Far from the madding crowd.

Today dawned cloudy, but warm and we looked up at the sky anxiously as we'd booked an airboat ride for the afternoon, and the last thing we wanted was for it to rain!

Keith and I went to Publix after a very quick breakfast to get Sophie a Birthday cake for tomorrow. We also bought her a helium balloon and some celebrity magazines, which I hope she'll enjoy reading.

As we weren't sure about the traffic on the 192 and how long it would take us to get to the offices of the airboat company, we set off very early but we were glad we did as it took us an hour and a half to do the 25 mile trip to St Cloud. The traffic was horrendous (isn't it always?) and we literally crawled along until we came to a less populated area of the busy road.

Naturally we drove right past the office and I had to do a U-turn, but as we were so early the woman in the office said we could go on the 2pm ride, instead of the 3.30pm we'd booked. It took us another 45 minutes to drive to the lake and the starting point for our ride.

By now it was raining so we had to make ponchos out of black bin liners...Sophie looked at me as if she wanted to kill me and all I could do was laugh helplessly as we cut out holes for our arms and head. I'm so glad that we never bought the photo they tried to sell us later!

As there was only the four of us, we had a private tour with Dan who was extremely knowledgeable about the lake. The water wasn't very deep (about chest height) and I was slightly alarmed that we weren't strapped in as the boat went very fast indeed! It was exhilarating, but the rain against our faces wasn't pleasant at all and I prayed that it would stop for a while, which it did.

We saw several alligators, including some tiny baby ones, and some very interesting birds, but no bald eagles, which we'd hoped for. We stopped frequently for Dan to point out various wildlife and to his amazement, and ours, we saw a squirrel swimming across the lake! We all held our breaths as he was literally swimming through alligator infested waters but he made it to the other side and disappeared triumphantly into the trees!

I felt the whole experience was quite eerie, to be honest, as the water, although not deep, was extremely dark and murky and we all knew that some very dangerous creatures lurked just below the surface. There were huge floating plants with gnarled roots that could be cooked just like potatoes, their leaves coming in handy to stop bleeding, according to Dan. I'm certain that if the weather had been better, the scenery would have been breathtaking as there wasn't a building in sight and the peace, when the airboat engine was turned off, was lovely. It was hard to believe that just a few miles down the road was the busiest holiday destination in the world.

Can be eaten like potatoes

Cypress trees with their strange trunks

We sped along the water and went down two narrow canals but Dan explained that alligators, like humans, hate the rain as it gets into their nostrils. If it had been hot and sunny they would have been basking on the shore and we would perhaps have seen a lot more. Despite the weather, both Keith and I enjoyed the sensation of flying over the water but I'm not sure the kids enjoyed the experience!

Back at the car we tried to dry ourselves off by putting the heating on and then stopped for a very late lunch at a Subway. By now it was raining very hard and it was difficult to imagine the brilliant blue skies of a few days ago.

We chose a different route to go back to the villa and used a couple of toll roads. By paying only a few dollars we cut our journey time by at least an hour and I think that in future we'll make more use of these roads as they certainly weren't as congested.

In the evening we had a takeaway Chinese from the restaurant near to Publix and it was bliss to stay in for the evening and have a couple of glasses of wine!

We get a soaking!

This morning, after breakfast, Keith, Mikey and I went to Walmart to do a little bit of shopping and to have a look around. Mikey was after some sweets called "Nerds", which he found within minutes of being in the store, so he was pleased!

I'm not a fan of Walmart, if I'm honest. There's just something about the layout and the colours that I'm not keen on...and even the shopping bags are grey! We bought a couple more bottles of wine, including a Rex Goliath Shiraz as the Cabernet and the Pinot Noir have been delicious! There will definitely be a couple of bottles sneaking their way into our suitcases!

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent lying by the pool, but there's been a lot more cloud today and it looked as if a storm was brewing. At around 4pm we headed off to Universal and the sky was looking very ominous! We had the usual queues on the I-4 as the traffic was very busy and we did wonder if the road was ever quiet!

We decided to go to Islands of Adventure again and I'd promised Mikey I would go on the Bilge Rat Barges with him (I'd packed a change of clothes in my bag!). The wait time was only five minutes but the walk to the start of the ride must have taken longer than that! We were put in a boat with another couple and their daughter and two children who had been on before as they were still soaking wet! Even before the ride started we got wet as the seats were covered in water!

Predictably, we got drenched! It's a very fast and furious ride and as well as being splashed from beneath, there are also curtains of water and jets that get you from the top as well! Sophie had joined us and spent most of the ride squealing and trying to shelter under me, but it didn't make any difference! She was soaked as well!

We staggered off the ride and Keith and Mikey rode the Jurassic Park River Adventure. Keith hadn't joined us on the barges as he didn't want to get wet, but he got soaked on the River Adventure ride! Ha! He came off with wet hair and splashes all over his shirt!

The wait time for the Harry Potter ride was horrendous - 105 minutes - so we went to see the Sinbad show instead, which was a good idea as it had started to rain and the sky was looking very stormy indeed! The show was fun but we couldn't hear all that was being said, so we enjoyed the fireworks and special effects and rested our weary feet for twenty minutes!

Mikey and Sophie wanted to go on Doctor Doom's Fearfall so on the way there we tried to ride the Dr Seuss Trolley Train ride. The wait was 25 minutes but after waiting about ten minutes they put out an announcement that as the weather was worsening, the ride might have to be suspended. We decided to call it a day and as we made our way out of the park, the rain started in earnest.

Getting out of Universal was a lot harder than normal as I think everyone had the same idea! The traffic on the I-4 was nose to tail and we crawled all the way to the exit for the 192. We'd decided to eat at The Longhorn Steak House but our estimated journey time of about half an hour soon stretched to an hour. By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the rain was torrential and we saw lightening flashes in the sky. We ran into the restaurant to find a crowd of people all waiting for a table and we were told it would be about 45 minutes. Keith went to get us a drink and luckily, after waiting a short while, we managed to get a seat at the bar. Our feet were all very sore!

The meal we had was exceptional and our waiter, Mike, was great and very friendly without being over the top. We started with chilli cheese fries and then we had bowls of Caesar salad with fresh baked bread. Mikey went for a burger, Keith had parmesan crusted chicken, which he said was beautifully succulent, while Sophie and I enjoyed steaks with mashed potatoes. By the end of the meal we were stuffed so no desserts for us tonight!

It was still raining hard when we drove back to the villa and the windscreen wipers could hardly cope with the downpour of water. I took it very slowly and within a short while we were sitting on the terrace with the last of the Pinot Noir and watching the rain plop into the swimming pool!

Show rage!

After our busy day yesterday we spent the morning and early afternoon lazing by the pool. I caught up with Mum and Dad via Instant Messaging first thing, and then it was out to the pool and a soak in the sun.

It's certainly hotter now than when we arrived and our tans are coming along very well! By 3.30pm we were all ready to go to Seaworld for a few hours and hoping to see some shows, especially the Shamu Rocks! show at 9pm.

The journey was great with no queues on the I-4 and we took the Preferred Parking so we didn't have to walk so far to the entrance! It was very hot by now - about 86f - and I remember that on our previous visits this park is always the hottest for some reason. Lack of breeze?

Although the park didn't seem as busy, the queues for the dolphin feeding were horrendous! Perhaps another time! We went to Turtle Trek first, which I enjoyed, but the rest of my family thought was a bit naff! It's not a ride as such, but it's what you would call an experience, I suppose. It's split into three parts - the first part is where you can see a group of manatees and a very helpful guide talks us through what Seaworld is doing to protect these endangered species. The second part of the tour is where you see the turtles, some of them having been rescued and brought to the park as they had injuries from boats or sharks. The girl giving the talk was very informative and she pointed out the various turtles and the stories behind them.

The third part is the 3D experience. Everyone crowds into a domed theatre and we get to see what it's like to be a turtle from when it hatches to becoming an adult. I thought it was very clever as you really feel as if you're swimming through the sea and all the other creatures loom at you, some being more frightening than others! At the end it was a bit schmaltzy, but then that's Seaworld all over!

After Turtle Trek Keith wanted to see one of the shows so we made our way to the Sealion and Otter stadium to see Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island. It's a show we've seen before and I would rather have waited and seen the later show at 8pm. I really wish we had now!

The stadium was absolutely packed which was a shame as part of the fun is the mime artist who takes the mickey out of people coming in to take their seats. Previously we've always arrived early and it's hilarious to see him making fun of the poor unsuspecting people! However, today there were barely any seats left and we made our way almost to the top of the stadium before we spotted any spaces. Keith and the children found a seat on the right while I dropped into a space on the left. There was a little girl standing up but there was plenty of room. I sat down, virtually half off the seat and the girl's mother turned to me and said, "This seat's for my little girl!".

I replied that there was plenty of room (there was!) and that there was nowhere else to sit. I could hear her grumbling to the other people in her party and I felt extremely uncomfortable. After a minute, the man sitting behind me, who I presume was her husband, said to me in a whiny voice, "How can you take this little girl's seat?" It was as if I'd actually physically harmed his child! I said that there was plenty of room, but he repeated his words again, making me feel as if I'd committed a terrible sin!

Feeling humiliated and very embarrassed I got up and went to the top of the stadium, making Keith and the children wonder what on earth was going on. Keith realised what had happened and a woman behind him very kindly made room for me so I could sit with my family. He had a go at the man, stating that there was plenty of room and that there was actually a space left after I got up. He certainly shut up after that but the whole situation left a very bad taste in my mouth. I didn't enjoy the show at all and noticed that a drinks container owned by the family had its own seat all the way through!

I was left reeling by the pettiness of this family and it certainly spoilt the rest of the evening for me. As soon as the show was over we left pretty quickly as I didn't want Keith to start arguing with the man again!

The children wanted to go on the Journey to Atlantis ride so Keith and I waited at the viewing point for them. What we didn't know was that the wait time was 40 minutes so every time one of the boats came speeding down into the water we expected to see our little darlings getting a drenching!

They appeared nearly an hour later, by which time Keith and I were really flagging. I wish that Seaworld offered more places to sit, as there were a lot of people waiting to take photos of family and friends doing the ride so a couple of benches would be ideal.

Sophie was keen to do the Manta ride, but Mikey was resisting (I don't blame him!). However as we made our way to the entrance of the ride we noticed that it had a 45 minute wait...no way!

We decided to call it a day and drive to the nearby Bahama Breeze for a drink and dinner. As expected it was busy, with a 35 minute wait for dinner, but we passed the time by having a drink at the bar (we got seats!). After my experience I felt like a stiff drink, so I ordered a whisky and soda which turned into a whisky and coke, but it was delicious nonetheless. We spent a very pleasant half hour looking at the menu and listening to the Bob Marley lookalike singing some great tunes.

We had a fantastic meal at Bahama Breeze and it was easily the best of the holiday so far. Keith and Mikey shared some very spicy chicken wings to start while Sophie and I enjoyed chicken sliders in little buns. I chose Coconut Shrimp for my main course which was accompanied by rice and broccoli, Keith couldn't resist the Baby Back Ribs (he took half of them home in a box!), Mikey had curry while Sophie had Jerk Chicken Pasta, the light portion, which still looked big to me!

Despite the size of the main courses, we fancied dessert tonight and I chose Key Lime Pie as it was something I've always wanted to try. Both children tried something chocolatey, which was no surprise! My Key Lime pie was huge! It could easily have served two people and in the end I got the children and Keith to try some, and still left a large piece! Too much! It was very good though, if very, very sweet!

Biggest slice of pie I've ever seen!

We waddled back to the car and found the I-4 very easily. Back at the villa I made myself a whisky and soda (I'd had Perrier with my meal) and sat and relaxed. Bliss!

A tale of two parks.

Relaxing by the pool is all very well, but after a weekend of doing very little, we decided that today we'd get out and have some fun!

No trip to Florida is complete without a visit to Gatorland so we set off early, calling into a pharmacy on the way for me to get some painkillers as my foot was hurting a wee bit. The 192 was extremely busy this morning so we literally crawled along until we came to the turn off for the Orange Blossom Trail.

There was a queue to get in (when is there not?) but it moved very quickly and we used a voucher to save some money on the entrance fee which is always a bonus! The woman who took our money obviously took a shine to my husband and the pair of them flirted outrageously which I found hilarious!

First up was a coffee for me, a Root Beer float for Mikey and a vivid blue slush for Sophie accompanied by a pretzel, which I've always wanted to try, but I'm not sure I'll ever have again! I prefer the little snacky crisps, rather than the bread! We strolled around in the sunshine having a good look at all the alligators and the birds and then went to see the Gator Wrestling show which was as good as ever.

Not sure what was going on here, but they all looked very friendly!

Blue slush and pretzel

Gator wrestling

After the show we went into the petting zoo and we bought some food so the children could feed the goats. As I was taking photos I could feel one of the goats nudging my bottom and thought nothing of it but when I turned around I realised he'd started to eat the ties on the back of my top! Naturally this caused a great deal of hilarity, especially as there were a group of people standing behind me who saw it all happen!

Sophie wanted to go into the budgie enclosure to feed the birds so off we went but I stayed outside with Keith. However, when I tried to take photos of them through the netting, I noticed they had birds all over them so I ventured in and within seconds had lovely little budgies on me as well! Sophie had bought some seed sticks and the birds would come down and peck away at them, often having little squabbles with each other in an effort to get to the sticks! It was great fun, but I did notice one of the little birds had pooped on me!

Two budgies on my hand...which one pooped on me?

We spent the rest of our visit walking around the breeding sanctuary and meandering along the Swamp Walk which I love, as I feel it's a little bit of the real Florida. Lunch was a corn dog for me (I resisted the gator nuggets), something I've always wanted to try but I won't ever be eating again! It was just a hotdog surrounded by a layer of what tasted like doughy cake...yuk!

By now it was very warm indeed with lots of clouds building up so we decided to call it a day and head back to the villa to relax for an hour or two before heading off to Universal this evening. It was bliss to get back to the villa and sit by the pool for a while in the peace and quiet. We are so lucky to have this haven to retreat to, especially after being in the parks!

On the way to Universal we called into Publix to stock up on drinks and breakfast cereal and then we drove off along the I-4, hoping that we wouldn't get stuck in any jams. Luckily it was all running smoothly so we were at the park just after 6pm. It was still very busy, though, and the wait times for some of the rides were very long...70 minutes for Spiderman, so we decided to leave that one for later!

Mikey wanted to go on the bilge rat barges but he was alone on this one as none of us wanted to get soaked and then walk around the park! He bravely went on on his own and came off with his jeans soaked through! We decided that no matter how long the wait, we were going to do The Forbidden Journey in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter so off we went and discovered that the wait time was 60 minutes...not ideal but there is a lot to look at on the way.

The ride was great, but it felt a lot rougher than we remembered. Sophie screamed the entire way through as it is quite scary, but I think she enjoyed it nonetheless! When we came out, day had turned into night and it was wonderful to see Hogwarts and Hogsmeade village all lit up. The children wanted some Butterbeer (I did too!) so we joined the queue for that and then wandered back over to the Spiderman ride which was now showing an acceptable 35 minute wait.

The time passes very quickly as the queues go through the newspaper offices of The Bugle and the story unfolds as you get nearer the loading bays. We all had to don 3D glasses, get into large cars and hold tightly onto the lap bars. The ride was great, with evil characters looming right into you, heat, water and a lot of being thrown about!

We staggered off the ride and headed to City Walk for dinner as it was now past 9pm. Our venue for the evening was The Latin Quarter and amazingly, there was no queue at all! It was bliss to sink into the seat and look at the menu and rest our very weary feet!

It soon became apparent why there was no waiting time! The service tonight was not brilliant and although the nachos we had for a starter were good, Keith and I did not enjoy our main course of chicken paella which was stodgy and lacked any flavour. We had to ask for cutlery and Sophie had a lot of difficulty getting the top off the pot which held her fajita wraps! I'm not sure Mikey enjoyed his dish of Arroz con Pollo either, so all in all, not a success! We finished with desserts of banana creme brulee and chocolate cake and the bill came to an expensive $120, which, considering the meal and service, was a bit disappointing.

Back at the villa, it was time to unwind and have a glass of wine before bed. It had been a long day, but a great one!

More relaxation!

After another great night's sleep (our bed is so comfortable!) Keith and I walked to the Publix supermarket to see how long it would take us. This neighbourhood is very quiet and beautifully maintained and on the way there we had a good look at all the different houses, some of which are gorgeous.

As it's Easter Sunday the supermarket was closed, but we had a good look in all the shop windows before returning to the villa. Sophie couldn't believe we'd walked all the way, and I must admit we thought it would take longer, so maybe one night we can walk to the nearby Applebees and I can have a glass of wine with dinner!

It felt a good bit hotter than yesterday so we spent the afternoon snoozing by the pool and enjoying the sunshine. The golfers were out in full force and Keith finds it very funny when one of the balls lands in the trees outside the villa!

In the evening we called into Bahama Breeze on the 192 for a drink. This restaurant was being built the last time we were here but all of us said we preferred the one on International Drive. We sat at the bar and watched the staff make up drinks for the customers and were they busy! The man who served us looked Hawaiian or maybe he was a South Sea Islander and his biceps were huge! Luckily he was very friendly!

Our dinner venue for tonight was just across the road - Miller's Ale House. Of course, we had a 35 minute wait but we sat outside in the balmy evening air and watched the cars stream up and down the busy 192 so it wasn't too bad. Our meal tonight was a bit disappointing, I have to say. We started with chicken sliders on a bed of fries smothered in cheese, then Keith and I chose steak again. He went for a Porterhouse with fries while I opted for a Flat Iron with Panko prawns. I asked for a baked potato with mine (last time I was here I didn't get it!) and they were both served with broccoli which was good. Sophie had a Philly cheese steak while Mikey went for a burger again!

Our steaks were nowhere near as good as Chili's, being a bit tough and bloody but Sophie enjoyed her meal and crossed this particular dish off her list of foods to try. We had no room at all for dessert so it was back to the villa and a glass of wine by the pool. There were some pretty strange noises about tonight, though! For the first time we heard a cacophony of crickets but it also sounded like a flock of geese had arrived on the lake behind the house as we could hear lots of honking! I just hope they settle down!

Photos

Our "front" living room

Our beautiful Chevrolet Malibu

The pool overlooking the golf course

Our wine!

Ahhhh! Relaxation!

After a fabulous night's sleep (we awoke at 5am again but went back to sleep until 8am) we had a quick breakfast and then Keith and I went for a walk around Highlands Reserve. We found the communal swimming pool and the tennis courts and then had a mooch around the golf course and sat and watched a foursome teeing off. Most people use the zippy little golf buggies which I think is very lazy! I thought that golf was supposed to be a good walk spoilt?

It was a beautiful day, warm and breezy and it was wonderful sitting on a bench and just soaking up the sunshine. There were numerous squirrels running about who seemed very tame and we've seen a couple of lizards on the netting over the pool. Behind our house is a small lake but I sincerely hope there are no alligators in there!

After our walk we popped to Publix just down the road and bought some more goodies. I picked out two Birthday cards for Sophie (some of the "daughter" cards brought a tear to my eye!) and looked at the gorgeous ice-cream Birthday cakes that I know she will love (she was back at the villa). I found a magnum bottle of Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon so that went into the trolley as well!

The afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool and I am now the only one who has not swum in its chilly depths. It really is icy cold so I have the greatest admiration for my family who have fully immersed themselves!

The sun was lovely and hot in the afternoon and our tans are coming along nicely. Both Keith and I fell asleep on the sun loungers which was bliss!

In the evening we had a drink at an "Irish bar" on the same complex as the Publix supermarket. We chose the bar because it had an outdoor terrace and we love being able to sit and have a drink outside while on holiday. The bar was about as Irish as me though, with American music playing, American staff and mostly American beer, although they did serve Guinness!

Our restaurant choice was Chili's which was just a short distance along Route 27 and was Mikey's favourite. Although there were loads of free tables we had a 15 minute wait and I did wonder whether we would ever walk into a restaurant on this holiday and be seated immediately. Keith ordered a beer at the bar and was given two which surprised him! It would have been good if I'd been having a drink because we could have shared but I stuck to strawberry lemonade!

We had a great meal, but things weren't as smooth as they had been in the past. Our nachos with chicken arrived very swiftly and were demolished within minutes but we had a long wait for our main courses and my parmesan crusted sirloin turned out to be just a regular steak. However, it was very, very good - succulent and tasty and Keith said that his Ribeye was delicious too. Sophie wasn't able to eat her buffalo chicken wings so she asked for a doggy bag but Mikey demolished his pizza!

Again, we had no room for dessert (plus we had some lovely ice-cream back at the villa) so we drove home and sat out on the terrace with a glass of the Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very quiet, apart from the scuttling of a little cockroach!