Norman and I were awake early on Monday 7th July, both needing a pee. The temperature at that time of day was much cooler and comfortable. After tea and toast it was time to crack on with Resort Experts work for the day. I often get friend requests on Facebook from people I’ve not met and don’t know but this morning I got one from a lady called Liz. I never add people I don’t at least know, even if we haven’t met in person. We had a friend in common from Rhodes and I recognised her from posts on a group I’m in. However, when I looked at her Facebook profile, the last 3 posts were saying it was a fake/scam profile and not to share posts. I messaged the woman to ask what was going on and she seemed real and fairly normal. I still didn’t accept the friend request though. By 9am, Norman was fast asleep and snoring away again. At midday I attended a webinar session with Lisa Johnson where she was sharing some thoughts and knowledge which I thought might help me. It was only for 30 minutes but was useful. Jamie and Drew arrived back a little earlier than expected, I went back to Fire Opal as I had another webinar booked in. This next one was some training with a lady called Katrina Young who was delivering a session on AI. Primarily on keeping ChatGPT in check, powerful prompts, scaling up a business and automating certain tasks using AI. It was interesting, although most of it went above my head. I took lots of notes though. After the training, I put some of what I’d learned in to place and it was really good. I just needed more practice and more time to do it, now.
Gratitude List 1. Norman being so easy to look after 2. Insights from Lisa Johnson 3. Learning more about AI from Katrina Young.
I didn’t get up until 8.30am on Tuesday 8th July and then I got on with writing content for my various social media pages. I am an agent for a supplier called Classic Collection and they had some great deals on for city breaks as well as summer holidays so I got involved in searching those. I’d seen a couple of city breaks that I liked the look of myself, including a 4 star mini break in Nantes, France, in August for £199 and a 3 star weekend in Krakow, Poland, in January for £125. They also had some luxury 5 Star holidays in Greece which looked fantastic. After working until 3pm and not having had any lunch, I decided to take a break and walk around the town, calling at the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Green Peppers 13.99 Mentos 20.95 Haribo jellies 22.45 Biscuits 32.95 Salt & Vinegar crisps 48.95 Pasta sauce 52.95 2 croissants 69.90 Cooked chicken pieces 69.95 Total spent 332.09 lira (£6.15)
Jamie, Drew and Nanny Kay were off to Kuşadası on Sunday 6th July for a couple of days. They were staying in the same hotel Captain Caveman and I had stayed in on our last visit, Sunday Beach at Ladies Beach. I was in charge of Norman and I arrived at 8.30am, to a snoring Norman who didn’t even hear me come in. As it was a lovely sunny day, I decided to plonk myself down by the pool before it got too hot. When Norman woke up he came over for some attention and a lay on the sunbed for a couple of minutes. It was strange there only being Norman, now that Edna had passed away, and I felt a little bit sad. A white feather came down between me and Norman on the sunbed and, if you believe in things like that, it might have symbolised Edna. We moved in to the shade and got some water then I had mushroom and pepper pasta for lunch.
When it got too hot, Norman took himself off for an afternoon nap on the sofa, in the AC. By 6pm I decided I would have a swim. Usually, when I’m at Jamie’s, I don’t go in the pool but it was very hot today. I waited until the sun had gone in to take Norman for a walk and I’d thought we might go to Lukka and have a drink there. Norman had other ideas and, after a walk almost as far as Lukka, he decided he wasn’t up for socialising and wanted to go back home. I hadn’t brought anything over for dinner so I decided to have another walk, without Norman, and get some food on the way home. I called at the shop and bought the following, prices in lira;
I’d intended to buy something to cook for dinner but it was already 8.30pm and I couldn’t be bothered.
Sheche Burger was the last place I walked past on my way home so I couldn’t resist. I decided to order the original burger with french fries and a homemade lemonade to take out. My dinner cost 500 lira (£9.26) and was really tasty for a treat, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. At bedtime, Norman was keen to come with me so he slept on my bed – snoring contentedly away.
Gratitude List 1. A bit of a rest day with only minimal work done 2. Sheche Burger for dinner 3. Norman, he’s just so cute.
Friday 4th July was my last day with Lady C, it was also just one week until I would be back in the UK. Penny and Phil were flying back tonight but didn’t land until almost 4am tomorrow. I spent the day working and making sure Lady C was ok. I had a sandwich then walked Lady C, she was fine and didn’t seem bothered from the dog issue yesterday. When we got back, she let me check out where the other dog had tried to bite her and there was a bit of a cut. I messaged Penny to let her know and described which street it had happened near but I had no idea where the young boy and the dogs lived. It was a pretty quiet day really.
Gratitude List 1. Last day with Caramel 2. It being a Friday 3. Being ready for Penny & Phil’s return.
On Saturday 5th July I had woken up early, my care of Lady C had come to an end and I’d arranged to meet Jamie. The neighbour opposite had closed the stair door so there were no more cat shit incidents, which was nice! I had a curry for lunch and then went to the shops to get some essentials and restock up on wine. It had slipped my mind to check if there was still wine in the fridge after the comings and goings of the week. Here’s what I spent with prices in lira;
A101 Supermarket Washing up sponges 22.50 Frozen berries 179.00 Total spent 201.50 lira (£3.73)
Yaman Büfe 3 bottles of wine 709 lira (£13.13)
After more curry for dinner, I walked over to Penny and Phil’s with the wine and we had a bit of a catch up. Lady C was happy to have her owners back too. Back home, I had a much needed early night after doing the washing.
Gratitude List 1. A quick catch up with Jamie 2. Being home to a cat shit free apartment 3. Home made curry from the freezer.
July was going to be an exciting month! On Tuesday 1st July I updated each of my To Do Lists (I have 3; Resort Experts, My Book stuff and Personal). I was conscious that I only had 11 more days in Turkey before I would fly to the UK to spend time with Captain Caveman, who would be celebrating his birthday and moving in to a new home. I had not yet booked my return flight as I wasn’t sure if I would get a good price to travel back in the school holidays or not, if I stayed more than a couple of weeks. While I drank water and waited for Lady C to wake up I checked how my blog had done for last month. I was pleased to see it had 24% more views than the month before and was mainly being read in the UK, Turkey and the USA. Unfortunately, Vietnam readers were now way down the list and no longer in the top 10 so I did want to try to increase that again in July. It had been a year since I was there and over 6 months since Captain Caveman was there – we missed it! After doing some Resort Experts work in the morning, I spoke to Captain Caveman who was at his parents in London. There was a heatwave and he’d had to sleep downstairs so he was preparing me for a hot summer in England. At lunch time I had some soup and looked at a post from my colleague in Italy, which was to help us have a happy July with 31 daily prompts. When I had my tea break at 3pm, I noticed Lady C had chosen to lay on the hot floor outside to sunbathe! I let her know that at 4pm we had visitors coming; Darcy, the dog, was getting dropped off while her owner went out with a friend. And my friend, Bev, was coming over for a cup of tea and a chat. When Darcy arrived, she ran in to the conservatory and did a wee with excitement on the sofa and the floor. Lady C was not impressed by the little pup and was not sympathetic when Darcy started to sneeze multiple times. Poor little Darcy kept sneezing and wouldn’t stop so I picked her up to check her nose. She had a bit of a flower or plant stuck up her nostril so I had to get it out with my little finger nail. Bev arrived, after I’d cleaned the wee up and we decided wine would be a better choice so we had a couple of glasses each – Fat Club weigh in tomorrow was not looking promising! It was nice to catch up and we nattered on about all sorts. Bev didn’t stay too long and I fed both dogs in separate rooms as they were ready for dinner. It was after 8pm when it was cool enough for both dog’s paws on the pavements and they walked well together. I had a mushroom pasta about 9pm for dinner and then settled down with the dogs. I couldn’t watch TV as the TTnet still wasn’t up to it so I watched something on my phone. When it was time for Darcy to be collected, she was already snoozing away, next to me on the sofa. Lady C was happy when Darcy left as she does like to be the only dog in the house.
Gratitude List 1. Cute dogs 2. Busy with Resort Experts 3. Seeing Bev for the first time in a while.
My measurements were not good on Wednesday 2nd July. I’d put 1cm on my bust, my waist had remained the same but I’d put 3cm on my hips (that will be the fab Bakewell tart from Ela Bakes)!!! It didn’t look good for Fat Club weigh-in and I would have to wait until 3pm to find out my weight. I worked up until then and decided to walk, so that at least I was getting some exercise. It was very hot out and I arrived at Fat Club a bit sweaty. I was gobsmacked to find I had lost 0.9kg (2lb) and it made my day! There was a bit of a grumble at the group as the drinks prices had gone up. A small water had gone from 25 lira (46p) to 50 lira (92p) and that was the shock of the day. I didn’t think it was too bad to sit in a nice hotel and drink a cold water which they supplied a glass and lots of ice for, but doubling the prices was a bit of a surprise. Usually, each July there is a general price increase in shops anyway so I was expecting it. I went straight back to work and had leftover mushroom pasta for dinner – no alcohol. Once it cooled down I took Lady C out for her walk and she was happy to be let off the lead for a little bit on the back paths. At 9pm I decided to pop to the shops to get something for dinner tomorrow night. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Şevikoğlu Supermarket Onions 5.21 Peppers 8.22 Bread 15.00 1kg chicken breast 144.80 Total spent 173.23 lira (£3.27)
I meant to buy more wine but I couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way to Yaman Büfe and the Şevikoğlu was more expensive. I had an early night and didn’t even bother with any wine today, conscious I only had one more weigh-in before my UK trip.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight when I didn’t expect it 2. Walking with Lady C off the lead 3. A no alcohol day on a Wine Wednesday.
It was pretty hot already on Thursday 26th June as I walked to Queen Accommodation Services’ office to meet Yusuf. He had agreed to show me a 2 bedroom property that had just come on sale for £170,000. There were people staying there so we couldn’t go in until tomorrow but I had a friend who wanted to know what the location was like and might be interested in buying it. They were concerned that it might be a bit too near to town and the petrol station so I agreed to do a reccy of the outside of the property.
Yusuf took me for a quick spin on one of the new 3 wheel electric scooters that they have for rent. They are about £15 per day depending on how long you rent them out for and were really handy to nip about in the heat. Queen also do money exchange now too which is handy if you’re up that way or the bank/jewellers were closed.
Video of us on the 3 wheel electric scooter
I liked the property location straight away and it was actually on a quiet street far enough away from the petrol station and main road. The nearest restaurant would be Olivia’s and it was easy walking distance to bars. I took videos and photos so I could send them to my friend but I also liked the look of the place myself. Captain Caveman was not thinking of selling his apartment at Fire Opal at all, but I did think that if my friend wasn’t interested, I would mention it to him. I also made a second appointment to look inside the property tomorrow morning.
On the way back home, I called at the shops and was already feeling the heat a bit. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Parlak Bakery 1 loaf 15 1 simit 15 1 croisant 40 Total spent 70 lira (£1.32)
I sent my friend the videos and photos of the property for sale and they were still unsure and would wait until I went back tomorrow to view inside. By midday it was 36°C in Dalyan and about to get to 20°C in Sheffield. I hoped it would warm up in the UK before my visit. I worked for the rest of the day, including have a few work calls and meetings.
I finished just before 5pm, which was very early for me, as I had been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. Penny & Phil had invited me to join them and their friends, Karen & Andy (parents of Darcy the dog), for dinner. I took a bottle of wine and some Turkish delight over and we ate a lovely lasagne with garlic bread and salad, which had been made by Ela Bakes. I loved the meal, and ate quite a lot – it tasted really good. For dessert there was also a massive Bakewell tart which was amazing!
We had a lovely night and I even got some leftover lasagne and Bakewell tart to take home, which was very much appreciated. Penny tried to insist I get a taxi home but I walked back, passing a cat sat on a motorbike with a carpet over it. It was almost midnight by the time I got home – on a school night, too!
Gratitude List 1. Whizzing about in a 3 wheel electric scooter with Yusuf 2. Finding a great Dalyan property for a friend 3. A fab dinner with friends, trying Ela Bakes for the first time.
Tuesday 24th June was day 3 of not leaving the house or spending any money. It felt strangely therapeutic. I saw an ex Turkish Class member and Facebook friend had posted on Facebook needing someone in London. She needed passports picking up which were going to cost £400 to have couriered so I messaged to say I could help if she could wait until I went there in a couple of weeks time. I also looked at flights to come back in time for Nanny Kay’s 80th birthday celebrations and they were now getting a bit pricier. I ate beans on toast for breakfast around 11.30am after sorting out my social media posts for the day and dealing with a couple of enquiries. I’d ate cauliflower and cashew nut soup for lunch with wholemeal bread and then got back on with all my tasks. I stopped at 6pm to warm up some sausage casserole, not realising I didn’t have any potatoes in the house. By 8.30pm I was in bed with a facemask on and feeling really tired. I did a Facebook quiz to find out which country suited me to live in and wasn’t surprised to find it was Japan. I reposted the quiz so that others could have a go but it seemed a few people couldn’t get it to work. It was a shame as I wondered if any of the Dalyan Dwellers would have got somewhere other than Turkey as their answer. Tomorrow it would be weigh day and time to face Carol’s scales after indulging too much while Captain Caveman was here.
Gratitude List 1. Lovely home made food 2. Another zero spend, and zero alcohol day 3. Getting stuff done.
Of course the scales weren’t going to show a loss on Wednesday 25th June, after all the eating and drinking I’d done while Captain Caveman was here. It wasn’t surprising that my home scales said I had put on 0.5kg (1.1lb) this week. My measurements, though, showed no changes at all, which was good. While working in the morning I tried to help a friend out by sharing her post about a raffle to raise money for a local charity and unfortunately I didn’t really look at it too closely. I later noticed I was posting something that is illegal in Turkey, promoting alcohol, so I had to mess about taking it down but join the local charity page to share a version of it. I didn’t have time to eat lunch and headed to Fat Club via the bank a bit late. To my surprise, I was only showing a gain of 0.2kg (0.4lb) on Carol’s scales but I think I had been lucky really. I was now a whopping 2.7kg (6lb) over target and I only had 2 more Fat Club weigh-ins before I went back to the UK. After Fat Club I popped to buy 2 more AC remotes but they hadn’t got them in yet and said to come back on Tuesday. I called at the shop and bought the following, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 plastic bag 0.50 Haribo jellies 22.45 Cheese spread 29.90 Biscuits 31.95 Bin bags 44.95 Batteries 74.95 Mushrooms 79.95 Toilet roll 108.95 Wholemeal wraps 110.00 4 Quark 116.00 Mouthwash 124.95 Total spent 744.55 lira (£14.05)
I went back home and did a couple of work related tasks before doing a few reviews on Facebook for places Captain Caveman and I had enjoyed on his visit. It followed with comments of people complaining about the price of things, yet again, on and off-topic point! Dalyan really is not that expensive in comparison to lots of other places and it got on my nerves that I was only trying to put nice reviews on not argue with people on the internet! I’m all for saving money, obviously, but arguing about the prices on a nice review is, in my opinion, not good form. I noticed that the Dalyan Şarküteri had some offers on until the end of the month so I popped out around sunset to grab some imported products. I bought the following, prices in lira;
Dalyan Şarküteri 1 tin Heinz baked beans 65.00 1 tin Coconut milk 75.00 250g Lurpak butter 220.00 Total spent 360 lira (£6.79)
I spoke to Captain Caveman who was very busy working hard in London so didn’t have time to ask how I was, but I’d got used to that now. I lit my citronella candle put loads of Maizie Moo repellent on and treated myself to a White Russian (the cocktail) on the balcony. A couple of jays came to visit and I didn’t end up eating dinner of sausage casserole with potatoes and white cabbage until 10.30pm. Tomorrow I had another busy day as I had agreed to view a house for sale for a friend.
Gratitude List 1. Weigh day being better than expected 2. Being able to afford some shopping 3. White Russians on the balcony.
I made sure I got up and out early on Tuesday 17th June before it got too warm. I went to the shops and here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 2 pot noodles 54.50 6 eggs 55.00 Wholemeal Wraps 99.50 Washing powder 157.95 Total spent 366.95 lira (£6.92)
Parlak Bakery 1 loaf 15.00 1 açma 20.00 Total spent 35.00 lira (66p)
I also called in to Jiks to get photos of the pizza menus because we were invited to Nanny Kay’s tomorrow. Captain Caveman and I had breakfast together of açma (half each) with white cheese and some of the left over olives from Saklı Bahçe at the weekend. We both got on with work and I had some enquiries from friends about Turkey. There was a sale on with Classic Collection who only offer holidays through agents and the deposit is only £12.50. Captain Caveman had 3 meetings and they were loud and sounded stressful. We both chose pizzas for tomorrow and messaged our choices to Nanny Kay. At lunch time, we had bacon sandwiches which were very nice and I got a message from a friend who’d been away. I’d booked them a city break and they had really enjoyed it. They were looking to book another one so we arranged a chat for later in the weekend. In the evening we had sausage pasta for dinner then had a walk through town. We called at Rehab bar to see Tay where Captain Caveman had an Efes Malt and I just had soda water (as it was Fat Club tomorrow). While we were there, the mozzies were out in force so we both had to spray stuff on and the bar staff went and bought more!
Gratitude List 1. Getting the shopping done early 2. Eating meals with Captain Caveman in between work tasks 3. Seeing Tay at Rehab bar.
Wednesday 18th June was a busier day for me. It started with the usual measurements and getting weighed on my home scales. Unfortunately, having Captain Caveman here had been detrimental and I had put on 1kg (2.2lb). I’d lost 1cm off my bust and hips and 2cm off my waist so that was good. At 11.30am I went to Turkish class at Lukka bar where I paid 60 lira (£1.13) for a small water and 150 lira (£2.83) for the lesson. I made lunch at home for Captain Caveman and I which was salad with cheese and salami. I had 3 online webinars, made a test book on Canva for a new planner that I’d started working on and saved that as a draft before heading back out to Fat Club. Carol’s scales were kinder than mine and and I had only put on 0.7kg (1.5lb) but I still needed to watch it a bit. After Fat Club, I went to the shop next to the hairdresser’s and bought a new AC remote for 400 lira (£7.55) and ordered 2 more for next week. The Arçelik shop wanted 1,000 lira (£18.87) for one but luckily, Carol had put me on to this shop and I’d saved lots. While I was still waiting for Katrina at Maizie Moo to make more citronella candles, I bought a cheap pack of 3 from the Millenium shop for 140 lira (£2.64), they weren’t as good but were better than nothing. Captain Caveman and I finished work by 7pm and walked over to Nanny Kay’s house where we ended up having quite a night! We had a Jiks pizza delivery which was piping hot and all correct, plus quite a lot of red wine. Nanny Kay was also asking how we would be spending the rest of Captain Caveman’s time in Dalyan and I was disappointed to hear him say I wasn’t really featured in his plans. He would be working all week and then wanted to do his own things at the weekend, before he left early on Sunday. I had already been lining up a boat trip and he now was not interested in another one and would rather go walk some dogs at the dog shelter or play Bridge. Luckily, Nanny Kay helped talk him in to agreeing to another boat trip, this time with Princess of Ekincik but only if there was less smokers on board. I checked and then we confirmed 2 places on Saturday, so I wouldn’t be going on my own. We walked home quite sozzled and it was late when we got back.
Gratitude List 1. Measurements being better than weight 2. Getting a bargain AC remote 3. A wonderful evening at Nanny Kay’s.
Captain Caveman arrived before 2.30am on Wednesday 11th June. At Manchester Duty Free he’d bought us a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin for £29.99, then on landing at Dalaman he’d bought 2 bottles of Prosecco for €31.80 (1,443.08 lira). He’d also brought me the following treats, some of which I’d asked him to; Chopsticks, Eye mask, Tea Towels, Robinson’s cordial and Thai Curry pastes. After a bit of sleep, I was up first to start work and get weighed. My home scales surprisingly said I had lost 1.6kg (3.5lb) but that couldn’t be right. My measurements showed my bust and hips had stayed the same but I’d put 1cm on my waist – that will be the alcohol at the weekend! I topped up the Turkcell with 50GB of data for 425 lira (£8) as Captainnet isn’t always reliable and there was now 2 of us working from home. By 11am, Captain Caveman was on his morning video call and he was so loud, I expected the neighbours to complain. I left him shouting and complaining about not having any coffee and went to Turkish class at Lukka bar. I made us a salad for lunch and then I went to Fat Club in the afternoon. Carol’s scales were not as forgiving as my home ones but I was still shocked to find that I had lost 1kg (2.2lb). We had a bit of a laugh that the wine & Prosecco diet had done me well this week, but now I had to watch putting on weight next week! I called at the shop on my way back and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Milk 33.95 2 Dido chocolate bars 43.90 2 tins tomato paste 59.90 Roasted red peppers 79.95 Walnuts 98.50 Coffee 164.95 Total spent 565.65 lira (£10.67)
Captain Caveman had been less than impressed that I’d given him a coffee made from Jamie’s decaf this morning and had insisted I get proper ground coffee – he was missing Vietnamese coffee! He didn’t have one though as, as soon as he had finished work at 7pm (5pm UK time), I was whisking him off to meet people! I’d arranged to meet Jamie, Drew, Norman and Edna after their dog walk, in Lukka bar, for a quick hello/goodbye drink. Drew was heading back tomorrow so he and Captain Caveman are rarely in sync and it would be a quick meet up. Edna was the most excited to see Captain Caveman and I think she had hoped to get some wine. I ordered a soda water and Captain Caveman had his first Efes Malt of the visit. We all noticed that Edna was doing a little cough and I know she does that sometimes for attention. Norman got a stroke and was happy checking the floor for any scraps he could eat. Captain Caveman and I decided to have another drink, as we were having a roast chicken dinner at home for our meal and it was still in the oven. We tried a glass each of the house red wine and we chatted about all sorts. Drew mentioned Edna had been slightly off her food that day (which never happens) so Jamie was taking her to the vets before I dog sat on Monday – just in case. I paid the bill for Captain Caveman and I, prices below in lira; 1 Soda water 60 1 Efes Malt 160 2 Red wines 380 Total spent 600 lira (£11.32)
Despite it being on the more expensive scale to what I’m used to, here in Dalyan, Captain Caveman was impressed at how cheap it was compared to the UK. We said our farewells and headed home for our chicken dinner which was delicious. I forgot to take any photos and we had a relatively early night as tomorrow we were both very busy.
Gratitude List 1. Captain Caveman arriving in Dalyan (& with chopsticks!) 2. Losing weight despite a messy weekend 3. Seeing Jamie, Drew, Norman & Edna.
I had a busy day on Monday 9th June as I had decided to embark on a course to work on publishing a travel planner. After spending many an unsuccessful browse in book shops and stationers I’d realised there was a gap in the market for this book. I wanted to design, write and publish a planner that would enable buyers to plan their year of either small holidays or the big bucket list trip. It was a product I’d needed for myself, in the past, and I thought it might be really useful for others and to also add to my passive income stream. I had veggie noodles for breakfast and then got on with work. I attended another training webinar for a hotel chain in various European locations which was really good. I didn’t have lunch until gone 3pm and then it was a warmed up curry with steamed rice. I worked until 8.30pm and then messaged friends I had missed yesterday to apologise for me being AWOL. At 9pm I made myself 2 small pizzas from tacos, which were very nice. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was at work and cold in the UK.
Gratitude List 1. Starting to produce a Travel Planner 2. Good food 3. Training
There was a bit of excitement in the air on Tuesday 10th June as it was the day that Captain Caveman was travelling from Manchester to Dalyan after work tonight. While he worked in Warrington all day, I worked from home and tried to get quite a lot of my to do list done so that I could take the weekend off. At lunch time I nipped to the shops and here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Green tea 34.95 2 Quark 70.00 A 2.2kg Chicken 219.69 Total spent 324.64 lira (£6.13)
Unfortunately, I saw a tortoise wandering towards a gate which it thought it could get under, so I had to move it. I rushed back to attend a webinar at 1pm which was about the new improved Quote Away platform and was very informative. I had a late lunch of jacket potato with cheese, done in the Airfryer and served with lettuce and carrot – a last ditch attempt to be healthy before tomorrow’s weigh-in! At 3pm I got a request from Captain Caveman to check he had his sunglasses here, and he did – he was finishing work soon and was heading to the airport for his flight at 7.20pm. I let Sonuç, of Dalyan Transfers, know that he’d be arriving at 01.35am tomorrow. Before dinner I went back out to the shops to get some provisions ready for Captain Caveman’s arrival and also because I wanted to take advantage of some offers that were on. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Dalyan Şarküteri 1 tin baked beans 65.00 1 tin coconut milk 75.00 250g Lurpak 220.00 Total spent 360.00 lira (£6.79)
Parlak Bakery 1 loaf 15.00 1 simit 15.00 Total spent 30.00 lira (57p)
At 9.30pm I got a photo from Captain Caveman who was on the plane and it wasn’t even full so he had extra space to spread out. He also sent me a list of the holidays he had requested from work. I had planned on going to bed but I decided to wait up for Captain Caveman and I caught up on my Turkish homework while I waited.
Gratitude List 1. Rescuing a tortoise 2. Finding a big chicken 3. Captain Caveman was on his way to Dalyan.
I landed in Dalaman airport at 2.55am on Tuesday 3rd June and was the first to the luggage carousel which had not been put on yet. I headed to the toilet and, as I did, I noticed that there were several areas where there were bits of concrete/rubble on the floor in the airport, which was odd. After a slow walk back from the toilets while I turned my phone on, I saw updates on Facebook that there had been an earthquake which had affected Dalaman and Dalyan. I decided to spend a bit of time in the Duty Free while waiting for my suitcase and, as I had already bought a litre of spirits in Gatwick, I could only get a couple of bottles of wine. I bought 2 bottles of Prosecco for 854.38 lira (£16.12) and, once I had my case, I went outside to my booked pick up with Sonuç of Dalyan Transfers. He updated me on the earthquake and said it had certainly been felt in Dalyan, it had woken people up from sleeping. My taxi cost £30 which I paid in English and we got back to Dalyan by 4.30am. Once home, I had a quick check around the apartment to make sure there was no broken items from the Earthquake, as some people had reported that happening. All was fine so I got in bed as I was so tired. I didn’t wake up until 8.50am and then just had herbal tea. I unpacked a bit and then got on with work, breaking off at lunch to have cheese spread on toast. I booked Captain Caveman a pick up with Sonuç as he had booked a flight to come over to Dalyan next week! He would be working from home for the first time in Dalyan and I was really pleased. The pool and garden looked to be in a respectable order now and the weather was hot and sunny with a bit of a breeze. It still wasn’t hot enough to need the AC on, though. I hadn’t had chance to go food shopping but I did quickly nip to the bank and to Captainnet to put the internet back on. On the way back I popped in to Migros, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
For dinner I had beans on toast which was lovely and I was in bed by 10pm. I was starting to feel better from the water infection but I was incredibly tired.
Gratitude List 1. Arriving after the earthquake and to no damage 2. Finally getting in bed to sleep 3. Being back in sunny Dalyan.
Wednesday 4th June was a a fairly busy day for me in Dalyan. But my first job was to face the scales to see how much weight I’d put on while I was away. My weight increase was just 0.3kg (0.7lb) on my home scales but we would see what the real damage was on Carol’s scales later. My measurements were good; no change to bust or hips and 2cm off my waist – it’s amazing what a week of zero alcohol can do! I worked in the morning and, as I was still unwell, I didn’t go to Turkish class at 11.30am. I did arrange to pay for the lessons I had missed and Sioned agreed to leave me the lessons at Lukka bar for me to pick up. After very little to eat, I was on my way to Fat Club at 3pm. In the 3 weeks I had been away in England, I had put on 1.4kg (3.1lb) which doesn’t seem much but it now meant I was 2.4kg (5.3lb) over my target! After the group, Carol and I had a visit to the grocery shop in the old market square. Word had it that the old fella who owned it had got his son running it and he had given it a bit of a spruce up. It was impressive, eggs were cheap and they even sold celery and lemongrass now. At Uygun Manav I bought a melon, plums, bananas, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, onions and carrots for a total of 534.00 lira (£10). Next, I collected my Turkish lessons at Lukka and popped next door to Maizie Moo to buy a Citronella candle. They had run out but Katrina was making more and I bought their famous natural Mosquito Repellent for 300 lira (£5.66). Of course, there are cheaper products like Off and Sinkoff in the local shops but I prefer the natural product which is better for my skin. I no longer have eczema but I don’t want it coming back. I made a chicken and vegetable curry with steamed rice and had an early dinner, making sure I put some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. It tasted lovely and I was ready to have a night in but I’d said I would go over to Vanessa’s with her stuff. I checked my parents’ place as I walked past it and the pool was looking good and had been cleaned and filled. The maintenance and gardener they have is much better than ours. When I arrived, they already had new throws on the sofa so it meant we needn’t have bothered carrying the big thick ones from England! Matt had since had some made in Dalyan and they did look nice but he could’ve said we didn’t need to carry the others!! I gave Vanessa the throw and the rest of the stuff I had brought over and we had a cup of tea. They were driving back to England, via Europe in 15 days time so they had plenty of Weetabix and Branston to get through in a fortnight! On the way back home, I decided I needed to go food shopping, as I wouldn’t have time tomorrow and I needed more provisions. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;
Beef is expensive in Turkey but I had bought it while it was on offer, thinking I would make something nice like a curry or casserole. I was home and ready for bed by 10pm, still feeling a bit tired too.
Gratitude List 1. Still being not as fat as I used to be, despite putting weight on in England 2. Being able to splash out on fresh food 3. Seeing Vanessa and Matt.
The medication was starting to do its thing by Sunday 1st June and I was glad as it was my last full day and night in the UK. I was off back to Turkey tomorrow so the plan had been to have a lovely day together, while Captain Caveman had a day off. We’d talked about going to Kew Gardens, as I’d never been, but I wasn’t well enough for an outing. Instead, I checked my stats for my blog to find that I was up 42% on views from the previous month. My top readers were located in the UK, Turkey and USA and I even had some new reader in Botswana. I was hoping for a good month and I even saved a post from my colleague, Helen the Resort Expert in Italy, which was promoting Joyful June – we could all do with a bit of that. Captain Caveman and I were very grateful to his parents for letting us stay, even more so when they potentially unwittingly allowed us to do a load of laundry. At lunch time, Captain Caveman and I decided to have a little walk to the shops in Barnes to eat our lunch in the park, near Barnes Pond. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
Sainsbury’s Supermarket 2 tins of Baked Beans 0.80 1 Double Decker chocolate bar 0.85 Fairy Liquid 1.25 6 packs of Mini cheddars 1.50 Parmesan cheese (for Carol) 3.95 Weetabix (for Vanessa) 4.00 Total spent £12.35
There wasn’t much going on for lunch options in Sainsbury’s, not for the first time, so we went to Marks & Spencer – my favourite! Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
1 pack mini sausage rolls 2.10 1 pack raspberries 2.65 1 salad box with edamame and nuts 2.90 1 Feta & sun dried tomato pasta 4.25 Total spent £11.90
My salad was delicious – I wish I’d bought two, and the raspberries were so lovely. We ate them sat on a bench while watching a young family who were attempting to let their young boy climb a tree, rather badly. Of course, after they had moved and we had eaten, Captain Caveman had to shimmy up the tree to show how easy it was. We also discussed the idea of me flying back to the UK on the 17th of next month to help Captain Caveman celebrate his birthday. The flight was only £53 and we contemplated booking it but decided to wait. The rest of the afternoon was spent sorting laundry and me packing, then we had a walk to the Brown Dog pub. Captain Caveman had a pint of a new beer that was on while I had a tap water. I was only functioning at 50% and needed to be ok to travel by tomorrow. I still had 2 more days worth of antibiotics but I think they were starting to have a positive effect. That evening, Captain Caveman’s parents had prepared us another tasty home cooked chicken dinner and then we watched a TV programme of Guy Martin in Vietnam. It was a relatively early night for me and I was rather upset that my last few days and not been as good due to being sick.
Gratitude List 1. Progress on the Blog views, it was still being read! 2. Being in Barnes, which is idyllic, to eat our lunch (and climb trees). 3. Captain Caveman’s parents being so easy going.
My flight from Gatwick was not until 8.50pm on Monday 2nd June so we were both working from home in Barnes. I checked in online for my flight and was given an aisle seat near the front. There was still some laundry drying so I did a bit more packing and, at lunchtime, Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shops. I bought something for lunch and also something for later, here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;
I ate some of it for lunch and saved the rest for the flight. In the afternoon I got notification that I had been paid from my book royalties and it was my first proper month so I was quite pleased. It wasn’t an amount I could retire on just yet but it was enough to top up my income for the month. I was pleased to see that I had sold more than 1 copy per day on average and I had already started to get some great (5 Star) reviews. At 5pm, Captain Caveman and I had finished work and were ready to set off to Barnes train station. Captain Caveman came with me as far as Clapham Junction so that he could help with my case. Interestingly, there were announcements saying the lifts weren’t working and I thought I’d struggle with my case, but they were all working fine. Captain Caveman waited with me for my train connection to Gatwick and we said our goodbyes. I was a bit sad because we had enjoyed spending time together so much and had not had one argument, which is an achievement in itself with Captain Caveman and I. The fare from Barnes to Gatwick was £15.60 and took less than an hour at rush hour. Once at the airport, I had to get in to the queue for the bag drop, and it was a good job I went early as it was rather long. By 6pm I was getting some English money from the cash machine to use for boat trips in Dalyan. I strolled through Duty Free and was unsure what to get, so messaged Captain Caveman to see what he thought was the best value. By 7.10pm I had bought one of my own favourite tipples a Ron Zacapa Rum for £48.19. I saw that there was a Wagamamas, which I love, and decided I just had enough time to eat something there. I ordered a vegan rice dish of pulled shiitake donburi for £13.50 and it was amazing! I boarded the flight and had plenty of Netflix Downloads to keep me busy. I was glad of the aisle seat as I was constantly up and down for the toilet. Although feeling much better, the water infection was still there. My flight with the 20kg hold luggage had cost just £49.99 which I thought was very reasonable, and I was due to land in Dalaman at 2.55am tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Passive income from ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ 2. Edamame beans – I love them 3. Captain Caveman’s help to Clapham Junction.
Friday 30th was meant to have been my last day to catch up with various people I’d not seen yet, as well as some I already had. The plan had been to finish work early and meet Louisa then, when Captain Caveman finished work, he would come join along with Vanessa and some of her family before attending Caz’s birthday celebrations that night. My sister was hoping to be able to meet me too before she went on holiday and I needed to say bye to my parents before I went back to Turkey. Captain Caveman and I were driving back to London the next day and I would get to see his parents before I flew back to Dalaman on Monday. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling worse and the cystitis medication was doing bugger all to alleviate the pain, or the symptoms. Most of the day was spent in pain, feeling nauseous and a bit blurry. Vanessa was dealing with a delivery of a couple of sofa throws which had been ordered for her settee in Dalyan and they were really nice, but heavy and big. She’d asked Matt to get some made in Dalyan to save paying for luggage but he’d not been able to get any. I agreed to take one in my suitcase as I had enough room and was already taking a jar of Branston, which they had forgotten on their last trip out, plus a couple of bits. I didn’t mind at all but I only had space for 1 of them, poor Vanessa would have to take the other in her under seat bag. I started doing some packing while Captain Caveman was in meetings and Vanessa went out to meet her son and his girlfriend, with arrangements to see us at the Lescar pub later. I doubted I would be able to go but I really wanted to see people before I left as I didn’t know when I would be back. At lunch time, Captain Caveman gave me a 2 minute warning that we needed to pack up and leave during his lunch hour as he had another important meeting and we needed to get across town. Months ago when Captain Caveman had arranged to go to Caz’s birthday celebrations he had thought he would stay at a hotel he had used before, the Jonas hotel, Endcliffe. I wasn’t quite with it as I hastily packed and rushed to the toilet in between as I still was in a predicament.
We arrived at the hotel which is located in a student area and is really stylish. Captain Caveman logged on in the communal working area ready for his 2pm meeting and I ordered a cup of Yorkshire tea and a cake for £4.50 as my lunch (there were no sandwiches left). I took the key and went up to the room where I tried to have a little sleep but I felt quite sick. I googled my symptoms and decided I needed to see if I could get antibiotics from somewhere and set off walking to Boots on Ecclesall Road. I got as far as the Tesco Supermarket and was nearly peeing my pants so went in to find a toilet. They didn’t have one, but I did find an adaptor plug for £4. At the pharmacy, still desperate for a wee, there was a massive queue and I could hear the on duty pharmacist saying he would love to visit Turkey for a holiday to one of the staff. That member of staff then told the woman in front of me that there was not a prescribing pharmacist on duty today so she would need to go to the walk-in centre. I was already distressed and desperate for a pee so I decided to ask the lady at the counter if I could speak to the pharmacist in private. Mo, the on duty pharmacist, obliged and we went in to the room next door where I explained my predicament. I also told a bit of a fib that I was due to drive to Gatwick tomorrow to get my flight back to Turkey and that I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to travel. We chatted about Turkey, politics and how if he needed a pee sample I could probably fill a bucket while crying, right now. He prescribed me Nitrofurantoin and said it was probably a bladder infection. By 4pm, I left the Boots Pharmacy, having paid £9.90 and was so relieved to have seen Mo. He was a lovely fella and really helped me out in a predicament. I located the nearest chain coffee shop for the toilet, in desperation. I had to buy an overpriced bottle of water (£2.25) to get a code to get in for the biggest (painful) pee of the day. I was so relieved and took my first tablet while on the loo. I walked back to the hotel but got lost and ended up walking quite far out of my way, up and down big hills, which I’m no longer used to. I got back and went to bed, which was super comfy but would’ve benefited from extra pillows.
I’m not much of a tablet taker so I immediately noticed that the Nitrofurantoin was having a weird effect on me, in the afternoon. I’d already had to start letting people know I wouldn’t be in any fit state to see them today. I needed to take my next tablet with or after food and needed to avoid citrus and spicy food. It was such a shame as Captain Caveman had finished work and wanted to go out for a nice meal before going to meet Caz and all the others at the Lescar for drinks. We decided to walk down the hill and find a restaurant to get a meal and I could take my next tablet. After mooching about and me not fancying anything because the thought of eating didn’t appeal, we settled on a Spanish Tapas place. That way, I could nibble on something and Captain Caveman could enjoy a nice meal with a drink or two. Here’s what we had with prices in pounds;
Iberico Restaurant Olive oil with Balsamic 1.00 Alioli (extra) 1.00 Bread 3.50 75ml sherry 4.00 Belly pork 5.00 Chorizo with honey and toast 5.00 Artichokes 5.00 Tortilla 7.00 Ham Croquettes 9.00 250ml red wine 11.00 2 Manchego with Membrillo 12.00 Lots of tap water (free) Total spent £63.50
I loved the Manchego cheese and even managed to eat the meat dishes but, when the tortilla came, I had to make a dash for the toilet to be sick. Eggs can often make me feel nauseous when I’m ill but I was in a state and needed to lay down. As we were so near to the Lescar, we decided I would go and wish Caz a Happy Birthday, say thank you and farewell to Vanessa and hopefully see some of the other friends while I was there. Captain Caveman and I were the first there, shortly followed by Caz and Tim. I said hello, apologised for being ill, found out water infections are more common during menopause and drank just half of my tap water. I was in a bit of a state but I did have time to at least say hello to Caz and friends and get in a photo. I had to run to the loo to pee and throw up but was conscious of wasting the antibiotic so swallowed it! Vanessa and Brad didn’t arrive and I couldn’t wait any longer so Captain Caveman and I left, he would return after walking me back. My sister messaged to say she was sorry she hadn’t been able to meet me but was at a family meal at Gill’s & Co on Ecclesall Road. We were walking past it, so we went in just to say bye to everyone. I had a soda water, Captain Caveman had a drop of the bottle of wine on the table and my sister was on good form. It looked like a lovely place to dine. I paid visits to the toilet more than once and then I just had to get back to the hotel for a lay down. I said bye to everyone with promises to see them in the summer, so not too long to wait. Captain Caveman left to rejoin Caz’s birthday bash and I walked back up the hill to the hotel. I could see the hotel so went in my bag to get the hotel key, only to realise that I didn’t have it. I called Captain Caveman and text but no answer. When I did speak to him, I was already in the hotel reception toilets, trying not to throw up. He wasn’t about to come back with the key so he said to ask reception for a new one, which they were very accommodating about. I had the second shower of the day and put my PJs on to go to sleep, just hoping I would be well enough to get to London tomorrow. At 9.20pm Vanessa messaged to say they were still at Grandma’s having had a Chinese so wouldn’t be able to make it out, after all. She wished me well for my journey and I her for her flight tomorrow and I would see her in Dalyan next week.
Gratitude List 1. Mo, the pharmacist – life saver! 2. Iberico – I will have to visit again when I’m better to fully appreciate it. 3. At least seeing Caz (and friends) on her birthday night out and saying bye to the Lessing family.
On Sunday 25th May Captain Caveman and I decided on an outing in to Sheffield town centre. I needed a hairbrush and some clothes and Captain Caveman had said he would treat us to a trip to the Curzon cinema to see The Phoenician Scheme. As the cast of this Wes Anderson sounded good, I had agreed and was excited to finally be going to the cinema. The last film I’d seen had been a disappointing Barbie film in Fethiye. In the morning I did a bit of work as I had forgotten it was Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow so Captain Caveman was off for the day. We got the supertram in to town from Gleadless Town End at £3.40 each. Once in Sheffield, our first stop off was at Superdrug, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;
I went in to Primark, Captain Caveman isn’t a fan so he mooched about while I bought 5 pairs of socks for £3.50. I saw a large suitcase for only £38 and wanted to get it but we were going to the cinema. I wanted clothes but there was nothing to my liking so Captain Caveman suggested Blacks. Here’s what we bought, prices in pounds;
Blacks 4 tops (for me) £31.44 A coat (for him) £59.00 Total spent £90.44
While I looked and found nothing in New Look, Captain Caveman went back for the £38 suitcase from Primark. We shoved all our stuff in to the case and took it to the cinema, as you do. The Curzon was very nice and Captain Caveman had a beer, I had a glass of wine but no popcorn! The film was a massive disappointment and I’ve never been in a cinema where most people around me were snoring at one point or another. Even I fell asleep! We left in confusion and rain, wheeled our new suitcase to the bus station and got the bus to Mosborough, which cost £2.60 each. We called briefly to see my parents and pick up the van before going home for a nice meal at ‘home’ with Vanessa. She had been to her grandson’s birthday party where one of my other Sheffield friend’s son had gone. They got chatting and worked out they both knew me and that I had invited Vanessa to Caz’s birthday celebrations next Friday. It’s a small world.
Gratitude List 1. Captain Caveman taking me shopping 2. A new suitcase 3. Having a nap in the cinema.
As it was a Bank Holiday in England on Monday 26th May, we decided to have a day out in Sheffield. Check out the old stomping ground and see the sights. I’d been waiting to hear from my Mom who needed taking to an appointment but luckily my sister could take her so Captain Caveman’s offer of a lift wasn’t needed and we could go out. We got the bus in and had a wander along a canal, down by the old Castle Market area and then along to our first pub stop, The Harlequin. A great bar where Captain Caveman had a proper beer and I had an Ascension cider.
Our next stop was Riverside where it had now started to rain so more drinks were had as we took shelter. By this time I was getting peckish and the menu looked good.
Captain Caveman had an alternative plan and took me for a mint tea and vegan sausage roll at Gaarde. I was dubious at first as to if the sausage roll was vegan as it was one of the best I’d had in ages. We had a trip to the Wellington and had pork scratchings with our beers there, intending to get the tram. There were track repairs and a bus replacement that went past us. After that we had an uphill walk through Sheffield to the cathedral where we caught the tram back to Vanessa’s as there was a curry and rice waiting for us, made in the slow cooker. It was delicious and we watched Race Across the World on TV which Captain Caveman loves.
Gratitude List 1. An impromptu day off 2. Spending time in my home town with Captain Caveman 3. Great night in front of the TV with Vanessa.
Both Captain Caveman and I worked all day on Tuesday 27th May while Vanessa went out with a friend in the afternoon. At lunchtime we drove to the nearest Asda to buy some more shopping, here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;
Asda Supermarket
Lasagne sheets 0.64* 2 garlic bread 0.70 Bananas 0.85 Orange juice 1.62 2 sausage casserole mix 1.90* 2 Thai curry paste 2.40* Toilet roll 2.76 3 Fajita packet mixes 3.15* Chicken 4.42 1 bottle of red wine 7.27 Total spent £25.71 The items with a * were for me to take back to Dalyan in my suitcase.
In the evening, Captain Caveman made a Spaghetti Bolognese for us all and we watched more Race Across the World on TV.
Gratitude List 1. Shopping at Asda 2. A lovely meal 3. Spending the evening with Captain Caveman and Vanessa, watching TV.
Having done sweet F A, but travel and eat yesterday, it was a day of grafting on Thursday 22nd April. It was only 9°C at 7am which I wasn’t used to so I got a cup of tea and went back to bed. It was weigh day and I had brought my tape measure but I didn’t take the measurements. I did get on the scales though and found I had put on 0.2kg (0.4lb). I cracked on at the living room desk while Vanessa pottered about. We had bacon sandwiches at lunch time and then I had an online meeting. I had forgotten to bring an adapter to plug my Turkish laptop plug in to the English socket and we said we would pop to Asda later to pick one up. After work, Vanessa’s son came to pick us up to go to his house for dinner. We called at Asda and had no joy with an adapter but we got some wine! Vanessa and I were excited as we were, not only seeing the rest of the family, but we were having fish and chips with them. We decided that we would share a portion between us, which was plenty and really good. We got a taxi back so the whole night had cost me £20 and I’d had a really great time.
Gratitude List 1. Bacon 2. Spending time with Vanessa and her family 3. Fish and chips.
I had a good night’s sleep and woke up just after 6am on Friday 23rd May, it was 7°C in Sheffield. I worked all day and Vanessa was the hostest with the mostest as she made me pancakes which I ate with strawberries. She had a busy weekend planned because it was her grandson’s birthday celebrations and I had some plans too. Captain Caveman still hadn’t moved in to a house up north and was using his parents’ place in London as a base these days. Vanessa had kindly agreed for him to come and stay for the weekend and he was driving back from Scotland today. As Vanessa and I don’t have any transport and the nearest local shop is a 10 minute walk away, I asked him to get a load of shopping in for us. He arrived at a decent hour, having had an eventful shopping trip to Aldi. He’d not got everything on the list as he didn’t have a pound coin for the trolley and had to do it all by basket and his arms. I imagined it was like a Friday Crackerjack where they had the game of holding lots of stuff, including cabbages. I am showing my age now! Anyway, here’s what he bought with the prices in pounds and listed cheapest to dearest;
Aldi Supermarket
1 plastic bag 0.30 Garlic 0.37 1 tin of tomatoes 0.45 Chickpeas 0.49 Tomato puree 0.59 Cucumber 0.69 Mushrooms 0.69 Toothpaste 0.69 Lettuce 0.77 Carrots 0.79 Red onions 0.95 Spinach 0.99 Brown sauce 0.99 Baby potatoes 1.09 3 tins Baked beans 1.23 Pasta 1.29 Double cream 1.39 4 pints of milk 1.55 White onions 1.59 Peppers 1.60 Red potatoes 1.95 Bacon lardons 1.99 Wafer thin ham 2.29 Tomatoes 2.35 12 eggs 2.45 Cumberland sausage 3.49 500g beef mince 4.19 Chicken fillets 4.65 2 bottles of Champagne 30.00 Total spent £71.76
I thought tomatoes and eggs seemed more expensive than I’m used to. We opened a bottle of the champagne and had a toast to all being in Sheffield, before going out for the evening.
Captain Caveman had decided he wanted to take me out on the town on Friday night, well down to Woodseats at least. We figured we could get the bus to Norton and then walk down. We did invite Vanessa to join us but they were off out for a family birthday meal. After a very steep downhill walk we arrived at Guzzle, a micro pub that Captain Caveman had been to before. The lady behind the bar was fun and friendly and she had 2 cute little dogs. They also served Prosecco on tap and had pork scratchings – it was my perfect pub. We had a few drinks there and I petted Commander Riker, the friendliest and younger of the 2 pooches. We were getting ready to leave when an ex Aviva colleague arrived to join a group of fellas at the bar. We’d been having a bit of Sheffield banter with them and I’d had a few drinks so we said hello to Richard and he went for a toilet visit. His mates asked how I knew him and I lied and said I couldn’t say much but we went way back to when he was involved in the sex industry. They weren’t sure whether to believe me at first but I was convincing and they left. Captain Caveman and I were laughing at the conversation they were going to have in the next pub! We also decided to move on to The Herd where we were hoping to get some pizza for dinner. It had gone 9.30pm so no food was being served but we were offered Salty Dog nuts with our pints of beer. We decided on an Indian and went to Viraaj, also at Woodseats, for what ended up being a feast. The food was amazing and we had more drinks but when we came to leave it was pissing down with rain. We had to wait a bit for a taxi outside while talking to some German customers. When we got home, Vanessa was still out!
Gratitude List 1. Aldi shopping 2. Captain Caveman coming to Sheffield 3. Meeting Commander Riker.
By 4.50am on Wednesday 21st May, I was ready to start my journey from Dalyan to Sheffield. Vanessa had made us all a cup of tea, I’d made the sandwiches and Matt was kindly driving us to the airport. After a quick goodbye and thanks to our driver (Matt) at Dalaman airport, we were through to the first security check. We both had our own food and a bottle of unopened water each, hoping to get them through. The airport was relatively empty but the family in front of us got their juice cartons taken off them and we had to drink our water. For the first time, they also tried to take my tweezers and nail clippers from me but I said no and they gave them me back, this did mean they emptied my hand luggage bag completely but I didn’t mind as long as I got my stuff back as I only had hand luggage. It was quick and it now meant we had no water but we would be boarding soon. Vanessa’s bag was just an under the seat one which had a pair of men’s Crocs in so the bag kept tipping over. By 6am we were at the gate and doing the obligatory Facebook status update for everyone to see we were on a girls trip to England. I needn’t have paid the extra £10 to book a seat as the Sun Express plane wasn’t full and I moved on to Vanessa’s row who had it to herself. On the flight I bought us some drinks and here’s what we had and spent.
2 small waters 1 can iced tea 1 tea Total spent €13 (536.82 lira)!!!
The chicken sandwiches I’d made us were great too and we even managed to stop chatting long enough to watch something we had downloaded and fall asleep. On landing at Manchester we had almost an hour until our train so we went to the cafe where Vanessa treated us to a cup of tea. I opened the share bag of crisps, ate the cheese and had several biscuits too. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Manchester had some sun and I didn’t need my coat on! Our first train at 10.48am left on time and we changed at Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately, the second train was delayed due to a slow train in front of us. We did the whole journey at mostly 20mph and we didn’t actually get to Sheffield until 1.15pm.
By this time we needed a wee so I suggested a call to the Sheffield Tap for a cider/beer and to use the facilities – the station toilets had a queue. We also picked up a claim form at the station as we were entitled to a full refund of our train tickets. A quick shop in M&S and then we were ready for the taxi ‘home’, to Vanessa’s where I would be for the next 10 days. The taxi was only £11 which I thought was reasonable from Sheffield to Gleadless. We were through the door at 4.30pm which made our total journey almost 14 hours door to door (with the 2 hours time difference)! I was truly spoiled as we had a cup of tea first, obviously, then Vanessa’s daughter and grandson came over for dinner. Chelsea made us delicious chicken tacos with air fryer chips and it was bloody lovely. Vanessa and I shared a bottle of wine to celebrate being back in Sheffield. It was a great evening and I really enjoyed being back in England.
Gratitude List 1. Having a fun journey from Dalyan to Sheffield 2. Lovely food and a place to stay 3. Family dinner at Vanessa’s.
joloyolo 