June 7th - June 9th
Following the action packed adventures of the previous two days, Monday June 7th was always going to be a bit of a let down. And so, with an early start in mind, we ventured back to Mallory Square for another attempt.
This time,we'd given ourselves a good few hours before the official end of breakfast after finding a handy parking meter, strode into Papa's where we were treated to another fine meal.
During the feasting, we decided that Ernest Hemmingway's house was worth another try and so after paying the bill, the five of us clambered back into the car and drove down to its gates.
Parking in the lot opposite the house is actually free if you're a paying visitor, which, coupled with the lower morning temperatures, made this visit a lot easier.
Recognised straight away as the group with the affliction, we were ushered into the first touring party and lead around the house whilst being regailed with tales of Ernest, his wives, their friends and the many cats who shared their lives.
Its the second time we've done it (properly) and in my opinion well worth the $10 per person entry fee.
You even get to stand in the spot Timothy Dalton stood in License to Kill.
Our plans for the rest of the day were tailored around the drive back to Kissimmee, but supposedly included a drive across the Everglades and an airboat ride. Sue and I had done this a couple of years earlier and it was something that the two elderly members of our group wanted to do. Unfortunately, the events of the previous day and the rising temperatures made us wary of attempting a repeat performance. Following a short discussion, it was decided that we'd start the journey North and get back to the comfort of the villa.
Our journey was suprisingly uneventful (we usually get delayed on the single road out of the Keys for some reason (crashed cars/trucks, tropical storms are the norm)), and so we got all of the way up to Fort Lauderdale on the Turnpike before anything of note happened.
We were happily driving along, talking about what we were going to do over the following few days when a truly Floridian rain storm hit us. If you've ever been caught in one, you'll know what I mean. Virtually zero visibility, thunder, lightning (the way you love me is frightning) and raindrops the size of rabbits !
Renee and Ivy are both afraid of thunder and lightning (although describing Ivy as 'afraid' of lightning is like describing the Atlantic as a bit moist) leading to muffled screams every time either flashed or crashed.
Sue, being the driver, decided that we'd put our lights on and continue, ignoring other cars that had pulled off onto the grass verges at the side. We passed one car, now facing the wrong way minus its front bumper leading to even more worried (worrying) sounds from the back.
Conell of course was oblivious to all of this. He'd fallen asleep somewhere around Key Largo and stayed that way until the storm was a distant memory. The oldies however, were still looking at the skies, whimpering, well after we'd passed through.
We arrived back in Kissimmee at around 6:30pm and pulled into Walmart (by Medieval Times) to stock up for the week ahead. This particular Walmart should actually be an English colony as 90% of the customers seem to be English. In fact, I'm fairly sure that the only Americans in the place are the shop assistants.
Driving back down 192 towards Indian Creek, was like driving into a black hole. The sky was black, cars had their headlights on and the Skycoaster at Old Town loomed out of the darkness like a beacon warning of the approaching storm. In contrast, the view out of the rear window was a total reversal, looking like a pleasant, summers evening. The pensioners were worried.
We pulled into the Big Orange for some fresh OJ (you have to try their OJ to believe it) and were told that the last time it was that dark at 7:30ish, there was a hurricane. How they loved that bit of news in the back of the car. Moans, groans and strange gurgling sounds filled th
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