort Experts team meeting where we were told that we would be getting our own new websites built for us, next month and that was exciting.
One of my customers who is also one of my best friends was on her way to the airport so I kept particular attention to see how she got on as we would be on holiday at the same time but in different countries. Unfortunately, her flight was delayed due to a problem with the plane.
I stopped work mid afternoon and joined Claire on a quick trip to Sainsbury’s – I decided I needed to buy more knickers as well as pick up some Euros, ready for my 10 days in Europe. Here’s what I bought with prices in pounds;

Sainsbury’s
3 seam free knickers 9.00
3 pizzas 11.55
1 bottle of red wine 9.50
Razors 1.00
Glacier Fruits 1.50
Crisps 2.20
2 garlic & herb dips 3.70
Nectar card discounts – 10.17
Total spent £32.13

We dashed off for the school pick up of Claire’s daughter and then realised I had forgotten to get some Euros, so we all went back. I managed to get rid of some Scottish £20 notes but it did take a while, being so far south. This was also a good excuse for a cafe visit where Claire treated me to an earl grey tea, her daughter had chicken tenders and chips which looked fab and Claire dialled in to a meeting. I also was in touch with my friend who was still stuck at the airport with plane issues.
Claire and I attended Otford Primary school’s summer concert in the evening while leaving the men to do tasks like walk Reg, put the pizzas in the oven and attempt (and fail) to fit a sofa bed in a van. Claire’s daughter was playing piano so we went along to support – it was actually a lot better than I had anticipated. Having been a young musician myself, it brought back lots of good memories and we all got a chance to sing a Beatles song where I gave it a bit of welly – who doesn’t love singing along to Yellow Submarine?!
We got back home to pizzas and wine and I realised that I’d been so slack on taking photos that I insisted we have a family one where Claire displayed her unusual sense of humour.
The out of office was on but I was still waiting to hear from my friend who was on the flight and was due to arrive in her destination after midnight. She had let me know they were taking off and I asked her to message once she was safely at the hotel so that I didn’t have to worry. I set an early alarm so I could check that they had arrived safely at her hotel.

Gratitude List
1. New knickers
2. Being invited to Otford Primary summer concert
3. A last family dinner with Claire, her family and Captain Caveman.

Dalyan to Sheffield – 2nd June

It was time to hold on to your hats on Tuesday 2nd June as my 3 week holiday adventure was about to start. I had managed to pack Pauline, my petite pink under seat suitcase, with everything I needed to get me as far as sunny Sheffield. I was dressed for the heatwave, which everyone in the UK was talking about, and I wasn’t even taking a coat!
At 9.50am I was in the bank, making sure all was in order and that I had my holiday insurance. I didn’t have it earlier due to the bank holiday and today Murat, at the bank, sent me off to Delfin insurers to get it instead. I was going to be away for 3 weeks in the UK and Europe, including 5 days cruising down the Danube and I paid just 900 lira (£15) for my travel insurance.
Next, I bought 2 packs of pills for 884.48 lira (£14.74) and then popped to Migros for essentials. I spent 124.85 lira (£2.08) on cereal bars, 1 tub of quark and some haribo jellies. I bought a simit, cheese spread and a chocolate croissant at Parlak bakery for 190 lira (£3.17) and then went to say bye to my parents. On the way I decided to drop off Jamie and Drew’s key and when I arrived, I found Drew in his underpants looking tired. Norman was just about to have breakfast while Dennis the doorstop had soggy paws where Norman had done a little wee.

I said farewell to Ma & Pa then rushed home to shower ready for a midday pick up with Sonuç, who I’ve been using for airport transfers for a number of years. At the airport I said bye to Sonuç and headed through security as I was already checked in online.
I was early and, as I’m frugal, I don’t like to waste money in Dalaman airport. A good top tip for anyone flying from Dalaman airport who likes a drink; if you’re the type of person who begrudges wasting money on an airport Gin & Tonic in one of the most expensive airports, but have a couple of hours to kill, try this. Instead of paying more in the bar or a lounge, treat yourself to a cocktail tinny or mini bottle of wine (or 3) which are on sale just to the right as you leave the duty free area. Then find yourself a quiet spot, or put your noise cancelling headphones on and relax until boarding!

My flight left 45 minutes late but I did have access to a water dispenser near Gate 42 in the international departures.
The flight went fine, apart from it being delayed so I had to hurry to get my 18.17 train at Manchester airport. I was meant to arrive in to Sheffield at 19.34 with plans to meet Captain Caveman in the Wellington pub, near Kelham Island. I didn’t yet know where he had moved to so this made sense, however, I ended up on the slow train and arrived almost 1 hour late. I caught the tram from Sheffield station to Shalesmoor which cost £2.50. What I hadn’t known was that Captain Caveman had arranged for our friend, Luan, to also be there to meet me, which was a lovely surprise. Luan got the round in while Captain Caveman was preoccupied with a pub quiz that was halfway through. His friend was doing it and he was helping her while trying to pretend he wasn’t more interested in the quiz than my arrival. With it being a school night, Luan left first while I listened to the results of the quiz I hadn’t entered.
Captain Caveman showed me round his new home; a 2 bedroomed flat in Kelham Island near to a few bars and cafes. It was a great location and I knew it was going to be a fun week in Sheffield.

Gratitude List
1. Having time to say bye to a few people
2. Going to the UK and Europe for 3 weeks with Pauline, my petite pink suitcase.
3. Seeing Captain Caveman and Luan in the Wellington pub.

Dalyan – 27th April

There was excitement in the air on Monday 27th April as my parents were arriving in Dalyan tonight. I’d not seen them for almost 3 months so I was looking forward to seeing them and had promised to run some errands for them before they got here around midnight.
I got up really early so I could get some work done before I headed out to the bank to draw out cash to take to Captainnet to put the internet on. There was a queue with it being a Monday so I didn’t have time to get the shopping and turn on the electric just yet.
I rushed back to squeeze lunch in of an apple with peanut butter as I had a Tech masterclass booked in at 2pm. The zoom meeting went well but then I had more actions to add to the never ending to do list. The pool and garden men were back and sorting out the pool and seemed to be doing well so far.
At 4pm I broke off work to go to the shop to get my parents some water, milk, bread and margarine as requested. I also got them some eggs and bananas which they didn’t ask for but I thought would be good for tomorrow’s breakfast. I came back home as I had a call with a customer and then I went over to my parents with the shopping to turn their mains electric on. It is quite dark around he streets late at night so I wanted to make sure the outside stair light worked. I don’t have a key to check inside but was concerned as the outside light didn’t work. I had to tie the 2 bags on to the door handle as it wasn’t one you could hook a bag over and I didn’t want cats to get at it.
Because I couldn’t get the light to work I messaged their taxi company and asked if they would make sure the driver put his torch on and walked them to the door. I checked the internet was working and it was so they could at least message me when they arrived.
I went back home and it was already 8pm by this time so I just had some sourdough, cheese and olives for dinner. I had a chat with my sister and was on the phone until around 11pm, she was also looking forward to coming to Dalyan next month. I then wondered if I should wander round to meet my parents but thought better of it – they would probably rather me not interfere and go straight to bed. I ended up falling asleep around midnigt.

Gratitude List

1. A Tech masterclass to help with passive income

2. Getting all the stuff sorted for Ma & Pa’s arrival

3. Getting quite a bit of fresh air.

Dalyan – 24th & 25th April

I’d overexerted myself a little which meant I had been feeling run down, I had got worse on Friday 24th April and had to cancel my morning walk with a friend and my afternoon hair appointment. As I didn’t have any meetings or calls until midday, I treated myself to a cup of tea back in bed. I was really tired and my body ached, I felt a bit sickly and hoped I wasn’t coming down with something.
I did the final day of Easi Passive Income with Natalie and Collette in my pyjamas and it was really good. I also won a prize but wasn’t concentrating, due to feeling ill, and wasn’t sure what it was exactly.
I confirmed the Captain Boris cheese and wine boat trip for Ma, Pa, Gayle and I for next month. I still had the English money from Captain Caveman in an envelope, which he had left me in February for me to use. I had decided to keep it in reserve for boat trips and airport taxis so that those things didn’t have to come out of my daily budget money. Quite frankly, it was burning a proverbial hole in that envelope and I was looking forward to a relaxing boat trip or two.
At 5.30pm I decided to get out of the office and go to the shops as I needed to buy some meat and withdraw some cash for the market tomorrow. Unfortunately, Migros didn’t have the chicken I wanted so here’s what I bought, with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
1 Dido chocolate bar 19.00
Hummus 51.90
Bitter lemon 80.00
Total spent 140.90 lira (£2.35)

I’d also checked out which yoghurt they had in the shop for when my sister arrived, as she prefers to eat fat free yoghurt – they don’t have it here.
I noted that the new gardener and pool man had started work so we would perhaps have a nice complex this year.
Georgina and Holly shared their free funnel so I took the opportunity but I still didn’t have a platform to put it on – I would sort it when I felt better. I sat outside and ate some loquats from the tree.
I had pasta for dinner and then watched Netflix in bed, still feeling unwell. I hoped I felt better soon as I had a very busy weekend coming up!

Gratitude List
1. Back to bed with a cup of tea
2. Winning something, even if I can’t recall what it was
3. Having some rest.

I’d not had much sleep when I woke up on Saturday 25th April due to the Jazz bar blaring out music until 2am! It was quite chilly as I made my cup of tea and took it back to bed. Kate had invited me on the yellow boat for a day trip today but I had too much to do and was on a boat trip tomorrow already.
I’d done a few hours work before going to the market at 11am. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Stall 1
Bananas & strawberries 220 lira (£3.67)

Stall 2
Pumpkin, Spring onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach & cucumber
340 lira (£5.67)

Total spent 560 lira (£9.34)

I called in to see Jamie, Drew and Norman and Drew gave me 2 bars of Vietnamese chocolate which I was very excited about. I had leftover pasta for lunch and a piece of chocolate.
I’d had to move meeting a friend this morning as I wasn’t well still so made my way to meet her at the tea gardens at 4pm. My friend also had invited me on another boat trip for tomorrow but I couldn’t go on that one either because I was already going on Julia’s boat trip. I headed home to finish off the Easi Passive Income tasks and, while I waited for news on how a friend’s brain tumour surgery had gone, I had a glass of white wine. I had spaghetti bolognese for dinner and then a relatively early night.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy at work
2. Market shopping
3. Chocolate from Drew.

Dalyan – 18th & 19th April

Surprisingly, Saturday 18th April didn’t have the rain it had been forecast and was actually warm and sunny. Carol from Fat Club had been in touch to say she was enjoying her Rhine cruise which was starting in Frankfurt. I had booked her trip with Travelpack and we had found her a German ship which had the Juliet cabin she wanted and couldn’t find. She was quickly turning in to my new PR woman as she posted all over Facebook and in the Fat Club group chat how thrilled she was with this trip already. I was pleased as I know Carol and Ian are a sociable pair and wasn’t sure if they may miss having plenty of fellow Brits around them. After working all morning, I walked over to Vanessa & Matt’s. We had a cup of tea and then walked to the market. I only bought strawberries at 185 lira (£3.08) then we went to my usual pancake stall for a spot of lunch. Vanessa had a chocolate pancake and I chose a spinach one and, although the prices of them had gone up recently, they cost just 300 lira (£5) for both, which is reasonable and they are filling.
After the market, Vanessa and I decided to call in to Ren Garden and we sat in the garden room at the back with a glass of white wine and soda each so we could chat. We had just 2 glasses each with the soda and then had to leave. Matt had been trying to get old of Vanessa but her phone was on silent, to tell us to come to Corner bar. I said I’d head home and Vanessa could catch up with everyone in Corner bar. As I’d paid for the pancakes at the market, I just put 200 lira (£3.33) towards the bill and then we said our farewells. I called at the bakery and bought bread for 20 lira (33p) making a total spend for today of 705 lira (£11.95).
In the evening I spoke on a video call with my mom who was getting excited to be coming out to Dalyan soon.

Gratitude List
1. Carol being pleased with the cruise I’d booked for her
2. Meeting up with Vanessa
3. A video call with Ma.

I had debated having a day away from the laptop on Sunday 19th April but I realised it was not a good idea. From next week I had lots of stuff booked in that meant being away from the desk, so I really needed to make the most of it while I could. I also had 3 new enquiries, 2 of which were about cruises and one for a trip to Turkey. Messenger had started playing up and wasn’t working, I also was having trouble with the banking app. I had got it in my diary that I needed to pick up sourdough from Mesude today so I rushed off to do that, midmorning. On the way, I bumped in to my favourite white dogs and had to give them some attention. This week I was trying the caraway seed sourdough, as well as the ciabatta one. It came to 500 lira (£8.33) for both loaves and I was pleased with the quality. They stay fresh for ages and it’s also great to freeze – it’s so much better for my stomach than other types, too.
Next, I called at Migros to pick up some essentials – here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Pasta 13.50
Tomato purée 38.92
Green Tea 61.95
Dates 99.90
2 Quark 111.90
4 tins of tomatoes 149.84
Feta style cheese 174.90
Total spent 650.91 lira (£10.84)

I’d not intended on getting the tomato products but they had plenty and they were on offer, so I seized my chance, knowing I was already going to be over the budget this week!
I hurried back and did a few quotes then carried on with more admin and content work. I ate roasted courgettes with cauliflower cheese for lunch, which was tasty. The sourdough trial was a huge success and I was very impressed with it.
In the evening I had a walk and bought some contraception pills which had increased a lot in price. I paid 884.48 lira (£14.74) for 2 packs and they were now more expensive than paying for them in the UK. In November they had been £1.50 per pack cheaper!
For dinner I had a chicken, chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice and it was really good.

Gratitude List
1. Having too much to do to take a Sunday off
2. Sourdough – caraway seed was a game changer
3. Good food.

Dalyan – 11th April

It was market day on Saturday 11th April so I took my list and walked there via the bank. Because of the Easter bank holiday I hadn’t been paid my regular wage yet but I was doing ok because of the extra work I’d done last week and could afford to shop still. I did more moving of money from one account to another to ensure that I was putting in the amount required to keep residency in Turkey. At the moment the rules are that they only check the last 3 months before residency renewal that the minimum wage times 1.5 is being deposited. However, like all things related to rules and processes, things can change so I had decided that I would do this for 12 months prior to my renewal date – just in case. I hoped we would get paid on Monday and then I could top it up.

At the market I bought the following, prices in lira:

Stall 1
Potatoes & onions 65 lira (£1.08)
Stall 2
Bananas & apples 110 lira (£1.83)
Stall 3
Strawberries 200 lira (£3.33)
Stall 4
Fresh Mint 20 lira (33p)
Total spent 395 lira (£6.57)

On the walk back home, I called in to the English export shop to see how much the Heinz baked beans were. They were too expensive for me to justify but I did see they had a brand of baked beans I hadn’t seen before. They were 60 lira (£1) so I decided, for the first time in quite a while, that I would buy the cheap version and see how they were. Beans on toast is one of the meals I miss the most when I’m away from the UK.
While on a spending spree, I also called at the shops, here’s what I bought in lira:

A101 Supermarket
1 Dido chocolate bar 28.50
Wraps 49.50
2 Quark 109.90
Frozen fruit 189.00
Frozen chicken 189.00
Total spent 565.90 lira (£9.43)

Of course I didn’t get everything on my list but I was struggling to find some items and went back home as I was hungry. I had beans on toast, trying a third of the tin mixed with a spot of milk. They were ok but you could definitely tell they weren’t Heinz.
I did some work in the afternoon and I asked (it was practically begging) people I was friends on Facebook with to follow my Resort Experts Business page. I even asked my colleagues and the owners of Resort Experts to follow me as I really wanted to get my number of followers to over 500 so I could earn money from Facebook. I was surprised that the more senior members of Resort Experts weren’t already following me so I asked them to and they did. I was finally over 400 followers and just needed another 100 to be able to monetize my page. Many people were viewing my page but had not actually clicked follower so if this is you, please do click that follow button on my Jo Lo – Resort Experts Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/18SmSVGKVp/

I went back to the shops after work and here’s the extra things I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
2 small Milk 15.80
1 big Milk 37.25
Olives 43.05
White cheese 117.90
Fabric Softener 130.95
Total spent 354.95 lira (£5.92)

Gratitude List
1. Being able to food shop despite waiting for pay day
2. Reaching 400 Followers on my Jo Lo – Resort Experts page in order to get nearer to earning money from Facebook
3. Beans on Toast.

Dalyan – 7th & 8th April

Tuesday 7th April was spent working on book stuff and Resort Experts. I was awake at 7.30am and it was quite cold.
I was getting a few more holiday enquiries and the places people seemed to be looking at were Albania, Türkiye, Greece and Spain.
I got lots done and had a chicken and chickpea curry around 7pm. I totted up my weekly spend and at £79.31, I was over my £70 budget despite the 4 days of zero spending. But I had earned extra this weekend so I didn’t mind. It did show me how easy it is to spend too much if I agree to go out drinking too often and I should probably limit it to once per week. I briefly spoke to Captain Caveman who was in Bristol for work and had had to delay his moving in to his Sheffield flat until Friday, when he could go back up North.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy
2. Nice food
3. Having a 4th zero spend day this week.

I was up early and doing my measurements on Wednesday 8th April; my bust and hips had stayed the same and I had lost 1cm from my waist. On my home scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was optimistic for Carol’s scales at Fat Club later.
After working hard on admin tasks and having no time for a lunch, I headed to Ren Garden for our Fat Club meet up, I was running late and was a bit stressed that I had not finished what I was doing. Tomorrow I had promised to meet up with friends too so it meant I would need to work tonight.
At Fat Club I had lost just 0.15kg (0.3lb) on Carol’s scales, so I was disappointed but it was still a loss! I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.69) and resisted the cookies and cake that were on display.
After, I popped to the shops and here’s what I bought, with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
Onions 10.80
Light yoghurt 29.97
Courgettes 34.63
Cauliflower 85.46
Carrots 87.44
Bread 108.50
Washing powder 239.95
Total spent 596.75 lira (£10.11)

I went straight back to work and regretted not making the soup I intended to earlier. I had an important email which told me I was a little further down the process of getting ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ in to actual book shops in the UK this summer.
At 7pm I closed the laptop and decided to go for an impromptu walk as I was conscious I wasn’t getting enough exercise. I took a few photos as the sun was setting and bumped into Jamie and Norman and The Aussies, as well as Onur from Simple. I stopped to say hello to everyone and then continued to walk the long way home. I was meant to pick up something I had forgotten at the shop but I forgot again. I made a chicken wrap for dinner and had an early night as I was very tired.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight
2. More progress on the book situation
3. An evening walk.