Dalyan – 17th January

On Friday 17th January I had to knuckle down and make up for being a bit slack yesterday and I was on a mission. I had my early morning 2 cups of tea while waiting for Lady C to wake up so we could go for a walk. She was a bit reluctant but we managed it and she seemed to be getting a bit keener to go the way I wanted and to walk for longer. I had a disagreement with a bloke on Facebook who didn’t like a holiday I’d posted and was challenging the photos which I had shared from an easyJet booking at the Binlik hotel. I was only round the corner from the Binlik Hotel and decided to go take my own photos. When I got there the builders were there but the man let me have a look and was happy for me to take photos. It looked like they were doing a good job actually and I was pleased I’d been to check. For brunch, mainly as I had forgotten to eat breakfast, I decided I wanted to have beans on toast. I was so happy to have found them the other day at the shop next to Waterfall bar for only 57.50 lira (£1.31) and I wish I’d bought more as they are almost double that price in Migros and they don’t always have them in. I also had another piece of birthday cake for afters but then I got on with more work as I had big plans for tonight – I was actually going out out!!!
After completing all my work and doing all my Friday Follow ups, I decided to finish at 3.30pm so that I could go to buy a frying pan from a woman selling lots of new kitchenware (as you do). As luck would have it she had some cute dogs which I also got to pet a little. I also had to nip to the shop, walk and feed the dog, get a shower and get ready for a night out with friends – more belated birthday celebrations! At the shop I just popped to Migros for wholemeal bread and some chickpeas which cost a total of 80.90 lira (£1.84). On the evening walk Lady C was getting a bit confident with Chico, who had taken to joining us on most walks, and was definitely listening to my commands more. I really liked her but she definitely needed far more exercise and a diet. I said this to her and she just looked at me with eyes that said she wasn’t the one polishing off birthday cake instead of a proper meal.

I arrived at Duble restaurant just before 7pm and was warmly greeted by the owner, Ibo. It is one of my favourite places to eat in Dalyan as I think the food and drink is reasonably priced, it’s clean, has a great selection of food but most of all I really like the owner and his wife. It’s located in the old market square and is only small but Ibo has done a lot with it since opening. There’s always a good mix of nationalities and many Turkish friends go there to eat. It just so happened that Debbie and Mike also really like Duble and had chosen it for tonight’s belated birthday celebration. When we arrived there was someone smoking but Ibo asked them to stop and the rest of the evening was smoke free. We decided to choose mezes to share and went to the counter to have a look at the substantial selection. It was a hard choice but we opted for red cabbage, haydari (garlic yoghurt with herbs), mushrooms and something none of us had tried before; sea beans. We ordered a bottle of red wine and some water, we got plenty of warm fresh bread to accompany the mezes which were so fresh and delicious. Surprisingly, the sea beans were fantastic; like samphire but better! They tasted a little bit like artichoke in brine but with the texture of some shrubbery. Ibo had recommended them to us so I think he was pleased we liked them. He knows I’m fussy! After wine, chat, laughs and trying to pronounce the Turkish for sea beans (deniz fasulyesi) we decided we had better order some mains. I was in two minds whether to try the chicken dish with a sauce which Debbie ordered or copy Mike on my usual choice of chicken shish. Having had quite a lot to eat with the mezes and bread already, I decided that I would order the liver as it is one of the best dishes that Duble does, in my opinion. It comes on a skillet with red onion sprinkled with herbs and sumac. For some reason we got a bit giddy and also ordered chips to share, not realising chips would come with the other mains. I had asked Captain Caveman if it was ok to share the news of him getting a new job in the UK and he said it was now official and I could tell Debbie and Mike. They were really pleased for him and we all did a cheers, sending him the photo of us all.

After the excellent meal, we all decided it would be a nice change to go and see the live band which is on each week at Nil Lounge. Debbie and Mike had not been before and I hadn’t been in quite a while so we were up for it.
At Nil Lounge it was fairly busy for a Friday night in winter but we managed to find a seat almost opposite the ‘stage’. We had a good view of the lead guitarist as he morphed himself in to a Jimmi Hendrix impersonator and contorted his face up like he was either aroused or needed a poo! I don’t think Debbie, Mike and I had laughed so much but then Jimmi came over to our table, thrusting and fingering his guitar from behind his head, like something possessed. I got dragged up on to the ‘dancefloor’ by Sue who was in her element and having such a good time! It was so funny and we did have an amazing night. The band was great and the female vocalist had such a great repertoire of songs. Although Nil Lounge is not the cheapest place to drink, it was still just less than £20 for a bottle of decent red wine so definitely worth it if you don’t mind a free grind from the guitarist as he strummed in front of you and generally showed off. It’s worth going just to see the show he puts on!

Gratitude List
1. Beans on Toast as a treat
2. Buying a decent frying pan
3. A fantastic birthday night out with great friends and celebrating Captain Caveman’s new job too.

Dalyan – 15th January

I’m always busy on Wednesdays and Wednesday 15th January was no different. I started the day with tea and toast and a check of my measurements. I’d lost 1cm from my bust, but my waist and hips had stayed the same. I had consumed 228 syns this week so it was not going to be good on Carol’s scales this afternoon at Fat Club. I had so much on my To Do list that I was quite glad of the cancellation of Turkish class that morning so I could get stuck in, after the dog walk of which Lady C was going a little further each day. I nipped to the shop to get more ingredients for my dish for tonight’s meal. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
1 Dido chocolate bar 15.00
Milk 29.90
1 pack of tortilla 54.90
Cauliflower 93.49
Total spent 193.29 lira (£4.39)

When I spoke to Captain Caveman he was very calm and collected and said he thought the interview had gone well and they were going to get him an offer and the contract out. Captain Caveman was waiting to find out more details in this paperwork before committing but it did sound like this was going to work out well for him. I was really pleased that things were going in the right direction as, despite being a positive person, I do worry more than Captain Caveman does. He also helped me install Maps.me on my phone so that I could find places easier when offline, perhaps on a Sunday Walk. Foolishly, I ate a chocolate bar and some peanuts for lunch, put my cauliflower cheese in the slow cooker and then went to Fat Club at Nish Caria hotel, as usual.
Unfortunately, I had put on 0.5kg so I was now exactly at my target weight. I was going to need to be careful this week with those ‘extras’. I finished Fat Club and rushed to meet a lady from the walking group who was going to be at Waterfall bar to return Captain Caveman’s walking poles.
As is often the case in Dalyan, that did not go to plan! I ended up paying 140 lira (£3.18) for a glass of red wine to sit on my own in Waterfall bar. I wasted 50 minutes and risked my cauliflower chees being spoiled to have to go find the lady’s house, when she called me with directions, then turned out not to be at home! She came running down the street in a flap with a tale about her ID card not arriving before she left for England.

I rushed back to a slightly overcooked cauliflower cheese and a dog who wondered what had kept me. We did the dog walk and I got ready for an evening with friends. Jamie picked me up, with Julia already in the car so she got to hold my cauliflower cheese (not a euphemism), which was precariously covered with tin foil and in a tray with handles on. We then went to pick up Nanny Kay, which meant she could join me on the wine. I’d brought a nice bottle of the Levissi stash over and my dish went in the oven. Jamie and Drew were the perfect hosts; as Drew took charge in the kitchen, Jamie poured everyone a glass of celebration fizz which was so lovely!!! We were celebrating quite a few occasions including Drew’s return, my birthday, several people’s departures and just being together for a laugh!!! Not only had Jamie and Drew put on the soirée and bought the Prosecco, they had also bought me a bottle of red wine. Nanny Kay had got me a card and a gift which I thought was a cricket bat at first, but it turned out to be a lovely hand painted paddle type item which you hang on a wall. I certainly didn’t already have one so she had chosen well and it was very kind of her. The drinks flowed, the music came from Alexa, which I didn’t even know they had, and our Sunday Dinner on a Wednesday (so wild) was delightful. I had no idea that Jamie and Drew had got me a birthday cake too and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. Even Norman and Edna tried to get a piece of cake, which was gorgeous and blowing out candles has made a comeback since Covid (who knew!?). I felt so lucky to be with such good company and of course we had a great time, laughing non-stop and even dancing. We ended up all shouting song requests at Alexa while keeping Fikri, our taxi driver, waiting a little too long at the end of the night! He was slightly miffed at having to wait for us so all 3 of us put in extra lira.
Jamie insisted I take the remaining cake home and I remember holding it in the taxi as I clambered out and wobbled about getting up the steps and indoors. It was late and I don’t recall what happened to the cake from that point. I do remember drinking one glass of water in an attempt to ward off the hangover I knew I would have tomorrow. I also recall checking Nanny Kay had got home ok, despite us all going in the taxi together. I also followed it up with a very crude post from Facebook which was a good job Nanny Kay had a sense of humour.

Photo/video credit – Julia and Drew

Dalyan – 12th & 13th January

It rained heavily all day on Sunday 12th January and I had trouble getting Lady C out for a walk. Once she was out though, she discovered she liked a bit of sploshing in puddles and I had to dry her off with a towel which the damp cats had been on. She was not impressed and demanded snacks! I had more juicy oranges and pink grapefruit for breakfast, vegetable soup for lunch and peanuts for snacks. I did a few enquiries for work but I had a feeling they were time wasters – it’s hard to tell. I defrosted a chicken casserole for dinner and had it with slow cooker cauliflower cheese as I had so much cauliflower. It was very tasty and I really enjoyed a wet wintery day indoors.

Gratitude List
1. Good homemade food
2. Being warm in the AC
3. Sploshing in puddles.

Monday 13th January was a busy working day and I was loving having the new Resort Experts quote tool. It was reducing the time I was spending producing quotes. I was up very early, it finally stopped raining and I managed to get Lady C out but she didn’t want to go far. She wouldn’t go in the direction of the bin, when I needed to put some rubbish in, so I hooked her on to the gate – she wasn’t impressed. We met up with a dog who had been abandoned, Chico, who started to join our walks. Luckily, a kind Turkish lady was feeding her and let her shelter on her balcony when it rained.

I was also playing catch up because of taking some time off at the weekend. Unfortunately, I got a message from The Aussies to say they were leaving at 7am tomorrow and wanted to meet up today to say bye but I just didn’t have time. I barely had chance to go to the corner shop to buy some provisions, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Fresh bread 10.00
1 Açma & 1 simit 70.00
1 tin of Heinz beans 57.50
Red cheese 133.00
Total spent 270.50 lira (£6.15)

I worked most of the day, had a couple of rain dodging short dog walks and ate the same as what I had yesterday for lunch and dinner – I do love a batch cook to free up time.

Gratitude List
1. Buying treats of baked beans and cheese!!!!
2. More genuine Resort Experts enquiries coming through
3. Time saving solutions.

Dalyan – 9th & 10th January

My day started with overnight oats and frozen berries for breakfast with my Yorkshire tea on Thursday 9th January. Lady C, the dog, was still napping and wasn’t too keen to go outside in the cold. When we did get out for her morning walk she managed to get the whole way around the block. I left her at home while I went to run some errands which included going to the bank and picking up some bread and a cheese flavoured açma from the bakery, for 35 lira (80p). I decided to call at A101 and get some treats too. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket 2pm
1 Dido chocolate bar 16.50
Jellies 17.00
1 Pot noodle 22.00
1 Bounty chocolate bar 24.50
Total spent 80.00 lira (£1.82)

I bumped in to a friend in the town and had a bit of a chat and then had to dash. It was around lunch time by this point and when I arrived at our complex, two of The Aussies, were on the terrace waiting for the rest of the family to arrive back from a trip across the river. Another 2 were at home ill with Covid symptoms and Amanda told me that all but her, and 2 of their party of 9, had had Covid. I’d still not had it and I didn’t want it – I couldn’t afford to be unable to work. I backed away and said farewell as I had to get back to my laptop, just as the remaining 5 Aussies arrived.
For lunch, which was very late I had the pot noodle and the cheese açma then got on with my expanding To Do list again before another dog walk. For dinner I had a veggie lentil bolognese with pasta and a glass of red wine. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was back at his friend’s house in Sheffield and was planning some excitement at the weekend. In the evening I started watching Black Doves and did some blog editing at the same time.

Gratitude
1. A January self-care chart to remind me to look after myself
2. Bumping in to a friend for a chat
3. One of my Resort Experts colleagues, in Majorca, helping me with a list of 50 ideas for social media posts.

Now that I could have between 40 and 60 extra syns per week, plus up to 3 extra Healthy A & Bs per day, I was ready for more flexibility in my food on Friday 10th January. I was awake early and ploughing through my substantial To Do list while I drank my tea and ate my overnight oats with berries. There was dog walking, cat feeding and general animal stuff. Lady C was rather disgruntled that at least 4 cats were sleeping on her bed when we got back to her house. We had another short walk at lunch time as I wanted to keep her active while the weather was fine, I felt she was a little lazy and didn’t want her getting bored. When we got back this time, the cats were feeding and one had made a bed out of a spare box on the table. I ate an aubergine dip with bread and feta then had some peanuts as a snack. I also cancelled all my plans that involved other people, for the next 3 days. In Turkey if you have Covid, there are no rules to say that you must stay home but I checked with the friends who I was meant to be visiting today, one was an ex medical professional who was at risk, and they definitely didn’t want me to join them, for up to 5 days, just in case I had caught it. It was unlikely, as we had been outside and at a distance, but I’d been feeling under the weather with aches and a bit of a sore throat. Rain was definitely forecast this weekend so I decided that I would use the time to be productive instead.
For dinner I had leftover lentil bolognese with potato wedges which I did in the air fryer and topped with cheese, since I was allowed extra now. As it was a Friday and I was not going out, I decided to have a glass of wine. I spent Friday night totting up my finances to make sure I would have enough money deposited in to the bank for the new residency rules. For me to stay as a resident now, I needed to deposit at least 33,156 lira per month, which was about £755 at today’s rate. I was short by £170 but with still enough time to sort it out. I finished watching Black Doves in the evening, which I wasn’t massively impressed by. I started watching Breakthrough but couldn’t get in to that either. At 11pm, Captain Caveman called to say he was on his way to the Yorkshire Dales for the weekend and that he would call me tomorrow. I told him to message me first as I had planned to turn my phone off and get on with something important for the day.
Before I went to bed, I got a message from the bank to say that my parents had put me some birthday money in to my Turkish bank, which was really kind of them and would be nice to get myself something nice, or maybe have my hair done at last.

Gratitude List
1. That the cats were outdoor ones and I didn’t have to do much with them
2. Having time to watch some TV
3. Deciding to stay home tomorrow and make time to do something I had been meaning to do for a while.

Dalyan – 5th January

There was no official Sunday walk on Sunday 5th January, as Captain Caveman had now left Dalyan and there was no one else willing/available to take on the task of organising one this week. I’d decided I would not always be free as I worked some weekends and I also was a bit of a fair-weather girl who couldn’t read a map. The sun was out and so when I got up and had my cup of tea, I messaged Debbie and Janet to see if they were going on a walk. They said they were up for a short stroll and Debbie let Sezgin and Nur know too so we could meet at the tea gardens at 11am. It turned in to a bit of a Secret Squirrel Sunday walk, quite by chance. We all started off togged up in many layers, as it was a very cold morning despite the sun. We had lost one walker before leaving the Mosque Square and we watched some stand up paddle boarders on the river. One of them fell in, which must have been a bit refreshing for them. By 12.45pm I had taken so many layers off that my bag was full of clothes and I had very hot feet. I was wearing Captain Caveman’s wool socks with my wellies to make them comfier. We went to the tea gardens afterwards and had a hot beverage and a bit of a laugh.

After the walk, I went to the shops to stock up, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Bakery
1 fresh loaf 10.00
1 açma 15.00
Total spent 25.00 lira (57p)

Migros Supermarket
2 red onions 10.72
1 chocolate bar 14.40
Spring onions 34.94
1.2kg carrots 64.84
720g sweet potatoes 71.96
3 Quark 89.95
Spray olive oil 129.95
705g chicken breasts 105.72
912g chicken thighs 184.64
Total spent 707.15 lira (£16.07)

When I got home, Captain Caveman had been busy setting up a Facebook Group and had invited me to be the admin on it. I treated myself to the açma with kaymak and jam for my brunch and made a chicken casserole in the slow cooker for dinner. The weather forecast was looking bad again for next week so I got on with work and then started looking at my own holidays. I had a quick look at costs of package holidays to Marrakech in February and saw one at £229 per person from Gatwick, hand luggage only but staying at a nice place with a pool. Captain Caveman thought this was a bit pricey and I looked at flights which came up at a bargain £35 return from Gatwick. I would still have to add my flights from Turkey to the UK on top of that, though. I went to bed thinking of a weekend in Marrakech and knowing the sales course I was on tomorrow had come at a good time.

Gratitude List
1. The Secret Squirrel Sunday Walk
2. Bargain chicken from Migros
3. Captain Caveman including me in his projects and plans.

Photo credit – some photos by Debbie W

Dalyan – 3rd January

I stayed in bed writing my blog on Friday 3rd January as it was too cold to get out. I put the AC on warm but it took a while to warm up the room. I had Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup), with the rather pricey lettuce in, for breakfast and got on with some work.
At 12.30pm a friend arrived to pick me up as I was going over to her place for a quick cup of tea and a catch up. It was nice to have an hour out and I went to the supermarket afterwards where I picked up a couple of bits. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

BIM Supermarket
Frozen sweetcorn 42.50
250g strong cheese 79.50
2 X 1kg basmati rice 110.00
Total spent 232.00 lira (£5.27)

While prices in general had gone up for the new year, basmati rice was on offer so both me and my friend bought a couple of bags as it’s not always in stock.
I had a cheese sandwich for lunch and decided I would have a curry for dinner. In the afternoon Jamie and I had a Resort Experts meeting at mine over a couple of cups of tea and we talked about what was working and what wasn’t. I’d already set my targets for the year and was on a bit of a mission.
I made a Slimming World Mauritian curry with leftover chicken kebab from the prison and almost gave myself food poisoning. When I cut it up, it was still still raw in the middle which may have accounted for why I had a bit of a dodgy tum as soon as I got home after dropping Captain Caveman off at the airport. Still, I had chopped all the ingredients and made the curry base now so I had it anyway. It tasted amazing but it was probably a little foolish. As it was a Friday I also had some wine as a bit of a treat. My stomach wasn’t great afterwards but I wondered if that just meant that the sun’s I’d counted for tonight, would no longer be contributing to my total.

Gratitude List
1. Being able to have a cup of tea with friends and their dog
2. Having Jamie to bounce ideas off
3. Speaking to Captain Caveman who was busy on the job searching front.

Dalyan – 2nd January

On Thursday 2nd January I had a busy and expensive day; Our water bill for last month was 351 lira (£7.98) and that was pretty good considering people had seen a rise in utility prices already. The electric bill was 250 lira (£5.68) for the month and of course was much less than usual as we weren’t home all the time.
I did my measurements and found that I had lost 1cm from my bust and waist, while my hips had stayed the same. On the home scales I was 0.25kg (0.5lb) heavier than my target which wasn’t bad considering how much we had been eating and drinking and that I had not tracked or stayed on plan at all this week.
At the first Fat Club of 2025 I stepped on to Carol’s scales to find that I was 0.25kg (0.5lb) under my target and I was really pleased and relieved. It was good to know that I had finally done it – I had achieved my goal weight of 66kg. In total I had lost 11kg (24.2lb) which is more than the weight of my full rucksack when I take it as hand luggage on a plane. In centimetres I had lost a total of 7cm from my bust, 13cm from my waist and 6cm from my hips and had gone from a size 16/18 to a size 12!Wow, I just needed those ‘before and after’ photos of me stood with a massive pair of trousers, as they do on the Slimming World adverts. What I found out from Carol at group was that once you hit your target, you are allowed some extra Healthy Options as well as a few more syns! I’m sure if I’d known that at the beginning, I’d have done it sooner. The Fat Club had really helped me be accountable, more disciplined and motivated to no longer be fat and I was so pleased to have been able to have the group support. Now, I just had to keep it off but I did decide that I was going to treat myself to something I fancied to eat that wasn’t good for me and that I’d been avoiding since August. I called at a couple of shops on my way home, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 Dido Chocolate bar 14.00
Cheese spread 29.90
1 tin chickpeas 29.95
1 pack of egg noodles 33.50
Cashew nuts 74.50
1 small iceberg lettuce 79.95
Mozzarella cheese 89.90
Total spent 351.70 lira (£8)

I did not check on the price of the lettuce as I wanted it for my Pho, but that was an expensive item at £1.82!

Şarküteri
1 pork sausage roll 50.00
3 tins of coconut milk 195.00
Total spent 245.00 lira (£5.57)

I knew the coconut milk would be pricey but it can be hard to get here so I bought the last 3 tins. After eating the sausage roll and not being that impressed with it, I realised I’d finally overcome wanting to eat food that was bad for me, more than I ever thought I would.
For dinner, I made Slimming World style pizzas which were lovely.

Gratitude list:
1. Being able to afford to pay the bills this month
2. Finally hitting my weight target at Fat Club
3. Eating a pork sausage roll as a treat then not being that impressed by it.

Dalyan – 27th & 28th December

I had another day ‘in the office’ on Friday 27th December and Captain Caveman helped me turn our spare room in to my new office. We took a table from one of our balconies to the spare room and put it under the window. The room overlooks a new building which was still being worked on but it did have sun coming in through the windows. We used a spare wooden dining room chair but Captain Caveman thought it needed a bit more support on my back. He used a jacket he was leaving in Dalyan to cover the back of the chair and it was super comfy. I cracked on with work, while Captain Caveman went to the barbers for a haircut and shave. He looked like a new man when he got back!!
At 12.30pm we walked over to Jamie’s to say hi to Norman and Edna before Jamie, Captain Caveman and I had a trip to Fethiye and Göcek. Edna was excited to see us, as always Norman was not particularly interested. Jamie wanted to take advantage of the wine in Göcek which Janet and Ian had introduced us to, so we went there first to pick up wine. Captain Caveman decided it would be a good investment for him to buy more wine and so we also bought 12 more bottles. This time, we chose our preferred wines and bought 4 each of the Gamay, Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon at 150 lira (£3.40) per bottle so a total of 1,800 lira (£40.82) – an absolute bargain! We also called to collect something in Fethiye then headed back to Dalyan. That evening, Captain Caveman cooked some pasta for dinner and we had more wine!!

I had several plans for Saturday 28th December; get up early to go to the market, work until midday, go to the beach for the afternoon, clean our own house and go shopping. The weather was cold and cloudy and didn’t look like it might stay dry enough for a beach visit today. So instead, Captain Caveman went dogging and I worked, we didn’t bother with the market. As Captain Caveman was leaving in a few days he thought it was pointless to get anything from the market and we could make do this week. I worked through some travel guides for top things to do in Vietnam in Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hoi An, Danang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh and Phu Quoc. I was becoming so much more aware of other Travel Agents not promoting Phong Nha in their Vietnam itineraries and trying to shove the whole country in to one short trip – which was too rushed and unreasonable. I absolutely loved my new office views and the skies were very atmospheric. The AC in that spare room certainly made the room very cosy and I thought I might move in to that bedroom when Captain Caveman left, if the nearby building work wasn’t too disruptive.
I finished work for a soup and cheese on toast lunch with Captain Caveman then suggested that we go do the shopping. Here’s what we bought, prices in lira:

BIM Supermarket
Salt 6.25
Carrots 14.75
2 Dido chocolate bars 27.00
Atom dip 29.50
Aubergine and tahini dip 29.50
Toilet rolls 39.00
Mushrooms 44.75
Fairy washing up liquid 74.75
15 eggs 75.00
Total spent 340.48 (£7.72)

Migros Supermarket
Hummus 39.75
Total spent 39.75 (90p)

After unpacking the shopping and putting it away, I suggested we check out a café/bar I had been meaning to visit. O Filo is a lovely little place with a good selection of craft beers so we decided to treat ourselves to a beer each, I also wanted to suss it out for a place to work from if I fancied ‘working from home’ somewhere in Dalyan. It was ideal for that, although I wouldn’t be splashing out on craft beers until the money was rolling in quicker. My honey and pepper beer was really good and Captain Caveman chose a nice Gara Guzu Red Ale. We paid 500 lira (£11.34) for 2 craft beers and that included a discount, but I would definitely recommend it for a really nice place to sit and enjoy a quiet drink. As we were walking back we noticed Penny & Phil were in Tez Bar and so we decided to see if we could join them for a drink. It was lovely to catch up and I got to cuddle their dog, Caramel, too. It cost us just 440 lira (£10) for our 2 drinks each and then we had to leave as we needed to get ready for tonight’s party. We had been invited to The Aussie’s for a BBQ at their villa and we decided to take a bottle of wine to drink. It was a good job I had given myself permission to eat and drink whatever I liked without taking note as I ate so much delicious food. I had lots of bread, köfte, some salad items and I even had Australian fairy bread. If you’ve not had this before it is white sliced bread with butter (in this case Lurpak) and topped with coloured sprinkles (hundreds and thousands, I think we call them?). It started raining but, in true Aussie style, that did not put anyone off and we continued as Captain Caveman went on to gin. Amanda and Greg were so kind to have also brought us some gifts; 3 lots of high factor great quality sun cream, Lurpak butter and some Shapes crackers. It was a great night and we walked home quite merry (again), despite knowing we had to be up early for the Sunday Walk tomorrow.

Dalyan – 25th December

It was just a normal weekday for us in Dalyan on Wednesday 25th December, or Christmas Day to most people reading this. We had a lay in without any dogs to let out and it was nice to be able to relax and have a day off. I left Captain Caveman getting up and went to the bakery and supermarket. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Parlak Bakery
1 fresh loaf 10.00
2 simit 30.00
2 açma 30.00
Total spent 70.00 lira (£1.59)

Şok Supermarket
Milk 24.00
BBQ Sauce 79.00
550g chicken breast 115.50
A 1.7kg whole chicken 160.67
Total spent 379.17 lira (£8.60)

I was the only one in the supermarket but the bakery was busy with Turks who were probably enjoying having the town to themselves for a change, while most of the Dalyan dwelling expats did Christmas. I found it very pleasant and the sun was shining at first but it started to rain while I was out and I had to shelter.
We had a Turkish style breakfast; açma, simit, kaymak and cherry jam with tea for me and coffee for Captain Caveman. We had the AC on heat mode as it was a bit chilly.
For the rest of the day, we decided to watch some TV. Our first film choice was the rather good Sleuth, with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier. We had cheese on toast as promised to ourselves and it was just so lovely. By late afternoon we had opened a drop of red wine, the Christmas present from my parents, and had more cheese on toast, with salt and vinegar crisps.
I made popcorn when it went dark and we watched another film; The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing about cracking the German Enigma code. It was not something I thought I would enjoy but it was really good. We finished our really relaxed non-Christmas, Christmas Day by watching a few episodes of 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. I had one of the best days in ages and I didn’t mind missing Christmas, I was grateful to be in a country where it didn’t matter and we could just have a day on our own. This time next week Captain Caveman would have left Dalyan for at least 3 months. We found a flight for only £27 from Gatwick back to Dalaman at the end of March so we booked it, for that price it didn’t matter if he didn’t get to use it.

Dalyan – 23rd December

Monday 23rd December turned out to be quite busy for me as I had a lot to do before Jamie returned tomorrow. It was also bad news on the weather forecast for anyone who was planning on going to the beach for the annual Christmas Eve gathering. Captain Caveman and The Aussies were planning on going, however, I was going to be with Norman and Edna waiting for Jamie to get safely back. I preferred for me not to go and get stuck down at the beach, in case there were any delays. After a month away, it was important to Jamie that he was able to see his fur babies as soon as he walked in the door and he had planned a night on the sofa with wine and dog cuddles. While Captain Caveman went Dogging, and after tea and cornflakes for breakfast, I went to Captain Net to pay the next month of our internet which was 400 lira (£9.05) but would be going up in January. I went to the shops in the rain, here’s what I bought on the first trip;

Migros Supermarket

Pasta 11.75
Spaghetti 11.75
Tinned tomatoes 19.95
Cheese 89.90
Total spent 133.35 lira (£3.02)

Yaman Büfe 2
Jamie’s shopping:
1 bottle of red wine (Angora) 322.50 lira (£7.30)

Palmiye Pet Store
Dog food 495.00lira (£11.20)

Back at Jamie’s, I started to do some cleaning to minimise how much I had to get through tomorrow. I did a bit of work and messaged Jamie to discuss his plans to get back home during a predicted storm.
When Captain Caveman got back from Dogging and a shower at home, we had soup for lunch and then I needed to go over for a shower so we took some stuff back over and the dogs for a walk.
I was still concerned about money and income for both of us, so I was cautious that with our Australian friends arriving tonight, we didn’t have any spare in the budget to be able to go out. Captain Caveman seemed a bit more relaxed about it than me and he even suggested we go to the shops and get stocked up. We wrote a list and, because of our Christmas plans, we had some luxury items in the shopping, here’s what we bought with the prices in lira;

BIM Supermarket
Vermicelli 8.50
Wholemeal bread 22.50
Brown bread 24.50
Lentils 40.50
4 Dido chocolate bars 66.00
Total spent 162.00 lira (£3.67)

A101 Supermarket
Kaymak (Clotted cream) 59.00
Olives 79.50
Total spent 138.50 lira (£3.13)

Migros Supermarket
1l Tonic 45.00
Butter 99.95
1 pack of ordinary cheese 139.90
350g Strong Cheese 199.90
Total spent 484.75 lira (£10.97)

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
2 Metro chocolate bars 23.00
Cheese crackers 44.90
Total spent 67.90 lira (£1.54)

Şok Supermarket
Cheese crackers 28.00
Paprika crisps 35.00
Plain crisps 39.50
Total spent 102.50 lira (£2.32)

We had splashed out and got some nice treats for Captain Caveman’s last week in Dalyan. That evening, we had leftover bolognese on a jacket potato and we watched TV while I did a bit of social media content for over the Christmas period.

Dalyan – 19th December

I had made time in my work diary to do the Quote testing on Thursday 19th December and had expected that Captain Caveman would be Bumming in the morning. I had a cup of tea but didn’t have any breakfast as I got straight on with work. At lunch time I made another banana bread and we had a slice of that for lunch.
In the afternoon I took a break from work, as we were still waiting for the Quote tool to be finalised, and I popped to the shops. Here’s what I bought in all 3 shops, with prices in lira;

BIM Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 33.00
A 1.2kg whole chicken 97.32
Total spent 130.32 lira (£2.97)

A101 Supermarket
2 packs of mini wraps 30.00
1 pack normal wrap 43.50
Total spent 73.50 lira (£1.67)

Migros Supermarket
15 eggs 87.50
Frozen fruit 89.95
Total spent 177.45 lira (£4.04)

While I was out, I noticed that both Migros and A101 were selling fresh or frozen turkeys especially for Christmas and Migros even had some Christmas related tat in, which I think was the first time I had seen it in Dalyan.
That evening, despite not bringing any more wine over from our apartment, I cooked a Sunday roast dinner on a Thursday! It wasn’t that wild a notion as in Captain Caveman’s eyes, he thought today was our 13th anniversary. We met on the Thursday before Christmas so he sees this day as being our anniversary rather than the actual date.

Photo credit – some photos from the Riverbums

Dalyan – 16th December

Captain Caveman went Dogging, despite being sick with a cold, on Monday 16th December and the planned power cut didn’t affect me so I managed to get ahead of myself on the To Do list for a nice change. I had tea and toast for breakfast and the dogs really wanted some but I reminded them that Edna was on a diet and could not have buttered toast.
When Captain Caveman returned he was even more poorly and we had soup with bread for lunch. In the afternoon I popped out for some fresh air, to get some medicine for Captain Caveman and fetch some shopping. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
1 Caramel chocolate bar 16.50
15 eggs 87.50
712g Chicken breasts 149.52
Total spent 253.52 lira (£5.72)

Pharmacy
Strepsils 179.90
Tylol Hot 310.87
Total spent 490.77 lira (£11.08)

Stationers
A 2025 Diary 150 lira
A card 35 lira
Total spent 185 lira (£4.18)

Migros Supermarket
1 Quark 29.95
Milk 28.25
Chickpeas 31.95
1l Coca Cola 35.00
3 tinned of tomatoes 44.85
Butter 62.50
7% Fat Beef mince 209.91
Total spent 442.41 lira (£9.99)

I felt a little queasy on the way home and ate the chocolate bar to give me a bit of energy and when I got back I took the dogs out for a walk, while Captain Caveman had his hot lemon medicine. I was really pleased to have got myself a new diary and I messaged my Mom to say thanks for the Christmas money and that I now had a very much needed, and in my favourite colour, 2025 diary to get me focused on next year’s plans and goals. I also knew what I would spend the rest of the money on as a really nice treat for both Captain Caveman and I.
I did a bit more work as Captain Caveman rattled Strepsils round his teeth. Then we warmed up yesterday’s leftover Sunday dinner for our Monday evening meal.

Dalyan – 13th December

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

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 11th December

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dalyan – 4th December

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

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

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

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