Island storm

Today we decided to head over to Sarasota and have lunch at The Old Salty Dog, another restaurant featured on the Travel Channel's Man v Food.



Rather than drive straight there, we went up to Anna Maria Island first and saw lots of people towing boats, ready to get them out onto the water. I've never seen so many people in boats!

The coast road down to Sarasota is gorgeous and lined with resorts and condominiums all facing the Gulf of Mexico. The Old Salty Dog is on the outskirts of Sarasota and is right on the water. It's surrounded by boat yards and we saw loads of people out on the water enjoying the beautiful weather. What a great life some people must have here!

Luckily we were able to park easily and managed to get a shaded table right by the water straight away. We were pretty early but the restaurant was already buzzing with lots of people enjoying lunch. The Old Salty Dog is British owned and Keith and I chose the fish and chips for our meal. Of course, the children had to go for the signature dish!

The salty dog is a Frankfurter sausage, coated in batter and then deep fried. You can then have your choice of toppings on it, or go the whole hog and have everything that Adam Richman had! My two settled for just cheese and bacon!

Sophie said it was one of the best meals she'd ever had, so that's praise indeed! Our fish and chips were lovely, too and the portion wasn't huge which I was pleased about. It was a perfect lunchtime meal.

The Old Salty Dog

After lunch we headed back to the villa for an afternoon of laziness. Again, it was very hot but it was bliss to be able to sink into the coolish waters of the pool when it all got too much.

We had the perfect Florida sky again this afternoon - lots of fluffy white clouds and brilliant blue sky but by evening the sky had clouded over completely and we had another terrific storm.

We'd planned on going to Anna Maria Island to find a bar to watch the sunset, but when we left at 6pm the rain was lashing down and the storm was raging all around us. We called into Publix first to stock up on essentials and then drove the short distance to the island. The storm seemed to be following us but we persevered and we were amazed to see the huge amount of cars leaving the beaches. Once on Anna Maria Island, the roads were flooded, some of them really badly in places so we had to take extra care when driving through the huge puddles.

We decided to head for the City Pier again and parked easily outside Two Scoops Ice-cream parlour. Picking our way through the lying water we walked onto the pier and joined lots of people making their way to the end of the pier, maybe to eat at the restaurant or just watch the distant storm as we were doing.

At the end of the pier, lots of people were fishing and we grabbed some drinks at the small bar. The barman asked us the usual question - where in the UK were we from, and then he said he'd just got back from visiting Cambridge and London where he was nearly arrested for sitting on one of the lions in Trafalgar Square! He showed us photos of our stern looking policemen and we laughed. He was a real character (and very good looking!) and it was great to chat with him for a while.

We took our drinks and went off to watch the storm. To my absolute delight and amazement I saw a dolphin in the water! He lazily swam around, probably attracted by the fishing bait and it was wonderful to see the animal in it's natural environment. We then saw two more in the distance and everyone on the pier was going mad when they appeared. There was a lovely atmosphere.

Not a great photo, but the wild ones don't pose!

By now it was getting late so we left the pier, marvelling at the gorgeous sky as we walked back to the car.

We were going to try and find a bar for a drink, but we decided to head back to the villa and stop off at a Papa John's pizza on the way as the children wanted one for their supper. We somehow got lost in Bradenton and almost ended up back in Sarasota, but we finally found our road (the SR 70) and called into Papa John's where we caused absolute mayhem as we hadn't phoned and place an order!

The woman serving asked Keith for a phone number and he said that all he wanted to do was place an order and pay for it. Apparently this isn't the done thing!

Back at the villa, I enjoyed leftovers from my Chinese the night before while the rest of my family tucked into their huge pizzas. Needless to say there's some left for lunch tomorrow!

Phew!

Today has been very relaxed as we've hardly moved from the house and have just spent the day sunbathing and soaking up the hot Florida sun.

It's been beautiful weather all day and at times, it was very, very hot indeed. At 3pm the temperature was heading towards 100f and the humidity was also increasing. It was wonderful to be able to jump into the pool when it all got too much and cool off! The water does seem to be a bit cooler now and not quite so much like a bath!

In the evening we had a huge thunderstorm, though, and Keith and I sat outside and listened to the booms and watched the lightening streak across the sky. When the rain came, it was torrential.

We'd decided to have our Chinese takeaway tonight so we set off in the gloom to find our way back to the area around Chili's where we'd noticed a couple of restaurants. However, we managed to take a wrong turning so it took us a little longer to get there, but we found a place called the Golden Wok that looked busy, which is always a good sign!

We placed our order and waited, watching the sky grow darker outside and seeing the almost constant flashes of lightening. Keith and Mikey went off in search of Root Beer and ventured into a supermarket nearby, but rapidly came out again! They said the people who worked in there were cooking a variety of dishes at the back of the shop and it looked very dodgy indeed!

Our Chinese meal was lovely, and we all sat outside on the terrace to eat it. Afterwards, I just fancied watching some TV, so we channel surfed until we came to an episode of Alaska - The Last Frontier that we definitely hadn't seen back in the UK!

Dodging the storms!

We had a lazy start to the day today and I managed to catch up with blog writing and emails before we had a cooked breakfast. The sky was looking a bit ominous so we decided to drive to a nearby Super Target, just a short distance down the I-75.

The huge store was very close to the junction and there were loads of other shops in the same area. Sophie sped off and went to look for make-up while the boys made for the clothes section. Keith wanted some more Levi's jeans and Mikey wanted some more tee-shirts. Me? I did the boring stuff like buying groceries and trying to decide what to choose for lunches back at the villa! I did have a long linger in the wine section, though, and chose a new red from the Bogle Winery, a Cabernet Sauvignon. They also had Rex Goliath in magnum bottles and our current favourite, Dreaming Tree.

As we were shopping we heard several booms of thunder and when we'd finished the rain was lashing down outside. We waited a couple of minutes and then made a run for it, getting soaked in the process, but it was warm rain! In the distance we could see a Macy's store so we decided to go and have a look...perhaps Keith would get his jeans there?

Of course, what we didn't know, was that the store wasn't even open yet and we drove into a construction site! Just a bit embarrassing! Luckily I managed to turn the car around and get out before anyone stopped us to ask us what we were doing so red-faced, we headed back to the I-75 and went in search of a nearby Chinese restaurant. We found one a little further down the route 70 which is the main road we are near to, and we parked the car to go and collect a menu. If we were honest, none of us were that impressed with the place but we took a menu anyway and then called into the Big Cow Creamery next door for an ice-cream.

The parlour was very quiet and we wondered how the man running it was surviving. The ice-cream was fine, but not as good as Two Scoops on Anna Maria Island!

Back at the villa we spent the rest of the day lying by the pool and soaking up the hot sunshine. We had a small shower of rain in the afternoon, but nothing like this morning or yesterday evening when it was torrential.

Our dinner choice for this evening was a Mexican restaurant a short drive away. However, when we pulled into the car park we had difficulty finding a space...On entering the restaurant we could see a crowd of people waiting so we decided to leave as we couldn't face a long wait. We opted to go to Chili's again and luckily, here, we only had a short wait and we could sit at the bar with a drink.

Our meal was fine although Keith said he didn't really enjoy the chicken dish he chose. I had steak and it was delicious, while Mikey had a burger and Sophie enjoyed the same chicken as Keith. When we left we managed to find a good route back to the villa, along quieter (but darker!) roads and then it was time to sit by the pool and drink some good red wine!

Leaving the Keys...

It was a bit sad leaving to go back to the villa today, but we have the rest of our holiday to enjoy and I've decided I'm definitely going back to Key West one day, to stay in one of the lovely old hotels there and do a bit more exploring.

We left at 9am and had a fantastic journey back to the villa. We used route 41 again and at one point I was the only car on the road. All along the length of the highway was the Tamiami canal and we really strained our eyes (well, Keith did!) to see some wildlife, but the only thing we saw, unfortunately, was a dead alligator.

Today we turned off a bit early and went up a smaller road, route 29, which connected to the I-75. All along here were warnings of panther crossings, but of course, we didn't see any!

We stopped for a very quick lunch at a services (although it was off the freeway) and continued our journey through torrential rain. By the time we arrived back in Bradenton, though, the sun was out and it was 100f!

We planned on having a Chinese takeaway this evening but after a couple of hours of messing about by the pool, when we went to check out the restaurant, we found it hadn't even opened yet! The weather had taken a turn for the worse and we experienced a very loud and violent thunderstorm that was very dramatic! I've never seen rain fall so heavily in such a short space of time.

In the end, Keith, Mikey and I went to Publix to get some bread for breakfast the next day and then we left Keith at Beef O'Brady's so he could have a beer. I went back to the villa with Mikey and although the intention was to find another Chinese restaurant, in the end we decided to have dinner at Beef O'Brady's and investigate takeaways another time.

We had a good meal (despite all of us really fancying a Chinese) and then a lovely session by the pool watching the lightening in the distance!

Cuddling dolphins!

We were up early and taking breakfast in the hotel's small dining room this morning after a fairly good night's sleep! The breakfast is free at the Holiday Inn and although not spectacular, it had everything we needed from cereals and porridge to sausages and cheese omelettes. There was also an ingenious machine that, at a touch of a button, made a perfect pancake for you! I'd love to have something like that at home!

It was a gorgeous day so we decided to head for the Dophin Research Centre a short drive away. We were almost the first to arrive and I had a coupon! It saved us $12 on the entrance fee so that was good!

We all loved the DRC - it's quite a small place but there was lots of shade and seating and the animals all seemed very happy and well cared for. Just after we arrived we watched two young male dolphins, Delta and Flagler being put through their paces by one of the trainers and they were great.

The trainer explained a lot about dolphin behaviours and we were surprised to learn that their skin regenerates every two hours or so and the marks that we could see were the result of playful fighting between the dophins. We'd seen these long scrapes on the animals at Seaworld and had wondered what they were, thinking maybe they were scars from fights, but apparently it's normal.

We had quite a long session watching the dolphins and they loved to come past us and really scrutinise us. We noticed them doing this elsewhere in the centre and it was almost as if they were doing their own research on us!

Although it was very warm by now, we had a great time wandering around, having a chat with the parrots, listening to Kilo the sealion bark constantly and seeing all the other dolphins in the back lagoon.

Gazing out at the azure waters was very peaceful and the centre is certainly in a beautiful spot. When it all got a bit too hot, we ventured into a small room that was air-conditioned and we watched a video about sea-lions. The young girl talking was an intern at the centre and was very passionate about all the animals. She'd driven down from California with her cat, taking five days to do it!

In the afternoon I paid an extra $25 for Sophie to meet a dolphin. A trainer gave a short talk first about mother dolphins and their babies and then Sophie was taken out to a floating pontoon where she got to stroke the mum. She was over the moon and said that their skin didn't feel as she expected it to.

By now it was 1.30pm so we walked across the car park to the Wreck and Galley Grill for a cold beer and some lunch. We ordered two starters of chicken strips and fries and these were delicious. All around us previous customers had pinned up dollar bills with messages on them so we did the same. I wonder how much money was just decorating the bar!

After lunch we dropped the children back off at the hotel and Keith and I drove to the Seven Mile Bridge. I wanted to take some photos and maybe walk a little way on the old bridge despite it being 96f!

No vehicles are allowed on the old original bridge and this is itself in danger of becoming unsafe for pedestrians even. I would loved to have walked a fair way along it, but it was very hot so we took several photographs and then got back into the cool of the car!

We drove back the way we'd come, stopping at a Walgreen's to get some bits and then decided to have a drink back at the Tiki bar in the hotel. The bar was deserted and the lady who served us told us we were just her sixth customers all day. We had a great chat with her and found out her life history! There was a beautiful breeze blowing in from the water and it was a very pleasant half hour sitting there and chatting to someone we'll probably never see again.

After our drink we went back to the room to change and we all decided to use the hotel pool for a swim and again, there was hardly anyone about. We did have a chat with a man from Ohio, though, who was a real character and larger than life. Everyone here is so friendly and they're all curious as to where we're from. This then starts up a great conversation and it's been brilliant how we've got to know so many people.

Mikey went exploring as the man we met said he'd seen a manatee and a sea turtle nearby and he actually dived into the creek! I wouldn't have as it looked really murky! The pool was lovely and warm and we sunbathed for a little while before returning to our room to get ready to meet Sarah, Liam and Hannah in the evening. They had suggested a restaurant right opposite our hotel which was brilliant as I didn't have to drive!

We all met up in the Island Fish Co restaurant at 8pm and it was very strange indeed meeting our friends from home in such an exotic location! It was great to see them all and we had a fabulous evening in a beautiful setting. We all had delicious food including oysters that Liam and I shared, nachos for the children and Sarah had a Caesar salad. For mains Keith, Liam and I had blackened grouper sandwiches, Sarah had clam linguine and the children had an assortment of burgers, chicken platters and enchilladas.

None of us could resist desserts with Key Lime and Berry pies, chocolate cake and deep fried Key Lime pie for Keith...!

Liam and Keith enjoying a beer!

Sarah and I

Heading for the Keys

We were up early and out with the commuter traffic this morning, all ready for our 6 hour journey down to Marathon in the Florida Keys.

We took the I-75 first which, around Sarasota, was very busy with people going to work. Once past the city the traffic thinned out and it was a very pleasant journey indeed. I did a steady 75-80mph all the way to the turn off to SR 41 which we'd decided to take rather than stay on the main freeway. This road runs through the Everglades and was virtually empty. I followed a Louisiana registered car the whole way along the road, from the turn off on the I-75 until we reached the 997 heading south and most of the time there was just the two of us travelling on the whole road.

Along the way there were lots of signs warning of wildlife on the road and there were several Indian villages dotted along the route. As we neared Miami there were numerous places offering Airboat rides and the Miccosukee Indian village which I would like to have visited. Maybe on the way back!

The SR 41 is also known as the Tamiami Trail as it connects the cities of Tampa and Miami. The part we travelled on was beautiful, full of hiking trails and campgrounds but as there were Panther crossing points, I don't think I'd have wanted to sleep outdoors!

Once off the 41 we drove through very flat agricultural land with numerous roadside stalls selling fruit and vegetables. We'd been looking for somewhere to stop and have a coffee since we turned off the I-75 and we finally came to a petrol stations with a Subway attached where we had a sandwich and some water. Everyone spoke Spanish and as we carried on along the road there were plant nurseries everywhere, some of them with huge, beautiful tropical plants for sale.

Once past the very pleasant town of Homestead we were onto Route 1 which runs the whole length of the Keys. Our first impressions of the Keys weren't that favourable as we couldn't see much difference to the  mainland US, with endless strips of shops, restaurants and bars. However, as we moved further south, the light became clearer and there were a greater profusion of palm trees and ocean views.

We arrived at the Holiday Inn in Marathon at 2pm and we were able to check in and access our room straight away. I wanted to head down to Key West at about 4pm to make sure we were there in time for the sunset so we all showered and unpacked and changed our clothes before having a quick drink in the hotel bar. The bar overlooked a narrow creek where you could go on boat trips or hire kayaks and was very pleasant, if breezy!

It took us about an hour to get to Key West, crossing over the famous seven mile bridge on the way. I wasn't that impressed with the town at first, however, as we neared the very end of the Keys the houses became older and more traditional and the streets leafier and more attractive.

We managed to park on a side street and found our way to Mallory Square quite easily. On the way we passed by the Marina with some gorgeous boats, including this one called Gallant Lady:

This one will do nicely!

We had a quick look around the shops in Mallory Square and I bought a shell Christmas decoration which I hope will survive the journey home! It was still fiendishly hot and we were all bathed in perspiration...yuk!

As it was extremely warm we decided to head for a bar we'd seen on the way and had a drink there. It had a beautiful little garden with fairy lights in the trees and there were quite a few people there enjoying Happy Hour. Inside, there was no air-conditioning, just fans and the sweat ran off me in rivers...not a pleasant feeling! I put my hair up in an effort to make myself cooler and ordered a large glass of water, which tasted disgusting! I knew I should have stuck to beer!

Our Subway sandwich was a long time ago so I ordered a plate of Tostadas to eat with our drinks. For dinner tonight I wanted to go to the Hogfish Grill but it was notoriously difficult to find, apparently! The Tostadas were delicious and stuffed full of chunks of pork and vegetables. The children loved them!

Keith decided to go back to the car to add more money to the meter while the children and I headed for Sunset Pier to watch the sun go down. On the way Mikey bought himself a tee-shirt as a memento of the town in a shop that sold some very rude objects indeed! We'd had a shower of rain and the clouds in the distance were beautiful...

Sunset Pier was starting to gear up for the nightly ritual of the sun going to bed and a very strange man was setting up his entertainment right next to us. It looked like he was going to be doing some fire-eating but he had cages with cats inside them...

We concentrated on the gorgeous skies in front of us:

 

I think the presence of the clouds made the sky more interesting and in the distance we could see it was raining.

As it neared sunset more and more people arrived and the man setting up next to us grew more and more animated. He let the cats out of their cages and while I wasn't completely watching what he was doing, the animals were definitely part of his show...

I just wanted to see the sunset and at about 7.50pm, it happened.

Leaving the mad Frenchman to his show we walked back to the car picking up Keith on the way who had waited on the steps of a museum for us. We then had to find the Hogfish Grill which we found easy as I'd written the directions down from the website and Keith had managed to get hold of a Key West map. It was tucked away from the main town area on Stock Island and was right on the seashore. We would never have found it without help!

The Hogfish Grill was definitely not a chain restaurant and was wonderful. All the sides are open and the roof is a straw thatch. One part was where the locals hang out (a lot of them looked like they fished) while the restaurant part had wooden tables and benches to sit at. It was very dimly lit as well so we found it difficult to see the menu but I knew I had to try the Hogfish! We started with nachos and then Keith went for crabcakes, Mikey ordered a pound (yes, a pound!) of prawns while Sophie was the only one who went for meat, by choosing chicken Enchilladas.

My Hogfish, served with three grilled scallops, was delicious and reminded me of cod. It was served with rice and green beans. For dessert Sophie and I chose Key Lime Pie...well, we just had to, didn't we? Mikey went for chocolate cake which looked very gooey and moist.

It was a great night and it was wonderful fulfill a dream and see the sun set on Key West. When we left the restaurant we became a little lost but we did pass Southernmost Point which was great. It took us an hour to drive back to Marathon and I was very tired indeed when we pulled up at the hotel. It was bliss to sink into our comfortable beds after such a long day!

Mooching about!

This morning we were up and out early to have breakfast at an IHOP opposite the office where we had to go and register our arrival. We are somewhat surprised at how quiet the restaurants are here, compared with last year when we had to queue at every place we went to.

Breakfast was great with lots of hot coffee, pancakes and maple syrup and the meal certainly set us up for the day! After we'd eaten we went to the office and had a quick word with the man there about buying a Sunpass. I'd heard that the tolls around Miami are cashless and that you need a pass to go through them without incurring any charges. He said that we couldn't buy one anywhere but I had a feeling he was wrong.

A short way up the road was a large Walmart so we headed there and had a good mooch about. I'm not a fan of Walmart for some reason, but I did buy a pack of knickers while Keith and Mikey treated themselves to tee-shirts. Sophie also bought a beach poncho which should be great for the Keys.

After visiting Walmart we drove back to the villa, put our shopping away and I had a look at the Sunpass website which stated that you could buy a Mini transponder in Publix. So, it was back into the car and off to the supermarket where we bought a pass. Now all we needed to do was activate it online!

The rest of the day was spent by the pool and it was another hot one! Today the water seemed a little cooler but after we'd had enough of the sun I could see a difference and I think I've got the beginnings of a  sun tan on my face!

I took a video of Keith trying to get into a large inflatable ring we have and this prompted us to look at some old videos of past holidays that I have on my laptop. It's amazing how much the children have changed over the years!

Dinner tonight was at Applebees, about five minutes away and on the way there we called into a petrol station (aptly named Marathon) to fill the tank up with petrol. This is always an interesting thing to do as we had to pay first in cash and guess how much the tank would take. We paid $30 and the man in the petrol station said he would refund any money we hadn't used. Luckily we managed to get $30 worth of petrol into the car and we could have squeezed a bit more in but it was still a bargain compared to back home!

Applebees was very quiet indeed...what a difference from the restaurant we used last year when we had to wait an hour for a table and the place was heaving and noisy. We sat at the bar with a drink for half an hour and chatted to the very pleasant and friendly barmaid who asked us lots of questions about the UK. She said that there were some storms beyond the Florida coast that would bring a lovely breeze to the area over the next few days so that was a relief!

We had a lovely meal and I chose a dish from the "light" menu that was delicious. It was a grilled chicken breast smothered in lots of vegetables in a gorgeous sauce and I couldn't believe it was so much lower in calories! Keith had a full rack of ribs, Mikey a burger and Sophie fried chicken so they certainly didn't follow my lead!

Dipping our toes in the Gulf...

This morning we were all up early (I'd had a great night's sleep!) so we decided to leave for Anna Maria Island at 9am.

Keith navigated me and within half an hour we were driving onto the island using the same road we'd travelled on last year. Of course, we'd left the dog-eared Anna Maria Island map back at the villa, but we somehow found our way to the Rod and Reel Pier, somewhere I'd wanted to go, especially to try their Blackened Grouper sandwich. We parked the car in the tiny car park and walked onto the pier but the restaurant upstairs wouldn't let us just have a coffee and the small bar downstairs wasn't open until 10am so it wasn't the most successful of visits!

The Rod and Reel Pier

We decided to head for the Anna Maria Island City Pier a bit further down the coast and parked the car exactly where we'd left it last year. We walked onto the beach and dipped our toes into the lukewarm water, gazing at the gorgeous views and feeling the intense heat, even this early in the day.

As the City Pier was still a way off, we drove down to it and into a small car park opposite (managing to avoid the smelly dead fish as we got out of the car). We spotted Two Scoops, an ice-cream parlour opposite and which I'd read about on Trip Advisor. It was beautifully cool inside and the ice-cream was delicious with 32 flavours to choose from! I was originally going to have a coffee but I was tempted by the ice-cream and I'm glad I did! We all sat and enjoyed being cool and looking at all the different merchandise for sale, including tee-shirts and mixes for cocktails. I think we'll definitely be back!

After eating our fill, we went onto the pier and watched people fish. In the distance we could see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and I wondered whether I'd ever get to drive over it! There's a restaurant on the pier and we decided that before the holiday was over we'd return and have lunch there. I'm determined to get that sandwich!

As it was very, very hot we decided to head back to the cool of the car and explore a bit more of the island. Sophie was going to go into the sea for a dip but she spotted some huge jellyfish and rapidly changed her mind! Last year when we came here, the beach was undergoing regeneration and now it looked beautiful with banked up white sand stretching all the way up to Bean Point.

We drove back down the length of the island and I commented about the lack of views as there seem to be houses crammed onto every inch of the coastline. I think to properly get a feel for this laid back place you would have to stay at one of the many beachfront houses and walk along the shoreline as there were very few parking spaces.

We drove off the island and back to Bradenton, crossing one of the drawbridges that opened to let a boat with a tall mast through. There were lots of people on the water in boats and jet-skis and I thought it must be a wonderful life living nearby with all this on their doorstep.

Before we headed back to the villa we went on the lookout for restaurants for tonight. Sophie had seen a sign for a Longhorn Steak House but it must have been a fair way up the I-75 as she'd seen the advertising hoarding before we'd got to the Villa office on Friday. We did find an Applebees and a Mexican restaurant not far away and when we got back to the villa and Googled the Longhorn Steak House we found one about ten minutes away from us! Thank goodness for Google!

We spent the afternoon by the pool, but refreshing it most certainly isn't as it's like getting into a warm bath!  It's wonderful to step back into the cool of the house after the heat outside and the overhead fans also help keep us chilled!

The mad males in our family decided to walk to a nearby 7-11 in the late afternoon. It's a two minute drive away but Mikey wanted to go and buy something from the shop there, and not wanting him to go alone, Keith went with him.

When they both got back they were drenched in sweat so although Keith had already had a shower, it was back to the bathroom for him before we all headed out in the evening to the Longhorn Steak House.

On Friday when we'd just arrived and were looking for somewhere to eat, we were literally seconds from this area full of shops and restaurants! I'd done a U-turn just before a junction onto the SR 41, which funnily enough, runs all the way down to the Keys and is a road we're thinking of coming home on, rather than the I-75.

The restaurant was only half full and the family before us were asked to wait so we prepared ourselves for a delay as well. It didn't matter as the restaurant has a lovely bar, but the front of house woman gave us four menus and told us to follow her to a table.

Keith was gasping for a beer but our drinks order took ages to arrive, which was a sign of things to come. Sophie and I ordered the same starter - spicy chicken bites - while the boys shared an appetiser of Firecracker Chicken wraps. Sophie received hers but I never did get mine, although there were enough to share so I was pretty glad! Our main courses, all steaks, took an age to arrive, even though the restaurant still remained half full and there seemed to be plenty of staff about.

My steak was delicious though, and came with mashed potato and broccoli! Yippeee! Keith had ordered green beans but these never materialised either so there was definitely a breakdown in service tonight!

Mikey and I decided to have a dessert - his choice was the chocolate lava cake and I went for an innocent sounding apple pie, only it turned out to be huge! I left half of it - never have I left so much food as I have this holiday so far!

When we emerged into the sultry night air, the sky in front of us was lit up with sheet lightening. It was very dramatic and the next thing, to add to the slight sense of danger, we heard a cacophony of sirens and a huge Fire truck appeared and drove into the group of buildings next door. We still don't know whether the lightening had set fire to something or whether the incident was unconnected to the lightening but it was very dramatic!

Back home it was time for a vodka and tonic (I'd been on sparkling water all night) and more lightening shows!