Dolphin watching

We left our villa at 8am this morning and I have to confess to feeling a pang of regret that we were leaving the lovely house behind for three nights. The space and comfort is wonderful, but when we return we'll have another six days to enjoy it.

We took the Tamiami Trail (route 41) south and within half an hour we were in the Everglades National Park. The traffic was a bit busier than last time and we even saw a couple of lorries speeding past so obviously word has got out that this road is a lovely alternative to the I75! We were too early for lunch at Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe but I did spot it as we sped past!

This time I was determined to stop at the Miccosukee Indian village but all hopes of having breakfast were dashed when we realised that they were only serving coffee (we later saw the restaurant a short distance down the road). A very friendly young woman showed us how to use the machine and we wandered around looking at all the Indian arts and crafts.

Mike doing an impression of  Don Johnson in Miami Vice

Back on the road, the kids spotted a couple of alligators in the Tamiami Canal and then we saw a huge flock of black vultures feasting on something...they looked really sinister!

From the Tamiami Trail we turned right onto the 997 and drove down to Homestead, stopping at a Subway again for an early lunch. We had stopped here three years ago and Sophie was very nervous, but she enjoyed the break today and couldn't understand why she had had such bad vibes before!

There was a lot of roadworks on this route and we can only surmise that they are widening the road. Once past Homestead and Florida City we turned onto Route 1 that traverses the whole Keys. There were loads of cars coming north and I really hoped that the Keys would be quiet like the last time we visited!

View from a bridge

Selfies in the back

Thankfully the weather was glorious and the outside temperature was hovering around the 100f mark. We decided to go to the Dolphin Research Centre first as it was a bit too early for us to check into the Holiday Inn in Marathon. The DRC is on Grassy Key, about ten minutes from the hotel. We paid $112 to enter but the first thing we needed was the loo!

There were four portaloos in the grounds and I have to say that the one I used was disgusting, so not really a good start to our visit. The toilet pipes here in Florida are really narrow and they can't cope with masses of paper or human waster, and my toilet had both. Yuk!

We went to one of the back lagoons first and listened to a talk from one of the trainers while the dolphins demonstrated their skills. One of them, Jax, had been attacked by a bull shark near Jacksonville and had part of his tail and dorsal fin missing. He was a baby at the time and had been separated from his mother so he would never be able to cope in the wild. He looked very happy hanging out with the other males, in their "bachelor" pod!

The DRC is a lovely, quiet place and to escape the heat and humidity we went into the small theatre to listen to a talk about sea-lions, of which the centre has four - three females and a male. The woman giving the talk was obviously passionate about the animals and she was very knowledgeable which made the talk interesting.

Afterwards, we sat on the benches overlooking the lagoons and watched the dolphins, who in turn, watched us!

After a couple of hours we were all wilting in the heat so we decided to call it a day. Sophie looked at the tee-shirts but they were $32, which I thought was a bit steep, so we left and joined the men who had gone to the bar next door. We visited the last time we were here, three years ago, and Sophie and Mike pinned a dollar bill to the wall, as was the custom. We were looking forward to returning and finding out if it was still there...only it wasn't. The bar had been taken over two years ago and the new owners took all the money down. What a shame! I wonder if they paid the dollars into their bank account?!

We had some drinks and two bowls of fries and then went to the Holiday Inn to check in. There were two huge SUVs parked by the entrance and several men loading film equipment into them and for one dizzying moment I thought that Nev and Max from Catfish were at the hotel filming as it's the sort of place that they stay! The receptionist thought that was hilarious! If only it had happened! It would have made our holiday!

We had rooms next to each other on the ground floor and we unpacked and showered. I was a little worried about the noise of someone stamping about above us and really hoped we wouldn't have a noisy stay!

For dinner in the evening we decided to eat at The Island Fish Company across the road so I could have a night off driving. Yippee! We went to the Tarpon Bar and Grill first and I enjoyed a delicious Kentuckian cocktail. It was so lovely to sit and sip a proper drink overlooking the inlet and all the boats moored up for the night.

A mix of Bourbon, raspberry puree, Grand Marnier and Agave syrup

We strolled over to the Island Fish Co at about 6.45pm and were seated immediately, right by the water. The sun was shining at us, but I knew that after about an hour it would be sinking lower in the sky and I really wanted to see the sunset. The people at the table in front of us had a kind of blind down protecting them but I wanted the full view, uninterrupted!

We started with drinks - I had another cocktail which consisted of white and dark rum with tropical juices - Sophie had a Margarita and Keith had a beer. I did feel so sorry for Mike for not being able to join in as he could do at home with a beer. Against my better judgement, we ordered two plates of nachos to start followed by grilled grouper with beans and rice for Sophie and I, Coconut Shrimp for Keith and a burger for Mike.

One of the things we're finding annoying with eating out at the moment is that the servers are bringing our main courses before we've even finished our starter, which is a total pain. This happened tonight and it felt like we were being rushed when that was the last thing we wanted! Amazingly, the people sitting behind us (who sat down after us and pulled our blind down...grrrr!) had been and gone in a very short time so as it neared the sunset time, we were able to ask for the blind to go back up again. This set off a chain reaction around the restaurant as diners realised that the magic hour was approaching!

The views over the water were stunning:

As the sun sank slowly behind the horizon, people went out onto the boardwalk to take photos.

Our food had been delicious, but in a bid to prolong our evening, we asked the waiter for a few minutes before we had dessert. He was quite comical and I don't think he understood much of what we were saying to him, but we managed to delay pudding until the sun had set. Sophie and I ordered Key Lime Pie (not deep fried as Keith had the last time) while Mike had a gooey chocolate cake.

After we'd paid the bill ($154) we walked out to admire the view again and spotted a sinister looking little jellyfish!

Heading back to the hotel

Before turning in for the night we went back to the Tarpon Bar and Sophie and I enjoyed a glass of Prosecco each, while Keith had a Jack Daniels over ice. It had been an expensive day today!

Views over the water.

We spent today at the villa and had a very relaxed day in or by the pool. It was heaven. The weather has been gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky in the morning and it was lovely to just lie and read or stare up at the white fluffy clouds in the afternoon.

By about 4pm we'd all had enough sun so we packed for our three night stay in the Florida Keys. Mike and Sophie shared a suitcase as they're sharing a room at the Holiday Inn in Marathon. I just hoped we'd be near each other and not floors apart!

We had booked a table at a restaurant for this evening called The Boat House which is on Naples Dock, so right on the water. We left a bit early so we could find it and, of course, arrived very early for our booking. They had a bar so we decided to have a drink first but the place was packed with people and there was nowhere to sit at all. We did a circuit of the bar area (no doubt watched by everyone sitting on the bar stools!) and then decided to leave and find somewhere else for a drink. We walked along the dock but the bar we saw was for residents of The Cove Inn only, so we got back into the car and drove on a bit further, finding a restaurant called The Dock at Crayton Cove. This, too, was busy but the very friendly front of house girl said we were more than welcome to just have a drink.

Sophie had a Margarita, I had a glass of wine, Keith had beer while Mike had a lemonade. We sat and people watched and a family to the right of us fascinated me as the Mum rushed around entertaining her young children, but Dad just sat and stared at his phone the whole time!

After our drink we made our way back to The Boathouse and to our utter delight were seated at a corner table right by the window. The views were stunning and we felt like we'd been given the best table in the restaurant.

However, all was not perfect as the service was painfully slow, but luckily we weren't in any hurry and we were happy to just sit and gaze out over the water and watch the boats come and go.

For dinner we chose chicken wings as a shared starter and I had a bowl of mussels. Our mains included chicken salad (me), rack of lamb (Keith), steak sandwich (Sophie) and a beautiful dish of prawns, pasta and scallops for Mike. My salad was huge and I just couldn't finish it and we all agreed that the food was very good, it was just the service that let the restaurant down. Our server blamed the fact that the place was busy, but it wasn't that packed. The good thing is, we were inside, with air-conditioning and it was lovely and cool!

Back at the villa, we had a nightcap and then it was off to bed, excited for our trip tomorrow!

Beautiful Naples.

I woke up this morning to the steady drip of rain so obviously the storm of last night was still much in evidence! I fell asleep again and was woken by Mike who thrust his little finger in my face saying that there was something wrong with it...

It was indeed very swollen and twice the size of his little finger on his other hand so it looked like he'd been bitten or stung by something. I promised we would go to either Walgreen's or CVS and get him something to sort it out.

We had breakfast and the clouds gradually drifted away to be replaced with blue skies and sunshine. I called my parents as it's my Dad'd birthday today and wished him many happy returns. The line to the UK was very clear but it would have been great to have set up video messaging! We had decided we were going to find the pier this morning so we consulted maps and wrote down the directions, determined to find it!

The roads in Naples are set out on a grid system so it's quite easy to find what you're looking for when you realise this! We drove along the main street where a lot of beautiful shops and restaurants are located and then turned down a road into a residential area. Luckily, we soon saw signs for the pier and Historic Old Naples. At the end of a quiet residential street we saw parking spaces and Keith fed about $4 into the meter. There was a little boardwalk and beyond it a huge expanse of white beach with the pier in the distance.

We clambered over the sand and climbed some steps up onto the pier. There were lots of people fishing and at first I was a bit snooty, comparing it to the Anna Maria City Pier, but after we'd walked to the end I thought it was lovely. What made it even lovelier was that we saw two dolphins swimming all around the pier! What a treat!

We stood and watched people fishing and they managed to catch quite a lot. One young man caught a silvery fish and put it back into the sea, much to the relief of Sophie! I've taken lots of photos on my camera so will upload them when I get home. I also took an updated photo of Keith, Sophie and Mike on the pier so hopefully that will turn out well. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the one I took of them on Anna Maria Island and which is my all-time favourite!

Path to the sea

We walked back to the car and I was agog at how beautiful the houses were. They were truly stunning.

Back into the air-conditioned cool of the car we tried to make our way back to the town as we all fancied a cold drink. However, we became hopelessly lost in the most fabulous residential area I've ever visited. The houses were out of this world beautiful, each one gorgeous, with immaculately manicured gardens and imposing gates. There were lots of maintenance vans everywhere, no doubt keeping everything looking perfect. I dread to think how much money these houses go for, but I would guess many, many millions of dollars!

Eventually we made it to 3rd Avenue South where there were more lovely shops, restaurants and cafes. We saw three Ferraris in the space of two minutes and I parked in front of a white one, noticing that the passenger window was open!

We went into a lovely cafe and wine shop, Tonys Off Third, and enjoyed cold drinks, coffee, tea and cakes. While we were waiting to be served we had a lovely chat with a local man who had just returned from a trip to London. This is another thing about Naples - everyone is so friendly and the conversation generally starts with, "Where are you from?" We try and explain where Northampton is, and the person we're speaking to inevitably loves the UK, so we set off on a mutually admiring chat about our countries!

Sitting outside was lovely and a little sparrow-type bird came down and hoovered up all the crumbs! It was very warm and we made the decision to go back to the villa for the afternoon after calling into a Walgreen's on the way.

We consulted the pharmacist and she advised Witch Hazel to bring out the poison, a hydrocortisone cream to soothe the pain and itching and an antihistamine to relieve the reaction. Once that was all done, we headed back to the villa and spent a very enjoyable afternoon swimming and sunbathing. The sky was a beautiful blue with hardly any clouds. Perfect!

In the evening we decided to return to 3rd Avenue South as we'd spotted a lovely bar and restaurant called Old Naples Pub. The menu looked great and I'd actually researched this as a possible dinner venue before we'd left the UK. We sat outside, which was great, as it's something we rarely do in Florida.

We were given iced water and then our drinks orders taken. Sophie and I chose a glass of Riesling, Keith went for a draught beer while poor Mike had to settle for a Root Beer. The children shared a starter of nachos with chicken while Keith and I enjoyed a plate of onion rings with a spicy dip.

For our mains, Sophie wanted to try something different so she chose the Mahi Mahi tacos served with beans and rice, I had Coconut Shrimp, Keith had fish and chips (well, it is Friday!) and Mike had a triple decker sandwich and fries.

Sophie loved her fish, but wasn't keen on the abundance of lettuce and tomatoes it came with! However, she was pleased she'd tried something different and it's on my list to try as well, hopefully in the Keys.

We made room for dessert as I just had to compare their Key Lime pie with my own! Sophie and Mike shared a chocolate brownie which they said was delicious but I was a little disappointed with my dessert...there wasn't much of a lime tang to it! Perhaps the Brazilian limes we get in the UK have more of a flavour than the Key Limes?

Feeling very stuffed we paid the bill ($120) and waddled off to the car. We then noticed the sky...and what a sky it was! Huge storm clouds tinged with pink and peach towered above us and we just had to head for the beach and see the sunset. The timing is about 8pm here so we were just in time to see the blazing orb sink below the horizon.

There were lots of people on the pier and on the beach with some professional photographers using tripods to capture the gorgeous view. I'm afraid this sunset definitely beat the one we saw when we dined at The Sandbar restaurant on Anna Maria island the last time we came to Florida! I had another lovely chat with a woman who was leaving the beach and again the conversation started off with her asking where we were from. She was a fan of Stratford-upon-Avon, she said and loved our countryside. I said that we didn't get sunsets like this at home and that Naples was stunning!

When the sunset was over, and we could feel we were being bitten by little insects, we headed back to the villa, calling in to a 7-11 to get some petrol. This time we only paid $25 and filled the tank! With a few drinks by the pool and a free lightening show from Mother Nature, it was the perfect end to a lovely day!

Exploring.

It was lovely to sit by the pool this morning and look out over the lake. We've all agreed that this is the best view we've ever had in a villa, anywhere!

We needed to call into the management offices this morning as the door into Sophie's bathroom wouldn't open yesterday after she'd closed it. We'd heard her plaintive calls for help but luckily she has a door that opens out onto the patio so she was able to get out that way! Keith and Mike managed to sort it out but we wanted to report the door, so we drove to the office to find it closed even though it was past 10am and they should have been open!

It was a short drive from there to Naples and we parked in the town centre, planning to go and find the pier. However, after blundering about for a while (and coming across some beautiful shops and restaurants) we decided to try and drive there instead as it was very hot. I carried along the main street and then turned back and headed back the way we came along some side streets which were stuffed with gorgeous houses...they were absolutely beautiful and I dread to think how much they cost. Easily multiple millions!

Soph and Mike in Naples

We vainly looked for the pier but it was obvious we'd missed it so we carried on along the Tamiami Trail (Route 41) towards Marco Island instead. It wasn't a long drive and when we saw signs for the island we turned off the 41 and onto a road that crossed several bridges with fantastic views. We had high hopes for Marco Island and Sophie said she wanted to get married in the Marriott hotel there!

We entered Marco Island and headed for the beach but there was no way we could see it. There were huge hotels and condominiums all along the coast and we didn't see any parking at all. In fact, we couldn't see any access to the beach although Sophie did spot a narrow walkway that probably led down to the sea. It wasn't what we were expecting at all and if we'd thought we'd be visiting another Anna Maria Island type location, we were very wrong.

We went as far as we could and saw lots of signs forbidding us from parking anywhere. However, we did see signs for Tigertail Beach with parking and amenities so we turned around and headed for that instead. The beach itself was tucked away in a residential area and after paying $8 for parking we headed towards the sea.

Again, I'm not sure what we were expecting and we certainly weren't dressed for the beach, but we were all a little bit disappointed when we arrived to find a flat stretch of sand and a strip of water with another long area of bushes behind it. Looking at the sign we saw that to get to the actual Gulf, you had to either wade across the strip of water or walk around to the headland. As it was very hot (have I mentioned this before?) and none of us were dressed to go sun-bathing we decided to give the long walk a miss!

We did climb some steps in a viewing tower though and had a good look at the view. This is an important conservation area and there were tall poles with nests on top of them and areas where we were forbidden to enter.

There was a little cafe by the entrance to the beach so we re-traced our steps and sat and enjoyed a beer. Another British family arrived and I think they were in the same situation as us because I heard one of the women say that they weren't really dressed for the beach!

We left Marco Island and headed back to Naples, but before we went back to the villa Mike wanted to go into a large thrift store he'd spotted. He headed straight for the tee-shirts and shirts and had soon picked out a load of clothes, some of which were designer! His total haul of eight tops came to $38 and I think the man on the cash desk was impressed with what he'd bought. He was very funny, but very grumpy with a real droll sense of humour!

Back at the villa we had lunch and then spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. It clouded over and when we headed out in the evening we could see that a storm was developing. The people who owned our villa had recommended a nearby Aldi for shopping so we drove there to get some bits that we needed. Again, I don't know what I was expecting (an exact replica of our Kettering store perhaps?) but it was very different! Sophie and I searched in vain for our New Zealand Pinot Gris but we soon realised that the food and drink on offer bore no resemblance whatsoever to our UK supermarket!

Keith bought some beer that was considerably cheaper than Publix and we put butter, eggs and snacks into the trolley. The store was very quiet and typical of an Aldi in that there wasn't a huge amount of choice, but it was a lot cheaper than Publix, so we will definitely go there again.

Our dinner venue for the evening was The Olive Garden in Naples and we drove there under the gathering clouds. I had feared that the restaurant would be busy but we were seated immediately and our friendly waitress came over to take our drinks order. Again, Sophie ordered a Margarita, frozen this time, and she wasn't asked for ID. This was good  news as she's always had a bit of an issue with The Olive Garden after the first time we ever visited when she was about 13 and had dressed up for the occasion with make-up and they'd given her the children's menu! She's never forgiven them!

We ordered a sharing sampler for a starter (bad idea) but each main meal comes with either soup or salad and garlic bread sticks. Sophie, Mike and I ordered the soup while Keith had a huge bowl of salad with croutons. The starter was OK, but it was very heavy with cheese...we had mini lasagnes coated in breadcrumbs, mozzarella sticks and mushrooms stuffed with clams (ewww!). Thankfully Keith polished off the mushrooms!

For mains I had chosen Chicken Marsala, Keith had a stuffed version, Sophie chose grilled chicken parmigiana and Mike had lasagne. We were all stuffed ourselves by the end of the meal. We were sat by the window and every time I turned to look at Keith the sky had become darker...the clouds looked really ominous and when we went outside to get in the car we could see flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder.

By the time we reached the villa, the rain was really coming down and we sat by the pool with a drink and watched nature's entertainment!

A bit of a mishap...

We were all up early this morning and ready to go by about 8.30am. Getting everything into the boot of the car was a squeeze and some of the stuff had to be put on the back seat, but after a quick sweep around the villa we were all set. However, there was just one problem...the front door key that had been sitting on the breakfast bar all night and during the morning had disappeared. And I mean vanished into thin air.

Well, we checked everything...we emptied the boot of the car, emptied the bags we'd packed at the last minute, moved the sofa and rugs in case the key had fallen down behind them or underneath them, searched the villa high and low and we couldn't find it. Keith was panicking and the sweat was pouring off all of us as we kept going back out to the car to check the driveway, the path and the lawn. Sophie even checked the oven! I moved the car off the driveway to see if it had fallen underneath and we tried to think back to remember if one of us had taken it and left it somewhere, but it had well and truly gone.

We had to be out of the villa by 10am and as the time approached we decided to go to the management offices and tell them what had happened. We knew we'd be charged for a new lock and key but we were fine with that. We just wanted to resolve the situation. Sophie and Mike stayed at the villa while Keith and I made the trek up the 27 to the offices. The woman there said she would email us either way...to let us know the charges or if the maid had found the key.

Back at the villa I was hoping upon hope that the children had located it, but no. The maid had come and gone, but within minutes one of the managers had arrived and was absolutely fine about what had happened.

We left and went to IHOP for breakfast, albeit about 90 minutes later than we'd intended! Of course, the place was heaving with people and we had a short wait before we were seated. This morning I chose the breakfast sampler, Keith had eggs and bacon with toast again, Mike went for his favourite of chocolate pancakes and Sophie opted for the fried chicken and waffles. The lashings of coffee were very welcome indeed!

By 11am we were on the road and heading for Tampa on the I4. The traffic wasn't that busy and within the hour we had turned onto the I75 towards Venice and Naples. I drove at a steady 70-80mph and it was a very pleasant, if slightly boring, journey.

Once at junction 101 of the I75 we turned off and followed the directions to the offices where we had to collect the directions to our villa. It was closed but we had the code to access the lockbox where an envelope awaited us. Thankfully, there was a bar nearby as we all had to use the facilities and we had a drink to cool off.

Getting to our villa at Briarwood took us about 15 minutes and as it's a gated community we had to show ID and our booking reservation. They gave us a sticker for the window and we were let in. The community is absolutely beautiful with gorgeous houses set amongst palm trees and beautifully manicured gardens.

Our villa is a four bedroom, three bathroom house with a pool overlooking the lake, a large kitchen/living room and a separate living room and dining area. We were very impressed!

Our bedroom

Very comfy recliners!

No alligators in the lake, apparently!

We unpacked our cases, put all the food away and explored the villa. It's very large so there's plenty of room for everyone and the kids have their own bathrooms, which is great. I called my Mum to let her know we'd arrived in Naples and she was delighted to hear from us, saying the weather back in Britain had been terrible.

We decided to find the nearest supermarket, a Publix, but we also learned there's an Aldi nearby as well. Once there we stocked up with essentials and at the liquor store next to Publix Keith treated me to a bottle of Russian Standard Vodka. We were able to buy Fever Tree tonic in the supermarket so I was all set for my favourite drink!

Rather than go out in the evening we decided to have a Chinese takeaway from a place we'd seen on the drive in. We waited 15 minutes for our meals to be cooked and then it was back to the villa, dinner and drinks by the pool. Sophie and Mike had a dip and we spent a lovely evening chatting and watching the sun go down over the lake. The sky was gorgeous! I think we're going to be very happy here!

We save a lizard!

Yesterday was all a bit much in the parks, what with the crowds, the heat and the noise, so we decided to stay at the villa today and make the most of our pool. We did have the gardeners come around in the morning, though, and they made a right racket with their strimmers, ride-on lawn mowers and leaf-blowers. I'm not sure what the man wielding the leaf blower was doing as there weren't any leaves to blow away and all he managed to do was blow a load of debris into our pool!

Sophie was ecstatic today as she and Keith saved a lizard (well, they think they saved him!). He had somehow become trapped between her window and the netting covering the window and had been there a couple of days. Now, it might be that he was there because there was a rich supply of ants along the windowsill but they managed to get him out anyway and after the gardeners had gone we let him back out onto the grass. Sophie called him Geoffrey:

Geoffrey...temporarily held in a glass awaiting release.

We had to pack as well today, of course, and it's been the first time ever that we've moved from one villa to another so we made sure we put all of our groceries into bags to take with us. We just hoped there would be enough room in the boot of the car!

By the evening we were all packed and after showers we headed for the Irish pub near to Publix. Keith was very fond of their Goose Island beer they serve and Sophie enjoyed a very strong Margarita while poor old Mike and me had to be content with lemonades. It wasn't my favourite place to go to for a drink but at least we could sit outside and people watch!

Our dinner venue for the evening was the Longhorn Steakhouse on the 192 and turning into the car park we were dismayed to see people spilling out onto the path and others waiting on benches. It looked like we were in for a wait. We were told we could have a table within half an hour so we sat at the bar and had a drink. The place was heaving with people and the noise level was tremendous with a considerable amount of excited children adding to the racket!

I'd been looking forward to the meal all day as the restaurant is one of our favourites and their steaks are very good indeed. We were given bread to eat as we perused the menu and our drinks orders taken. I noticed a bottle of Apothic red on the wine menu selling for $32...I think it's about £9 in Tesco! Sophie had a glass of red, Keith had a beer and I had a refill of strawberry lemonade that I hadn't asked for! I already had half a glass! I managed to get Mike to drink it for me!

Naturally, we all ordered steaks. Sophie and I went for exactly the same - the New York Strip served with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Keith went for a T-bone served with fries and broccoli and Mike went for the Rib-Eye served with just fries. Our server, called Eric, was quite pushy and kept trying to "upsell" a load of things on the menu, such as trying to get Mike to have the Outlaw Ribeye for a much higher price, trying to get us to have cheese on our steaks and ensured that Sophie had a large glass of Cabernet rather than a normal one. I was going to have a glass of red with my meal as well but I didn't just so I couldn't give him the satisfaction of trying to sell me something. None of us liked him very much and this is very rare in America as we normally find our servers to be polite, friendly and chatty. All I felt we kept saying to him was, "No thanks", "No, we're fine" and it became a little wearing, especially as he kept popping by and continually asking if we wanted anything...yes! For you to go away and leave us in peace!

We enjoyed the steaks but mine was a little bloody for my liking. Sophie helped me finish it and said that mine was far more bloody than hers. We didn't have room for dessert and I thought Eric was going to burst into tears when we declined the pudding menu! The bill came to $126 and we left him a tip of course, but it wasn't a large one!

Back at the peace and quiet of the villa, I finally got my glass of red...and it was delicious!