ShuttleCocks, Bugs and Blessed by the Pope

Hi from the beach !
I thought I would bring you bang up to date - it is 7pm on Friday 29th April and I have a cold beer and 10 minutes before we head off to eat to let you know what we have been up to.

We went to Flounders to eat on Wednesday night, and as I mentioned before, Lily instantly made friends with the band - and became part OF the band. Tamberine and Shaker in hands...she sat and accompanied them for a few songs - as always, quite the prima-donna and happt to be centre of attention.

Whilst the evening was nice....by the end of the evening, and certainly Thursday morning, it wasn't so great for me. I had been bitten. Lots.

It isn't unusual for me to attract mossies, and I guess I thought being near the coast, all was ok. I was wrong. Very wrong and ended up with a dozen or so bites all over my feet and ankles. As I sit here Friday evening, it is very painfull and quite depressing. They are very itchy, swollen ( on my already very swollen feet ! ) and starting to weep and go a bit horrible. I need to get off to the pharmacy tomorrow for anti-histermine tablets before they start tracking me. I have put on jeans, socks and ( just about ) trainers tonight in a hope to protect them. We are pretty sure it isn't anything in the house so it must have been the restuarant - little buggers !!

So, I already told you about Judy & Fred, well the picture below is of Patricia ( and Gary ) our neighbours to the left of us as we look from the sea.

Lovely couple who believe it or not have been renting since last November and show no signs of going home !

Anyway....they are a pair of old soaks just like Judy & Fred so can understand how they all get on so well together. The picture of Patricia below, is her normal daily and nightly pose and position - sitting IN the sea with champagne....she will be there when we get back tonight at 10 or 11pm believe it or not....dotty old mare.

It was a shame to wave off Judy and Fred yesterday morning - email addys exchanged it might be nice to think next year we can meet them again for a little longer this time - we can imagine night after night of boozy evenings and loads of laughs. Judy took to Lily deeply ( the daughter she never had ) and gave her a rather special gift as they left. A solid silver pendant that she had been lucky enough to have had personally blessed by the Pope when she met him. Rather a special gift that Lily doesn't want to take off. Very touching of Judy, lovely people that we knew for only 72 hours, but felt much longer....

YESSSSS !!!!  REAL REAL REAL PROPER REAL SHARKS TEETH !!!!!

Just before we head out for something to eat...

BUGS !! Literally thousands of them covering our whole veranda and porch, doors, windows, floors - everywhere !!

It is a bit like flying ant day back in the UK, but much much worse !!  They don't bite, but are a complete pain !!

( actual size ! )

( I just managed to take this picture before they decided to scrub the launch )

Well as you can imagine, we are pretty gutted about the shuttle ( or shuttlecock as Lily insists calling it ) being scrubbed until at least Monday, even moreso as we had just arrived at the site after a 4 hour drive !! Grrrrr.   I have a feeling we won't get to see it..not sure they even believe it will go up on Monday and we are home Tuesday. We were really looking forward to it....never mind.fingers crossed for Monday although I don't think the girls are likely to make the trip again if it is on.

So there you go, bang up to date from us. It is Saturday morning, Lily and Ali are in the sea and I am about to go and join them. Sun is out, no cloud or wind to be seen, another hot day in our little bit of paradise !

What do you wake up to ?

Well for me - this was the sight that greeted me from my bed this morning....

Nooo...not my swollen feet - but the view.

I knew we were close to the beach, I don't think any of us realised just how close !

It is beautiful - no other words to describe it !!

A long trek to the beach.....NOT

Miles and miles of empty private beach...

 The view back to our beach house...

Treated to sunsets like this every night..

Well, our first full day here consisted of lots of nothing-ness. Went in the sea lots as you can imagine - currently a very nice 81 degrees !

Ali caught the rays, I spent most of the time in the shade or in the sea with Lily. The wind has switched in the last day and likely to stay that way whilst we are here. It is nice to have the breeze, and a pretty stiff one too. Mid West America is currently getting completely battered by tornados, and that has pushed the wind on-shore for us. It also means more thunder storms back in the Orlando area so we are keeping a close eye on the shuttle launch....it could very well be affected.

If you swam in a straight line out from our beach, in about a thousand miles you would hit Houston Texas and that is where the winds are being pushed from - straight across the Gulf Of Mexico.

Out for a lovely meal at a local fish restaurant called Flounders ( Ali in her element as she cant wait to start eating loads of fish ) - live music, eating outdoors and still 80 degrees at 10pm. Before we went, we were treated to the nightly occurance of a beautiful sunset, and when we got back, Ali and I sat on our veranda looking at the millions of stars that shine - what a lovely place.

More of the same tomorrow me thinks....a bit more cloud expected but that suits us fine as 90 degrees on a beach with no cover is HOT HOT HOT.

Lily and I looking forward to collecting some of the millions of shells along the shore-line, and also collecting sharks teeth, there are literally millions of them from pre-historic times that wash up along here....she is very excited about that !

Not had chance to spot the dolphins that move through the area yet, and also the daily appearance of a manatee. Turtles are about to start landing too - it would be too much to ask for to witness that event one night...!

Tuesday - Blizzard Beach & Cheerio Orlando

Well, the car is packed and we are off ! Pretty much bang on schedule we lock up and are out at 10.05am heading for Blizzard Beach water park.

We already know the day is going to be hot hot hot, so pay the extra for a private 'beach' area with umbrellas and loungers and table etc - very glad we did as you need to get out of the sun fairly often, especially as we spent 99% of the day in just our swimwear !

Blizzard Beach is amazing. More slides and flumes than you can imagine, and a rubber ring river that runs completely around the whole park. Where we were pitched, we could walk down some stairs straight into the 'river', grab rubber rings and gently float along until we decided to get off to do some rides - it was absolutely brilliant. To give you an idea how big the place is, if we decided to simply float in a big circle back to our pitch area, it would take about an hour !

We had an absolute blast - a truly fantastic day. We could ALL enjoy every ride ( apart from 2 enormous slides that even I didn't have the courage for ! ) and by 5pm when we decided to head off, we were again knackered ! We had spent something like 90% of our time there in the water so paying extra for the private area was a complete waste of money LOL, but we would know for next time !

By 6pm, we were back on the road heading for Englewood - and the beach house !! Yipeeeeeee

The SatNav told me it would take about an hour and a half, but we banked on 2 hours and at 7pm, Ali plugged 'Restaurants' into the SatNav and picked one at random - Woody's Grill & River Shack. Sounds good to me...and a couple of miles later, we arrived.

WOW...what a place and what a find ! It was mobbed....I mean MOBBED. Hundereds of people all eating out on the banks of the river, karaoke being murdered on a stage infront of you, outdoor bars everywhere and kids running wild. What a great place to spend an hour eating ( BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich & fries for me !! )  It was really nice sitting there, 7pm and still 85 degrees, noise and fun - a true memory we won't ever forget.

An hour later, we were pulling into the Englewood area ready to find our place !  Now...it is pretty dark on the beach, and it took a while to not only find it, but to work out how to get into it ! We were very lucky to have some help from the people that are staying in the unit below ours, and Judy & Fred became instant friends. Lovely american couple, so friendly and excited we were there. A real shame they are only around for a couple of days although they have been staying there for 6 weeks lucky devils ! It was pitch black....I have never seen so many stars in the sky in my entire life, and whilst we couldn't SEE the sea, from the noise it was obvious how close it was. I will get some pics in the morning and upload them.....for now, we are unpacking, sitting on the veranda overlooking the sea, having a beer and crashing for the night - another LONG day !

Monday - EPCOT !

Here we go again....

Although Monday was a bank holiday in the UK, it isn't a bank holiday over here, so the park was fairly empty which made the whole day so much more enjoyable. Of course there were some queues, but on the whole a far more pleasant day and not so much rushing about. I really liked Epcot - it might be my favorite park I have visited. Not quite so much for Lily here as it is aimed at a slightly older audience, but none the less she enjoyed it just as much.....especially since all the Disney characters were here too and without the crowds - she was in her element. We needed to buy a new autograph book ( this time with photo sleeves in it so she can put photos next to the autographs ) and off we went hunting out the gang...

.....one very excited little girl by then end of the day !!

Another late night - I suppose it is fantastic the parks stay open so late as it means we don't rush about so much, but it does make for a tiring day !

Disney magic ?? Well yes. It isn't cheap by any means, but my word...they do have the formula right. You get what you pay for in life, and it is true of amusement parks too.

Did you know, that in the Orlando Disney area alone, they employ 64,000 people in their 6 parks ?  64,000 people !! Staggering. There are even people employed, to find seats for you in their restaurants ! Once you have ordered, and got your food on a tray....someone is there to find you a seat !!

Tomorrow is our last day in Orlando and we then head off for the beach. Last minute packing ( by Ali of course ! ) and then we hit the sack ready for our last 'parks' day. We are going to a water park tomorrow - Blizzard Beach ( another Disney resort ) It will be a shame to leave Orlando as it has been packed with entertainment, and the house and pool has been so fabulous. But...on the other hand, it will be nice to slow things down a little...

Sunday - Another day of rest !

Yet again....we are knackered !

It really takes it out on you walking round the parks in the sort of heat they have here I can tell you.

It was a fantastic day yesterday, but a day of rest is in order to recharge the batteries a bit before the next park ! We stayed at the house and used the pool again, before heading out to visit another outlet mall to see if we could find any bargains. It was mainly me that found them which makes a change !

New Crocs, and a new Laptop ! ( well mini Netbook )

I am very pleased with my new toy and have wanted one for quite a while.

No photos to share on the blog...early to bed and early to rise - we are off to EPCOT !!

Universal Studios - A roller coaster too far....

Well, we didn't quite get away as early as we had hoped...but still managed to get there for about 11ish which all being said and done, was pretty good going.

The day was a SCORCHER...well into the 90's by the time we got there, but that was ok - we were going to treat Lily to a top day with the highlight being the Jurassic Park boat ride ! We had both ridden this ride years ago in LA and just knew it would be a scream for her....we had no doubt she would love it !!

Off we set...fighting against the crowds ( this was after all a bank holiday and my word....it was packed solid ! ) Universal is all about simulator rides. Yes, there are some WHOPPING roller coasters ( none of which Lily could ride because of her height ) but in the main, they are very clever rides that use not just 3D technology....but 4D in most cases that create huge fun experiences without ever leaving the floor. The Spiderman ride was our first stop, and it didn't dissapoint. It has it all....and Lily ( in the main part ) loved it. Me and Ali.....adored it !!! It was a fantastic ride that leaves you breathless at the thrill.

The park was busy - very busy. We were banking on the fact that lots of people would probably leave the park early ish. By early....we mean 6 ish, and bearing in mind the whole park stayed open until 11pm, we figured we were in for the night and just went with the flow. A good tactic as it turned out. Yes it was heaving, and yes we did queue for ages for some things, but by the end of the night....the park was ours !

Jurassic Park

It is very difficult to explain what the Jurassic Park ride is like, it is one of those things you just have to experience. But taking Lily on it, was a dream come true.

She laughed..
...and cried...

I don't think I wanted anything other than those reactions to be honest.

Does that make me a bad dad ?

Nahhh.....I gave her memories she won't forget and that suits me fine !

( I am also the man that tricked her into standing in the 'Splash Zone' with 50 people watching as the ride splashed to its watery end.....and the look on her face at the realisation of the drenching she was about to receive, was worth the entrance money )

She stood just to the right of the round light in this picture......ahhhh....magical kodak moments I only wish I had captured on video !

So, tears and tantrums later ( and 20 minutes in the toilets drying off ) ...we head off to the new Harry Potter land.

Ali & I both rode the monster roller coasters they have built ( Lily too small ) and then we all went on the star attraction...the broomstick simulator ride - ooops....not all of us enjoyed it !

A little too much for Lily, and to be fair, it was a pretty scary ride - spiders and ghosts, mixtures of animated and real experiences. An amazing ride, so very clever...but about 1 minute in, we had one very upset little girl who wanted off !

Ho-Hum....she survived, but unlikely she will ever do that one again in a hurry !

It was another great day....again very tiring and very late home ( well past midnight ) but packed full of lovely memories I know we will all keep.

We didn't get many photos nor video of the day...just the way it went.

My feet were killing me....

Swift gave me a 1.2 million pound order today....

My feet don't feel so bad....!......

Friday - A day of rest & Lily gets new hair !

Well - trust me when I tell you that yesterday @ DisneyWorld was utterly exhausting - well it was for me anyway !!

My feet and ankles have swollen up a bit, and are killing me ! Too much walking and too much sweating !

We couldn't possibly do another park today, we are all physically knackered and didn't wake up until gone 10am so another lazy day around the pool is in order.

We have daily visitors to the pool screen which is highly amusing..

So, an easy day around the house, Lily in the pool, Ali soaking up some sun, and daddy working out if there is somewhere fun we could go to tonight. What I really wanted, was the sort of fun place you see on all the american films - funfairs and candy floss sort of place ( and the sort of place that doesn't cost $250 dollars to get in to ! ) Well, i found it - Old Town Orlando & Fun Spot....just what I was looking for !

We set off late-ish afternoon and visited a huge mall first for some shopping, and then on to Old Town. It is a few streets that are closed off for cars, with fantastic little shops galore selling everything from surfy beach gear, to puppets, to oddities and cowboy hats, to tattoo's and clothes. A real buzzy place with neon everywhere and bars and restaurants all with open fronts and music blaring out. They have a huge stage with live music, and a car cruise of really old classic american cars at about 9pm that proudly drive along at 2 miles an hour with flags waving - all very american !

So....we found a little hair shop that were braiding on the street - and Lily jumped at the chance and drew quite a crowd as she sat and had this done....

A half head of braid is now her look - and she is very proud of it....rightly so, she looks gorgeous !

It was a fabulous evening, 3 funfairs all converged into 1...we rode roller coasters, raced go-karts and had cotton candy.....then at midnight, we came across the 'Sling-Shot'.

Now....for those that DON'T know a SlingShot....see here for the details :

http://www.funtime.com.au/data/config1a.htm

Now do you understand ??

It is a reverse bungy....fired UP from the ground rather than dropped from above.

Fired 325 feet up to be precise...in just over 1 second...

So who do you think could possibly want to ride it ??

See here for the evidence - I couldn't believe it !!

Well....if I didn't see it with my own eyes, and hear it with my own ears...I would never have believed it !

It rounded off a fantastic evening...lots of fun and laughs....

...but oh my god, my feet are killing me - AGAIN !

Half midnight home, feet hung in the pool to try and contain the swelling.....and Universal Studios tomorrow to look forward to !

Disney World - Let The Memories Begin

THIS IS IT.....we are off to Disney World to see Mickey and the gang, and Lily is very nearly bursting at the seams with excitement.

The night before had seen us leave the restaurant WITHOUT dessert ( Lily had eaten wayyyyy too much by that point already ) and the promise of Ice Cream just as soon as we got to Disney had not been forgotton by Lily ( can you imagine Lily forgetting a promise of Ice-Cream ??? ) so the first place we headed for, was the Ice Cream Parlour for the biggest messiest Ice Cream we could find

....and luckily enough, we were just in time for the day's first parade - here is where the magic and the memories begin.....very emotional for both Ali & me to see Lily's face.....

.....and of course trying to get the autographs of the characters !!....

....and as many hugs as possible...!!

....even mummy got in on the act...

...Then of course there were the rides - we all loved the rides..

It was a very very VERY long day....

in fact, we were still there at gone midnight !!

What a long day it was - and I mean seriously long. We were pretty good and arrived at about 10am, and got home at 01.25 the next morning totally bushed. It was a very hot day again, and whilst the park is big, it just seemed to take ages for anything to move with the amount of people there. We managed to pretty much do all we wanted to do - including a ride on SPACE MOUNTAIN ! Ali and I were killing ourselves laughing at the giggles coming from the middle seat - Lily ! To our surprise, she loved it, and after riding Splash Mountain and a couple of other proper roller coasters in the same day, we are of the conclusion she is a thrill seeker when it comes to theme parks just like us.

The memories we all take away from today will live forever - dreams can come true at Disney World ( although at a price !! )

Wow...what a day....truly memorable...

Wednesday - A Pool Day

So, Wednesday saw us relaxing around the pool and generally settling in - and working out just what to do for the rest of the week ! ( after a hearty breakfast at a local Denny's !! )

As you can imagine, Lily hardly spent any time OUT of the pool and loved it all. It wasn't the warmest pool in the world as they don't have any heating on, but once you were in, it was very refreshing to get out of the heat !

Again we were amazed at just how high quality the house was - no less than 3 huge HD TV's and separate cable running to them all, fully equipped kitchen with all the gadgets, beautifully furnished lounges and bedrooms and an enormous en-suite to our master bedroom with jacuzzi bath and massive walk in shower. All very very nice. The house next door is up for sale and after a little poking around the internet, we found it up for $238k - amazing value and no wonder so many people buy a holiday home here and rent it out.

With our plans laid, we enjoyed the day around the pool, and travelled out to a local restaurant ( Santa Fe's ) for dinner. A 'real' american bar/diner sort of place - the first thing you get is a bucket full of monkey nuts - and you throw the shells on the floor much to Lily's amusement ! Everything you can imagine on the menu, as long as it involves meat, so I waddled out an hour later after a whole rack of BBQ ribs, wings & fries feeling as fat as a house.

All in all, a great day !

Hello From FLORIDA !!!

I thought it would be a good idea to knock together a quick blog to let everyone know what we are up to, where we have been and what we have seen !

Better late than never I suppose as we have now been here just over a week, but the week so far has gone really quickly and now I have the chance to sit quietly and do it !!

So...we arrived last Tuesday afternoon and stepped out of the airport into 92 degrees - quite a shock to the system I can tell you ( especially since i was still wearing my fatface pullover !! )

The flight was really good - long and boring obviously but uneventful - and Lily took it all in her stride....if she wasn't glued to the Ipad she was glued to the TV and we didn't hear a peep from her ! Our names were called out and we were treated to some nibbles and champagne ( just like the Vegas flight ) so that made us feel special - thanks to our Virgin insider !

After clearing immigration, we headed off to get our car  -  "just go to the parking lot and pick anything you want from the row of SUV's on the left" was the instruction - Oooohhh what to have what to have ! To be honest, I already knew what I wanted, and 5 minutes later I was trying to work out how to start our Jeep Cherokee - in black of course ! I am soooo impressed that I have decided to work double hard this year coming and buy one !

Ali had insisted we hire a SatNav ( against my wishes as blokes don't need piffling things like that ) and within a few more minutes, we were off to find our house !

30 minutes later, I relented and turned on the SatNav...turned the car around and headed in the right direction to our house ! Yippeeeee....I knew we should have got SatNav !!

We had done quite a bit of research on the property Ali found, and we certainly weren't disapointed, it was beautiful and HUGE !

We were in Davenport which is only about 15 miles from the airport, and only a couple of miles from the Disney roads complex ( EVERYTHING in Orlando centres around Disney ! ) so totally central to all we needed. The resort / housing complex is built around a golf course and the whole place was immaculate, much like our home which seemed to be brand new ! We did little more that night than take a quick trip to Walmart to stock up, and then Ali unpacked while Lily and I explored the pool !

We had a HUUUUGE lightening storm Tuesday night that lit the whole sky in all directions - it was a very humid night and the temp didn't drop below 85...luckily the aircon works very well !

Next morning ( Wednesday ) was an early one for me and Lily - by 6am we were both wide awake ! Ali had no trouble sleeping in which gave me and Lily a chance to take a few pictures and some video of the house....

Lily by the Pool

Our Pool