Naples, FL (MAR 22-24)

After an uneventful VEENDAM disembarkation, an expedited clearing of Customs thanks to our Global Entry status and then, just when things seemed to be going so smoothly, a really frustrating experience picking up our rental car, we drove west on I-75 to Naples where we visited my sister Connie. 

While there, she took us out for a boat ride that included cruising the waterways of Port Royal. 

Wow!  Some of the homes were gorgeous, some tasteful, some garish and some just plan monstrosities.  Until today, I am not sure that I had ever seen a tower crane being used to construct a house.  We saw 15,000 square foot homes that were hovels alongside their 40,000+ neighbors.  When money is no object... 

To see online images of Port Royal - most of which are probably from real estate ads - click here.

Back ashore, we visited the Naples Botanical Gardens.  Our timing was good.  Had we come one day later, we would have found ourselves in the throng of people attending the annual flower show.  Actually, we would have probably said, "To heck with this!" and gone elsewhere.

Thursday evening, we had an excellent dinner at my sister's favor restaurant in Naples - Bleu Provence.

Having had a great visit with Connie, we left for the airport late Friday morning.  The drive to Ft. Myers was uneventful.  We turned in our rental car, checked in for our flight and found a place to have lunch.  The flight left a few minutes behind schedule but was otherwise uneventful.  The car was waiting for us when we emerged from baggage claim in Boston.  We got home about 9:00 PM.  

It was a great trip. 

It is good to be home.