The weather looked promising at 7am on Sunday 26th July and I was optimistic for our next trip. Claire and I were booked in for 2 nights in Buxton but first we were off to Bakewell, with Captain Caveman, for lunch. By the time we arrived at the Woodyard it was cold and raining and we all had to put rain coats on. For lunch we shared a cheesy garlic bread starter, I had mushroom risotto, Captain Caveman had a lamb tagine and Claire a chicken dish. We had drinks with plenty of tap water and our bill came to £95 before the tip.
After the meal, it started raining a bit more so Captain Caveman went to get the bus back to Sheffield, Claire and I had a quick wander round Bakewell before we drove on to Buxton.
We checked in to the rather lovely Palace Hotel & Spa which Claire had booked directly with the hotel. They had a good deal on their executive twin room with a desk and a bath in it and included breakfast. It was really lovely – I do love an old fashioned hotel. They did charge separately for the car park (£10) and the use of the spa depending on what you wanted to do.
We had a little walk round the centre of Buxton but, as it was raining, we ended up in the nearest pub. We had a bottle of cheap white wine in the Railway, which wasn’t great but was cheaper for the bottle than buying 2 glasses so we were persuaded easily.
Back at the hotel, we made use of the bar with a couple of nicer white wines for £15 and a game or 2 of Scrabble – we know how to have a good time! It was a great day and evening despite the cold, wet weather and it was nice to spend more time with Claire.
Gratitude List 1. Lunch at the Woodyard in Bakewell with Captain Caveman and Claire 2. A staycation at the Buxton Palace Hotel & Spa with Claire 3. Playing Scrabble in the bar with Claire.
This weekend in Sheffield was the popular Tramlines festival so, on Saturday 25th July, I had arranged to check out the fringe part of it in the centre of town. After breakfast, Claire and I found ourselves in The Bed Shop at Kelham Island, where she bought a new pillow for £12 reduced from £40 so that she would have a comfier night’s sleep! The guy holding the fort in the bed shop was really nice and we liked the shop which had lamps, mirrors, furniture and a lot of beds. Next, we walked in to town, getting a bit lost along the way and I bought a hand held fan from the tat shop. We also saw some of the lions as part of a charity initiative set up in Sheffield.
Our next mission was to meet Captain Caveman at The Twisted Burger Company at 1pm. He had been taking a group of walkers through the Sheffield Calverts, as a volunteer. He was late, we were early and we had a cup of Yorkshire tea each while we waited. We were meant to be meeting several friends, 2 of whom had to cancel due to childcare issues and hangovers so it meant we just needed to see Vanessa who was still celebrating her 60th birthday. That didn’t work out well as we missed lunch to go meet her at a pub in the town centre. When we arrived, she wasn’t there but had text to say she was now at another pub, we went there and she was already at the next pub. It was getting a bit silly trying to catch up with Vanessa and her entourage as they were clearly drinking fast and we hadn’t even bought a drink in any of the 3 venues we had tried to find them in. Plus we had missed lunch and Captain Caveman had his bicycle with him. We decided to head to the Dog & Partridge and get a drink there, Claire and I shared a quick sandwich as we walked, not realising Captain Caveman would not have eaten.
The Dog & Partridge was good, had live music on and we got some crisps with our drinks. I was in the toilet and when I came out, I had a surprise. My friend, Becca, had decided to surprise me by turning up to say hello. It made me jump but it was fab and Steve was in the bar with Captain Caveman and Claire. We had some drinks and Vanessa messaged to say she was now at the Dog & Partridge so we met her and her family and friends for a very quick drink.
Later, we headed back to Kelham Island and we decided to go for a meal at Domo. It was my first visit and I really enjoyed it. We paid £88.38, including a 10% tip, for the 3 of us. We had 2 glasses of wine, a jug of tap water, veggies, caprese salad, aubergine, a spicy pizza and a calzone – all excellent. It was busy but the service was good and it was a real treat.
Gratitude List 1. Spending time with friends in Sheffield 2. Finally buying a handheld fan 3. Great food at Domo.
I had been looking forward to Friday 24th July for a while, and not just because Captain Caveman and I would be going to Sheffield. I’d planned in the diary to spend the weekend with Captain Caveman and our friend, Claire. I’d not seen her since Spain in June, so we were excited. I left Barnes around 9.30am so that I could use my train ticket from St Pancras and I worked on the train. I managed to go from Barnes via Vauxhall and didn’t get lost. I arrived in to Sheffield at 1pm and made my way to Captain Caveman’s flat. It was quite cool compared to London and I hoped the Sheffield summer wasn’t over. Captain Caveman worked all day in London and was getting back very late so I planned a girls night in. I tidied the flat up and made up a bed with an airbed in the spare room. The flat doesn’t have much in the way of furniture on account of Captain Caveman wanting to buy a place so not really wanting to buy stuff he needs to move up to the 2nd floor, only to have to take it out again when he moves out. Claire arrived around 5pm, after she had finished her working day near Manchester. We had a wander round the Kelham Island area and then called in to one of my favourite local pubs. The beer garden at the Gardener’s Rest was very nice with a pint of cider, scampi fries and bacon fries. We had a good laugh with a lady on a 3 wheeler mobility scooter who was manoeuvreing between the tables and benches. Back home, Claire and I were in our pyjamas while it was still daylight, drinking red wine and eating snacks with cheese. We shared a beanbag on account of not having a sofa and laughed a lot. We also put a plan together for a bit of a staycation early next week. Captain Caveman got back late and we made plans for more fun tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Getting back to Sheffield after being away for over 8 weeks 2. Spending time with Claire 3. Having a night in with cheese and wine.
It was another great day in Plovdiv on Sunday 19th July and it was the last day of the Phillgood Festival. We ate breakfast at the hotel, which was nice. For lunch we decided to go to La Casa, a pizza place not far from our hotel. The pizza was huge and very tasty which I couldn’t finish all of mine. We also had a carafe of white wine to go with it and the obligatory litre of water too. Our bill came to €33.10 (£28.44) which wasn’t bad considering I had leftovers for the hotel room fridge.
For dinner we went to a local Bulgarian cafe where Captain Caveman tried the cucumber soup then pork and chips, I just had chicken skewers and corn. All the dishes actually tasted better than they looked and we also had more wine. The bill came to €49.40 (£42.45) which I thought was a little expensive but not extortionate. On our way to the last day of the music festival we bought 2 bottles of water at €1.60 (£1.37) to take in with us as there was no running tap water. Generally in Bulgaria though the tap water is safe to drink and is really good.
We got to the last day of Phillgood a little later than previous days, as I really wanted to see Suede at 9pm. Captain Caveman was more up for Moby who wasn’t on until 10.45pm and the rest of the bands we hadn’t heard of. I’d always been a fan of Suede but they were absolutely incredible. It was hot and sweaty but it did not stop Brett throwing himself around the stage and in to the crowd like he’d not aged a bit! I was so impressed. By the time Moby came on, I was so tired and Captain Caveman needed a sit down too, so we ended up watching from the back, having a sit on an uncomfortable wall like a couple of old codgers. I’ve never been a fan of Moby’s music but I like what he tries to do. Captain Caveman enjoyed that set more than I did but it was still a good experience to share. My top 3 favourite acts of the whole 3 days had been Suede, The Cure and Kneecap – all incredibly impressive and very different to each other. We walked back to the hotel for the last time and I was so shattered, I was desperately in need of a lay in tomorrow. We polished off the leftover pizza before falling asleep.
Gratitude List 1. More lovely food out in Plovdiv 2. Seeing more amazing live music 3. Spending even more time with Captain Caveman.
I’d been away from Dalyan’s Fat Club for so long now that the weigh day on Wednesday 15th July almost felt pointless. Luckily, we Fat Club ladies have a group chat and they are 2 hours ahead in Türkiye so there were already messages – mainly encouraging and humourous. It’s great because it keeps me conscious of trying to maintain some semblance of sensible eating and I do miss the group a lot when I’m not there. So, I got on the scales in Barnes and took my measurements (I always carry my tape measure). I was shocked to find I had lost 1.5kg (3.3lb), lost 2cm from my bust, no change to my hips but had put 2cm on my waist. I was pleased with that but I now still needed to lose quite a bit more to get back to my target weight. What I didn’t realise is that Captain Caveman had done his work for the week, was now on holiday and was sat playing Bridge on his phone when I came back from the bakery. I’d been to get croissants from Gail’s but there was a massive queue. A cute dog alerted me to a counter at another bakery a few doors down, he was waiting to be served and there were dog biscuits on the counter. I paid £6.20 for a croissant and a pain au chocolat, the dog biscuits were free so my new pal got given one for helping me. There was no sign of an owner but the dog was obviously a local. After me cramming in some work, we left Barnes at midday. We said farewell to Captain Caveman’s Ma but I only shouted up ‘bye’ to Pa, who I hope had his hearing aid switched on. Captain Caveman’s parents are always so welcoming and accommodating so I was actually sad to be leaving. We got the bus back to Heathrow airport (again) ready for our 3.25pm BA flight to Sofia. We were off to Bulgaria for the Phillgood festival in Plovdiv and were really looking forward to seeing more bands. On our way through a precinct in Hammersmith we nipped in Tesco to stock up on meal deals for dinner as we didn’t want to be spending money unnecessarily in the airport or on the plane. We paid £12 for 2 meal deals which included a chicken katsu bento box for me and a sandwich for Captain Caveman. We both had a snack and a smoothie too.
The flight to Sofia went as planned and we landed in to Sofia where we were staying for 2 nights. The navigation of the train/metro from the airport to our hotel was easy and it wasn’t busy at 9pm. We arrived at Hotel Niky which I had booked with Resort Expert’s for an excellent price and it was very comfy and in a great location. Captain Caveman decided we would pop to an ale house for beer and sausages but it was closed. Instead we ended up at a lovely pizza restaurant on the main street. At La Piazzetta we ordered a beer and a red wine and 2 pizzas. The wine serving was massive and so were the pizzas. Captain Caveman had a spicy one and I had a BBQ chicken. They tasted great and it wasn’t expensive – Captain Caveman paid. Back at the hotel, it was late so we were looking forward to a good sleep and exploring Sofia tomorrow – neither of us had been before.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week 2. Being able to stay in Barnes again 3. Another trip away to somewhere new, with Captain Caveman.
I had a busy day at my laptop on Monday 13th July but I wasn’t complaining. I love the old bureau with pull out loper arms and desk flap which is in the spare room at Captain Caveman’s parents. It was sunny but a pleasant cooler change from the heat of Madrid. I worked on invoices, a couple of private trip enquiries, a last minute hotel enquiry and some PDFs I’d been producing on Canva that might help holiday makers have better holidays. After a few phonecalls to complain to TFL about my overcharging a couple of weeks ago, they were no use and said I had to write in. They then gave me an incorrect email address which bounced back my email. I scheduled the rest of my July daily posts, knowing that Captain Caveman and I were off for another trip later this week. After he finished work, Captain Caveman said he was taking me to Richmond as I’d only seen it from the bus last night. We said we would be back for dinner which was going to be a mix and match style dinner that wouldn’t spoil if we were late. We took the bus and had a good walk round what was once Captain Caveman’s home town as a child. I was fascinated and took quite a few photos of the lovely buildings. There was a Holland & Barrett so I called in for some sea sickness ginger sweets. I normally pay about £8 per box but they were on offer at only £3.89. I spotted a car in the shape of a boat, driving down the high street so I went to get a photo. The driver and passenger gave me a smile as they drove past.
Captain Caveman had a genius idea that we should walk to a place that was the perfect picture but I was too busy wondering where there may be a loo and we had to call in to the Princes Head. We sat outside for a drink and I had a pee before the ascent of Richmond Hill. If I’d been glad of the cooler temperatures in the UK, now was the time to fully appreciate it. I was a bit of a hot mess by the time we got to be standing at the point where both JMW Turner and John Constable, among other artists, had painted their famous masterpieces of Richmond Hill and the Thames. It was totally unexpected and very stunning. In need of a little sit down and a beverage, Captain Caveman took me to the Roebuck pub where I had one of the nicest rosé wines I’ve had in a while. We also splashed out on rather expensive peanuts! The pub was beautiful and the staff had a good laugh with us. We called in to the Waitrose on the way home, where we picked up a bottle of rosé wine, some laundry detergent sheets (ideal for travels) and some sausage rolls for £18.65. Back home the parents had eaten their dinner so we grabbed ours and had a drop of wine while discussing our plans for the rest of the summer.
Gratitude List 1. Getting through a busy day in the office after being away in Madrid 2. Having a wander round Richmond, seeing the sights 3. Being back in Barnes with Captain Caveman and his parents, for a couple of days.
Tuesday 14th July was spent doing all the last minute preparations and repacking for our 6 day trip tomorrow. We were off to another music festival in Europe and had tagged an extra days on to our holiday. I spent most of the day in the working from home office while Captain Caveman sorted getting the washing dry and then cooking bacon right after the cleaner had been and cleaned the kitchen! Work admin took longer than I thought but I got most of it finished. We were taking 3 of our favourite travel products with us; the Scrubba to wash clothes, the deodorant crystal and the toothpaste tabs, both non-liquid. I also spent some time researching the venue of the music festival and found a map of the stage layout. In the evening Captain Caveman’s parents invited us into the garden for wine and nibbles and we had a pre birthday toast which was lovely. They were also off on holiday the day after us and we would all be away for both Captain Caveman’s and his Dad’s birthdays.
Gratitude List 1. Being lucky enough to be going away again 2. Preparations for the next holiday 3. Having birthday toasts in the garden with Captain Caveman and his parents.
Our British Airways flight from Madrid to Heathrow on Sunday 12th July was at 7pm so we had plenty of time to recover from the fabulous 4 day Mad Cool festival. My job was to clean the apartment and Captain Caveman’s job was to make sure the bin was out and the property was secure and the AC off. I thought I’d done a good job of cleaning the apartment, including the bathroom so I was a bit cheesed off that Captain Caveman decided to use it afterwards – I cleaned it again. At 1.30pm we went for lunch at a lovely tapas restaurant which Captain Caveman’s brother had recommended to us. El Guichi was small with excellent service and the staff spoke English. We took wine recommendations from the owner and had a few dishes to share. We had pork, croquettes, tortilla, a toast with meat on and 2 glasses of wine each for a total of €39.50 (£33.86). It was very tasty and quite filling, if we hadn’t had to get off to the airport I could easily have stayed longer. Our flight ended up delayed so we had a beverage and a sandwich in the airport. Our seats on the plane were the back ones, near the toilet which is always good for me! We arrived back in to Heathrow and had to get a replacement bus which was absolutely rammed. It also took a long time and we ended up back in Barnes very late, so we went straight to bed, knowing the working day tomorrow would be a long tiring one!
Gratitude List 1. A lovely tapas lunch with Captain Caveman in Madrid 2. Being able to stay in a wonderful apartment in Madrid 3. Having sandwiches and drinks for dinner in Madrid airport.
It was late when we arrived in Atocha, Madrid, so we went straight to bed. We were awake quite early on Wednesday 8th July and had slept well in Captain Caveman’s niece’s room while the family were on holiday. The apartment was stylish and lovely, we were very grateful we were able to stay there. In the morning, I attended the 3rd session of the Offline Challenge with Lisa Johnson and did a little bit of work before Captain Caveman decided we were off for breakfast and the supermarket. We found a nearby cute cafe called Armonia which we both ordered the open style sandwiches at. Captain Caveman ordered an avocado and turkey while I got brave and tried a bacon, cheese, rocket, caramelised onion and pistachio. It was probably one of the nicest sandwiches I’d had and it wasn’t that expensive, Captain Caveman paid. I had my meal with tea, Captain Caveman with a double espresso and we both had water. Our next stop was to Lidl where we bought the following, prices in Euros;
This shopping would form the ingredients for most of our meals while we were there.
In the afternoon I had arranged to meet Emma, the Lanzarote Resort Expert, and her husband Huse. By complete coincidence they were also going to the Mad Cool Festival but just for day 1 so we arranged to meet in town and grab some food before the gig. Despite doing the same job in different places, Emma and I had never met in person so we were both looking forward to it. We arrived a little late because we had an issue with the barrier at the metro station but we soon got acquainted and started walking down the street. We ended up going to a cafe which had an eclectic mix of dishes. Captain Caveman and I had tapas, I had a Clara and he had wine. The Metro to the venue was absolutely rammed and I had another mini meltdown because I was too hot and it was crowded. Captain Caveman would not let me get off at an earlier stop as he said it would be miles to walk so I had to stay on. A Spanish lady lent me her fan but I was very claustrophobic and panicky so Captain Caveman had to fan me until the lady who’s fan it was got off. When we got to the venue, it was a long walk in very hot sun and then we got in the wrong queue for our wrist bands and had to start again. Once inside we had a wander round, took some photos to send to the Resort Experts group chat and got a drink at the bar. At the bar, we had a delay as it was not only cashless, you couldn’t pay on card either and had to top up your wristband with a QR code using your bank card before going to the bar. Luckily, a guy in the know told us what we needed to do as it wasn’t very clear. The cups were reusable and you had to give a deposit of €2 per cup. I’m not down with the kids so Captain Caveman topped his band up with €50 and we would see how far that got us. There was a limited choice of drinks so I took a chance on Tinto de Verano (red wine with lemonade) which was better for me than the Mahou lager.
Wolf Alice was on the main stage and seemed to be drawing the crowds. I’d not heard of her before and as the 2nd stage had on The War on Drugs half way through, we got to hear a bit of both. There were no seated areas near the main 2 stages so we found somewhere to perch near the bar and VIP area but trying to avoid the sun was hard. We didn’t really see much of Emma and Huse after that as they were there specifically for the Foo Fighters and went right to the front. They had to leave as soon as it finished as they had a flight back to Lanzarote first thing tomorrow. I’d not been a fan of the Foo Fighters particularly but they played a 3 hour non-stop & rivetting set. They were probably one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen and I was so impressed. The portaloos and the free drinking water at Mad Cool also made the festival much more pleasant. They didn’t allow any drinks in or for you to take a water bottle in with a top on (just the bottle) so we ended up buying a bottle in there then topping it up at the free water stations. The venue was pretty well organised and when we came to leave, it was crowded but not horrendous. We got back to our temporary home at about 2am, absolutely shattered. We went to bed thinking we needed to improve on a few things for tomorrow if we were to survive another 3 days of the Mad Cool festival in the intense Madrid heat.
Gratitude List 1. Being lucky enough to stay in Captain Caveman’s brother’s home 2. Getting to meet Emma, the Lanzarote Resort Expert, and her hubby in Madrid 3. The phenomenal performance of the Foo Fighters at the Mad Cool Festival.
I spent Monday 6th July drastically trying to finish all the priory items on my to do list and failing. I did manage to squeeze in a Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge at 10am which was insightful and I learned a few things. I had toast for lunch as I was so busy and worked until 6.30pm. Captain Caveman and I had a walk to the shop where my card got declined at Sainsbury’s due to me not realising my balance was so low. Captain Caveman had to buy the water and travel sweets in Sainsbury’s as tomorrow evening we were off to a 4 day music festival in Madrid. Back home, we sat in the garden with Captain Caveman’s parents and had a glass of wine. For dinner we had chicken and salad which was lovely as the temperature was definitely on the increase now.
Gratitude List 1. The Lisa Johnson Offline Challenge 2. Getting stuff done before we left London 3. Looking forward to my first visit to Madrid.
Captain Caveman had booked tickets for the Mad Cool music festival and arranged for us to stay at his brother’s family apartment in Madrid. Our flight from Heathrow wasn’t until 8pm on Tuesday 7th July so we still had a busy day, for a Tuesday. We both worked at our separate working from home desks, I attended the 2nd session of Lisa Johnson’s Offline Challenge. At noon I packed up my stuff as there was an important event arranged. Captain Caveman’s parents had invited us to the Red Lion in Barnes for lunch and to say bye before we all jetted off on our holidays. The Red Lion is one of my favourites and the food there was excellent. We sat in a shady spot outside and it was definitely summery weather now. I ordered roasted veg on toasted sour dough for starter while Captain Caveman chose to spice up his hummus order with a bit of lamb! We had a bit of a laugh over the menu wording of the bread which made it sound like it had it’s own home on a farm, and had to order it. All became clear once the waiter explained the difference and it wasn’t just ordinary bread. Captain Caveman had a chicken dinner which got snaffled with enthusiasm, Ma ordered a burrata with salad, Pa opted for a schnitzel and I decided on the butternut squash pasta. Captain Caveman’s parents treated us to the meal which was very kind given that they were letting us stay with them and I’d tried to tell Captain Caveman we should pick up the bill. We really enjoyed ourselves and could have quite happily sat there for longer but Captain Caveman had to get back for a 2pm meeting. We finished work at 4pm, got our bags, said our farewells and we were off to Madrid. We were at the airport 2 hours before as we had been notified we had to go to check-in for our hand luggage to be checked. All was fine and we went straight through to the bar for a quick pint. On the flight I spent €12 (£10.28) on a couple of beverages and then fell asleep. We landed at 11.30pm and had a bit of a faff finding the right tram/metro to Atocha, where we were going to be staying for 5 nights.
Gratitude List 1. Free challenges with Lisa Johnson 2. A fantastic family lunch at the Red Lion 3. A good flight from Heathrow to Madrid.
Wednesday 1st July was my last day in Dalyan for a while, as I had some fantastic summer plans – mostly spending time with Captain Caveman in the UK and to celebrate his birthday month with a couple of trips away. But first, I was making the most of my last Dalyan day, doing what I enjoyed the most – a boat trip. I was up and about 3 hours prior to the boat trip to fanny about with banking with it being a new month. I decided that a limit of £30 per day as a budget for July would be the most I could afford and I was extremely hopeful to set it at that – not completely believing I could do it.
It was weigh day but I didn’t get weighed or do my measurements, and I was missing Fat Club today.
Our boat trip was quite a full one with it being a private trip organised by friends and we had quite a few of the usual faces. It was a choppy ride out to sea and we went out quite far, way beyond Ekincik. I’d taken extra strong seasickness tablets so I was fine until someone mentioned fried eggs (I don’t like eggs) and I had to really concentrate on not being sick.
We had our first swim stop in a turquoise bay which proved a little tricky to get back on to the boat due to the swell. Luckily, Shaun was able to help Nanny Kay and I get on safely, as I didn’t have my glasses on. It isn’t usually that bad but there were lots of big tourist boats causing bigger waves. We had a lovely couple more swim stops, we even had a photo on a rock. Cath, who is a non-swimmer even enjoyed it and we had a couple of minor scrapes from messing about on the rocks. Both Keith and I had to have a plaster on! Captain Fuat always does plenty of choice on the food, and we ate fantastic BBQ food and, as it was my last boat trip in Dalyan for a bit, we had a few wines. I was so busy enjoying being on the boat and chatting to friends that I didn’t take many photos, luckily the keen photographers onboard did. Paul got some excellent photos of the group who swam on to the rocks plus a laughing donkey who posed for him. We had a really lovely trip and I was almost sad to leave, I spent £40 on the boat trip and I forget my bar bill – definitely less than £20 on wine. I got home, did the laundry, packed my bag and did a bit of a tidy round, before getting in bed. Tomorrow, my taxi to the airport wasn’t coming until 3.30pm but I still had a few plans in the morning.
Gratitude List
1. Getting the opportunity to go back to the UK again
2. A fantastic boat trip
3. Being ready to enjoy July with Captain Caveman.
Photo Credit – photos by friends on the boat, including Paul C.
It was a rather busy day on Monday 29th June and I had to take some time away from my office desk to do some important things. My first job of the day was to meet a friend for a little walk before it got too hot. We walked along the river and then went to Kaunos tea gardens for brunch. We each had a bottle of water, a large Turkish tea and a cheese and onion toastie, with chips and olives for a total of 390 lira (£6.30).
I’d not checked my budget for this month as I expected I was way over and decided to do it all in a couple of days at month end. I had definitely underestimated how much money I would need for July, August and September being out of Turkey. After a couple of customer calls, some admin and a chat with a friend it was time to venture on a hot and sweaty bus to Ortaca. I wanted to get my hair done before my next UK and Europe trip and today was the only day Emrah could fit me in at short notice. I arrived early, and glad of the air con as Emrah and the girls worked their magic. I had to get the bus back and was meeting a friend for a farewell drink at 4pm so I asked for an updo. I paid 2,000 lira (£32.26) for the colour, cut and blow dry which I thought was very reasonable and is always so professional. I got the bus back and it was pretty packed and hot.
When I got back to Dalyan I made my way over to Ren Garden where I had arranged to meet my friend. Her and her husband were moving back to the UK and I wanted to wish them well and have a catch up before we both set off. We sat in the back room for a bit of privacy and decided to have a wine (or 2) to mark the occasion. As is the Dalyan way, we did get interrupted when some of the Dalyan Dwellers, who’d been on the yellow boat, came back from their Monday Köyceğiz market trip. Two of them came in first, a bit tiddly, asking if I had seen my parents. I replied that I hadn’t and they were the ones who had gone on a boat trip with them. Apparently, they were all meeting back at Ren Garden after getting off the boat. My parents arrived a few minutes later, also merry, and asked if I’d seen their friends who were now sat in the front bar. This went on a while as more people turned up all looking for each other within a small vicinity. My friend’s husband had joined us and all privacy had gone out of the window so we said our goodbyes and I went to join my parents and the group of boat trippers. I had another couple of wines with them and we chatted to a nice bloke, Ricky, who was staying at Grandma’s Garden, the hotel at Ren Garden. I paid a total of 1,030 lira (£16.61) for 6 wines, 2 soda waters, and 1 water, a very reasonable amount! My next stop was to join my parents for dinner where we had pizza at Heybe and it was very tasty.
Gratitude List 1. Having my hair done 2. A farewell drink with a friend 3. An impromptu catch up with my parents.
Tuesday 30th June was the end of the month and I was astonished at how quickly the first half of this year had gone. It had been both a tough year so far, in many ways, but it had also been pretty good in lots of other ways. In June alone I’d split my time across quite a few different countries. Out of the 30 days this month, this is where I actually spent my time:
Dalyan 7 days Sheffield 7 days Cruising (Budapest, Bratislava, Tulln and Vienna) 5 days Spain 4 days Sevenoaks 3 days Mallorca 2 days Vienna 1.5 days Istanbul (airport) 0.5 days
So I was on holiday for at least half of the month, despite still working most of the time. It was also time to face the music with the monthly finances too, which had certainly taken a hit! I had given myself a budget of £25 per day, so a total of £750 for June. My total spend ended up being £802 so I was £52 over! Captain Caveman had needed to help me out to ensure I got my required amount in to the Turkish bank too and I was about to start July in a deficit of £115 after paying off my credit card. I do that every month and it only has a very low limit. For July I hadn’t set a budget as I knew I was likely to spend more than I had this month and would be relying on Captain Caveman a lot too. All I did today was work as it was the last day of the month and I wanted to maximise any earnings. There was so much fun coming up from July onwards, all of which I was going to continue to do with a frugal mindset and while doing more holiday research for my potential customers.
Gratitude List 1. Being very lucky to be able to work from almost anywhere in the world 2. Having a busy day and tying up lots of loose ends 3. Looking forward to a great summer.
I was busy catching up with chores and writing content on Saturday 27th June. I was meant to go to the market to get fruit but I didn’t end up going as I got busy with dealing with some customer related stuff. The last weekend of every month tends to be the busiest for people getting ready to go away, as well as booking, due to it being pay day for a lot of people. I did manage to force myself out of the house around lunch time, just for a walk so that I actually got some exercise. Other than that I slowly tackled my never ending to do list and tried to spend as little money as possible before the end of the month, and before my trip back to the UK, where I had loads planned with Captain Caveman.
Gratitude List 1. Being busy 2. Managing to spend nothing and have no alcohol in the hope of losing weight 3. Having a short walk around town.
I’d been invited to visit friends, Janet & Ian, on Sunday 28th June and decided I would walk over, despite the heat. I put on plenty of factor 50 suncream, a dress with short sleeves and my sun hat from Vietnam. The walk was only 20 minutes but it was definitely hot in Dalyan now. Having survived the heat of Vienna, Dalyan felt a little more breezy. At Janet & Ian’s we had a lovely time, chatting and lounging round the pool and even a lovely swim. Of course I was ‘persuaded’ in to having a drink at the poolside bar so that Janet wasn’t drinking blood orange gin alone – I’m good like that! Janet and Ian have their property on the market and if I won the lottery, I’d buy it! It’s a gorgeous villa on the edge of town with a deep pool and a massive garden. They are in their 70s now so are looking to downsize. I could’ve stopped longer but it was Sunday and I had 2 more engagements planned. Ian gave me a lift in to town and I went to see Richard and Michelle off at Waterfall bar. We said bye and I was invited to see them in the UK during my summer visit, which was nice of them. We were also going to be arranging a trip to Vietnam in 2027 which would be amazing. Back home, I snaffled down the rest of the leftover curry and then went round to my parents for a drink. I’d last seen them 4 weeks ago when we went to Duble for a meal. While I’d been in the UK and Europe having a lovely time, they had also been having a great time in Dalyan. I had less than 5 days left before I went back to the UK and they had another week after I left. They were going to be joined by my niece and her boyfriend so were looking forward to some time with them. We had some wine and nibbles and arranged to meet for breakfast on my last day, so I could say bye.
Gratitude List 1. Spending time with lovely friends, Janet & Ian 2. Having a last drink with more lovely friends, Richard & Michelle 3. A great evening to round off my Sunday with my parents.
I met a friend for a walk and talk at 7.30am on Friday 26th June. We talked about how my trip to England and Europe had gone. She’d also been busy so it was a good catch up and we had to wait at Kaunos tea gardens for it to open. We just had 1 large tea and 2 waters for 65 lira (£1.05) then both went back home to get on with our days. Upon my return, I snipped as much of the unruly bushes that I could then messaged the gardening company to ask them to do the rest – it had obviously not been touched for 3 weeks at our side of the complex, but Block A looked very tidy. I finished work at 4pm, despite having a lot to do still, as I needed to get prepared for my guests. I’d invited Richard and Michelle over for a curry at mine but I needed to get some ingredients in as I’d not done a proper shop yet. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Star Gurme 1 tin baked beans & 1 jar curry sauce Total spent 300 lira (£4.84)
Yaman Büfe 2 1 bottle of Angora red wine 525 3 Dido chocolate bars 105 Total spent 630 lira (£10.16)
I didn’t need the beans or curry sauce but had walked all the way to buy curry paste and they didn’t have the one I wanted. I couldn’t remember if I had an alternative at home so I bought the jar in case I needed it to make a quick version of my chicken curry. The naan bread is just a pide type of bread but does the trick.
I threw everything in to the slow cooker and had a paste at home I could use, plus it didn’t need to be ready until 9pm so I had time; 4 hours on high. I met my friends in Retro bar for a pre dinner drink (or 2) and they brought me some gifts which was really lovely and much appreciated. I paid the bar bill this time at 950 lira (£15.32) and then we went over to mine for curry. We had another drink while I popped the rice in the rice cooker and we had a good old chat, mainly about holidays and future plans. The curry went down well and the Dido chocolate bars worked as a dessert. It wasn’t a late one as I had work in the morning and my guests were off on a boat trip.
Gratitude List 1. Walk by the river with a friend 2. Retro bar for drinks with friends 3. Hosting a curry night at mine.
I needed a rest on Wednesday 24th June and I was also not used to having to prepare and cook my own food! As it was weigh day and I was back at Fat Club this afternoon, I took my measurements to find strange results; I had put a whopping 3cm on my bust, lost 2cm off my waist and put 1cm on my hips!! It was going to be interesting to see how much weight I’d put on, using Carol’s scales, after my 3 weeks away. The home scales reckoned I’d put on 1.9kg (3.8lb), which was bad enough! At 9am there was a planned power cut which meant I only had enough battery to work until 1pm, but the outage was for most of the day. At 3pm, I was back to face the music. The weight gain was much more than I imagined, or felt, at 3.3kg (7.3lb) – more than half a stone in 1 month! I felt bad but I’d really enjoyed my various trips, maybe I would have to knuckle down and lose a bit, though! It was good to see the other ladies again after being away and there was so much to catch up on, as people had been away or were about to go back to the UK soon. I called at the shop on the way back to buy light wholemeal bread and marshmallows for 168.45 lira (£2.72) and then got ready to go out. Friends, Richard & Michelle, were in Dalyan so they had invited me to join them for drinks at the Waterfall bar and then for a meal. After a beer in the Waterfall, we decided to try out Doris Garden, which had a new owner/staff and had been getting good reviews recently. We chatted over wine, mainly about our shared interests in holidays. The food was very good, the service attentive but not too intrusive and we really enjoyed our meal, sat outdoors in the lovely garden area. We even bumped in to a couple of Dutch friends who were on a repeat visit. The beef çökertme was very tasty and went well with the Angora red wine. Michelle is not a big drinker and didn’t join us with the red wine, instead she prefers the odd cocktail so we went over to Efe bar for a nightcap. We ended up having another bottle of red wine as it was on special offer for Wine Wednesday at only 750 lira (£12) compared to 1,100 lira (£18) in the restaurant. Michelle had a cocktail and they did look very impressive too. We arranged to meet up again at the weekend and, as we said farewell, I had a feeling I might have a hangover tomorrow, after quite a lot of red wine.
Gratitude List 1. Surviving an all day power cut 2. Being back at Fat Club 3. A great meal and night out with friends.
On Thursday 25th June I had a bit of a woolly head but had to get on with a load of shit! My To Do List was huge. I also had multiple holiday enquiries to look at, which I was appreciative of. I barely had time to eat and had a Resort Experts team meeting at 1pm, where I’d been asked to do an update on my recent luxury river cruise. I kept it short and to the point as I was aware that there were others within our team who already knew about cruises, then I sent out the information on email for anyone who might be interested in it. I didn’t leave the house all day and I had to make myself stop working at 7pm to eat a chickpea curry. I briefly spoke to Captain Caveman in Sheffield to let him know I was back in Dalyan – he was looking forward to seeing me in London in 7 day’s time. The only photo I took today was of my dinner. It was an early night for me as I had so much to do tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. Getting more holiday enquiries as a result of being away 2. Being asked to do a presentation on my cruise in the team meeting 3. Chickpea curry.
My plan to get back to Dalyan on Monday 22nd June was probably more complicated and longer than it needed to be, however it meant I had almost 12 more hours in Vienna. I’d initially thought of taking a train to Bratislava for 6am, then flying at 9am directly to Dalaman. This was the cheaper option with a Ryanair size under seat bag, which I didn’t have, and an extremely early start. Instead, I paid £88 (£24 more than the Ryanair direct flight) to fly 6 hours later in the day, with an 8kg allowance of hand luggage, via Istanbul.
This meant that I could have a leisurely breakfast at Sissy’s, who had gone to work but had left me some fresh bread from the bakery and I had it with some jam from the fridge. The schnitzel and accompanying leftovers were made into a snack for my journey as I wouldn’t get home until very late.
I worked in the morning at my laptop and then got the Metro, before my 24 hour ticket ran out, to meet Sissy. We decided to go for a quick lunch at Vapiano, a pizza and pasta restaurant where you choose what you want and they make it fresh at the counter in front of you. I also found the names of their drinks quite funny and had to order a Schartner Bombe. Sissy had a traditional herbal drink called a Almdudler, which had a familiar taste but I couldn’t place it until later – ginger and elderflower. Both drinks were great and my spaghetti was amazing.
It was sad to say bye to another wonderful host and friend, we’d had an incredible time of just under 30 hours together and I appreciated every minute and I hoped we would meet again soon for more adventures, perhaps in Turkey or Vietnam.
Sissy walked me to the train station to get the airport train, it was a bargain €5.40 (£4.63). We walked together to the platform and said bye several more times, by the time I was on the train I was emotional. The girl opposite me on the train got chatting and was an Austrian, who was on her way to Greece for a holiday but had grown up in Turkey.
At Vienna airport it was super efficient and clean, I ate my chicken schnitzel and snacks then boarded the plane to Sabiha Gökçen at 5.30pm, taking off at 6.05pm. The Ajet flight was busy but comfortable and I got an aisle seat near the back. I landed in Istanbul at 9.20pm and I had a drink and a snack for 495 lira (£7.68) in the airport while I waited for my next flight to Dalaman which was leaving at just after midnight.
Gratitude List
1. Getting a later flight back from Vienna 2. More time with Sissy 3. Austrian food and drink.
The second Ajet flight took off on Tuesday 23rd June at 00.05 from Sabiha Gökçen and landed in Dalaman at 01.25am. I had a wine on the plane for 150 lira (£2.38) and had fallen asleep by the time we landed. As I had no luggage to pick up and I was quite fast at getting out, I was in the taxi with Sonuç, who I had booked ahead, in no time. Back home in Dalyan, I had to duck under overgrown bushes to get to the steps and then up to the apartment. There was no internet so I went straight to bed and slept very well. When I woke up, I needed to put the internet on and get some food so I went out. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 plastic bag 1.00 Yoghurt 54.95 Pain au chocolat 54.95 Olives 61.50 Total spent 172.40 lira (£2.74)
Captainnet internet 1 month 750 lira (£11.90)
I also decided to visit one of my favourite cafes in Dalyan, Mornings in Mavi, where I ordered the Nectarino sandwich, water and a cookie for a total of 770 lira (£12.22). It’s not the cheapest cafe in town, but it’s definitely delicious and I really enjoy the food there. I even took half of my sandwich home to have later. I spent the rest of the day catching up on laundry, emails, blogs and unpacking Pauline, of course. I had just 7 days in Dalyan before I headed back to the UK for another holiday.
Gratitude List 1. An uneventful journey back to Dalyan 2. A delicious brunch from Mornings in Mavi 3. Being back home for a week.
