Saturday 7th: And onto Naples......

I have made it to Naples on Florida's west coast for the weekend. For those of you following my route.....I came down from Brandon on the 301 to Sarasota and then the 41 South and then jumped on I – 75 as time was getting on and I needed to get a move on.

The 301....more to come of what has gone before!!!

The weather has improved as forecast (long may it continue)....had all the inner layers of the jacket strapped to the bike today and all the air vents in the jacket and on the helmet wide open to get some cool air circulating. I'm sitting here at the side of a pool, looking out over a golf course in the afternoon sunshine (5pm) and waiting for a beer (does it get any better?).

See....a pool overlooking a golfcourse....told you!!!!!

I am the very grateful house-guest of Jeni who quickly decided that I was sane enough to invite to stay in her home. (ok ok sane as in not an axe-wielding loon......anyway.....I couldn't fit another Australian hitchhiker under that patio in my back garden so what is the point???) So after Jeni and Jeni's friend Pam between them try to blow me up with a gas oven (don't ask......lucky to still have my eyebrows!) while making us dinner we all headed off to Marco Island for the evening to see a comedy show and have a few drinks. Pam does the most wonderful Scottish accent.....it is just too bad that she is trying to do an Irish accent at the time!! Happy 50th Birthday Pam....enjoy the cocktails in Michigan!

Sunday morning saw Jeni jump on the back of the bike and we headed down to Vanderbilt Road beach to have a look at the ocean. It was lovely and the sun was nice and hot...plenty of people milling about on the sand but not a soul brave enough for the cold water!!

On the way back we stopped to look at the Alpaca farm that Pam helps out at from time to time. Alpacas are a non-hooved camel from Peru (no they are not Llamas) and are highly prized for their wool (so there you go.....).

not as cute as the Alpacas I grant you....

Jeni & Halo...

Thank you Jeni for your kindness and your company.