Captain Caveman arrived about 5am on Saturday 23rd August while I was fast asleep. Sonuç had picked him up from Dalaman airport and it cost just £30. He’d had a good journey but was tired after a busy week. Our plans to go for breakfast at La Sorella were postponed. It was time for Captain Caveman and I to get in to full tourist mode and enjoy our holiday in Dalyan. Our first job was to pop to Aksoy Jewellers to change some English pounds. The rate was 54 lira to the pound so Captain Caveman changed just £100, obviously giving us 5400 lira to spend over the weekend. I felt rich, given that in January that amount had almost been my entire month’s budget. Our next stop was for lunch, we had skipped breakfast, and we decided to sit by the river at Okyanus. On the way, we bumped in to one of the boat men who used to play football before an injury. He had spotted Captain Caveman’s Dalyan Spor football top so was having a chat about that. I’m not a fan of blokes on holiday wearing football tops (probably because I don’t like football) but it turns out that if you’re wearing a foreign one, no one thinks you’re English – the Croatian one always catches people off guard. Okyanus is one of our favourites due to both the location, right on the river, and the friendly waiter, Üstün, who we’ve known for some years. My parents had introduced us to him and he’s got a great sense of humour. Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt (for breakfast, as he’d not eaten) while I ordered a soda water. We both had chicken wraps, mine with homemade chips and Captain Caveman ordered onion rings. We got chatting to Simone, a fellow Yorkshire lass, who I’d not seen for ages. It was good to chat and see her and Üstün were still doing well. We paid 1,490 lira (£27.60) for 3 dishes and a couple of drinks each.
Our next stop was to see our old mate, Mehmet, at Lukka bar. Obviously, with living so near to Lukka, I see Mehmet and Katrina often but Captain Caveman likes to make Lukka one of his first stops to say hello. We sat at an outside table enjoying the view and with me moaning on about sport on TV – unless it’s F1 I’m not interested. Obviously, it took me 30 minutes to realise that Captain Caveman was not listening intently to me rambling on about holiday plans – he was watching the footy on the TV behind me! We paid 500 lira (£9.26) for 2 Efes Malts, 1 Angora white wine and 1 soda water. Captain Caveman was keen to nip to the shops so here’s what we bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 red cabbage 26.22 2 toothbrushes 27.95 710g tomatoes 42.56 1 lettuce 49.95 Sliced bread 64.50 Cherry juice 89.95 Total spent 301.13 lira (£5.58)
We did laugh at how cheap all those tomatoes were and I confessed I had started to eat them in Dalyan as they are just so cheap! Back at home, we had a bottle of prosecco with our chicken salad and had our first night at home, just relaxing.
Gratitude List 1. Spending the whole day with Captain Caveman 2. Seeing familiar faces in Dalyan in our favourite places 3. Prosecco – I had been saving it to celebrate Captain Caveman’s arrival.
Captain Caveman and I were booked on the Princess of Ekincik boat trip to Devil’s Bay on Sunday 24th August with Nanny Kay. We were really looking forward to it, however, the sea was too rough out that way so the captain had to change it to Ekincik Bay. We didn’t mind as we still had time to perhaps fit in a Devil’s Bay later in the holiday. Ivona, the captain’s wife, was also on board which Nanny Kay and I were pleased about as we don’t get to see her too much during the holiday season. We left at 10am and were given tea or coffee with some biscuits as we sailed towards Iztuzu beach. There was a convoy of boats at first as they all carefully navigated the sandbanks. We were soon in bays where there were fewer boats and we were able to get in for a dip. The day was made up of lots of swimming, eating and drinking and the boat trip was just £35 for the whole day, including a massive lunch.
There was the usual BBQ chicken and meatballs with some really tasty dishes and mezes. My favourites were the prawns, and the grilled courgettes. Around 3.45pm we were given more food in the form of cake and fruit. I had another glass of wine and we spent a total of 2000 lira (£37) on the drinks. We’d decided to give the ball a bit of a kick, we had enjoyed it so much – the Princess of Ekincik boat is one of my favourites. The seats are comfortable, the toilet is the best I’ve seen on a boat and they have proper steps to get in and out of the water – ideal for those with mobility issues.
Back home around 6pm, we got showered and changed before venturing out about 9pm. Ordinarily, I’d be in bed by now but, as we had the day off tomorrow, we went to see Tay at Rehab bar. We had contemplated going for a meal but decided we didn’t want something too big – we were still full from the boat trip feast. I took a photo of the taxi prices and what it didn’t mention on the sign was that they charge just 200 lira (£3.70) for a Dalyan centre journey. This is quite handy to know if you’re wanting to go from one end of town to the other, or to each others’ hotels/villas. I thought that minimum fare was very reasonable but tonight we walked it back through town. We ended up at Çağrı where we had wine and beer plus a pide for Captain Caveman and a lahmacun with salad for me. It was delicious and not badly priced at 900 lira (£16.67), including a tip.
Gratitude List 1. An excellent boat trip with Princess of Ekincik 2. Swimming in the sea 3. Eating incredible food and having some drinks
Weigh day certainly seems to come round a bit too quickly; Wednesday 20th August was meant to be my last good weight loss before Captain Caveman arrived for our 2 week holiday. I’d definitely cut down on the alcohol and only had 5 glasses of wine all week but I had been round to a friend’s for dinner and been on a boat trip this week, so I hadn’t avoided 2 lots of desserts. At home I’d lost 0.45kg (1lb) but we would see if Carol’s scales differed later. My measurements were good and I’d put 1cm on my bust but lost 2cm from my waist and 1cm off my hips. I got on the bandwagon with the water bottle to make sure I drink more water. I always drink at least 2 litres per day but, as it was hot, I was aiming for 3! I popped over to Jamie’s for a quick Resort Experts conflab and I intended to pick up his loppers and pruners but forgot them – we were too busy chatting about holiday destinations. On the way back, I remembered as I went in the Block A entrance rather than Block B, that side looked much better, as if the gardener only does that side of the complex then gets bored. At Fat Club I was pleased to find I’d lost 0.6kg (1.3lb) although I was still 4.35kg (almost 10lb) over my target now. It just goes to show how much crap I was having in the UK, how quickly I was putting weight back on when I went there and wasn’t following the plan. It would be interesting to see how much I put on when on a 2 week Turkey holiday with Captain Caveman in just 3 days time! I missed a Zoom call about my forthcoming travel planner which happened to clash with Fat Club and then I also had to get back for a client call. This one was the start of a special enquiry as it was with a friend’s husband who was wanting to organise a surprise trip for a specific birthday next year. I can’t say too much on here as she will probably be reading it and it’s going to be one of the best kept secrets! The call went so well and I actually couldn’t wait to see what I could find on this one. We had quite a long discussion and there were lots or requirements and a specific budget but it was a good ‘un! Jamie popped his gardening tools over to mine so that we had them ready for Captain Caveman. For dinner, I had a mystery meal from the freezer with mushrooms in (forgot the photo as I was hungry) then decided I needed to go shopping at 9.30pm. I had hoped the supermarket would be less busy at that time but it wasn’t. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
It was certainly a sign things were better than at the start of the year as I would have thought twice about buying nuts as they were a treat. I was still concerned at the sharp rise in Quark prices, though.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week (even if it wasn’t much) 2. More new enquiries for my travel business 3. Being able to rely on Jamie for gardening tools.
There was a bit of excitement on Thursday 21st August as I had been invited round to a friend’s after work. I was really apprehensive about taking time off when Captain Caveman arrived but I knew how much he needed a holiday, and I probably did too. I didn’t want to be spending the money we were getting in just yet, as I really wanted to build back up some emergency funds and rainy day money. I was also a little worried that I might miss some precious holiday bookings and book sales. I was still at the stage that each opportunity was important and every bit of commission counted. I was keen not to be ‘unavailable’ should a potential customer want to book. Captain Caveman wanted to travel around Turkey and some of the journey by train, which meant I probably shouldn’t take my laptop with me. It’s a fine line but I would see how the first week went, I was already pre scheduling all my social media posts up to the end of the first week of September, just in case. I had quark with berries (no oats) for breakfast then I worked all day. In the morning I had a catch up with my friend and colleague, Dagne, in Majorca. There was a Resort Experts team meeting too at lunch time, so I ate beans on toast around 2.15pm. In the afternoon I played telephone tennis with one of the suppliers I had asked to price me up a bespoke trip. I switched the laptop off at bang on 5pm and walked over to Janet and Ian’s villa. It was precisely 24 minutes but would have been 25 had Ian not come to meet me at the shortcut through some bushes. I met their friends, Sam & Lucy, who had a lovely daughter and they seemed somewhat familiar. We hit it off right away and we all had a lovely afternoon. I joined Janet with a glass of wine or two and it was very relaxing just sat by their pool. On the drive back to take me home, Janet, Ian and I decided to nip to Mono and More for a bite to eat. Janet had been telling me about the scampi she had tried so I was keen to eat that. We both ordered the same with a glass of wine while Ian had soup and fish and chips. All the food was very lovely and at a reasonable price for non-Turkish meals. The scampi was whole-tail, not the reformed stuff, and I really enjoyed it. I did see one of the owners eating a Chinese dish which looked amazing. Funnily enough I only ever eat a Chinese meal when I’m in the UK and even then, not very often but the portion size and the food looked impressive. I was even invited to try a mouthful, on account of my eyeing up of her food, but of course I politely declined. I’d had a really lovely evening and we made plans for when Captain Caveman arrived too. Ian offered to drive me home but I decided it would be a good idea to walk off my meal. Recently, I had seen various Facebook posts and news articles saying how quiet Dalyan was. If the streets by the mosque were anything to go by, that wasn’t true. It was 11.20pm as I walked past lots of tourists either on their way to a bar or doing some browsing in the shops.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a holiday with Captain Caveman 2. Eating great food 3. Having a wonderful time with friends.
It was only 23°C when I awoke on Friday 22nd August but, looking at the forecast for today and the week, the weather was looking great for Captain Caveman’s visit. I was super excited and his flight was tonight at 9.50pm from Gatwick. We both still had our last day at work to go but I had already put on my out of office and had a to do list longer than my arm. In my lunch hour I nipped to buy eggs from Şok and ended up getting 15 eggs and some jellies for 104.95 lira (£1.93). I also bought a Turkish loaf and a simit for just 30 lira (55p) from the bakery. I ate the simit for lunch and got straight back on to the to do list for another hour. Captain Caveman called me while he tucked in to a more substantial lunch (I think a fish finger buttie) and he was really looking forward to getting back to Dalyan. I tidied up, changed the bedding, did the laundry and ran out of time to do more cleaning up before dinner. I ate a chicken and mushroom Slimming World concoction for dinner at 10.15pm, but didn’t particularly enjoy it. I went to bed, knackered and thinking I’d probably forgot to do something important.
Gratitude List 1. Sunny weather in Dalyan 2. Captain Caveman coming to Dalyan in just hours 3. Getting a lot done, even if I still didn’t finish everything.
I had very kindly been invited to a friend’s house for a Turkish breakfast on Tuesday 19th August. I’ve known Murat from trips I’d been on with family and friends in the past and have always enjoyed his tour guide skills. He does bespoke trips as The Lost Tour Guide now, both in the Dalyan area but also Istanbul and even Montenegro. We hadn’t caught up in ages and Murat had ordered a copy of my book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ which he wanted me to sign for him. I arrived at Murat and Sıdıka’s house where their daughter was a little shy at first. I bought her a notebook and a small purse as a little gift and she wanted to see Dad’s book too. The family welcomed me to eat a feast in their home and I felt a little sorry for Sıdıka as Murat and I chatted about all sorts of shit, including my family, who he had got to know well over the years. My sister was on the other end of the phone and we sent a video and photos. She was in Scotland where her dog, Sumo, was posing for a photo with my book. After a delicious home cooked breakfast by Sıdıka, we took a few more photos and then it was time to give some attention to Lina Su and the cat – the cat didn’t want our attention and escaped, while Lina Su and I did some drawing. I could’ve stayed longer but I had to get back to work, so I said thank you and farewell with plans to catch up again when Captain Caveman arrived.
Video as I walked towards the river
Video of the Co-operative boats
I walked home along the river and caught a glimpse of the garden boat as it went by. Lots of the co-operative boats were lined up in readiness to take tourists to Iztuzu beach after lunch and I noticed they had reduced the return fare to just 100 lira (£1.83). The sun was hot and there were not too many people around. Back at home, I was busy until 8.15pm when I knocked up some veggie fried rice for my dinner and looked forward to an early night – the trick is to fall asleep before the Jazz bar starts playing music.
Gratitude List 1. Having a Turkish breakfast with Murat and his family 2. Selling more copies of my handy travel tips book this month 3. Being busy.
Photo credit – some photos (the better ones) by Murat Deniz, The Lost Tour Guide.
I chose to work all day on Sunday 17th August as I’d got quite a few things to do. I’d started to get a few enquiries about solo travel for next year. By lunch time I had a quick snack and got a photo from Sausage Dick to say he’d got my book, his daughter had already delivered it – impressive! I had to have the AC on as I was really hot and it was still pretty warm at 5.45pm when I started walking over to Penny and Phil’s. They had invited me over for dinner so I took a bottle of wine with me. I shared it with Penny and they had a lovely spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, followed by apple pie. It was nice to catch up and to also see Lady C, the dog, who was pleased to see me.
Gratitude List 1. A book selfie from Sausage Dick 2. Air Con 3. Dinner with Penny & Phil.
I woke up early on Monday 18th August and had tea and toast for breakfast before opening the laptop. I had a tea break just after 10am where I took the kitchen scissors downstairs and started trimming the bushes that were in the way of the path and gate. It had been 6 days since I’d been back in Dalyan and I had still not seen the pool and garden man. It was very annoying that we just couldn’t get them to do their job and, when I asked them to come, it was just excuses and promises that were rarely kept. This had been going on for a year now and I was sick of it. Captain Caveman had more things to worry about and had given up on our maintenance company, despite him still paying for it. If it was up to me, I would not be paying for it, but I only stay there so I have no say. In the afternoon, I spent time working on a bespoke Vietnam trip and then I had a random mystery meal from the freezer with steamed rice. I still couldn’t tell you what it was but it had chicken in. At around 9.30pm I had a video call with Captain Caveman and we discussed our holiday plans, as he was arriving in Dalyan at the weekend. He also said if I could borrow some tools he would do the garden himself. I had intended to have an early night because I had a lot to do tomorrow but that was not to be. Not only was the Jazz bar belting out very loud (not Jazz) music but a neighbour had decided to try to catch the stray cats outside to feed them in the apartment and was talking to them very loudly until way after midnight. I think she’d had a few shandies as I got a good half hour of her baby talking to Turkish cats and her going up and down the communal stairs in what sounded like clogs! It was 2am when I started to drift off to sleep.
Gratitude List 1. Planning Vietnam trips for customers 2. Planning a Turkey trip with Captain Caveman 3. Finally getting to sleep.
I had another busy day on Saturday 16th August and I had planned time in my diary to write more of my next handy travel tips book. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do that as I was busy with doing Resort Experts quotes. I also spent some time researching the train routes and times in Turkey. At 1pm I met a friend who Jamie had introduced me to for ideas and help with planning a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 2026. I met another friend at Kaunos tea gardens at 4pm for a cup of tea and a catch up before our evening event. Here’s what we had and the prices in lira;
2 small waters 30.00 4 Turkish teas 80.00 Total spent 110.00 lira (£2.02)
Some Dalyan Dwellers complain about the prices in the tea gardens but you can still get a cheap tea and I think it’s the cheapest water in town. One of my friends had arranged a moonlight boat trip from 6pm so I paid just £30 to go on an amazing boat trip. It was with Captain Fuat who makes the best courgette fritters and the Adıl boat is big and comfy. This time we had a mixed male and female group rather than keeping it to a ladies only night, some people came from Dalaman. It was a really lovely trip.
We ate, we drank and we swam quite a bit. The wine was 180 lira (£3.30) per glass and I stuck to my limit of 3. My plan to keep on the healthy Slimming World plan had already been thwarted by the delicious cake to start the evening. Towards the end of the night, out on the lake, we lay on the comfy cushions on the top deck and gazed at the star filled sky. It was just 4 days after the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower and we were very lucky to see 7 shooting stars. We had a wonderful, relaxing time and we discussed future boat trip plans that I might be able to attend too. It was gone midnight when I got home, feeling very relaxed and ready for a busy day of work tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Getting more holiday enquiries 2. The moonlight boat trip 3. Seeing 7 shooting stars in one night.
I had a busy morning with holiday enquiries with Resort Experts on Friday 15th August, a few friends had asked me to do them some quotes for winter sun holidays. I’d suggested Turkey to a few of them as it tends to stay nice weather until the end of October, and they can see me if they want to, too. I didn’t eat lunch until 2.50pm, fried rice, as time was running away with me. I was acutely aware that while I’d been in the UK I had eaten much less fruit, so I took a walk to the shop after lunch to get some fruit. Here’s what I got from the shop, with prices in lira; 3 onions 4.10 4 nectarines 69.30 4 bananas 101.46 Total spent 174.86 lira (£3.21)
The bananas were more pricey as it’s not the season but still I needed fruit! I’d had a request from my friend, Sausage Dick, to meet up with his daughter who was in Dalyan. He had bought a copy of my handy travel tips book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ and wanted me to sign it for him. Georgina was staying at Central Park, a lovely small hotel in the Gülpınar area with a really nice pool. I agreed to arrive at 6.30pm and I was about 5 minutes late. When I went in, there was no one around and Kudret the owner wanted to check who I was and what I was doing before letting me in (a safe hotel). I sat in the bar area outside and the only 2 people I could see were snoozing face down on sun loungers. Kudret told them I was here and Georgina joined me first. Shortly after, Tom grabbed a beer at the bar then came to say hello. We exchanged stories of Sausage Dick and I gave her the signed book, which was in a bag. She didn’t look at it but promised she would take it back home. I was only there an hour tops and then walked back home to start dinner. I made a meatball and mushroom pasta which I portioned up for the freezer too. It was 9.20pm by the time I ate dinner and then I was back booking hotels until 11pm, including one for myself.
Gratitude List 1. Getting some fruit 2. Sausage Dick buying a signed copy of my book 3. A delicious dinner at home.
I had agreed to look after a friend’s dog for the day on Wednesday 13th August and I was suffering with a bit of a hangover. The dog’s owners were picking me up about 9.15am. I packed up all my work stuff, made some lunch to take and got ready for a bit of doggy day care. At 8.43am I got a call to let me know that one of them wasn’t well, so they no longer needed me. I wasn’t bothered in the slightest as I did have a bit of a woolly head from the 5 wines I had last night. I unpacked and put my lunch back in the fridge, then got ready to tackle my to do list. I had a few ongoing enquiries and a couple of new ones so I was looking forward to helping more people have better holidays. It was coming up for 10 months of being a Resort Experts Travel Advisor and it was definitely what I was meant to do. If you’re reading this, enjoy a holiday and aren’t already following my business page, please do. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/share/14GnuH4ECCn/
As it was Wednesday it was time to get on the scales at home and take my measurements. According to my home scales it looked like I had gained a whopping 4kg (8.5lbs) while away in the UK, but Carol’s scales this afternoon would be more accurate. My measurements were no better and, although my bust had stayed the same, I had put 3cm on my waist and 2cm on my hips. I needed to get back on track and I had just 11 days before Captain Caveman arrived for our Turkey holiday. Fat Club was a corker and I think Carol was shocked at my 4kg weight gain, she gave me a friendly nudge to get back on track! I now had 6kg (almost a stone) to lose again!!! For dinner I got a mystery meal out of the freezer and it was leftover lasagne. The diet would restart tomorrow!
Gratitude List 1. Dog sit cancellation 2. Not being too bothered at my weight gain at Fat Club 3. Having a normal day with lots of catching up on my to do list.
I had an extremely busy working day on Thursday 14th August. This week had also been my first proper pay day and it felt really good. I was still going to be as frugal as possible in the days before Captain Caveman arrived for his holiday, though. In my lunch break I spoke to Captain Caveman and we started to plan a trip to Cappadocia, flights via Ankara were looking cheap to get there and we planned on getting the train back from Eskişehir. I didn’t finish work until 7pm and I went shopping at 8pm, which meant it was a bit cooler. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;
I was definitely noticing that the cost of items in the supermarket had gone up significantly but luckily the meatballs were discounted by 20%. Fresh fish was on sale and a Turkish man in front of me couldn’t get enough of them in his basket, I saw him bag up at least 8. I had snacks for dinner and went to bed early as I was tired – I’d got quite a busy weekend coming up too.
Gratitude List 1. My first decent pay day 2. Planning a Turkey holiday with Captain Caveman 3. Splashing out on discounted meatballs.
I had arranged for Sonuç of Dalyan Airport Transfers to pick Drew and I up from Dalaman airport at 3.45am on Tuesday 12th August. I nipped through Duty Free and bought some Prosecco for 900 lira (£17) by which time Sonuç was right outside the door. He charged just £30 in total to take each of us to our gates in Dalyan. Even though it was dark, it felt very mild outside, but not uncomfortable. My plan was to have at least 4 hours sleep before starting work. When I got home I turned everything on but didn’t have WiFi at home. At 5am I nodded off to sleep and I didn’t wake up until almost 10am! It was evident that the pool and maintenance man hadn’t been recently so I didn’t think I would be chancing a swim in the pool. I did the bare minimum, conscious that I was still tired, then ventured out to put the internet back on and get some provisions. Here’s what I spent in lira;
I wasn’t sure what had happened with quark but it had increased in price by 158% since June! Interestingly, the exchange rate was the same as when I was last here at 54.5 lira to the pound.
The Fire Opal complex looked quite untidy and grubby, someone had put bowls of cat food at the bottom of the steps so there were plenty of ants. I got the scissors out to trim the plants that were hanging in the way of the path and likely to have my eye out but I couldn’t do much with just scissors. A cute dog came to watch me and just sat on the path outside.
That evening, Jamie & Drew picked me up in a taxi and we surprised Nanny Kay by bringing her daughter, Elaine, in to Luz bar with us. It was such a lovely moment when Nanny Kay set eyes on Elaine, then went in to a panic about where she was going to sleep. Nanny Kay had arranged a very intimate gathering of close friends and family to celebrate her 80th and she wore a gorgeous outfit, ideal for photos and a birthday party. Ivona, of Princess of Ekincik fame, joined our table and we had a lovely chat. Nanny Kay had provided nachos for us all to nibble on as we had a drink. I stuck to wine which I remember being about 360 lira a glass (£6.61) so although pricey for Dalyan, it was about the same or a little less than prices I’d been paying back in the UK. I ended up having 4 drinks which is more than I should’ve. The party was really lovely and there was even a birthday cake. My bar bill was 1500 lira but with a tip worked out at about £30 and was a nice place for a treat. While Nanny Kay said her goodbyes to people I decided to join Jamie, Drew, Elaine and a grandchild at Sofra bar, where I had just one more red wine. I left the others in the bar and went home at a reasonable time as I had to be up early tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Sleep 2. Sun 3. Nanny Kay’s 80th Birthday party with friends.
My last day in the UK had arrived and I was sad to be leaving London on Monday 11th August. I could easily have stayed longer if it wasn’t for Nanny Kay’s 80th birthday celebrations tomorrow and the fact that it was so much more expensive being in England than Dalyan. Captain Caveman and I started work early but did break for an early lunch together and to get some shopping for dinner. Here’s what we bought with the cost in pounds;
The rice noodles were for me to take back to Turkey, the salads for our lunch, which we ate on Barnes Green. We went to pick a seat near the tree (which Captain Caveman climbed on my previous visit) but were met with a huge disappointment. ‘Our tree’ had been recently cut down and we were both quite perturbed about it. I tucked in to my favourite Marks and Spencer’s salad, the one with nuts and edamame beans in. Captain Caveman was met with more disappointment as he tried to snaffle his salad which smelled and tasted like freshly mowed lawn! He wouldn’t be having that one again.
Back at the house, Captain Caveman found me a water bottle so that I could take it on my journey and we both had calls and meetings to get on with. At 3.15pm I shut down my laptop and decided I had done for today, I packed my hand luggage only but had to leave a few items of clothing and some food weighing scales behind. I decided to go to the shop to see if I could get some nice travel sweets but I ended up buying myself a bar of chocolate and some Mentos for £2.05 in Tesco. I enjoyed my last walk through Barnes and pondered when I might next come back to England – probably 2026. My flight wasn’t until 9.45pm and I was meeting Drew at Gatwick to fly back to Dalaman together. My train tickets allowed any-time travel so we decided I needed to leave Barnes station at 6.30pm. Captain Caveman finished work just after 5pm and came in to the room with quite an urgent sounding question; he asked if I fancied a quick…(Now, at this point I honestly thought he might be about to ask if I fancied a ‘quickie’ but I had unnecessarily thought wrong)….game of Scrabble. He’d obviously been thinking that he would like to even up the score from yesterday as it was the first time I’d beaten him. We quickly got the Scrabble board out and were up against the clock as we still had to cook and eat dinner. Of course, I let Captain Caveman win at Scrabble just so that we could eat without me missing my train or flight. We had the pasta with dough balls of which Captain Caveman had 9 to my 3!!! Then it was a bit of a rush to get out of the door for the short walk to Barnes Station. I was sad saying goodbye to Captain Caveman but I would see him again in 11 day’s time, when he arrived in Dalyan.
My train arrived in to Gatwick at 7.40pm where I met Drew in the Whetherspoons for a quick drink. I also bought 1 litre of Bombay Sapphire gin for £13.76 in the Duty Free. On the easyJet flight I was in row 2 and Drew in row 3 but there was a bit of jigging around and people in wrong seats so we both ended up in row 3 with our preferred window and aisle seats. I spent a small fortune on pink prosecco, water and pringles while on the plane, had a laugh with Drew, watched some rubbish I downloaded on Netflix and fell asleep. We were due to land at 3.45am tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a last lunch in the park with Captain Caveman 2. A quick game of Scrabble before I left 3. Having Drew as my travel partner for the first time.
Captain Caveman had volunteered for site work on Friday 8th August so he was working all day until 4pm, then having a sleep before doing a night shift! I cracked on with work and book stuff too. At lunch time, I popped to the shop to get a card for a friend, I also noticed they had personalised Toblerones and she loves them. I generally no longer spend money on cards or gifts but I decided to splash out, seeing as though it was her 80th birthday next week and I was invited to her party. She was also getting a copy of my book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ to go with it as she does ride a bike and she might find it useful.
Here’s what I bought at the local gift shop, prices in pounds;
Presents Birthday card 2.99 Toblerone 4.99 Total spent 7.98
I went back home and worked on various ongoing projects and then finished at 4pm. While Captain Caveman went for a sleep, I went out shopping, here’s what I bought and what I spent;
Marks and Spencer’s Raspberries 2.50 Blueberries 2.50 Olives 2.66 Tomatoes 2.66 Edamame beans 2.67 Parmesan 3.40 4 mini Cheeses 5.30 Total spent £21.70
Sainsbury’s Supermarket Garlic 0.55 Rocket 0.89 1 Double Decker 0.95 1 Mars bar 1.15 Cream crackers 1.45 2 Fajita mix 2.00 Options drinking chocolate 5.95 Total spent £12.94
What I didn’t realise until I got back was that the mini cheeses were 5 for £4 but I’d only got 4 and paid £5.30! But now there are no cashier’s, no one points these things out and, even if I went back, there was not anything I could do. I usually avoid self scan supermarkets but it was getting harder to do. Some of the items I got to take with me back to Dalyan, so I put those to one side. We had a chicken and chorizo pasta for dinner before Captain Caveman went to work in East London for the night.
Gratitude List 1. Being in Barnes with lots of nice shops nearby 2. Stocking up on a few treats to take back to Dalyan 3. Finishing at 4pm on a Friday.
I worked and packed my things up in the morning of Tuesday 5th August. Mom came in to ask if I fancied a roast pork sandwich for lunch from the shop and I’d not had one this visit so, of course, I said yes. All 3 of us went for a walk as I wanted to get Captain Caveman a tin opener. He’d declined to buy the £1 one in IKEA which was probably rubbish so I got him one for a whopping £7 from the Co-op. Ma left Pa with me while she went to the post office and cash machine but the sandwiches were ready before she returned. I had everything but dripping on, Dad had everything and Mom had her’s without apple sauce. I paid £14.60 for 3 sandwiches and a packet of pork scratchings which I didn’t think was bad and is cheaper than Beres. My sister, Gayle, popped round in the afternoon with Sumo, the dog, and we all said our goodbyes, hoping to see them in Turkey soon enough. I got the 5.30pm bus in to town for £2.60 and then I got the 18.49 train from Sheffield to Wakefield Kirkgate. There, it was after 7pm and the waiting room closes so I was really cold in the wind as I had to wait 20 minutes for the train to Pontefract Tanshelf. I ate a packet of salt n vinegar discos while I waited and wondered why I’d not been eating more crisps this visit. I didn’t realise there were no toilet facilities at the station so I was pretty desperate for a pee when I got on the train. Luckily the train had toilets and it meant I arrived just after 8pm to be met by Captain Caveman, without jogging about for the loo. He took my bag and we walked straight to the Robin Hood pub ready for the quiz. There were no seats inside and the huge beer garden was very smokey so we stood up next to the entrance. The quiz was a good one where we didn’t embarrass ourselves but we didn’t win. I had cherry beers and, at half time, they did sandwiches which were welcomed. I’m not usually a fan of a pub quiz, especially with genius Captain Caveman, but I did enjoy this one. I was tired by the time we walked home so it was straight to bed without even checking where all the IKEA items were.
Gratitude List 1. Pork sandwiches with my parents 2. Being able to say bye to Gayle and Sumo 3. Pub quizzing in Pontecarlo with Captain Caveman.
I had in my diary on Monday 4th August to start work early so that I could finish by 4pm. This was so that I could take time off to meet up with the friends I had promised to see while I was in Sheffield and before I went back down south. I only had 1 week left in the UK and I hoped to cram a lot in, especially as I didn’t have any plans to return for the rest of the year. I’d written in pencil the names Caz, Natalie, Becca and Louisa with a question mark and a note about tea and cake somewhere out of the city centre. I’d not heard from some of the girls so I’d added a Facebook event to suggest that I wandered over to Craftworks micropub (which do great cakes) in Mosborough for a spot of tea or hot chocolate. That way I could still have my laptop to hand as I had a few ongoing holiday enquiries that I needed to keep an eye on. What I didn’t realise is that I had written these plans on the wrong Monday and it should have been last week. Luckily, Louisa had the 4th in her diary and I didn’t realise my mistake until later on. Captain Caveman had been up and off back to Pontecarlo very early so I had started working by 7am. He’d got back and in his lunch hour sent me my train tickets to join him tomorrow night. I worked from a table next to the bar where the internet was as good as the Yorkshire tea. It was also fairly busy with people coming and going so I got to meet and fuss a few dogs while I checked out prices of hotels and last minute holidays. Louisa arrived, on time and with a new addition to her family. Her new dog, Bodhi, was only a little puppy – he was so cute and very well behaved. He had his own seat as Louisa and I chatted and ate cake. When Louisa went to the loo, which was upstairs, I got to have a little cuddle with Bodhi which was lovely. It was good to catch up and, at this point, I was still blissfully unaware that I had agreed the wrong date with Caz! Until I got a message to say she was on holiday abroad!! I said a sad farewell to Louisa and Bodhi and we mentioned she might pop over to visit me in Turkey as she had days booked off in September/October.
I had my last meal at my parents’, which was one of my favourites that my Mom cooks, sweet and sour chicken with spring rolls. I loved it and we had a nice relaxing evening. We even spoke to Captain Caveman who assured me that the bath mat was in situ and awaiting my arrival. Tomorrow I would be back to Pontecarlo and then heading back to London before my departure back to Turkey.
Gratitude List 1. Craftworks and cake 2. Seeing Louisa and her new pup 3. A last meal in the Uk with my parents.
I’d been in the UK less than 5 days on Wednesday 16th July, which was weigh day. I popped on the bathroom scales and had already put on weight since I’d been here. I was 0.9kg (2lb) heavier and wasn’t surprised given the amount of food and drink I had consumed. I did my measurements and found that I had already put 2cm on my bust, 1cm on my waist but my hips remained the same. It was cold and cloudy in Barnes today as I got on with some work. I also did some promoting of my book which I hoped I’d get more sales from. My friends Janet and Ian, in Dalyan, had finally got their copy and were having a good laugh at it, they sent me some funny photos. At 10am I attended the second Substack webinar with Ade and found it very interesting. I had a Lisa Johnson networking session at 1pm which was really different. There are certainly some very unusual people working in the online space and I got to meet a few of them. My book had arrived in Phong Nha at last, courtesy of Jamie, and she had passed it to Ben at the Phong Nha Farmstay. At 4pm I finished work early to go to the post office with my friend’s passports. It was just £8.75 to post them recorded delivery to Edinburgh and the man in the post office said they would arrive tomorrow. I thought that seemed quick but surely he must know. I messaged the lady and let her know my return fare to London had been £10.50 and the postage just £8.50 so she just owed me £19. She replied straight away to say she was transferring the money and I nipped in to Barnes Pantry. It was Captain Caveman’s birthday in a couple of days and I wanted to get him a little something, perhaps a bottle of wine. In the shop the wine was quite pricey so instead I bought something to go with our curry night dinner. Here’s what I bought with the prices in pounds;
I decided I would make my way to M&S where they had cheaper wine available and I set off walking. My phone pinged to say I had received money in to my Wise account. I checked and the Passport lady had transferred me more than she should have. I called her straight away to alert her to the mistake and for me to transfer back the extra amount. I was a bit overwhelmed as she had meant to pay me extra for doing it which I had not expected at all. We talked for quite some time and had a good chat, I came off the call feeling quite emotional and this time I couldn’t blame it on the menopause. What a lovely thing to do and she also told me to enjoy time with Captain Caveman for his birthday. I completely forgot about wine buying and walked back eating the chocolate. Back home, while Captain Caveman finished off some work, I put some washing on and made a new friend, Motthew the Moth. For dinner, I put the Indian starter items in to the oven and we had them with the chutney and a couple of poppadoms.
Captain Caveman had suffered a hectic day so he was quite shattered but in need of fresh air. It wasn’t raining so we decided to have a break and eat the mains later so we had a walk through Barnes Green, and had a drink in the Sun Inn. Captain Caveman had a beer and I had a red wine for a total of £16. We wanted to sit inside the pub as it was cold but there was a singer giving it full pelt. I was fine with it but Captain Caveman needed quiet so we sat outside, with me shivering. I listened as Captain Caveman offloaded the frustrations of his day and I tried to help where I could. Back home, neither of us were hungry so we didn’t bother with the rest of our Indian meal and both fell asleep in the lounge.
Gratitude List 1. Good free training on things that were new to me 2. Unexpected payment for doing a friend a favour 3. Spending time after work with Captain Caveman.
Both Captain Caveman and I had very busy days on Thursday 17th July which meant we just cracked on with our mornings. I had a Resort Experts team meeting which I dialed in to, followed by a 121 training session on Quote Away where I was using version 2 to make bespoke holiday quotes. We went for a walk at lunchtime and as we were coming back to the house, we saw Captain Caveman’s parents arriving back from their holiday in Europe. They were unloading the car so Captain Caveman went to help his Dad, who had practically finished. It was good to see Mike and Gill as the last time I’d seen them, I’d not been feeling 100%. I think both Gill and I could smell it at the same time; I thought it was the bin that might have needed emptying but Gill knew it was the bananas that were on the turn. Before we really knew what was going on, we were having a bit of a laugh over my slapdash approach to making a banana loaf. Gill got the scales, bowls and ingredients out as well as leafing through the pages of her Delia Smith recipe book. Obviously, I had one more banana than was needed and I wanted to use less sugar, we didn’t have large eggs so I used 2 small ones. We adjusted the flour but we both agreed we didn’t need walnuts in it and I continued with the large tin when the smaller one may just have sufficed. Of course, Gill offered to get the electric mixer out, however, I’ve never used one so I opted for the special mixing fork and did it by hand. Captain Caveman thought it a bit odd when he came to see what the nice smell was. He was a bit surprised that we’d just rustled up a treat to have with a cup of tea that afternoon. It came out a bit too moist but the bottom was not too soggy. Once cooled a little, I sliced some up and Captain Caveman carried up the tea tray for us all to try it in the living room, some of us with a little butter. It tasted rather nice but it was a little too wet. Captain Caveman and his Ma did have a little bit more and I wasn’t sure if it was just to be polite or not. Even though it hadn’t turned out as Delia would have expected, I’d actually enjoyed doing this impromptu activity with Gill. That evening Captain Caveman and I ate the Indian meal we should’ve had last night which was very nice. Tomorrow was Captain Caveman’s birthday so we had plans to all celebrate as a family after work.
Gratitude List 1. Being busy with Resort Experts stuff 2. Baking with Captain Caveman’s Ma 3. Afternoon tea with an over moist banana loaf.
On Friday 11th July I was off back to England for at least a couple of weeks to celebrate Captain Caveman’s birthday with him and see his new home. I’d not booked my flight back but I knew the absolute latest would be 12th August as I had an event to attend in Dalyan. I was only taking hand luggage but I’d not finished packing yet as I was still doing some last minute bits and bobs for work. My pick up wasn’t until 2.30pm with Sonuç at Dalyan Airport Transfers so I had time to faff about. I made wraps with what was left of the chicken tikka to take on the plane but started to wonder if they might be a bit too spicy for travelling, as I have a delicate stomach at the best of times. After a call with a friend in the UK, who I was arranging to meet while there, I finished my packing and then decided to order an airport sandwich from Ela’s Kitchen. I chose a bacon and brown sauce sandwich which cost 350 lira (£6.50) and was delivered by Sev. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it as far as the airport as I snaffled it down before I left and it was very tasty. The transfer to Dalaman airport was pleasant and the journey cost £30, which is the going rate for transfer or taxi. I didn’t spend any money in Dalaman airport as I refuse to support the extortionate pricing they have. I did get my frozen bottle of water through security though and I swerved the Duty Free, realising it would be cheaper to buy once in the UK. My flight was on time at 5.30pm and I got to switch my window seat for a middle seat with a lady who was already sat in the middle. The flight was actually full and there were no spare seats in our row. I tried to watch a film called Havoc but I accidentally deleted it after about 20 minutes. We landed at Gatwick at 7.50pm and I made my way to the train station where I got the train to Barnes, changing at Clapham Junction. My frozen water was still half frozen and I was quite thirsty now. Captain Caveman met me at Barnes station, he took my bag and we walked to his parents’ house. They were on holiday so, once in the house Captain Caveman opened a bottle of red wine that he had got for us to have with dinner. I downed 3 glasses of water and we laughed that my frozen water had made it almost door to door, still frozen. I was hungry but Captain Caveman wasn’t so we just had cheese on toast for dinner. Tomorrow we had an exciting day planned.
Gratitude List 1. To be going to see Captain Caveman after only 19 days apart 2. A smooth trip from Dalyan to Barnes in just under 7 hours 3. Cheese on toast & wine for dinner with Captain Caveman.
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