Thankfully, it was back to the sunshine today after the grey of yesterday. Mike had an orthodontist appointment at the ungodly hour of 8.30am...why we booked it for this time I'll never know and it was a bit of a shock when the alarm went off at 7am! We have had it too good!
Unbelievably he was fine which surprised Keith and I as he hasn't been wearing his retainer and on the way to the surgery he was drinking hot chocolate! We returned home to find that Sophie had written the shopping list, which was a huge help and meant we could go and get it over with sooner than we thought.
Mike was working this afternoon and Sophie was meeting friends for lunch in town so we had an afternoon of taxiing them about and sorting out Keith's car insurance which is due at the end of September.
We picked Sophie up from her friend's house in Moulton and the sky looked a bit ominous - a towering bank of cloud that wouldn't have been out of place in Florida. We hadn't been home long when Mike called to ask us to pick him up and he said it was raining!
Sue came around in the evening and bought wine and cheese with her, which was lovely. I restricted myself as Keith was cooking chicken pie for dinner, but I did sample some delicious soft cheese with salmon and enjoyed the Rioja! Unfortunately, while she was here she was stung by a wasp...we could hardly believe it had happened as I'm sure there wasn't one in the conservatory before she arrived and I had blitzed the room the day before. It's a mystery!
After Sue had gone we had dinner, but I have so say my appetite was somewhat diminished. Oh dear!
Thursday, 31 August 2017
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
The spiders have taken over!
I spent all morning and part of the afternoon cleaning the conservatory because while we were on holiday the spiders moved in. There were cobwebs everywhere and red brick dust from where Keith had drilled holes to hang our new batch of hearts. I had just shoved a load of stuff behind the sofa and the room was a complete mess!
Suffice to say, it is now much cleaner, a lot barer and the cobwebs have all gone!
Sophie helped by hoovering the rest of the downstairs rooms and Keith did a pile of ironing. It was the perfect day for it as the weather has been chilly and rainy. I did want to change the room around a bit but in the end we put all the furniture back to how it was, but at least I know there's no dead flies and nasty things lurking behind the sofas!
In the evening we all went to The Lamplighter for dinner and Keith was rather disappointed with the beer on offer. Actually, he was more than disappointed, he said the way the beer was served was "atrocious". The first two pints looked cloudy and flat but he said they tasted OK, at least. I stuck to a bottle of Leffe!
Despite the beer being bad, the food was good and Sophie and I ordered burgers, Mike had nachos with beef and Keith had fish and chips. We enjoyed garlic bread to start and Sophie and I shared a pudding of chocolate brownie with ice-cream. I felt stuffed afterwards. The diet must start soon!
Back home I changed into my cosy onesie and Sophie and I watched the latest episode of 90 Day Fiance. I am beginning to think that this show is very staged and that the people taking part are being told to act in a certain way. This has probably been the case all along and I'm being naive to think that most of it was real!
Before we went to bed we spotted an enormous spider on the landing wall. Sophie very kindly trapped it in a pint glass (yes, it was that big) and we took it outside. I most definitely would not have slept if I'd suspected it could come into the bedroom overnight!
Suffice to say, it is now much cleaner, a lot barer and the cobwebs have all gone!
Sophie helped by hoovering the rest of the downstairs rooms and Keith did a pile of ironing. It was the perfect day for it as the weather has been chilly and rainy. I did want to change the room around a bit but in the end we put all the furniture back to how it was, but at least I know there's no dead flies and nasty things lurking behind the sofas!
In the evening we all went to The Lamplighter for dinner and Keith was rather disappointed with the beer on offer. Actually, he was more than disappointed, he said the way the beer was served was "atrocious". The first two pints looked cloudy and flat but he said they tasted OK, at least. I stuck to a bottle of Leffe!
Despite the beer being bad, the food was good and Sophie and I ordered burgers, Mike had nachos with beef and Keith had fish and chips. We enjoyed garlic bread to start and Sophie and I shared a pudding of chocolate brownie with ice-cream. I felt stuffed afterwards. The diet must start soon!
Back home I changed into my cosy onesie and Sophie and I watched the latest episode of 90 Day Fiance. I am beginning to think that this show is very staged and that the people taking part are being told to act in a certain way. This has probably been the case all along and I'm being naive to think that most of it was real!
Before we went to bed we spotted an enormous spider on the landing wall. Sophie very kindly trapped it in a pint glass (yes, it was that big) and we took it outside. I most definitely would not have slept if I'd suspected it could come into the bedroom overnight!
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
An expensive day!
Sophie was working today but before we dropped her off we had to take my car in for its MOT. I certainly feel like I'm back to reality now!
We took Sophie to work and then collected Mike from his friend's house. He was very weary looking again and it was good he didn't have to go to work today!
Back home I caught up with some stuff on the computer and before I knew it, it was time to go and pick up Sophie from work. We had a coffee at Costa and then made our way down to the wine shop again as I'd said I'd pop in and see Jonathan. We had a good chat and tasted some wines and they told me they'd run out of The Ned Pinot Grigio! Oh no! We were going to buy a few bottles! We called into Jones's on the way home and I spent only a couple of pounds on some bird food.
It turned out to be a good thing they'd run out and I curbed my spending at Jones's because when I arrived back home my car was ready and it cost me £55 for the MOT! That seems to have risen substantially! The children and I then had to rush off to the dentist for our six month check and although both Sophie and Mike were fine, I had to have a filling! The first ever! I was mortified and it cost me the grand sum of £56 for the privilege even though my appointment isn't for another three weeks! So that was over £100 spent today on horrible things! I was not amused.
And to cap it all the weather has changed for the worse today and it's been a chilly dark evening. I'm so glad we made the most of the sun over the weekend, but what a change from last night when we were sitting in the pub garden enjoying ourselves in the sunshine!
Keith went off to see Sileby play in the evening and wore: jeans, a tee-shirt, a body warmer, his coat and a hat. It's not that cold!
We took Sophie to work and then collected Mike from his friend's house. He was very weary looking again and it was good he didn't have to go to work today!
Back home I caught up with some stuff on the computer and before I knew it, it was time to go and pick up Sophie from work. We had a coffee at Costa and then made our way down to the wine shop again as I'd said I'd pop in and see Jonathan. We had a good chat and tasted some wines and they told me they'd run out of The Ned Pinot Grigio! Oh no! We were going to buy a few bottles! We called into Jones's on the way home and I spent only a couple of pounds on some bird food.
It turned out to be a good thing they'd run out and I curbed my spending at Jones's because when I arrived back home my car was ready and it cost me £55 for the MOT! That seems to have risen substantially! The children and I then had to rush off to the dentist for our six month check and although both Sophie and Mike were fine, I had to have a filling! The first ever! I was mortified and it cost me the grand sum of £56 for the privilege even though my appointment isn't for another three weeks! So that was over £100 spent today on horrible things! I was not amused.
And to cap it all the weather has changed for the worse today and it's been a chilly dark evening. I'm so glad we made the most of the sun over the weekend, but what a change from last night when we were sitting in the pub garden enjoying ourselves in the sunshine!
Keith went off to see Sileby play in the evening and wore: jeans, a tee-shirt, a body warmer, his coat and a hat. It's not that cold!
Monday, 28 August 2017
The wrong choice!
We realised today that we have been on holiday for four weeks! And on each of those days we have had lovely weather. I dread to think how we'll feel when the rain and cloud make a return!
After a very lazy start we popped over to Tesco and called in to see Mum and Dad on the way. My Dad has a new phone so Sophie helped him set up all the contact numbers. Let's hope he gets on better with this one!
Tesco was very busy so we sped around and got out of there as quickly as we could! It's not my favourite way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday! Back home we had some lunch and then I suggested to Sophie that we go out as I really didn't want to waste the lovely day. We headed to the garden centre at Hardingstone as I had got it into my head that I would like to buy a palm tree, to remind me of Florida.
Naturally, the garden centre didn't have any, but they did have a banana tree exactly like the one we had in the front garden in Naples. I don't think it was for sale, though! From there we went to Homesense and I bought various bits and bobs, including a lovely scented candle. Sophie treated me to a peach and green tea lemonade in Starbucks, but we both agreed that we preferred the drinks at the US cafe.
Today has been warm and sunny again with the temperature around 85f. We returned home and I suggested to Keith that we go out for a drink before dinner. Mike was off with his mates again so just the three of us walked up to the pub where it was still busy with the beer festival. I made the mistake of choosing a pint of raspberry cider which was sickly sweet. Sophie followed my lead and was as disappointed with it as I was. Keith had one of the stronger beers but it was flat, which he hates. I think the beers and ciders had had their day so we swapped to wine for our second drink and Keith had a pint of lager.
There was a nice atmosphere in the garden, though, and we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine and having a chat. I have vowed to make the most of this gorgeous weather before it changes!
After a very lazy start we popped over to Tesco and called in to see Mum and Dad on the way. My Dad has a new phone so Sophie helped him set up all the contact numbers. Let's hope he gets on better with this one!
Tesco was very busy so we sped around and got out of there as quickly as we could! It's not my favourite way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday! Back home we had some lunch and then I suggested to Sophie that we go out as I really didn't want to waste the lovely day. We headed to the garden centre at Hardingstone as I had got it into my head that I would like to buy a palm tree, to remind me of Florida.
Naturally, the garden centre didn't have any, but they did have a banana tree exactly like the one we had in the front garden in Naples. I don't think it was for sale, though! From there we went to Homesense and I bought various bits and bobs, including a lovely scented candle. Sophie treated me to a peach and green tea lemonade in Starbucks, but we both agreed that we preferred the drinks at the US cafe.
Today has been warm and sunny again with the temperature around 85f. We returned home and I suggested to Keith that we go out for a drink before dinner. Mike was off with his mates again so just the three of us walked up to the pub where it was still busy with the beer festival. I made the mistake of choosing a pint of raspberry cider which was sickly sweet. Sophie followed my lead and was as disappointed with it as I was. Keith had one of the stronger beers but it was flat, which he hates. I think the beers and ciders had had their day so we swapped to wine for our second drink and Keith had a pint of lager.
There was a nice atmosphere in the garden, though, and we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine and having a chat. I have vowed to make the most of this gorgeous weather before it changes!
Sunday, 27 August 2017
Quiet Sunday
We've had a very quiet day today with long lie-ins for Keith and Sophie who seem to be trying to catch up on some sleep!
Mike called me at about 9.30am to go and pick him up and Keith blearily came with me so he could buy a newspaper. As soon as we got back home I tackled the back garden and mowed the lawn - the grass was very long so I can only assume we had a fair bit of rain while we were away.
We took Mike to work at midday and he looked very tired indeed. He'd stayed up all night to watch the big boxing match so he hadn't had a lot of sleep! Back home I worked on the front garden while Sophie kept me company and then we popped to the Co-op in Broughton to buy some beer and cold drinks. I ate lunch in the garden with Sophie and Monty but by mid-afternoon it was really quite warm so we moved indoors! No pool to cool off here!
Collecting Mike from work was a bit of a trial as when we arrived at 6pm the cafe was all locked up. We tried to get in touch with him, but as usual, his phone went straight to voice-mail. However, he hadn't wandered off as we had thought but was still at work! The beautiful weather we've had today meant they were very busy so he was still clearing up.
We returned home where I had a welcome drink and watched a programme about buying houses on the beach in the US...how I wish I was able to buy one as well!
Mike called me at about 9.30am to go and pick him up and Keith blearily came with me so he could buy a newspaper. As soon as we got back home I tackled the back garden and mowed the lawn - the grass was very long so I can only assume we had a fair bit of rain while we were away.
We took Mike to work at midday and he looked very tired indeed. He'd stayed up all night to watch the big boxing match so he hadn't had a lot of sleep! Back home I worked on the front garden while Sophie kept me company and then we popped to the Co-op in Broughton to buy some beer and cold drinks. I ate lunch in the garden with Sophie and Monty but by mid-afternoon it was really quite warm so we moved indoors! No pool to cool off here!
Collecting Mike from work was a bit of a trial as when we arrived at 6pm the cafe was all locked up. We tried to get in touch with him, but as usual, his phone went straight to voice-mail. However, he hadn't wandered off as we had thought but was still at work! The beautiful weather we've had today meant they were very busy so he was still clearing up.
We returned home where I had a welcome drink and watched a programme about buying houses on the beach in the US...how I wish I was able to buy one as well!
Saturday, 26 August 2017
Sunny skies!
Sophie went back to work this morning and after dropping her off I called into Waitrose to buy some biscuits for the boys at the wine shop. I'd promised I would go and see them after the holiday and see how the store had changed as they'd had new shelving fitted in the middle of August.
I struck up a very friendly conversation with a man in Waitrose (he was a bit dishy!) and bought a box of Fox's chocolate biscuits. Keith stayed in the car while I went in for a chat but Jonathan was out doing deliveries so I said I would go back next week for a good natter!
The weather this morning was a bit disappointing but it cleared up and the sun came out in the afternoon. I washed my dusty car and at 3pm Keith and I walked up to the Beer Festival in the village with Richard and Michelle and Sue and Paul.
It had turned out to be a glorious day and we found a table in the pub garden with an umbrella. Last year we'd had a huge storm in the afternoon and it was lucky we were inside the marquee! I started with a raspberry cider while Keith found a strong beer to enjoy!
It was lovely to sit in the sun with a drink, but the wasps were a bit annoying! They had obviously been attracted by all the different drinks on the table, a lot of them containing fruit. Mike walked up to join us but we had to leave at about 5pm as we needed to collect Sophie from work. I didn't mind, though, as the music had started up, making conversation impossible!
We walked home and discovered that Mike had emptied his suitcase and thrown all his clothes at the bottom of the stairs to be washed...I suppose it was a lot easier than putting them away in his wardrobe! I wasn't very happy about it, but over the course of the evening I managed to get most of it done on our "refresh" wash. Boys!!
He wasn't even about to help as he was off out to a party so we picked Sophie up from work and I dropped him off near college. When Sophie and I returned home we found Keith asleep on the sofa...that beer must have been very strong!
I struck up a very friendly conversation with a man in Waitrose (he was a bit dishy!) and bought a box of Fox's chocolate biscuits. Keith stayed in the car while I went in for a chat but Jonathan was out doing deliveries so I said I would go back next week for a good natter!
The weather this morning was a bit disappointing but it cleared up and the sun came out in the afternoon. I washed my dusty car and at 3pm Keith and I walked up to the Beer Festival in the village with Richard and Michelle and Sue and Paul.
It had turned out to be a glorious day and we found a table in the pub garden with an umbrella. Last year we'd had a huge storm in the afternoon and it was lucky we were inside the marquee! I started with a raspberry cider while Keith found a strong beer to enjoy!
It was lovely to sit in the sun with a drink, but the wasps were a bit annoying! They had obviously been attracted by all the different drinks on the table, a lot of them containing fruit. Mike walked up to join us but we had to leave at about 5pm as we needed to collect Sophie from work. I didn't mind, though, as the music had started up, making conversation impossible!
We walked home and discovered that Mike had emptied his suitcase and thrown all his clothes at the bottom of the stairs to be washed...I suppose it was a lot easier than putting them away in his wardrobe! I wasn't very happy about it, but over the course of the evening I managed to get most of it done on our "refresh" wash. Boys!!
He wasn't even about to help as he was off out to a party so we picked Sophie up from work and I dropped him off near college. When Sophie and I returned home we found Keith asleep on the sofa...that beer must have been very strong!
Friday, 25 August 2017
Saying thank you!
We all had to be up fairly early this morning as Mike had to enrol at college. We dropped him off and then went to do our shopping, but before going to Tesco I popped home as the vision in my right eye was blurry...
When I took my contact lens out I discovered why...last night I thought I'd taken both lenses out and discarded them as I'd had them in while we were on holiday. However, I obviously hadn't taken out my right lens and had put new one in on the top! What a twit! I had been a little worried about why I couldn't see properly but at least the reason was a good one!
We traipsed off to Aldi and Tesco and it was hard work, with lots of people wandering about aimlessly. The supermarkets were so quieter back in the US. I'm beginning to have the holiday blues!
Mum and Dad popped around in the afternoon for a cup of tea and were delighted with their presents. Sue also came to see us very briefly so we could thank her for looking after Monty while we were away.
Luckily, the weather has been fine, dry and sunny today so that has helped. I dread to think how we would have felt if, after three weeks of sunshine and blue skies, we came back to rain and cloud!
Keith went to the pub in the evening and Sophie and I picked Mike up from Moulton where he'd been seeing friends. I think he missed his mates while we were away so he is now intent on catching up with them! I have no doubt that I'll be ferrying him about everywhere during the next week or so! He joined Keith at the pub for some long overdue male bonding!
Sophie and I went to see Richard and Michelle when we got home and gave them their bottle of Champagne for looking after the cat. They said they'd really enjoyed feeding him, and more importantly, giving him lots of cuddles!
When I took my contact lens out I discovered why...last night I thought I'd taken both lenses out and discarded them as I'd had them in while we were on holiday. However, I obviously hadn't taken out my right lens and had put new one in on the top! What a twit! I had been a little worried about why I couldn't see properly but at least the reason was a good one!
We traipsed off to Aldi and Tesco and it was hard work, with lots of people wandering about aimlessly. The supermarkets were so quieter back in the US. I'm beginning to have the holiday blues!
Mum and Dad popped around in the afternoon for a cup of tea and were delighted with their presents. Sue also came to see us very briefly so we could thank her for looking after Monty while we were away.
Luckily, the weather has been fine, dry and sunny today so that has helped. I dread to think how we would have felt if, after three weeks of sunshine and blue skies, we came back to rain and cloud!
Keith went to the pub in the evening and Sophie and I picked Mike up from Moulton where he'd been seeing friends. I think he missed his mates while we were away so he is now intent on catching up with them! I have no doubt that I'll be ferrying him about everywhere during the next week or so! He joined Keith at the pub for some long overdue male bonding!
Sophie and I went to see Richard and Michelle when we got home and gave them their bottle of Champagne for looking after the cat. They said they'd really enjoyed feeding him, and more importantly, giving him lots of cuddles!
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Back to reality!
Amazingly, we had a very good flight home, helped no doubt, by the extra seats we had on each row. Keith sat with Mike and I sat with Sophie and I slept more than I have on any other flight. This was good news as I faced driving home from Gatwick, not a great journey at the best of times!
We arrived back in London at around 10am and finally managed to order a taxi to take us to where the car was parked. Everything was fine, which was a relief, and by 11am we were on the road home.
It was a long, slow journey and we crawled along for most of the way. The children slept in the back and Keith nodded off a couple of times and it was great to finally get home. The house always feels strange when we return from a holiday and today was no exception! Monty was very pleased to see us!
After we'd unloaded the car and waded through all the post, we unpacked and sorted everything out. I managed to keep awake all afternoon and in the evening Keith and I went to order a takeaway from the Chinese van in the village before having a drink at the pub.
I feel as if I've slotted back into UK life very easily and wonder if the sleep on the flight helped as it felt like we'd had a proper "night". It was also much better to arrive later in the morning as previously we've arrived back at Gatwick at about 7am which has been horrible!
We enjoyed our takeaway and Sophie and I caught up with some of the many programmes that had recorded while we were away. By 9pm, though, I was seriously tired, but after a five minute power nap I lasted out until 10pm! A record!
We arrived back in London at around 10am and finally managed to order a taxi to take us to where the car was parked. Everything was fine, which was a relief, and by 11am we were on the road home.
It was a long, slow journey and we crawled along for most of the way. The children slept in the back and Keith nodded off a couple of times and it was great to finally get home. The house always feels strange when we return from a holiday and today was no exception! Monty was very pleased to see us!
After we'd unloaded the car and waded through all the post, we unpacked and sorted everything out. I managed to keep awake all afternoon and in the evening Keith and I went to order a takeaway from the Chinese van in the village before having a drink at the pub.
I feel as if I've slotted back into UK life very easily and wonder if the sleep on the flight helped as it felt like we'd had a proper "night". It was also much better to arrive later in the morning as previously we've arrived back at Gatwick at about 7am which has been horrible!
We enjoyed our takeaway and Sophie and I caught up with some of the many programmes that had recorded while we were away. By 9pm, though, I was seriously tired, but after a five minute power nap I lasted out until 10pm! A record!
Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Homeward bound!
We were all up early and ready to go by 9.30am, which was a bonus! I was glad I'd forced myself to pack yesterday afternoon rather than wait until this morning!
We sadly left our beautiful villa and after a brief stop to make sure I'd packed my car keys (!) we were on the road...the I75 to be exact! We followed this until we reached the turn-off for Port Charlotte and then took the 17, a road that wound its way through some very rural countryside and that was a world away from the Florida of Naples and the Gulf Coast.
It was mainly farmland with lots of grazing cattle and small houses dotted about. As we approached the town of Arcadia, there were a lot of roadworks going on so presumably a fair amount of traffic uses this road.
At Zolfo Springs we turned onto the 64, a two lane highway that again, wound its way through tranquil farmland dotted with occasional houses and farms. We had travelled on this road before, once when we returned from Anna Maria Island, and again when we left Bradenton, three years ago. The weather had improved and the sun was out in full force. In the car, with the air-conditioning, it was hard to imagine the heat outside!
We followed the 64 all the way to Avon Park and then turned onto the 27, the road that passes by Highlands Reserve where we stayed for our first week. We had looked out for somewhere to eat all morning but had hardly seen anything so we decided to once again stop at the Bahama Breeze restaurant on the 192.
It was very quiet and we had a great meal with lovely, friendly service from a girl who hailed from Pennsylvania. She was bubbly and chatty and we talked about the heat and her trip to London the year before. We started with three chicken Empanadas (one of us missed out!) followed by coconut shrimp for me, a burger for Mike, ribs for Keith and Jerk Chicken Pasta for Sophie who wanted to compare the dish with mine! She said mine was better and far hotter!
After we'd eaten we visited Target and Sophie bought herself a bag and a purse. It was a bit sad seeing other tourists shopping for their villas...a while ago that was us! Keith changed his clothes in the car park - how he never got arrested I don't know, as as one point he was minus any clothes on his bottom half! Mike opened both doors to give him some privacy but it was still a daring thing to do! I'm not sure what sort of prison sentence he'd get for "lewd conduct"!
The drive to the airport was straightforward but I did notice that the driving was far more frantic than it had been in Naples. We dropped off our lovely Toyota Camry and I was nearly in tears when we walked away. She had been a big part of our holiday and never once let us down. I'd really enjoyed driving her for the last three weeks.
We were able to check in for our flight straight away which was great. The lovely check-in woman called Samantha allocated us our seats on different rows and we discovered later that we had the two rows to ourselves, which was a huge bonus and made our flight home just that little bit more comfortable. She also selected us for the fast track security which was brilliant and we were through in mere minutes...looking over at the long queues for the normal security channels, we felt very lucky.
As we had some dollars left over we treated ourselves to a visit to the Club Lounge and I think we got our money's worth! We enjoyed free alcoholic and soft drinks, snacks and newspapers. There were also two showers you could use but as the lounge was quite busy initially, we never got the chance to use them. There were lots of comfortable seats overlooking the airport, an area for eating and a lovely bar. It was heaven to be in there for the three hours before our flight left!
We sadly left our beautiful villa and after a brief stop to make sure I'd packed my car keys (!) we were on the road...the I75 to be exact! We followed this until we reached the turn-off for Port Charlotte and then took the 17, a road that wound its way through some very rural countryside and that was a world away from the Florida of Naples and the Gulf Coast.
It was mainly farmland with lots of grazing cattle and small houses dotted about. As we approached the town of Arcadia, there were a lot of roadworks going on so presumably a fair amount of traffic uses this road.
At Zolfo Springs we turned onto the 64, a two lane highway that again, wound its way through tranquil farmland dotted with occasional houses and farms. We had travelled on this road before, once when we returned from Anna Maria Island, and again when we left Bradenton, three years ago. The weather had improved and the sun was out in full force. In the car, with the air-conditioning, it was hard to imagine the heat outside!
We followed the 64 all the way to Avon Park and then turned onto the 27, the road that passes by Highlands Reserve where we stayed for our first week. We had looked out for somewhere to eat all morning but had hardly seen anything so we decided to once again stop at the Bahama Breeze restaurant on the 192.
It was very quiet and we had a great meal with lovely, friendly service from a girl who hailed from Pennsylvania. She was bubbly and chatty and we talked about the heat and her trip to London the year before. We started with three chicken Empanadas (one of us missed out!) followed by coconut shrimp for me, a burger for Mike, ribs for Keith and Jerk Chicken Pasta for Sophie who wanted to compare the dish with mine! She said mine was better and far hotter!
After we'd eaten we visited Target and Sophie bought herself a bag and a purse. It was a bit sad seeing other tourists shopping for their villas...a while ago that was us! Keith changed his clothes in the car park - how he never got arrested I don't know, as as one point he was minus any clothes on his bottom half! Mike opened both doors to give him some privacy but it was still a daring thing to do! I'm not sure what sort of prison sentence he'd get for "lewd conduct"!
The drive to the airport was straightforward but I did notice that the driving was far more frantic than it had been in Naples. We dropped off our lovely Toyota Camry and I was nearly in tears when we walked away. She had been a big part of our holiday and never once let us down. I'd really enjoyed driving her for the last three weeks.
We were able to check in for our flight straight away which was great. The lovely check-in woman called Samantha allocated us our seats on different rows and we discovered later that we had the two rows to ourselves, which was a huge bonus and made our flight home just that little bit more comfortable. She also selected us for the fast track security which was brilliant and we were through in mere minutes...looking over at the long queues for the normal security channels, we felt very lucky.
As we had some dollars left over we treated ourselves to a visit to the Club Lounge and I think we got our money's worth! We enjoyed free alcoholic and soft drinks, snacks and newspapers. There were also two showers you could use but as the lounge was quite busy initially, we never got the chance to use them. There were lots of comfortable seats overlooking the airport, an area for eating and a lovely bar. It was heaven to be in there for the three hours before our flight left!
Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Our last full day...
This morning we went out to Walmart as Mike wanted to get some American "candy" for his friends back home. The supermarket wasn't one of the huge Walmarts we've been in before, but he was able to get everything he wanted. From there we drove across the road to Target and Sophie went to Ulta again to have a look at the make-up.
We mooched about in Target and bought a pizza for lunch. We also had a look at the suitcases because if they had been reasonably priced, we would have bought a new one to take home. However, they were very expensive ($99 for a small case) so we quickly abandoned that idea!
Sophie wanted to go to the Tacos and Tequila clothing store but they didn't open until 11am so we drove over to the shopping complex and had a coffee in Starbucks. Keith sat outside and the man at the next table told him a storm was on its way. As we have a storm most days, this wasn't really hot news! There is still some activity out in the Atlantic which may affect Florida later in the week but we will be long gone by then!
After our coffees, we went to the store and were greeted by Pablo, a gorgeous Bulldog who took quite a liking to my feet! He was lovely and I could easily have taken him home with me! Sophie bought a tee-shirt and we left to go back to the villa to make the most of our remaining day.
By 4pm, the cloud cover had built up substantially so we called it a day and reluctantly left the pool. I started packing and was all done within half an hour. We will all miss this lovely villa - it needs a bit of TLC as the paintwork could do with a freshen up and the bathrooms are a bit old-fashioned - but the space and comfort have been wonderful and the views from the pool are stunning. Briarwood itself has been lovely and as it's a gated community, the security here is very good.
In the evening we decided to head to 5th Avenue and peruse the menus of all the different restaurants before choosing the one we wanted to go to. It was hot, humid evening and as we walked we felt a few drops of rain fall. Some of the restaurants were very expensive indeed with main courses between $30 and $60! We wanted a special restaurant for our last evening but we didn't want to feel ripped off!
We walked back towards where we'd parked the car as we were ready to go to 3rd Street and maybe try the Italian restaurant again. Stopping outside the weirdly named Vergina, we had a look at their menu, closely watched by the front of house man who kept trying to tempt us in. By now, the sweat was pouring off me and the thought of a cool restaurant was too good to ignore so we all trooped in and sat by the window. Outside, a collapsed black umbrella looked like Darth Vadar!
Our server was extremely friendly and efficient but we felt the service this evening was a little too attentive. We skipped starters and I ordered the Chicken Picatta, Sophie ordered the Veal Scallopini, Keith had Chicken Milanese while Mike went for a pizza. We also ordered two glasses of wine, a bottle of sparkling water, beers for Keith and lemonade for Mike.
It took ages for our meals to arrive and when they did, mine and Sophie's were lukewarm. We both could have done with some vegetables - she had one asparagus spear - while my mashed potato was, I'm sure, out of a packet. I have to say I was disappointed. Although the food was tasty and well-presented, I felt we definitely didn't get value for money. Three of us ordered dessert: Tiramisu for Sophie and I, and Mike had a molten chocolate cake served with ice-cream. I have had better!
The biggest shock, though, was the bill, a record for us this holiday at $223. The restaurant had included a 20% gratuity and we had been charged $15 for each glass of wine, rather than the $9 we thought. Needless to say, it left a bitter taste in my mouth as I felt we'd been ripped off. The service had been very good, but at times I felt like they kept wanting to make us order more, such as another bottle of water (at $8 I don't think so!) and every time someone walked past our table they took something or fiddled with the plates. We weren't left to enjoy our meal in peace. Last night, we hadn't been given good service, and tonight it was too much! There is a fine line to getting it right!
We should really have said something, especially about the tip, which I always thought was up to us to decide, but we paid, almost to the cent, and left. Back at the villa we sat outside, our feet in the pool and relaxed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day!
We mooched about in Target and bought a pizza for lunch. We also had a look at the suitcases because if they had been reasonably priced, we would have bought a new one to take home. However, they were very expensive ($99 for a small case) so we quickly abandoned that idea!
Sophie wanted to go to the Tacos and Tequila clothing store but they didn't open until 11am so we drove over to the shopping complex and had a coffee in Starbucks. Keith sat outside and the man at the next table told him a storm was on its way. As we have a storm most days, this wasn't really hot news! There is still some activity out in the Atlantic which may affect Florida later in the week but we will be long gone by then!
After our coffees, we went to the store and were greeted by Pablo, a gorgeous Bulldog who took quite a liking to my feet! He was lovely and I could easily have taken him home with me! Sophie bought a tee-shirt and we left to go back to the villa to make the most of our remaining day.
By 4pm, the cloud cover had built up substantially so we called it a day and reluctantly left the pool. I started packing and was all done within half an hour. We will all miss this lovely villa - it needs a bit of TLC as the paintwork could do with a freshen up and the bathrooms are a bit old-fashioned - but the space and comfort have been wonderful and the views from the pool are stunning. Briarwood itself has been lovely and as it's a gated community, the security here is very good.
In the evening we decided to head to 5th Avenue and peruse the menus of all the different restaurants before choosing the one we wanted to go to. It was hot, humid evening and as we walked we felt a few drops of rain fall. Some of the restaurants were very expensive indeed with main courses between $30 and $60! We wanted a special restaurant for our last evening but we didn't want to feel ripped off!
 |
| Vergina restaurant |
We walked back towards where we'd parked the car as we were ready to go to 3rd Street and maybe try the Italian restaurant again. Stopping outside the weirdly named Vergina, we had a look at their menu, closely watched by the front of house man who kept trying to tempt us in. By now, the sweat was pouring off me and the thought of a cool restaurant was too good to ignore so we all trooped in and sat by the window. Outside, a collapsed black umbrella looked like Darth Vadar!
Our server was extremely friendly and efficient but we felt the service this evening was a little too attentive. We skipped starters and I ordered the Chicken Picatta, Sophie ordered the Veal Scallopini, Keith had Chicken Milanese while Mike went for a pizza. We also ordered two glasses of wine, a bottle of sparkling water, beers for Keith and lemonade for Mike.
It took ages for our meals to arrive and when they did, mine and Sophie's were lukewarm. We both could have done with some vegetables - she had one asparagus spear - while my mashed potato was, I'm sure, out of a packet. I have to say I was disappointed. Although the food was tasty and well-presented, I felt we definitely didn't get value for money. Three of us ordered dessert: Tiramisu for Sophie and I, and Mike had a molten chocolate cake served with ice-cream. I have had better!
The biggest shock, though, was the bill, a record for us this holiday at $223. The restaurant had included a 20% gratuity and we had been charged $15 for each glass of wine, rather than the $9 we thought. Needless to say, it left a bitter taste in my mouth as I felt we'd been ripped off. The service had been very good, but at times I felt like they kept wanting to make us order more, such as another bottle of water (at $8 I don't think so!) and every time someone walked past our table they took something or fiddled with the plates. We weren't left to enjoy our meal in peace. Last night, we hadn't been given good service, and tonight it was too much! There is a fine line to getting it right!
We should really have said something, especially about the tip, which I always thought was up to us to decide, but we paid, almost to the cent, and left. Back at the villa we sat outside, our feet in the pool and relaxed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day!
Monday, 21 August 2017
Captivated by Captiva...
This morning we set off at about 10am to drive up the coast to the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. We took the Tamiami Trail until we reached the coast road that took us through the beautiful Bonita Beach and then onwards to Fort Myers.
I loved Bonita beach - the wide main street was lined with palms and other tropical vegetation and the houses were beautiful. There was also lots of places where you could park and access the Gulf as well, which was great. We were able to catch glimpses of white sand and the blue waters of the sea.
From Bonita Beach we turned inland slightly and skirted Fort Myers before travelling over a long bridge and paying a toll of $6. It reminded me very much of going over to Anna Maria Island. Once on the island I turned right and headed for Captiva. We saw a sign for a beach and drove down a long road but at the end there was no beach at all, just the sea! I could have driven into it!
We turned around and went back onto the main road and drove for quite a few miles without really seeing anything, just tall trees and bushes on either side of the road. Every now and again we saw houses and resorts but they were all private. Just as we were all beginning to get a bit fed up, we saw a sign for Bowman's Beach and turned off the road. The surface of the car park was dazzling as it was made from sand and the heat was intense. We managed to work out what to do with the parking meter and fed $4 into it for an hour.
We'd bought towels and a change of clothes with us, but we just headed for the beach which was a fair walk. We passed over a wide river called Clam Bayou...
The beach was quite busy with people enjoying the sea and sun. We could see shells everywhere and there was a wide line of them as you entered the sea. Keith, Sophie and I went for a paddle.
The water was really warm and clear and it was a beautiful setting. If we'd been able to bring umbrellas and chairs with us I would have stayed all day!
I collected some shells and we paddled about in the sea for a bit, getting wet in the process! All of us decided it was time for lunch so we got back into the car and carried on further up the road, eventually driving over a short bridge onto Captiva Island. The beach by the bridge looked gorgeous and people were enjoying the sea by either sunbathing, swimming or messing about in boats.
I fell in love with Captiva - it was all I imagined a Caribbean island to be. The one main street was lined with the most beautiful houses painted in gorgeous pastel shades and surrounded by tropical vegetation. Some of the houses were stunning and a lot faced the Gulf. Others were hidden off the road shaded by tall palm trees. I could easily have stayed all day just gazing at the views.
Our main aim now, though, was to find a lunchtime cafe or bar where we could have a bite to eat. We drove into the car park of a restaurant right on the bay but it looked a little posh for us! We drove back out again and made it to the very end of the island where the road stopped. Although there were several places to eat, none of them looked right so we turned around and headed back to the waterfront restaurant called The Green Flash, so called because of the spectacle that sometimes occurs at sunset.
We parked the car (one space was right at the water's edge!) and had a look at the reasonable lunchtime menu. We were taken to a table overlooking the beautiful view.
Keith and Sophie had beers, Mike had an iced tea and I quenched my thirst with a lemonade. For lunch we enjoyed fried shrimp (Mike and Sophie) a chicken Caesar salad (Keith) and fried strips of clams (me). All the way through the meal we saw pelicans flying back and forth and they reminded me of pre-historic birds.
The food was lovely, the views out of this world and we loved this restaurant, feeling very happy we'd eventually chosen it for lunch. We couldn't resist desserts so Sophie and I had ice-cream while Mike tucked into a "suicide" chocolate cake!
The last thing we did before leaving was use the facilities and Sophie came back laughing as there was a male mannequin in the ladies' toilet, facing the wall and looking like he was having a wee! I went in there afterwards and joked with a woman who had almost run back out again after seeing it!
Apparently, the men's toilets have a two way mirror so you can see people dining at nearby tables, but they obviously can't see you! Someone has a sense of humour!
We paid the bill ($100 with a tip) and reluctantly left with Keith and the children anxious to get back to the villa to sunbathe and swim. As we left the island we wondered about the solar eclipse taking place. We were too far south to have a total eclipse, but as we drove back to the mainland the sky did become a little darker, like a cloud had passed over the sun.
Back at the villa we managed a couple of hours of sunbathing and swimming before we went out in the evening. Before we left the villa I took some photos of our lovely surroundings.
Our restaurant choice for this evening was The Cheesecake Factory, somewhere I've always wanted to go, mainly because I love the creamy dessert! The restaurant is on a shopping complex on the Tamiami Trail and was quite busy when we arrived, with people eating outside. We preferred an indoor table as it was still very hot and I was impressed with the decor which looked a bit Egyptian. Why that has anything to do with cheesecake I'll never know, especially as the founders of the restaurant came from Detroit!
As we'd had a largish lunch, we skipped starters and I ordered the Spicy Cashew Chicken while Sophie chose a similar meal, the Orange chicken. The menu was huge and there were so many choices! Mike went for a burger while Keith had steak and our server for the evening was Dawn, who looked quite stressed and busy!
My meal was huge and could easily have fed two people! The chicken came on a bed of rice and was delicious but I just ate half of it, the other half going into a takeaway box for my lunch tomorrow! The others gamely ate all their food and enjoyed the dishes, but the service this evening was very slow and it took ages for Keith to catch Dawn's eye to ask for another beer.
I had left room for dessert and I chose the strawberry cheesecake while Keith and Sophie shared one with cherries. By the end of the meal we were all stuffed and it was heaven to get back to the villa, have a glass of wine and sit by the pool for half an hour!
I loved Bonita beach - the wide main street was lined with palms and other tropical vegetation and the houses were beautiful. There was also lots of places where you could park and access the Gulf as well, which was great. We were able to catch glimpses of white sand and the blue waters of the sea.
From Bonita Beach we turned inland slightly and skirted Fort Myers before travelling over a long bridge and paying a toll of $6. It reminded me very much of going over to Anna Maria Island. Once on the island I turned right and headed for Captiva. We saw a sign for a beach and drove down a long road but at the end there was no beach at all, just the sea! I could have driven into it!
We turned around and went back onto the main road and drove for quite a few miles without really seeing anything, just tall trees and bushes on either side of the road. Every now and again we saw houses and resorts but they were all private. Just as we were all beginning to get a bit fed up, we saw a sign for Bowman's Beach and turned off the road. The surface of the car park was dazzling as it was made from sand and the heat was intense. We managed to work out what to do with the parking meter and fed $4 into it for an hour.
We'd bought towels and a change of clothes with us, but we just headed for the beach which was a fair walk. We passed over a wide river called Clam Bayou...
The beach was quite busy with people enjoying the sea and sun. We could see shells everywhere and there was a wide line of them as you entered the sea. Keith, Sophie and I went for a paddle.
The water was really warm and clear and it was a beautiful setting. If we'd been able to bring umbrellas and chairs with us I would have stayed all day!
I collected some shells and we paddled about in the sea for a bit, getting wet in the process! All of us decided it was time for lunch so we got back into the car and carried on further up the road, eventually driving over a short bridge onto Captiva Island. The beach by the bridge looked gorgeous and people were enjoying the sea by either sunbathing, swimming or messing about in boats.
I fell in love with Captiva - it was all I imagined a Caribbean island to be. The one main street was lined with the most beautiful houses painted in gorgeous pastel shades and surrounded by tropical vegetation. Some of the houses were stunning and a lot faced the Gulf. Others were hidden off the road shaded by tall palm trees. I could easily have stayed all day just gazing at the views.
Our main aim now, though, was to find a lunchtime cafe or bar where we could have a bite to eat. We drove into the car park of a restaurant right on the bay but it looked a little posh for us! We drove back out again and made it to the very end of the island where the road stopped. Although there were several places to eat, none of them looked right so we turned around and headed back to the waterfront restaurant called The Green Flash, so called because of the spectacle that sometimes occurs at sunset.
We parked the car (one space was right at the water's edge!) and had a look at the reasonable lunchtime menu. We were taken to a table overlooking the beautiful view.
Keith and Sophie had beers, Mike had an iced tea and I quenched my thirst with a lemonade. For lunch we enjoyed fried shrimp (Mike and Sophie) a chicken Caesar salad (Keith) and fried strips of clams (me). All the way through the meal we saw pelicans flying back and forth and they reminded me of pre-historic birds.
The food was lovely, the views out of this world and we loved this restaurant, feeling very happy we'd eventually chosen it for lunch. We couldn't resist desserts so Sophie and I had ice-cream while Mike tucked into a "suicide" chocolate cake!
The last thing we did before leaving was use the facilities and Sophie came back laughing as there was a male mannequin in the ladies' toilet, facing the wall and looking like he was having a wee! I went in there afterwards and joked with a woman who had almost run back out again after seeing it!
Apparently, the men's toilets have a two way mirror so you can see people dining at nearby tables, but they obviously can't see you! Someone has a sense of humour!
We paid the bill ($100 with a tip) and reluctantly left with Keith and the children anxious to get back to the villa to sunbathe and swim. As we left the island we wondered about the solar eclipse taking place. We were too far south to have a total eclipse, but as we drove back to the mainland the sky did become a little darker, like a cloud had passed over the sun.
Back at the villa we managed a couple of hours of sunbathing and swimming before we went out in the evening. Before we left the villa I took some photos of our lovely surroundings.
 |
| Terrazzo Lane |
Our restaurant choice for this evening was The Cheesecake Factory, somewhere I've always wanted to go, mainly because I love the creamy dessert! The restaurant is on a shopping complex on the Tamiami Trail and was quite busy when we arrived, with people eating outside. We preferred an indoor table as it was still very hot and I was impressed with the decor which looked a bit Egyptian. Why that has anything to do with cheesecake I'll never know, especially as the founders of the restaurant came from Detroit!
As we'd had a largish lunch, we skipped starters and I ordered the Spicy Cashew Chicken while Sophie chose a similar meal, the Orange chicken. The menu was huge and there were so many choices! Mike went for a burger while Keith had steak and our server for the evening was Dawn, who looked quite stressed and busy!
My meal was huge and could easily have fed two people! The chicken came on a bed of rice and was delicious but I just ate half of it, the other half going into a takeaway box for my lunch tomorrow! The others gamely ate all their food and enjoyed the dishes, but the service this evening was very slow and it took ages for Keith to catch Dawn's eye to ask for another beer.
I had left room for dessert and I chose the strawberry cheesecake while Keith and Sophie shared one with cherries. By the end of the meal we were all stuffed and it was heaven to get back to the villa, have a glass of wine and sit by the pool for half an hour!
Sunday, 20 August 2017
A lazy Sunday.
Uncharacteristically, we awoke this morning to thick cloud, which was a bit of a shock! We just take it for granted that we're going to wake up to cloudless blue skies and sunshine!
We spent the day by the pool and luckily the sun came out in the afternoon so we were able to top up our tans. We then had cloudy skies again towards the evening and when we left the villa to go out for dinner, it had started to rain. Before leaving Briarwood we had a drive around the estate and looked at the other houses, which are all virtually the same. However, they are all lovely, with palm trees lining the streets and the gardens and communal areas are immaculate.
Sophie wanted to go to a restaurant we'd found called Tacos & Tequila and it's on the same complex of shops as our local Publix. The place was pleasantly busy when we arrived, which is always a good sign!
Our server placed a bowl of nachos with salsa on our table as we looked at the menu and Sophie enjoyed not one, but two Margaritas, as it's Happy Hour all day on Sunday! She said they were excellent! We started our meal with more nachos, this time smothered with beef and cheese. They were very good and far better than any I've had at home.
For our main courses, Sophie chose chicken enchiladas, Mike had two tacos, Keith had chicken fajitas while I went for a beefburger as I was a bit fed up with chicken! The food was lovely but there was too much of it on my plate and we saw a lot of people leaving with boxes. Sophie's meal, however, didn't seem that huge so she ordered a dessert of churros served with chocolate and cream. When they arrived she realised they were coated with the evil spice, cinnamon, so I had to help her eat them!
Whilst we were eating the sky had darkened and we could hear thunder rumbling away in the distance. Next door to the restaurant is a shop where they sell their own tee-shirts and it looked very interesting. No doubt we will be back to purchase some of their lovely clothes before the holiday is over!
We spent the day by the pool and luckily the sun came out in the afternoon so we were able to top up our tans. We then had cloudy skies again towards the evening and when we left the villa to go out for dinner, it had started to rain. Before leaving Briarwood we had a drive around the estate and looked at the other houses, which are all virtually the same. However, they are all lovely, with palm trees lining the streets and the gardens and communal areas are immaculate.
Sophie wanted to go to a restaurant we'd found called Tacos & Tequila and it's on the same complex of shops as our local Publix. The place was pleasantly busy when we arrived, which is always a good sign!
Our server placed a bowl of nachos with salsa on our table as we looked at the menu and Sophie enjoyed not one, but two Margaritas, as it's Happy Hour all day on Sunday! She said they were excellent! We started our meal with more nachos, this time smothered with beef and cheese. They were very good and far better than any I've had at home.
For our main courses, Sophie chose chicken enchiladas, Mike had two tacos, Keith had chicken fajitas while I went for a beefburger as I was a bit fed up with chicken! The food was lovely but there was too much of it on my plate and we saw a lot of people leaving with boxes. Sophie's meal, however, didn't seem that huge so she ordered a dessert of churros served with chocolate and cream. When they arrived she realised they were coated with the evil spice, cinnamon, so I had to help her eat them!
Whilst we were eating the sky had darkened and we could hear thunder rumbling away in the distance. Next door to the restaurant is a shop where they sell their own tee-shirts and it looked very interesting. No doubt we will be back to purchase some of their lovely clothes before the holiday is over!
Saturday, 19 August 2017
The collapsing banana...
At home in England we feed our birds on a daily basis and sometimes we put out scraps of bread for them. Here, in Florida, we also put out scraps of bread, but this time it's for the turtles and the fish! Keith and I spent a great half hour feeding two turtles and a shoal of fish who gobbled up the bread, watched by a long legged wading bird, who no doubt had designs on the fish himself!
It was a beautiful morning, with not a single cloud in the sky.
We spent the day around the pool relaxing, acutely aware that the time is flying by and we only have four days left here in this paradise.
Lunch was leftover pizza, and there was a lot of it! Needless to say the crusts that weren't eaten were shared with the turtles and the fish!
We'd decided to go out at 4pm and visit Tin City in Naples, a riverfront area of shops and restaurants as we were looking for somewhere new to eat in the evening.
Getting into the car which had been standing in the sun all day was torture! I dread to think what the temperature was inside! We drove into Naples along a different road, the Golden Gate Parkway, and came across a crime scene with several police cars and even a Fox News reporter! We later found out that a man had been discovered dead in a pick-up truck on the road so that was very intriguing.
After we turned onto the 41 from the Golden Gate Parkway, we saw a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, somewhere I've always wanted to eat, being a huge fan of cheesecake! It's always a good idea to explore new roads as you never know what you're going to find and we were a bit tired of constantly travelling on Airport-Pulling Road!
We parked some distance from Tin City and walked over to the waterfront complex. It reminded me a bit of Weedon, a small collection of shops we go to at home, but on steroids! There was a cafe called M&M's where Mike and Sophie had an ice-cream and lots of places selling touristy tat, including shells, soaps and clothes. We went into one tee-shirt shop as Sophie wanted a Naples top and we had a great chat with the owner who told us how busy the town can be between Christmas and Easter. Apparently, there's a 30 day wait for a restaurant table!
We checked out both restaurants in Tin City - Riverwalk and Pinchers Crab Shack - but we didn't fancy either of them. They were also open air and the heat was still very oppressive, even at 6pm. We decided to drive to 3rd Street South and eat at The Old Naples Pub again, before heading for the pier to watch the sunset.
We were quite early for dinner, by our standards, but one of the servers warned us that the restaurant would fill up, so we took a table inside (lovely and cool!) and ordered drinks. A man was playing the piano in the background and it was all very relaxed and chilled out! Sophie and I ate coconut shrimp served with chicken, rice and sauteed vegetables, Keith enjoyed fish and chips while Mike had a huge plate of nachos. With drinks, the bill came to a very reasonable $92. Sophie really enjoyed her shrimp and I thought the meal was lovely and certainly as good as Tommy Bahama's!
We made the mistake of deciding to drive to the pier, even though it was only a short distance away, and therefore gave away our parking space. It became very obvious that hundreds of people had the same idea as us as the sky was cloud-free (unlike last night!) and there was no space to be had at all in the car parks near the pier. We had no option to return to the parking lot near the restaurants and try and find another space. Which, luckily, we did!
We walked back to the pier with the crowds and shuffled along to the mid-point where there is a small cafe. Sophie had suggested we have a frozen banana for dessert but both Mike and Keith declined so it was just the two of us who chose one each covered with peanuts.
As soon as I took mine out of the wrapper the lolly stick came away and it collapsed! Sophie took mine and I had hers, but whether the banana wasn't completely frozen or the heat got to it very quickly I don't know, but mine collapsed again and I soon realised that Mike and Keith were very wise to miss out on this particular treat! I ended up with banana, peanuts and chocolate all over my face and down my favourite top, which caused my family great hilarity! I also had chocolate all over my hands and was a right mess. The breeze from the sea had blown my hair in my face and I was hot and sweaty...not the best of feelings! And I don't even like bananas!
I managed to clean myself up and we carried on down to the end of the pier where a great crowd had gathered to watch the sinking of the sun into the Gulf of Mexico.
It was a beautiful evening but the absence of lots of interesting clouds on the horizon meant that it wasn't as gorgeous as the other night. There was, however, a huge bank of clouds behind us which was spectacular.
So far, we hadn't heard any thunder but looking at the formations in the sky I don't think a storm was far away. There were still people swimming in the sea and playing volley-ball on the beach and there was a great atmosphere as the sun set.
As soon as it was over we walked back to the car with hordes of people, our progress impeded by some who would stop dead and take a photo of the sky or friends and family.
We got back to the car and on the way home called into Publix to get some beer and Fever Tree tonic for me. I also bought a hat as I find it much more comfortable sitting out by the pool with something on my head! On the way back to the villa we saw some fork lightening but we didn't get any rain.
The last dregs of the day were spent having a drink outside and then watching a little television before bed. We enjoyed a half hour long advert for 70s, 80s and 90s music that had us all singing along and dancing around the living room!
It was a beautiful morning, with not a single cloud in the sky.
We spent the day around the pool relaxing, acutely aware that the time is flying by and we only have four days left here in this paradise.
Lunch was leftover pizza, and there was a lot of it! Needless to say the crusts that weren't eaten were shared with the turtles and the fish!
We'd decided to go out at 4pm and visit Tin City in Naples, a riverfront area of shops and restaurants as we were looking for somewhere new to eat in the evening.
Getting into the car which had been standing in the sun all day was torture! I dread to think what the temperature was inside! We drove into Naples along a different road, the Golden Gate Parkway, and came across a crime scene with several police cars and even a Fox News reporter! We later found out that a man had been discovered dead in a pick-up truck on the road so that was very intriguing.
After we turned onto the 41 from the Golden Gate Parkway, we saw a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, somewhere I've always wanted to eat, being a huge fan of cheesecake! It's always a good idea to explore new roads as you never know what you're going to find and we were a bit tired of constantly travelling on Airport-Pulling Road!
We parked some distance from Tin City and walked over to the waterfront complex. It reminded me a bit of Weedon, a small collection of shops we go to at home, but on steroids! There was a cafe called M&M's where Mike and Sophie had an ice-cream and lots of places selling touristy tat, including shells, soaps and clothes. We went into one tee-shirt shop as Sophie wanted a Naples top and we had a great chat with the owner who told us how busy the town can be between Christmas and Easter. Apparently, there's a 30 day wait for a restaurant table!
 |
| You can take boat trips from here, as well as shop and dine in the restaurants. |
We checked out both restaurants in Tin City - Riverwalk and Pinchers Crab Shack - but we didn't fancy either of them. They were also open air and the heat was still very oppressive, even at 6pm. We decided to drive to 3rd Street South and eat at The Old Naples Pub again, before heading for the pier to watch the sunset.
We were quite early for dinner, by our standards, but one of the servers warned us that the restaurant would fill up, so we took a table inside (lovely and cool!) and ordered drinks. A man was playing the piano in the background and it was all very relaxed and chilled out! Sophie and I ate coconut shrimp served with chicken, rice and sauteed vegetables, Keith enjoyed fish and chips while Mike had a huge plate of nachos. With drinks, the bill came to a very reasonable $92. Sophie really enjoyed her shrimp and I thought the meal was lovely and certainly as good as Tommy Bahama's!
We made the mistake of deciding to drive to the pier, even though it was only a short distance away, and therefore gave away our parking space. It became very obvious that hundreds of people had the same idea as us as the sky was cloud-free (unlike last night!) and there was no space to be had at all in the car parks near the pier. We had no option to return to the parking lot near the restaurants and try and find another space. Which, luckily, we did!
We walked back to the pier with the crowds and shuffled along to the mid-point where there is a small cafe. Sophie had suggested we have a frozen banana for dessert but both Mike and Keith declined so it was just the two of us who chose one each covered with peanuts.
As soon as I took mine out of the wrapper the lolly stick came away and it collapsed! Sophie took mine and I had hers, but whether the banana wasn't completely frozen or the heat got to it very quickly I don't know, but mine collapsed again and I soon realised that Mike and Keith were very wise to miss out on this particular treat! I ended up with banana, peanuts and chocolate all over my face and down my favourite top, which caused my family great hilarity! I also had chocolate all over my hands and was a right mess. The breeze from the sea had blown my hair in my face and I was hot and sweaty...not the best of feelings! And I don't even like bananas!
I managed to clean myself up and we carried on down to the end of the pier where a great crowd had gathered to watch the sinking of the sun into the Gulf of Mexico.
It was a beautiful evening but the absence of lots of interesting clouds on the horizon meant that it wasn't as gorgeous as the other night. There was, however, a huge bank of clouds behind us which was spectacular.
So far, we hadn't heard any thunder but looking at the formations in the sky I don't think a storm was far away. There were still people swimming in the sea and playing volley-ball on the beach and there was a great atmosphere as the sun set.
As soon as it was over we walked back to the car with hordes of people, our progress impeded by some who would stop dead and take a photo of the sky or friends and family.
We got back to the car and on the way home called into Publix to get some beer and Fever Tree tonic for me. I also bought a hat as I find it much more comfortable sitting out by the pool with something on my head! On the way back to the villa we saw some fork lightening but we didn't get any rain.
The last dregs of the day were spent having a drink outside and then watching a little television before bed. We enjoyed a half hour long advert for 70s, 80s and 90s music that had us all singing along and dancing around the living room!
Friday, 18 August 2017
Nature's entertainment!
Keith and I went to Aldi this morning to get a few bits we needed...it's just like being at home! Just before we left the maintenance man arrived to fix the door so we left Sophie and Mike at the villa.
We did our shopping - almost a whole trolley came to just $60 - and headed back to the villa to find the maintenance man had sorted out the door and left.
As soon as all the shopping was put away we jumped into the pool and cooled off. The skies tend to be full of innocuous little white fluffy clouds in the morning but these tend to gang up in the afternoon to form the towering storm clouds that unleash their fury every evening! We lazed about in the sunshine and then the pool man arrived. He was originally from Manchester and has been in Naples for 27 years so we had a good chat. He said that us Brits are the only ones in town at the moment, but we haven't heard any other English voices for ages! He added some chlorine to our pool and advised us to stay out of it for an hour...the longest hour of the holiday! Keith and I sat and sunbathed and the sweat just poured off us!
Keith made a lovely lunch today of Caesar salad, bread and cheese and Sophie and I washed it down with a glass of the Romanian Pinot Grigio, which I really liked. I don't think I'll be taking any wine home this year though. There's a good choice of Californian reds at home and Sophie and I have fallen in love with New Zealand Pinot Grigios!
By 4pm we had all had enough of the sun and I tuned into the Weather Channel to see how a couple of potential storms were doing out in the Atlantic. One of them is causing a bit of worry and may coincide with the other momentous event next week, the Solar Eclipse. This is due to happen here on Monday and I learned that you can't get any eclipse glasses for love nor money! Tropical Storm Harvey is raging at the moment but is much further south, in the Caribbean, and they think it may develop into a hurricane when it approaches Central America.
However, we had an almighty storm of our own tonight. Keith, Sophie and I went to get a Papa John's pizza at about 7pm and the thunder and lightening started as we waited for our pizzas to be cooked. The sky went very dark and by the time we got back to our villa half an hour later, it had started in earnest.
After we'd eaten we went outside and the whole sky was constantly being lit up by lightening. It was spectacular to watch! The storm lasted more than two hours and we saw fork lightening develop as well - it was horizontal and stretched right across the sky. I went outside the front of the house to watch and with the palm trees illuminated with the lightening I really felt very, very far from home!
We did our shopping - almost a whole trolley came to just $60 - and headed back to the villa to find the maintenance man had sorted out the door and left.
As soon as all the shopping was put away we jumped into the pool and cooled off. The skies tend to be full of innocuous little white fluffy clouds in the morning but these tend to gang up in the afternoon to form the towering storm clouds that unleash their fury every evening! We lazed about in the sunshine and then the pool man arrived. He was originally from Manchester and has been in Naples for 27 years so we had a good chat. He said that us Brits are the only ones in town at the moment, but we haven't heard any other English voices for ages! He added some chlorine to our pool and advised us to stay out of it for an hour...the longest hour of the holiday! Keith and I sat and sunbathed and the sweat just poured off us!
Keith made a lovely lunch today of Caesar salad, bread and cheese and Sophie and I washed it down with a glass of the Romanian Pinot Grigio, which I really liked. I don't think I'll be taking any wine home this year though. There's a good choice of Californian reds at home and Sophie and I have fallen in love with New Zealand Pinot Grigios!
By 4pm we had all had enough of the sun and I tuned into the Weather Channel to see how a couple of potential storms were doing out in the Atlantic. One of them is causing a bit of worry and may coincide with the other momentous event next week, the Solar Eclipse. This is due to happen here on Monday and I learned that you can't get any eclipse glasses for love nor money! Tropical Storm Harvey is raging at the moment but is much further south, in the Caribbean, and they think it may develop into a hurricane when it approaches Central America.
However, we had an almighty storm of our own tonight. Keith, Sophie and I went to get a Papa John's pizza at about 7pm and the thunder and lightening started as we waited for our pizzas to be cooked. The sky went very dark and by the time we got back to our villa half an hour later, it had started in earnest.
After we'd eaten we went outside and the whole sky was constantly being lit up by lightening. It was spectacular to watch! The storm lasted more than two hours and we saw fork lightening develop as well - it was horizontal and stretched right across the sky. I went outside the front of the house to watch and with the palm trees illuminated with the lightening I really felt very, very far from home!
Thursday, 17 August 2017
A spot of shopping
This morning we decided to go to the Miromar Outlet Shopping Mall a few miles up the I75. Sophie was keen to buy some Vans and a Levi's jacket and both shops were there so off we went. We called into the management office first, and amazingly someone was there! We told them about the door into Sophie's bedroom that had come off the runner and they promised to send someone out to fix it.
We also went into a small shop selling European foods and wines and Keith bought Sophie and I a bottle of Romanian Pinot Grigio. I don't normally buy wines from other countries when I'm in the US, but we've found it hard to buy a decent American Pinot Grigio and have had to resort to Italian bottles!
We found the shopping mall easily and Sophie bought the Vans shoes she had had her eye on. They are all white and look lovely with her tanned legs. She also bought a men's Levi's denim jacket and I treated Mike to three pairs of Calvin Klein briefs that were far cheaper in the Saks 5th Avenue shop than in the Calvin Klein shop itself!
Keith was getting a little fed up and it was very warm (104f when we came out) so we left and headed back to Naples on the 41. Mike and Sophie wanted to experience a Taco Bell so we looked out for a restaurant and just before we reached Naples we found one.
I would never go back! Sophie and I ordered a chicken quesadilla each with a side of nachos and cheese while Mike went for a Nachos Bellgrande. When the food arrived I jumped up to help Sophie as I thought our order would be quite large but it was just two trays and the food looked very insipid indeed! Our quesadillas were completely flat, like folded over pancakes, and Mike's nachos seemed to be a very small portion. Admittedly, we only paid $17 but I think all of us were very disappointed. Our side of nachos came in a tiny bag with a small pot of plasticky cheese. Ugh! The restaurant itself was small and depressing so I am fairly certain that we won't be trying that particular fast food chain again!
On the way back to the villa we called into a Target and bought some shopping and then it was back to the villa for an afternoon of sun-bathing and swimming. It clouded over again towards the evening and we heard several rumbles of thunder but we didn't see any rain.
Our dinner venue for the evening was 3rd Street South again as we'd spotted an Italian restaurant called Barbatella that looked promising. The weather was looking very iffy and we'd heard more thunder and seen flashes of lightening since leaving the villa. Despite there being lots of tables free at the Italian restaurant we were told we'd have to share a long bench with other diners, which put us off.
We wandered off up the street and looked at the Ridgeway Bar and Grill but the mains were all over $30, which was far more than we wanted to pay. We then remembered Tommy Bahama's and had a look at the menu posted outside. Again, the dishes weren't cheap but there were quite a few priced from $24-28 so we asked if they had a table. There was live music which was very loud but the front of house woman said she had a table free at the back of the restaurant, which was good news.
There was a great atmosphere with most of the tables full and people sitting at the bar enjoying cocktails. Sophie and I had a glass of white wine to start while Keith had a beer. The server bought us some bread and butter while we looked at the menu.
We skipped starters and we ordered Parmesan crusted Sanibel chicken (me), a chicken dish for Sophie off the specials menu, grilled fillet of Snapper for Keith and a Miso soup for Mike, which I thought was a strange choice for him, but he said he picked it because of the shrimp and belly pork. My meal was delicious and was served with mashed potato and broccoli and a gorgeous red pepper cream sauce. It was the best meal I'd had of the holiday so far. Keith liked his fish but said his asparagus was tasteless. Sophie enjoyed her meal as well, but Mike was disappointed with his dinner. He was definitely in the market for a dessert!
Our server was very friendly and efficient and when he asked if we wanted pudding he brought a tray of them to show us, which I thought was a great idea. Sophie and I went for a lovely pineapple creme brulee that was served in a thick slice of pineapple. Mike went for the biggest dessert on the menu, the Malted Chocolate pie and polished it off easily!
The bill came to an almighty $197, the most expensive of any meal we've eaten as a family! It beat the Sandbar restaurant on Anna Maria island last time! We were slightly shocked but it was right and we noticed that the drinks alone came to over $50 (three beers, three wines, a rootbeer). Phew! Time to rein it in again tomorrow!
We also went into a small shop selling European foods and wines and Keith bought Sophie and I a bottle of Romanian Pinot Grigio. I don't normally buy wines from other countries when I'm in the US, but we've found it hard to buy a decent American Pinot Grigio and have had to resort to Italian bottles!
We found the shopping mall easily and Sophie bought the Vans shoes she had had her eye on. They are all white and look lovely with her tanned legs. She also bought a men's Levi's denim jacket and I treated Mike to three pairs of Calvin Klein briefs that were far cheaper in the Saks 5th Avenue shop than in the Calvin Klein shop itself!
Keith was getting a little fed up and it was very warm (104f when we came out) so we left and headed back to Naples on the 41. Mike and Sophie wanted to experience a Taco Bell so we looked out for a restaurant and just before we reached Naples we found one.
I would never go back! Sophie and I ordered a chicken quesadilla each with a side of nachos and cheese while Mike went for a Nachos Bellgrande. When the food arrived I jumped up to help Sophie as I thought our order would be quite large but it was just two trays and the food looked very insipid indeed! Our quesadillas were completely flat, like folded over pancakes, and Mike's nachos seemed to be a very small portion. Admittedly, we only paid $17 but I think all of us were very disappointed. Our side of nachos came in a tiny bag with a small pot of plasticky cheese. Ugh! The restaurant itself was small and depressing so I am fairly certain that we won't be trying that particular fast food chain again!
On the way back to the villa we called into a Target and bought some shopping and then it was back to the villa for an afternoon of sun-bathing and swimming. It clouded over again towards the evening and we heard several rumbles of thunder but we didn't see any rain.
Our dinner venue for the evening was 3rd Street South again as we'd spotted an Italian restaurant called Barbatella that looked promising. The weather was looking very iffy and we'd heard more thunder and seen flashes of lightening since leaving the villa. Despite there being lots of tables free at the Italian restaurant we were told we'd have to share a long bench with other diners, which put us off.
We wandered off up the street and looked at the Ridgeway Bar and Grill but the mains were all over $30, which was far more than we wanted to pay. We then remembered Tommy Bahama's and had a look at the menu posted outside. Again, the dishes weren't cheap but there were quite a few priced from $24-28 so we asked if they had a table. There was live music which was very loud but the front of house woman said she had a table free at the back of the restaurant, which was good news.
There was a great atmosphere with most of the tables full and people sitting at the bar enjoying cocktails. Sophie and I had a glass of white wine to start while Keith had a beer. The server bought us some bread and butter while we looked at the menu.
We skipped starters and we ordered Parmesan crusted Sanibel chicken (me), a chicken dish for Sophie off the specials menu, grilled fillet of Snapper for Keith and a Miso soup for Mike, which I thought was a strange choice for him, but he said he picked it because of the shrimp and belly pork. My meal was delicious and was served with mashed potato and broccoli and a gorgeous red pepper cream sauce. It was the best meal I'd had of the holiday so far. Keith liked his fish but said his asparagus was tasteless. Sophie enjoyed her meal as well, but Mike was disappointed with his dinner. He was definitely in the market for a dessert!
Our server was very friendly and efficient and when he asked if we wanted pudding he brought a tray of them to show us, which I thought was a great idea. Sophie and I went for a lovely pineapple creme brulee that was served in a thick slice of pineapple. Mike went for the biggest dessert on the menu, the Malted Chocolate pie and polished it off easily!
The bill came to an almighty $197, the most expensive of any meal we've eaten as a family! It beat the Sandbar restaurant on Anna Maria island last time! We were slightly shocked but it was right and we noticed that the drinks alone came to over $50 (three beers, three wines, a rootbeer). Phew! Time to rein it in again tomorrow!
Wednesday, 16 August 2017
A little rain must fall...
We have certainly found things a lot more expensive this holiday. It could well be down to the exchange rate, but we have been astonished at how dear things are in the supermarket. I've already mentioned shampoo, but the packs of beer than Keith buys are about $10 for six small bottles and they can disappear pretty quickly!
In the afternoon, the sky clouded over and we could see that a storm was heading our way. Mike had found an inflatable dolphin/whale? in the garage and everyone had been jumping on it all afternoon and causing much hilarity.
 |
| Before it got really bad... |
Of course, Mike (being Mike) stayed in the pool while the lightening and thunder were raging until it really was time to get out. We all retreated to the sheltered part of the terrace and watched nature in all her fury! The rain came down in torrents and some of the thunderclaps were unbelievably loud and violent. The rain was so heavy we couldn't see the houses on the other side of the lake! Little, tiny frogs came up from the row of drainage holes that run along the length of the terrace and they hopped about like mad!
Eventually it died away but we all agreed it rivalled the last storm we witnessed in Bradenton. Afterwards, everything felt really clammy and damp and it certainly hadn't cleared the air like we thought it would.
We had a very enjoyable dinner in the evening and then we were treated to a gorgeous sunset of pinks, mauves and reds. Stunning!
Some pics...
I suddenly remembered last night that my camera has a memory card and Sophie's laptop has a memory card slot, so I was able to transfer the photos I've taken so far on the holiday. Here are a few:
Islands of Adventure
Universal:
Naples Pier:
Key West:
Islands of Adventure
Universal:
 |
| The bus from Harry Potter |
 |
| Diagon Alley |
Naples Pier:
Key West:
Tuesday, 15 August 2017
Back to Naples...
Last night we made the unanimous decision to return to our villa in Naples a day early as we all missed the peace and quiet, space and privacy. Today (if we'd stayed in Marathon) was supposed to be a relaxing day spent by the hotel pool but after yesterday and the crowds of people, we changed our minds. It's also our 25th Wedding Anniversary today, and we decided to have a Chinese take-away and have a much-needed night in!
I know we've probably missed a lot that the Keys have to offer and I'll no doubt look back and wish we'd explored a bit more, but we all love the villa and just being able to relax and have our own pool is wonderful, and we're very lucky to have that, so why not make the most of it?
Mike refused to eat breakfast this morning (he did have a banana) and I was half way through a turkey patty when I found some gristle, so the rest of the stuff on my plate went into the bin. We loaded all our bags into the car, checked out and we were on our way!
We had a great journey through the Keys and we kept looking out for a McDonald's for Mike, and amazingly didn't see one! In the end we stopped at the Subway on the 997 again and I satisfied my craving for a bar of chocolate, Mike had a meatball sub while Sophie had a Snickers ice-cream.
Driving on the 41 was lovely and I was doing a steady 70mph until we came across a large truck that slowed all the traffic down. I'm always a bit wary of overtaking in a car that I don't know that well, so I stayed behind him and as soon as the road widened out into two lanes I sped past! It made me realise how lucky I'd been that the two journeys had (mostly) been nice and fast!
Before we went back to the villa we called into Publix and did some shopping, which included a bottle of Chandon, a Californian sparkling wine, to drink tonight. I also treated myself to another bottle of Vodka as the plan was to stay in for the next couple of nights and just relax at the villa.
As soon as we got back we unloaded the car and unpacked all our bags before opening our anniversary cards, some of which we'd bought from home.
It was then time to relax by the pool and do very little! The sky was blue, the sun was shining and it was peaceful and quiet. Bliss!
In the evening we popped out to the Dragon Palace and ordered our meals. We all decided on sweet and sour chicken with pork fried rice and egg rolls. The wine was delicious and I could easily have enjoyed more. Luckily I can buy this in the wine shop I worked at!
After our meal Sophie and I watched a documentary on Scientology presented by Leah Remini and it was perfect ending to a great day!
I know we've probably missed a lot that the Keys have to offer and I'll no doubt look back and wish we'd explored a bit more, but we all love the villa and just being able to relax and have our own pool is wonderful, and we're very lucky to have that, so why not make the most of it?
Mike refused to eat breakfast this morning (he did have a banana) and I was half way through a turkey patty when I found some gristle, so the rest of the stuff on my plate went into the bin. We loaded all our bags into the car, checked out and we were on our way!
We had a great journey through the Keys and we kept looking out for a McDonald's for Mike, and amazingly didn't see one! In the end we stopped at the Subway on the 997 again and I satisfied my craving for a bar of chocolate, Mike had a meatball sub while Sophie had a Snickers ice-cream.
Driving on the 41 was lovely and I was doing a steady 70mph until we came across a large truck that slowed all the traffic down. I'm always a bit wary of overtaking in a car that I don't know that well, so I stayed behind him and as soon as the road widened out into two lanes I sped past! It made me realise how lucky I'd been that the two journeys had (mostly) been nice and fast!
Before we went back to the villa we called into Publix and did some shopping, which included a bottle of Chandon, a Californian sparkling wine, to drink tonight. I also treated myself to another bottle of Vodka as the plan was to stay in for the next couple of nights and just relax at the villa.
As soon as we got back we unloaded the car and unpacked all our bags before opening our anniversary cards, some of which we'd bought from home.
It was then time to relax by the pool and do very little! The sky was blue, the sun was shining and it was peaceful and quiet. Bliss!
In the evening we popped out to the Dragon Palace and ordered our meals. We all decided on sweet and sour chicken with pork fried rice and egg rolls. The wine was delicious and I could easily have enjoyed more. Luckily I can buy this in the wine shop I worked at!
After our meal Sophie and I watched a documentary on Scientology presented by Leah Remini and it was perfect ending to a great day!
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