Friday, 27 November 2009
Happy Thanksgiving...
Mum, Steven, Iain & Lou prepare for waverunning
Steven starts his engine
Lucy & Jessica at Pine Island
A hungry pelican looks out for fish
Dad & Margaret on Fort Myers Beach
The newlyweds pose against a Ft Myers Beach sunset
Eunice & Lou at the Gulf Shore Grille
Where did the sun go?
Lucy enjoys a Cosmopolitan at Ruby Tuesday
The three fishes enjoy the pool
Mary, Margaret & Lou ... aka the Three Librarians
Welcome to children's corner
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Homework...
Iain works on his assignment
A band plays at Cape Harbour
It's a lively night at the Long Boards Bar
Eunice and son-in-law at Cape Harbour
Peter and Lou at Cape Harbour
Monday, 23 November 2009
A date with the manatees...
An atmospheric view of Crystal River from the hotel
Ready to snorkel
Looking good
Dad & I view the manatee
A view of Dad & me underwater
A mother and her calf at Crystal River
Captain Fish steers us back to dry land
Broderick, Lucy & Iain
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Game day...
With a lack of internet between Tuesday and Thursday I've fallen a little behind with the blog. Tonight we are staying over in Crystal River for a snorkelling tour tomorrow, so there's a reasonable chance of being left without an internet connection again. I'll keep you posted ... or not.
Anyway, I need to go and get ready for a drive up to Tampa. Lucy & I are watching our first American Football game this afternoon ... the New Orleans Saints are visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if the form-book is anything to go by, the Bucs are in for a real pasting! We can only hope that our presence will help turn their fortunes around...
...no such luck with the game ... the drive up was painless, as was finding a place to park outside Raymond James Stadium - home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All around the stadium was buzzing with mainly Bucs fans, some that appeared to have stayed overnight in trailers or tents, and many that had brought full size barbeques and the like. This was no trip to watch a weekend football fixture, it was a full-on social event!
Once inside the stadium we purchased shirts, programmes, food & beverages and located our designated seats ... the view was perfect. After all the pre-game build up (national anthem etc.) the game began and the stadium erupted. As for the game, well it couldn't have started any better for the Bucs ... after forcing the Saints to punt, the Buccaneers drove 95 yards down field for a touchdown to take a 7 - 0 lead. Unfortunately that touchdown and conversion were the only points scored by the home team for the remainder of the game.
I won't bore you with the game specifics, but suffice to say the Bucs lost 38-7 after a dismal second half. The result however, did nothing to spoil our day, in fact, I get the impression Lucy would be happy to come again - I certainly will be doing one day.
We made a relatively pain free exit from the stadium and its surrounding area and drove the hour plus journey north to Crystal River to meet up with Steven, Dad, Margaret, Mum, Mary, Katie & Nicole at the Port Marina Hotel complex. Several of us ate food, many of us drank beer, and Steven, Dad & I played pool ... having lost no games I assumed the title of undisputed Ale House Pool Champion 2009.
At about 9:30pm we all retired for the night in preparation for an early start ... some much earlier than others.
Anyway, I need to go and get ready for a drive up to Tampa. Lucy & I are watching our first American Football game this afternoon ... the New Orleans Saints are visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if the form-book is anything to go by, the Bucs are in for a real pasting! We can only hope that our presence will help turn their fortunes around...
...no such luck with the game ... the drive up was painless, as was finding a place to park outside Raymond James Stadium - home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All around the stadium was buzzing with mainly Bucs fans, some that appeared to have stayed overnight in trailers or tents, and many that had brought full size barbeques and the like. This was no trip to watch a weekend football fixture, it was a full-on social event!
Raymond James Stadium
Once inside the stadium we purchased shirts, programmes, food & beverages and located our designated seats ... the view was perfect. After all the pre-game build up (national anthem etc.) the game began and the stadium erupted. As for the game, well it couldn't have started any better for the Bucs ... after forcing the Saints to punt, the Buccaneers drove 95 yards down field for a touchdown to take a 7 - 0 lead. Unfortunately that touchdown and conversion were the only points scored by the home team for the remainder of the game.
The Pirate Ship inside Raymond James
Kick-off
I won't bore you with the game specifics, but suffice to say the Bucs lost 38-7 after a dismal second half. The result however, did nothing to spoil our day, in fact, I get the impression Lucy would be happy to come again - I certainly will be doing one day.
Action from the game
Lucy & Iain at the ball game
We made a relatively pain free exit from the stadium and its surrounding area and drove the hour plus journey north to Crystal River to meet up with Steven, Dad, Margaret, Mum, Mary, Katie & Nicole at the Port Marina Hotel complex. Several of us ate food, many of us drank beer, and Steven, Dad & I played pool ... having lost no games I assumed the title of undisputed Ale House Pool Champion 2009.
Dad, Iain & Steven shoot some pool
At about 9:30pm we all retired for the night in preparation for an early start ... some much earlier than others.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Pool Party...
On Saturday we breakfasted at the villa, at the same time feeding our local terrapin, who we have named Charlie (no particular reason so please don't ask).
At about 10am we drove down to Coconut Point shopping mall to find some more bargains. Lucy purchased a Hollister shirt, and I bought a Hollister hooded top and a Tommy Bahama shirt. I would have bought a protective cover for my iPhone from the Apple Store, but given that the plentiful staff around the store failed to even acknowledge my existence whilst stood at the counter for several minutes, I walked away empty-handed out of principal.
For lunch we dined at the Asian Chao, an Oriental Restaurant that served mainly Thai cuisine. Lucy & I both ate a shrimp starter, followed by Pad Thai and Bangkok Noodles respectively. Both meals were excellent, but like the Apple Store, the service could have been a whole lot better ... we ensured our tip reflected the service.
SuperTarget was visited next, buying a bikini for Lucy, and a cheap ($25) underwater digital camera in preparation for our trip to Crystal River tomorrow. From Target we drove home, making a quick stop to pack a couple of things before dad drove the four of us round to Eunice & Co. for an evening of pool frivolities, barbeque and poker. Only four of us played poker - Eunice, Lou, Lucy & I ... my game plan of allowing the three ladies to consume copious amounts of alcohol paid off as I won all the chips, and more importantly all the dosh.
Dad drove us home prior to midnight and we headed to bed not long after our arrival, ready for a big day tomorrow.
Charlie the terrapin
At about 10am we drove down to Coconut Point shopping mall to find some more bargains. Lucy purchased a Hollister shirt, and I bought a Hollister hooded top and a Tommy Bahama shirt. I would have bought a protective cover for my iPhone from the Apple Store, but given that the plentiful staff around the store failed to even acknowledge my existence whilst stood at the counter for several minutes, I walked away empty-handed out of principal.
For lunch we dined at the Asian Chao, an Oriental Restaurant that served mainly Thai cuisine. Lucy & I both ate a shrimp starter, followed by Pad Thai and Bangkok Noodles respectively. Both meals were excellent, but like the Apple Store, the service could have been a whole lot better ... we ensured our tip reflected the service.
SuperTarget was visited next, buying a bikini for Lucy, and a cheap ($25) underwater digital camera in preparation for our trip to Crystal River tomorrow. From Target we drove home, making a quick stop to pack a couple of things before dad drove the four of us round to Eunice & Co. for an evening of pool frivolities, barbeque and poker. Only four of us played poker - Eunice, Lou, Lucy & I ... my game plan of allowing the three ladies to consume copious amounts of alcohol paid off as I won all the chips, and more importantly all the dosh.
No comment
Steven takes charge of the barbeque
A successful evening
Dad drove us home prior to midnight and we headed to bed not long after our arrival, ready for a big day tomorrow.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Are we really married?
First of all, Lucy & I would like to thank all the folks back home that wished us luck on our very special day. For those that sent messages via text or sites such as Facebook, we apologise for not sending individual responses, but rest assured your messages were very much appreciated.
On Friday Lucy & I stirred at about 9am. I was looking forward to a cup of coffee, until I discovered that our coffee pot had been transformed into a vase for Lucy's flowers ... married life has begun! We enjoyed our room, and the views that went with it for one last time before packing up and loading the car.
Breakfast was eaten at the Pointe Restaurant, on the South Seas Resort - Lucy had the omelette, I went for scrambled eggs & bacon ... oh, and a couple of cups of coffee!
After breakfast Lucy & I visited the resort sweet shop - Scoops & Slices. This isn't your typical paper shop where you request a 10p mix, the walls are lined with pick & mix containers of all colours - Lucy was in her element.
Once Lucy had finished up at the sweet shop, we checked-out of the resort and drove to the south end of Sanibel Island for a stroll along the beach, taking in the great views as well as the historic lighthouse.
On our way back to the car Lucy spotted a small turtle munching away at the plants. If you have read any of our previous blogs, you'll realise that wildlife, of some kind or another, whether it be goats, alpacas, sheep [and the racing of] or snakes is a common theme. I spent the next ten minutes or so taking photos and vidoes, whilst Lucy attempted to hand feed the turtle with leaves.
After exhausting ourselves, and the turtle / tortoise we drove back in the direction of our villa, stopping off for lunch at The Joint at Cape Harbour. Lucy & I both ordered the Kobe Steak Sliders as our main meal, followed by creme brulee and key lime pie desserts - all of which were fantastic!
We drove home after our late lunch and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the villa, looking over our wedding photos from the three or four cameras available.
On Friday Lucy & I stirred at about 9am. I was looking forward to a cup of coffee, until I discovered that our coffee pot had been transformed into a vase for Lucy's flowers ... married life has begun! We enjoyed our room, and the views that went with it for one last time before packing up and loading the car.
Our room is in the bottom left corner
Breakfast was eaten at the Pointe Restaurant, on the South Seas Resort - Lucy had the omelette, I went for scrambled eggs & bacon ... oh, and a couple of cups of coffee!
After breakfast Lucy & I visited the resort sweet shop - Scoops & Slices. This isn't your typical paper shop where you request a 10p mix, the walls are lined with pick & mix containers of all colours - Lucy was in her element.
A kid in a candy shop
An hour later
Once Lucy had finished up at the sweet shop, we checked-out of the resort and drove to the south end of Sanibel Island for a stroll along the beach, taking in the great views as well as the historic lighthouse.
Beautiful scenery around Sanibel Island
On our way back to the car Lucy spotted a small turtle munching away at the plants. If you have read any of our previous blogs, you'll realise that wildlife, of some kind or another, whether it be goats, alpacas, sheep [and the racing of] or snakes is a common theme. I spent the next ten minutes or so taking photos and vidoes, whilst Lucy attempted to hand feed the turtle with leaves.
A Sanibel Sea Turtle
After exhausting ourselves, and the turtle / tortoise we drove back in the direction of our villa, stopping off for lunch at The Joint at Cape Harbour. Lucy & I both ordered the Kobe Steak Sliders as our main meal, followed by creme brulee and key lime pie desserts - all of which were fantastic!
Lucy readies herself for sliders at The Joint
We drove home after our late lunch and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the villa, looking over our wedding photos from the three or four cameras available.
Thursday 19th - THE BIG DAY...
I was up early this morning brewing coffee at 7am after a surprisingly good night's sleep. The skies this morning were a mixture of clouds and mist, which worried me a little at first, until the sun began to break through and the temperatures started to rise.
After showering I got dressed and drove over to Steven's villa. He collected his essentials and we headed out - the first port of call was Denny's for breakfast, then onto Jungle Golf for 18 holes of miniature fun. This was Steven's chance for revenge after his defeat at the full length version of the game. Unfortunately for him this was to be my day in more ways than one, as I reigned victorious by two strokes.
After golf we drove into Fort Myers Beach, parking up and taking a stroll along the beach, before heading back along the main strip in the direction of Hooters. My intention had been to eat here, but having breakfasted so late we could only manage a couple of Cokes between us. That didn't stop Steven from requesting a photo shot of several Hooters Girls posing with me ... a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
After our whistle stop visit to Ft Myers Beach we drove back over to Captiva for showers and changes into our wedding togs. I was still, at this point not feeling any nerves - in fact, Steven was far more nervous about the whole affair than I - surely this would change!?!
Suited and booted, we climbed into the car and drove the 2 mile trip (that being the length of the South Seas Resort) to Alison Hagerup Beach to meet up with Dale, our officiant.
What occurred over the next hour or so is still a little hazy as it all seemed to happen so fast. Hopefully the many photos published below will tell a better story than any of my words ever could.
Further photos will follow ... we are off to bed after a long day!
The cloudy skies didn't put off the local wildlife
After showering I got dressed and drove over to Steven's villa. He collected his essentials and we headed out - the first port of call was Denny's for breakfast, then onto Jungle Golf for 18 holes of miniature fun. This was Steven's chance for revenge after his defeat at the full length version of the game. Unfortunately for him this was to be my day in more ways than one, as I reigned victorious by two strokes.
After golf we drove into Fort Myers Beach, parking up and taking a stroll along the beach, before heading back along the main strip in the direction of Hooters. My intention had been to eat here, but having breakfasted so late we could only manage a couple of Cokes between us. That didn't stop Steven from requesting a photo shot of several Hooters Girls posing with me ... a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
2½ hours before the wedding ceremony
After our whistle stop visit to Ft Myers Beach we drove back over to Captiva for showers and changes into our wedding togs. I was still, at this point not feeling any nerves - in fact, Steven was far more nervous about the whole affair than I - surely this would change!?!
Suited and booted, we climbed into the car and drove the 2 mile trip (that being the length of the South Seas Resort) to Alison Hagerup Beach to meet up with Dale, our officiant.
What occurred over the next hour or so is still a little hazy as it all seemed to happen so fast. Hopefully the many photos published below will tell a better story than any of my words ever could.
Mumps & Pops Skellern with the new Mr & Mrs Fish
Newlyweds
The Bridesmaids
The Corvette isn't the centre of attention for once
Steven my Best Man reads out wedding wishes
Further photos will follow ... we are off to bed after a long day!
Wednesday 18th...
On Wednesday we drove out to Sanibel Island to meet up with the Skellern clan with the intention being to hire bikes from Billy's. Lucy & I arrived at 10am and hired ourselves single-speed bikes, setting off in a northerly direction in search of wildlife.
On our ride we came across a family of raccoons along the cycle path, but before our fingers had touched the cameras in our baskets, the critters had taken refuge in the undergrowth. Further along our ride I managed to spot a small tortoise / turtle (the debate begins), and only a few hundred yards along the trail we spotted a much larger tortoise / turtle, which, having done a very small amount of research, we believe to be a Gopher Tortoise.
Having almost completed one circuit of the designated cycle trail, we bumped into Peter heading in our direction. We decided to tag along for 20 minutes or so of cycling before heading back to Billy's to return our bikes.
We met up with the rest of the clan and walked over to the Blue Giraffe for a spot of lunch. The food was excellent, and much needed after a couple of hours in the saddle. After lunch Lucy & I said our goodbyes to the rest of the party and headed in and out of Pandora's Box, $100+ dollars lighter in pocket, but having bought a beautiful wedding gift for Lucy.
We walked to the car and drove back to our villa, packing me up and shipping me back on a return visit to Sanibel and then Captiva Island to check into the South Seas Resort, where I would be spending the night alone prior to our wedding day. At this point, the fact that Lucy & I were to wed had really not sunk in, and I was still waiting for the first butterflies to start fluttering in my stomach.
That evening the three other males of the party, Dad Fish, Dad Skellern and Steven drove over to the resort to dine at the Harbourside Bar & Grill. Peter & I had the Mogolian pork chop, and Dad & Steven ate the grouper ... both meals were exquisite, and hopefully well worth the hour plus drive over from Cape Coral that Steven had to make.
[Meanwhile - back at Villa Skellern ... I tucked into an Italian takeaway with the ladies. After we'd eaten I was presented with a book which had been put together and sent over by my oldest & dearest friend Cath, who unfortunately was not able to join us in Florida. The book was a collection of photos from my hen weekend in Leeds, accompanied by messages from all the girls who attended. It was a lovely surprise and brought a tear to my eye. Posted by Lucy]
Shortly after 10:30pm having gazed at some stars and attempted to identify silhouetted birds from the balcony of the room, the guys headed back to their respective villas to leave me to contemplate what would be a huge day tomorrow. Ten minutes of channel-hopping and finding nothing worth watching resulted in me climbing into bed and dropping off almost as soon as my head hit the pillows.
Lucy insists I go first
On our ride we came across a family of raccoons along the cycle path, but before our fingers had touched the cameras in our baskets, the critters had taken refuge in the undergrowth. Further along our ride I managed to spot a small tortoise / turtle (the debate begins), and only a few hundred yards along the trail we spotted a much larger tortoise / turtle, which, having done a very small amount of research, we believe to be a Gopher Tortoise.
Gopher Tortoise?
Having almost completed one circuit of the designated cycle trail, we bumped into Peter heading in our direction. We decided to tag along for 20 minutes or so of cycling before heading back to Billy's to return our bikes.
We met up with the rest of the clan and walked over to the Blue Giraffe for a spot of lunch. The food was excellent, and much needed after a couple of hours in the saddle. After lunch Lucy & I said our goodbyes to the rest of the party and headed in and out of Pandora's Box, $100+ dollars lighter in pocket, but having bought a beautiful wedding gift for Lucy.
We walked to the car and drove back to our villa, packing me up and shipping me back on a return visit to Sanibel and then Captiva Island to check into the South Seas Resort, where I would be spending the night alone prior to our wedding day. At this point, the fact that Lucy & I were to wed had really not sunk in, and I was still waiting for the first butterflies to start fluttering in my stomach.
That evening the three other males of the party, Dad Fish, Dad Skellern and Steven drove over to the resort to dine at the Harbourside Bar & Grill. Peter & I had the Mogolian pork chop, and Dad & Steven ate the grouper ... both meals were exquisite, and hopefully well worth the hour plus drive over from Cape Coral that Steven had to make.
[Meanwhile - back at Villa Skellern ... I tucked into an Italian takeaway with the ladies. After we'd eaten I was presented with a book which had been put together and sent over by my oldest & dearest friend Cath, who unfortunately was not able to join us in Florida. The book was a collection of photos from my hen weekend in Leeds, accompanied by messages from all the girls who attended. It was a lovely surprise and brought a tear to my eye. Posted by Lucy]
Lucy enjoys the photo album sent by Cath
Shortly after 10:30pm having gazed at some stars and attempted to identify silhouetted birds from the balcony of the room, the guys headed back to their respective villas to leave me to contemplate what would be a huge day tomorrow. Ten minutes of channel-hopping and finding nothing worth watching resulted in me climbing into bed and dropping off almost as soon as my head hit the pillows.
Tuesday 17th...
Apologies to all following the blog ... lack of internet, for one reason or another, has left me unable to post over the last three days. I'll attempt to bring you all up to speed here ... there's plenty to talk about!
Tuesday morning Lucy & I made a trip over to the Clerk of the Courts in Fort Myers (rather than Cape Coral or Matlacha) to finally purchase our wedding license. The process took approximately 30 minutes and was pain-free (apart from the $94 fee), made all the less stressful by our very lovely Deputy Clerk of the Court - Cynthia.
With the license purchased, I drove Lucy over to her mum and dad's and left them to take her for a hair trial in Fort Myers. The rest of my morning was spent with Steven playing golf at the Royal Tee Golf Club in Cape Coral. I won the battle of the siblings by some margin, the highlight being a chip-in at the 6th hole for birdie. The course itself was unlike any I have played back home (not that I have played all that many), and the wildlife was spectacular.
In the evening Lucy & I met up with Mum Fish, Mary, Steven, Katie & Nicole at Naples - Fort Myers Greyhound Track. I had a single token bet on the dogs before leaving the rest of the party to it, and went to play some no-limit poker upstairs in the card room. The session didn't start as well as I'd hoped, down $100 within 10 hands of play. I spent the next 2 hours or so grinding back my initial buy-in before leaving for the night $39 in profit.
Tuesday morning Lucy & I made a trip over to the Clerk of the Courts in Fort Myers (rather than Cape Coral or Matlacha) to finally purchase our wedding license. The process took approximately 30 minutes and was pain-free (apart from the $94 fee), made all the less stressful by our very lovely Deputy Clerk of the Court - Cynthia.
With the license purchased, I drove Lucy over to her mum and dad's and left them to take her for a hair trial in Fort Myers. The rest of my morning was spent with Steven playing golf at the Royal Tee Golf Club in Cape Coral. I won the battle of the siblings by some margin, the highlight being a chip-in at the 6th hole for birdie. The course itself was unlike any I have played back home (not that I have played all that many), and the wildlife was spectacular.
In the evening Lucy & I met up with Mum Fish, Mary, Steven, Katie & Nicole at Naples - Fort Myers Greyhound Track. I had a single token bet on the dogs before leaving the rest of the party to it, and went to play some no-limit poker upstairs in the card room. The session didn't start as well as I'd hoped, down $100 within 10 hands of play. I spent the next 2 hours or so grinding back my initial buy-in before leaving for the night $39 in profit.
Monday, 16 November 2009
License to...
Lucy & I are heading out in an hour or so to [hopefully] pick up our wedding license. It hasn't really sunk in for either of us yet that in 3 days we shall be husband & wife!
Plans are overrated!
We drove over to Matlacha at about 10am in the hope of picking up the wedding license, but on arrival to our pre-programmed destination it was immediately evident that no court-house belonged there. No problem, we'll try again tomorrow.
Our next plan was to meet up with Skellern et al at Lovers Key Park for a midday kayaking session. Meeting them proved to be much easier than expected, as we passed them en route and from that point were in convoy. The problem arose when we reached heavy traffic, heavy enough to have us sitting in our vehicles for over 45 minutes and moving less than a mile.
We abandoned the plan, driving off in separate directions, Skellerns to Miromar Outlets, Lucy & I to Sanibel for a spot of lunch at the Green Flash. After lunch Lucy plucked up the courage to try out the Corvette, if only for a mile or so drive onto Captiva. I clung onto my seat as, at one point Lucy must have clocked approximately 27mph!
An hour of shopping followed at the Tanger Outlets before we drove home to prepare for a visit to Villa No. 1. Within 10 minutes I was in the pool, Jessica following almost immediately after turning up. Katie followed soon after, as did Steven & Nicole and the games commenced!
We left shortly before midnight and retired for the night in preparation for what might be a busy day - at least that's what we have planned for!
Plans are overrated!
We drove over to Matlacha at about 10am in the hope of picking up the wedding license, but on arrival to our pre-programmed destination it was immediately evident that no court-house belonged there. No problem, we'll try again tomorrow.
Our next plan was to meet up with Skellern et al at Lovers Key Park for a midday kayaking session. Meeting them proved to be much easier than expected, as we passed them en route and from that point were in convoy. The problem arose when we reached heavy traffic, heavy enough to have us sitting in our vehicles for over 45 minutes and moving less than a mile.
We abandoned the plan, driving off in separate directions, Skellerns to Miromar Outlets, Lucy & I to Sanibel for a spot of lunch at the Green Flash. After lunch Lucy plucked up the courage to try out the Corvette, if only for a mile or so drive onto Captiva. I clung onto my seat as, at one point Lucy must have clocked approximately 27mph!
An hour of shopping followed at the Tanger Outlets before we drove home to prepare for a visit to Villa No. 1. Within 10 minutes I was in the pool, Jessica following almost immediately after turning up. Katie followed soon after, as did Steven & Nicole and the games commenced!
We left shortly before midnight and retired for the night in preparation for what might be a busy day - at least that's what we have planned for!
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Retail therapy...
We were up reasonably early this morning for breakfast, before heading out to do some shopping. Target was the first port of call, Lucy & I buying CD's to play in the car, then we drove a little further south to Miromar Outlet Mall. Lucy was intent on buying a couple of pairs of jeans, but GAP and Levi's had nothing suitable. I, on the other hand was in and out of stores with new purchases regularly, starting at the Oakley store for sunglasses, the Nike store for a new pair of trainers (or sneakers as the Americans like to call them), and into Timberland for a body-warmer - no, the weather hasn't suddenly taken a turn for the worse, it's to help the transition when we return to minus temperatures back in the UK.
After a couple of hours shopping we ate lunch at a pleasant Italian restaurant called Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar. Lucy plumped for a Julius Caesar Salad, and I had the Neapolitan Pasta, both of which were delicious.
We drove home after lunch via Target (yes, two visits in one day) to prepare ourselves for an evening meal at Rumrunners, one of our favourite restaurants in Florida.
Rumrunners did not disappoint - Lucy, Dad, Margaret, Steven and I dined on Thai Chicken (Lucy ordered half a chicken but what came back appeared more like an emu), Grouper, Meat Loaf and Filet Mignon. After dinner we met up with Mum, Mary, Katie & Nicole for a quick drink in The Joint, where they themselves had eaten.
Following drinks we headed back to our villas to retire, but only after a quick nightcap.
After a couple of hours shopping we ate lunch at a pleasant Italian restaurant called Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar. Lucy plumped for a Julius Caesar Salad, and I had the Neapolitan Pasta, both of which were delicious.
We drove home after lunch via Target (yes, two visits in one day) to prepare ourselves for an evening meal at Rumrunners, one of our favourite restaurants in Florida.
Rumrunners did not disappoint - Lucy, Dad, Margaret, Steven and I dined on Thai Chicken (Lucy ordered half a chicken but what came back appeared more like an emu), Grouper, Meat Loaf and Filet Mignon. After dinner we met up with Mum, Mary, Katie & Nicole for a quick drink in The Joint, where they themselves had eaten.
Following drinks we headed back to our villas to retire, but only after a quick nightcap.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
The three villas...
After breakfasting at The Ponderosa in Orlando, we drove over to Clearwater Beach to cross paths with Eunice, Peter, Sally & Co. Weather here is glorious, glorious enough to burn half of one side of my face - might leave the top up on the car tomorrow!
After a quick walk around a couple of surf shops, we strolled along the beach and into Frenchy's for lunch ... well, only Lucy & I actually lunched as the rest of the group filled themselves for the day on their buffet breakfasts.
After lunch we continued our drive down to Villa No. 1, that of Steven, Mum Fish, Mary, Katie & Nicole. To say it is stunning is an understatement! We left the new residents to unpack and get acquainted and drove the 10 minute journey to Villa No. 2 - that of Dad Fish, Margaret, Lucy and me. It was a return to villa paradise for Lucy & I having stayed here last year, but dad & Margaret were more than pleased with it after a quick tour.
A quick visit to Publix was made by the four of us, and following a quick bite to eat Lucy & I drove over to Villa No. 3 - that of Eunice, Peter, Sally, Lou, Paula & Jessica. Again, a spectacular villa that no photograph could do justice to.
Back at our villa now (Villa No. 2 for those of you not paying attention), having a couple of drinks whilst trying to get as much of today's blog out of the way before the broadband gives up the ghost.
Fingers crossed, the weather will be similarly hot tomorrow so I can even up the other side of my face!
Lucy & Iain's hire car
After a quick walk around a couple of surf shops, we strolled along the beach and into Frenchy's for lunch ... well, only Lucy & I actually lunched as the rest of the group filled themselves for the day on their buffet breakfasts.
Paula, Peter, Sally, Eunice, Jessica & Lou enjoy lunch
After lunch we continued our drive down to Villa No. 1, that of Steven, Mum Fish, Mary, Katie & Nicole. To say it is stunning is an understatement! We left the new residents to unpack and get acquainted and drove the 10 minute journey to Villa No. 2 - that of Dad Fish, Margaret, Lucy and me. It was a return to villa paradise for Lucy & I having stayed here last year, but dad & Margaret were more than pleased with it after a quick tour.
Villa No. 1 comes with a mini-entertainment system
A quick visit to Publix was made by the four of us, and following a quick bite to eat Lucy & I drove over to Villa No. 3 - that of Eunice, Peter, Sally, Lou, Paula & Jessica. Again, a spectacular villa that no photograph could do justice to.
Back at our villa now (Villa No. 2 for those of you not paying attention), having a couple of drinks whilst trying to get as much of today's blog out of the way before the broadband gives up the ghost.
Fingers crossed, the weather will be similarly hot tomorrow so I can even up the other side of my face!
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