In and around Naples

Now I have significantly interrupted my two-day blog rhythm. The reason is not big: there simply weren't any big experiences that absolutely wanted to be told :) But I will still share a few stories:

After Tuesday morning started surprisingly great with dolphins on the beach, the rest of the day couldn't offer anything that could impress us even more. Our trip to Everglade City was more like pointless fuel consumption than an impressive journey. If you're looking for action, you're definitely in the right place. There are also airboat tours providers here and exploration of the Everglades with 'swamp buggies' - huge vehicles that dig their way through the wet ground. So nothing for us. We took the opportunity to take a look at the style of the local houses, which is described in the travel guide as 'typical old Florida style'.

On the way back, we stopped at a small harbor right on the edge of the Everglade area 'Ten Thousand Islands' and signed up for a boat tour for the next day, which was supposed to bring more manatee encounters.

So I was really looking forward to the upcoming day when I got up on Wednesday morning and once again faced the great wide road network all by myself and drove towards the Everglades. On-site, the boat tour started with a small motorboat, more like a sturdy and covered inflatable boat, which was in a rather family-friendly hobby harbor. There was also a not-so-small alligator hanging around between the boats. Somehow, it is still not a familiar sight for me to see these little creatures without a fence everywhere...

So, everyone get on board, close the doors (please quickly), turn on the engine, and off we went. There were only six of us with a slightly grumpy looking captain, who was also supposed to give us the information. Luckily, he was the first one that day to find a manatee after what felt like an eternity of boating between the mangroves. There were three of them within 90 minutes. It may be due to the wrong season and the very unexciting nature of these huge creatures, but this trip was a bit unnecessary for me. The animals are only below the water's surface and only stick their noses out of the water to take a breath (which can take up to 20 minutes), and you can hear them inhaling and exhaling loudly. They can also eat the plants on the water's surface without lifting their heads out of the water. So all the pictures I could take won't tell you anything. I took a photo of a postcard so you can get an idea.

Did I mention that the mangroves are a significant part of the Everglades ecosystem? They ensure that the balance of the brackish water (a mixture of saltwater and fresh water) is maintained, and the roots work like a filtering system. In hurricane-prone areas, they also serve as a protective barrier for houses and their residents.

I had somehow expected more 'encounters', but the trip was informative nonetheless.

In the meantime, Marius was splashing around in the pool with Frederik, and they were doing boys' stuff: If you happen to see our little one in the near future, don't think he's extremely naughty when he sticks out his tongue at you screaming and grunting! Since he should be educated for the whole world, he is currently learning the Maori Haka - a dance that serves both as self-introduction and as intimidation, often referred to as a war dance. It conveys a lot through facial expressions - including making loud noises and sticking out the tongue. So: Our child isn't sticking out his tongue, but rather learning cultural 'manly things' - the Haka. :) :) :)

We spent the afternoon at the playground in the shopping center, as dark clouds and thunder with rain urged us to have some movement, just to have some more fun. ;)

During this time, Frederik showed a new interest: an interest in money. A few days earlier, we gave him some coins to play with and explained 'money for goods'. Since then, he has often stood behind us and called out 'Money!!! Money!!!' and wanted more coins. In the shopping center, he sat in a carousel car that moves for a few coins. Until now, it was usually enough just to sit in it. This time, he sat in it and loudly exclaimed 'Money!!!' We burst out laughing. ..

As our days in Naples are soon coming to an end, we want to spend a lot of time at the beach. So, Thursday also started there. We splashed around, built various things out of sand, until Frederik suddenly shouted 'Home!' and 'Car!' and 'Dudu!' out of nowhere, and walked alone along the beach towards the shower to go home. He couldn't be convinced to stay longer, so I followed him and Marius packed up, and we drove back.

After naptime and lunch, of course, the Euro 2016 was on the program!, which unfortunately didn't have a good ending for us.

After that, we spent some more time with the boat in the pool.

Also on Friday, we had a nice morning time at the beach. While Frederik and I were experimenting with the swim wings, Marius was very successful in finding seashells. The SAND DOLLAR shells are particularly popular here. They exist all over the world, I didn't know them yet, but find them somehow very magical.

And interestingly, they belong to the group of sea urchins! I googled them - really interesting little creatures!

We enjoyed a long nap and the boys went for a swim in the pool after the thunderstorm was above us, while I cleaned up a bit.

We are now going to spend four cozy days in Naples and then move on to new experiences. :)