Monkey Island and Sausage Sandwich

The daily travel itinerary changes drastically when you have a toddler with you. Long car rides become short, secluded beaches turn into family-friendly beaches with public showers and a focus on safety, trendy bars become restaurants with kids menus, and museums turn into zoos. This list could go on indefinitely.

The fact is, for Frederik's sake, we went to the Naples Zoo first thing on Wednesday morning. The full name is 'Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens' and the name says it all. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and showcase a wide variety of plant species. Tucked in between are the animal enclosures. You can only see the monkeys through a boat tour, as they each live on their own small island in a lake on the zoo grounds. There are scheduled times to meet the keepers of specific animal species, where you can get information and ask questions. It's a very nice and personal experience! The admission price of $19 per adult is valid for the whole day, and you can also leave the zoo and come back later. This worked well for us, considering our limited timeframe before naptime. However, we didn't take advantage of that offer.

Frederik's biggest concern was seeing a do-go-diiii. However, they were lounging in the water, so we could only catch a glimpse here and there. He also enjoyed tigers, panthers, pumas, bears, and other animals, and we were surprised that he could already name all of them. More like imitating the sounds they make.

Lunch and naptime took a while, so Marius and Freddy spent almost an hour in the pool boat in the afternoon while I quickly cleaned the apartment. Unfortunately, there's no vacuum cleaner here, only a broom, which is not very practical with all the sand. But a beach vacation also means having sand in your bed.

For Thursday, we had something really nice planned: a trip to SANIBEL Island, about 1.5 hours away from us and a must-visit for seashell collectors according to the travel guide. Of course, we wanted to check it out. The night before, we had already chosen a suitable public beach area with nearby parking and the mentioned showers and restrooms, and now we headed there. We learned the usefulness of public showers during our trip to Marco Island, where there were none, and we had to get into the car all sandy.

Thanks to my inability to read maps, we took a wrong turn again and ended up on a very quiet, green street lined with beautiful houses, probably meant more for the locals. This gave us a superficial glimpse into their way of living, and we didn't have to pass by all the restaurants and souvenir shops, etc.

When we arrived at BOWMAN'S BEACH, there was already a crowd, and we joined the ranks of beachgoers with all our belongings. We had to walk through a patch of mangrove forest, over a river bridge, through some vegetation, and finally saw the ocean - and all the other swimmers and seashell collectors. Although the beach itself was nothing special and the unique seashells had to be searched for, it was a very nice and peaceful place. The absence of high-rise buildings around us made it feel like a special place in nature. Frederik had no problem striking up conversations with people, and we were approached because of our funny or cute sun umbrellas, as most people hadn't seen ones advertising cookies before. One woman said it was really nice. Everyone loves cookies!

This time, we had packed a sausage sandwich for the little one, as there were no other food options in sight. He enjoyed it in the shade and gathered energy to build sandcastles and splash in the water.

While observing the other beachgoers, I noticed a group of older ladies, and I thought to myself: They're doing it right! I want to do that when I'm their age!!! Feet in the water, friends all around, and a cool drink in hand! WONDERFUL!! :)

After nearly three hours, we left the beach and headed back. However, we made a stop for dinner. There was an ice cream shop right next to the restaurant, and I was really impressed by it. In no time, you can have your own customized ice cream! Starting with the type of cream: regular, low-fat, sugar-free, or yogurt (...) and then choosing from about 40 different flavors. You can also add other ingredients like fruits, chocolate sprinkles, nuts, peanut butter cups, etc. Everything is mixed in a kind of wok bowl, placed on a wok station (without heat) and frozen while stirring using liquid nitrogen. Abracadabra - your individual ice cream is ready!!! Fascinating!! And a great business idea for event catering or something!

When we arrived back at the apartment, Marius had to go back to the car dealer after talking to the car rental company (the nearest rental station is in Miami or Tampa, which is too far away). Since the return trip, our check engine light has been on, which is not a good sign. They told us to come back early tomorrow morning, and they'll take a look at it. I'm curious about how it will turn out because if something is wrong, the rental company wants us to pay first. Personally, I don't like that at all, and it usually causes trouble. But of course, I'm also open to positive surprises...

Sooooooo, two important greetings to end the day (it's still June 23 here, so I hope the congratulations still count ;)):

We send our dear Hanno heartfelt congratulations on his birthday! We're hugging you and hope you had a great birthday. The program sounded like it, and we specially sent you good weather from here ;)

And now a photo greeting for you. You'll understand the underlying idea, of course :)

And we send our little sugar princess JANNE the best wishes on her very first birthday!!!!! We've already given you more personal wishes - in person ;)

But here's also a photo greeting for you! :) Dear K. family, big hugs to all of you!!!