Lardos – 8th May

Having not managed to do my plank or squat challenge yesterday I made the effort when I got up on Monday 8th May. I completed 50 seconds of squats but only 60 seconds plank then Carol, from Fat Club, reminded me that it should’ve been 60 seconds of squats so I did it again. I had an impromptu day off, had slept really well and had a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. Xena, Steve and Michelle’s dog, was super excited to see me – Trixie, the cat, less so. My hosts were already in the office and were working hard while I unpacked and pottered about.
At 12.30pm we all went to Yamas Cafe in Lardos, which was a short walk from the house. Steve and Michelle had coffees while I had a hot chocolate (the diet was not going too well). We all had a fresh orange juice after that and then it was time to get back for lunch and back to work for some. We had left over pizza with salad and it was pretty tasty – I think the €45 was money well spent on all that pizza.
In the afternoon I met one of the other cats, Pixie, she was friendly but a little shy. There were quite a few outdoor cats which were going to take a while to learn the names of.
While Michelle whipped up one of my favourite dinners, I offered to go to the shop to buy some cheese and wine. We were having pork products, cheese and wine for dinner and I was so excited. Xena and Trixi had also heard about it and were hoping there would be some sharing going on. At the shop, I found the cheese easy to pick out and it wasn’t too expensive (compared to Turkey). The wine was very reasonably priced but I had no clue which one to pick as most only had the tasting notes written in Greek. I opted for one that had it also translated to English, sounded nice and was a Merlot.
For those of you who like to know what’s in my shopping basket and how much it cost for cheese and wine in Rhodes, look no further:

Lardos Supermarket:
330g Edam cheese 2.15
100g Blue cheese 2.58
200g Cheddar cheese 4.72
1 bottle Merlot 8.87
Total spent 18.32 Euros (£15.67)

The food was absolutely superb and I had to remind myself not to be too greedy with the pork products as I snaffled my way through the different ones! Even the selection of crackers was fantastic. Unfortunately, the wine I had bought was pretty disgusting – in fact it’s unusual for me not to be able to drink iffy wine but this was pretty rank. None of us could drink it so Michelle and I went back to the shop for another bottle of something better. This time she was able to help me pick out one of the Greek ones which she recognised as being good. It was the one I had picked up first but put back because I couldn’t read the Greek label. The new bottle was €10.45 (£8.94) and was much better! It was a lovely night and even Xena and Trixi got a little cheese treat before bed time.

Dalyan – 6th May

My last full day in Dalyan had arrived on Saturday 6th May and I was a little bit torn about how I felt. It was 139 days (or 4 months and 18 days) since I last saw Captain Caveman so, obviously, I was looking forward to seeing him again. In that time, he’d been working a lot and we’d hardly had chance to chat. I’d spoke to my parents and friend, Vanessa, more times in fact! I had also been in Dalyan for 233 days (7 months and 3 weeks), since I returned with Captain Caveman from our trip to Europe last year. This was the longest I’d been in Dalyan in one stretch without at least going somewhere else for a short break and I was going to miss it. Of course I’d planned to have a relaxed and easy going day because my taxi with Fikri was booked for 6.30am tomorrow. To say I’m quite an organised person though, things still didn’t go as smoothly as they could have. It had temporarily slipped my mind that it was Coronation Day and that lots of holiday makers and expats were going to be celebrating it, here in Turkey. Obviously, for those of you who know me well, it was not something I wanted to be part of and I had declined the various invites. It was an unusual breakfast, to eat up leftovers, of falafel, cheese balls, gherkins and a bit of tahini. I did my packing, emptied the fridge and freezer then took some stuff to Jamie’s to store for me. I also gave him some leek and pumpkin soup, chicken livers for the dog shelter and various items I knew my parents wouldn’t have. The rest I packaged up for my parents who would call to get them later, including half a crate of beer which Captain Caveman had left in December. On my way back from Jamie’s, I went to the bank to change some lira to Euros and forgot it was closed. Ordinarily, I could have gone to the jewellers or a bar but I was determined not to have to be dragged in to a Charlie-crowning celebration unnecessarily. I drew out lira at the ATM and hoped I’d be able to use that or get it changed in Greece. I then went to the supermarket to pick up the essentials for Steve and Michelle. At the pharmacy I caused a bit of a to-do because there was only one strawberry lube left and I asked if they had any more. All the staff got involved, alternatives were offered and a queue had built up by the time I paid the 156 lira (£6.37) for the one I’d had in my hand. No doubt I would be the talk of the town (again)! My next stop was the supermarket and probably my most unusual shopping basket contents in Dalyan, I’m sure – here’s what I bought:

Migros Supermarket
1 Twix 9.95
Mints 12.72
2 small Nescafe Gold 119.80
2 big Nescafe Gold 199.80
2 strawberry lube 263.80
Total spent 606.07 lira (£24.74)

Back home, I finished my packing then had the rest of the courgette tortilla for lunch and the Twix!
At 4pm I got a message from Captain Caveman. He was out of the cave, sat drinking with the porter team by the river, topless, as it was very hot. He had barbecued crickets for his dinner with lots of beer. I was not envious, my parents and I had arranged to go for a nice meal at Firats for my last civilised night in Dalyan. We said we’d meet at 6pm and just hoped the rain would stop so we could go out.

The rain continued and threw a bit of a spanner in the works for us that evening. I’d had a message from Kate to come join the party with the pool gang at Rehab bar as she was having to put up with Coronation frivolities. I really didn’t want to so I said no, I also wasn’t feeling in the mood to say goodbye to all my friends in one place. I knew I’d get upset, that I would miss them and I didn’t want to be on a downer for my last night out with my parents later.
Unfortunately, the rain meant that we couldn’t go to Firats as planned as it’s mainly outdoor seating. They have shelter overhead but those covered tables were taken when we walked past. Instead we decided to have a drink in Bistro Blue and then we could decide where to eat. Ma had a bottle of Efes Malt, Dad and I had pints of draft Efes. Drinks were reasonably priced at 80 lira (£3.27) and were cheaper than a friend had been talking about yesterday. We got chatting with Annie, Selahı, Suha and Ömer at Bistro Blue and, despite it being a busy Saturday night, we were able to get a lovely table for dinner. We decided not to go for starters as the main course portions are usually plenty and this time I couldn’t be taking half home to put in the freezer! Dad chose the liver and onions, Mom went for the fajitas and I tried something new – chicken with pepper sauce. We got complimentary bread and nibbles and all ordered a glass of wine. As prices are increasing in Turkey I did keep a note but they still seemed good value; a glass of wine was 80 lira (£3.27). Liver and onions 500 lira (£20.40), fajitas 400 lira (£16.33) and chicken 450 lira (£18.37) were on the pricey side for Dalyan but I have to say it was absolutely delicious and we all enjoyed every mouthful. The service was impeccable too, with a free çay or apple tea afterwards.

What should have happened then is probably obvious to any of you reading this now, however, it was only 9.30pm! We decided to go to Sofra bar and I messaged Jamie to say we were on our way there for our last drink and to say goodbye.
More beers were had and Jamie and I were really going to miss each other a lot. We were sad but also happy to know that I’d be back in just 7 weeks. Gone were the days where the authorities of Vietnam allowed me a 90 day visa so I was planning on entering on the 15 day visa exemption. Of course it was after 1am when my parents and I left Sofra bar and we said our goodbyes. I’d had an amazing, but too short, time with Ma & Pa where we’d already started to plan some more exciting things for when my sister and family came to Dalyan in July!
I tidied up the apartment and set my alarm for 5.30am. Why do I never remember that 4 hours sleep and too much alcohol the night before a journey is never a good idea!?

Dalyan – 5th May

By this time of year Dalyan is usually pretty warm and sunny so it was disappointing that my parents weren’t getting good weather. However, Friday 5th May was a very good day. A while ago I had arranged for 11 of us to go on Captain Boris’ cheese and wine boat trip today. I’d been in touch (a lot) with Rebecca and Boris because we were in danger of having to postpone due to rain/storms. As well as myself, there were a few people who could only do this date so it was all or nothing and I’d took a risk by telling Rebecca to buy all the food. If we couldn’t go on the boat we’d find somewhere to have the cheese and wine, I’m sure.
On account of me having a Sunday dinner for breakfast, I didn’t have a second one when I got up, just a cup of Yorkshire tea and lots of water. I got a message from my boss to say he was paying for my ferry to Rhodes on Sunday and he would transfer the money – this was unexpected and very much appreciated. I booked Fikri and his taxi to take me to the Fethiye ferry port at 6.30am on Sunday which meant tonight had better be my last late night!
I had a nice treat booked in at 11am for some reflexology at BC Spa. My friends from back in England (Claire, Clare and Kelly) wanted to treat me (a belated birthday treat) and had arranged for me to book in for a treatment. It was one of the luxuries I’d given up to save money so I was super excited to be able to go. When I arrived I was shown to the massage room and my Swedish masseuse was excellent – I almost fell asleep. Although prices had gone up considerably I could see no difference in the quality of the massage or the room I had it done in so I was pleased. Back home, I made a cup of herbal tea and put my feet up, as advised, while making a packing and to do list for my forthcoming trip.
The Captain Boris boat trip was going ahead regardless of weather, and we were taking clothes for all eventualities. I had everything from swimmers to one of my favourite bobble hats and was keeping everything crossed it would turn out ok.

The Captain Boris boat trips are of the best I’ve been on so I was really looking forward to the cheese and wine themed one. We met at the boat outside the Tezcan hotel at 1.30pm, on-board were the following people;
Jo (me), Anne (my Mom), Stuart (my Dad), Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Linda, Trish, Steve, Jo and Steve. So with 2 Jo’s, 2 Steve’s and 2 Ann/e’s it was going to be fun!
The boat cost £400 in total for the private trip, which included all the food but not the booze. When we set off it wasn’t raining but it was a bit cold however Rebecca kept telling us to keep the faith that it would be ok. Captain Boris had rejigged the route so that we would go down river to Little Dalyan first and then over to Çandır lake so that we could make the best of the weather. Only my mom had brought the suncream as we all thought it wouldn’t be necessary but by the time we were sipping our first Moldovan wine, the sun had come out. A few of us moved to the front of the boat and Mom shared the sun cream around the fairer skinned or bald guests as it became quite nice.

When the platters of cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, olives, crackers, dips, conserves and breads came out, it was certainly luxuriously impressive! It’s hard to believe that such wonderful presentation can be achieved in a small boat kitchen too. The sun stayed out but it wasn’t hot enough for me to swim. Lee did get in the sea for a little paddle and we all were just glad the storms had passed. At one point it started to rain but Boris was on it with his human windscreen wiper and a quick diversion to avoid the rain clouds. The boat trip was amazing and definitely one of the best ones I’ve been on in Dalyan – it’s certainly worth the money for the quality and attention to detail. Rebecca and Boris definitely know how to look after their guests and make sure everyone is looked after. I was also pleased to see the prices of wine were on a par, or cheaper, than some of the bars I drink in. The wine was so good, in fact, that my parents and I decided to order a box each of the white, red and rosé to see us through the summer.
Following the fantastic trip, most of us attempted to go to Sofra bar for a drink, I said I’d catch up as I stayed to finish wine, thank Rebecca and Boris for a lovely day and ask them to join us for a drink. When I got to Sofra, Jac and Lee were sat with a drink and the bar was very busy so my parents, Jo and Steve had gone to sit at Dalyan Lounge opposite and had also ordered a drink. I ended up at Dalyan Lounge too, followed by Rebecca and Boris.
After all the wine (I’d had 2 rosé and 2 red) I decided a soft drink would be better as we were off to Lukka Bingo with Mark & Kate shortly.
We had a good time at Lukka bingo but I did have to limit my drinks to just 1 wine and a soda water as prices were higher there at 95 lira (£3.88) for a glass of wine. Pamela and Glynn hadn’t made it out, Daisy and Tom didn’t stay out long either but the 5 of us enjoyed my last night together. Kate very kindly bought me a Healthy Eating Notebook so I could keep track of my food and drink while I was away.
I was meant to go for my leaving drinks with the girls at Rodrigo’s but it was late by the time we left Lukka and I had lots to do tomorrow before my trip to Rhodes and Vietnam. I said my goodbyes, Mark and Kate said they would see me tomorrow before I went but I didn’t think I’d be out.

Photo credit – Captain Boris

Dalyan – 3rd May

It was Fat Club day again on Wednesday 3rd May and what a day it would turn out to be for my last Wednesday in Dalyan. It was less than 13 hours until my parents landed at Dalaman airport, less than 4 days until I would be on my way to Rhodes and 10 days until I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, to meet Captain Caveman.
I took my measurements; I’d lost 2cm from my bust, 1cm from my hips but my waist (where I needed to lose it the most) had stayed the same. In another last ditch attempt to lose weight today I did 70 seconds squat, 90 seconds plank, 30 crunches and 20 leg lifts – it was very difficult! For breakfast I only had chickpea biscuits and courgette tortilla with a cup of Yorkshire tea. At 12.30pm I had an appointment with Emrah, my hairdresser, for a cut, colour and styling. I ended up having my hair washed by Mehmet instead of one of the girls, as it was busy and he did a great job. After finishing my hair, Emrah took a few photos for me and I couldn’t help thinking that Edna would be pleased I still had the cavalier look to match her.

I decided I would wear one of my newly acquired dresses to Fat Club as I had a feeling I’d be going out after, to meet the pool gang for the last time in a while.
When I got on Carol’s scales I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) so I was pleased with that. I had now lost 8.2kg (18lb) in total and it was definitely noticeable. I got a lift round to Rehab bar with Carol where I proceeded to have 2 celebratory draft beers. I bumped in to Dan, who I’d played pool with before, and he was having a daiquiri at the bar. He’d gone for a red fruit one to detract from his rather pink and painful looking sunburn. Carol and I joined Kate, Pamela, Gareth and Julie, sat outside Rehab until the sun went in. Carol was a bit giddy at how much weight I’d lost and insisted we took photos in the street. Kaan, the Tequila boat captain, stopped by to say hello and liked my new leopard print dress and my new weight loss, he even asked if I still had a husband! I obviously let him know I was still very much with Captain Caveman and was off to see him soon. After getting chatting to Gareth and Julie I was almost late for my next engagement of the day. I had been invited by Ann to her daughter, Jacqueline’s birthday celebration at Sofra bar and I was looking forward to it.

I joined Ann, Jacqueline, Lee, Jamie and Drew at Sofra bar for birthday celebrations at 7.30pm. My parents were currently on their flight to Dalaman and would arrive in a couple of hours but planned to go straight to their apartment. Jacqueline and Lee had flown in from Manchester earlier today and Ann had organised a cake from Louize as a surprise. I wasn’t going to have any cake due to the fact that I was meant to be on a diet but I was ‘forced’ in to it and it’s one of the best ones of Louize’s I’ve had. I had picked up Daisy’s sunglasses when I left Rehab bar, and had them in my bag. She messaged to ask the whereabouts of them which gave me the idea to send her photos of everyone around me wearing them. My reply to Daisy being ‘do you mean these?’ Even the staff, the dogs (including a stray that wanted in on the fun), and some other friends got involved. Şükrü made Jac do a birthday shot with him and she chose apple sourz! By 10.30pm the birthday celebrations were over and everyone paid up and got ready to leave. I, on the other hand, and not had my hair done and put a frock on for me to go home early. My Mom had messaged to say they had arrived but weren’t coming out as they were tired from travelling. Mom said she would message tomorrow so we could finally see each other again.

I went to meet Wendy, from Sheffield, and friends in Rodrigo’s bar and ended up giving the ball a right kick with Wendy, Jackie, Turgay, Kirsty, Sally, Sandra, Mal, Alice, Savaş and Ozzy. It must have been about 3am when we got turfed out and made our way home.
I didn’t cook myself any random meals when I got in but I did set my alarm so that I’d be up and ready to see my parents in the morning.

Dalyan – 28th & 29th April

When I finally surfaced on Friday 28th April, our shared swimming pool was being filled by hose pipe. This was great news for The Aussies as they had guests arriving shortly who would be staying for 6-7 weeks. I had strawberries for breakfast and went to Turkish class feeling a little delicate. I worked out I’d drank 7 beers yesterday so I was already on 75 syns for this week so far, which was still around the same as last week at this time. I treated myself to a fresh orange juice at Lukka bar for 50 lira (£2 approx) and we had a good lesson.
After class, I checked that the pool was almost filled and it was, an hour later it was a strange colour from all the chemicals. I did the 20 seconds of squat challenge and 40 seconds of plank challenge – it was hard. I popped to the shop to buy bread, cheese and some sugar free lemon drink to perk me up a bit with a late lunch. It cost 76.25 lira (£3.15) for those 3 things, which wasn’t bad, from Bim Supermarket.
That evening, I stayed in for my 2nd alcohol free night of the week and ate leftover sweet potato cottage pie for dinner. Tomorrow I had a few treats lined up!

It was quite a busy day for me on Saturday 29th April despite not going to the weekly market this week. I had 1 week left in Dalyan and my friend, Wendy from Sheffield, was on her way here for a holiday.
My first appointment of the day was to meet another friend, at Ela’s Kitchen for brunch. I always enjoy meeting up with her and today was no different. I ordered a Yorkshire tea which now comes with a home made shortbread biscuit – I couldn’t resist eating that! I decided to take no notice of the diet and ordered a sausage sandwich, which came with chips and salad. My friend ordered a jacket potato with melted cheese which also came with salad. We had a nice chat with Nicola, the co-owner, prices had increased again in Turkey and she had her new menu ready as they were going to be offering evening meals too, during the holiday season. It was still 40 lira (£1.64) for a cup of tea, but 175 lira (£7.16) for the sausage sandwich, so it’s not cheap but the portion sizes are generous, the service is good and the food is excellent. We actually ended up staying there for most of the day and even had another couple of drinks while we chatted on about all sorts of topics.

My next appointment was at the new beauty salon, Sisters, right next to the bank. As summer was coming, I decided to treat myself to a pedicure and some waxing. The pedicure was good and I chose a bright orange nail varnish (but not gel). The waxing was quite a treat as the staff carried the massage bed in to a back room which was off the staff kitchen and had a glass window. Strangely, it was positioned with me being legs akimbo facing the window instead of away from it but the girl reassured me no men would be able to see! She was very thorough and I had to help more than usual by holding my thigh flab and tummy.

When I got home, I saw that the pool was now finished, I’d met the occupants of B1, one of who was not able to walk easily and wanted to know where he could get some sun loungers as the plastic ones had no cushions and were uncomfortable.
On my way out to meet Wendy I popped to Waterfall bar, where I thought I was meeting Pamela. I saw Penny, John and Andrea but didn’t stop for a drink because Pamela was still in Rodrigo’s but was not stopping long. When I got there she was with Glynn and Mark so we all had a drink. Afterwards, Mark and I went to Rehab bar, where he’d been playing pool for most of the afternoon. We played pool, Wendy’s flight was delayed so we ended up playing a game with Jason and Dan, a friendly father and son on holiday. Wendy arrived late and was no longer up for a night ‘out out’ but she did call in to Rehab for 1 drink though, just to say hello before going back to her hotel for some much needed sleep. I really should have taken a leaf out of her book but (obviously) I didn’t. Mark and I stayed out playing pool in Rehab bar until 1.30am. I was eating a homemade chicken liver curry with steamed rice at home by 1.50am, promising myself that I would try harder on the diet over the next few days.

Dalyan – 22nd April

I was up early and off to the weekly market on Saturday 22nd April to get a small amount of fruit and vegetables. I had just 2 weeks left in Dalyan so I didn’t want to be buying unnecessary items, if I could help it. On the way, I walked past my parents’ place and the pool was being filled up ready for the summer season, ours was still not done.
It was a nice sunny day, no need for a coat, and the walk to the market was very pleasant. I bought apples, carrots, strawberries, onions and spring onions but I didn’t take a note of how much I spent this week. I’d arranged to go to Mark and Kate’s and, because the bridge was down, I got a taxi with Fikri. It was now 70 lira (£2.90) for the 10 minute journey, which wasn’t bad and saved me walking or cycling on the busy beach road on a holiday weekend. Once there, Kate and I had a short spot of sunbathing before having a beer, Mark went to Rehab bar to meet the pool gang. Later, some friends popped over for a soft drink and it was nice to chat with them.
Kate made a delicious and fairly healthy pasta and chickpea lunch, with her home made pesto, sun-dried tomato and feta cheese. It was so good that we both had seconds and another beer. As the weather was warming up it meant that Kate could be wearing the birthday dress we had got her. It was a Vietnamese one with a complicated tie on way of wearing it so I helped Kate get the knack of how to get it on. Most of the cats were out and about but I did get to see one of the babies having a snooze in her bed.
Kate and I got a taxi in to town to meet the pool gang at Rehab bar for what should have been a civilised afternoon. This blog really does write itself sometimes as we were in for quite a night!

By 5.30pm on Saturday 22nd April, I was on my second pint of draft Efes at Rehab bar, the diet was going well! I’d been chatting to Janice, who’s hand was swollen, and her husband Steve which made a nice change as I don’t see them out much. John, Andrea and Kate had gone to chase the sunshine over at the White House while Mark finished playing pool. Someone came up with the bright idea of calling in to Rodrigo’s bar ‘for one’, on our way for dinner at River House, and it seemed like an ok idea at the time. Mark, accidentally on purpose, ordered a beer for himself and a bottle of white wine for Kate so I said I’d share with Kate. Penny cycled past and saw us, called Phil back, and they came to join us for one. By the time I’d caught up with Penny and Phil, and they had invited me to their’s for dinner on Friday, it was getting kind of messy. Needless to say there was no dinner at River House and I just caught the last of some pizza and other takeaway food being snaffled to my right, as Penny and Phil said bye to my left! It looked like it was an ‘eating is cheating’ kind of night for me! By 8pm Kate, Mark and Andrea were trying their hand at pole dancing and I had that sensible voice telling me not to – I couldn’t risk an injury this close to seeing Captain Caveman for the first time this year! Before 9.30pm, I was outside helping a rather sozzled Kate, who’d nodded off in Rodrigo’s, in to a taxi.
My resistance to join in the pole dancing was short-lived when Jackie turned up to meet friends and I opted for the low level pole engagement. The flower man and his girlfriend gave the pole dancing a good crack but Ozzy, the bar man, showed us all how it should be done. By 11pm I’d met up with Sharon, Bex and Abi and we were drinking more wine, dancing and taking photos. When John and Andrea called it a night, Mark, me, Julie and David went for one in Mustang bar then Mark and I finished the night off with a shared bottle of red wine in Sofra bar.
I just about remembered getting the rest of my wine put in to a paper coffee cup as we were getting thrown out, being the last 2 in there in the early hours – it was completely game over! I had drank 4 beers, a bottle of white wine and almost half a bottle of red wine, with no dinner and I felt a bit sickly!

Kate on the pole

Andrea on the pole

Mark on the pole

Ozzy on the pole

Dalyan – 19th April

The home scales were favourable on Wednesday 19th April, when I got weighed first thing. My measurements were a bit disappointing as I’d lost 2cm from my bust, increased 1cm on my waist and 2cm on my hips! I still had to wait until 3pm for Carol’s scales at Fat Club so I had a banana for breakfast and checked my emails. My boss, had booked my flight from Rhodes to Athens for the 13th May, I was off to meet Captain Caveman in Saigon. The gaffer has also asked if I would mind bringing him some coffee and some lube over when I arrived by ferry on the 7th May! It’s one of the more unusual requests I’ve had from a boss but I had to clarify what kind of coffee it might be; Nescafe Gold and strawberry lube! Of course, I immediately messaged Jamie to find out where was the best place to get lube from in Dalyan and they sell it in Migros, apparently. I could just imagine the wagging tongues eager to gossip from anyone who glimpsed my shopping basket on that trip! Incidentally, strawberry lube is syn free, in case anyone wondered!
There was more waiting on the complex residents to agree the light and filter situation as I went off to Fat Club. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find I had put 0.2kg on this week on Carol’s scales. One of the ladies was going back to the UK for a few weeks and had brought her surplus vegetables in, which she very kindly gave to me. There was news that local rock band, The Bengisu Boys, had a gig lined up for the 4th May at Jazz Bistro and I hoped I’d get to go with my parents.
In the afternoon, I made some chickpea biscuits using drained chickpeas, mustard powder, seasoning, egg and parmesan. They turned out really well and were syn free so I decided I would take them with me to the cheese and wine evening at Jamie’s. He and Drew had invited me, Ann, Nanny Kay and Katrina over for a soirée and I was taking Jacob’s Cream Crackers, red wine and the freshly baked chickpea biscuits.
Drew had brought some fantastic cheeses over from England and the spread was an absolute delight. Even my chickpea biscuits went down well and, of course, so did the wine. The chat started sensible but I was shocked to find out there is a sex shop in Ortaca and loose plans for a visit were made. I didn’t get in until 1.30am, a little merry and stuffed full of cheese!

Dalyan – 15th April

I didn’t bother with any breakfast on Saturday 15th April as I had to get to the weekly market. This is what I bought there:

2 garlic 5.00
6 Oranges 7.00
Strawberries 50.00
2 apples, 2 cucumbers and 11 tomatoes 20.00
Total spent 82.00 lira (£3.39)

It was 1 month until I would be back in Vietnam, I was conscious of planning my meals and batch cooking so that I didn’t end up with too much food left when I had to turn the electric off on leaving the apartment. Lunch consisted of reheated Minestrone soup and tasted better than it looked. I went to the supermarket, as I sometimes do on Saturday afternoons, and here’s what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
Cheese triangles 17.50
Milk 18.50
Turkey slices 19.25
1 box of Linden tea 23.00
400g chickpeas 23.75
1 jar gherkins 34.50
1kg Rice 35.90
1 pack GF Wraps 48.50
1kg Chicken 48.88
Total spent 269.78 lira (£11.13). Kitler, the cat, was sat between 2 of the ground floor apartments hoping as if posing for a photo.

It was good to see that if you spent more than 200 lira in Migros there was quite a bargain to be had on chicken. I reported back to my mates at Fat Club and to Jamie so they could also take advantage of the offer. I realised I was out of cheese so I went to buy cheddar at Şarküteri and it was 90 lira (£3.72) for a small piece, which is pricey, but I’d already asked my mom to bring some more when she came to Dalyan.

I decided to go back to the supermarket around 5.30pm and bought the following;

3 Tomato puree 32.70
Bananas 40.17
3 Quark 44.85
1.1kg chicken 49.23
2 tins of tomatoes 49.80
Beef bacon 55.90
Total paid 352.45 lira (£14.55)

Obviously, because I spent more than 200 lira again, I bought more chicken at a bargain price. When I messaged Jamie to let him know he had also gone back and got more. The beef bacon also had a big discount.

I made chicken with green peppers, spring onion, mushrooms and paprika for dinner and had it with steamed rice. It was super tasty and I really enjoyed my healthy dinner before putting my PJs on for an early night.
As it happened, my night would not end there!

I was definitely settling down for the evening, with no plans to go out on a Saturday night, when I got a text. Jamie had already invited me out earlier and I’d been in 2 minds but had said no. Mark messaged me from Sofra bar to say my presence was requested, as our friend, Gareth, was in town for one night only. I also got the tip off that Cath and Keith were out on the tiles and that everyone was having a good time so I agreed to come out ‘for one’. I got back changed in to clothes and called at the bank for some cash, arriving at Sofra bar after 9pm.
When I arrived, I made a joke about some keys on the table and whether a fruit bowl would be a good idea. Everyone was pretty merry apart from Gareth who was also only having a couple of beers. I ordered a draft beer which were still only 65 lira (£2.68) for a pint. I noticed later that the small beers had gone up to 50 lira (£2.06) and shots of whiskey were 60 lira (£2.48) now. By 10.30pm, Ged had joined us and someone had convinced him to sing an Ian Drury and The Blockheads number on the karaoke. It wasn’t long before one of us really wished we had a rhythm stick to hit him with! Mark and Cath started the dancing with a bit of Club Tropicana, both of them hoping the drinks were free. In the end there was lots of dancing and I even managed to drag a few other customers up to boogie with us. Jamie was sat outside with his goddaughter, friends and the dogs and he was having an easy night too. We had a great night, that is until it got to 1am. Most people had (sensibly) gone home, I’d had 2 pints of draught Efes and there were just Cath, Keith, Mark and I left. Keith insisted on buying another round of drinks and I helped Cath get ‘her’ jacket on, thinking we were going. When she got the bill she tried to pay but couldn’t get the card to work so I took a photo of the bill. Keith then had a little mishap and he fell on to the table of drinks, cutting his hand quite badly. We got them in a taxi after some struggling and Mark dropped me off at mine before heading home on the mobility wagon via the beach road. The small bridge was still down so he had to go the long way round, using the main roads. At 1.40am Cath called me to say she couldn’t find her keys and they couldn’t get in the house. I spent the next 20 minutes on the phone trying to help her empty her bag and jacket pockets to try to find the house keys, but she was too drunk to make any sense with. I didn’t know where she lived so I couldn’t even go to help and I gave up in the end.
At just before 2am, Mark called to say he’d had to turn back because there were police checks on the main road and could he stay at mine. He’d called Kate and she’d told him to go to mine so that he didn’t get in to any trouble. While I had one last attempt to help Cath, Mark sipped the red wine I had opened. We only had the one glass before calling it a night as Mark was already falling asleep on the sofa. I’d had a good night but could’ve done without all the drama towards the end. I was definitely going to resist any more alcohol now until after Fat Club on Wednesday.

A short video of some karaoke

Video of a bit of dancing

Dalyan – 13th & 14th April

The lira was 24.22 to the pound on Thursday 13th April, the highest I’ve known it so far! In 1 month there would be the elections in Turkey and the predictions said that the rate could continue to increase, which was not good for the Turkish population. I had tea and buttered toast for breakfast while arranging boat trips for next month. It was sunny today and the predicted storms had disappeared. I had beef stew with extra vegetables for lunch and had a call with Vanessa. We’d not spoken for a while so it was nice to catch up. I had fish fingers and Slimming World chips for dinner, which I absolutely loved. There was also an invite to everyone in Dalyan to the celebration of Dutch King’s day, with the Dutch community in Dalyan, which I popped it in my diary.
I stayed in and started watching a series on Netflix, called Obsession. If you don’t mind a bit of Percy Filth and weirdness, it’s quite good. I also agreed to join Jamie and his goddaughter for Lukka music bingo tomorrow night.

I had something a bit different for breakfast on Friday 14th April; some of the beef stew without the sauce which I stir fried with bulgur wheat and more broccoli. It was very tasty and filling which was good as I was off out drinking later. I didn’t bother with lunch and went to Turkish class at 2pm. After Turkish, I messaged my boss and Captain Caveman as we were getting prepared to book my flights from Athens to Saigon with Scoot, as they had a sale on and were working out rather cheap. Later I walked to Rehab bar to pick up the 6 bottles of wine I’d ordered from Tay. At 146 lira (£6) per bottle, for very nice wine, it was worth it and I also paid my bar bill of 480 lira (£20) from the other night.
I called the bank again but got nowhere and they said they were going to call me back but they didn’t.

I met Jamie and his goddaughter, Alicia, at Lukka bar at 7pm, having already decided I would try to eat the healthiest thing on the menu but with wine. Jamie ordered a bottle of white wine, I ordered a bottle of red wine which was now 345 lira (£14) and Alicia commented that it was still cheaper than you’d pay in most bars back in England. Katrina joined us for Lukka music bingo which is always a good laugh with great music. Alicia had the Yum Yum chicken, Katrina had the satay chicken, Jamie had the risotto cheesy balls and I went for a spaghetti bolognese with cheesy garlic bread. I thought the garlic bread was a bit overpriced for what it was at 85 lira (£3.51) as it was just sliced Turkish bread with melted cheese and a bit of garlic on. The spaghetti bolognese at 240 lira (£9.91) was good and came with 2 bread sticks, a random bit of lettuce and parmesan cheese – beef is expensive here now. Katrina said they didn’t make it with oil or butter which is nice. After Lukka bar, we decided to go on to Sofra bar for another cheeky beverage, as you do! While we were there some friends and relatives of Pamela’s came in and rocked the karaoke! It was another late and fun night and I managed to not fall in to the building materials in the middle of the road, on the way home.

Dalyan – 12th April

Another weigh-in day was here on Wednesday 12th April and I started my day with strawberries and quark. I had 3 cups of tea that morning as I borrowed Jamie’s English phone to call the bank about the monthly fee situation. It obviously still didn’t get resolved and I was asked to fill a form in so that the bank could ring me back.
I took my measurements and found that I had lost 1cm from bust, waist and hips which was good.
For lunch I had some wholemeal bread, a bit of cheese and lots of water.
The sky looked stormy as I walked to Fat Club, feeling somewhat optimistic. I’d consumed 204 syns this last week had 3 no meat days, 5 no alcohol days but only 3 days with exercise. I was very surprised to find I had lost 2.6kg (5.7lb) on Carol’s scales which meant I got a sticker to note my 1 stone loss! I was chuffed with that and it meant I only had another 2.5kg to lose to hit my target. I paid 60 lira (£2.50) for mine and Carol’s tea and then we went to Rehab bar. At the usual pool afternoon were Pamela, Mark, Kate, Rey, Wolfie, Chris, John, Tim, Angelique and Tay. We ended up having quite the afternoon which spilled in to the evening and I got better and better at pool. Unbelievably, we played winner stays on with Kate and I being the last 2 but we were pretty tipsy. I even ended up eating some crisps and ordering a bottle of red wine which turned out to be rather ambitious. At midnight, after finishing work at Hotel Dalyance, Sarah popped by for a game of pool too. I left without paying my bill but Tay said it was fine to stop by tomorrow and pay.

Dalyan – 8th April

In the morning of Saturday 8th April I popped to the market just to buy strawberries for 50 lira (£2.08). I had some for breakfast with a cup of Yorkshire tea when I got back. I went to Bim supermarket in the afternoon and I only bought some essentials;

1 wholemeal loaf 10.00
6 eggs 16.50
500g of pide bread 19.00
Total spent 45.50 lira (£1.89).

I got a top up of water, 19 litres for 30 lira (£1.25) at Selçuk Market.
I was getting excited because I would get to see my parents in just over 3 weeks, then I was off to Rhodes and would be reunited with Captain Caveman again in Vietnam, shortly after that. For lunch I warmed up some of the minestrone soup and it was delicious. I’d arranged to meet Pamela and Mark at Rehab bar in the afternoon because I still had some of the bottle of red wine from Wednesday left. It also meant I got to see the lovely Angelique and Tay. While we were playing pool, I got a pleasant surprise; our friend, Babs, was back in town and had popped in to Rehab bar to see me and joined us for a drink – her cocktail was an aperol spritz. After finishing the wine in Rehab, Mark, Pamela and I went to Aşkın’s bar and we each carried some of Pamela’s shopping. We just had the one drink there before heading down to Sofra bar. It was all a very civilised evening up until then. Friends, Cath and Keith, joined us and we were talking about landlords putting rents up by more than the 25%. It’s illegal but unfortunately it’s happening to a lot to tenants here, as landlords want to get new people in who will pay more. We had a good time in Sofra bar, for the rest of the night. I made sure that in between my drinks I had a water and some of the time I sat without a drink, while Cath was double parked. Prices of drinks were still reasonable in Sofra bar; large draft beer or glass of wine 65 lira (£2.70), small draft beer 45 lira (£1.87), shot of Jameson’s 50 lira (£2.08). I ended up doing karaoke (again) which Mark took a video of. It was generally a good night until it was almost time to go home. Mark and I had been keeping an eye on Cath, when Keith fell over and banged his head on a bench. It was home time for them, we put them in a taxi which took ages because neither of them remembered where they lived but one of the taxi drivers and Ahmet, the bar man, knew. Mark said he’d walk me home but instead of going home we ended up going to Dalyano’s for a glass of wine. I got my coat zip stuck about halfway up and I couldn’t free it, so ended up getting upset. I went home by myself from Dalyano’s (which isn’t far) and Mark got a taxi home, but called me to check I was home safely. I was, but I couldn’t get my coat off until he suggested I take it off over my head and look at the zip in the morning. I think I’d got a bit emotional as I was concerned about Cath and Keith more than my coat.

Mark’s video of me doing karaoke

Dalyan – 5th April

The Aussies were leaving for their road trip early on Wednesday 5th April so I’d been invited to have breakfast with them before they set off. The Turkish people here, tend not to get up early for breakfast and I thought we might struggle to find somewhere open.
I went downstairs, as planned, at 8am, it had rained in the night and there were checks being done on the woodwork outside, which looked great. I also had to have a look at the improvements they had been working on last night. Greg drove us to Ekin around 8.30am where we were met by a rather large slobbering black dog, called Negro, who was super friendly. The owner asked us if we could wait for half an hour while he got set up and so we walked about a bit, taking some photos of the beautiful lake.
I wasn’t going to eat the Turkish breakfast for 2 reasons; 1, it often gives me a bad stomach and 2, I had Fat Club weigh-in at 3pm. I realised it would be considered rude to just watch Amanda and Greg eat so I decided to go for it. It was my first Turkish breakfast this year! Just as it was served, it started to rain and we had to move inside. The scenic views were now no longer picture perfect and we were lucky to have seen the lake views we did, before the rain came.
The breakfast was amazing and I really enjoyed it but I knew it would mean a gain on the scales. I ate cheese, jam, honey, bread, cheese rolls, olives, chips and 2 types of savoury gözleme (Turkish pancakes), washed down with Turkish tea and a fresh pomegranate juice. We couldn’t finish it all so Amanda packed 2 small Tupperware boxes up (that’s why I love her) and gave me one with the cheese in. The total bill came to 585 lira (£24) which, considering how much food is provided, was a bargain. Of course, before we even got back in the car, I had stomach issues. Back home we packed the car up with luggage, in the rain, then said our goodbyes. Even Kitler, the abandoned cat, came to say farewell.
I almost didn’t go to Fat Club because I knew it would be disappointing but I forced myself to find out how much damage a Turkish breakfast on weigh day could do.

At Fat club, the inevitable happened; I had gained weight! It was only 1.1kg (2.4lb) but that was enough to undo the previous losses and I only had myself to blame! A more sensible person might have then decided to rectify the bad result by being really good. However, as some of you could have predicted, that was not what happened and I got a lift up to Rehab bar with Carol. I ended up ordering a bottle of wine, as it works out a bit cheaper than having several glasses. I didn’t finish it all as I had to leave to meet Jamie and Ann at Aşkın’s bar. Tay wrote my name on it and said he’d save it for me.
When I arrived at Aşkın’s, Jamie and Ann were already there and had been joined by Mark and Pamela. I ordered a red wine and we all had a nice drink, it’s one of my favourite bars to sit and people watch usually. After a drink there we moved on to Sofra bar for a bit more refreshment.
By 10.30pm, I was leaving Sofra bar with Jamie to go to Umit’s birthday drinks at Sunset bar. Our friend Annie had invited us along and Pamela was already there, as was Yusuf the pharmacist and the flower girl. I had a glass of red wine, Jamie had a glass of white. We thought we were only there for 30 minutes, saying hello to Annie and her friends. Jamie and I do not remember dancing there, having more drinks or leaving but it turns out we were there 90 minutes and had 3 drinks.

We were back in Sofra by midnight, Mark had rejoined us too, and it turned in to quite a night – not that Jamie or I could remember much of it. The photos were a big help to work out the rest of the evening but it was a little concerning.

Photo credit – Greg Le Couteur

Dalyan – 2nd April

I was up early on Sunday 2nd April because I had organised my first boat trip of the year. It was later than last year but this year didn’t seem to be as hot yet.
Ivona, the Captain’s wife, was sick and couldn’t make it. The weather was dull and quite cold but we weren’t going to let that put us off. Captain İsmail had decided we would go to Little Dalyan, a sheltered spot behind Iztuzu beach, then the lake at Köyceğiz instead of the sea due to the threat of storms and choppy seas.
The Princess of Ekincik boat was leaving from outside River Terrace at 10am, it was costing £30 each (drinks extra) but included food for the day.
On board Princess of Ekincik with Captain Ismail and his team of 2 young Turkish lads, were Jamie, David, Christine, Nanny Kay, Viv, Paul, Anna, Amanda, Greg and me – 10 of us in total. There was only Anna who I didn’t know previously. Tea and coffee was served with fresh pastries and Ivona’s home-made cookies. We had to be quick with the cookies before Nanny Kay snaffled them as she’d had them before and was rather partial. I indulged and they have got to be the best cookies I’ve ever had. The pastries weren’t too shabby either and I had 1 each of the 3 flavours. My healthy eating was definitely on the back burner for today, although I had already decided that I would curb my wine intake in an effort to limit the damage. Our first stop of the day was at Little Dalyan so that those who wanted to, could go for a walk along the beach or even chance a swim in the sea. It was too cold and blustery for me to chance it and most were content to just be there and have a leisurely walk along the beach. Amanda and I collected shells, Jamie collected glass and it was all rather pleasant. I had a bit of a shocker as I found out that Captain Caveman had lead Anna to believe I was disabled. She seemed rather impressed that I could walk on a beach and asked if I was managing ok. When I asked more, it turned out that Captain Caveman had said I ‘didn’t’ walk because of the leg injury in April 2020, which she’d interpreted as ‘couldn’t’ walk!!

We were back on the boat just before noon and I decided to take one for the team with Jamie and sample the beverages. It was the first trip of the season so we needed to check the beer was cold and the wine was up to scratch – it was. Jamie had Drew on the phone and I tried to get a photo with him on the screen. The sun was out and it had turned out quite pleasant as Ismail was getting ready to prepare our BBQ lunch.
The food was incredibly good and there was certainly plenty of it for us all to have a good plateful.

After lunch we sailed up the river to the mud baths where Greg was the only one brave enough to sport his swimmers and get in the dome. Every one of the guests was lovely and it was so nice to just have a laugh with old and new friends. The boat is one of my favourites and I find the owners really respectful and humble too, which is nice. On the way back a few of us had another drink and we had a bit of music for ambience while İsmail served up an array of afternoon treats. There was some delicious homemade cake from Ivona and lots of fresh fruit. I stuck to my 3 red wines and was pleased with that. We all said our goodbyes after a lovely day and I walked back with the Aussies, where they invited me in for a gin and bitter lemon. We’d all had a great day on a lovely boat trip and, as none of us are sun worshipping types, it didn’t matter that it had not really been the best weather. Amanda and Greg had decided to stay a bit longer in Dalyan and would be here until Wednesday. After that, they would head up the West coast towards Bursa, then İstanbul.

Photo credit – Princess of Ekincik, Greg, Jamie.

Dalyan – 31st March

I met Jamie on Friday 31st March for a dog walk and a bit of a treat. At the bank Halıl, the security guard, let Jamie go in to the branch with Norman and Edna. Edna loved it and went over to the counter for a good nosey. Norman sniffed out the resident cat who was not phased in the slightest. After a walk through town, we went to Ela’s Kitchen for breakfast – I’d missed it there. This time, I just had the small sized English breakfast (without egg or tomato), not the large, as I would usually. Jamie loves the Menemen there so he had that and he ordered an extra sausage for the dogs to share. The food was fantastic and meant I would only need a small lunch. The small set breakfast was 140 lira (£5.90) and Jamie’s menemen with chips was 130 lira (£5.50). The English tea (Yorkshire or Tetley’s) is 40 lira (£1.68) per cup and the freshly squeezed orange juice is 55 lira (£2.31). It’s been 15 months since I was able to go back to England so I like to have an English breakfast from time to time as a treat. I would say Ela’s Kitchen has one of the best breakfasts in town. Norman and Edna can definitely recommend Sev’s sausage and they could hardly wait for it to cool down. I pretended to eat some of it and Edna was cross with me.
Back home, I found a ribbon to tie up my bike stand, which meant I could use it again. I ate stuffed vine leaves and 5 walnut halves for lunch then, at 2pm I went to my weekly Turkish class, which was good. In the evening I made myself some veggie steamed rice then went downstairs to call for Amanda and Greg. We ended up going to Sofra bar where we met up with Carol, of Fat Club fame. She was a temporary football widow as her fella and the lads watched the match. Jamie, who was out with his neighbours (Christine and David), came to join us too. The Aussies decided to go home after the one drink, maybe they had heard about my karaoke skills. Not one to be put off having a good time, I carried on without them. Jamie’s neighbours were absolutely lovely and I got myself a third red wine to join them. The red wine is 65 lira (£2.74) a glass in Sofra bar and is a decent one. It again turned in to one of those nights where I sang karaoke; ‘Simply the Best’ definitely wasn’t, as I didn’t know it very well but it’s Jamie’s song and I had to oblige. I murdered Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ then roped Nigel into ‘Islands in the Stream’ which definitely wasn’t our best song.
I got in after midnight and accidentally ate some Easter egg chocolate because I’d not had a proper dinner and was hungry. The good thing is, though, I’d only spent 200 lira (£8.25) and was still drunk but under today’s budget. As it was the last day of the month I’d already worked out how I was doing on the March budget goal that I had set for myself. It was a miracle but I was under by 993.18 lira (just over £40) and I was delighted with that. I had survived a whole month spending less than £10 per day average – it had not been easy! My weight loss for March had not been as successful as I had hoped, I was only 1.6kg (3.5lb) lighter than at the start of the month. It was still twice the amount I lost in February but I needed to try harder in April. With the start of the holiday season here now, there was going to be even more temptation and opportunity and I wasn’t sure my willpower was up to it.

Jamie’s video of me singing Tina Turner in Sofra bar

Jamie’s video of me singing Adele in Sofra bar

Dalyan – 29th & 30th March

When I got up on Wednesday 29th March I got weighed and took my measurements. Today was weigh-in and Fat Club day but I wanted to know how I was doing. This week I’d had less syns and less alcohol but I’d also done less exercise and ate more meals with meat in. On my home scales I’d done ok but it was Carol’s scales that really counted so I had to wait until 3pm. My measurements were good though;
Bust -1cm,
Waist -5cm,
Hips -2cm.
I had cornflakes and Yorkshire tea for breakfast but I didn’t have any lunch. I spent most of the morning working out my finances and checking where I was to the March budget I’d set myself.
At Fat Club I was really pleased to have lost 1.4kg (just over 3lb) and I stuck to drinking my 1.5 litres of water for 30 lira (£1.27). The Turkish lira was now at 23.68 to the pound so was the highest it had been for a while and set to keep rising.
After Fat Club, I walked to Rehab bar where I treated myself to a beer for 60 lira (£2.54) and then tried a new Turkish wine that Tay had got in. The red wine was now 85 lira (£3.59) per glass or you could get a bottle for 300 lira (£12.69).
I messaged Amanda and Greg to come join us at Rehab and they did. We sat chatting with Mark, Kate and Pamela, until Pamela had to go shopping and then home. Our next stop was to Waterfall bar, a glass of red wine was only 60 lira (£2.53) and is just as good for the same measure. While the 5 of us were there we came up with the idea of having kebabs from the new Hatay kebab place, opposite Migros Square. Mark went off on the Mobility wagon to get them and we each had a gorgeous lamb döner for 80 lira (£3.39). It was obviously not Slimming World friendly but I really wanted one and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was a good night and the Aussies were keen to go to Lukka bar for a last drink after we had said bye to Mark and Kate. I called at the bank on the way and we were in Lukka by 9pm. In there, I had another red wine for 85 lira (£3.59) while the others had gins. I’d gone over budget today but I’d not spent anything the previous 2 days so I was doing ok.

My cold had more or less gone by Thursday 30th March but I still felt tired and a bit run down. I had been doing quite well trying to maintain a healthy eating regime, drink less alcohol and stick to a rather tight budget throughout March.
As for the weight loss I was doing very well, having lost 6kg in total (13.2lb) and hoped to get more off before swimming costume time, this season! As for the budget, I had enjoyed the challenge, tomorrow I would see if I had achieved my goal for March.
For breakfast I had cornflakes, Yorkshire tea and an extra linden tea. I had another picnic style lunch of stuffed vine leaves, walnuts, cheese, pickled onions and falafel. I added a bit of tahini and membrillo which I used syns for.
In the afternoon Sara Savaş popped over as I’d been a bit naughty and ordered some Easter Eggs from her. It cost 150 lira (£6.31) per egg which was not frugal but such a treat. One was a Toblerone egg and the other was mint truffles, hand made by Sara.
I had pasta for dinner and had a quiet night in with a cup of tea and an early night.

joloyolo

The ramblings and observations of a fortysomething lady of leisure

Tag: wine