Çeşme to Kuşadası – 27th April

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Çeşme, Ildır, Balıklıova & Alaçatı – 26th April

Captain Caveman arrived at the Kerman hotel on Saturday 26th April almost 5 hours after he had landed in Izmir. Both Sezgin and I spotted him at the same time as he walked in to the entrance and was absolutely fine. Unfortunately, on arrival at the airport there had been an issue with picking up the hire car. The company had gone bust just a day before and so there was a delay in the provider finding an alternative. Captain Caveman had no working phone so was unable to call me to let me know he would be late. Once he got on the road he could see no reason to stop to call us and didn’t think we would worry.
In the morning, all 6 of us met for breakfast at the Kerman hotel, which was really lovely. Of course, I have to be careful with Turkish breakfasts when travelling so I just had a bit of cheese, some olives and a piece of bread.
Today we would drive back towards İzmir and check out some small towns. Sezgin, Nur, Debbie and Mike would now be in the first car and I would join Captain Caveman in the hire car. There was no itinerary given to Captain Caveman, other than for him to follow Sezgin’s white car and try to keep up. Sezgin had the plan and was about to take us on quite a tour of the area. Our first stop was just a few metres up the hill from the hotel so that we could admire the beautiful view of Çeşme.
On our morning’s adventure we stopped to admire and have a short walk in Ilacı and Ildır. We met a fat street dog on the way, in a park, and it was hotting up so I took it on a little walk to the shady area. It was artichoke season so the others bought 2 lots of it but I wasn’t skilled enough in the kitchen to cook it and wasn’t overly keen on it. Captain Caveman and I stopped for petrol and I paid the man 461.30 lira (£9).

We had a lovely sightseeing morning before driving to Balıklıova for lunch. Sezgin and Nur had decided to take us to their favourite fish restaurant to enjoy fresh fish. Ozal’ın Yeri Lokantası was set right on the water’s edge and the owner was very pleased to see our Turkish friends. It was a beautiful setting and we had got there before anyone else. Debbie and Captain Caveman were in their element as they love fish, Mike and I don’t eat fish so we ordered a pide, haydari, fava bean paste and olives. The others really enjoyed their fish and I could see how proud Sezgin and Nur were of this local restaurant. The pide, mezes and salad were very good and I enjoyed my lunch, although I worried for my onward travel as we needed to keep up in the car convoy and I may need a loo. When the bill came, Sezgin did his usual trick of asking for discount and quite a bit of bartering went on. Us Brits weren’t used to that and it was a bit uncomfortable but the Turks seemed to be fine with it and we ended up with a discount which I was glad about. I paid our share of the bill which came to 1,900 lira (£37.11) which wan’t bad considering the fresh fish and the location.

In the afternoon, still keeping up with being a 2 car convoy, we visited the amazing market in Alaçatı. The market there was pretty big and very cheap, but we were all conscious of the boot space in the car. Captain Caveman bought a pair of crocs for 100 lira (£1.95). I was tempted to get some but they didn’t have my size in the colour I wanted. As we got to the food market stalls, my stomach started to react to my lunch and I needed the loo quite desperately. I hastily found a cafe/bar and Captain Caveman sat down to order a drink while I found the toilet. In my panic I had not realised that Mahalle Alaçatı was on the pricey side, but by then the others had joined us and ordered drinks without seeing the menu. Here’s what we paid for our soft drinks, prices in lira;

Mahalle Alaçatı
1 small water 70
1 Coca Cola 125
3 Soda Waters 330
Total spent 525 lira (£10.25)

In the place’s defense, it was very nice and the food coming out to customers looked really good. We had a really lovely walk around the town of Alaçatı which looked like a wonderful place to live if you had money. There were some lovely buildings and it felt very European. Captain Caveman was messing with his ears which I had kept saying he needed to see a doctor about but he wouldn’t listen (no pun intended). He had made them sore from scratching so we popped off to get some Aloe Vera cream from the Watson’s pharmacy. We paid just 35.95 lira (70p) and he insisted on putting it on in the street. By this time, we had lost the others so Captain Caveman got me to stand next to a mussel cart while he went off to look for them. I was feeling queasy just looking at the mussels, when Sezgin appeared from the opposite direction. We all gathered back together and walked back to the cars, having had quite enough excitement for the day – or had we!?

It was getting on by the time we got back from an epic day out, calling at another view point and a quick trip to another Dalyan on the way back. It was great hearing Sezgin’s stories of where they had lived and we saw far more than we would’ve if we’d gone alone. The roadtrip had been a good excuse for a wine and cheese trip but I’d yet to have or see either, so maybe tomorrow as we would be moving to another destination. We parked back up at the Kerman hotel and there was talk of a book shop or seeing some history. I was quite happy with a book shop and taking it easy but before I realised what was going on, Sezgin and Nur sent the rest of us off to see Çeşme Castle/Museum. It was priced at just 6 Euros each, I paid in Turkish so cost 522.72 lira (£10.10) for the 2 of us and I thought it was worth it. We spent an hour exploring and I found it really interesting, the views were fantastic, especially at sunset. If you aren’t good with steps or particularly mobile then I wouldn’t recommend it as it is a bit steep in parts.

By 8pm we were back at our new favourite Çeşme restaurant, Friendly Corner. I decided to order a red wine and when it came it was a massive glass of Rituel for 100 lira (£1.93) – an absolute bargain! We had lots of laughs as we shared experiences from both cars at how well Sezgin and Captain Caveman kept up with each other. I could see even more why they made such great Bridge partners now, as there was a hint of telepathy going on, I’m sure.
For dinner, I decided to order boldly, having had the large wine and ordered another. I chose a casserole which I hoped wouldn’t be too greasy for my stomach. It came with chips and rice and was absolutely delicious. I was quite merry by the time we got the bill and, of course, Sezgin once again flexed his haggling skills with the owner, our new best friend. I paid just 1300 lira (£25.15) for the 2 of us and that included quite a bit of wine. The day had been fantastic and made even better by getting to spend more time with Captain Caveman. He was very tired from the driving so we went back to the hotel, intending to get some rest, ready for a rather full-on day again tomorrow. We decided to have a night cap, this time in Debbie and Mike’s room, they even went to the shop to get some more wine!

Gratitude List
1. Great places to see, especially Alaçatı market and town
2. Çeşme Castle and museum
3. Another wonderful evening with friends at Friendly Corner.

Photo credit – some photos by Captain Caveman, Debbie, Mike, Sezgin and Nur

Dalyan to Çeşme – 25th April

I was up and out by 7.30am on Friday 25th April, having had a Yorkshire tea, a slice of buttered toast and a travel sickness tablet.
I was the first to arrive at Sezgin and Nur’s house, ready to meet Debbie and Mike for a weekend road trip. We had arranged for the 5 of us, driven by Sezgin, to have a trip around the İzmir area of Turkey. Captain Caveman would meet us in Çeşme, at the Kerman hotel after picking up a hire car from İzmir airport upon landing, later tonight.
We left around 8am with me sitting in the middle of the back seat to start with. After a couple of hours on the road, we stopped next to a reservoir/picnic stop so that Sezgin and Nur to eat whatever breakfast we had brought. I avoided any gluten or stodge by having a banana for my snack while the others shared their food. Sezgin pointed out places of interest along the way and we stopped for comfort breaks, our next one being in a lovely fishing village called Urla. Sezgin and Nur had previously lived in İzmir so it was good to get first-hand local knowledge about the surrounding areas and see where they had lived before Dalyan. Sezgin told us a funny story about him, his friend and a famous singer in the Dokuz Pub, as we walked past it. There were all types of fish available, which could be browsed in the stalls outside.

I took a turn in the front passenger seat in the afternoon as I’d been fighting the affects of the travel sickness pill which I realised was one of the stronger drowsy ones. We visited a beach and I ate quite a few sweets, trying to stay awake. We stopped at the Altın Yunus (Golden Dolphin) hotel, where everyone had took the mickey out of me for not realising a joke about the wind turbines being there to cool us down when it got too warm. Debbie and I had a Turkish tea while enjoying the lovely sunshine and views of the marina below us.

The last leg of the journey took us on a detour to a very unusual house which had live fish and octopi, plus a random eel, in the walls of the garden. It didn’t look like the creatures had a great existence, although I was assured the owner loved and cared for them! It was definitely one of the weirdest houses I had ever seen. From that point we could see our hotel across the bay.

It was just 3.20pm, when we checked in to our sea view rooms at the Kerman Hotel in Çeşme. Sezgin had negotiated some discount so we paid 3,500 lira (£68.36) for a 2 night stay in a double room, for 2 of us including breakfast. We had originally looked at staying at the The Ilıca hotel which was a bit more swish but to keep the costs down I think everyone was happy to choose the cheaper alternative. I was happy with the Kerman as the rooms were clean, comfortable and basic with a small balcony and an amazing sea view which was definitely worth paying the extra for that room type.
Captain Caveman’s flight wasn’t due to land until 8.10pm so we took a walk around the town of Çeşme. I really liked it and had a chuckle to myself on how the Cheap Chasers in Dalyan would react to the prices of alcoholic beverages at some of the bars. We didn’t even drink in our own hotel because they kept changing their minds about the cost of beers in the bar downstairs. It was empty, yet they raised the price to almost 300 lira (£5.86) for an Efes stating that it was to pay for the live music which was on later. The cheapest I saw advertised on a board, was 175 lira (£3.42) for an Efes. The town was a mix of old and new and it felt very calm, I didn’t notice any English people and most of the bars along the water front were empty.

We came across an eatery which had the perfect name; Friendly Corner Steak House. It was ran by a friendly Turkish guy who had lived in the UK for a while and the restaurant was located on a sunny corner. They also sold steak but we had beers first then some delicious hot chips. I’m always a bit boring and go for the steady option to placate my iffy stomach and to ensure the restaurant is unlikely to serve me a rubbish meal. I plumped for a chicken shish which was served with rice, chips and a fair amount of salad. Sezgin ordered the chicken schnitzel and Nur the chicken strips – I tried the schnitzel and it was very good. Debbie took me by surprise a little by ordering sardines which Sezgin checked if they were fresh with the staff, they were frozen but Debbie was fine with that. There was about 8 sardines and some salad. Mike ordered a pizza which wasn’t great but he managed about half of it. To give an idea of costs, I paid 1,000 lira (£19.53) for my share of the meal and drinks (including discount and tip). I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and was actually thinking I should have been a bit more adventurous with my choice.

We had a post dinner stroll while watching a lovely sunset over the harbour. We got as far as a mermaid sculpture when Captain Caveman’s plane landed. I didn’t expect he would call or text me so we had been tracking the flight, which landed just 10 minutes late. Captain Caveman had booked a hire car from İzmir airport and we worked out he would be due to the hotel by 10pm. Our hotel now had a rather loud, and not that great, live band on so we didn’t fancy the hotel bar. Many of the bars were telling us they didn’t sell Efes in the area, which we knew they did so we avoided them. We called at the shop where we bought some beer (Efes) and wine and took it to my room to wait for Captain Caveman’s arrival. He didn’t have a Turkish phone and his English phone probably wouldn’t work so I just had to hope he arrived. By 11pm we had all retired to bed having got no answer when I called any of his numbers. Sezgin went outside to walk about and keep a look out for him and I was a bit concerned he was this late. By midnight, Captain Caveman was still not in Çeşme and we had no word from him. I reassured myself that he’s extremely well travelled and would be fine. I would go to bed and hope he arrived or contacted one of us soon.

Gratitude List
1. A lovely drive to Çeşme, taking in some fantastic sights
2. Kerman Hotel sea view
3. A wonderful evening with friends at Friendly Corner.

Photo credit – some photos taken by my fellow travellers.

Blackburn to Dalyan – 23rd & 24th April

Wednesday 23rd April would ordinarily have been weigh day back in Dalyan so I still did my measurements. I had lost 1cm from my bust, waist and hips, making all my measurements on or below target. I estimated that I had put on about 2lb or 1kg in weight, though. I worked in the morning and was comparing some holiday destinations between 2025 and 2026 with Gold Medal holidays. Captain Caveman was on a work conference call by the time it was time to leave so I let myself out. It would be only a very short time until we were reunited in Turkey.
My train was at 10.48am from Blackburn to Bolton and I was a bit early. There is nothing to do at Blackburn station so I could have left later, but I had a wander and found the cinema and a Nandos. One of the things on my list to do in the UK was to go to the cinema but we hadn’t, so it was on my list for next time, along with a visit to Chatsworth, chip shop fish & chips and an afternoon tea. My train was on time but then it got held up so I had to rush to get my next train in Bolton. The 11.18am train from Bolton to Manchester airport was also delayed so I treated myself to a takeaway cup of tea for £2.45. I arrived at Manchester airport in good time and had a wander through the Duty Free without spending any money. The cost of Dairy Milk chocolates was rather pricey! My flight was at 14.40 and no gate was displayed so I thought I had time to get a meal and a drink at the pub that wasn’t a Wetherspoon’s. It turned out that I didn’t really have time but had already bought it and then had to get it to takeaway as the flight gate got announced and then was boarding straight away. Here’s what I got with prices in pounds;
Chicken sandwich and chips 18.00
1 glass of white wine 9.00
Total spent £27.00.

On the flight I was lucky enough to be sat in the aisle seat of row one and had two rather lovely ladies next to me. Sam and Michelle were travelling with their family, a few rows behind us, and were all from Wigan. I was in good company as I snaffled my now cold chips and chicken sandwich down me and I noticed the girls had those massive water containers. They had made the genius move of popping alcohol in them for the flight! So they looked healthy drinking so much water/juice but were actually getting right on it! Meanwhile, I spent £13.10 on drinks and a snack but we had a really good flight. It was after 9pm when we landed and I just had time to go to the loo, buy a bottle of water for 2 Euros and say farewell to Sam, Michelle and family.
Jamie and Drew arrived not long after from their Gatwick flight and we shared a taxi back to Dalyan, it cost £30 in total so only £10 each. We were all a bit knackered and I couldn’t wait to get in to bed.

Gratitude List
1. Losing centimetres despite eating too many syns this week
2. First row flight buddies, Sam and Michelle, to make the journey more interesting and fun
3. Sharing the taxi journey back with Jamie and Drew.

I was up and about by 7.30am on Thursday 24th April and ready for a full day of work. My to do list was fairly lengthy so I worked methodically down it. I attended a Webinar with Jet2 which was really useful and then I had to nip to the bank and the shops. Here’s what I bought, with prices back in to lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 28.50
Cheese spread 34.90
3 Quark 57.00
250g butter 96.50
Total spent 336.51 lira (£6.57)

The exchange rate had been just under 50 lira to the pound when I left Dalyan, 3 weeks ago, but it was at 51.2 lira today. I had cheese on toast for lunch before getting back in to work.
I didn’t finish work until 7pm so I decided to have a takeaway for dinner. I ordered the chicken noodles which are one of my favourite dishes at Simple and cost just 365.00 lira (£7.13). While I waited for it to be prepared I nipped to the shop to get some sweets for tomorrow’s car journey as I was off on a weekend away with friends. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Şok Supermarket
Popcorn 16.75
Haribo jellies 17.00
Boiled sweets 50.00
Total spent 83.75 lira (£1.64)

I’m not a good traveller so I knew I needed to take something to stop me getting car sick. While I ate my fantastic dinner, Captain Caveman was still back in the UK but not for long. He was in the excellent Tribe hotel at Manchester where he would be working from tomorrow. I’d booked it through Resort Experts to try it as a new hotel and it definitely impressed us and is within walking distance of the airport. Captain Caveman had arranged to get a flight to meet me and our friends, not too far from Izmir, late on Friday night!

Gratitude List
1. Being back home
2. Shopping
3. Simple takeaway.

Harrogate to Blackburn – 21st & 22nd April

I did a bit of work on Easter Monday 21st April before we left Harrogate to go to our next town. We said our goodbyes to Cas and Mama Cas and headed over to Blackburn, where Captain Caveman was going to be working the next day. He’d booked us in to an Airbnb which we could check in to in the afternoon so we popped to the shop to stock up on a few bits. Here’s what we bought, with prices in pounds.

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
Spinach, watercress & rocket 1.35
2 Large Sausage rolls 1.50
Sliced chicken 1.99
250g Butter 1.99
Sourdough 2.10
Stuffed peppers 3.50
Mozzarella pearls with pesto 3.50
Falafel 3.50
Halloumi & veg wrap, crisps & water 5.00
Total spent £22.93

Captain Caveman ate his meal deal and I had a sausage roll in the car park of a retail park, before we went to have a look in Boundary Mill. I had a bit of a funny turn and needed the toilet as the suspended flooring made me feel a bit wobbly. I left Captain Caveman by the saucepans and told him to wait for me but he didn’t, obviously. We then spent much longer than necessary of me going in, out and round the shopping area looking for Captain Caveman and him not answering his phone.

The Airbnb was rather nice and had a washing machine for us to get some much needed laundry on. Unfortunately, it was going to be a challenge getting my stuff dry in readiness for me to pack for Turkey.
We had a lovely picnic for our dinner, after finishing work late. We had a wander around the town which I expected to be a bit rough, but it was fairly pleasant. The cathedral looked pretty in the evening light and we picked up some Morrisons own baked beans to have for our breakfast tomorrow.
At 7pm I attended an online course and then fell asleep as I was tired. The bed wasn’t too sturdy and I ended up going through the slats when I tried to move.

Gratitude List
1. Being busy with work
2. Captain Caveman finding a nice Airbnb in the town centre of Blackburn
3. A picnic style dinner.

While Captain Caveman was at Blackburn Rovers for work, on Tuesday 22nd April, I spent all day working from the Airbnb in Blackburn. The internet was good and the place was quiet, I was also left in charge of rotating the laundry through the washer/dryer in an attempt to get my clothes dry before my flight tomorrow. I had beans on toast for breakfast, leftover picnic food and Easter egg for lunch then did more work. After work, I checked in for my flight and found that I had been allocated seat 1C for free, which was nice.
Once Captain Caveman was back, we decided to go for a walk on our last night in England together. Our first stop was at the very close train station to get my train tickets for tomorrow’s train to Manchester airport. I paid £9.90 for a train via Bolton which wasn’t bad and meant I needed to be up fairly early tomorrow. Next, I did a bit of research in Waterstones on travel books and planners, we went through the shopping centre and then decided to have a drink in the Drummer’s Arms. This city centre pub, which closes at 7pm, was fantastic. We had 2 pints of beer and 2 bags of Scampi Fries for less than a tenner – definitely a contender for the cheapest round on my trip. The staff and customers in the pub were friendly, it had great music and I really enjoyed it in there.

Our next stop was to get some food so we decided to go for a curry at Akbar’s. Captain Caveman was unlucky as both his starter and main choices were unavailable and he was disappointed. The waiter recommended alternatives, we shared onion bhajis, garlic naan bread and pilau rice. I ordered a butter chicken and Captain Caveman enjoyed the lamb dish which had been recommended. Ahmed, the manager, personally apologised for not having Captain Caveman’s first choices and even said he could come back tomorrow for them, on the house. We got a free dessert and chocolates to finish off our lovely meal and we were both impressed. There were some leftovers for Captain Caveman to have tomorrow, too.

Gratitude List
1. Research in Waterstones
2. Drinks at the Drummer’s Arms
3. Dinner at Akbar’s

Harrogate & Grimwith Reservoir – 20th April

Our Easter on Sunday 20th April was an amazing celebration for the birthday of Mama Cas. We started the day with a lovely breakfast before packing a picnic, complete with flasks of hot beverages, and headed to Grimwith Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales for a fantastic walk with our Harrogate hosts. It was so beautiful and I loved being out in the fresh air. I had stomach issues as soon as we got there but I was ok for the walk, which I was glad about. It was a pleasant walk which we didn’t return from until almost 5pm.

The sun was shining so we sat outside the front door in a sun trap and sipped rosé wine while chatting to some neighbours.
Mama Cas opened cards and birthday presents and we had a bit of a laugh when Cas had a nap before his bath. Seeing them again after so long we had forgotten they were in their 70s and I could have done with a nap too but resisted.

We got a taxi in to town and tonight’s birthday meal was at a lovely Greek restaurant where we had more wine and some delicious food. Cad and Mama Cas just had calamari as they weren’t too hungry but I managed a beef stifado which was a good sized portion. It had been 12 years since the 4 of us celebrated Mamma Cas’s birthday in the Old Bell last time so we certainly gave the ball a good kick and had 2 bottles of wine between us too.
Back home we had a night cap and Captain Caveman fell asleep!

Gratitude List
1. A fab Sunday Walk with picnic
2. Celebrating Mama Cas’s birthday
3. Greek food with plenty of wine.

Chesterfield to Harrogate – 19th April

I had originally thought I would need to be back in Dalyan by Saturday 19th April for 2 reasons; today was the date of expiry for my current residency card and I was meant to be dog sitting for Norman and Edna. I had decided that if I could be back within a week after the expiry date I should be fine and Jamie had asked another friend of his to look after the dogs. This meant I could spend longer with Captain Caveman which I was glad about, as we had been invited to spend the birthday weekend of one of our good friends in Harrogate – I was so pleased I could join the celebrations. We said our sad farewells to Becca and Steve who, despite their own stuff going on, were the perfect hosts. If ever they decide to run a B&B they’d definitely get 5 stars. The cooked breakfast sandwiches were top notch and set us up for our drive to stay with more friends. I secretly signed Becca’s copy of my book which was on the desk in her office too. I was sad to leave and hoped to see them again on the next visit, which hopefully wouldn’t be as long this time.
We were on the road again but first we had a bit of a detour as Captain Caveman was playing a 4 hour Bridge tournament in a hotel in Harrogate so we went there. While there, I did a bit of work and had 2 client calls in the very nice reception of the big hotel.
We then drove over to the home of Cas and Mama Cas to start our celebrations. We had a wine and then got a taxi to the Wetherspoon’s in town for more wine before a lovely meal at Spice Culture, a really good Indian restaurant in town. We took our own booze as it’s not licensed and chatted to our waiter, Ali, who is a law student. The food was so delicious and we loved it. It was such a lovely night but I was so tired from all the excitement of a hectic week that I was in bed, fast asleep before midnight.

Gratitude List
1. Becca and Steve
2. Harrogate with Cas and Mama Cas
3. Indian food

Chesterfield & Sheffield – 18th April

While Captain Caveman had arranged to go on a walk with his ex wife and her dog on Friday 18th April, I had chosen to go in to Sheffield on the bus. Steve gave me a house key and we arranged to see each other later, in town. Becca and Steve dropped me at the bus stop and I got myself a day saver for the bus for £6.50.
My first stop off was to see my parents. My Dad was recovering from knee replacement surgery so I wanted to see how he was doing as well as see Mom too. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, just 3 days after his op, Dad was doing really well and wasn’t in too much pain, which was great. He was already doing his exercises and Mom was helping him. He had been given a Zimmer frame to walk with and was actually quite nimble. I got a lovely surprise of 2 Dairy Milk Easter Eggs from my parents – one for me and one for Captain Caveman. I tried to give some to Dad but Mom said he wasn’t allowed any and I had to snaffle half of the egg part which I’d already opened. I’d not had Dairy Milk for so long and it was amazing!

My next stop off was to see good friends to combine a bit of business and pleasure. Amanda and Chris live near to my parents so I trotted across to their house. I’d not seen them for about 9 months so it was great to see them and also catch up with Amanda’s daughter and her boyfriend to chat about holidays. It was a really good catch up and I even had a cheese toastie while we chatted about what’s been going on since I left – lots! I had to run for the bus, just as it started to rain too, as I was meeting friends in the Forum. I’d picked that venue because it’s a place I knew was open and easy to find. I’d completely forgotten that it was Good Friday so when a few of the gang brought their kids I was thinking it might have been better to choose somewhere more suitable for children. Alas, it didn’t matter and they soon got used to the DJ and the clientele. I had a dodgy stomach (too much chocolate and cheese) so I just drank tap water, and plenty of it.
Joining me were; Becca & Steve, Jo & a son (all off to the football match shortly), Nel & her daughter, Linda, Rachel, Liv, Lucy and her 2 boys, Caz, Tim & their son, Gayle & Neil and Captain Caveman. Between taking it in turns to go to the toilet, with my sister who was in a similar predicament, I had a great time chatting to everyone. There was even a spot of book signing and Linda brought Captain Caveman and I a Cadbury’s Creme Egg, which I love!

I had arranged to leave around 6.30pm as I wanted to support an ex Aviva colleague and friend, Adam Follet, in his Spook Muziek set at the Green Room before heading back to meet Becca and Steve, post match, to go back home. Those of us who were left, drifted over to the Green Room where we had a little chat with Adam and Julie before the gig. By this time Neil, who hadn’t wanted to come out, was merry and Captain Caveman was quickly catching him up. Meanwhile, I had my first alcoholic drink of a half of cider and Gayle was probably on her 5th diet coke, as she was driving. We absolutely loved the music and it was a shame we had to leave as it looked to be a good night.

We left Caz, Liv and Rach enjoying the next act and, as it was raining, Captain Caveman and I got a lift with Gayle and Neil to the bottom of Ecclesall Road. Becca and Steve had taken shelter in the Sheaf Island, the Wetherspoon’s pub, so all 4 of us joined them. We decided to eat there and I ordered a steak, Captain Caveman ordered a burger, we both had already got a drink when we ordered food which came with another for £31.39 in total. For cheap pub food I don’t think you can go wrong with a Wetherspoon’s meal deal and I really enjoyed my first steak in quite a long time.
We said our goodbyes and got a taxi back to Chesterfield where we decided to watch Paddington in Peru and have a nightcap. Unfortunately some of us didn’t last much longer and fell asleep. It was probably because it was such good company!

Gratitude List
1. Seeing the Mosborough Massive
2. Being given Easter Eggs for the first time in years
3. Being out out with lots of friends.

My book link for those who have not yet bought it but would like to:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Cant-Shit-Yourself-Bicycle/dp/B0DWWTBVCL

Barnes to Chesterfield via Tunstall – 17th April

I was not enamoured with the alarm going off at 4.30am on Thursday 17th April! Captain Caveman was working all day in the Tunstall office, near Stoke on Trent, so we left Barnes at 5am. I was hungover and tired but we had travel sweets and plenty of water.
While Captain Caveman went to work, I was the first in to the Asda cafe. I bought a cup of a Yorkshire tea for £1.30 and found myself a table so that I could do some work. The tables were a bit grubby and the clientele rather dubious but it would do for my office for the day. I had a 45 minute Webinar in the morning after which I decided to treat myself to breakfast. The hangover was getting worse as I ordered another cup of tea and a couple of slices of toast with butter. A bargain £2.60 in total and came with the bare hands of the server who couldn’t find a plate and had my unbuttered toast in the palms of his hands. I was bound to be ill!!
Next was our team meeting and an amazing training session with Gold Medal travel. I learned so much and was looking forward to quoting and booking some amazing holidays. They do a Pure Luxury range which is fabulous and I really fancied some of those for myself.
In the afternoon, I finished off more work before having a walk to the Tunstall cafe for a much needed bacon & mushroom sandwich with more tea at a cost of £5.70 and they only take cash. I tried to find somewhere else to work but it was the school holidays and everywhere was rammed with screaming kids. I walked back to the Asda carpark, planning on getting some shopping in but I felt rather queasy. Captain Caveman arrived earlier than expected and we drove directly to Chesterfield without stopping at the shops.
We arrived empty handed and with me feeling like death at the lovely Becca & Steve’s house. It was like checking in to a hotel and we were really grateful to be staying in their new house for a couple of nights. Becca was like the hostess with mostest and had made us a lasagne. Steve was up and down to make sure we were all happy and had a glass of something, plus the right nibbles! It was so thoughtful of them and we absolutely loved the meal and our evening together. I wasn’t going to ever drink again, red wine was definitely off the cards after last night, but I had a couple of white wines to be sociable. We ended up having a right laugh and watching game shows which Captain Caveman fell asleep during.

Gratitude List
1. Asda being my temporary office
2. Chesterfield check-in
3. Spending time with Becca and Steve.

London – 16th April

We had planned some excitement on Wednesday 16th April, as we were off in to London to meet friends after work.
Captain Caveman and I both worked all day with various meetings and calls. We had a late lunch of Tesco pizza which were surprisingly good.
I finished at 4pm and headed off on my own to meet Clare & Claire at the New Moon pub. Both Captain Caveman and Clare had given me directions meaning I couldn’t fail to find the pub. Of course, I couldn’t find exit 4 and came out of the wrong exit but I did find the pub. It turned out I had been there before, years ago, and it’s quite an impressive place right next to Leadenhall Market. It does allow dogs, I didn’t see any but the house wine was good and only £6.80 for a good measure. Probably the cheapest I’d bought in London.
Clare was the next to arrive as she worked not too far away and we had hugs and more wine. A couple of rather large house wines were £19.00 which I didn’t think bad for London. We chatted and waited for Claire to arrive as she had been on a work call until 5pm but arrived soon after that. Again more hugs, Claire was running a marathon soon and not drinking alcohol. That didn’t stop Clare and I as we had another wine. Captain Caveman was last to join us as he’d been working and he also had to be alert for work tomorrow so had a pint of beer. The round of 2 large wines and a beer came to £26.90 so not as expensive as the pubs in Barnes.
We had a good laugh and Claire had reviewed my book to say she wished it had been longer and was eagerly awaiting the next one.

Claire had to get back home so she said her farewells and the remaining 3 of us were getting peckish and I was a bit tiddly. At Pizza Express we ordered dough ball starters, pizzas each and a bottle of red wine. The waiter probably thought we were strange as Clare and I took a selfie of us with the book (an original copy). I signed it for her and we ate like kings, Captain Caveman even had a dessert which is unusual.

After saying our farewells it was Captain Caveman’s job to get me back home. He knew the way but we had to stop for a toilet and to get some water to drink.
We had enjoyed ourselves so much and it had been great to see the girls but I was already thinking I may have had a bit too much wine!!

Here’s a summary of what I spent on one night in London – it’s a good job it was a rare occasion.

New Moon
Round 1, just my wine £6.80
Round 2, 2 large wines £19.00
Round 3, 2 large wines and a pint of beer £26.90

Pizza Express £84

Train £10.50

Sainsbury’s
Water, crisps and a sandwich £3.60

Total spent £150.80

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Clare
2. Seeing Claire
3. Having pizza twice in one day.

Barnes – 14th & 15th April

It was back to work after a rare weekend off together on Monday 14th April. I had muesli for breakfast after a cup of tea in bed from Captain Caveman. He had his morning meeting while I cracked on with Resort Experts work. At lunch time, Captain Caveman and I had a quick walk to the shop where we bought sourdough bread for sandwiches. Then it was back to work for the afternoon.
I had my day brightened up so much when 2 of my best mates both sent me (separately) selfies of them with my book. I was looking forward to seeing Caz and Becca at the Easter weekend so I promised to sign their books.
For dinner we had more ham hock with potatoes and vegetables and a quiet night in.

Gratitude List
1. Sourdough bread
2. Book selfies from 2 friends
3. More Ham Hock!

It was a busy working day on Tuesday 15th April as I rattled through my To Do list. I also had 2 online meetings in the morning. At lunch time, Captain Caveman was too busy to take a walk so I went by myself to the shops. It was a bit odd as there didn’t seem to be an awful lot of choice and they had run out of some of the items on my list.
I had to call Captain Caveman to ask what I should get instead of chicken as there was none! Here’s what I ended up buying, prices in pounds;

Tesco Supermarket
Jammie Dodgers 0.95
Fruit Pastilles 1.65
2 Stone baked pizzas 7.50
Total spent £10.10

Morrison’s Express
Lucozade, Wine Gums and Sports Mix
Total spent £6.05

Barnes Pantry
Hummus £1.99

I’d bought the sweet stuff for the journey back up to the North this coming weekend.
We had sandwiches for lunch, I had a banana and an apple too as I was conscious I was not sticking to the Slimming World plan. I’d not even written down my food or syns this week and was likely to have put weight on.
Back in Sheffield my Dad was having a knee op so I was waiting to hear how that went. All went fine and hopefully he would be going home tomorrow.
After work, Captain Caveman suggested a walk to the Brown Dog where we had a pint. I had the Gelato beer which is very nice and then we walked back home. It was really cold after the sun went in so we were both shivering by the time we got ‘home’.
The last of the ham was had for dinner and I worked on my laptop in the evening while Captain Caveman watched TV.

Gratitude List
1. Dad finally getting his surgery
2. The Brown Dog
3. More Ham hock!

Barnes – 13th April

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

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

…………

Captain Caveman’s video

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

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

London – 12th April

Saturday 12th April was full of surprises and so much laughter. Captain Caveman brought me tea and toast for breakfast in bed then I did a little bit of work. There was a promotion on the Mitsis hotels with Classic Collection which I’d previously attended a training session on so I got busy with that. I’ve often been in countries with a Mitsis but not had the good fortune to stay in one, they looked great and the food choices looked fab.
Uncle Paul arrived as he was having a brief visit for a birthday celebration and Captain Caveman was so excited that he had brought fresh eggs from home.
Captain Caveman suggested we get the train in to London and we were just wondering what we might do there when I spotted a Facebook status update of a good friend. Becca and Steve were in the rooftop swimming pool of their rather swish hotel near Battersea Power Station. Captain Caveman had worked out we could be there with them within the hour (37 minutes to be precise) so I messaged Becca. Of course, she invited us over and to bring our swimmers. I hadn’t brought any back from Turkey and it wasn’t that warm so we decided to meet up in that area after they had eaten lunch.
I wanted to go to the Barnes Farmers market this morning to see if we could get some nice food for tomorrow.
We bought a ham hock, black pudding, a sausage roll and a piece of cooked belly pork with crackling, for around £10-£15. The vegetables looked fantastic but were so expensive at £6.50 for a cauliflower (we didn’t buy it). We also resisted all the lovely cakes, cheeses and chocolate which looked amazing, too.
I thought we were going back home to eat our sausage roll and belly pork but Captain Caveman had other ideas and wanted us to walk down the street with it to get the train. I had a bite of the sausage roll and realised it might be prudent to avoid so that I didn’t get a poorly tum. Instead, I was trying to break off bits of pork from the crispy crackling in the brown paper bag without being wrist deep in grease! By the time I got on the train we’d managed to eat our very unhealthy lunch and I needed hosing down. I then had to walk past Battersea dog shelter and not go in, which was hard.

Becca and Steve were with her brother, Leon, too so we headed through the amazing shopping precinct at Battersea Power Station. Captain Caveman found them straight away and the 5 of us had hugs all round. I got something in my eye as I’d not seen Becca for some time and there was so much to catch up on. She was in the process of waiting for a kidney transplant and I learned so much in our short walk. The process for not only going through the ordeal of getting a new kidney, but getting people to be tested has its obstacles. It’s not just as simple as shouting out to all and sundry to please give me your kidney – there are rules in place to prevent coercion in to doing that. A couple of her friends had put ourselves up for getting tested but I was not aware of the process particularly. I just knew that it would be good to know if there was even a possibility of helping my friend have a better (longer) life, I couldn’t not at least get the test. We laughed and joked about what is actually such a serious subject but we’ve always been the type of friends who can laugh at anything. As we learned Steve was a match and was going to give a kidney – it was the first time I’d heard of a real life miracle. I’m not good with anything to do with blood so I had to really concentrate on not fainting when Becca got me to put my hand on her dialysis fistula (Google that – it is very interesting). It vibrates and made me feel a bit funny, while Captain Caveman loved it and was now getting in to finding out more.
We said our farewells to Leon and decided to take a walk along the river, through the very lovely park. It was a beautiful day and so good to see Becca and Steve.

Of course we had to call for a drink in a couple of pubs where I took no notice of the name of them or how much the rounds cost! I was too busy catching up and enjoying my day off. In one place it was so crowded that we found it difficult to find anywhere to sit. This did not put Captain Caveman off vetting which reserved guests were already 20 minutes late. Sarah at 2pm was still not there so Captain Caveman had turned in to a member of the Punctuality Police and insisted we take the table – we did.
It was a brilliant day and I was sad to say goodbye at the end of it. We decided that on our way back up North we would go visit Becca and Steve and they invited us to stay with them, which was lovely.

Back home, Uncle Paul had left a note to say he’d already driven home and wouldn’t be staying after all. Captain Caveman knocked up a sausage casserole for dinner and I fell asleep on the sofa as soon as he put the TV on.

Gratitude List
1. Barnes Farmers market
2. A fantastic and impromptu day with friends in Battersea
3. Knowing that Becca and Steve were a match for the kidney transplant.

Photo credit – Some photos by Captain Caveman and Becca

Barnes – 10th & 11th April

When Captain Caveman’s alarm went off early on Thursday 10th April, neither of us had slept for long enough. There was washing to do, breakfast to be had and then lots of work/meetings for both of us. I had another Planner Ideation session with the wonderful Claire Clarke and I was really enjoying getting shit done today – the tiredness was not going to get the better of me. I joined a webinar about the Land of Legends in Antalya, Turkey, which looked amazing for families. It was the type of place you could take kids (or adults) who didn’t want to leave the room as it had an iconic Star Trek suite. There was also Paw Patrol, Dora and Ninja Turtles themed rooms for the younger children. It looked amazing and wasn’t that expensive for their All Inclusive packages which I was finding more and more potential customers preferred.
I liked my desk in Captain Caveman’s old bedroom and the house was lovely and quiet, ideal to work from. The weather had turned cold though and, because all my clothes were in the wash, I had to wear Captain Caveman’s jacket.
At 12.30pm, Captain Caveman took himself off to the shops for a breath of fresh air and to get some provisions. I had a meeting booked in. Here’s what he got, prices in pounds;

Sainsbury’s Supermarket
3 bananas 0.81
Milk 0.85
Sausages 1.79
250g Butter 1.99
Bacon 2.50
Total spent £7.94

It was also the Resort Experts team meeting today and it was great. News of more tech to help us and we had a bit of a mission on social media posts. Captain Caveman and I were so busy that I don’t think we ate lunch, but for dinner Captain Caveman made us a chicken pasta which was very good. We had cheese and crackers for afters but no wine as we were tired and begging for mercy.

Gratitude List
1. Coping with little sleep after getting back from Sheffield very late
2. Getting through all of the important appointments in my diary today
3. Cheese.

On Friday 11th April I started to wonder about booking my flight back to Turkey.
Jamie was flying back on the 23rd so we might end up on the same flight, but I got a call for work and we got distracted. I didn’t eat breakfast until 11am as I got busy but then I had to have muesli as we were out of bread.
We went for a walk to the shop at lunchtime and I had a bonus £50 in my account from the Nationwide. Captain Caveman and I called at Sainsbury’s to get some ingredients for a Friday night in. Here’s what we bought and the prices in pounds;

Sainsbury’s Supermarket

3 onions 0.60
Wholemeal loaf 1.39
Toothpaste 1.75
6 apples 1.80
Tomatoes 1.95
Butter 1.99
Potatoes 2.00
Coffee 3.65
2 bottles of red wine 14.50
Total spent £29.63

At first I told Captain Caveman to put the small pack of tomatoes back, for 2 quid as I was so shocked, they are so cheap in Dalyan. The wine was the £2 cheaper than last week so we got 2 bottles, it was also cheaper for a whole bottle than a glass down the pub. We both went back to work after a quick sandwich and at 5pm Captain Caveman said we should finish work. I wasn’t used to these ‘early finishes’ but it was nice to have a wander to the Brown Dog and then to the Coach & Horses. We tried to brave sitting in the beer garden, which was rammed but I was too cold, even with a coat on and we had to retreat inside.
We had left over chicken with pasta again for dinner and a drop of red wine before bed. Tomorrow I was meant to have been up in Sheffield for a birthday celebration but it clashed with one of the most important events of the year.

Gratitude List
1. My new trainers being super comfy
2. Going to the Brown Dog
3. Captain Caveman planning a great London weekend.

Sheffield to London – 9th April

Captain Caveman had to move out of his temporary house-share on Wednesday 9th April – his 3 months in Sheffield had come to an end. He had planned to ‘move house’ after work and before travelling back down to London. Luckily, neither of us have many belongings so it wouldn’t take too much effort for him. The downside was that the next place he was meant to be moving to, wasn’t ready yet. I did some work in bed before getting up and having bacon sandwiches with Matt and Vanessa. I took my measurements but wouldn’t get weighed until tonight. I had lost 1cm from my bust, stayed the same on my waist and put 1cm on my hips. I needed to do more exercise so I left off work to have a wander round the local area with Vanessa. It was surprisingly green and had some lovely walking routes and paths nearby. It had been nice spending time in Sheffield and I still had 2 more friends to meet up with today.
Kerrie, Jack and her new dog came to pick me up and we headed in to town. I needed new knickers and socks so we headed to Primark where I spent just £14.50, details below;

Primark
5 pairs of black socks £2.50
6 pairs of black seam free knickers £12.00

I was disappointed not to find anything else I liked in a Primark but the selection was not to my taste. After a go on the outside xylophone selection (a first for me), a quick look round some shops, a treasure hunt and a go on a fairground ride for Jack, we decided to call in to Sheffield Plate, in Orchard Square, for lunch.

I ordered a pint of cider and some gyoza, Kerrie had BBQ chicken wings with wedges and Jack got a free kids meal which was big enough for us to help him out on! It came to just £13.70 for 2 pints and a soft drink, we got free water and treats for the dog too. The gyoza were £10 for 10 and were so good.
The next stop was to burn off a few calories at the skate park, while I nipped to Waterstones for a bit of market research, but then it got cold. Kerrie asked me to sign her copy of ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ and then we said our farewells.

I popped to the Forum for a cheeky drink, a wee and to check some work emails before my next meet up. Half a cider was £3.25 and I helped myself to free tap water then walked just a few doors down to meet Louisa.
I’d not been to Pieminister before so I was looking forward to trying a pie there – day 9 of being in the UK and I’d still not had a pie! Louisa arrived straight from work and we ordered. I went for the steak and ale pie with fries and a pint of tap water, she ordered the same pie but with mash, Yorkshire puddings and a soft drink. They obviously had Henderson’s relish which we added to our dinners. Here’s the prices in pounds for some lovely pies with sides;

2 Moo pies 17.40
Fries 4.70
Mash 3.70
Yorkshire pudding stick 2.20
2 gravy Included
Total for the food £28.00

The food was really nice but I was a little worried that I would have a bad stomach for my journey back to London tonight. We went to the Forum where I just wanted tap water but Louisa insisted I have a drink that wasn’t free, which I thought was funny. I genuinely miss being able to enjoy tap water so much when I’m away – Sheffield folk are so lucky! I had a diet coke but it was harder to drink as I’m not used to the taste or the fizz.
Meanwhile, Captain Caveman had finished day 3 of his work event, gone home, ‘moved out’, then gone to play Bridge at Nether Edge. Louisa kindly dropped me off to meet him so that we could get back down to London. After such a lovely day I was concerned I would fall asleep but it was my job to keep Captain Caveman entertained.
I was lucky to only need the toilet once on the whole journey and we arrived back in Barnes in the early hours! I was knackered but we had been eating jellies to keep lively. I got on the scales and was surprised to see I was the same as last week!

Gratitude List
1. Fun with Kerrie, Jack & Willow the dog
2. Finally seeing Louisa again after 7 months
3. Staying the same weight as last week.