and Finally .....

Saturday

Packing and evacuation went well and after a few final photos we were on our way, on time, around 9:30.

The weather was fine with lots of blue skies but temperatures only in the upper 60s which was fine for driving.

After a pit stop en route for petrol, relief and refreshments we arrived in Orlando to join traffic queues for International Drive.  We were looking for the Festival Bay Shopping Centre and in particular Sheplers Western Wear for Paula's cowboy boots.  Fortunately the centre wasn't too far down and it didn't take us too long.  Paula managed to get her boots and Lou found the jeans she wanted (which saved a further trip down International drive to Denim World) so we had plenty of time for a leisurely lunch in an English style pub (bangers and mash and fish and chips!).

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to drop the car off and join the queue for check-in.  Fortunately  Eunice's vast experience of travelling abroad proved invaluable as she organised a  porter to move our bags for us.  With 6 large suitcases and at least as many smaller ones and hand luggage we would have struggled - Adrian (our porter) managed to get them all onto his trolley and arranged for them to be left at the front of the check-in crew with Eunice and Lou so that we didn't have to drag them through the check-in queues.  These guys work for tips (about a dollar a bag) and are so helpful that it helped reduce the stress levels and made check-in much less of a chore.

We met up with the rest of the wedding party at the boarding gate (81) to wait the hour or so before getting on the plane.

I don't like the overnight flights at all.  I can't sleep sat up and so spent some time trying to read (which made me feel a little sick), looking out of the window (some good clear views of the lights of the towns and cities of the west coast of America and Canada before nothingness over the Atlantic) and watching films (of which Ice Age 3 was by far the best).

Sunday:

The flight was about 40 minutes late leaving, but favourable winds meant we arrived at Manchester on time albeit in heavy rain.  Our transport was ready and waiting so all that remained to done was for Iain to carry Lucy over the threshold (which he managed without too much damage) and for us to collect Mickie.

This blog ends as it started, with Mickie home safely and fast asleep on the bed ...

Back to the Wild - American Style

Black Friday

Some of us managed to avoid the sales and some didn't ...

Sal, Paula, Jessica and me set off bright and early for Busch Gardens.  For those not familiar with this attraction, it's a theme park built around a safari park (or maybe a safari park built around a theme park).  Anyway, lots of domesticated wild animals and a few rides thrown in.

There were plenty of amusing and interesting animals, probably the cutest were the sunbathing meerkats (double click the photo opposite and look for the two under the tree), the most amusing were the two lions getting up to unmentionable antics (no photo of that !) and the most enjoyable was Jessica getting soaked on the Congo River Rapids (only joking Jess) - she's in the blue dress with white spots on the right.

Apart from the rapids Jess also got wet on the Stanley Falls Flume and excited on the Montu ride despite having to be dragged onto by Sal (well persuaded anyway).

Anyway, a good day out in bright sunshine if not a little chilly at times (temperatures only reaching the upper 60s) and well worth the 300 mile round trip and $75 (plus taxes) each entry fee. (more photos on the web album - not the usual high standard I'm afraid as some were distance shots, some taken into the sun and others through glass - but should give an idea of what we saw)

As for Eunice and Lou it was more shopping after a walk up to Target - yet another carry on flight bag to add to her collection (why she can't collect butterflies or something which takes up less room is beyond me).

So our last evening in the villa and Lucy Iain and Steven came across to make final use of the pool with Lou and then joined by Eunice for a game of poker .

Tomorrow we hope to be on our way to Orlando by 9:30am as there is still a bit of shopping to be done (they don't lack stamina these women) before returning the car and checking onto the flight home.

If all goes well we should be arriving at Manchester around 9:50 Sunday morning.

Mid Week

Tuesday:  Thunderstorms again forecast for today so time for more shopping.  The last big shopping centre on our list was the Coastlands Centre at Naples.  The malls in America usually contain the same sort of shops you'd expect in England (mostly clothes and shoes), but every now and again you find something different like the pet shop that was selling the cute little fella opposite.

Still no sign of rain, and with temperatures reaching a record (for us) 88degF we needed an antidote to shopping and so called in at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary just north east of Naples.  This features a 2.25 mile wooden boardwalk over native swamp and open grassland and famous for its Wood Storks and the Florida Panther.  We didn't get to see the Panther, but did catch a glimpse of a Wood Stork together with a Black Faced Fox Squirrel, Turkey Eagles and a 4 inch long cricket.

Most entertaining though was 10 minutes spent watching a small Blue Heron fishing only a few feet away and catching a Crayfish almost half its size - it took some swallowing!

Eunice and I went out in the evening and met Lucy and Iain for tea at the Joint.  Seems it is the in place with the biker crowd with about 20 bikes lined up on display.  Live music outdoors and great food = great evening.


Wednesday:

The rain finally arrived, but not the thunderstorms so we were able to venture out with a return visit to Sanibel Island - not into the wilderness, but back to the Periwinkle Shopping Centre.  Iain had bought Lucy a Pandora's Box bracelet as a wedding gift.  It's a bit like a charm bracelet, and Sally, Paula and Jessica were so taken with it that they'd bought one each on our last visit and returned to buy some charms.

With the rain still falling and temperatures only in the mid 70s further shelter was needed and we called in at the Tanger Outlet Centre again on the way back.  I'd been very good in Naples with only a minor indiscretion in Sears (coming out with a new fancy screwdriver and and pair of mechanics gloves), but succumbed again in Tanger, leaving with another 4 tee shirts.  Tone, you're quite correct, resistance is futile.

As we seem to have by far the warmest swimming pool, the whole wedding party was invited over in the evening with Iain, John, Steven and Jessica taking the plunge.

Thursday:

Thanksgiving Day and most of the shops are shut.  But not all ... Eunice and I walked the 3/4 mile up the road to Walgreens for essential supplies and as the weather was brightening up the Skellern party set off to meet Lucy and Iain for a look around Pine Island.  you'll find the oldest parts of Cape Coral on the island - small somewhat ramshackle buildings but all brightly painted and quite pretty in their own way.  A trip up to the northernmost tip of the island produced views of pelicans diving for fish (short movie on the web album) and that to the south a real local bar crowded with people celebrating Thanksgiving.

The whole party celebrated Thanksgiving in the Gulf Shore Restaurant (I think that's what its called) which is right on the shore on Ft Myers Beach.

Tomorrow is Black Friday, the day on which the sales start.  Shops open anytime after midnight with some ridiculous bargains (large flat screen TVs for $3.99) but you've got to have stamina and determination to survive.  Consequently Me Paula Sally and Jessica are off to Busch Gardens - but Lou and Eunice might give it a go......

to be continued ...

A Shop-free Day

Thunderstorms were forecast again for today so we decided to get out early (well relatively so) and head off to Lovers Key which we failed to get to last week because of the accident which delayed our journey.

Lovers Key is located on the thin finger of an island called Ft Myers Beach,  The park covers an area of inland waterway, mangrove and a beach so there is something for all.  Eunice went off walking on one of the trails, Paula and Sally went off to sunbathe on the beach and Lou me and Jessica hired a canoe and went in search of alligators.





Although the rain never came, it was definitely more humid today and with temperatures still in the low 80s, a little uncomfortable for the boat crew as there was no shelter out on the water.

The boat ride started of quietly with only the fish seeming to want to brave the heat.  They were in fine jumping form with leaps of a good half a metre out of the water on occasions.  Too difficult to photograph though as you never knew where they would appear next.  We did meet another couple in a kayak later on and noticed one particular fish making continued efforts to jump right into their boat.

After about 3/4 hour we turned the boat round and headed back only to be called into the bank by Eunice whose trail had taken her close to the water.  She told us that another couple she had been talking to had seen a couple of manatees a little earlier and so we should keep an eye open.

Only a few minutes later and we noticed ripples in the water followed by Loch Ness Monster type humps breaking the surface.  Moving in a bit closer and it was obvious we had found our manatees.  These are big creatures (easily as long as our 4 seater canoe), but very gentle.  We just let the boat drift and they came to us, swimming alongside, in front and even underneath the boat.  I put my hand in the water at one point and one popped its head out long enough for me to scratch the tip of its nose, Jessica managed the same a few moments later.  These are fascinating animals and it's easy to see why Iain and Lucy love them so much (they have even adopted their own, Betsie, which they went to see today).

We lunched at the Beached Whale on Ft Myers Beach and then came home for tea.

Thanksgiving (which is on Thursday) usually marks the start of Christmas celebrations in America and we'd noticed a couple of houses nearby being dressed up in Christmas lights.  So after tea we had a walk round the estate in search of Christmas spirit.  Not much more than we'd noticed earlier, but we did see lightning in the clouds to the north, so perhaps the thunderstorms will reach us tomorrow.

Oh, nearly forgot..

We have a neighbour - a little rabbit that lives under the step outside the pool area.  He/she is very timid, but if you peep round the corner very quietly first thing in the morning it's usually sat there.  If you magnify the photo below you should be able to see it ..

and thanks to Tone for all the information, although I'm not sure Jess believes you about the snake not being poisonous!

Can this Really be Happening

I'm afraid that the effects of being isolated with 5 females is beginning to have a serious detrimental impact on me - I find that I'm starting to enjoy shopping.  I can't actually believe that this is happening to me, but I've just realised that we've only been here a week, yet we've visited two outlet malls and I've bought something at each!  And not just the odd item - total to date is 8 tee shirts (yes eight!!), 5 pairs of sports socks, a pair of cargo pants, an outdoor jacket and a pair of winter gloves.

Maybe the price had something to do with it (less than a £100 altogether) and also the fact that I've actually managed to find something that fits, but I wouldn't have been to an outlet place at all if it hadn't been for the women, so it's definitely their fault.  I must resist further temptation, I must resist further temptation, I must resist further temptation....

I feel  much better now, so on with story...

Yesterday was shopping (Aghhh I must resist, I must resist) at the Tanger Mall and Publix for provisions as we were to host a BBQ for all Lucy's guests.


This went really well.  The temperature outside at about 7:00pm was 78degF and pool temp even higher, so we made full use of both.  Steven (Iain's brother) did a fantastic job with the cooking, while I had a man to man talk with John (Iain's dad) about the merits of flip flops for everyday use ( I should point out that I'm a recent convert and you know what they can be like).

Today, we woke to heavy overcast skies and predictions of thunderstorms just after lunch, so we (well they) decided to pop down to the harbour beach and then call in at the Rum Runners complex for lunch where there just happens to be a few shops so that we could take shelter if necessary.

The beach is man made (so I read in the local paper), only about a 100 metres long and was originally intended to provide a stopping off point for migrating birds.  Whether this is true or not, it's now being used by the locals for sunbathing and building sand castles, but it is very pretty.  Ok so there are a few birds about, but these seemed more interested in picking up scraps from the local fishermen and women than migrating to warmer climes.  Just as an aside, the Americans seem just a keen on personalised plates as the Brits, this one was on a pickup parked in the harbour car park.

We took
lunch at The Joint on the Rum Runners complex (I can't remember the actual name) which was very pleasant, overlooking the marina.

The forecast thunderstorm never materialised although we did get a slight drop in temperature back into the 70s (79degF actually) for the first time in many days, so we set off in search of a Pacific beach to watch the sunset .  Eventually (because we had to stop off at the Periwinkle shopping arcade on the way) we fond ourselves on Tarpon beach (one of the public beaches on Sanibel).

Loads of shells to collect and a couple of dolphins to spot, sometimes very close to the shore (within 5 metres), but still very difficult to photograph.  It was still a bit cloudy and this spoilt the sunset, but not our day.  Oh and we came across a very small snake, about 6 inches long, mostly black but with an orange collar and underside.  Tone, any ideas as to what it might be?

Jessica reckoned it was poisonous and forbade me to pick it up - but I'm not so sure.

Ok it's late (23:20) and I can't get these last few photos to go where I want and although it's very pleasant out here next to the pool (the temperature is still in the mid 70s and the fish in the canal are jumping) I think it's time for bed.

.

Wedding Day (part 2)

Well, everything went according to plan. We managed to get Lucy into the van without too much trouble and even had time to stop off at the Green Flash Restaurant on Captiva for a photo opportunity as we were a few minutes early (Eunice suggested that maybe we could leave Lucy in the van and we all pop in for quick cuppa, Lucy wasn't too happy with this!).

Our fears that the overcast sky might persist until the wedding were unfounded with just whisps left to catch the sunlight and give a superb colour to the sunset.

The service on the beach was fabulous, the minister, Dale, was really nice and very sincere and the harpist playing in the background before and after the ceremony gave the occasion a very surreal effect.

The reception was held at the Thistle Lodge back on Sanibel and finshed off the day perfectly.

Just a reminder that you should be able to see all the photos here

If you have problems getting into the site, email me and I'll sort it out.

Wednesday

Drove up onto Sanibel and then over onto Captiva to check out travel times to the wedding venue, then back onto Sanibel to hire bikes (for me Sal and Jessica) for a couple of hours while the others went for a walk.

Met Lucy and Iain for lunch at the Blue Giraff, picked up the wedding dress and Iain's suit from the cleaners and then back to the villa to get ready for the hen and stag do's - a nice quiet meal near Iain's hotel for the boys and a (no doubt) more raucous do for the girls.

Sorry for the rather topsy turvy posts, but I think I'm almost up to date.  I'll deal with the wedding day in the next post.

Tuesday

Just a quick post to try and catch up with the last three days activities:

Tuesday was Lucy's hair trial day - 2 hours at StudioRk, a very swish hairdressers about 40 minutes away in Ft Myers.

Paula Jessica Lou and Sally stopped at the villa to catch a few rays (temp 83deg F) while Eunice and I took Lucy for her appointment.  Eunice stopped with her while I found a Burger King (the only place to sit in for a drink for miles), had a milkshake and finished off my speech.

After picking them up again we called in at the dry cleaners to drop off the wedding dress and Iain's wedding suit which had both got very creased on the journey over and noticed a little deli two doors down  - it was well after lunch and we were all hungry so decided to give it a go.  We were the only customers and I think the owner was glad of the company as he told us all about his life long addiction to baseball (and in particular the New York Yankees).  The food was very good and he didn't even get upset when we asked if we could dilute the fresh pot of coffee he'd brewed us (about 50% with hot water) and add creamer - he drinks it straight out of the pot  - black and very strong.

Some shopping afterwards with the rest of the villa in Wallgreens.  Lucy can't seem to get Iain interested in shopping there so she took the opportunity to accompany our seasoned shoppers.

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Photos uploaded to the web album, text to follow tomorrow - I'm off to bed...

Wedding day

I've missed a few days posting as we've been very busy with preparations for the wedding - hopefully I'll be able to catch up soon, but I've just got a few moments before we have to start getting ready so for those interested in the most up to date information, here we go.

Iain is currently on Sanibel Island spending some time with his brother and Lucy is with us in the villa so that she can travel with us to the wedding venue.  This to be held on a beach on Captiva Island just off the road at its northern most point.  The ceremony is scheduled for around 5:30 this afternoon just as the sun goes down.  The weather here this morning was overcast and misty, which after 4 days of continuous sun with temperatures in the 80s was disappointing, but this burnt off very quickly and by the time we got Lucy back from the hairdressers there was plenty of blue sky peeping through.  Hopefully the clouds will add to the sunset spectacle rather than spoil it.

I think we're all a little bit nervous (some, including me, more than others), but nothing has gone wrong so far and hopefully that will continue to be the case.

Iain stayed last night in the hotel he will be sharing tonight with his new wife and the boys went round to see him off with a good hearty meal, whilst the girls all came back to our villa for a bit of a hen party.

It still hadn't sunk in with Iain last night nor with Lucy this morning that the day they had planned so much for has finally arrived.

In less than 3/4 hour we'll all be setting off for Captiva and the adventure will have begun for real, so I'd better start getting ready myself.

to be continued ...

Monday - a day of disappointments and delights

Today's early morning activity was a dip in the pool followed by a leisurely breakfast.

The intention was to follow this with a trip to Lover's Key, another of the area's many parks.  This one is more of a nature park than Lakes Park and we were to meet up with Iain and Lucy in the morning and take out some canoes on the waterways around which the park is structured.

The first disappointment was the traffic jam which prevented us from getting there.  This was most likely caused by an accident as traffic around here is not that bad.  But whatever it was, it delayed us for nearly an hour before we gave up and skipped onto the next part of our day, a trip to the Miromar shopping outlet.

Now the second disappointment - Starbucks didn't do toasted panninis!  In fact they didn't do panninis at all, but did do a chibata (I think that's how it's spelt) look alike but hadn't got any heating facilities and they just don't taste the same cold.

The delights were the bargains to be had from Gap tee-shirts at less than a fiver to Timex watches at less than £8.  Nobody (including me) came away empty handed.

After our puncture yesterday we had to take the car back to Dollar for an exchange which we did next at their place at Ft Myers airport - took a white one back and came away with a red one.

Tea at Ruby Tuesdays and then on to Steven and his families Villa for a family get together.  And all tucked up in bed by mid night.

The Weekend

Struggling for time tonight and cannot get the slide show at the bottom to work so apologies but no photos for tonight's blog.

Saturday can be summed up as a couple of long slogs and some pretty good weather.

Somewhere in the dim and distant past it was decided to stop over at Clearwater beach on the way from Orlando to the villas in Cape Coral so we could all meet up for a quick chat and a bite to eat before continuing on our way.

Now Clearwater isn't exactly en-route, but is quite pretty and the weather (clear blue skies - mid 70s) was looking good so we decided to give it a go.  The first part of the journey wasn't too bad and we managed some lunch at one of Eunice and Lou's favourite eating places, Frenchies, which is actually on the beach.

The rest of the journey, however, is very hazy.  A couple of missed turns and what seemed like many hours of travel on bland American 70mph 4 and 6 lane highways was not that enjoyable.  But we made it to the villa eventually.  And what a welcome!  The lights were on (it was very dark when we got there), there was soft music playing and a bottle of wine cooling in the fridge.

A quick trip to Publix provided our tea and then a bit of relaxing for some and swimming for others before bed.

Sunday - and still suffering the effects of jet lag, we were all up before 7:15 (although Jessica's phone alarm which she had set on the loudest setting and left in the living area did help to get us all out of bed).  A very early morning walk round the estate set us up for breakfast before heading off for Lakes Park.  This proved somewhat elusive but did allow us to stumble upon a Poker run / classic car show outside one of the bars near the park.  I liked this very much - no tourists (except for us) - just Americans doing what Americans do on Sunday morning.

The Park (which we did find eventually) is a reclaimed swamp, just like the rest of Cape Coral / Fort Myers I suppose, but which has been handed over to the people of the two towns - and they really love it.  The weather helped (just creeping into the 80s) and the locals were out in force.  There was plenty to do and see (egrets and buzzards, turtles and apparently alligators) and Jess Sal and I hired some bikes and went for a ride exploring while Eunice, Lou and Paula went for a stroll - very enjoyable.

Then back on the road and over to Fort Myers Beach so that Paula Sal and Jess could soak up some sun.

Unfortunately on the way back I managed to catch a tyre on a kerb at one of the toll booths which put a hole in it and we had to call on the roadside assistance which Dollar had told us we just had to have.  Normally (we are told) the average wait is about 35 minutes, but ours was over 2 hours.  It would have been even longer if it hadn't been for a very friendly and helpful Sheriff who insisted on waiting the last hour with us, protecting our rear from the merging and very quick traffic coming out of the toll booths and having a word in the Dollar reps ear to let them know he was not pleased with the time it was taking!

Too late to meet up with Lucy - it was a case of a quick call-in at Target to get some supplies and back to the villa for some TV and Scrabble.

D Day (departure day that is..)

Well, we all made it through security and duty free without incident and the stress levels started to drop but not for long as after boarding and moving out onto the runway the plane developed a fault with one of the engines. It appears that a flap on an air extraction valve was stuck and the old fall back option of turning the engine off and starting it again didn't work, so the captain had to call out an engineer. The cure he came up with was to bolt the flap shut - they'll fix it properly when we get to Orlando. The result was a delay of 90 minutes and one or two rather sceptical passengers.

After that the flight went well apart from some rather violent turbulence which must have revived many passengers' interest in religion. We chased the sunset over the last hour of our journey which provided some really beautiful skies. We'd have probably missed these if we'd been on time!

After booking in at the Hyatt we had a late supper (by English time anyway – about 1:30am I think) and it was back to the Hyatt for some sleep. It seemed like we'd almost just got to sleep when Eunice woke me up with the news that the alarm musn't have gone off and it was twenty to eight already (we'd agreed to meet our companions for breakfast at 8am). Panic was just about to set in when I noticed the hotel's clock radio was showing only ten past two – Eunice had been reading her watch upside down!!

T minus 1 - still counting

This time tomorrow we should all be sitting in the airport waiting for our flight to be called.  But before then there still seems so much to do.  Just getting the cables and power supplies together for all the electronics we will be taking is such a struggle.  Why can"t all 5 volt appliances use the same plug?  So far I've had to pack 5 different power supplies for 5 devices.

Well at least the cat doesn't appear to suffering the stress levels that we are, but that won't last long!  At around 4pm he'll be on his way to the cattery in his cat box which he hates.  Still, once he gets there he'll have a centrally heated room of his own with a heated pad under his bedding, so once he gets used to it he might not want to come home.

T minus 4 and Counting

This time on Friday (if I understand the time differences and all goes well) we will be settling in to the airport hotel in Orlando.  Everything is organised, just the packing to do and this blog to test.


The long range forecast is showing good weather on arrival with temperatures in the mid 80s, but the chance of a thunderstorm or two on Monday.  Consequently we will leave the first weeks itinerary till we arrive.


The intention is to provide a little comment on each days activities with just a few of the better photos.  The rest will be uploaded for all to see here .