Katowice – 2nd September

On Wednesday 2nd September, despite being away from Fat Club and not knowing what I weighed, I took my measurements. With all the eating and drinking lately, I was surprised to find my bust and waist were the same as last week but I had put 2cm on my hips.
I’d planned to work in the morning so I got up quite early to fit it in. I didn’t get much done though and by 10am Louisa, Captain Caveman and I were out in the town in search of breakfast. I wasn’t too hungry and was still concerned about my bad stomach so I didn’t want to have anything too stodgy before our last day of sightseeing in Katowice.
We finally found a place where Captain Caveman went ahead and ordered his as he was in pain with gout and needed to eat to take painkillers, so he wasn’t faffing about. Louisa looked less thrilled with the choices available at Lajonik House Bakery as a lot of the premade sandwiches on show had cheese in. I ordered mine which was more like a lunch than a breakfast and left Louisa still deciding. Here’s what Captain Caveman and I had;
1 Toastie
1 camembert sandwich
1 water
1 coffee
1 mint tea
Total spent £8.66

By 10.15am we were eating breakfast and deciding whether Captain Caveman’s foot was good enough to walk to the Silesian Museum. He said it was and off we went, having already been near it on Monday when it was closed. On the way, Louisa and I popped in to the NOSPR (Orchestra Hall) as I wanted to have a look inside the auditorium. Unfortunately, it was locked and we could only walk around the foyer and stairs.

The Silesian Museum cost just £9 for 2 people on a normal ticket, Louisa paid the extra to go up the tower. I’m not keen on open structures with metal stairs so it wasn’t for me, Captain Caveman was now limping so he didn’t bother. Louisa enjoyed it but it looked pretty scary from the photos and a video she showed me on her phone.
The normal sections of the museum were pretty amazing for the price but, if you go, allow plenty of time. I had an urgent work call that I needed to sort out around 1pm but Captain Caveman was still in the museum. He had no phone signal and I was getting a bit worried as to where he was. We waited for almost an hour for him to follow us out, none of the staff knew where he was and it was quite a big museum, some of it quite far underground. The art gallery section was also very impressive and worth a wander round.

We hurried back, where Captain Caveman and Louisa went to Lorneta Z Meduza bar while I went back to the hotel to make the work phone call and then bring my laptop to join them. It was our last day today so I was conscious I needed to get all my jobs done as soon as possible as we would be travelling tomorrow and then busy at the weekend. It was quite tricky fitting work and holiday in as I’m used to silence when I work but I carried on.
Captain Caveman and Louisa were hungry and Captain Caveman had to put his foot up on a spare chair then needed more food to take more painkillers. It was my job to take a photo of the snacks advertised in Polish on the wall and ask the lady behind the bar what they all were. The first round consisted of 1 pilsner, 2 prosecco and some nuts for just short of £10 and went down rather well. There were promo sunglasses on the bar so we all got a free pair.
While I finished off my tasks for the day, Captain Caveman decided he was ordering food so another round was had; 1 pilsner,
2 prosecco and 1 sausage plate came to a bargain £12. The Prosecco was very nice and was on draft so we definitely enjoyed that a bit too much. For the same price as the last round I ordered a cheese plate (remembered to take the tablets) and Louisa had to settle for Doritos as there was nothing on the menu to suit. I did fancy the soup but didn’t really want to be slurping soup over my laptop. We had seen a Nepalese restaurant nearby so we decided to eat there for dinner. My stomach seemed fine after the cheese plate and I checked the dish I ordered didn’t have any chillies in. We had an early start tomorrow so I didn’t need to have stomach issues! It was less than £11 each for our meal and Captain Caveman said he thought mine was the spiciest even though my fellow diners love spicy food. On the way home we called back to Lorneta where our last round of 1 pilsner and 1 prosecco came to just over a fiver!
We got back to the hotel and, as is typical, I was quite ill and up a lot of the night with a bad stomach.
On the plus side, it meant I was able to update my budget tracker in The Handy Travel Planner and was pleased that we’d had a very full day out at £65 for the both of us. Without the cost of the flights and hotel, we had spent £302 (£60.33 per day) on our trip to Poland, between Captain Caveman and I. There were still things we hadn’t seen, done or eaten but they were all on the list for another visit. Tomorrow we were off to Belgium but I was definitely going to miss Poland and wanted to see more of it.

Gratitude List
1. The Silesian Museum was fantastic
2. Prosecco in Poland
3. Being able to work remotely during my 5 days in Poland.

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman and Louisa.

Katowice – 31st August

I was meant to be working from the Katowice hotel room on Monday 31st August. I did just about manage to log on, check emails and post some content but then Captain Caveman was ready for us to go for breakfast and have a proper look around Katowice. We had left it a little bit late which worked out better for Louisa as she’s not a breakfast person. The place we chose was more from what was open than checking out it’s 5 star reviews. Kromka was a nice little cafe but they didn’t have much left so we had an eclectic mix of dishes for our brunch. Captain Caveman chose a shakshuka type of dish, Louisa ended up with a smash burger without cheese and I had a Rubens sandwich with sauce on the side.
Before the food came, the lovely waiter explained that the workman who had just arrived needed to turn the electricity off so we sat in the semi-darkness for a while. When the food came the lights were still off so the photos weren’t great. Captain Caveman enjoyed his, my sandwich was good but filling Louisa didn’t enjoy her burger as it had too much ketchup on.
When we came to pay, the electric had come back on but the card machine wasn’t working so we had to pay cash. Captain Caveman and my breakfast with a drink came to £22 in total so it wasn’t the cheapest place in town and a croissant probably would’ve sufficed, however I wasn’t sure what the Polish locals ate for breakfast. I later noted it was mainly bread (rye), eggs, cheeses and cold cuts of meat.

We left around noon and went for a walk to do a bit of free sightseeing. The town of Katowice is industrial and had some very interesting architecture. Captain Caveman took some great pictures which were much better than mine. It was also a bit cooler than I’d expected and then it started to rain a little. Captain Caveman popped in to the building where the Bridge event was and was told he couldn’t enter as he needed to pre-register via email and I could tell he was disappointed.

By 1.30pm we were back at the hotel and arranged to meet at Lorneta Z Meduza bar at 5pm for drinks before going out for dinner. Captain Caveman and I had 5 drinks in there which came to a total of £30.
For dinner Captain Caveman chose a pizza place called Pizzatopia. I was quite merry by this point so didn’t care too much what I ate. Our 2 pizzas, a beer and a wine came to £26. It was ok but the BBQ sauce squirted on the top was overly sweet so I didn’t manage to eat all of mine.
We hadn’t done any paid trips or attractions but had managed to spend £78 between the 2 of us on 2 meals out and alcohol, which was over budget again. Tomorrow we needed to take it easier on the booze! I also thought it would be better to eat what the locals eat and I was looking forward to eating some traditional pork dishes.

Gratitude List
1. Free sightseeing in Katowice
2. Drinking in Lorneta Z Meduza (again) with cheap drinks
3. Spending time with Captain Caveman and Louisa in Katowice.

Photo Credit – some photos by Captain Caveman

Krakow & Katowice – 30th August

We hadn’t booked breakfast in the hotel on Sunday 30th August so I did a bit of work and Captain Caveman decided to take himself off to the Salt Mine. This was meant to have been an activity that he and Louisa were going to do together, as I am not a fan of being in underground situations like that and suffer quite badly from cleithrophobia. However, Louisa wasn’t departing Manchester until 11.20am today and was meeting us in Katowice tonight. The Salt Mine was nearer to Krakow than Katowice so it made sense to Captain Caveman to do it straight away and on his own. He left by 8am and got the SKA1 train from Krakow to Wieliczka for less than £1.60. The Salt Mine entry was £32.55 and he was in there just over 2 hours.
Meanwhile, I had decided to have a sightseeing morning in the delightful Krakow. I went to a shop and bought snacks to constitute breakfast; a bread which resembled a cheese rock cake and a pork rope. Both had dairy in but I took my tablets and all was fine. It was a bargain £1.83 for both, neither of which I would recommend or buy again, though.
I wandered around the town and took photos, it was a lovely sunny day and everyone I encountered seemed friendly. It was cheap, beautiful and seemed like a place we should’ve been staying in for longer. I was just about to find a cafe for some tea when I got the call that Captain Caveman was on his way back and would be at the hotel in 20 minutes, where we had both left our bags. I walked back to meet him, hoping he’d be willing to eat the leftover pork rope.

Captain Caveman enjoyed the Salt Mine but agreed there was no way I would have coped with it, given my previous underground meltdowns that he’s had experience of. He got the train back and met me in the cafe attached to our hotel for a hot beverage and to show me his photos (I’ve included some here). We paid £2.77 for a tea and a coffee and then had to leave as they were closing for the day. At the train station Captain Caveman bought a sandwich to eat on the train for £3.16 but I still had half a rock scone and the pork rope so had some of that. We filled up water bottles from taps on the platform which were very handy. The tap water in Krakow tastes good too.

We left Krakow a little disappointed that we weren’t there for long enough. Captain Caveman and I got the train to Katowice for £8.70 in total and it took less than 1 hour from door to door. We were staying in Hotel M23 for the next 4 nights, in Katowice centre. We put our bags in and I was impressed with the hotel, then we went to meet Louisa.

The venue had already been chosen ahead of time so that we all could find it easily and Louisa’s choice of Lorneta Z Meduza would turn out to be a regular bar to stop at for a drink. We ordered our drinks as we were 10 minutes early and waited for Louisa to join us. A beer was only £1.93 and a substantial size red wine just £2.70 so it was very reasonable to drink alcohol in Katowice. Louisa arrived and had a rum and coke which was £5 and then we all decided to go for food.
We had booked a table at Pierogi Swiata Robert Kukulski as we were all keen to try the local Pierogi dishes. Louisa doesn’t eat cheese so she chose ones without but both Captain Caveman and I chose ones with cheese in. When they came they were quite big portions at £7.40 per dish but tasted great. The alcoholic drinks here were slightly more expensive at £3 for a beer and £3.60 for wine but a coke was just less than £2. This meant our whole meal with drinks came to £30 so not bad for £10 each.
Our next drink of the evening was in a bar called Amnezja where wine and spirits were cheap but beer a little pricier. It was £4.60 for a rum and coke, £1.70 for a wine and £3.30 for a beer.
While we were in there we saw a bit of fighting outside so we decided to leave and go back to the hotel via Lorneta for a nightcap. I updated my budget tracker in The Handy Travel Planner before bed to find, we had spent £88 for both of us today so had gone over budget by £28 – but that included all the travel and sightseeing so it was not the end of the world.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman and I each doing our own choice of sightseeing activity and enjoying it
2. Meeting up with Louisa in Katowice
3. Great Food and drinks in Katowice.

Sheffield to Krakow – 29th August

Saturday 29th August was the day Captain Caveman and I were leaving Sheffield for Manchester airport to have a 9 day holiday together, starting in Poland. Our friend, Louisa, was also joining us but, due to a miscommunication and flight availability when Captain Caveman and her were booking it, she would be meeting us there on Sunday evening. Captain Caveman was in charge of our arrangements as the reason for the trip was for him to attend the Bridge competition that was happening in Katowice, while I worked and got on with writing my book(s). Louisa had been to Poland before and had found herself at a loose end with holidays booked off work. Captain Caveman could see no reason for her to waste the holidays and had suggested we all go together. This was good as it meant those 2 could do all the adventurous/expensive things and I could prioritise other stuff.
This last week I had been so frugal that I’d only spent £19.99 and that was to buy my internal diary pages to change on Canva. I did need to spend money today though and Captain Caveman had transferred money for both of us so that I could use my Wise account while away. I used my copy of The Handy Travel Planner to knock up a budget plan and set it at £30 per day each, which was 3 times my allowance in Turkey.
I’d got up early and packed only to find my new glasses which had been tightened were now uncomfortable and I needed to go back to the opticians. We had already eaten everything in the fridge or cupboard and put stuff in the freezer so we didn’t have anything in for breakfast. I was going to pop and get us croissants from Baker’s Yard but Captain Caveman suggested we go out for breakfast at The Grind. It’s a lovely independent cafe in Kelham Island which I love but don’t go often as it’s not in my budget. Captain Caveman ordered a coffee and eggs on toast, I chose a pot of tea and a granola bowl. I took my Lactase pills so that I didn’t have a bad stomach for travelling and had been pleased with the effects of them – they had generally been great when I took them properly.
I couldn’t manage all of my breakfast as it was massive and I started to get a bit of a belly ache. I ended up with a bad stomach and feeling like I was going to puke which can sometimes happen when I have Greek yoghurt. We walked towards town so that I could go to the opticians and neither of us had a coat on. It was too cold so Captain Caveman decided to go back home and repack while I carried on to town. We had a small personal underseat item each and 1 cabin bag to share. Because we were flying with Ryanair I couldn’t take Pauline, my petite pink suitcase.
Where possible I walk it to town and back, rather than getting the tram as it saves almost £5 and I get some exercise.
I got my glasses sorted at Vision Express then went to Marks and Spencer for travel money and some food for our journey. When travelling, I often take food as it’s sometimes difficult to get food I like in the airport or on the plane, never mind choices which don’t make me ill. I was in a tangle already with my stomach and had to go to the toilet at least 3 times, plus I was trying not to puke.
Here’s what I spent, with prices in pounds;

M&S
Travel Money 100.22
2 smoothies 4.00
2 bags of crisps 2.10
1 pastrami sandwich 4.50
1 nutty salad 3.00
1 bag 0.80
Total spent £114.40

I was also shocked to see that the meal deals were no longer available in the shop in town so our lunch was more expensive than I’d expected. By the time I left, it was raining quite hard so I got wet walking back to Captain Caveman’s flat. He was waiting to set off for our trip, while I fannied about having a shower, putting the washing on and repacking to fit my food in!

Captain Caveman had decided we would drive to the airport this time as on our return he had a meeting in Manchester. I was still feeling ill but we set off according to Captain Caveman’s schedule. Our flight wasn’t until 6.05pm so we arrived early and ate half of our lunch in the car park before we went in to the airport.
I ate my salad once through security and then had to walk for a while to get our water bottles filled back up. Next, we decided to go to the bar where a wine and a beer were about £20.
The Ryanair flight was fine, I was sat in an aisle seat in row 5 while Captain Caveman was in a window seat at the back of the plane. We aren’t bothered about sitting together and we rarely pay extra on short flights to make sure we are.

We arrived in to Krakow airport early and were able to find the train easily. It cost just 20 zloty (£3.86) each for the train from the airport to the main station and took about 1 hour. I was impressed with trains for cleanliness, efficiency and prices in Poland already. We were staying within walking distance of the train station at Krakow Central Apartotel. It was so close that we actually walked past it and then returned. It was very nice and, as we were staying just the 1 night, we dropped out bags and went straight out.

We found nearby Polibuda pub but it was closing at 10pm so we just had a couple of pints of the local beer at just under £3 per pint.
For dinner we found Aleya Food Truck serving amazing Indian street food. We had a chicken pakora wrap for Captain Caveman and a chicken tikka wrap for me and it came to just under £11. It was amazing and I wanted to come back again tomorrow for lunch. Including the airport drinks and M&S picnic we’d still managed to spend under our daily budget (by 88p) for the first day of our holiday and had really enjoyed it. Back at the hotel we had a comfy bed and a very big bathroom.

Gratitude List
1. Getting ready for a week in Poland
2. Amazing food
3. Spending a day off with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 27th & 28th August

It was raining, cold and miserable on Thursday 27th August – it was still quite dark at 10am and I wasn’t used to that. Typically the weekend was the bank holiday in the UK so that made sense that the weather had changed.
Around 3pm Vanessa popped round to collect something and address any last minute preparations for their holiday which they had booked through me at Resort Experts. Her and Matt were off on a cruise and stay holiday in the USA and Canada to celebrate her 60th birthday and they were really looking forward to it. We had a cup of tea and some bacon sandwiches while chatting and then we popped out for a quick drive as Vanessa had errands to run and I needed to tighten up my new glasses.
It was another busy day, not finishing work until late. Captain Caveman and I had a walk round the block when it stopped raining and resisted the pub, before having another dinner at home. I cooked fish fingers and wedges and managed to make a mess of getting the fish fingers off the tray but they tasted fine.

Gratitude List
1. Knowing we were going away this weekend to escape the rain
2. Seeing Vanessa before her trip
3. Going outside for the first time since Sunday.

It was another hectic day for me on Friday 28th August and, instead of looking forward to going away, I’d started to get a bit stressed. I don’t have the luxury at the moment of being able to not work and weekends and evenings do tend to be my most demanding times of the week – especially bank holidays. I think it was at the back of my mind that I was still going to have to fit in working at least a few hours per day over the next few weeks. I ploughed through the to do list in the morning, then broke off to sort laundry so I had my stuff for taking on holiday. We had soup and a bacon sandwich for brunch at about 1pm and then we had a lot of travel related tasks to do; getting my travel insurance sorted, booking trains to and from Manchester airport, booking the airport hotel for when we got back from Belgium next month and checking we were ready to depart to Poland tomorrow. Disappointingly, the most important thing on my to do list was to have completed the internal pages of The Handy Travel Diary 2027, which I had hit a bit of a delay on.
At 4.30pm we had another flat viewing in the area and, although it had 2 bedrooms but only 1 bathroom it did come with a parking space right outside. It didn’t have any outside space or an ensuite though – which we liked on the first flat we viewed. It was £20,000 cheaper but I’m not sure we both ranked it as high as the other one.
We also were able to view a first floor flat which was a bargain but had only 1 bathroom and no allocated parking space. It did come fully furnished and was amazing inside, although no outdoor space or balcony. I still thought it was a strong contender and Captain Caveman said he wouldn’t rule it out.
I made slimming world style pizzas for dinner, using Captain Caveman’s pasta sauce and wraps. We also opened a bottle of red wine to mark the end of a frugal and sober week. We watched a cycling event go past and Captain Caveman was a bit jealous as he still was suffering with gout so couldn’t have joined.

We decided to have a wander to the pub with it being Friday night and we had been very frugal for the last 4 days. Today was pay day for Captain Caveman which was a good job as I had completely run out of money. Captain Caveman treated us both to a drink in the Kelham Wine Bar and then we decided to pop over to the Alder for a second drink. We spent most of the night discussing the possibility of Captain Caveman buying a flat in the near future and what our future looked like after that. I went to bed that night with a lot to think about and also with a bit of worry about how on earth I was going to manage 3 holidays on a budget with people who earned so much more money than me (including Captain Caveman) – it was going to be tough.

Gratitude List
1. Getting a load of things done to help make it easier to work while abroad
2. Captain Caveman looking to buy a flat in Kelham Island, Sheffield
3. Going to the pub with Captain Caveman.

Sheffield – 22nd August

I regretted drinking so much last night when I woke up on Saturday 22nd August. I’d definitely overdone it on the wine of which I’d had 6 plus a cocktail – way over my acceptable limit. This also meant that just my drinks and food had cost us almost £50, but it had been a great night round Kelham Island. It didn’t help that we didn’t eat a proper meal all day either so I was happy with today’s plans, even if my stomach and head weren’t. I decided I wasn’t drinking alcohol today and might not tomorrow either.
Captain Caveman had suggested we do the Sheffield 5 Weirs Walk so that we could show Clare more of the area and he knows she loves a walk. Of course, he had hoped to set off before 10am so that we could go for breakfast at one of his favourite cafes. My stomach and head told us we were going later even though Clare and I were booked in for something special after breakfast.
It was gone 10.30am when we set off and I’d had to take an imodium as it was going to take us a couple of hours and there were no facilities anywhere on the route. Captain Caveman and Clare were up for it and weren’t hungover so I trailed a good few paces behind them for most of the walk. I did take water with me but didn’t drink much until I knew we were nearly there.

We finished the walk about 12.40pm and walked a little further to the Rag & Bone Cafe. We’d last visited when they had a private function on and were so disappointed to have walked all the way and not been able to go in. This time I had called ahead and I had brought my Lactase pills so that I could have milk in my Yorkshire tea without the worry of more stomach issues. Usually they serve breakfast until 11am but today they were serving it all day. We all ordered the large full English breakfast with tea and toast at about £16.50 each. I didn’t ask for mine without eggs, tomatoes and black pudding as Captain Caveman was having those in addition to his own breakfast.
The food was delicious, the lactase tablets didn’t fully work and I had to go to the loo a few times before we said bye to Captain Caveman. He was going to Meadowhall to get the tram back home, while Clare and I were going to Louisa’s for a Japanese facial each.

We arrived later than planned but we got a taxi which cost less than £10 and Clare paid. Once inside, I rested downstairs on the sofa, begging for mercy and with a belly ache, while Clare went first. Louisa had set up her spare room to be a lovely and very relaxing therapy room and was now taking clients for this amazing Japanese Kobido facial/massage. Clare and I both loved it and it was very relaxing – I definitely drifted off a little and my hangover had gone by the end of the treatment, which was a bonus. Louisa was really good and I definitely would recommend booking in with her to try it.

[Sheffield friends reading this, check out the private Facebook group to find out more and book in – the prices are very reasonable and you will love it! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FqUbkadBX/
Louisa is also available on Instagram for those who want to find out more or book in: https://www.instagram.com/ethical_attitude_louisa?exln=aWZob3J0ZTlsZHBo%5D

Louisa had got a lovely dress that instead of sending back when it wasn’t suitable for her had thought it would suit me – it did and it would be ideal for my holidays. She also got me a funky pair of sunglasses straps, perfect for boat trips in Dalyan to make sure my new sunglasses were safe, and a neck fan! It was so kind of her and I was very grateful especially with our holidays coming up very soon.
My stomach was still bad and I felt like I needed a nap when we left. The taxi back to Kelham Island was about £14 which Clare paid for on her app. We had no time for napping as we were having dinner at our place followed by a cheese board. Luckily, Captain Caveman could tell I was in no fit state to be cooking the Moroccan chicken we had planned for tonight as I kept having to go to the bathroom, so he took over.
Louisa arrived around 6pm and she had brought some spiced rum and diet coke for her to drink, Captain Caveman and Clare were on the wine but I held off. The Moroccan chicken dinner was very tasty, I forgot to take photos on account of me doing my best to just get through the meal without any more tummy troubles, which I did.
Our cheese for dessert was slightly problematic on account of Louisa not liking uncooked cheese so she unfortunately didn’t get to eat that much as we scoffed lots of really nice cheeses. I’d taken my Lactase pills and wasn’t expecting them to work as we had at least 3 cheeses, membrillo, pickled onions, gherkins, salami and various crackers. The speciality cheese, called Minger, went down really well too and I had to have a drop of red wine to compliment the cheese, obviously. At last the lactase pills kicked in and they worked.
Captain Caveman was the first to retire to bed as he was yawning away and flagging. Clare did her best but was also tiring after 2 nights of being sociable. I drank a lot of water before bed while Louisa finished off her spiced rum and I walked her out to her taxi at gone midnight. We’d had a lovely evening at home with the 4 of us sitting on whatever make do furniture; 2 plastic dining chairs, an office chair and a canvas camping chair. I was starting to miss having a soft sofa to sit on, though.
In bed, Captain Caveman was snoring away but I did get to sleep eventually.

Gratitude List
1. Surviving the 5 Weirs Walk and breakfast with a hangover
2. An amazing Japanese Kobido facial with Louisa
3. Spending more time with Clare, Louisa and Captain Caveman in Sheffield.

Scotland – 19th August

If I’d been in Dalyan on Wednesday 19th August I would most certainly have been joining the ladies at Fat Club. Instead, I had to make do without any scales and just my trusty tape measure. To my surprise I had no changes at all on any of my measurements.
I joined Captain Caveman for breakfast and enjoyed it with a lot of tea before he went off to the office and I went back to the room to do some work. I had once again intended to go in to Edinburgh on the train but it was rainy and cold again so I didn’t go anywhere. I was also aware that I had 3 holidays coming up and decided not to spend the money unnecessarily. I finished the cover of my 2027 diary and the next stage was to get the internal pages from Claire Clarke and work on that part of the diary.
In the evening, Captain Caveman was back fairly late so we decided we would try the Tipsy Cow for dinner. It was pouring with rain and pretty cold so I had to borrow clothes and a coat from Captain Caveman – there was definitely no heatwave here!
I ordered a glass of Merlot which was a whopping £9 and I didn’t even check the price first, Captain Caveman had 2 pints of Neck Oil for £10.60. I ordered the katsu chicken curry for £14.95 and Captain Caveman chose the steak pie for £15.95. I’d not had any lunch and was peckish so we ordered a side order of fries for £3.95. The meal was really good and I ate every mouthful, the wine was pretty decent too – although spending £54.45 for the both of us seemed pricey to me, Captain Caveman assured me it was reasonable. I’d been away from Turkey for 7 weeks now and I still found it tricky to not compare prices of things.
Back at the hotel we put another film on and again Captain Caveman was snoring quicker and louder than yesterday. Tomorrow he had a full day of work plus the drive back down to Sheffield so another long day was planned.

Gratitude List
1. Getting the 2027 diary cover sorted.
2. Not having gained any centimetres this week
3. A delicious meal with Captain Caveman at the Tipsy Cow.

Sheffield to Scotland – 17th August

On Monday 17th August I woke up with a very swelled up stomach and I felt like I might explode. I decided to have a walk round the block to see if I could ease it a bit before a long car journey. Captain Caveman and I were off to Scotland today and would be staying in a place called Airdrie, not far from Edinburgh.
When we set off I was still unwell so we called in to the supermarket to see if the pharmacist had anything. She didn’t and just recommended I buy some Colpermin off the shelf. I did and they were £9 in the big Tesco.

We drove north and the temperature was getting cooler and it looked like rain.
We stopped at some services in Richmond where I experienced a first time experience; watching camels run around in the field next to the services! They seemed very happy and even smiled at cars going past them.
In the shop Captain Caveman decided he was going to buy a sausage roll for lunch and, of course, I wanted one but couldn’t eat it for fear of an upset stomach. We still bought 2 for a whopping £7 and I got a packet of 95p sweets for the rest of the journey.
Nearer to our destination, Captain Caveman got a coffee from Macdonald’s and we watched as crows tried to bully other birds and scavenged the bins outside.

Back on the road it was raining and much cooler for the rest of the way and I started to wonder if I’d brought enough suitable clothing.
We arrived at The Tudor Hotel and had to hurry in as it was now raining quite hard. The hotel was nice and we decided, instead of eating in the hotel restaurant, that we would pop to a shop and get something from there. Here’s what we bought with the prices in pounds;

Morrisons Supermarket
Ribena drink 0.70
Ziplock bags 1.00
Monster munch 1.20
Blueberries 1.29
Cherry tomatoes 1.35
Raspberries 1.79
Grazing platter 2.00
Cocktail sausages 2.60
Green salad 3.00
Chicken noodle salad 3.50
1 bottle of red wine 5.12
2 pairs of black leggings 10.00
Total spent £33.55

As I didn’t have any other warm clothes except for the jeans I had on, we bought a 2 pack of leggings. My stomach was still iffy, as I’d eaten the sausage roll once I got to the hotel, but I’d taken the Colpermin and was hoping that would help. It was an early night as we both had long days tomorrow but we were happy to have a comfy bed with a duvet on as it was pretty chilly in Scotland.

Gratitude List
1. Colpermin tablets
2. New leggings
3. A comfy, warm bed.

Sheffield – 14th August

Captain Caveman was working on site again of Friday 14th August, so it looked like he might be late for the night out that he had set the date for. Ages ago, we had arranged we would catch up with some of the Berlin 10 and tonight was in the diary for drinks in Kelham Island. More recently I’d invited the friends who had needed to cancel last month as well as Louisa and Linda. I worked all day and Captain Caveman made it back by 6pm, which was good. We decided to get our going out clothes on and see if we could find somewhere to get food too. Captain Caveman had bought me a dress from Uniqlo so I wore that with my Vietnamese porter sandals and loved it. We had a quick drink in the Kelham Wine Bar, where it was £17.68 for a couple of cocktails. Captain Caveman guzzled his down in about 2 minutes and then decided we would get snacks at Salt. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the kitchen open so we had pork scratchings for dinner with my Hugo Spritz (classy!) at a total of £15.60. The drink was very nice and I had another round as others joined. Caz & Tim arrived and they were on a bit of a curfew as they had to be back by 9.30pm for their son. Caz had invited the rest of the gang on the WhatsApp group but no one else could make it. Natalie & Paul came too, and I was glad that they could make it. Unfortunately, Louisa decided she wasn’t coming as she had got busy with dog walking and decluttering. Linda arrived and was the life and soul of the party when she mulled over 2 for 1 on the cocktails or jagermeister shots – she might have been the oldest there but she was certainly the most lively out of us all. Luan, Paul, Drexy & Jeff (of the Berlin 10) arrived next and we had a very good evening. It was broken up by a series of emergency alarms that there were wild fires nearby and that we were to remain in doors. Everyone ignored the alarms but they kept coming and we could see on social media that some areas of Sheffield did have spreading wildfires. We were fine where we were and continued in the beer garden. Our last pub was the Kelham Island Tavern, another favourite, and we had a couple of drinks in there before Caz and Tim had to get back to relieve their babysitter. They kindly dropped Linda off at home even though it was a little early to be going but Captain Caveman’s gout was still giving him issues and it would have been quite far for him to walk her home.
It was a while since I’d been drinking with these friends so it was great to laugh and reminisce. We had a great time and I spent a total of £47 and Captain Caveman probably spent more.
As we said our farewells to half the Berlin 10, Captain Caveman made arrangements to meet up again tomorrow and go for a curry at Butlers.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman making it back to Sheffield in good time for our night out
2. My new Uniqlo dress
3. A night out in Kelham Island with lovely friends.

Sheffield – 11th to 13th August

My new whiteboard was a game changer on Tuesday 11th August and I had popped it on the spare room windowsill. Captain Caveman was working on site today and tomorrow so it meant I could borrow his work desk. It was great to have more space and I had started to really get through my tasks today. At lunch time I met Vanessa who had popped over to see me. I’d had the great idea to go to The Grind cafe but it was a bit much for Vanessa’s stomach and she just had toast and I had a Greek salad. We both had a cuppa and, as the weather was nice, we sat outside. One of Vanessa’s favourite places at Kelham Island is the Fat Cat so we went there next and had just a quick drink. We chatted on about how good the 60th birthday 80s night had been and Vanessa still had some more celebrations to do next month.
Back home it was a busy admin afternoon/evening and I forgot to have any dinner.

Gratitude List
1. My improved productivity from having a new whiteboard
2. Using Captain Caveman’s desk
3. Meeting Vanessa for lunch.

Ordinarily, if I’d been in Dalyan, Wednesday 12th August would be weigh day and I’d be going to Fat Club. It had now been 7 weeks since I had last been to the group and got weighed. I knew I had put weight on, even without any weighing scales, because I could tell on photos of my face!
I decided to still take my measurements which I last did a month ago and it wasn’t quite as shocking as I’d expected. I’d lost 1cm from my bust, put 4cm on my waist (that will be the bread) and my hips had stayed the same. I decided I would walk in to town for some exercise and also I wanted to see if I could order The Handy Travel Planner at Waterstones yet. It turned out I could and they said they would order it in for me and call me when it arrived, which could take 2 weeks. I nipped in to Barclays to ask if it was ok for Captain Caveman to bring his bicycle in when he came for the mortgage appointment and while I was there I met the mortgage advisor and asked some generic questions. The mortgage advisor was very helpful and the branch had been done up very nicely. Next, I popped in to TK Maxx where I noticed a men’s manicure kit for £3 so I bought it for Captain Caveman ready for his forthcoming holidays. In Holland & Barrett I picked up some Gin Gins, tea for a bad stomach and some healthy snacks, spending a total of £9.32. I took photos of the cherry supplements for Captain Caveman so he could decide if he wanted any to help with his gout symptoms.
I had also arranged to meet my parents in town and then we were going to be doing another pub crawl in Kelham Island. Captain Caveman was working so he couldn’t be there. Ma & Pa met me outside Boots and we got on the tram and went to the Wellington for a pint. Mom got the round in and it was very reasonably priced in there and is one of our favourites. It was warm enough for a sit out in the beer garden too. Our next stop was the Alder for a quick pint each at a total of £12.46 and then we decided to try the Neepsend Social Club which is very nice and had ice cold Aircon on. We decided to order some halloumi fries and chips with our drinks and I decided to go on to wine. The round worked out slightly cheaper at £12.19 and we were the only ones in there. We also did a video message to Nanny Kay who was in the UK celebrating her birthday this year.
By this time we were peckish again but Ma & Pa didn’t fancy the main meals in the Neepsend Social Club so we decided to go for pizza at B’Reyt Dough, just round the corner. I had a pepperoni pizza and a large glass of red wine, Dad had Margherita pizza and a large red wine and Mom had a calzone and a smaller white wine. Dad ended up having a laugh with the waiter and we completely missed the eclipse. The total bill came to £62.25 for the 3 of us which my parents paid and I ended up with some leftover pizza to take home. I walked them back to the tram stop as we were all a bit merry, having had a really good time. It was also a farewell drink as all of us were going to be away on our holidays soon.

Gratitude List
1. A successful trip to town
2. Another Kelham Island pub crawl with Ma & Pa
3. Pizza and wine.

On Thursday 13th August it was more holiday planning for both me and friends. As we would be joined by Briony in Vegas she had sent her flight details through and we were lucky to be landing within 10 minutes of each other.
There was a Resort Experts Team Meeting where updates of the eagerly awaited websites were spoken of and were looking likely for next month.
In the afternoon I met with a friend who had booked to holiday in Dalyan while I was there so we had a walk to Tescos. I finally found some rice noodles and we carried on to her house for a late lunch and a glass of wine while we sorted out boat trips and taxi pick ups. I had a Greek salad pitta pocket while my fellow diner had tuna and cucumber in hers. It was a nice afternoon and we planned to meet up for drinks again very soon.
As Captain Caveman was not back until late, I got to occupy the beanbag at home but I did have trouble getting back off it.
I totted up the 2nd week of the month’s spending and it was much better than last week at £131.69, so less than £19 per day, but still too much and I needed to be more frugal next week, even though I had plans which required spending money.

Gratitude List
1. Knowing the Las Vegas arrival times were lining up nicely.
2. Rice noodles
3. Catching up with a client and friend for more holiday planning.

Sheffield – 8th August

Saturday 8th August was a very busy day for me. I was at the laptop in the morning and then Captain Caveman and I had the viewing of the nearby flat that we both liked the look of. Captain Caveman had put both of us down to help with a neighbourhood litter picking mission at 10am but he was unable to go because of a gout flare up. Instead, I went and I met some new people and had quite a good time. It was hot and sweaty by the time we finished and I had to have a shower before our next appointment at noon. The property was a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat with a decent sized hall way and kitchen/living space and even an outdoor area with views of the River Don and a parking space. We both liked it and decided that Captain Caveman was going to look into getting a mortgage appointment so that he could perhaps put in an offer. The mortgage appointment was made but the next available one with Captain Caveman’s preferred provider wasn’t until the second week of September.

Our next mission was for me to return to the opticians, with Captain Caveman so he could help me choose my glasses and pay for them. Vision Express do an eye care plan where you pay a monthly direct debit over 2 years (interest free) and it works out 20% cheaper than paying for the glasses. It also includes a free eye test, accidental breakage and loss protection as well as free adjustments and servicing. Captain Caveman was very helpful at the opticians but we did make the lady serving us laugh at his bluntness. When we were choosing the colour of the prescription sunglasses and my transitional lenses in the normal glasses – he made some comment about not getting the colour that made me look like a sex offender!

I ordered my 2 pairs which apparently was a good deal and came to a total of £436, after discount, despite me picking the lowest priced frames and that included 50% off the second pair. I paid the first £19 to set up the plan but Captain Caveman had to put the direct debit in his name starting from September. I was so happy and they would be ready in less than 2 week’s time.

I was ready to get back home as I had a headache but Captain Caveman fancied a pint in the Fargate pub. It had opened earlier this year and we’d not been in yet. It was £8.44 for a pint and a half and, although the pub was nicely done out, I wasn’t a fan of it. It was dark inside and a somewhat depressing feel to it. The clientele was a bit to be desired too and it reminded me of a flat roofed boozer on a rough estate. Captain Caveman had started to have a flare up of gout so I’d questioned him drinking beer (a trigger for gout) but he insisted beer or wine doesn’t affect it, just prawns or mushrooms which I’d not seen him have in over a year! We had to go to Boots to buy paracetamol and ibuprofen for £1.74 so that he could relieve the pain a bit.

In the evening I had been invited to one of Vanessa’s 60th birthday celebrations, which we had planned in the diary for quite some time. It was an 80s night at OEC in Hillsborough, next door to the dog track.
I met Vanessa and her gang of celebrators in the foyer at 6.30pm and most people, especially Vanessa, had made an effort to dress up in the appropriate 80s gear. Luckily, Vanessa had brought some extra props too so I could borrow some to jazz up my outfit.

The cost of the ticket which included the meal, a band, singers and the DJ was £35 and it was definitely worth it. The food was excellent, the music was brilliant and we all had a lot of fun – with lots of dancing. Vanessa had a plan to avoid drinking too much or spending loads on wine which was a genius move too. She bought a bottle of wine and some soda water (which came with an ice bucket) for about £24 and lasted her all night. I didn’t do this as wasn’t sure if I’d drink a full bottle but still spent £15.53 on 2 glasses so Vanessa’s idea was a good one. There were 10 of us in total and I’d already met 2 of Vanessa’s entourage which was nice but it was great to meet the others. I managed to insult Vanessa’s best mate by commenting on her wig which turned out to be her real hair! One of the youngest in the group had to get the Rennie’s out as the meal was fantastic and the puddings very rich! The food was delicious and plenty of it too, I had the chicken with lots of roast potatoes and vegetables. The chocolate brownie was super sickly but fabulous and I managed to eat most of it.

By 11pm some of us were already flagging a little and couldn’t see us going the full distance to the 1am finish! The less mobile of the group got a second wind at some point and was giving it what for on the dancefloor, having ditched her walking stick! It was such a fun night and we all really enjoyed it. Taxis and lifts were sorted and we were on our way home before midnight. Vanessa’s son dropped me off so I didn’t have to get a taxi alone or walk home which was very kind and Captain Caveman was already in bed when I got back. He’d been out to support friends at the Transplant Games in Sheffield and his foot was really hurting him.

Gratitude List

1. Flat viewing and finding a potential new home for Captain Caveman
2. New Glasses with help from Captain Caveman
3. A fab night out for Vanessa’s 60th birthday.

Sheffield – 5th & 6th August

On Wednesday 5th August, Captain Caveman and I had decided to support a good friend by attending her mother’s funeral. It was at Hutcliffe Wood, where I’d not visited since my grandparents’ funerals some years ago. I didn’t have an appropriate outfit to wear so I wore a bright coral dress with a zip up black hoodie. Captain Caveman, for once, had the appropriate garments. We arrived early and wandered round the neat gardens, with me trying to see if I could see Bill & Marion, my grandparents.
I’d remembered my friend telling me a story that her mum had worried she wouldn’t have many people at her funeral as she outlived many of her friends and family. That had stuck with me so I thought it would be nice to make sure she had a good send off and obviously it was good to support our friend who is always there to help everyone else. The service was so nicely done with many music references and I did have tears in my eyes.
We joined the rest of the friends and family at the Phoenix pub afterwards and it was so lovely to see so many people there. Of course, it didn’t occur to any of us to take photos but we did say afterwards that we thought my friend’s mother would have been impressed with her send off and perhaps we should’ve taken a few photos of the attendees. The food put on at the Phoenix was lovely and I ended up having a rather tasty sausage roll which I probably shouldn’t have.
We had planned to go back home but Captain Caveman had a surprise booked for me at 7pm. We got the bus into town and stopped off at the Rutland Arms for a pint and a wine before walking to a new pizza place, called Forbici. We shared a salad and a pizza with a half carafe of wine and then made our way to the Show Room cinema. I wasn’t allowed to look at the tickets or the sign for what was on so it was a total surprise when David Byrne’s American Utopia came on. The film was amazing and it had a very uplifting end to an emotional day.

Gratitude List
1. Being able to show support for our friend at her mother’s funeral
2. Dinner at Forbici with Captain Caveman
3. Seeing David Byrne’s American Utopia at Show Room cinema.

It was a busy day at my desk (Captain Caveman’s kitchen table) on Thursday 6th August. I did manage to eat healthier with a sandwich for lunch and a chicken salad for dinner. I bought sourdough from the bakery for £4.16 and I applied for my ESTA for visiting the USA, which cost £30.86. I found some nice European breaks that didn’t involve flying for a potential client who was scared of planes.
I also managed to get out of the flat for 2 walks, one for the sourdough and one on the evening with Captain Caveman – and we weren’t tempted to nip to the pub. The weather was finally warm again in Sheffield.
We popped to Tesco so that I could buy some contraceptive pills which were £19.75 for 3 month’s worth.

Gratitude List
1. Enjoying being outside twice in one day
2. Good homemade food
3. Staying in Kelham Island with interesting buildings around.

Sheffield – 2nd August

While Captain Caveman was leading a group of people through the underground canals of Sheffield, on Sunday 2nd August, I was booking the return airport bus tickets for my September holiday. A saving of almost £70, plus the cost of petrol, was definitely worth it for me even if we did have to select the bus that got us to the airport 6 hours before the flight, and left at 3am! I would have taken the bus that got in 2 hours before the international flight but my travel buddy had a case to drop off and wanted to stick to being there 3 hours before, which was probably the right thing to do. I find that travelling with just hand luggage means you can arrive a bit later as you don’t need to stand in the check-in or bag drop queue. I was fine going early, though, even if it meant leaving the house at 2.15am for a 2.30pm flight, as it was saving me money and was just £27.30 each, including picking the row 2 seats. I had a bacon muffin for breakfast, sausages and beans for lunch and the Slimming World healthy eating had definitely gone on a back burner.
I did a bit of blogging and some admin before popping in to town to meet Ma & Pa. They were coming over to Kelham Island for the first time and it was a bit of a treat as they don’t normally venture this far, or in to town. I bought a weekly tram pass for £20 and met them off the bus in Pond Street at 1.45pm.
We walked to the train station to get the tram, calling at the toilets on the way. We got off the tram at Shalesmoor and Captain Caveman was cycling home from the Twisted Burger Company so he could drop his bicycle off and then meet us in the Wellington pub. I got the first drinks in for the 3 of us at £19.38 for 1 pale ale, 1 cider and 1 stout. We sat in the beer garden as the weather was quite nice, for a change.
When Captain Caveman arrived we had another round before heading off to the next bar. On the way, Mom’s shoe broke so the 3 of them managed to get to the Gardener’s Rest while I went home to get a pair of my Vietnamese porter sandals for her to wear. When I got back there was another pint waiting for me and we mentioned to Ma & Pa about the flat Captain Caveman was interested in buying. They agreed it looked a good deal so I went online and requested a viewing.
We were getting peckish so decided to go to Heist, a place I’d not been to before. I paid £26.95 for the round of drinks as Captain Caveman’s choice was a pricey IPA. This time Ma and I only had halves but Captain Caveman and Dad stuck to pints. We also ordered a Firepit meat tray which Mom paid for at £30 plus another round of drinks. We also added sweet potato fries as an extra for another £5. I decided to go on to wine with Dad as it was only £7 for a large Merlot.
The food was good and included chicken, brisket, pork, burnt ends, sausage, fried pickles, gravy, fries and slaw.
We finished off the Kelham Island pub crawl at the Alder where I introduced Mom to my new favourite beer, Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, which is also low alcohol and tastes so good. The round in our last pub was the cheapest yet at only £18 for 4 pints. I also really like the staff in the Alder as they are nice and friendly.
We had a great time and my parents left around 8.45pm so that they could get their bus back to Mosborough. They seemed to really enjoy Kelham Island and said they would visit again.

Gratitude List
1. Saving money on Flix buses to the airport
2. Ma & Pa joining Captain Caveman and I in Kelham Island
3. Good food and drink in our local boozers.

Sheffield – 30th & 31st July

Thursday 30th July was another busy day of working from home, while Captain Caveman had meetings in Bristol and then the drive back to Sheffield. I attended a Resort Expert’s team meeting where we were told of more developments which had been delayed, including our own individual new websites.
Captain Caveman got back early evening and we decided to have a walk to the Gardeners Rest as it wasn’t raining. He was meant to be going to a caving group meet up but he didn’t go. He had a stout and I had a red wine while sat in the conservatory as it wasn’t that warm. Tomorrow was the last day of the month and would also be the day of checking the July finances, which I wasn’t looking forward to this month.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman taking me to the pub
2. Spending July having some fun trips
3. Surviving the cold weather.

Captain Caveman was up very early (again) on Friday 31st July as he had some site visits near Clitheroe. He was then staying at the Bradford Pothole Club for the weekend. I had been invited but after being scarred for life on my last visit, I politely declined. I was looking forward to a weekend of getting up to date with a few projects I’d started. What I’d not realised is that he was visiting friends, Watto and Chrissy, which I then ended up missing out on.
I was having tea and toast when the postman knocked and had a delivery for me. Gold Medal Travel had sent me a Pure Luxury prize of a home diffuser set, a spa candle set and some hair and skin products. It was really lovely and went well with the travel towel they had already sent me. The suncream to go with it had gone missing so I asked the postman if he’d seen it and there was no sign.
After finishing work late, I totted up the July spending and it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d expected, given I had been on 2 holidays in Europe and was staying in the UK. Unfortunately, I had spent £861 which equated to just under £28 per day as an average. I was meant to get paid from Resort Experts this month but due to a change in the way we get paid, it meant I had not received a pay day. Captain Caveman had given me £400 but I was about to start August in a deficit of almost £500. This was not good and I started to think about more ways to make an extra income. I needed to make more time to get on with my books so I could sell more of those. I also needed to cut the spending a lot more.
I decided I would stay in tonight and tomorrow and try to save from spending any money – there was food in the house so I didn’t need to buy anything.
I had pasta for dinner and an early night. August was going to be a busy month too as Captain Caveman and I had more plans for spending the month together.

Gratitude List
1. Being disciplined and saying no to going out/spending
2. Managing to get through July with no pay day, due to Captain Caveman’s help
3. Pasta for dinner.

Bakewell & Buxton – 27th July

Claire and I were both up early on Monday 27th July as we were continuing our staycation while doing some work at the Buxton Palace Hotel & Spa. The breakfast was a self-service one which had pretty much anything you fancied and we had the cooked English breakfast with a hot chocolate and juice.

Inbetween working remotely, we also managed to do some lengths in the pool, where I used the sauna and steam room. We found out that we could have had free parking at the spa side of the building and that the roof had recently had a leak in the ladies changing room. It was certainly old fashioned and could’ve benefited from some loungers but it was good enough to relax and have a quick dip in before getting back to the laptops. We didn’t have lunch at the hotel as we had something exciting planned. We had a wander in to the park for a bit of exercise and bird spotting before checking out the shops for souvenirs (for Claire) and old fashioned sweets (for me). There was a car show just setting up round the back of the opera house too so we thought we might come back to look at that later on.

Claire and I absolutely love an afternoon tea and were booked in at 6 The Square Tea Rooms for a veritable feast. I can honestly say it was one of the best afternoon teas I’ve had (and I’ve had a few), where the cherry scones were the absolute dog’s doodahs. I imagine anyone listening to us making ‘sex’ noises over the food wouldn’t have believed we were simply eating quiche, finger sandwiches and a selection of sweet treats. The staff were lovely and not shy with the tea, either! I absolutely loved the whole thing and it was a real bargain at £58.00 for the 2 of us – especially as we took a considerable amount away with us and had to have a lay on the bed back at the hotel, to recover!

We obviously didn’t need any dinner as we were so stuffed but that evening we ventured to the bar where we had about 3 rounds of wine at £15/£16 per round. We played games again and had a great night in the lounge area of the hotel.

Gratitude List
1. A hotel breakfast
2. Swimming
3. Afternoon tea in Buxton with Claire.