We met up at 9am for breakfast and we were lucky to grab a table in the dining room. I'm sure it wasn't as busy as this the last time we were here! Breakfast is free at the hotel, but it's really nothing to write home about - some pork patties with plastic cheese omelettes, a range of pastries, cakes and fruit and a machine that makes pancakes. The coffee is very good, though!
Our plan for today was to drive down to Key West and do some exploring as I felt we really hadn't spent enough time there when we visited three years ago. The weather was glorious and it was wonderful driving over the bridges (including the Seven Mile Bridge) and seeing the sea glittering in the sunshine. The Keys are stunning, there's no doubt about that!
It took us about an hour to make the drive and this time I took the left hand fork to get to the very tip of the island. We drove past the airport and then along the sea front with gorgeous views, and then entered the main tourist area. Unfortunately I became stuck behind four people on mopeds who really weren't concentrating on what they were doing and to make it worse, they were trying not to get separated. None of them were wearing helmets and they were all dressed in shorts so I dread to think what would have happened if they had come off their machines.
Just before we reached the Southernmost Point I overtook two of them, much to their annoyance. I'm not sure whether the pathetic beeps came from them or the motorbike approaching me! We were dismayed to see a long queue of people waiting to have their photo taken at the Southernmost Point...all ideas of stopping and having a wander about were quickly changed! Here's one I did not take:
I suppose the good thing is, we saw it!
We carried on further into Key West and driving became really difficult because a lot of tourists were meandering about with no thought for the traffic and there was a multitude of mopeds dashing about! Luckily we found somewhere safe and legal to park which cost us $20.
We strolled down Whitehead Street and found a bar called The Hog's Breath Saloon. I hadn't really wanted a beer as I'd had a fantasy of enjoying a Cuban coffee in a cute little cafe but I think Keith wanted to get out of the heat for a while. We ordered some drinks and took a table in the dining part of the bar, which immediately infuriated one of the staff who kept looking at us in annoyance! Is it me or are the people here a lot less friendly than in Naples?
After we'd had a drink Sophie bought a tee-shirt in the shop adjoining the bar and we ventured back out into the heat. The heart of Key West is Duvall street which is lined with shops, bars and restaurants. It was very busy (and yes, OK, a little tacky) and I wondered where Ernest Hemingway's house was as I wanted to visit. I'm sorry to say that Keith was not at all impressed and the highlight of our visit was going into a CVS and choosing some really naff nicknacks for Sophie's friends back home! I bought some Key West playing cards and a bottle opener!
We made our way to the Sunset Pier and Mallory Square and noticed a huge cruise ship in residence.
The heat was unbelievable and we dashed from shop to shop in a vain effort to stay cool. We all decided we'd had enough so we returned to the car where the temperature was registering 106f (41c). No wonder we felt so hot!
Our lunch plans were to go to the Hogfish Bar and Grill on Stock Island where we'd eaten dinner three years ago, so we retraced our route (they were still queuing at the Southernmost Point) and we found it pretty easily as we had an excellent road map of Key West that we'd picked up free in the hotel.
We sat inside with the ceiling fans going but the heat was really beginning to get to us all. We all knew it was going to be boiling in August but you tend to forget how much it affects you and how humid it is! I think we were all a bit fed-up with constantly being bathed in sweat!
Our lunch was lovely and Sophie and I tried Conch (pronounced "conk") fritters to start. I had Hogfish and chips to follow, Sophie had a fried Hogfish sandwich, Keith had pork while Mike had a burger that he said was "truly American"! The food was delicious, but too much, and if we'd been back at the villa I would have taken mine home with me!
After we'd eaten we made our way back to Marathon and before we went to the hotel we called in at a Walgreen's to buy some shampoo and cleansing wipes. I was astonished at the price of shampoo and conditioner - around $5 each! I bought a card for Keith and some wipes and the two items came to $14! Yikes!!
Back at the hotel we decided to take a dip in the pool to cool off. However, the pool was heated! Yes...it was bloomin' warm so it was like taking a bath! We spoke to a woman from Indiana who told us that a man had been out euthanising the Iguanas that hang out by the pool. She was very vocal in her condemnation and carried on talking about it to anyone who would listen for the whole time we were there. I agreed it wasn't right as they weren't doing any harm and it would have been better for them to have been caught and released elsewhere.
There were still plenty of them about, though:
One of them took a liking to our beach towel and licked it!
The pool started to fill up with people, some of whom were very loud, so we retreated to our rooms. Our plan for the evening was to go to the Tarpon Bar and have a drink and snack. We were lucky enough to be able to get the same four seats overlooking the marina and had a very enjoyable evening over drinks and snacks. Sophie and I shared a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio ($31) while Keith stuck to beer. Mike looked really fed up so Keith did a naughty thing...he bought him a bottle of non-alcoholic beer and once that was finished Mike sloped back off to his room to replenish it with the real beer we'd bought earlier in the day and which was keeping cool in the fridge!
Half way through the evening we heard excited shouts and the staff said there was a baby manatee in the marina. Sophie and I rushed down to look and caught a glimpse of it around the boats. At one point we saw its little nostrils poking above the water! I was really pleased as I'd wanted to see one last time and hadn't.
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| The Tarpon Bar and Grill. |
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