-We were happy that Sue was coming over. She’s helping with Grandma while we are traveling
-But we also had Vicky come over and watch the kitties. That’s ok, more is better
-We had a full day preparing to leave including taking down the Christmas tree
-Mike, Liane and Hannah all had to leave the 26th
–Mike cannot come because of work
–Liane was departing from Dulles
–Hannah was to depart from Detroit.
–Liane and Hannah’s flights have a common connection point in Amsterdam
-Cathie, me, Liz and Nora caught a limo to the airport at 3:45pm
–Our flights
Fri 12/27 UA952 ORD->MUC 6:05pm to 9:35amCET
Sat 12/28 UA9481 MUC->NCE 11:15am to 12:45pm

Saturday 12/28/19

-We made it to Munich on time and spent an hour in the very nice Luftansa lounge
-We were seated in an exit row on our LH flight to Nice
-The Alps were beautiful
-We landed on time and got our luggage promptly. The Nice airport is very small
-Our nice driver met us right away
–He spoke French to me the whole trip
-We got to our Hotel Masséna. The front desk staff spoke to me in French!!
-Our rooms weren’t ready until after 3pm
-Hannah and Liane who arrived 90 minutes before us found a cafe and we met them there.
-The cafe Monsieur Albert served us snacks and drinks on the sunny Place Masséna, really close to our hotel
-After two hours we went shopping
–Hermès — two scarfs
–Gallery Lafayette — just looked
-Then we went back to the hotel. Our rooms were ready (by about 4pm).
-We decided it was ok to take short naps. I slept from 5:30pm to 6:15pm
-Then we went to dinner. Based on the hotel’s recommendation, we went to the Les Épicuriens
–It was great. Niçoise food. We were the first ones there. By the time we left the place
was full.
-We planned our day for tomorrow: Vieux Nice and a cooking class
-I called our New Years Eve place: La Langouste +33(0)493 88 79 23. I confirmed the reservation but I need to pay on Monday
Ce serait mieux si on se parlait en français ? / Il vaudrait mieux qu’on se parle en français.
Où est l’ascenseur au sommet de la colline

Sunday 12/29/19

-Weather — mid 50s, mostly clear skies
-Ate breakfast at 9am. I slept the whole night!
–Very normal European breakfast. I had scrambled eggs, cheese, meat and croisant from a nice buffet
-We walked to the water front, found the elevator to the top of castle hill
–We followed the Quai des Etats-Unis going East
–L’ascenser du Chateau to the top of Colline du Chateau
–beautiful views of the new and old cities
–The sun came out, made it warmer
–We saw a very active aerobics class on the top of the hill. This is not an abandoned monument
–Painfully (for me), walked down the hill. Made our way to the old city (Vieux Nice)
–We shopped at the fantastic outdoor market, Marche du cours Saleya
–We ate at a cafe, La Civette du Cours
–We toured a church, Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice
-We went back to the hotel for a break
-Then we went shopping in Nice
–Bought shampoo and rinse at Galeries Lafayette
–Didn’t find anything else, but we had excellent crepes from Pinocchio food stand on rue Massena

-At dinner time, we took an Uber to a private home for a cooking class
–“Cooking: Are you ready to cook a receip from Nice” — booked through Air B&B
–She taught us to make ravioli
–She served us our ravioli, plus pizza. We had home made Terramasu for desert
–Lemoncello made from Lemons from her garden
–We shared the table with an engineer from Colombia who is working in Germany.
-The same Uber driver picked is up after the dinner

Monday 12/30/19 — Monaco

-Weather: same nice mid 50s weather. Clear sky, sunny all day
-We went to Monaco
–Tram to SNCF. Trouble with turn style, nice SNCF person
–Arrived at Monaco. 9am
-Walked to Casino de Monte-Carlo
–Steep hill
–beautiful views of facade, water and mountains
–entered Casino. open for tours until 1pm
–excellent cafe, next to Christmas park w/music. Café de Paris Monte-Carlo. Server knew I was paying
-took taxis to castle
–two taxis. cash only
–watched changing of the guard
–“Disney-like” charm and beauty. Great views
–Toured the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-Immaculée  (sans Hannah)
–Lunch at wonderful out door cafe Le Bar Express — most of us had pizza
–walked through gardens and found Musee Oceanographie
-Walked down long trail from castle back toward SNCF station
-Walked through Christmas Market — very nice
-Had a challenge catching the train back
–5:26pm — rush hour, packed!!
–no up escalators working. I was exhausted
–Needed local people to help with Nice-Ville Stop
-Took taxi to our New Years Eve dinner place
–We needed to put a deposit down on our reservation
–at first had troubles accepting our credit card
–But person in charge was ok
-Back to the hotel. Exhausted
-Dinner near hotel: Maison Margaux
–seated outside, too cold, they moved us inside
–made friends with the server — treated us to lemoncello for dessert
–

Tuesday 12/31/19 — Cannes

-Weather: clear and cool. Started 45, high 55.
-New Year’s Eve
-Liane and Hannah need to catch an early flight next morning we booked at 4:40am limo!
-We all slept better. 8:30am breakfast
-We had a wonderful day at Cannes
–We took the tram and took the train to Cannes
–There was an InOui express train, but we bought TER tickets. 20min vs 40mim saved 3.5e person
–Arrived and right away stopped at a bakery that served Brioche Rolls with Sugar.
–Walked to the water front, passing by an excellent shopping area and flea market
–Walked past the famous movie theater where the annual film festival is held
–Saw lots of really big yachts. Cathie saw nostalgic pictures sans the yachts… that the Cannes she remembers.
–They were doing a big beach rehab. Lots of construction
–We made our way all the way over to the boat tour area and went on a cruise to Île Saint-Honorat
—We saw the vineyards, the monastery, the old fort/castle, and walked along the rock shoreline
—We bought lots a the gift store La Rina Boutique
—We were the 2nd to the last to be served at the restaurant La Tonnelle
—We had salads and Gnocchi, wine and dessert… right on the Mediterranean Sea. Beautiful!
—We took the 3:30 boat back. It was nearly full
–We walked through the Christmas market area, and made our way back to the train station
–We were lucky because the 4:53pm train starts in Cannes, so we were able to sit the whole way
–It was busy but not packed
-We got a tram back to our hotel

-Took naps to help prepare for New Years Eve dinner at 9pm
-We went to the La Langouste Restaurant.
–The hotel made us a reservation on 12/23
–We got there at 9pm and left at 11:45pm
–It was a wonderful 5 course meal with 3 bottles of rose and 2 bottles of champagne
–Each first 3 courses featured lobster
–We sat near a live band. Fun music. Just quiet enough that we could talk
-We left and quickly walked to the Massena Square.
–People were walking to the water front. Really crowded.
–Just in time for the countdown and fireworks.
–sent a picture to Mike
–Lots of impromptu fireworks
–Saw the police stop someone with big long fireworks sticking out of his back pack
–As usual, the Italians were the ones celebrating the loudest. Fun!
-Walked back to the hotel
–Had another bottle of champagne
–Shared with our server
–Went to bed by 1:30am
–Liz tried to stay up with Liane and Hanna until 4am
-I got a little sick, but it passed quickly

Wednesday 1/1/20 — New Years Day Movie, outside dinning

-Weather: Cool, Sunny, clear 45-55 degrees
-We hope Liane and Hannah’s early flights worked out. We’ll be sleeping!
-Liane and Hannah texted us from Amsterdam. All was well waiting for their connections back to Detroit and Dulles
-Cathie and I had a brief breakfast at 11:30am.
-I was able to check Liane and Hannah out of their room 215, as planned
-Then we walked to the park and found a bench and sat for awhile (Jardin Albert Ier)
-I was really sore, both feet and walked really slowly.
-I was happy to sit.
-We then went for a walk thru Vieux Nice. It was very lively with some shops open. The Marche was closed
-We bought nice things from Parfumeries Fragonard
-We did a lot of walking and by 2:30 or so, the crowds were less and we found a spot at the pizza place called. Da Giulia on Place du Palais
–That was good and light
–Outside.
-Going back to our London New Years, we decided to see a move
–Took the tram 2 stops
–Les 4 filles de Dr Marche — Little Women
–Cinéma Pathé Massénae at Jean-Medecin
–It was VOST - Video Original w/Sub Titles in French
–Really good for French learners
–Really good for me to rest my feet
-It was after 7pm and looked for a simple dinner near our hotel
-Took the tram back to Massena Place
-Bought gifts at the Pylones store
–Ate simple dinner at Le Liber’tea
–Outside, again
-Back at our rooms by 8:30pm

Thursday 1/2/20 – Villefranch-sur-la-Mer

-Weather: supposed to be cloudy, but turned out sunny 45-55, again!!
-slept well. Though got up early because went to be by 10pm the night before
-Had breakfast at 8:30. Normal.
-Toured the old city again.
–Bought nice things from the Marché aux Fleurs Cours Saleya
–Newpaper, plaque, greeting cards for next year’s holidays, herb de provence
—Le Comptor Familial wanted us to order from their website
—Papeterie Rontani — Christmas cards, I had my own bag!
–Went to the bank machine twice for 40 euros just to get small bills
-Dropped out stuff off at the hotel
-Headed for Villefranch-sur-la-Mer
–Took the 11:07 train
–Long lies at the kiosks
–Had to run to catch the over crowded train
–Got off after two stops. No problems
-Villefranche sur-Mer was really nice, perfect weather
–We followed the path way up away from the beach
–We saw the narrow streets of the old town
–We saw white cat (Ripley) and tuxedo cat (Monster)
–Just at noon we stopped for drinks at the Les Palmiers cafe
–After that we walked over the Citadelle de Villefranche from the 1500s, now the Hotel de Ville
—Really nice. Museums, view of the water front, old building structures
–By about 2pm, we walked our way down and found a cafe on the water front Spalato
—We were right on the water with a beautiful view
—Dueling seagulls and pidegons.
—Flying cheese. Our serve dropped Nora’s warmed cheese plate. We were teasing the Nora would have flying cheese nightmares.
–We walked over to Chapelle Saint-Pierre de Villefranche-sur-Mer, the Church with the drawings by J Cocteau. Really nice. No pictures, we bought post cards
–Cathie bought a sweater from the store Cargo Sud
–We caught the 4:16 train back to Nice (not crowded). Only two stops
-Took the tram back to the square.
–tried to book haircut appointments. All booked
–shopped at the bookstore across the street from the hotel, Librairie Masséna
-Took a nap until our dinner at 8pm
-We went walking toward the square to the water and a restaurant La Petite Maison
–It was very popular, but full.
-So we walked toward the opera house and found Le Grand Balcon Restaurant
–We had an excellent meal and deserts.
–We sat in a sheltered outside area… we had blankets
–We sat next to the owner. He was very nice to us
-We walked over to the waterfront, then headed back to the hotel by 11pm

Friday 1/3/20 – Musée National Marc Chagall

-Slept well, awake by 7:30am, breakfast at 9am
-Salon Gaspard – all full
-Weather: clear skys 45-55
-Last full day in Nice
-Breakfast at 9am
-Took Uber to the Musée National Marc Chagall
–part of the exhibit was closed, thus museum entry was free
–beautiful exhibits. religious in theme, very colorful
–drinks at a nice outdoor cafe, cute little white dog
–4 bus tours were visiting
–bought some post cards, plus a picture of a couple with a chicken (mike and Liane?)
-Walked to our destination, back toward the square, about 1km
-Walked past a rather large Alliance Française de Nice with a big cafe area
-Stopped at a Comic book shop BD Fugue Cafe
–Liz bought lots of books
–We had drinks at the cafe
–The staff was surprised when Liz pulled out her own back
-We continued walking back to the square
-Stopped to eat at the Pâtisserie Canet … fantastic!
–Cathie and I had Millefeuille
–Liz and Nora had Tarte Citron
-We also stopped at candy store 50.00 for my french class
-La Chaise Bleue
-Nice Jewelry at Esprit Malin

-It was nearly sundown, so we found a place on the water front
–Watched sun down on the balcony
–There was a student sitting next to us. we ordered her a round of drinks (tea)
–There was a lady from Paris sitting next to us who exchanged business cards with Liz
–The bar like us to much they made us some snacks
–we left after sunset, but…
-Liz fell into the Med
–after sunset, in the dark, at the waters edge, she slipped on the stones and fell in
–We could see the water crashing over her lit-up phone.
–She went back into the water to rescue her phone
–The phone was ok, but she was wet.
-We all rushed back to the hotel room to get her in dry clothes
–Liz was fine.
-We then went exploring and found a tapas place called Le Metropolitan
–Simple mini-burgers, mini croques, shimp
–Good music, fun server
-For desert, we walked over the popular crepe place called Ballanger.
–Lots of whip cream and sugar. Really good.
-Walked back to the hotel room to back.
-Reserved a car to the airport at 5:15am

Saturday 1/4/20 — Heading home

-Confusion with ride to the airport
-Return flights:
Sat 1/4 LH2277 NCE->MCE 7:40am to 9:05am
1/4 UA953 MUC->ORD 11:25am to 2:15pmCT

The post New Years 2020 in Nice appeared first on Kozik Family Photo Blog.

-UA118 ORD->EDI Edinburgh 6:15pm to 7:50am
-Went to Polaris club, real 1st class

Wednesday 10/2/19 — Edinburgh Castle

-Very bumpy final 3rd of flight
-Slept pretty good
-Lost/then found my mobile phone in the seats
-Hotel Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian
-Super friendly limo driver met us. Surprised with how much luggage we had. tip-20
-Weather was 50-60s, clear skys
-Got to hotel by 9am. Our room wasn’t ready. Waited and napped in special waiting area
-Got our room by noon. 20 tip. Went out with Ian and Leslie to Edinburgh castle
–Long walk uphill
–bought tickets
–excellent tour guide. 5-tip Sort of like tower of London
–afternoon tea at Castle Hill restaurant, Redcoat Cafe
–slow difficult walk down the hill. I was hurting. We got a taxi back to hotel
-Cathie called ML to fix CMA card
-I took nap
-Dinner at Angel Share gastropub. Really good. Beer and Scotch

Thursday 10/3/19 — Royal Mile, Holyroodhouse Palace

-Slept really well. Got up at 8am, breakfast in hotel at 9am.
-Early morning cool, high 40s, probably got to 55. Initially clear skys, then clouds rolled in after 12:00
-Took a cab to the Royal Mile.
-Walked over to St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile in Old Town
-We walked the rest of the Royal Mile down to the Scottish Parliament building
-We went for a tour in Queens Galery across the street. We saw a special exhibition on Royal roots in Russia.
-Then we walked next door to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s residence in Edinburgh
-We had tea at the The Café at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
-We then took a cab to Kinloch Anderson and bought me some tie Scottish ties
-Then we took an Uber to the Scottish National Gallery
–Featuring the work of Nicolas Poussin
-We then walked back to the hotel, but passing in front of the castle going through the beautiful Princes Street Gardens
-We only had 30 minutes to get ready for dinner
-We went to a Michelin star rated restaurant called The Kitchin
–We had the premium tasting menu with the premium wine pairings. Really good. We stayed for 4 hours. Wonderful!!
-Started raining
-Took a cab back to the hotel. I think I paid for two $15 cab rides, plus an Uber
-Back to the room by 11pm

Friday 10/4/19 — Royal Scotsman, Alnwick Castle

-Went out to get more cash. Not sure how much we need for tips and things
-Checked out of Caledonian at 11am
-Had troubles with the taxis but got there in time
-Nice waiting area, we met Jerry
-He walked us to the train in Waverley Station
-A nice bag piper lead us onto the Royal Scotsman train. Really cool.
-We sat in the observation car, being serviced lots of drinks, waiting to be taken to our cabin (Car 2H)
-We met Fred, train manager
-Met nice people from Nashville, Russian travel agents and people from Louisiana
-Spa staff signed up Cathie for appointments
-Road on the train for a couple of hours then got off at Alnmouth Station
-Took a coach to Alnwick Castle
–Excellent afternoon tea at 4pm
–Excellent tour of castle — very historic
–Harry Potter and Downton Abbey were there.
-Coach back to train
-Dinner at 8, White Fish then Venison. 3 different wines. Excellent!
Skipped this, went to bed at 10pm. Nice turn down service.
-Local entertainment by local musicians in Observation Car

Saturday 10/5/19 — Royal Scotsman Derentwater, Keswick, Hutton-in-the-Forest

-Slept surprisingly well. Breakfast at 8:00
-Travel in train for awhile, disembark in Penrith at 8:37. Took a coach for 3 destinations
-Private launch on Derentwater
–Big beautiful lake (called a water)
-Market Day at Keswick
–Beautiful nearby town with a very well laid out Saturday market
–lots of dogs!!
–Had tea at the cafe of a hotel, The Skiddaw Hotel
–Bought little things at the Boots pharmacy
–back on the bus at 12:45
-Took the coach to a country home called Hutton-in-the-Forest
–Lunch with the owners, the Fletcher Vane’s
–We sat next to the No 1 daughter Miranda
–she helped with meal preparation and cleaning
–The docent Elizabeth gave us a wonderful tour of the house
–WWII bomber landing strip with sheep
–delightful walk through the gardens
-return to train at 5:30
-napped until 6:45
-Dinner at 8pm.
-Met pediatrician event special effects expert
-9:30 entertainment
–two young gentlemen. Violin and accordion. traditional Scottish songs
–They wrote for Outlander
–talked again with Russian travel agents

Sunday 10/6/19 — Royal Scotsman Wemyss Bay, Isle of Bute, Mount Stuart

-Slept late
-wokeup to lots of rain
-Cathie had spa appointment at 8:15am
-Brunch 9:00-11:30
-The morning was spent traveling to Wemyss Bay
-Walked to the beautiful train/ferry station
-Ferry Crossing to Isle of Bute
—Visit Mount Stuart, Victorian Gothic house
—Afternoon tea
—Tour of House, Mary and Jim
—Archivist – Lensey — really interesting
-Ferry back to Wemyss Bay to get back on trains at 5:35
-Formal dinner at 8pm
-Entertainment at 9:30pm — duo who played classic Scottish songs: fiddle and guitar
-Dance on the platform
-bed time at midnight

Monday 10/7/19 — Britannia, train to Keith

-Train goes est toward Edinburgh
-leave train at 9:26am, Tour the Royal Yacht Britannia w/lunch
–8 of us with a new guide, Sandy
–Nice lengthy self guided tour
–Nice lunch on the boat.
–Cool, windy, cloudy, no rain
-Friends from the weekend tour leave us. Only 8 of us stay. Several new people will join us at 1:30pm
-Train north cross Firth of Forth (really old bridge)
-Kingdom of Fife
-East coast Kingdom of Fife, arbroath, Montrose and Aberdeen
-Afternoon tea for me; spa for Cathie
-Afternoon nap for both of us.
-Finally reaches Keith. Dinner with new guests, great entertainers.

Tuesday 10/8/19 — Royal Scotsman Cawdor Castle

-Departing Keith going west along Moray Firth to Inverness
-Late breakfast
–At noon (should have been 10:45am) disembark at Inverness for visit to Cawdor Castle.
–White table cloth and wine Lunch at Castle, really good
–Bought blanket, got nice guide book
–Fiona replaces Jerry as host
–rainy but not bad
–fancy black sheep with 4 horns
–castle built around original tree
–Return to train at 3:00pm
-Trains goes west toward Strathcarron
-Loch Luichart and Torridon mountains
-Through Achnasheen to Luib summit and Achnashellach Forest
-back down to Strathcarron. through Attadale, Stromeferry and Duncraig
-Return to train in Kyle of Lochalsh
-Formal Dinner, nice, but no entertainment
-Met Les, the Whiskey guy. We are going on a tour with him on Thursday

Wednesday 10/11/19 — Ballindailoch Castle

-Train leaves Kyle of Lochalsh at 7am
-Whisky tasting at 10:45am!
-Lunch on train at noon
-At Carrbridge, visit Ballindailoch Castle. (Speyside whisky region)
-Aviemore station
-at 1pm Ballindalloch Castle
–saw Guy Macpherson-Grant, personal tour
–tea and gift shop
–Walled Garden. Castle Rose
–Dove Cove
–Cattle, Shetland Ponies, Llamas, Border Collie, sheep
-6pm return to train at Boat of Garten
-Informal dinner
-Lecturer told the story of the great Scotish battle

Thursday 10/12/19 — Rothiemurchus Estate, Tullibardine Whisky Distillery

-Coach to Rothiemurchus Estate in Cairngorms National Park.
-clay pigeon-shooting
–3 stations, 6 shots per station, I got about 50%
–clear blue skys, perfect weather, cool.
–tea in the estate house
–owner told us dark history of the highlands and how broadband is bring people back
-Return to the train in Kinguissie
-Lunch then ride to Tullibardine Whisky Distillery
–rainy, more than we’ve had any day
–excellent young tour guide, told us stories of superstitions about angel share
-Rejoin the train in Perth and go to Dundee, final night
-Gave envelope to Alex
-Started saying good byes to staff and new friends
-Formal dinner, w/lively Scottish piano and guitar

Friday 10/13/19 — return to Edinburgh

-Go from Dundee, cross Tay Bridge into Kingdom of Fife
-Stop at Edinburgh
-Jewelery from Goodwins Antiques
-Gifts for home at Debenhams
-Then End
-Hotel The Balmoral
–Dinner at the Bistro

Saturday 10/14/19 — fly home, early

-Same limo driver picked us up at 3:30am
-UA9926 EDI->BRU 6:06am to 8:40am
–Only one row of business class travelers
-UA973 BRU->ORD 11am to 12:55pmCT
–connecting gate was only a few gates away
–slept 4 hours, watched Apollo 11 movie
-Tried mobile passport — not worth it. No faster
-home by 3pm.

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Cathie drove from Laurel to Baltimore to meet with Mike at the Four Seasons located at the Inner Harbor area; they had drinks on the rooftop restaurant, called the ByGone.  Liz and I flew into DCA and drove to Baltimore in time to meet Mike, Liane and Cathie at the Charleston Restaurant, nearby.

The restaurant is super fancy! The chef designed a 5 course dinner for us. Mike picked a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. And to add the final touch to a super dinner, the valet attendant drove the car from the restaurant to the Four Seasons — so I didn’t have to drive.

We ended Friday evening by having drinks at the neighboring Loch Bar.  We gave Mike the special gift of a blanket with his face printed on the side.  Paying homage to other wonky things he has had custom made with his face on it.

On Saturday, we met Liane at 10:30 and went for a walk through Fells Point.  This was an area featured in Samantha Browns travel show.  We had brunch at the Sagamore Pendry Hotel. The hotel is situated on the former Rec-Pier built in the early 1900s.

From there, we went to Mike and Liane’s old apartment building, got her car and drove to the hotel they are staying at on the grounds of Johns Hopkins University.

We picked up the dogs and drove to an outside bar called Union Craft Brewing — It  welcomes dogs! It was a nice place to visit, but Pamb and Gus needed to be kept close because they are sometimes a little too friendly with other dogs. We spent the afternoon there, then went back to the hotel.

We took naps, then went to a Baltimore Orioles game at beautiful Camden Yards. We had great seats on Row 7 right behind home plate.  Our usher Pat was really nice to us. The game was fun to watch, with the Os beating the Blue Jay’s 6-4. Box Score. 

After the game, we took a taxi back to the hotel. Liane then took an Uber back to her place. Cathie, Liz and I had a some drinks again at the nearby Loch Bar.  We had breakfast at the ByGone the next morning, then drove to Washington DC.

The mall was crowded with little to no parking. So we drove to really neat museum called Dumbarton Oaks Research Library. Liz was really happy to find some important books for her research. It was a beautiful place to visit in the historic Georgetown area.

After that we drove to airport and flew back to home on a 1:45pm flight.  Luckily we were able to get Cathie an upgraded seat!!

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After 3 and a half years of medical school and over 10 interviews with different hospitals, Mike learned where he is going to start his medical residency: Johns Hopkins!  The process is formally done across the country all at the same time and date.  At noon, on 3/15, all of the medical student opened their match letters.  Then each student got up in front of the room and shared with their class mates where they are going.  This traditional ceremony is very emotional and welcomes family members to join.

On match day morning, we attended a tail gate party, then we all met at “The Zone” — a large sky box at the football stadium.  Then we went to the River Rat with the rest of the class to celebrate.  For dinner we went to Hall’s Chop House for dinner with Colin’s family.  What a great day.  We are so proud.

The next day, we had brunch at Cafe Strudel then went to Congaree National Park and walked the dogs on the very nice boardwalk trail. For dinner we went to the bowling alley / restaurant called the Grand.  Then we went to the nearby ice cream shop: Sweet Cream.

Mike had to leave early Sunday morning for his volunteer work in Mexico at the boarder near McAllen, TX. Faith Ministry We had brunch at Motor Supply then we had a relaxing afternoon at Steel Hands, listening to music with the dogs.

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Friday 2/8

-Limo to airport, checked bags, no duffle bag, just blue roller
-UA972 ORD->BRU 5:55pmCT to 8:50amCET
–Liz’s birthday
–Mike flew from Columbia, met us at BRU
–Bin flew from JFK, landed at BRU same time as us

Saturday 2/9

-Mini van driver met us at BRU and took us to Hotel
-Hotel Amigo, one block from Grande Place
–Front desk and bell staff very warmly welcomed us
–help getting luggage to room
–Cathie and I had Executive room, again. Room 444. Really big, comfortable. Big luxe bathroom.
–All three of our rooms were ready right away.
-walked over to Grande Place, had breakfast at Le Roy D’Espagne
–We always go here first.
–I started with an omlette, but then ended up with beer and frites

-We then walked thru the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
-Then over to the St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral
-Then, in the heavy rain, we walked up the hill to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
–We’ve been here before, it is nice to be back

–I went straight for the Bruegels
–we had drinks in the cafe — Tabl’o
-We walked back to the hotel, rainy
-I took a one hour nap
-Dinner at ‘T Kelderke restaurant in the Grande Place
–Great dinner, but their credit card machine
-We stopped at Elisabeth chocolate shoppes (3 of them!)
-Evening drinks in the hotel lounge

Sunday 2/10

-We slept late, had breakfast at 10am. A little late, but still ok
-We took taxis to the Comic Book Museum

–I enjoyed looking for the Tintin exhibit (his 90th anniversary,
–Liz liked the Quebec General Store
–We had long lunch at the Brasserie Horta at the museum
-We walked over to a Comic Book Store near Central Station, Slumberland Tome 1
-Then for some reason, we stopped for an hour or so at the BrewDog Pub nearby.
-We luckily found a minivan at a taxi stand, and took it to the Filigranes Bookstore
–I bought a french language book and greeting cards. Rainy, again
–We were right next to the Metro station, so we took it (2 stops) to Central Station
-Then we walked to the Grande Place and did some shopping

-Our really nice concierge booked us a table at the Taverne du Passage
–crowded, lost of local diners, good food
-Bought more chocolates from Elisabeth
-Evening drinks at the hotel

Monday 2/11

-Finally, a morning without rain! It was cool
-We had breakfast, the staff recognized us

-We took the train to Brugge
–9:20 to 10:30am
–We walked around, saw the sites.
–Bin and Mike climbed to the top of the tower
–We went to FNAC and bought more cards; art supplies
–The historic square was beautiful!
–Museum Stadhuis
–Cheese and beer at the 2be bar — fun, on the water, outside
–2pm lunch at Tom Pouce restaurant
-Concierge got us a table at the nearby La Roue D’Or for dinner, again local, crowded and different
-Bought souvenirs and Chocolates. New Favorite: Mary Chocolates

Tuesday 2/12

-Breakfast at 7. Staff recognized us again
-same mini-van to the airport at 8am
-Bell staff helpful again with luggage
-Bin’s flight was delayed 3 hours
-We got upgraded to Premium Plus. New sub-business class, but nicer seating area.
-We made our connection in Dulles ok. Customs was light. The United Club was lightly attended
-We got home with fresh snow on the ground, but otherwise on time
-Mike and Bin both got home fine.
-Each time we had drinks, we toasted Liz: Happy Birthday!

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-SW flight from Midway at 7:30am. UA flights all booked
-Limo pickup at 5pm
-Taylor taking care of cats, starting new job soon.
-flight only slightly delayed. The day before was snowy, slushy
-Delays at Hertz. Really low inventory. We were lucky to get our mini van. Thanks to Melissa
-Mike and Liane landed shortly after us. Melissa helped them get their car
-Quick stop at Starbucks
-The mini van was full of people but we stopped to get groceries  at Jerry’s anyway
-We got to Southseas. the room wasn’t ready, but they told us to go to our room anyway
-Warm weather, maybe 85. Perfectly clear
-Lands End 1666
–It looked like the previous guest had just left.
–Dirty dishes everywhere.
–Christmas tree, wrapping paper, decorations, garbage everywhere
–We cleaned out the refrigerator, put our perishables in and put the rest of our stuff in a corner and waited for the cleaning crew to come
–We went to the shoeprint pool and ate crackers
–At 5pm, there were 4 people in the condo cleaning.
–I tipped the main person and thanked her “Merci beaucoup” I heard her say seize soixante-six on the phone earlier.
-Dinner at Mucky Duck. Didn’t get served until 9pm. Really busy
–Bacon shrimp on the patio before hand

Monday 12/31/18 — New Years Eve: Kayak, Golf, Beach and Mad Hatter

-Kayaking at Tween water
–Adventure Sea Kayak and SUP

–Melaya was our guide. 7 of us
–new boat wreck, new burned-out boat
–mangrove trail
–slight breeze, Roosevelt channel only
–out at 9am, back by 10:30am
–fun, easy paddle
-Headed to the beach by 11am
–I drove and then walked back. I really miss the bikes
–setup Liane with my mobile hot spot
–crowded beach but well staffed
-Mike and I left to go golfing
–1:40pm tee time
–warm, high 70s. very breezy
–crowded but no waiting
–Met Mom and the beach and gave her her hiking poles
–back to the condo by 3:45
-Sat around for awhile
-Got ready by 5pm, took pictures then went to Mad Hatters
-Mad Hatters
–arrived at 5:30pm, just in time
–table for 7 nicely layed out on the right edge of the dinning room, at the window
–Sunset was 5:42pm. Clear sky, nice orange colors
–6 course fixed price menu
–Champagne, 3 bottles of wine and after dinner drinks… we had lots of fun!
–excellent food. I had the fillet
–Done by 8:30
-Stopped by Captiva Provisions to get more champagne
-Watched TV, played games until midnight
-We watched CNN; Times Square rockin eve, switched to local news?!
-At midnight, we could see the fireworks show from Sanibel and Pine Island from our roof top patio
-We went to bed right afterwards; the kids stayed up until 1am
-Happy New Year!!

Tuesday 1/1/19

-I got up by 8:30. Most others were up by 10am
-Cathie and cleaned as best we could before the cleaning person arrived
-Clear sky, slight breeze, about mid 70s; maybe 80s by mid afternoon
-Hug out at the shoe print pool until noon
-Took Liane to the main pool for a going away lunch at the Pointe. Crowded but approachable
-Walked over to the Marina and there were several baby manatees with a couple (3?) adults.
-From there, Liane went back to the condo and drove herself to the airport for a 5:30pm flight.
-The rest of us walked over to the beach.
-We spent all afternoon at the beach, back at the condo by 5:30… just before sunset
-We rested a little, then headed out to Lazy Flamingo.
–I was crowded, we had to wait outside, but that was ok
–Ohio State Rose Bowl Game was on TV
–Disney was overfull and had to turn away people
-Liane got back ok, her flight was delayed by an hour
-We then went to Bubble Room,
–Dessert: nothing has changed. Key Lime pie still good
–Tunnel of Love pictures.
-Scoops and Slices: They were closed but still let us in
-I had a tough night. This time it was not mosquito bites

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-UA742, upgraded, departed an hour or so late. Crack engine, switched plans
-Only half our luggage made it to RSW. We waited at the airport for the next flight
-Watched Purdue / Mich St game, comp’d lunch
-Checked into Lands End 1626 at about 3pm. Sharing condo with Ian and Leslie
-Luggage getting really heavy.
-Room has view of Red Fish Pass and 6th tee
-It was windy and warm, partly cloudy with late afternoon light reflecting nicely off the birds
-Big, big waves. Surprisingly big.
-Cocktail hour, as normal
-Lazy Flamingo at 7pm. Not too crowded
-To bed by 9pm

Sunday 10/28/18

-Slept in late, about 9:30
-Cool, windy. Not good for kayaking
-Ian taking pictures with his new camera
-I took a bunch of really nice osprey pictures at the condo
-Cathie went to the hot tub
-Lunch in the Condo
-Golf at 2-4pm
–Lots of birds
–Very windy, coolish
-Ding Darling
–Went there and it was nearly high tide, we had low expectations
–Lots of birds! Roseate Spoonbills, White Pelicans, Little Blue Heron
–Mangrove Cookcoo!
–Stopped 3 full times, lots of other people
–500mm lens, and Ian’s new camera
-Sunset Grill restaurant — not busy
-Back to the condo by 9pm

Monday 10/29/18

-Ian and I worked on photos from Ding Darling
-AM at the pool. Hot tub. Family from Germany
-Lunch at Condo
-Golf at 2pm.
-Captiva Cruises sunset. Elliot was our host. Catches sharks for research job
-Dinner at Keylime Bistro. Liked the piano player

Tuesday 10/30/18

-Very calm weather, no clouds, no wind, 70 degrees
-8:45am Kayaking
-Paddle around Buck Key
–Brian was happy that we were back. Red Tide hurt their business.
–Down Roosevelt channel, with the tidal current
–Back up Pine Island Sound on the far side, against the tidal current
–Half way up, Ian and Leslie joined us
–Cathie and I finished after 2.5 hours
–Ian and Leslie finished probably an hour later following the crab pot lines further North
–Brian’s Granddaughter and friend took care of us.
–Lots of Yellow-Crown Night herons
–Dolphin, Bald Eagle, no Manetee
–Rays, crabs
-Light lunch at condo
-I had an important work call at 2pm
-Golf at 4:30pm
–calm, clear sky, some wind, not crowded
–Had fun, again
-Cocktail hour on patio
-Dinner at Mucky Duck

Wednesday 10/31/18

-Kayaked with Sunny Island Adventures
–I called Brian and his staff was taking out a tour group
–This is the service affiliated with the T-Dock at South Seas
–Lots of tree trimming, kinda annoying
–Good, hard, paddle to Chadwick’s Bayou and Marina Villas docking area
–Boats were sit on tops with too short paddles. Had to “canoe” them. Slow
–Usual wildlife: visited sand bar with lots of birds
–Out for 2 hours
-Then golf at 2:30, then dinner
-Dinner at Mad Hatter
–Fantastic!

Thursday 11/1/18

-Captiva Cruise ride to Cayo Casta State Park
–We stayed at the beach for 4 hours, beautiful
–Ian brought a sunshield/tent for us
–I bought a beach chair.
–We found nice shells, the water was nice, and the sky was clear
–Wilson’s Plover/Ruddy Turnstone and Snowy plovers visited us
–Nice boat ride: going up using the Gulf route because it was calm, going back Intercoastal waterway.
-Dinner at Doc Fords — Just Ian and Me. Cathie needed to stay at the condo to relax
-7pm call
-Stayed up Late, sore legs

Friday 11/2/18

-Breezy, warm day
-Kayaked with Brian.
–Tide coming in, wind from South, choppy waters
–Went around North side of Buck Key
–Waves too big, back tracked and went through mangrove tunnel
–Headed South along Roosevelt Channel
–Turned around halfway down, too windy
–Landed back at Tween Waters after 1:45.
–Saw manatee, fewer birds
-Pack and Ship, arranged for golf clubs return home
-Golf at 2:30
-Cocktail Hour
-Power outage
-Drove to Sanibel for dinner: Island Cow, good but too much food
-Power back on, back at condo to pack
-Leg still hurts, very itchy

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-Limo to airport. Stretch. Everyone fit including luggage
-UA Liz, Cathie, Jack upgraded. Molly, Jeff, Mary moved to Economy Plus
-Left on time

Wednesday 7/4/18 — Old Town and Charles Bridge

-I didnt sleep, Cathie did
-Van driver was waiting for us!
-David checked us in. My old information from 2014 was still in their system
-3 rooms. King (Jack and Cathie), Queen (Liz), King Suite (Jeff, Molly, Mary)
–Only Liz’s
-First stop: Old Town Square and lunch at U Tyna
-Then we walked over to the Powder House and the Opera and looped back and walked to the Charles Bridge
–It was so hot and so crowded we turned around
-We took a two hour break in our rooms
-For the evening we started at a nearby pub for drinks: Karlova
–The weather had cooled down a little, and it was a little less crowded
–We stayed here for 90 minutes. Very relaxing
-We decided we wanted to have dinner on the other side of the bridge
–We slowly walked the Charles Bridge taking pictures and enjoying the scenery
–We walked the bridge and found a nice restaurant on the water front: Čertovka
-We walked back, except it was dark, so a whole different set of pictures
-I went straight to bed, asleep

Thursday 7/5/18 — Jewish Quarter

-Woke up at 7am, at the breakfast table by 8am
–We had a nice omlette and some meat and cheeses from the buffet table
–All nice, pleasant
–1960s american standards background music (Andy Williams, Dean Martin)
-We were at the Spanish Synagogue by opening at 9am.
–Maisel Synagogue
–Pinkas Synagogue
–Old Jewish Cemetery
–Klausen Synagogue
–Ceremonial Hall
–Spanish Synagogue
–Old-New Synagogue
-Inbetween the last two, we took a break at the Kolonial Restaurant
–Kolonial Restuarant, 12:25 http://www.kolonialpub.ca
–Bike themed
–Just drank beer and lemonaide
–empty when we got there at 11:30, almost full when we left at 12:30
-Walked over to the Old Town Square and bought Cathie’s glass bowl
–Prodejní galerie Moser Staroměstské nám 13:36
–https://www.moser-glass.com/sales-galleries/prodejni-galerie-moser-staromestske-namesti-praha-34
–She’s wanted that since 2011
–They are shipping it through DHL.
-Quick visit to the Church: St Nicholas — Hussite Church
-2pm lunch on the Old Town Square
–Hotel Lippert
–Snitchel/Cheese
-Walked back to the hotel, decided to order tickets for the concert at the Spanish Synagogue
-We took naps until 6pm
-After naps, we walked to the concert in the Spanish Synagogue. It started at 7pm
–The doors opened at 6:45
–We had to stand under a tree to avoid the rain
–We were let in and found 6 seats together in the 2nd row
–It was a 5 piece orchestra with a featured trumpet player and vocalist; we gave short applause whenever the returned to the stage
–They played 10 arrangement and finished exactly on the hour, including an encore of “Moon River”
–I was deighted with their arrangements of Leonard Cohen’s Allleighlua and Queen’s Boehien Rapsody
–The vocalists best performace was La Boehm
-Afterwards, we tried to go to the restaurant Kolkovana; across the street, but they were full
–This place was recommended by the United gate person in Chicago
-Instead we went to the nearby Nostress Cafe/Restaurant
–No Stress Restaurant, V Kolkovně 9 22:03 http://nostress.cz/
–They served contemporary food; no goulash or snitzel
–Salmon was the favorite. Mary and I had hamburgers
–We shared lengthy stories of Mom and Dad’s past — interesting and fun
–We enjoyed deserts; they had a big selection
-We walked back and when to bed by 10:30

Friday 7/6/18 — Castle

-Slept ok. I got up at 3:30 but fell back asleep
-At the breakfast area by 8am. It was crowded; we couldn’t sit together
-It was cooler and overcast. I wore short, but was tempted to dress more warmly
-We walked to the Metro station on the other side of the river and got tram tickets
–Number 22 or 23
–Credit card with chip did not work; the Apple pay did. It was 24CZK per person
–Caught the tram right away
-The castle was just like we remembered it
–The ticket line was empty, good!
–Sprava Prazskeho hradu SD 1 9:36
–https://www.hrad.cz/
–St Vitus’s Cathedral
–Old Royal Palace
–Basilica of St George
–We stopped at the cafe on the grounds for a break
—It started to rain; we sat on some tables under some umbrellas
–Golden Lane
–We then exited down the stairs and turned right to take the Furstenberg Garden exit
—We paid a small fee and winded our way down to the bottom of the hill through some nice garden areas.
-We then walked over to the New Town Square area
-We had lunch at the Malostroanska Restaurant accross the street from the St Nicholas Church
–We had a pretty big lunch
–We were half outside and all the Harley Davidson motorcycles were noisy.
–Our server was moving to Aruba
-We walked to the Church of Our Lady Victorious / Infant Jesus of Prague
–There was a moving 100 year tribute to Czech including a moving retrospective of August 1968.
–The beautiful copper alter pieces were being remodeled
-We walked back to the St Nicholas Church it was closed for the day. Maybe tomorrow
-We found the John Lenin wall. Lots of street art and a live performer
-We then walked back over the Charles Bridge and back to our hotel for a break.
-At 7:30, we met in the lobby to plan dinner
–We met a couple who are on the first leg of a Danube river cruise.
-We walked over to the nearby Hotel Prince / Black Angel outdoor eating area.
–Hotel U Prince outdoor cafe area 22:16 https://www.hoteluprince.com/
–We had a long dinner going to past 10:30
–The weather cooled down nicely with a clear sky
–The Belgian / Brazil soccer match was going on at the same time. Many Belgian fans in the plaza area
–Liz was sketching scenes beautifully painted onto the Hard Rock Hotel facade
–Really nice server told us the history of the nearby building
-We took Molly shopping, briefly
-Then went back to our hotel.
-This was our last night in Prague.

Saturday 7/7/18 — Wenceslas Square, head to Frankfurt

-Cooler day, in lower 60s, warmed to the high 70s

-Breakfast, as normal at 8am

-Back to our rooms: pack ed and checked out.
-The hotel very nicely stored our luggage.
-We set off for our last day in Prague. We started to walk to Wenceslas Square
-On the way we stopped at the super crowded Harley Davidson Theme shop
–They didn’t sell any of the 115th anniversary t-shirts. They were only for event attendees.
–We met a couple from Calgary. He runs a Harley dealership, and she thought they were going away from Harley,
–Instead their vacation “got high jacked” by Harley
–The nearby streets were full of Harley’s. The store was packed and the poor store clerk was barely keeping up
-Next we stumbled upon the famous Havelský Trh / Havel’s Market
–It was pedestrian street with lots of quality flea market style goods.
–Liz found a wonderful woven fabric; Molly and Jeff found souvenirs
–Molly was taking pictures of mice
–I took pictures of fruit
-We then walked up to Wenceslas Square. At this point we stopped for drinks at Cafe Trinity
–Mary and Jeff got us some cooked spiral sugar dough
–Trdelnik was the name on the tent. This was new to us and served everywhere, in popup form
-We continued our walk, but Wenceslas Square was closed off
–There was a Harley parade! Pair-wise a huge line of motor cycles were traversing the Wenceslas Square loop
–Lots of people taking pictures, lots of cheering, lots of noise!
–Then they were done. Silence, whew.
–We then walked up to the main statue of the Square and took pictures
–Really nice, lots of people, clear sky
–We started walking back, and another parade started!
–We read that the Harley convention had arranged for groups of 4000 bikes at a time to parade through Prague
–We found a couple of book stores:
—Knihy Kanzelsberger
—Kanzelsberger Bookstore 12:36 https://www.dumknihy.cz/
—Academia Knihkupectvi — Komicsky books
—Academia Bookstore www.academia.cz
—Cathie bought some clothes from the nearby Marks and Spencer
-We left the square, even though the motor cycles were still parading
-We stopped for our last lunch at Il Gusto
–Restaurant Il Gusto 14:36 http://www.ilgusto.cz/
–It is an Italian Restaurant.
–We had pizza, lazagna, pesto pasta, etc.
–Pacific Rim was playing on the TV (not sure why)
-We then walked over to the Tyn Church
–More formally: The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
–Featured Tomb of Tycho Brahe
–Beautiful church
-We still had an hour before our ride to the airport so we stopped at the Restaurant U Tyna
–This outdoor cafe in front of the Tyn Church was the first place we stopped at when we arrived on the 4th.
–We just had drinks
-We walked back to the hotel and took our taxis to the airport
–My taxi was watching the World Cup game: England won
-We caught our flight to Frankfurt in plenty of time
–We had to check our luggage
–We walked from the baggage claim to the Hilton Hotel
-At the Hilton, they had our rooms waiting for us. We checked in by 8pm, and we ate dinner in the bar at 8:30
–We watched Croatia beat Russia, in overtime
–We had cheeseburgers and beer for dinner

Sunday 7/8/18 — go home, through Frankfurt

-United 945 8:10am-10:30amCT
-We checked out at 6:15, walked to the United desk
-We were checked-in by 6:35. We checked our luggage
-We were through security lines by 7:05
-We were a realatively short walk to our gate, boarding started at 7:25am
–I had to go through secondary screening, so I boarded separately
–I boarded right after group one.
–Liz and Cathie saved me some overhead space
–I slept at least 5 hours!
–We arrived 30 minutes early
–No problem with re-entry
-Stretch limo home
-Kitties were fine. House was clean
-Taylor left them with lots of food and water.

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-UA742, upgraded, departed 7:48am, nice flight
-Rented Ford Edge from Hertz. Good SUV, smaller than usual, but workable for the two of us
-Stopped at Jerry’s; I forgot to pack white t-shirts. I bought two.
-Checked in to Lands End 1633
–Nice room, great view of blind pass and the gulf
–On the 6th fairway
–Cleaning staff still working
–spartan decor, but workable
-No time for lunch, went straight to the beach.
–Stayed there until after 5pm
–no more “cliff”
–clear sky, in the 80s
–got a little windy
-Lazy Flamingo for dinner, crowded, much more so than in Nov17
-Sunset at Blind Pass (watch out for the enforcement officer)
-Desert at Scoops and Slices
-Watched Lost in Space on Netflix

Saturday 4/21/18 — Kayaking, Golf, Ding Darling
-Got up to overcast skies, they cleared and we got up to 89 degrees, great day!
-Kayaked from 9:30 to 11:30.
–Went south along Roosevelt Channel, then back around the far side of Buck Key
–lots os Snowy Egrets, a Bald Eagel, lots of osprey, delighted to find a little green Herson, at tne end we saw a huge majestic Great Blue
–I had the green Old Town Loon. It has an open cockpit and a tall back. Really comfortable
-Came back for lunch.
–The osprey right out side our condo were posing beautifully for pictures in great lighting
–I used the 500mm lens. The osprey were almost too close
-We went golfing early
–Beautiful day for golf, course not crowded, but we did have to wait a couple of holes for a slower foursome
–By the end of the round we were tired
-Back to the condo to cool down
-Left for DingDarling
–Stopped at CVS first
–bar soap
–York Mint Patty… not “Yorky”
–We saw a pair of osprey in a nest; otherwise, nothing
-Drove back to Captiva and had dinner at Mucky Duck. Served right away at 5pm
-Back to condo. I took a nap and woke-up in time to see the sunset
-Watched two episodes of Lost in Space.

Sunday 4/22/18 — Kayaking, Golf, RC Otters

-clear windy day high in the 80s, clouds over Pine Island
-Kayaking delayed until 11:20.
–Someone called in sick. We had to wait for them to come back from a tour
–We started late, but everything went fine.
–Started heading South along Roosevelt Channel
–The water was deeper than the day before
–saw dolphin and lots of other wading birds
–rounded the bottom of Buck Key, the wind was heavier and the water choppier
–Kingfisher, pelicans, dolphin, Great Blue, Snowy, and Great Egret, lots of osprey (quieter)
–When we made the bend around the top of BUck Key, waters became claim again, we had the wind at our back
–We ran into the 11:30 guided tour. They were excited to see some dolphin
–We paddled in, the Yoga instructor helped us out
-We went back to the condo to cool off
-We had a 2:50pm tee time
–We just beat the two large foursomes
–much windier
–Moorhens were grazing on the golf course, but they are water fowls
-Headed back, changed, and went to the beach
-Stayed at the beach for an hour or so, listening to nice steel drum and flute music
-Showered and went for dinner at RC Otters
–They had a realy good vocalist who did two songs, then she left and the guy did Niel Young and other classics
–It wasn’t that crowed, but we did have to hurry back
-Westworld, Season 2 started
–Very violent, fell asleep before the ending

Monday 4/23/18 — Kayaking, Golf, Ding Darling, Sunset Grill

-Slightly overcast day, forecast high of 85. Winds from the South, tide coming in
-Kayaked normal time, 9:30
–Again, paddled South along Roosevelt Channel. It was tough: going against the tidal current and the wind
–Around the other side of Buck Key, it was easy paddleing.
–We saw most of the birds on the far side of buck key, including our favorite Little Blue Herons.
–Much to our delight, Carl the cormorant, greeted us on the way back, hunting for fish as we paddled
-Golf at 1:30. Noone ahead or behind. Delightful round, but a little windy
-Drove to Ding Darling for low tide. Nothing to see, again. Sorry
-Had dinner at Sunset Grill for the first time. Top-notch, nice, outdoors, facing the gulf, breezy, not hot.
-Headed back to condo, watched sunset. Cathie took a nap

Tuesday 4/24/18 — Kayaking, Ding Darling, Green Flash

-Again, the morning started overcast. It looked like it rained last night, not alot of wind
-We kayaked around Buck Key, but went clockwise, going around the North tip. The water was smooth.
–Dolphins popped up right next to us
–We saw 3 manetees at the end
–We said good bye to the staff and said we’d be back in November
-I spent 1:30 on the phone with my work, prepping for a Sprint meeting in Reston
-We went to Ding Darling, one last time.
–Yeah, The Rosatee Spoonbills were there!
–There was a whole crowd of people and many took turns looking through our 500mm lens
–We also saw our first Yellow-crowned Night Herson
–A manetee family is living near the “Indian Mounds”
-Celebrated my birthday at Green Flash
–I got calls from both Liz and Mike
-Watched episode 5 of Lost in Space
–Happy Birthday!

Wednesday 4/25/18 — Travel back home

-UA2404 12:40 to 2:44

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