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17th Dec - This was basically a beach day. Part of Naples is a bit like Orlando with its palm tree-lined broad boulevards and small shopping malls everywhere, but the historic Naples beach area is completely different. They have clearly tried to give it a Neapolitan aura to match its name, as the architecture in Old Naples is Renaissance inspired and the shopping there is much more chic. The properties are also very large and expensive, especially on the beach where the cheapest house would fetch a million dollars. The beaches are pretty and quiet. Strongish waves from the Gulf of Mexico crash onto the thin palm tree-backed white beaches and, this time of year, the sea is probably warmer than the air. Kirsty took to beachcombing and I had another go at the fish. 2-0 to the fish.
18th - A steady drive to the Florida Keys from Naples to meet up with Kirsty's Auntie Carole (AC) and Uncle John (UJ) for the Christmas period.Seeing them walking down the street as we pulled up in the car (they were just on their way to their private "beach") was a hugely welcoming site.Immediately we felt the warmth and comfort of being back with family and took a short walk with them down to the private "beach" (its too small for us British to class it as a beach but the American's do!) and jetty next to crystal clear water.We headed back to their house where they are kindly putting us up and have given us their bedroom and true to form, AC's homemade scones with cream and jam were straight out (sorry dad!).Later she cooked us a full beef dinner with cauliflower, carrots, green beans, mashed potato, roast potatoes and gravy - an amazing bit of Barnsley all the way in the Florida Keys!It was totally delicious and some of the only vegetables we have had since we arrived here! We've also been promised lamb, so we're not leaving!
19th - AC and UJ kindly offered to show us around some of the Keys so we could get our bearings before we go off exploring.We started at a fishing tackle shop (Ralph is determined not to make it 3-0 to the fish!).This place was unlike any fishing tackle shop we had ever seen.It was huge with a large boat in the middle of the first floor which Ernest Hemmingway fished from.It had a lift to get to the second level of the shop and part of that level had been an old shop in Paris which they had shipped over.We then went to a diner for lunch and Ralph and UJ enjoyed another Philly Cheesesteak whilst AC and I had a dolphin sandwich (Mahi Mahi 'dolphin' fish not actual dolphin, although Kirsty did get hassled about that for the rest of the day!).We then went to the Key Deer Reserve to try and see the Key Deers which are much smaller than the deers we are used to, but they were hiding from us today.We then went to a state park to look at the pure white beaches, turquoise waters and the remaining parts of the 1912 railway which gave access to the Keys before a hurricane washed it away in the 30s.
20th - Kirsty heard the call of the Dolphin Research Center where they have a dozen or so friendly dolphins and a couple of sea lions. This place, in Marathon, (about halfway down the Keys between Key Largo in the North and Key West in the South) has dolphin water pens, but as they are all good jumpers - as you'll see in the photos - they can leave the pens and go back to the ocean if they wish, but they don't choose to. In return for tons of fish and human contact they do about 4 different shows a day for the crowds - which this time of year is more like a personal audience.As opposed to most commercial enterprises with dolphins, these shows were mainly concerned with showing how they teach the dolphins to get used to human contact and behaviour so they can study them and look after them when they are sick. Kirsty was like a kid clapping and laughing and, with the beautiful coastline as a backdrop, it was a great show for just £10. We then headed for Anne's Municipal Beach (which is one of the few beaches in the Keys that isn't in a State Park, so you don't have to pay to go on it). The beaches there were more like a really thin strip of sand but are ideal if you just want an idyllic setting for soaking up the sun and watching hundreds of tiny crabs burrowing either side of the boardwalk.
21st - We left the comfort and (amazing) food at AC and UJ's for a night in Key West at the southern tip of the continental USA. We started off with a little Cuban food from a restaurant recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide, called El Siboney. The food was amazing and cheap, and I found a new love for Sweet Plaintain - a roasted fruit (not sure what fruit but it's a bit like a really sweet roasted potato). The restaurant was a bit off the tourist trail but that allowed us to see the backwaters and the chickens that walk around all over the roads and walkways like pedestrians. It also coincided with a rare downpour that took some heat out of the day but also left a few clouds behind that stopped us from seeing the famous Key West sunset properly. The main part of Key West is along Duval Street where pubs, restaurants and novelty shops vie for your custom in a pretty Caribbean/Cuban setting, all the way to Mallory Square on the seafront where street performers (fire breathers, escapologists, jugglers and artistic preachers) entertain you as the sun goes down. It was on the way down Duval Street that Kirsty stopped to look at something, I slowed down and another guy, wearing a Boston T-shirt caught up with me. I was wearing a Harvard T-shirt and so a shopkeeper asked if we got our T-shirts in Boston. In Key West 2 in 5 people are gay and this fella looked over at just the wrong moment - as this guy was side-by-side with me, and got the wrong impression. The look on Kirsty's face was a gem - I suppose mine probably was too!
22nd - We had a last look at the parts of Key West that are away from Duval Street and Mallory Square, starting with the White Street Pier which we believe is the actual (if not the official) southernmost point of the US. After deciding not to give the fish the satisfaction of a 3-0 victory there, we took a walk through the tasteful AIDS memorial at the entrance to the pier and walked out along the pier into the shallow clear waters where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico. Travelling North, we stopped at Marathon to saunter on Sombrero Beach (which is probably the nicest beach we have seen in the Keys) before going to the Turtle Hospital there.This is a non-profit organisation which used to be a hotel which was bought and turned into the hospital.It has its own turtle ambulance, a turtle surgery and a turtle x-ray room, together with a large open air area to the rear where some turtles will never be well enough to be released, some are being treated and some are getting ready to be released.We saw four of the five types of turtles which can be found in the USA.They ranged from a tiny seven week old turtle who has a problem swimming to a massive 340 pound turtle who came in with tumours and, although they have now been dealt with, is now off her food.We returned to the comfort of AC and UJ's and realised its only 3 days until Christmas!
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