Sheffield and Pontecarlo – 5th August

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.

Sheffield – 4th August

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.

Barnes – 16th & 17th July

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;

Barnes Pantry
1 Cadbury’s Twirl 1.19
Geetas Chutney 2.49
Poppadoms 3.19
Total spent £6.87

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.

Dalyan to Barnes – 11th July

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.

Dalyan – 10th July

It was a fairly busy day on Thursday 10th July and I was up and a out early. My Mom had asked me to collect her key from the estate agents so I did that first thing. Luckily, when I got to King Emlak, just after 9am, the cleaner was in and was able to help me. She unlocked the massive key cupboards and asked me which one it was – you’d be surprised how many other keys with just one ordinary key and a small blue keyring there was! We eventually found it and I was on my way back to crack on with work. I noticed that our gardener was still not keeping on top of trimming the bushes and I also noticed that littering very close to the bins outside our complex seemed to be getting worse. It was getting hotter and people were getting lazier.
I’d offered to pop over to Jamie & Drew’s villa around lunch time to let Norman out and give him some attention, while they were out of Dalyan. I managed to speak to Captain Caveman who was excited for my arrival tomorrow and had already bought food and wine for dinner in London. I attended the Resort Experts team meeting which was good, as always.

Norman was pleased to see me, even if he was a bit snoozy, when I arrived. I went outside with him to make sure he stayed in the shady spots and then I gave him a treat. We had cuddles and I sorted out his eye bogies, which used to be Edna’s job. She had a habit of licking Norman’s eyes to give them a wash and I noticed he was a bit crusty. He let me wet a tissue and wash them without any fuss and seemed quite happy about it.
I checked in for my flight which was with Sun Express at 5.30pm tomorrow night. I didn’t pay to choose a seat but then it allocated me a window seat which I don’t like. Hopefully, the plane wouldn’t be full and I could swap to an aisle seat.
After a bit more work, I left Norman around 4.30pm, once I knew Jamie was on his way back home. On the way I witnessed a man drive past a bin on a motorbike and then throw litter on to the floor! What is wrong with people!? I shouted out but he’s gone so I picked it up!
That evening I had chicken fajita pasta which was rather lovely and there was plenty of the fajita mixture for tomorrow. As it was weekend eve, I poured myself a White Russian and finally had a sit on the sofa around 9.45pm, knowing I still needed to pack for my trip to England.

Gratitude List
1. Chatting with Captain Caveman
2. Seeing Norman
3. Fajita pasta and a White Russian for dinner.

Dalyan – 9th July

It was my last weigh day for at least a couple of weeks on Wednesday 9th July. I was feeling quite confident that I would have lost weight, especially as I had not touched a drop of alcohol for 5 days. I did my measurements and had lost 1cm from my bust and waist and lost 3cm off my hips. I was pleased with that as I was 2cm under target on my bust and only over by 1cm on both waist and hips. When I got on the home scales, I was disappointed to find I had put 0.15kg (0.3lb) on. Hopefully Carol’s scales would be kinder at Fat Club later. I shoved the ingredients for a chicken fajita dish in the slow cooker, which would be ready for mid afternoon.
I worked until midday when I was learning something new (again). I had decided to join a free zoom call about Substack. I’d only just found out about this new platform which is ideal for writers and I wanted to find out more. The session with Ade went well and I got a lot out of it, I decided to wait until I had attended the next session before setting up my Substack.
I carried on with work and stopped to go to Fat Club at 3pm. To my further disappointment, I had put on 0.6kg (1.3lb) so I wasn’t too pleased. On the way back home I popped in to Migros where I bought several packs of sweets and chocolate to restock my collection. I bought 7 items for 225.95 lira (£4.18) and decided I would pack some in my hand luggage for my trip to the UK this weekend. I quickly had a chicken fajita wrap, then I worked until almost 7pm. I went to meet friends at Kaunos tea garden, which was nice and I paid just 40 lira (74p) for a lemon soda.
Captain Caveman had wanted to have a call but I had to say I’d ring when I got home. I finally got to chat with him at 11.15pm so we didn’t really talk much.

Gratitude List
1. Losing centimetres
2. Substack training
3. An evening out with friends but no alcohol.

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Dalyan – 7th & 8th July

Norman and I were awake early on Monday 7th July, both needing a pee. The temperature at that time of day was much cooler and comfortable. After tea and toast it was time to crack on with Resort Experts work for the day. I often get friend requests on Facebook from people I’ve not met and don’t know but this morning I got one from a lady called Liz. I never add people I don’t at least know, even if we haven’t met in person. We had a friend in common from Rhodes and I recognised her from posts on a group I’m in. However, when I looked at her Facebook profile, the last 3 posts were saying it was a fake/scam profile and not to share posts. I messaged the woman to ask what was going on and she seemed real and fairly normal. I still didn’t accept the friend request though.
By 9am, Norman was fast asleep and snoring away again.
At midday I attended a webinar session with Lisa Johnson where she was sharing some thoughts and knowledge which I thought might help me. It was only for 30 minutes but was useful.
Jamie and Drew arrived back a little earlier than expected, I went back to Fire Opal as I had another webinar booked in. This next one was some training with a lady called Katrina Young who was delivering a session on AI. Primarily on keeping ChatGPT in check, powerful prompts, scaling up a business and automating certain tasks using AI.
It was interesting, although most of it went above my head. I took lots of notes though.
After the training, I put some of what I’d learned in to place and it was really good. I just needed more practice and more time to do it, now.

Gratitude List
1. Norman being so easy to look after
2. Insights from Lisa Johnson
3. Learning more about AI from Katrina Young.

I didn’t get up until 8.30am on Tuesday 8th July and then I got on with writing content for my various social media pages. I am an agent for a supplier called Classic Collection and they had some great deals on for city breaks as well as summer holidays so I got involved in searching those. I’d seen a couple of city breaks that I liked the look of myself, including a 4 star mini break in Nantes, France, in August for £199 and a 3 star weekend in Krakow, Poland, in January for £125. They also had some luxury 5 Star holidays in Greece which looked fantastic. After working until 3pm and not having had any lunch, I decided to take a break and walk around the town, calling at the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Green Peppers 13.99
Mentos 20.95
Haribo jellies 22.45
Biscuits 32.95
Salt & Vinegar crisps 48.95
Pasta sauce 52.95
2 croissants 69.90
Cooked chicken pieces 69.95
Total spent 332.09 lira (£6.15)

Balcı Pharmacy
2 packs Cerazette 658.36 lira (£12.19)

Parlak Bakery
1 loaf 15.00
1 cheese salad sandwich 60.00
Total spent 75.00ira (£1.39)

I ate the sandwich for lunch and then continued with my to do lists until 8.30pm. I had chicken pesto pasta for dinner and then an early night.

Gratitude List
1. Looking at city breaks
2. Shopping and some fresh air
3. Easy meals to save time.

Dalyan – 6th July

Jamie, Drew and Nanny Kay were off to Kuşadası on Sunday 6th July for a couple of days. They were staying in the same hotel Captain Caveman and I had stayed in on our last visit, Sunday Beach at Ladies Beach. I was in charge of Norman and I arrived at 8.30am, to a snoring Norman who didn’t even hear me come in. As it was a lovely sunny day, I decided to plonk myself down by the pool before it got too hot. When Norman woke up he came over for some attention and a lay on the sunbed for a couple of minutes.
It was strange there only being Norman, now that Edna had passed away, and I felt a little bit sad. A white feather came down between me and Norman on the sunbed and, if you believe in things like that, it might have symbolised Edna.
We moved in to the shade and got some water then I had mushroom and pepper pasta for lunch.

When it got too hot, Norman took himself off for an afternoon nap on the sofa, in the AC. By 6pm I decided I would have a swim. Usually, when I’m at Jamie’s, I don’t go in the pool but it was very hot today. I waited until the sun had gone in to take Norman for a walk and I’d thought we might go to Lukka and have a drink there. Norman had other ideas and, after a walk almost as far as Lukka, he decided he wasn’t up for socialising and wanted to go back home. I hadn’t brought anything over for dinner so I decided to have another walk, without Norman, and get some food on the way home. I called at the shop and bought the following, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 31.25
125g Blueberries 49.95
Total spent 81.20 lira (£1.50)

I’d intended to buy something to cook for dinner but it was already 8.30pm and I couldn’t be bothered.

Sheche Burger was the last place I walked past on my way home so I couldn’t resist. I decided to order the original burger with french fries and a homemade lemonade to take out. My dinner cost 500 lira (£9.26) and was really tasty for a treat, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would.
At bedtime, Norman was keen to come with me so he slept on my bed – snoring contentedly away.

Gratitude List
1. A bit of a rest day with only minimal work done
2. Sheche Burger for dinner
3. Norman, he’s just so cute.

Dalyan – 4th & 5th July

Friday 4th July was my last day with Lady C, it was also just one week until I would be back in the UK. Penny and Phil were flying back tonight but didn’t land until almost 4am tomorrow. I spent the day working and making sure Lady C was ok. I had a sandwich then walked Lady C, she was fine and didn’t seem bothered from the dog issue yesterday. When we got back, she let me check out where the other dog had tried to bite her and there was a bit of a cut. I messaged Penny to let her know and described which street it had happened near but I had no idea where the young boy and the dogs lived.
It was a pretty quiet day really.

Gratitude List
1. Last day with Caramel
2. It being a Friday
3. Being ready for Penny & Phil’s return.

On Saturday 5th July I had woken up early, my care of Lady C had come to an end and I’d arranged to meet Jamie.
The neighbour opposite had closed the stair door so there were no more cat shit incidents, which was nice!
I had a curry for lunch and then went to the shops to get some essentials and restock up on wine. It had slipped my mind to check if there was still wine in the fridge after the comings and goings of the week. Here’s what I spent with prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
Washing up sponges 22.50
Frozen berries 179.00
Total spent 201.50 lira (£3.73)

Yaman Büfe
3 bottles of wine 709 lira (£13.13)

After more curry for dinner, I walked over to Penny and Phil’s with the wine and we had a bit of a catch up. Lady C was happy to have her owners back too.
Back home, I had a much needed early night after doing the washing.

Gratitude List
1. A quick catch up with Jamie
2. Being home to a cat shit free apartment
3. Home made curry from the freezer.

Dalyan – 3rd July

Lady C had an eventful day on Thursday 3rd July and we were both up by 7am. We even had a quick walk round the block, before the paths became too warm for paws, and an early breakfast. The rest of the morning was spent working and making sure neither Lady C or I were too hot. I managed to make a good start on the chapter titles for my second book ‘You Can’t Eat a Whole Blancmange and Dance….’
I attended the Resort Experts Team Meeting, had catch up with Dagne (the Majorca Resort Expert) and Helen (the Italy Resort Expert) and got quite a lot done in the day. I got a message from Darcy’s owner to say he was eating at Olivia’s and did I want to join him for dinner. I said yes but I couldn’t go too early as Lady C was insisting on some chopped sausage and a walk.
Andy walked Darcy, then came over to walk Lady C and drink some wine before going for food. On the walk, we saw a young Turkish boy, no more than 11 years old, who was walking a big dog, off lead. Lady C isn’t keen on other dogs at times so I was watching closely. Suddenly, a smaller dog came running from nowhere and tried to bite Lady C on her back end. I had to shove the dog away and pick up Lady C, who was very scared and shaking. Both dogs were with the boy and he didn’t know what to do when the small dog kept trying to come after me and Lady C. Luckily, Andy was there to help scare it away but it was a little bit worrying.
Back home, we had wine while comforting the dog and making sure she was ok – it could’ve been so much worse. I couldn’t see a bite but she wouldn’t let me touch her to check properly. She got some extra love and sausage as a treat and she seemed back to normal after that.

It was 8.30pm by the time we got to Olivia’s and I decided that we would have a bottle of red wine. Andy and I shared a pasta dish and pizza (both vegetarian) and they brought us the bread and olives to start too. The food was spot on and I really enjoyed it, we also established that Andy’s son knew one of my best friends from back home so we got him on the phone for a chat.
In the restaurant was a family of 5 who came over to chat to me, having read my recommendation about Olivia’s from the first visit. The Mom of the family, Jane, was also a reader of my blog and she thanked me for recommending Olivia’s as all 5 of them had enjoyed their meal too. They were a nice family and we all chatted for a bit and I got a photo for the blog (with me pulling a face)!

While Andy called Karen to see how she was back in blighty, I ordered more wine and paid the bill. It came to 2,450 lira (£45.37) for 1 neapolitan pasta, 1 mushroom pizza and 2 bottles of wine, one of which we didn’t finish. I said goodbye to Andy and I took the rest of the wine with me as I called to say hello to a friend in town on my way home. I was back home before 11.30pm and gave Lady C some cuddles before bed.

Gratitude List
1. Getting lots of stuff done
2. Another lovely meal at Olivia’s
3. Lady C seeming to be ok after her ‘attack’.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd July

July was going to be an exciting month!
On Tuesday 1st July I updated each of my To Do Lists (I have 3; Resort Experts, My Book stuff and Personal). I was conscious that I only had 11 more days in Turkey before I would fly to the UK to spend time with Captain Caveman, who would be celebrating his birthday and moving in to a new home. I had not yet booked my return flight as I wasn’t sure if I would get a good price to travel back in the school holidays or not, if I stayed more than a couple of weeks.
While I drank water and waited for Lady C to wake up I checked how my blog had done for last month. I was pleased to see it had 24% more views than the month before and was mainly being read in the UK, Turkey and the USA. Unfortunately, Vietnam readers were now way down the list and no longer in the top 10 so I did want to try to increase that again in July. It had been a year since I was there and over 6 months since Captain Caveman was there – we missed it!
After doing some Resort Experts work in the morning, I spoke to Captain Caveman who was at his parents in London. There was a heatwave and he’d had to sleep downstairs so he was preparing me for a hot summer in England.
At lunch time I had some soup and looked at a post from my colleague in Italy, which was to help us have a happy July with 31 daily prompts. When I had my tea break at 3pm, I noticed Lady C had chosen to lay on the hot floor outside to sunbathe! I let her know that at 4pm we had visitors coming; Darcy, the dog, was getting dropped off while her owner went out with a friend. And my friend, Bev, was coming over for a cup of tea and a chat.
When Darcy arrived, she ran in to the conservatory and did a wee with excitement on the sofa and the floor. Lady C was not impressed by the little pup and was not sympathetic when Darcy started to sneeze multiple times. Poor little Darcy kept sneezing and wouldn’t stop so I picked her up to check her nose. She had a bit of a flower or plant stuck up her nostril so I had to get it out with my little finger nail. Bev arrived, after I’d cleaned the wee up and we decided wine would be a better choice so we had a couple of glasses each – Fat Club weigh in tomorrow was not looking promising! It was nice to catch up and we nattered on about all sorts.
Bev didn’t stay too long and I fed both dogs in separate rooms as they were ready for dinner. It was after 8pm when it was cool enough for both dog’s paws on the pavements and they walked well together. I had a mushroom pasta about 9pm for dinner and then settled down with the dogs. I couldn’t watch TV as the TTnet still wasn’t up to it so I watched something on my phone. When it was time for Darcy to be collected, she was already snoozing away, next to me on the sofa. Lady C was happy when Darcy left as she does like to be the only dog in the house.

Gratitude List
1. Cute dogs
2. Busy with Resort Experts
3. Seeing Bev for the first time in a while.

My measurements were not good on Wednesday 2nd July. I’d put 1cm on my bust, my waist had remained the same but I’d put 3cm on my hips (that will be the fab Bakewell tart from Ela Bakes)!!! It didn’t look good for Fat Club weigh-in and I would have to wait until 3pm to find out my weight. I worked up until then and decided to walk, so that at least I was getting some exercise. It was very hot out and I arrived at Fat Club a bit sweaty. I was gobsmacked to find I had lost 0.9kg (2lb) and it made my day! There was a bit of a grumble at the group as the drinks prices had gone up. A small water had gone from 25 lira (46p) to 50 lira (92p) and that was the shock of the day. I didn’t think it was too bad to sit in a nice hotel and drink a cold water which they supplied a glass and lots of ice for, but doubling the prices was a bit of a surprise. Usually, each July there is a general price increase in shops anyway so I was expecting it.
I went straight back to work and had leftover mushroom pasta for dinner – no alcohol. Once it cooled down I took Lady C out for her walk and she was happy to be let off the lead for a little bit on the back paths.
At 9pm I decided to pop to the shops to get something for dinner tomorrow night. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

Şevikoğlu Supermarket
Onions 5.21
Peppers 8.22
Bread 15.00
1kg chicken breast 144.80
Total spent 173.23 lira (£3.27)

I meant to buy more wine but I couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way to Yaman Büfe and the Şevikoğlu was more expensive.
I had an early night and didn’t even bother with any wine today, conscious I only had one more weigh-in before my UK trip.

Gratitude List
1. Losing weight when I didn’t expect it
2. Walking with Lady C off the lead
3. A no alcohol day on a Wine Wednesday.

Dalyan – 29th & 30th June

Lady C was still asleep when I got up on Sunday 29th June. I topped up my Turkcell phone with a 50GB hotspot package for 425 lira (£8.02) which should last until I left for the UK. Lady C didn’t go for a morning walk as it was too hot but she did spend most of the morning searching for a cool spot. Most of which was found at the neighbour’s house, on their patio. The forecast predicted 38°C at the highest today so I was going to crack on with some writing and maybe have a dip in the pool later.
By midday, Lady C had joined me indoors to benefit from the AC as I worked on my laptop. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was working in London and had enjoyed the concert last night. Around 7pm I took the dog for a walk and then got talking to the neighbours at the pool. Andy (Darcy’s dad) popped by and had some beers, I had wine and the neighbour joined us for a drink too. We all ended up in the pool with it being so hot but Lady C was not likely to be joining us for a swim, as she isn’t a fan of the water.
Dinner was going to be noodles from Simple but it was closed so Ozzy’s were able to deliver pizza, chips and a bottle of wine. The Slimming World plan had gone out of the window (again)!

Gratitude List
1. Turkcell hotspot packages
2. Getting all my jobs done
3. Having a dip in the pool.

The last day of the month did not end well! On Monday 30th June I started the day feeling tired as I ploughed through my to do list. I had quite a few calls and emails to deal with and the day went so fast. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for an incident that had happened as a result of our neighbour opposite not closing a door!
The door to the communal stairs was open and, as I started to walk up the stairs, I could smell an awful stench;
There was cat shit all over the top of the stairs where the 3 apartment front doors are. Ours and the next door neighbour had cat shit all over the step and some of it was up our door. I was fuming and banged on the door opposite, to ask her to close the stair door to prevent the cats coming up. It’s not a common thing with Turkish people to get them to close a gate or a door, for some reason. She wasn’t in so I went inside the apartment to get some bin liners and cleaning products.
I felt so sick and it really was disgusting, especially as it was dried on and took ages to get off. It was also difficult to wash because any water put down was going under the doors. I messaged Captain Caveman to ask him to let the other apartment owners know to close the stair door.
While I was cleaning, the neighbour opposite came back so I showed it her and asked her to close the door from now on. She agreed but I wasn’t convinced she would remember. Needless to say I then had to have a shower and change my clothes. I walked Lady C and told her about the random cat shit incident, she felt my pain as she isn’t keen on sharing her home with stray cats either. I wasn’t in the mood to eat dinner so, instead, I worked out my June income and expenditure – which didn’t do much to ease my bad mood!
In total I had spent a whopping £820.23 in June which was the most in a month so far this year. It did include Captain Caveman being here for 12 days and me going on 3 boat trips, 2 of them with him, and us going out far more than I usually would do! I did have zero debt, all the bills were paid including my credit card continuing to be paid off in full. As Captain Caveman had very kindly helped me out this month, I did still have £175 left to take in to the next month too. I was also due some royalties in the next couple of days from ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ sales in April.

Gratitude List
1. Getting on top of the workload
2. Eating a lot less than I would’ve, due to the cat shit incident.
3. Having money left at the end of the month!

Photo credit – Captain Caveman sent me the photos from the Iron Maiden gig

Dalyan – 28th June

I had arranged to see friends on Saturday 28th June, before they flew to the UK. Their dog, Lady C, was going to be in my care while they were gone. I had beans on toast for breakfast and Captain Caveman sent me over an itinerary for our holiday at the end of August – it looked quite busy with 11 European towns in 2 weeks! My concern was that there might be too much moving about in a heat wave. I worked all morning until 2pm then I wandered over to Ozzy’s bar to meet Penny & Phil! Penny was on the phone when I arrived, so I ordered a shandy, at 120 lira (£2.26) a pint it went down very well and I had to order water and another pint. Penny came off the phone and the plan was we would go over to their’s to see Lady C and chill out before they left. I threw caution to the wind and ordered one of the Ozzy’s pizzas which was loaded with toppings and tasted really good. I paid my bill, then the staff gave the 3 of us a shot to drink. We thought it was an alcoholic one but it was a watermelon smoothie, of which they gave us a bottle to take home, too.
Here’s what I spent, prices in lira;

Ozzy’s Bar
1 small water 40
1 Efes shandy 120
1 Efes draft 120
1 Chicken pizza 410
Total spent 690 lira (£13.02)

While Penny whizzed back on the ‘Madge-mobeel’ (her orange mobility scooter), Phil and I sauntered back and bumped in to Kaan (from Tequila boat) at his new villa. It was looking really good now that it was finished and he’d done a good job. Lady C was pleased to see me but was rather warm so she chilled out in front of the cooler in the sun room. By 6.15pm I was enjoying a cold drink and had my feet in the pool while Penny and Phil finished last minute getting ready and packing. I still didn’t know exactly what time they were flying but I had ascertained that it was late tonight.

A plan was formed to go out for dinner at Olivia’s, which used to be Yolo, and I was invited to join. They had a deal on any pasta dish with a glass of wine for 300 lira (£5.66) which is great value for money.
It was my first time at Olivia’s and it might just become my new favourite place! They served Altıntepe and Isabey wine (currently 120 lira per glass) which I like. The place is cool in the heat with lots of seating indoor and outdoor and great staff – one I recognised but couldn’t place. I had the Four Cheese Tagliatelle (perfect for cheese lovers), Penny had the shrimp spaghetti and Phil ordered chicken and mushroom tagliatelle. The portion sizes were good and we got a free appetiser of warm bread with olives and oil – a nice touch.
The shrimp spaghetti had a rather generous amount of capers in and Penny doesn’t like them. Even though it did say it on the menu in the small description, our waiter and chef changed the dish to redo it without issue when he noticed Penny picking them out. Phil didn’t realise his tagliatelle had chicken in so he picked it all out to give to the dog later. We were almost done eating our mains when Karen and Andy arrived and sat next to us. Andy ordered a non-pasta dish and Karen ordered the same shrimp spaghetti which Penny had but with capers in (you couldn’t make it up)!

We met the dessert chef and it would have been rude not to try the desserts which looked amazing!
My friends had a roulade type cake which got devoured and I had a Dubai Chocolate Brownie which was out of this world!!!! The desserts were a work of art and also tasted fantastic.
Here’s what our bill came to, prices in lira;

Olivia’s
3 pasta & wine deals 900
3 wines 360
1 roulade dessert 200
1 Dubai brownie 250
Total spent 1,710 lira (£32.26)

I’d ended up with 3 wines and a pasta that I wasn’t expecting to be paid for so I put 250 lira (£4.72) in as a tip. It equated to 14% but given that Penny had her dish replaced after the capers debacle, I thought it a good idea if ever we wanted to go again.
Meanwhile, Captain Caveman and Vinnie were having a great time at the Iron Maiden gig in London, where some of my Sheffield friends were also in attendance, but separately.

Gratitude List
1. Great food at Ozzy’s and Olivia’s
2. The amazing dessert at Olivia’s
3. Having a lovely afternoon and evening with Penny & Phil.

Dalyan – 27th June

I really should have planned my day a bit better on Friday 27th June, but then again, I was going to have to start to get used to the heat in Dalyan – summer was definitely here! I had just 2 weeks left in Turkey before I would go back to the UK, again! The weather forecast predicted highs of 39°C today but my phone only measured 26.9°C at 10.30am, as I walked to meet Yusuf outside of the property that I saw yesterday, ready to view the inside, today.
The house was lovely and I particularly loved the 2 same sized bedrooms with ensuite. It also had a downstairs WC with a tidy kitchen and living area. There were 2 large balconies, 1 from the lounge and kitchen and another shared by both bedrooms. There were nice views out over the mountains from the upstairs balcony, too.

By the time I was leaving, 20 minutes later, my phone said it was over 34°C.
After shovelling down a quick bite to eat, and some water, I was on my way to the hairdresser’s for a hair cut and dye. I was the only one in there and I was glad of the AC. Emrah shared the news that he would be moving to Ortaca later in the year so I would need to travel there for my appointments in the winter. Rents were increasing so it made financial sense for him to do that. The price of my hair came to 1,900 lira (£36) which I thought wasn’t too expensive and my hair looked so much healthier than when I went in. Emrah and the girls did a good job, as always, and I was home before 3pm. I noted the rate at the currency exchange shop was now almost 53 lira to the pound as I walked past.

I had cauliflower and cashew nut soup with a simit for lunch then got on with some work. I spoke to Captain Caveman who was meeting Vinnie, Mark’s brother-in-law, tomorrow to go to the Iron Maiden concert so he was happy about that. I also mentioned the property I had viewed for a friend and he was curious about the finer details. Essentially it had the same amount of bathrooms and bedrooms as his existing apartment, had a slightly smaller lounge area but did have the better views. He said if my friend wasn’t interested, it might be worth him having a closer look. I had a red wine or two on the balcony and then had leftover lasagne for dinner followed by Cherry Bakewell for dessert.

Gratitude List
1. House viewing for a friend and liking it myself
2. New hair
3. Fab leftover food from Penny & Phil’s dinner party.

Dalyan – 26th June

It was pretty hot already on Thursday 26th June as I walked to Queen Accommodation Services’ office to meet Yusuf. He had agreed to show me a 2 bedroom property that had just come on sale for £170,000. There were people staying there so we couldn’t go in until tomorrow but I had a friend who wanted to know what the location was like and might be interested in buying it. They were concerned that it might be a bit too near to town and the petrol station so I agreed to do a reccy of the outside of the property.

Yusuf took me for a quick spin on one of the new 3 wheel electric scooters that they have for rent. They are about £15 per day depending on how long you rent them out for and were really handy to nip about in the heat. Queen also do money exchange now too which is handy if you’re up that way or the bank/jewellers were closed.

Video of us on the 3 wheel electric scooter

I liked the property location straight away and it was actually on a quiet street far enough away from the petrol station and main road. The nearest restaurant would be Olivia’s and it was easy walking distance to bars.
I took videos and photos so I could send them to my friend but I also liked the look of the place myself. Captain Caveman was not thinking of selling his apartment at Fire Opal at all, but I did think that if my friend wasn’t interested, I would mention it to him. I also made a second appointment to look inside the property tomorrow morning.

On the way back home, I called at the shops and was already feeling the heat a bit. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;

BIM supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 29.00
Naan breads 67.50
Kitchen rolls 79.00
Total spent 175.50 lira (£3.31)

Parlak Bakery
1 loaf 15
1 simit 15
1 croisant 40
Total spent 70 lira (£1.32)

I sent my friend the videos and photos of the property for sale and they were still unsure and would wait until I went back tomorrow to view inside. By midday it was 36°C in Dalyan and about to get to 20°C in Sheffield. I hoped it would warm up in the UK before my visit. I worked for the rest of the day, including have a few work calls and meetings.

I finished just before 5pm, which was very early for me, as I had been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. Penny & Phil had invited me to join them and their friends, Karen & Andy (parents of Darcy the dog), for dinner. I took a bottle of wine and some Turkish delight over and we ate a lovely lasagne with garlic bread and salad, which had been made by Ela Bakes. I loved the meal, and ate quite a lot – it tasted really good. For dessert there was also a massive Bakewell tart which was amazing!

We had a lovely night and I even got some leftover lasagne and Bakewell tart to take home, which was very much appreciated. Penny tried to insist I get a taxi home but I walked back, passing a cat sat on a motorbike with a carpet over it. It was almost midnight by the time I got home – on a school night, too!

Gratitude List
1. Whizzing about in a 3 wheel electric scooter with Yusuf
2. Finding a great Dalyan property for a friend
3. A fab dinner with friends, trying Ela Bakes for the first time.

joloyolo

The ramblings and observations of a fortysomething lady of leisure

Tag: Turkey