I woke up this morning thinking it was about 6am, but when I looked at the clock it was half past nine! I'd slept for a solid ten hours! Bliss!
I left Keith asleep and went downstairs to make myself a cup of coffee and with Archie, I sat and watched Neighbours for half an hour until I thought it was time to make a big breakfast with the bacon, sausages and eggs that my Mum had kindly left for us in the fridge. Keith came downstairs looking a bit dazed and confused as he'd slept for far longer than he'd intended! Just as it was all coming together, I went to wake the children but I hadn't the heart to rouse them from their slumbers so I left them in bed and Keith and I breakfasted alone.
After we'd eaten Keith showered and disappeared off to do a shop at Tesco while I tackled the ironing. Overnight, the laundry monster had been at work and when I opened our dirty linen basket I found it was full! I had three loads of washing (where did it all come from?) and a pile of ironing that would have taken an experienced mountaineer to climb!
At midday I woke the kids as I was worried that Mikey, especially, would get into a strange sleep pattern that would have him awake all night and asleep during the day...not a good thing when he's back at school tomorrow! They feasted on the breakfast food I'd left to keep warm in the oven and when Keith arrived home with the shopping I helped him unpack it all before peeling the veggies for dinner and then mowing the lawn.
I finally finished at 4pm but I was pleased we'd done everything that had to be done. My parents were due around for a drink at 5pm so I had a quick shower and made myself presentable as I would have been a good candidate for a bag lady! My feet were covered in grass stains and there was soil under my fingernails where I'd been pulling up plants that were a bit past their best!
We had a great drink with my parents and they were delighted with their pressies. It was lovely to catch up and share our holiday stories and I think I'm prepared for going back to work tomorrow!
Dinner was traditional roast beef and all the trimmings and very good it was, too!
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Saturday, 6 September 2014
We're home!
Last night was a long night and not one of the most pleasant flights I've ever had! We did have an enjoyable wait at the airport, though, as I treated myself and my Dad at the Duty Free and then we all sat at a bar near our gate and had a couple of drinks.
Just before we took off, we had the inevitable thunderstorm and took off into very dark skies, but from then on, I couldn't see anything as they closed the blind on the very back window. We all had seats in the middle, on row 65, which was the last from the back and I will never choose these seats again! As soon as we took off and the seatbelt light went out, everyone started gathering to visit the loos which were directly behind us. It carried on like that for much of the journey, even when the lights went out and we were all supposed to be asleep! Also, the area behind us was the spot chosen by two sets of parents with babies to try and lull their little charges to sleep so we had screams and cries for most of the night too, as the parents walked up and down rocking their children!
We eventually landed in Gatwick at 8am and faced the long walk to Passport control and baggage reclaim. It was horrendously busy. When we retrieved our cases I noticed a stain on the top of our largest bag and feared the worst as this contained three bottles of wine. When we opened the suitcase my white trousers which were lying on the top were wet and stained a light pink...
Further investigation revealed that all three bottles were OK so I think it was the heavy rain at Orlando airport that had caused the stain and the wet had made the fabric hangers I'd put in one of the top pockets stain the clothes beneath. Phew! I really didn't fancy smashed bottles and red wine stains all over my clothes!
We took the shuttle to the North Terminal and luckily a bus for the Summer Special parking came straight away. The weather was misty, grey and very gloomy. Not a nice welcome back at all!
Retrieving the car was very simple and straightforward and by 9.30am we were on the M23. I suppose, in retrospect, it hadn't been too bad! The children decided they were hungry so we stopped at the next services on the M25 to get some proper breakfast (the Virgin offering had been terrible) but just as we arrived several coaches disgorged what seemed like hundreds of people...the place was chaotic, crowded and noisy and after our eight hour flight with virtually no sleep, it wasn't the best place to be!
Abandoning McDonald's we headed to Greggs, where the children chose a pastry each and I had a much needed Latte. Back at the car, Keith took over as I felt like a zombie and he drove the rest of the way home. I stayed awake but the children were asleep within minutes.
Getting home after being away for two weeks always feels strange to me! The kids went straight to bed and I unpacked mine and Keith's cases and put a wash in the machine. I was missing the huge American washer and dryer already! The weather had stayed gloomy but at least it was warmish! Last year we arrived home to wet and misty weather and it was cold!
The rest of the day was spent doing very little. I had half an hour's nap, a long soak in the bath and caught up with some recorded episodes of Neighbours. Mikey slept until 5.30pm and Sophie kept napping on the sofa. Keith slept all afternoon while pretending to watch the cricket!
In the evening Keith and I went to order a Chinese from the van in the village and popped into the pub for an hour. The annual "Groove on the Green" was in full swing and the pub was quite busy. A group of men sitting next to the bar and laughing and chatting in very loud voices drove us to go into the back room - I think we were both shattered and longing for some sleep by now but, for me anyway, staying awake and then going to bed at the normal time does help to re-adjust.
We had an enjoyable Chinese take-away and just as we were settling down to watch a film, Mikey came downstairs and asked if he could run down to the village for the Groove on the Green and see his friends. By now, I was really tired and I said no, as I didn't want to have to go and pick him up or wait until he got home. Anyway, it transpired that he'd already told his mates he could go, so I was subjected to five minutes pleading, and then threatening, if we didn't let him go.
Worn out by the arguing Keith and I agreed he could go on the condition he was back on the dot of 11pm. We watched the film (The Call starring Halle Berry and very good!) and then we both stayed up until Mikey arrived home, which he did, five minutes before his time was up! As soon as he was through the door I was off to bed...thank goodness!
Just before we took off, we had the inevitable thunderstorm and took off into very dark skies, but from then on, I couldn't see anything as they closed the blind on the very back window. We all had seats in the middle, on row 65, which was the last from the back and I will never choose these seats again! As soon as we took off and the seatbelt light went out, everyone started gathering to visit the loos which were directly behind us. It carried on like that for much of the journey, even when the lights went out and we were all supposed to be asleep! Also, the area behind us was the spot chosen by two sets of parents with babies to try and lull their little charges to sleep so we had screams and cries for most of the night too, as the parents walked up and down rocking their children!
We eventually landed in Gatwick at 8am and faced the long walk to Passport control and baggage reclaim. It was horrendously busy. When we retrieved our cases I noticed a stain on the top of our largest bag and feared the worst as this contained three bottles of wine. When we opened the suitcase my white trousers which were lying on the top were wet and stained a light pink...
Further investigation revealed that all three bottles were OK so I think it was the heavy rain at Orlando airport that had caused the stain and the wet had made the fabric hangers I'd put in one of the top pockets stain the clothes beneath. Phew! I really didn't fancy smashed bottles and red wine stains all over my clothes!
We took the shuttle to the North Terminal and luckily a bus for the Summer Special parking came straight away. The weather was misty, grey and very gloomy. Not a nice welcome back at all!
Retrieving the car was very simple and straightforward and by 9.30am we were on the M23. I suppose, in retrospect, it hadn't been too bad! The children decided they were hungry so we stopped at the next services on the M25 to get some proper breakfast (the Virgin offering had been terrible) but just as we arrived several coaches disgorged what seemed like hundreds of people...the place was chaotic, crowded and noisy and after our eight hour flight with virtually no sleep, it wasn't the best place to be!
Abandoning McDonald's we headed to Greggs, where the children chose a pastry each and I had a much needed Latte. Back at the car, Keith took over as I felt like a zombie and he drove the rest of the way home. I stayed awake but the children were asleep within minutes.
Getting home after being away for two weeks always feels strange to me! The kids went straight to bed and I unpacked mine and Keith's cases and put a wash in the machine. I was missing the huge American washer and dryer already! The weather had stayed gloomy but at least it was warmish! Last year we arrived home to wet and misty weather and it was cold!
The rest of the day was spent doing very little. I had half an hour's nap, a long soak in the bath and caught up with some recorded episodes of Neighbours. Mikey slept until 5.30pm and Sophie kept napping on the sofa. Keith slept all afternoon while pretending to watch the cricket!
In the evening Keith and I went to order a Chinese from the van in the village and popped into the pub for an hour. The annual "Groove on the Green" was in full swing and the pub was quite busy. A group of men sitting next to the bar and laughing and chatting in very loud voices drove us to go into the back room - I think we were both shattered and longing for some sleep by now but, for me anyway, staying awake and then going to bed at the normal time does help to re-adjust.
We had an enjoyable Chinese take-away and just as we were settling down to watch a film, Mikey came downstairs and asked if he could run down to the village for the Groove on the Green and see his friends. By now, I was really tired and I said no, as I didn't want to have to go and pick him up or wait until he got home. Anyway, it transpired that he'd already told his mates he could go, so I was subjected to five minutes pleading, and then threatening, if we didn't let him go.
Worn out by the arguing Keith and I agreed he could go on the condition he was back on the dot of 11pm. We watched the film (The Call starring Halle Berry and very good!) and then we both stayed up until Mikey arrived home, which he did, five minutes before his time was up! As soon as he was through the door I was off to bed...thank goodness!
Friday, 5 September 2014
Time to say goodbye...
We were all up early this morning and one of my first jobs was to strip our bed and put it onto wash. Not something I enjoy doing first thing when I wake up, but it helps the cleaner, apparently!
We spent the next hour shoving last bits into the cases, showering and making sure that nothing lurked behind in wardrobes and drawers. We'd planned to set off at 8am as we were travelling back on Route 64 and then meeting up with Route 27, as we'd done last year when we drove home from visiting this part of Florida.
The traffic, predictably, was busy, but once onto the single lane road it thinned out and for most of the journey we saw very few other vehicles. The road is very rural and runs through farmland with only the odd town along the way. We saw lots of grazing cattle and fruit trees before reaching the town of Avon Park where we turned onto Route 27.
It was very strange driving past Highlands Reserve where we stayed last year. There were a lot of roadworks going on so in a way I'm glad we weren't there this year. Once past Highlands Reserve we turned onto the 192 and stopped at a Super Target for Sophie to finally buy some pressies for her friends.
At 11am we headed to Bahama Breeze for an early lunch and we were their first customers of the day. We enjoyed a great meal, although in retrospect it wasn't a brilliant idea to have a big pasta dish followed by a wedge of Key Lime pie (that was not as good as the Hogfish Grill!!).
We waddled out of the, by now, busy restaurant and headed up the I-4 to Orlando airport. We found the Alamo drop-off point easily and it was so sad to say goodbye to our lovely car that we'd done over 1000 miles in!
Checking in was easy and quick and we're now all sitting in the departure lounge awaiting our flight. It's been a fantastic holiday and I have so many great memories of this trip. I'm definitely coming back to the Keys one day...I just hope it's sooner rather than later!
We spent the next hour shoving last bits into the cases, showering and making sure that nothing lurked behind in wardrobes and drawers. We'd planned to set off at 8am as we were travelling back on Route 64 and then meeting up with Route 27, as we'd done last year when we drove home from visiting this part of Florida.
The traffic, predictably, was busy, but once onto the single lane road it thinned out and for most of the journey we saw very few other vehicles. The road is very rural and runs through farmland with only the odd town along the way. We saw lots of grazing cattle and fruit trees before reaching the town of Avon Park where we turned onto Route 27.
It was very strange driving past Highlands Reserve where we stayed last year. There were a lot of roadworks going on so in a way I'm glad we weren't there this year. Once past Highlands Reserve we turned onto the 192 and stopped at a Super Target for Sophie to finally buy some pressies for her friends.
At 11am we headed to Bahama Breeze for an early lunch and we were their first customers of the day. We enjoyed a great meal, although in retrospect it wasn't a brilliant idea to have a big pasta dish followed by a wedge of Key Lime pie (that was not as good as the Hogfish Grill!!).
We waddled out of the, by now, busy restaurant and headed up the I-4 to Orlando airport. We found the Alamo drop-off point easily and it was so sad to say goodbye to our lovely car that we'd done over 1000 miles in!
Checking in was easy and quick and we're now all sitting in the departure lounge awaiting our flight. It's been a fantastic holiday and I have so many great memories of this trip. I'm definitely coming back to the Keys one day...I just hope it's sooner rather than later!
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Sandbar sunset
Most of the morning was spent packing and getting ready for our departure tomorrow. I even did a bit of hoovering and mopped the floor!
By lunchtime we were mostly finished what needed to be done so a few hours were spent lazily in the pool or beside it. By 3pm dark clouds had gathered overhead so I went in and had a long soak in the bath. While I was languishing in the hot water a storm raged outside but it was nowhere near as violent as yesterday evening, thank goodness!
By 5pm we were all ready to go out and our first stop was Publix as Sophie wanted to buy some treats for her friends back home. However, she didn't see anything suitable so we left and drove to Anna Maria Island in the evening rush hour. It wasn't raining but the sky was full of clouds and I really hoped that we would see a beautiful sunset tonight.
While Keith went off to the pier for a drink, Sophie, Mikey and me headed for a shop opposite to see if they had anything worth buying but although we saw lots of lovely tee-shirts and knick-knacks, there was nothing to buy for Soph's friends.
We joined Keith and had a drink while gazing at the gorgeous views for the last time.
The plan was to eat at the Sandbar restaurant about five minutes away and sit on the beach watching the sunset. I wanted a memorable evening for our last meal in Florida!
There was a bit of confusion about where to park for the restaurant but Keith went ahead and saw the attendant who pointed out a space for us, which was great as I think it was the last one!
We walked in and were seated straight away, almost on the beach itself. The restaurant was already busy and everyone was gearing up to see the sunset.
I had a couple of glasses of Chardonnay and we had a look at the menu which specialises in fish and seafood.
Although it was lovely to sit outside, for the first time since the Keys, it was very hot! The temperatures were still in the 90s! We all had different starters and the children decided to be a bit adventurous: Sophie had salmon pate, Mikey had Swordfish ribs, Keith had a crab salad while I enjoyed a dish of Mussels Provencale. They were beautiful.
We didn't order our main courses until we'd finished our starters so the meal was lovely and relaxed. In between courses, Sophie and I went out onto the sand to photograph the setting sun.
Our waiter came around asking us to guess the exact time of the sunset. I knew that in Key West it had been 7.51pm so we said 7.48 and, when prompted by him, 18 seconds. Whoever won would receive a bottle of champagne!
For our mains we ordered steak (Keith) Bison burger for Mikey, Chicken Anna Maria for Sophie and I went for the Stuffed shrimp which were absolutely delicious but too much!
It was fantastic when the sun went down at...7.48 and 13 seconds!! So close!
The children found room for dessert but there was no way I could have even a spoonful of Sophie's pudding! She was on her own tonight!
We'd had a fabulous meal and a perfect evening sitting by a beautiful beach to see the sunset. The drive back to the villa was without mishap and we spent a pleasant half hour sitting by the pool, marvelling at how hot and sultry it was!
By lunchtime we were mostly finished what needed to be done so a few hours were spent lazily in the pool or beside it. By 3pm dark clouds had gathered overhead so I went in and had a long soak in the bath. While I was languishing in the hot water a storm raged outside but it was nowhere near as violent as yesterday evening, thank goodness!
By 5pm we were all ready to go out and our first stop was Publix as Sophie wanted to buy some treats for her friends back home. However, she didn't see anything suitable so we left and drove to Anna Maria Island in the evening rush hour. It wasn't raining but the sky was full of clouds and I really hoped that we would see a beautiful sunset tonight.
While Keith went off to the pier for a drink, Sophie, Mikey and me headed for a shop opposite to see if they had anything worth buying but although we saw lots of lovely tee-shirts and knick-knacks, there was nothing to buy for Soph's friends.
We joined Keith and had a drink while gazing at the gorgeous views for the last time.
The plan was to eat at the Sandbar restaurant about five minutes away and sit on the beach watching the sunset. I wanted a memorable evening for our last meal in Florida!
There was a bit of confusion about where to park for the restaurant but Keith went ahead and saw the attendant who pointed out a space for us, which was great as I think it was the last one!
We walked in and were seated straight away, almost on the beach itself. The restaurant was already busy and everyone was gearing up to see the sunset.
I had a couple of glasses of Chardonnay and we had a look at the menu which specialises in fish and seafood.
 |
| Delicious glass of icy Chardonnay! |
Although it was lovely to sit outside, for the first time since the Keys, it was very hot! The temperatures were still in the 90s! We all had different starters and the children decided to be a bit adventurous: Sophie had salmon pate, Mikey had Swordfish ribs, Keith had a crab salad while I enjoyed a dish of Mussels Provencale. They were beautiful.
We didn't order our main courses until we'd finished our starters so the meal was lovely and relaxed. In between courses, Sophie and I went out onto the sand to photograph the setting sun.
Our waiter came around asking us to guess the exact time of the sunset. I knew that in Key West it had been 7.51pm so we said 7.48 and, when prompted by him, 18 seconds. Whoever won would receive a bottle of champagne!
For our mains we ordered steak (Keith) Bison burger for Mikey, Chicken Anna Maria for Sophie and I went for the Stuffed shrimp which were absolutely delicious but too much!
It was fantastic when the sun went down at...7.48 and 13 seconds!! So close!
The children found room for dessert but there was no way I could have even a spoonful of Sophie's pudding! She was on her own tonight!
We'd had a fabulous meal and a perfect evening sitting by a beautiful beach to see the sunset. The drive back to the villa was without mishap and we spent a pleasant half hour sitting by the pool, marvelling at how hot and sultry it was!
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Mother of all storms!
This morning we set off for the Ellenton Shopping Outlet, a short way north on the I-75. I'm not a huge fan of shopping whilst on holiday but the kids were desperate for some clothes and shoes, of the right brand, you understand! Me...I couldn't care less!
I'd been put off a bit by the outlets in Orlando but Ellenton was a lot different. For a start it seemed smaller and it was very quiet indeed. We only saw a handful of people the whole time we were there. First up was a coffee from Starbucks as I'd been drinking instant for almost two weeks and was really missing a Latte! I treated the family to whatever they wanted and when we eventually emerged with our drinks, Keith wondered where on earth we'd been! Good coffee takes time! My Latte was delicious!
While Keith and Mikey disappeared off to Levi's, Sophie and I had a wander around Bath and Bodyworks and I treated my car...yes, my car! to a smelly air freshener in the shape of a green owl. Hopefully the fragrance will remind me of Florida! Sophie also bought some delicious smelling body spray that made her skin sparkle.
On the way to Levi's we called into Guess and Sophie treated herself to a small red handbag that was somehow $20 less when she took it to the checkout! Bargain!
We found the men in Levi's and Keith had treated himself to two pairs of jeans and had bought Mikey a bag for school. We also discovered that Mikey had chosen three tee-shirts from a shop called Hot Topic so he was very pleased!
All in all, the kids did very well today and both of them got exactly what they wanted. I even bought a couple of tee-shirts from Converse that will be perfect at the gym!
From Ellenton we drove down the 301 to Yoders Amish restaurant. They were celebrating 39 years in business so had balloons and banners everywhere. We were seated straight away and this time I chose the fried chicken fingers with french fries and coleslaw. Sophie had the same as me while the boys went for the half chicken (or emu) with mashed potatoes and green beans. All of us, including Keith, sipped pink lemonade...
As predicted, the portions were huge and two of my chicken fingers, as well as two pieces of Keith's chicken, went into a box to take home for supper. Mikey, incredibly, finished his emu but took his apple crumble pie home. He still had spaghetti from last night's Olive Garden to have for supper!
Rather than dawdle on the busy 301 back to the villa, we sped back on the I-75 and before too long we were all cooling off in the pool. It's been another day of 90+ temperatures.
It was great knowing we hadn't got to go out again so we could laze by the pool and relax. At about 6pm the sky clouded over a bit and by 6.30pm the approaching clouds were really dark. Then the wind got up and a few branches from the oak tree next door came flying over the fence into our garden. The rain started and Mikey decided to take a dip into the pool.
Next thing, the thunder and lightening started and I've never, in all my life, experienced such ferocity from a storm. At one point the thunder was all around us and the flashes of lightening seemed to come in at us as we were sheltering under the roof of the terrace. It really seemed malevolent and I did feel very scared, for the first time in my life!
I videoed it for about five minutes but after one particularly loud clap of thunder that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, we fled indoors and then noticed that the road outside the house was flooded and bottles from a recycling box that had overturned up the road were floating down the street as if they were in a river!
We could also smell burning and we still don't know where it was coming from. Miraculously we had no interruption of power...I'm sure in the UK a storm of this size would have had us all without electricity!
The storm lasted most of the evening. Even when things had calmed down a bit, we still saw flashes of lightening in the sky and the odd rumble of thunder. We had a beautiful sunset though!
We had a very pleasant evening hoovering up all the leftovers and trying to finish off a bottle of Teacher's whisky. Home time is beginning to figure largely now and the packing for the return journey has started. We have to find room for two bottles of Rex Goliath, two bottles of Dreaming Tree and a magnum of Rex Goliath, plus any others we decide to buy tomorrow!
I'd been put off a bit by the outlets in Orlando but Ellenton was a lot different. For a start it seemed smaller and it was very quiet indeed. We only saw a handful of people the whole time we were there. First up was a coffee from Starbucks as I'd been drinking instant for almost two weeks and was really missing a Latte! I treated the family to whatever they wanted and when we eventually emerged with our drinks, Keith wondered where on earth we'd been! Good coffee takes time! My Latte was delicious!
While Keith and Mikey disappeared off to Levi's, Sophie and I had a wander around Bath and Bodyworks and I treated my car...yes, my car! to a smelly air freshener in the shape of a green owl. Hopefully the fragrance will remind me of Florida! Sophie also bought some delicious smelling body spray that made her skin sparkle.
On the way to Levi's we called into Guess and Sophie treated herself to a small red handbag that was somehow $20 less when she took it to the checkout! Bargain!
We found the men in Levi's and Keith had treated himself to two pairs of jeans and had bought Mikey a bag for school. We also discovered that Mikey had chosen three tee-shirts from a shop called Hot Topic so he was very pleased!
All in all, the kids did very well today and both of them got exactly what they wanted. I even bought a couple of tee-shirts from Converse that will be perfect at the gym!
From Ellenton we drove down the 301 to Yoders Amish restaurant. They were celebrating 39 years in business so had balloons and banners everywhere. We were seated straight away and this time I chose the fried chicken fingers with french fries and coleslaw. Sophie had the same as me while the boys went for the half chicken (or emu) with mashed potatoes and green beans. All of us, including Keith, sipped pink lemonade...
As predicted, the portions were huge and two of my chicken fingers, as well as two pieces of Keith's chicken, went into a box to take home for supper. Mikey, incredibly, finished his emu but took his apple crumble pie home. He still had spaghetti from last night's Olive Garden to have for supper!
Rather than dawdle on the busy 301 back to the villa, we sped back on the I-75 and before too long we were all cooling off in the pool. It's been another day of 90+ temperatures.
It was great knowing we hadn't got to go out again so we could laze by the pool and relax. At about 6pm the sky clouded over a bit and by 6.30pm the approaching clouds were really dark. Then the wind got up and a few branches from the oak tree next door came flying over the fence into our garden. The rain started and Mikey decided to take a dip into the pool.
Next thing, the thunder and lightening started and I've never, in all my life, experienced such ferocity from a storm. At one point the thunder was all around us and the flashes of lightening seemed to come in at us as we were sheltering under the roof of the terrace. It really seemed malevolent and I did feel very scared, for the first time in my life!
I videoed it for about five minutes but after one particularly loud clap of thunder that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, we fled indoors and then noticed that the road outside the house was flooded and bottles from a recycling box that had overturned up the road were floating down the street as if they were in a river!
 | |
| Our recycling boxes are out but luckily we took in all the paper and cardboard! |
The storm lasted most of the evening. Even when things had calmed down a bit, we still saw flashes of lightening in the sky and the odd rumble of thunder. We had a beautiful sunset though!
We had a very pleasant evening hoovering up all the leftovers and trying to finish off a bottle of Teacher's whisky. Home time is beginning to figure largely now and the packing for the return journey has started. We have to find room for two bottles of Rex Goliath, two bottles of Dreaming Tree and a magnum of Rex Goliath, plus any others we decide to buy tomorrow!
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
On the Beach
We all felt we couldn't come to this part of Florida without visiting at least one of the Gulf beaches and as Siesta Beach was voted No.1 in the US (back in 2011, I think), then this was the one!
We had a good journey down to Siesta Key and as we got nearer to the coast, the landscape became more beautiful and the houses bigger and bigger. We followed signs to beach parking and it was right next door to a lot of construction work going on. We didn't know what they were building - a new hotel or apartments, probably.
Parking was free and it was a short walk to the huge expanse of white sand. Now, I'll be honest right from the start...I'm not a fan of the beach...I quite like sitting at a bar and looking at the beach and the sea, but I hate sand getting everywhere and I would much rather be by the pool than sitting on an exposed beach under the glaring sun, especially as it was very hot today!
We arrived on the beach and at first I couldn't see any umbrellas or beds for rent, but in the far distance we spotted what looked like a stand near to the back of the expanse of sand so leaving the beach bags with the children we walked over to investigate.
A very kind man walked past and told us that we needed to go to a small office and pay there. We would then be given a slip of paper to get whatever we wanted and we'd have to pay a deposit in case we felt like nicking the umbrellas and beds. Keith trudged off again and I called the children over.
Next thing, the most tanned and lithe woman I'd ever seen in my life bounded over and I guessed she was the beach attendant. When Keith returned with his slip of paper she took the umbrellas that we wanted and followed us to the spot on the beach that we liked the look of.
She then drilled a hole with an ingenious contraption and positioned our umbrellas for us. I just stood and gazed at her tan in awe (I've never seen anyone so brown in all my life!).
We put our towels down on the sand and then went running in to the sea. It was very warm and we noticed long eel-type fishes swimming about. The very friendly beach attendant had told us that it was a safe beach and that there was a sand bar a little way out where the water was only waist high. Keith and I didn't venture that far out but we did stay for quite a while in the billowing waves, being lazily thrown about by the swell.
The beach was certainly not crowded, but I dread to think what it was like over the weekend! We stayed for a couple of hours and then went up to the most soul-less, ugly and horrible beach bar where we had a very mediocre lunch. Most of the things we ordered weren't written down by the woman taking the order so I had to go back twice to get what we wanted. There was concrete everywhere and I thought longingly of the beaches on Anna Maria Island and couldn't imagine why they hadn't built a beautiful "Tiki" bar and restaurant that would have fitted in so well with the surroundings.
After lunch the clouds which had been gathering all morning had massed a lot more ominously so we decided to call it a day and head back to the villa. On the way, in the middle of Sarasota, the heavens opened and we had a violent storm with torrential rain. By the time we reached our villa, though, the sky was a beautiful blue again!
We had a quick shower and then Keith, Mikey and me headed over to Publix to get some essentials. I treated myself to a bottle of Hess Chardonnay and enjoyed a glass by the pool when we got back. Bliss!
In the evening we set out for The Olive Garden, about fifteen minutes drive away. Back in 2009 when I'd visited Florida for the first time with my parents we'd eaten at this lovely Italian restaurant but it was forever blacklisted by Sophie as, at 13 years of age, she'd been handed a children's menu where characters like Tommy Tomato and Percy Potato featured large. As she was all dressed up and felt very grown-up she was horrified to think that she qualified for the children's menu in the first place. Consequently, she's had a downer on this particular eaterie ever since and all attempts to eat there in the past have been banned.
However, it's a lovely restaurant and I wanted Keith to try it for the first time. We were shown to our table by a very efficient front of house woman and then our dizzy waitress arrived to take our drinks order. Luckily, this time, we were all given very grown-up menus!
We chose three starters to share and then we were given a basket of delicious garlic bread and a huge bowl of salad. More garlic bread followed and I thoroughly enjoyed my main course of Chicken Parmagiana served with a side of spaghetti...phew! Bizarrely, Mikey ordered spaghetti bolognese and was told he could have another for free, to take home! That'll do for lunch tomorrow, then!
Sophie grumbled throughout her meal of Chicken Marsala so she's obviously still not made peace with the restaurant! Her dessert of Panna Cotta did cheer her up a bit though!
When we left we noticed it had been raining hard again and in the distance the sky was lit up by flashes of lightening. We sat on the terrace back at the villa with a glass of wine and enjoyed Nature's free show...I'm going to miss these fantastic storms!
We had a good journey down to Siesta Key and as we got nearer to the coast, the landscape became more beautiful and the houses bigger and bigger. We followed signs to beach parking and it was right next door to a lot of construction work going on. We didn't know what they were building - a new hotel or apartments, probably.
Parking was free and it was a short walk to the huge expanse of white sand. Now, I'll be honest right from the start...I'm not a fan of the beach...I quite like sitting at a bar and looking at the beach and the sea, but I hate sand getting everywhere and I would much rather be by the pool than sitting on an exposed beach under the glaring sun, especially as it was very hot today!
 |
| You can get an idea of how white the sand was from this pic |
We arrived on the beach and at first I couldn't see any umbrellas or beds for rent, but in the far distance we spotted what looked like a stand near to the back of the expanse of sand so leaving the beach bags with the children we walked over to investigate.
A very kind man walked past and told us that we needed to go to a small office and pay there. We would then be given a slip of paper to get whatever we wanted and we'd have to pay a deposit in case we felt like nicking the umbrellas and beds. Keith trudged off again and I called the children over.
Next thing, the most tanned and lithe woman I'd ever seen in my life bounded over and I guessed she was the beach attendant. When Keith returned with his slip of paper she took the umbrellas that we wanted and followed us to the spot on the beach that we liked the look of.
She then drilled a hole with an ingenious contraption and positioned our umbrellas for us. I just stood and gazed at her tan in awe (I've never seen anyone so brown in all my life!).
We put our towels down on the sand and then went running in to the sea. It was very warm and we noticed long eel-type fishes swimming about. The very friendly beach attendant had told us that it was a safe beach and that there was a sand bar a little way out where the water was only waist high. Keith and I didn't venture that far out but we did stay for quite a while in the billowing waves, being lazily thrown about by the swell.
The beach was certainly not crowded, but I dread to think what it was like over the weekend! We stayed for a couple of hours and then went up to the most soul-less, ugly and horrible beach bar where we had a very mediocre lunch. Most of the things we ordered weren't written down by the woman taking the order so I had to go back twice to get what we wanted. There was concrete everywhere and I thought longingly of the beaches on Anna Maria Island and couldn't imagine why they hadn't built a beautiful "Tiki" bar and restaurant that would have fitted in so well with the surroundings.
After lunch the clouds which had been gathering all morning had massed a lot more ominously so we decided to call it a day and head back to the villa. On the way, in the middle of Sarasota, the heavens opened and we had a violent storm with torrential rain. By the time we reached our villa, though, the sky was a beautiful blue again!
We had a quick shower and then Keith, Mikey and me headed over to Publix to get some essentials. I treated myself to a bottle of Hess Chardonnay and enjoyed a glass by the pool when we got back. Bliss!
In the evening we set out for The Olive Garden, about fifteen minutes drive away. Back in 2009 when I'd visited Florida for the first time with my parents we'd eaten at this lovely Italian restaurant but it was forever blacklisted by Sophie as, at 13 years of age, she'd been handed a children's menu where characters like Tommy Tomato and Percy Potato featured large. As she was all dressed up and felt very grown-up she was horrified to think that she qualified for the children's menu in the first place. Consequently, she's had a downer on this particular eaterie ever since and all attempts to eat there in the past have been banned.
However, it's a lovely restaurant and I wanted Keith to try it for the first time. We were shown to our table by a very efficient front of house woman and then our dizzy waitress arrived to take our drinks order. Luckily, this time, we were all given very grown-up menus!
We chose three starters to share and then we were given a basket of delicious garlic bread and a huge bowl of salad. More garlic bread followed and I thoroughly enjoyed my main course of Chicken Parmagiana served with a side of spaghetti...phew! Bizarrely, Mikey ordered spaghetti bolognese and was told he could have another for free, to take home! That'll do for lunch tomorrow, then!
Sophie grumbled throughout her meal of Chicken Marsala so she's obviously still not made peace with the restaurant! Her dessert of Panna Cotta did cheer her up a bit though!
When we left we noticed it had been raining hard again and in the distance the sky was lit up by flashes of lightening. We sat on the terrace back at the villa with a glass of wine and enjoyed Nature's free show...I'm going to miss these fantastic storms!
Monday, 1 September 2014
We go Mexican!
Today has been a very lazy day spent by the pool as it's Labor Day here and we weren't sure how busy places would be. We thought it would be best to lie low today and stay at the villa!
In the evening, just after the inevitable thunderstorm, we drove to a nearby Mexican restaurant called Poblanos. The other night when we went to see if we could get a table, it was full but this evening the place was much quieter and we were seated right away.
Our waitress was the best we've had this holiday so far - she was very friendly and helpful and as it was our first visit to the restaurant she brought out three free dishes as samplers. We tried Pollo Picoso (a delicious chicken dish), Carne Asada (steak) and Carnitas Verdes which was pork in a salsa verde sauce.
As well as this we had a bowl of tortilla chips and a salsa dip on the table which was replenished whenever we emptied it! Sophie chose Fajitas Nachos to start and they were delicious. Sophie and I had an argument as I said they were far better than Las Iguanas...
For mains, I chose the Pollo Picoso, Keith had the Carne Asada, Mikey went for the meaty Fajitas while Sophie opted for the Pollo Loco, which she had to admit was better than Las Iguanas! Praise indeed! All the dishes had three flour tortillas with them!
My daughter couldn't finish her main course but she insisted on having dessert - a delicious flan that I had a spoonful of. The diet will definitely start when I get home!
The restaurant closed at 9pm so it was an early night for us. We drove the very short distance back to the house and then had a quick wine tasting to finish off our evening. We bought two wines the other day - Irony Pinot Noir and Menage a Trois Merlot, but I wasn't keen on either of them. I don't think they're worth taking home. We have two Rex Goliath wines to put in the suitcase and we're definitely taking home a bottle or two of the Dreaming Tree, but time is running out now to try any more!
 |
| The house opposite after the storm |
 |
| Towering thunder clouds |
In the evening, just after the inevitable thunderstorm, we drove to a nearby Mexican restaurant called Poblanos. The other night when we went to see if we could get a table, it was full but this evening the place was much quieter and we were seated right away.
Our waitress was the best we've had this holiday so far - she was very friendly and helpful and as it was our first visit to the restaurant she brought out three free dishes as samplers. We tried Pollo Picoso (a delicious chicken dish), Carne Asada (steak) and Carnitas Verdes which was pork in a salsa verde sauce.
As well as this we had a bowl of tortilla chips and a salsa dip on the table which was replenished whenever we emptied it! Sophie chose Fajitas Nachos to start and they were delicious. Sophie and I had an argument as I said they were far better than Las Iguanas...
For mains, I chose the Pollo Picoso, Keith had the Carne Asada, Mikey went for the meaty Fajitas while Sophie opted for the Pollo Loco, which she had to admit was better than Las Iguanas! Praise indeed! All the dishes had three flour tortillas with them!
My daughter couldn't finish her main course but she insisted on having dessert - a delicious flan that I had a spoonful of. The diet will definitely start when I get home!
The restaurant closed at 9pm so it was an early night for us. We drove the very short distance back to the house and then had a quick wine tasting to finish off our evening. We bought two wines the other day - Irony Pinot Noir and Menage a Trois Merlot, but I wasn't keen on either of them. I don't think they're worth taking home. We have two Rex Goliath wines to put in the suitcase and we're definitely taking home a bottle or two of the Dreaming Tree, but time is running out now to try any more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)