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!
Saturday, 26 August 2017
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.
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| 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!
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