Pontefract, Hull & Manchester – 1st January

$Pontefract, Hull & Manchester – 1st January$

Captain Caveman and I were up and about early on Thursday 1st January, New Year’s Day, as we had somewhere to be. As Captain Caveman was in the shower I checked December’s income v expenditure and found, because Captain Caveman had been paying for everything since I arrived, I still had £41 left to carry forward in to 2026! Without him, that would have been depressing and I had questioned the rationale of still going on holiday but it was for my birthday and Captain Caveman needed a holiday. Because he’d been paid well for working over Christmas, Captain Caveman insisted ‘we’ could afford it. I needed to earn more money this year, though, as I didn’t like being poor or having to rely on Captain Caveman so much. I was so good at being frugal now that it concerned me when we did spend money. Yesterday marked 11 years since I’d left my well paid ‘proper’ job at Aviva and, although I didn’t miss it, I did miss getting paid a regular salary each month.
While we waited at Pontecarlo train station I started noting down 3 things to look forward to this year;
1. Marrakech with Captain Caveman
2. Selling (& publishing) more books
3. Trips to Madrid, Bulgaria & Brussels for festivals which we already had booked for July and September.

But first, we were off to Hull today as we had been invited to a free sporting event. I’m not a football fan but Captain Caveman is and he was chuffed to bits to be my plus one at the Hull v Stoke football match in the executive box at Hull. I was more looking forward to seeing Amanda from Anex Tour UK, our host, for a good catch up, a few drinks and an incredible 5 course meal!
We took the train via Leeds where it was so cold that I could hardly feel my legs. Captain Caveman had to get a coffee at McDonald’s, which I was surprised to see was heaving with customers. He also got us a ham and cheese sandwich for us to eat on the train.

We were carrying our bags (hand luggage only) as we were straight off to the airport later. The walk from Hull train station to the football ground was fairly long but flat and we arrived early, placing our luggage behind reception. We took the stairs up to the executive box where we were the first to arrive. Next to arrive was Paul, a travel agent from the local area, and his 2 guests. I liked Paul straight away and he had a good sense of humour – they usually do in Yorkshire. We were joined by a semi professional golfer and his partner who were actually here to support Stoke. I went to the loo having ordered a pint of tap water as I had a big thirst on, when I returned there was a large glass of red wine too and Captain Caveman had ordered a pint of Guinness. There was lots of pre match chat until Amanda and her guest arrived. I’d met Amanda on the Antalya fam trip so it was great to see her again, this time she wasn’t drinking as she had to drive and was technically working. The drinks flowed, the meal was delicious and then the football started. We had our own seated area outside but it was really cold. I was glad to get back in for halftime snacks and more drinks.

The second half went in to extra time, of 17 minutes, which may have been a record. I stayed inside in the warm and we nibbled on an amazing cheeseboard.
After much laughter, chatting and stuffing our faces, it was time to say farewell and leave. Captain Caveman and I had a train to catch to Manchester Airport. On the way, I was glad that despite the cold it didn’t rain. Unfortunately, I’d upset Captain Caveman who said I had talked too much and that he’d found me annoying at today’s event. That cheesed me off as I had thought the day had gone really well. We didn’t speak on the train – well, I’d already had my quota of chatting, so that Captain Caveman could enjoy the silence and play Bridge on his phone. I had a theory that Captain Caveman was suffering withdrawal symptoms from being apart from his phone and had decided to cause an argument so that he could get some peace and back to his Bridge.

We checked in at The Tribe hotel where we would spend the night before our flight to Morocco tomorrow. Captain Caveman then spent the rest of the night playing Bridge. We didn’t go to the hotel bar, we didn’t speak and we didn’t watch TV. The Tribe hotel cost us £98 for the 2 of us, was super comfy and included breakfast.

Gratitude List
1. Making it through a tricky 2025 on a tight budget but having no debt
2. An amazing day out at Hull FC courtesy of Anex Tour UK
3. The Tribe hotel.

Photo Credit – some photos by Amanda at Anex

Sheffield to Pontefract – 30th & 31st December

$Sheffield to Pontefract – 30th & 31st December$

After a good night’s sleep, Captain Caveman and I got up early to start work on Tuesday 30th December. It was that weird week between Christmas and New Year where everyone else I interacted with seemed not to know what day it was. We had a new system with Resort Experts which meant we could see tasks, enquiries, bookings and payment due dates all in the same place. The aim was to enter all our existing clients in to ‘The Zone’ to test that it worked. It was meant to be my last day at tomorrow so I got cracking.
At lunch time Captain Caveman treated the 4 of us to fish and chips from Tony’s Chip Shop. It cost £45 for 4 fish, too many chips, 1 mushy peas and a bottle of chip shop vinegar but what a treat it was. I really enjoyed it and was keen to have it while I was back in Mosborough. I’d heard that people were struggling to eat out more in the UK due to the increased prices but, in the week I’d been in England, I hadn’t seen any evidence of that yet. Everywhere I went, places seemed very busy – even in Tony’s I was 10th in the queue with lots of people buying cod or haddock (on a Tuesday)!
Back at the laptop, I checked us in for our forthcoming holiday to Morocco on Friday, and downloaded the Atol certificate. As I sell Jet2 Holidays, I’d decided to take advantage of the discount which Resort Experts gives me. Captain Caveman had booked our first package holiday and I hoped he’d enjoy it.
That evening, Ma & Pa excelled themselves by throwing and impromptu early new year celebration for us 4, plus Gayle, Neil and Morgan (April was working). Dad was on drinks duty and Mom had done a massive buffet which went down very well – as did the drinks. We decided to play party games where we had to guess ‘Who am I?’ but the post-it notes kept peeling off. It was hilarious and Dad was not impressed with this game.

Gratitude List
1. The Zone – a new CRM system for Resort Experts
2. Fish & Chips
3. A family party with lots of laughter.

Wednesday 31st December, or New Year’s Eve, was a very quiet one for us. Mom made us a breakfast and both Captain Caveman and I worked in the morning. I was meant to be taking my measurements and getting weighed but I decided not to bother depressing myself. I could tell I had already put weight on this week. I’d not eaten and drunk this much for quite a while.
We would have stayed at my parents longer but we needed to get back to Captain Caveman’s and pack for our holiday, plus my parents were off out. My sister had got excited and arranged for the family to start the new year celebrations with a pub crawl from 11.45am. Captain Caveman was baffled as he thought he’d misheard and that they were being picked up at 11.45pm, in time to see in new year. Gayle had arranged for them to go to a new(ish) place in Mosborough called Grandpa Joe’s Potting Shed. Before we left, Mom made sure we’d eaten more – including a mince pie and a cup of tea before we headed off to Captain Caveman’s house in Pontefract, or Pontecarlo as I like to call it. We each left some clothes for when we got back from Morocco as we were coming back for some more celebrations.
In Pontecarlo we popped the central heating on and got the house warm then worked for the rest of the day. Captain Caveman heated up the pasta ready meal for dinner and we both struggled to stay awake until midnight. I think we both nodded off but then woke up at 11.55pm, watched some fireworks from out of the bedroom window before going to bed. We had exciting, and somewhat unusual, plans for tomorrow which I had arranged for the both of us.
2025 had been a very tough year financially for me and we had also spent too much time apart. Next year we had plans to improve things significantly; I was determined to have more income and more trips away with either Captain Caveman and/or friends. I don’t really make New Year’s Resolutions but I was determined to be successful. How about you? Did you make any plans for 2026?

Gratitude List
1. Spending time with my family and Captain Caveman
2. Being back in Pontecarlo
3. Planning for 2026 to be a better year.

Barnes to Sheffield – 28th & 29th December

Captain Caveman was fit for nothing on Sunday 28th December as he was tired. I’d thought he might’ve been cooking a breakfast for everyone but he stayed laying on the bed until gone 11am. His parents were already up and about long before that and I’d logged on to my laptop to do a bit of work. Today was going to be another family day as Captain Caveman’s brother, sister-in-law and 3 nephews were coming to stay for a few days. Originally we had planned to go to Sheffield on this day but had decided to stay to see The Sprouts (called that because they live in Brussels).
It was just before noon when Captain Caveman got in the kitchen to cook us a brunch. Mine was sausages, bacon and mushrooms on a pancake (using the self raising flour batter mixture from yesterday). It was very nice and tasty and of course not Slimming World friendly at all!!!
I worked for the rest of the afternoon, then at 4.30pm I encouraged Captain Caveman to come to the shop with me. We spent about £10 on some chocolates and a gift for a friend. It was so cold out and I was assuming the North tomorrow would be colder.
When we got back in the house I noticed that the table was set much like a Christmas Day – there were crackers! To my surprise, I was actually joining in a belated Christmas celebration as well as us all celebrating Anna’s birthday.
The Sprouts arrived and it was great to see them again, wine was poured and there was even gift exchanges. The hats, earmuffs and Turkish Delight were well received, Captain Caveman was pleased with his boozy gifts and I loved my fancy lip balms (much needed in this winter weather too)!
The dinner was delicious and I felt so grateful to be enjoying it with the family. The ‘icing on the cake’, though, was the home made (by Captain Caveman’s Ma) Christmas cake – the best thing I had all Christmas!!!

Gratitude List
1. An extra day in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his family
2. Laughing
3. Cake.

Monday 29th December was a working day for Captain Caveman and I, so we got up at stupid o’clock to get to Chesterfield before Captain Caveman’s first meeting at 9am. We had a McDonald’s breakfast – my first in years and, for the price, I won’t be in a rush to have another. My sausage (no egg) muffin tasted very salty and the hash brown oozed grease. My cup of tea was decent though. Captain Caveman left me editing some content while he went off to his meeting.
We reconvened, then drove to call in on a friend, who was in recovery from a major operation. I had got my flu jab in Turkey, had brought masks and was trying to minimise passing on any germs by prioritising seeing her before I did the rounds up North!
I was very surprised to see how well my friend and her hubby were doing considering their situation and I almost cried when I saw them. It was just so good to be able to visit and hear all about the very slow and tricky recovery period.
Since I’d last seen them, a new addition to the family had arrived in the form of the cutest little dog. Unfortunately, she was on high alert and in protective mode so we didn’t get any cuddles – maybe next time. She still managed to snaffle some treats from Captain Caveman though, she’s not daft!
We didn’t stay long on account of my friend needing rest and us having to get back to work once we reached our next ‘home’.
My parents had kindly offered to put us up for a couple of days. We both managed the work schedules very laissez-faire in the afternoon and decided to finish at 5pm. I got a photo from my sister who had been bought my new planner for Christmas and she was over the moon with it. She was in Scotland with the dog and was about to start filling it in.
Captain Caveman and I nipped to the shop as we hadn’t had chance to get any wine for dinner. Here’s what we bought with prices in pounds;

Co-op Supermarket
Radox shower gel 1.05
Pasta bolognese ready meal 3.80
2 curry paste packs 4.00
1 bottle of Pinot Grigio 7.65
1 bottle of Prosecco 9.00
Total spent £25.50

Captain Caveman, my parents and I decided a walk to the local pub, The Alma, a good idea for pints of beer or cider before dinner.
We just had a couple with it being a school night and then Mom cooked us a lovely dinner, which we had wine with! It was cold but didn’t seem any colder than London.

Gratitude List
1. Visiting friends in Chesterfield
2. A post Christmas catch up with Ma & Pa
3. More lovely food and drink in Mosborough.

Barnes – 26th & 27th December

One good thing about not celebrating a traditional Christmas Day was that Boxing Day, Friday 26th December, was not spent recovering from it.
We didn’t have the hotel breakfast in Barking as Captain Caveman wasn’t bothered and we thought we would get back to Barnes.
Instead, he took me to the pub hoping for a pub lunch. The Brown Dog was closed so we ended up in the Red Lion. Captain Caveman spent £45 on our lunch which consisted of 2 pints of beer, a beef and horseradish sandwich for Captain Caveman and a pint of tap water, a glass of white wine and a prawn and crayfish sandwich for me. It was lovely despite the very annoying family of 5 sat round a 2 person table next to us. We ended up moving to an adult only table across from the bar, which was a good move.
Back home we watched TV; Undercover Boss, Gordon’s Kitchen Nightmares and Grand Designs – I’d missed UK TV.
For dinner Captain Caveman prepared some sourdough, bought from Gail’s earlier for a small fortune, with a baked camembert and we finished off the port. It was a very nice, relaxing day and a chance for Captain Caveman to rest after his 12 hour shift yesterday.

Gratitude List
1. Pub grub
2. A relaxing boxing day
3. More cheese.

Captain Caveman’s parents were due back from Spain on Saturday 27th December so Captain Caveman had offered my culinary services to make a welcome back dinner that evening. I was pleased as it had been 5 days since I’d eaten anything I’d cooked myself – most unusual! We popped to the shops and I decided to have a look in the Sue Ryder charity shop. Even though I had new clothes for Christmas I still didn’t have more than 1 top and had been wearing Captain Caveman’s t-shirt yesterday. I also didn’t have anything that wasn’t casual (not that I was due to be going anywhere fancy). The charity shop always has some amazing items in there, mainly good brands which I can never afford. Today, Captain Caveman was there to treat me again and I found a lovely tunic dress for £12 – it was only a size 12 and I didn’t try it on in the shop but it did fit when I got back home.
Next, we popped to one of my favourite shops to get the food for later, here’s what we got with the prices in pounds;

Marks & Spencers
Chicken 7.15
Raspberries 3.90
Blueberries 3.63
Sage & onion stuffing 2.50
Orange Juice 2.50
Peppers 1.50
Carrots 1.25
Green beans 0.80
Parsnips 0.50
Total spent £23.71

We called at the Farmer’s Market on the way back but there were limited stalls out, with it being between Christmas and New Year. We did manage to pick up some sausages and black pudding for Captain Caveman to cook us a breakfast tomorrow. I made some Yorkshire pudding mixture but there was only self raising flour and it didn’t really work.
In the afternoon, we decided to take a walk to see if the Brown Dog was open today and it was. We sat by the Christmas tree with a pint each (mine was cider) for a total of £13.60.
Back home, Captain Caveman’s parents were back and it was lovely to see them. I cracked on with making the dinner and we had a drop of wine to go with the meal.
Afterwards we went upstairs to watch TV and chill out – I even got in to watching Traitors.

Gratitude List
1. A new dress
2. A pint in the Brown Dog
3. A lovely family meal.

Barking – 25th December

Captain Caveman’s alarm went off at 7am on Thursday 25th December, or Christmas Day, in the Barking Ibis hotel. The bed was super comfy, particularly great pillows and black out curtains so I didn’t get up when Captain Caveman did. He went for breakfast with his work team mates and I lolled about in bed.
Captain Caveman came back to the room and said the breakfast was ‘alright’ for £12.95 and said he’d be back for 8.30pm tonight. He took samosas, tomatoes and mozzarella for his lunch, leaving me with 2 of my favourite salads and a pack of sausage rolls. In the corner of the room was a bag full of cheese, some charcuterie meats, chutney, crackers, a bottle of port some wine and a box of mince pies. These were for later when Captain Caveman got back.
I had plenty to keep me busy for the day and just needed to get the WiFi password so that I could use the internet. I had GiffGaff credit but the signal didn’t seem to be very good.
I had a shower with all the nice products in the bathroom and then went to breakfast. Even though it was Christmas Day, all was continuing as a normal day; breakfast was from 6.30 to 10am and, for the price, was pretty good value. I troughed down a full English, pastries, meats, cheeses, orange and apple juices then lots of tea. The hotel was fairly busy too which I was surprised at and there wasn’t a Christmas jumper in sight.

Back in the room there was no luck with getting any WiFi so I decided to have a chill out day. I opened my proof copies of ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ and checked the amendments I’d done were showing – they were. I was really pleased with the look of the book and I just needed to get it seen by more people. Amazingly, I had got the font size right, making it easy for anyone to read and use.

Video of me opening my proof copy of The Handy Travel Planner

The Handy Travel Planner Amazon link is here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0G7S5VX47/

For the rest of my Christmas Day I relaxed on the bed and watched a Miss Marple on TV. Although I have a TV in Turkey, I no longer pay to have any channels on it so tend not to watch any UK TV at all. This was fantastic and I really enjoyed doing nothing, eating my favourite salad followed by a mince pie and a cup of tea.

Photo Credit – Christmas ones from a London Facebook page

Captain Caveman called at 8pm to say he, Richard and Tom were on their way back and I should be ready for a cheese night!
I asked the receptionist if we would be allowed to bring our own cheese and port in to the restaurant and the hotel obliged. It turned out to be a really good night; Captain Caveman’s colleagues were really nice and were grateful for the cheese. Captain Caveman had gone above and beyond, even bringing a cheese knife and chopping board. We stayed in the reception until 11pm when I decided I couldn’t eat any more cheese nor drink any more wine! I left Captain Caveman and Richard discussing caving rope techniques – I’d had enough excitement for one day so left them to that conversation!
Back in the room, my phone connected to the WiFi but, interestingly, I’d not missed any messages at all! How did your Christmas Day go? Did you celebrate?

Gratitude List
1. A lovely hotel breakfast
2. A very relaxed, restful and easy going day
3. Cheese with Tom, Richard & Captain Caveman.

London – 24th December

Wednesday 24th December, or Christmas Eve, started with me having a face on that I had no clothes to wear. Captain Caveman had forgotten to bring my bag down from Pontefract – it was a good job I’d managed to bring knickers and bras with me! So today’s exciting activities would include clothes shopping – which I don’t enjoy. Captain Caveman already had it all planned out in his head but I wasn’t as confident that I would be able to find clothes which either fitted or suited me.
First thing was to get weighed and take my measurements. It seemed a bit futile, knowing that I was going to put weight on while in the UK, but at least I’d know my starting weight. The scales in Barnes said I had lost 0.3kg (0.7lb) which was a good start. My measurements were really good;
Bust no change, Waist -8cm, Hips -2cm.
Thankfully, the stomach issue had gone and my swollen belly had gone back down. I was still 5cm over my waist target, though, even after losing 8cm in a week.
I nipped to the shop as I had forgotten to bring my toothbrush and contraceptive pills. It was so cold out but Barnes Pond was beautiful. I spent £1.75 on a toothbrush in Sainsbury’s and £21 on a 3 month pack of pills.
I’d had deliveries of my book but I decided I would open them later, I did open a free book that Claire Clarke had sent me instead. That would definitely come in handy on my next publication too. Captain Caveman made us bacon sandwiches with brown sauce for breakfast and then we headed off to Wandsworth.

Captain Caveman was convinced I’d be able to get totally kitted out in TK Maxx, a shop I usually avoid on account of the confusing way the clothes are laid out and the resemblance of a jumble sale. I was a bit miffed and convinced I wouldn’t find anything. After an hour of looking, moaning and trying on items I would never had ordinarily chosen, Captain Caveman had forked out more than a hundred quid to sort me out. Here’s what we got with the prices in pounds.

TK Maxx
Black trousers 7.99
Thermal footless tights 8.00
Yoga leggings (with pockets) 19.99
Black hooded top 24.99
Black Dockers 69.99
Total spent £130.96

I wasn’t going to allow Captain Caveman to spend £70 on boots but he convinced me. I loved the docker style with leopard print tongues. They were sturdy, stylish yet practical and even had laces and zip opening. They were a make called Cavalli which I wasn’t familiar with so Captain Caveman Googled them to find that they were originally £330. While I thought they were an expense we could do without, these boots would turn out to be one of the best things Captain Caveman could’ve spent money on this Christmas. I was very pleased with my emergency clothing ‘Christmas presents’, which we don’t normally buy, and the treats continued.

Captain Caveman took us for brunch at Megan’s in Wandsworth. It wasn’t busy and, although on the pricey side compared to what I’m used to, it was a really lovely treat.
Here’s what we had and what Captain Caveman paid for, in pounds.

Megan’s
Sweet potato fries 5.90
Pigs in blankets 8.50
1 Rose wine 175ml 8.50
1 Bloody Mary 9.90
Shakshuka 12.90
Service charge 5.71
Total spent £51.41

We walked to the nearest convenience M&S petrol station and bought some items for tomorrow’s lunch; 2 salads, samosas, sausage rolls, tomatoes & mozzarella cheese for a total of £13.88. We had a quick pint in The Alma as I needed the loo and we needed to get the train back to Barnes. It was 4pm when I started packing for our 2 night trip away. Captain Caveman had agreed to work a 12 hour shift on Christmas Day so I was going to join him in Barking. I opened a lovely Christmas card from a friend and it felt quite nostalgic – we’ve not done Christmas cards for years now.
It was 8pm before we checked in to the Ibis hotel in Barking. Captain Caveman was already in the bar with his work mates when I came down from the room, dressed in some of my new items. We had a drink and Captain Caveman introduced me to the lads; there were 9 of them in total, all working today, tonight or tomorrow on some railway engineering job. They all seemed really fun and friendly but I was surprised that none of them had brought their other halves, as Captain Caveman had said a couple of them might do. When I asked, they said their wives had not fancied spending Christmas Day in an Ibis hotel while their partner worked – just me then!?
Captain Caveman left the fellas to it and we went to the dining area to eat, he had pie and I was tempted but decided to have lasagne with chips and garlic bread. To say we were only in an Ibis, I was impressed with the food and the red wine was pretty good too – I had 2! It wasn’t a very late night as Captain Caveman needed to be up and out early tomorrow.

Gratitude List
1. New clothes and boots from Captain Caveman
2. Brunch at Megan’s
3. A different but interesting Christmas Eve with Captain Caveman and his work colleagues.

Dalyan – 21st December

I was up and working before 7am on Sunday 21st December so that I could catch up from being slack and time away from my desk on Friday and Saturday and knowing I had to be somewhere this afternoon. I had more cruise training to do and I thought the Arctic cruises were particularly interesting. I did more prep for The Handy Travel Planner which was officially launching tomorrow and I still hadn’t seen a hard copy, myself! I also checked in for my flight on Tuesday afternoon and then got ready for some celebrations.
I had been invited to join friends for a Christmas meal at Ela’s Kitchen. At our table there were Jamie & Drew, Ann & Stuart with their family, Charlotte & Kenny plus Nanny Kay and me. My stomach was still iffy from yesterday so I decided to drink soda water and I had took my tupperware so that I didn’t waste my food.
I had the prawn cocktail for starter and it was very good. The Christmas dinner was impressive and I did have some left overs because I needed to save room for the a Christmas pudding. I did manage a glass of red wine but I didn’t feel 100% despite the meal being delicious. We had a good laugh, especially as I was sat between Stuart and Nanny Kay who are both hilarious. Nanny Kay rounded the meal off with an After Eight chocolate sliding down her face, playing that game where you have to get the chocolate from your forehead in to your mouth without using your hands.
At 7.30pm I paid my bill of 2500 lira (£44.64) including the tip and hurried off to meet more friends. I wanted to catch up with Janet & Ian before I went back to the UK so we met in Ren Garden and I had a couple of glasses of red wine at 140 lira (£2.50) each – I would miss these prices when I got back to London!
It was lovely to finish off the weekend with more friends and farewells too.

Gratitude List
1. Being prepared for my book launch tomorrow
2. Christmas lunch at Ela’s Kitchen with friends
3. Farewell drinks with Janet & Ian.

Photo Credit – Ann, Stuart & Jamie for some of the photos

Dalyan & Ortaca – 19th December

Friday 19th December was a great day, in fact my last weekend in Dalyan this year was about to be rather eventful. I made a decision to take some time back to spend it with friends! After a walk to the bank to get cash out, I had a phone call with one of my UK friends. It was good to talk about general stuff as usual but this time it was a chance to arrange to meet up while I was in Sheffield.
My next excitement came in the form of a long awaited hairdresser appointment which Captain Caveman was treating me to. I’d arranged to go with Debbie (Darling) who I hadn’t seen for ages and we joked it was our work Christmas party. She met me at 1pm after having to rescue a cat out of her pool and we went to get the bus to Ortaca. We share the same hairdresser, Emrah, and we’d decided to make an afternoon of it. Luckily that we did, as Captain Caveman had asked if I could get Christmas gifts for his brother and his family of 5 while I was there.
Debbie (Darling) and I chatted so much and had a really fun shopping trip. We bought gifts for people and I managed to get woolly hats for all the Spillane family plus plenty of Turkish Delight.

At the hairdresser’s we had Emra to ourselves and we opened up the chilled prosecco (which we’d had in the fridge) while we waited for our dye to take. I loved it and we both ended up with a change of colour. It cost me a total of 2,500 lira (£44.64) and I felt so much better for having it done.
As I’d bought the fizz, Debbie paid for a taxi back to Dalyan and we popped in to Ren Garden for a quick wine to round off our wonderful afternoon.

I took my shopping home and picked up a coat as it had got chilly once it was going dark. I grabbed a bite to eat at home and then went back out. I met Nanny Kay in Ren Garden too and we had a nice little mulled wine and a good chat.
I’d really enjoyed switching off and relaxing as it’s not often I do, fully.

Gratitude List

Spending valuable time with friends
A trip out to Ortaca with Debbie (Darling)
Getting my hair done, drinking fizz and buying the Christmas Gifts for less than £120.

Dalyan – 13th & 14th December

I had just 4 days left with Norman and 10 days left in Dalyan on Saturday 13th December. I hoped to be able to fit a few things in here, before the end of the year. The weather was good, Norman was snoozing and I got a notification to tell me that my author’s proof copy was arriving in Pontefract this morning! Even though I’d woken up with a sore arm from the flu vaccine, I thought that nothing could spoil my day!
I didn’t bother with the Saturday market but had a walk in to town and met Penny & Phil, content in the knowledge that Captain Caveman had the weekend off and would soon be opening ‘The Handy Travel Planner’, getting the red pen out to correct any obvious mistakes. We had chatted about having a video call so that I could then update the book and get it ready for people to start buying before Christmas on Monday!
At Jik’s, Penny had already ordered and was eating a breakfast, I decided to treat myself to a bacon and mushroom sandwich with an orange juice which was lovely. We got chatting and then decided to move tables to sit in the sun and I had a couple of red wines.
We saw lots of passing Dalyan Dwellers who had already been to the Winter fair and decided we would have a wander over to the Mosque Square to look round the fair, too I paid my 700 lira (£12.50) bill and off we went. It was very busy with lots of stalls, Penny found it hard to walk round for too long so I left her and Phil at Corner Bar. I had a mulled wine and a chocolate brownie from the Ren Garden stall for 150 lira (£2.68) while saying a quick hello to Görkem. I bought some books for 800 lira (£14.29) at the book stall which had a ticket for each book. All the tickets went in to a draw to win a bag of goodies. This is where I met the stall holder, Ali, who was raising money for the dog shelter. The books I picked were all detective/thriller novels for Dad to read, as I know they only bring hand luggage out and books he hasn’t read are difficult to get.
I popped to Kate’s stall where I managed to spend just a few quid on some new coasters. She was raising money for Arthur’s Legacy, a cat charity.
It was so very crowded, the busiest fair in Dalyan I had seen and I went back home to drop stuff off then over to Jamie’s to check on Norman.
While I was there, I checked if Captain Caveman had got my book and had he looked at it yet – he’d decided to go away for the weekend and so, disappointingly, the answer was no. He was due back tomorrow night and would look at it then, if it hadn’t been left out in the rain!
I decided to walk Norman back in to town but he was not keen on going far. We got as far as Ren Garden, where Penny, Phil and Caramel now were so I joined them. Norman loved it in there and I even let him off the lead to see if he and Caramel would play together – they didn’t. Penny had bought a whole cooked chicken from the butchers to feed Caramel with so of course Norman wanted to eat it too. I was hesitant as I didn’t want it to affect his tum but he did share some and snaffled it down. I had 2 mulled wines and a piece of really good carrot and walnut cake. I paid a total of 500 lira (£8.93) and we stayed out until 9pm.
Norman was very sprightly walking home and was so pleased with himself to have had extra chicken from Penny and Caramel.

Gratitude List
1. A good day with friends at the Winter fair
2. Norman
3. Mulled wine.

Sunday 14th December had any plans I might have had, cancelled. Poor little Norman had an accident at just gone 7am. He’d sneezed, coughed, farted and shit himself on the tiled floor of the dining room. The chicken he’d had last night had not done him any favours as I moved him away from a puddle of orange liquid that smelled foul! I felt awful for him and let Jamie know, seeing as I probably shouldn’t have let him eat the chicken.
I’d only just finished cleaning it up when Nanny Kay popped round for a visit and Norman was pleased to see her. We had a good chat and a laugh then arranged to have a pre Christmas drink on Friday as well as seeing each other next Sunday before I left for the UK.
Norman managed a short walk but he wasn’t his usual sprightly self so we chilled on the sofa in the evening. I had a homemade chickpea and spinach curry with couscous for dinner, which was nice. I waited for Captain Caveman to call or message to say he’d got my planner but I never heard anything! This meant that ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ would not be going on sale tomorrow. I was yet again disappointed and mad with myself for not planning it better.

Gratitude List
1. Seeing Nanny Kay
2. Norman
3. Healthy curry for dinner.

Dalyan – 11th & 12th December

I was up at 6am on Thursday 11th December, half expecting to come down to Norman having had an accident. He was fast asleep still and only woke up once I’d got comfy under the Christmas blanket on the sofa.
Outside, Norman was still not out of the woods so I made him some egg to mix in with his breakfast. The weather was fine and looked to be good all weekend. It was just 2 weeks until Christmas Day and only 12 days until I saw Captain Caveman again.
I worked all day from the dining room table, including a Resort Experts team meeting.
Norman let me know at lunch time that he needed to be sat in the chair nearest to me. He could see what was going on but then was snoring super loudly within minutes.
I didn’t eat much during the day as I was busy so, at 5.30pm, I downed tools for the dog walk before dinner. I warmed up a chicken dinner and saved Norman a little bit of chicken, which he loved. It had been another zero spend and no alcohol day so I was pleased with that.
I sat down on the sofa to watch something on Netflix but started to fall asleep. I managed about one episode of Drive to Survive, about Formula 1, before I drifted off.

Gratitude List
1. No accidents from Norman
2. Less than 12 days until I arrived in London
3. Chicken dinner.

By 7.15am on Friday 12th December, Norman and I had been out and we were having some sofa snuggles. Usually when Edna had been with us, she had taken the priority spot for morning strokes but now Norman quietly put himself against my leg and instantly fell asleep. After working in the morning, I decided to pop to the pharmacy to see if they had any Covid and Flu jabs. I hoped to visit people in the UK over Christmas who had compromised immune systems so I wanted to try to prevent spreading anything.
Interestingly, there were no Covid vaccines available but the flu jab was out of the packet and in the back of my left arm before I could say anything else. After, I asked the reason for the lack of Covid jabs and they said they no longer stock them. I asked if I could go to the nearest hospital to get one and they said not and that Turkey didn’t have them.
This was my first flu jab so I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was surprised at the price as I had no idea what they cost;

Balcı Pharmacy
Flu jab 568.99 lira (£10.16)

Next, I went to the bank to ask about insurance for my forthcoming trip to Morocco but by the time I got upstairs I felt faint. I learned that the bank couldn’t do travel insurance until next week, as it needed to be nearer the date of travel. I had a quick trip to the supermarket which resulted in me buying some new drinking glasses to have water in, prices in lira for what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 7.16
Chocolate bar 19.95
Biscuits 37.75
Chickpea rice 37.76
Marshmallow 39.95
Dark chocolate 49.95
Cereal bars 60.90
2 drinking glasses 84.94
Dates 89.95
Total 428.31 lira (£7.65)

I called at the bakery to get a simit but also ended up with a cheese börek (pastry) for a total of 45 lira (80p) I had to walk all the way back to Jamie’s without passing out as I had started to feel weak so ate the börek outside with Norman. Unexpectedly, Norman had a bit of an incident where he was looking at me eating, he fell backwards down 2 steps then toddled towards the pool, almost falling in!
A proof copy of my new book ‘The Handy Travel Planner’ was meant to be being delivered today to Captain Caveman so that he could proof read and check it for me, but it didn’t arrive.
I went for a walk with Norman after work and, as it was Friday, we went to the pub for a drink. I had a couple of rosé wines and soda at Ren Garden and Norman behaved really well. The total cost for 2 wines and 1 soda was 330 lira (£5.89) but I rounded it up to include a tip so spent 400 lira (£7.14) in total – not bad for a Friday treat.
Back home, I made a pasta dish for my dinner and we saw that Jamie had indeed made his way on to the Maldives flight – he was not going to have to slum it in Benidorm, after all. I let Norman know but he was more concerned as to if he was getting egg in his dinner or not. After dinner, I had loaded the dishwasher and put the tablet in, Norman was inquisitive and wanted to see what it was all about. I explained to him that dishwasher tablets are not snacks, despite Jamie storing them in the fridge!

Gratitude List
1. Being able to get a flu jab
2. Norman
3. Knowing a proof copy of my book was due to arrive in Pontefract, probably tomorrow.

Dalyan – 5th to 7th December

Friday 5th December was one of those stay at home days and keep out of the rain. I got a bit wet in the morning going to feed my friends cat and then I sat at my desk and watched the bad weather while I ploughed through my to do list. At 11am I had beans on toast and a Yorkshire tea for brunch. Not long after, my Turkish phone received a text to warn of heavy rains and flood risks across our province.
In the afternoon I helped out a fellow Travel Agent from another company who wanted some info about Dalyan. The rains came and didn’t stop for the rest of the day so I had to venture out in it to feed the, who didn’t show up.
I warmed up a Thai green curry for dinner with couscous and then found my wool socks and sheepskin slippers to warm my feet. They were cold after getting wet, walking through the water of our overflowing swimming pool. The mulled wine evening at Ren Garden even got postponed due to the weather so Jamie and I decided we would not be venturing out.

Gratitude List
1. Beans on toast
2. Thai Green curry
3. Warm feet.

The rain didn’t stop on Saturday 6th December so I got absolutely soaked on my last cat feeding mission. Even the white dogs did not come out or look up from their shelters this morning! I decided to call in to the Fataç shop to see if they had any wellies. I’d only got pumps which, although had a chunky sole, were totally inadequate for walking through the puddles. As luck would have it, the owner was there and let me try on a lovely pair of industrial wellies which he fitted with some super comfy spongy insoles. They did set me back 1700 lira (£30.36) which was not budgeted for but they made me feel like I would never have wet or uncomfortable feet again. Mr Fataç insisted I kept them on and gave me a plastic bag for my soggy sneakers. On my way home, I sploshed about like a child who’d been told not to go in puddles and it was amazing! I knew that my friend was on her way back from her trip, the cat was fed and looked after and I was looking forward to no animal caring for the next 2 days.
I messaged Captain Caveman to let him know I’d spent a load of money on wellies and he thought that was a bargain for dry comfy feet! I obviously didn’t venture to the weekly market and decided I could make do with what I had.
I made halloumi and roasted vegetable pasta for lunch which was fantastic. I spent the rest of my day avoiding rain and checking on our roof leaks – the bathroom needed a container to catch the drips from the leaking window.

Gratitude List
1. New wellies!!!
2. Puddle sploshing
3. Good food.

I tried my best to have a lay in on Sunday 7th December, however, my body clock must’ve got used to being awake between 6 & 7am as I was in the Wide Awake Club.
I even joined Jamie on a dog walk with Norman as they had felt cabined up and wanted to get out now that the rain had gone. I was keen to splash about in my new wellies so agreed to meet Jamie. As we were walking we decided that we would partake in the postponed mulled wine night at Ren Garden later. Jamie had a birthday lunch to do in the afternoon but said he would make it between 7 and 8pm. In the meantime, I spent my day faffing about with suitcases trying to find my clothes that needed to go to charity. It turned out I must’ve already donated them as I only had what was in one box and one wardrobe! I made a simple but tasty chicken and veg pasta for lunch and finally was able to get a couple of loads of washing out to dry.
I arrived at Ren Garden around 7pm and was chatting to some friends who were already there. By 9pm I decided I had already drunk sufficient mulled wine, which I really enjoyed, and that I would go to Migros for some shopping. I paid my 600 lira (£10.71) bill and said farwell to the people of Ren Garden. Jamie messaged to say he was still out at the birthday celebrations and was sorry to not make it after all. I was quite tipsy so I decided to get myself a ready made pizza for dinner. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Pasta 21.71
Milk 59.90
Dark chocolate 59.95
1 pepperoni pizza 179.95
Socks 388.95
Total spent 700.43 lira (£12.51)

I went home, cooked and ate the pizza and was glad of being in bed before midnight.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Wellies
3. Mulled wine.

Dalyan – 1st December

For Captain Caveman’s last day in Dalyan on Monday 1st December, I decided we should go on the Yellow Boat to Köyceğiz. I’d booked the 2 of us on at 400 lira (£7.27) each, leaving at 10.30am and returning by 5pm. I was mainly looking forward to buying some fruit and vegetables at the market as we hadn’t been to the Dalyan one.
My first job was to feed my friend’s cat, get cash out of the bank and then grab us a couple of croissants from the bakery for breakfast. It cost 180 lira (£3.21) for 2 and they were really good and fresh. I checked the stats for my JOLOYOLO.COM blog and was pleased to see I had 6% more views in November than October. The top 3 nationalities were listed as the UK, Turkey, then the USA. Unfortunately, Vietnam was down in 15th place – beaten easily by Australia, Thailand and the Netherlands!
It was quite chilly out but dry, so we were optimistic for the boat trip today. When we got on, there was just us, Brigette and her hubby, Jim, plus a Turkish lady who was the mother of a walking friend of Captain Caveman’s. Usually there are about 16 onboard so this felt like our own private trip!!
We sipped our hot drinks and nibbles on simit, as we sailed along the river and towards Köyceğiz Lake. The water and scenery was so beautiful and my phone camera didn’t even do it justice.

When we arrived it was around midday so Captain Caveman and I headed to the market. Here’s what we bought with prices in lira;

Potatoes, onions & garlic 45
Peppers & courgettes 45
Black Olives 50
2 pairs of Slippers 100
Total spent 240 lira (£4.29)

For lunch we decided to try Kebapçı Antepden 1999 where I had a lentil soup and Captain Caveman ordered a chicken wrap. The waiter also brought us some free starters, lots of bread and it was all very nice for 480 lira (£8.57). Our next stop was to call for a drink by the lake at one of our favourite places, Avantgart, where we spent 700 lira (£12.50) on a glass of red wine and a rakı.

Back on the boat we had some fruit and snacks then I had a wine and Captain Caveman had a beer. We all watched a bird eat a snake, which was a little grim, but interesting! It was a really good boat trip and we even tried dried persimmon with pecan nuts with the Turkish lady – they were delicious.

After dropping the shopping back in Dalyan, I went to feed my friend’s cat and we had sausage casserole for dinner again. This time Captain Caveman had the leftover lamb added to his. Later, we headed to Ozzy’s bar to meet my parents for a farewell drink. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;

2 Efes Malt 300
2 red wines 320
Total 620 lira with 60 lira discount
Total spent 560 lira (£10)

My parents and Captain Caveman were on the same flight back to Manchester tomorrow, as well as Julie & Gareth, so they were all going to the airport together. As I wouldn’t get to to say bye to Ma & Pa tomorrow, I said my goodbyes that night.

Gratitude List
1. A great day out in Köyceğiz on the Yellow Boat
2. Tasty food
3. Leaving drinks with my parents and Captain Caveman.

Dalyan – 30th November

It was still raining when my alarm went off at 6am on Sunday 30th November. I didn’t go to feed Baby C until it stopped raining around 7.30am. On the way home I checked on the 2 white dogs who were fine but one of them had a half wet blanket.

Back home, I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and decided I would go with Captain Caveman on his Sunday Walk. As usual he’d had lots of people saying they might come but no definites and it’s always hard to know who’s coming when it looks like rain. My parents and several Dalyan Dwellers were going to the Çaliş fair so it looked to be a quiet Dalyan. I was hoping to sit and drink tea but when we got to the Kaunos tea garden meeting point there was only us. We decided to have a walk around the edges of Dalyan, just as it started to rain again. Opposite the tombs is a ridiculous wooden frame with plastic flowers draped over it, which were coming loose and blowing in to the river. I picked up several plastic flowers and put them in a bin. After about an hour and 15 minutes of walking we reached the Kefal tea gardens and ordered something to warm us up. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;

Kefal tea gardens
1 Sage tea 15
1 Large Turkish tea 20
2 cheese & onion toasties 220
Total spent 255 lira (£4.64)

That was breakfast sorted and we decided to continue along the river walk towards the Denizkızı ferry. We bumped in to Ghislaine and her dogs so had a chat and I found it tricky to walk through the puddles with tons of stray cats round my feet, who may have thought we had come to feed them.

We got home before 1pm as we needed to shower and get ready for a lunch arrangement. Sezgin and Nur wanted us to join them for lunch at a place they love to go to eat lamb. Joining us were Debbie and Mike who we hadn’t had chance to catch up with yet either, so that worked well. I don’t eat lamb but I know that Captain Caveman loves it so I was happy to oblige. Sezgin recommended we all try the Tandır Lamb dish which is roasted lamb in the oven, slow cooked for a few hours. It came with plenty of bread, salad and pickled vegetables so I managed to eat just a little of the lamb. Mike ordered kofta (meatballs) instead but I wanted to try the dish Sezgin and Nur really liked. It was good, and cooked really well. Captain Caveman loved it and we even took some home to have for tomorrow. Here’s what we paid for our share of the meal with water to drink;

Köprübaşı restaurant
1,850 lira (£33.64)

After, we drove back to Kefal tea gardens for a second visit and had a drink and a chat. I paid for the drinks and here’s what we had with prices in lira;

Kefal tea gardens
1 soda water 25
2 Large Turkish tea 40
1 Espresso 65
2 Black coffee 80
Total 210 lira (£3.82)

It was almost 4pm by the time we got in, so on the evening cat feed I took Captain Caveman with me so we could go for another walk after. We were surprised to see people we knew in Sofra bar who were already back from Çaliş, including Jamie. We decided to join them for one and ended up having 3 drinks. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;

Sofra bar
3 Efes Malt 450
3 Red wine 540
Total spent 990 lira (£18)

We didn’t stay out late as it had turned quite cold and we needed to get some rest before Captain Caveman’s last day tomorrow. We walked past a new cafe which Ozzy was opening and would cater for people arriving late from the airport. Before bed, I checked where my finances were on my income & expenditure spreadsheet as it was the last day of the month. I had just about managed to get back to breaking even; I’d spent £780 against a budget of £1,000 so I was pleased with that. I’d also got a surplus of £392 to take in to the last month of the year. My credit card was paid off (as always) and all the bills were paid.

Gratitude List
1. A Sunday Walk for just the 2 of us made a nice change for me
2. Traditional Turkish Lunch out with friends
3. Being within budget.

Dalyan – 28th & 29th November

On Friday 28th November I was up and about very early on animal duty. Captain Caveman was off to Bridge again in the morning so I worked and caught up on some blogging and content posts. Captain Caveman suggested I take the afternoon off but I’d enrolled in another Travelpack cruise training session at 5pm. Instead, we had a bit of a walk at lunch and called to the off licence where we bought 2 bottles of wine for 665 lira (£12.09) to stock up for the weekend.
I’d also decided to arrange a night out at Ren Garden with friends. I’d invited my parents too but they were already booked up to go out with their friends. After feeding the cat and Captain Caveman making us a halloumi pasta for dinner, we got ready to meet Jamie, Vanessa, Leanne & Sonuç. As it was bad weather a few others had cancelled but we had already got a warm private room at the back, near the pool. It was really nice and we did have a laugh. Ren Garden’s mulled wine goes down so quickly and the new cheese plate addition was very nice. Some other friends were in the other room and came to say hello and another couple of fellas came to join us.
Our bill for the evening came to 1,890 lira (£34.36) which included 13 alcoholic drinks and a cheese plate! Not bad for a Friday night out for 2, really!

Gratitude List
1. Good food
2. A night out with friends
3. Mulled wine.

It was a wet one on Saturday 29th November. I went to feed the cat and got a little bit wet and the rain really came down before lunch time. Even our front balcony got too much water on it at once and it started to overflow. I had planned to go say bye to Vanessa and Matt but it was raining so heavily that we decided not to. The Saturday market was not an option for us as we decided it was a day on the sofa.
In the afternoon I baked a camembert in the oven and we had it with some crusty bread. It was so good! For dinner we had a home made sausage casserole with airfryer Yorkshire puddings which we cooked together and was also amazing!
In the evening Captain Caveman and I started to look at holiday plans for 2026, including ideas of me spending the whole of July with Captain Caveman, which would be lovely. Baby C didn’t show up when I’d gone to feed her that evening, in the rain, so I suspected she had someone else feeding her and keeping her dry, elsewhere.
Captain Caveman had organised another Sunday Walk for tomorrow, which clashed with the Çaliş fair and rain forecast so we weren’t expecting many people. I set the alarm so that I could be up ready for Baby C before going to the tea gardens.

Gratitude List
1. Baked Camembert
2. Sausage Casserole
3. Planning some time together for 2026.

Photo Credit – some by Ren Garden & Jamie

Dalyan – 25th & 26th November

I decided not to bother taking the day off work on Tuesday 25th November as I correctly assumed Captain Caveman would be doing something without me. I fed the cat and had a stroll back via the bakery where I picked up some croissants for breakfast. I hadn’t thought about Fat Club weigh in tomorrow so I’d probably accidentally had a Sabotage Tuesday (again). We ate breakfast then Captain Caveman went to play Bridge. I logged on and did some work. When he got back I made us a cougette pasta for lunch. I carried on working while Captain Caveman lolled on the sofa with his phone until 5pm then he went to the grocers for veg and more eggs.
I fed the cat in the evening, then came back to make a chickpea and spinach curry which we didn’t eat until gone 9.30pm but it was rather tasty.

Gratitude List
1. Croissants for breakfast
2. Spending the evening with Captain Caveman
3. Great Slimming World friendly food.

Wednesday 26th November was a bit of an odd day really. I was feeding my friend’s cat before 7.15am, saw the sunrise and then went back to bed with a cup of tea as it was cold out. After breakfast of toast for me and homemade şakşuka for Captain Caveman I remembered to get weighed and measured. My home scales showed I had lost 0.8kg (1.8lb) this week, which was very surprising given that I had consumed far more syns than I should have! My measurements showed I’d put 1cm on my bust and hips but lost 3cm from my waist – impressive really! Captain Caveman and I decided to have a bit of a walk around and I introduced him to the white dogs, before he went off to the barbers and I went to Fat Club. Captain Caveman’s haircut and shave cost him 400 lira (£7.27) which he was happy with and they did a good job.
Disappointingly, but realistically, Carol’s scales said I had remained the same as last week and not lost any weight at all! I would need to try harder in December to get back to target before the end of the year. I had just under 5kg (11lb) to lose so it was not looking likely that I would reach target again this year.
At 6pm I had arranged to meet up with my parents, Jamie and Vanessa at Ren Garden for a drink. I was surprised to see Ma on the beer and Pa on the water but he’d got a bit of a cold and dodgy tum so was taking it easy after their Jiva Beach trip. While Ma took it steady with a few beers, Pa had a latte but he wasn’t feeling too great. I nipped off to feed the cat and she wanted some attention so I stayed for a little while to give her some strokes with her pâté.
When I returned, Vanessa and Matt had arrived after the pool afternoon with Mark, Kate and Sarah. We weirdly ended up playing games and taking over the front room of Ren Garden’s bar area – and we were loud! Here’s what ours and my parents’ bills came to that night.

Ren Garden – us
4 Red wines 520
5 Efes Malta 600
Total spent 1,120 lira (£20.36)

Ren Garden – Ma & Pa
2 waters 40
1 latte 130
3 Efes Malt 360
Total 530 lira (£9.64)

I’d obviously gone mad on the wine (again) on a Wednesday and was easily swayed when a suggestion to go for food came up. Dad and Captain Caveman decided to walk on ahead to Çağrı to go there but they turned back when they saw it had been open but was closing. We decided Pizza 48 would be a good place, despite it being outdoor seating. I don’t recall us being cold and we all had our own pizza and a drink. Captain Caveman ordered a meat pizza and an Efes Malt, I had a mushroom pizza with a red wine which came to 1,080 lira (£19.64). I was planning on taking some home but it was pretty good and I ate it all.

Gratitude List
1. Weighing less on my home scales
2. A night out at Ren Garden
3. Spending time with friends and family.