Naples, FL

I drove further south from Tampa to Naples, with another stop at a beach that is considered to be “#1 beach in Florida” – Siesta Key Beach – so those titles must not be as exclusive as they’d like them to be – it’s all due to whom you ask, after all, and if everyone gets a say a lot of different answers will come up :-). It was very pretty, at any rate, and more relaxed in its vibe than Clearwater, somehow, but still featured lovely white sand and turqouise water. Taking photos on beaches that show their individual characteristics or at least aren’t uniformely blue sky, clouds, sand, water is going to become challenging, I think. Also – these beaches are not as empty as one might think, but I am reluctant to point my camera at scantily glad beachgoers … so I snap photos whenever there is a tiny window without a stroller passing by.

Went to explore downtown Napels in the early evening and got caught in a deluge of water, which goes to show that, yes, tropical rainstorms totally happen in this area of latitude. Everything was wet. I begged a bag from a shop, to put my tec stuff in, as I did not want the phone to get frizzed by rain. It was epic. And fun. Thankfully the hotel had a tumble dryer on hand, and a hot shower fixed the rest.

I also have a sunburn on the top of my feet, which is going to be a mite uncomfortable when wearing shoes. And a blister on my left foot. Oh well. Super-water-resistant-sun-lotion, wherever you are sold, here I come! (Publix, I think. Or Walgreens. One shall deal.)

And now it is time to say goodbye to the Gulf Coast, as I start heading east. Today, the Everglades are on the itinary (Gulf Coast & Shark Valley, Flamingo possibly on my return from Key West)!