We were up at eight ready to crack on with laundering the sheets we'd slept in, make up the bed with the posh set, dispose of any outstanding give-aways, say our goodbyes and dress the condo ready for viewing. Our cunning plan was to leave around noon if we could be ready in time, have lunch at Bone Fish, deliver condo keys to realtor, get Ken an ice cream at Regina's and then bowl on up to an airport hotel in Orlando for a relaxing overnighter.
First addition to our schedule was the possibility of someone calling in for some sewing machine 'clobber' sometime between 8.30 and 10.30 am. That, somehow, got messed up and I was standing outside our garage handing them to a drive-by collection just as we were leaving.
Before that I had said goodbye to our neighbours below us which was a bit teary. I had already had a sniffle when the car was sold the day before... Tears for a car for heaven's sake. When we had completed our chores and the condo was pristine I took my usual few minutes alone in a home before leaving it for a final farewell walk round before locking the door for the last time. Oddly, this was just fine, no moist eyes in sight. It felt like our usual end of season departure and that was OK.
So, our day had begun well with us ready to leave about half ten instead of noon... Lunch was now brunch with thirty minutes to kill until Bone Fish opened. We decided to drop off the keys with our realtor at the end of Fifth first to kill a couple of minutes. We had forgotten it was the day of the Blue Crab Festival. It is a big deal in Naples and draws thousand from here, there and everywhere so streets are closed off, traffic diverted and no where to park. We crawled in traffic up to Engel and Volkers and there was a just-vacated parking spot right outside the store, right there on Fifth. The Gods were with us.
Off to Bone Fish. We were the first customers in and about the fourth to get our order!! Took about half an hour. Pricey coconut shrimp appetiser followed by by even pricier filet steak for Ken and lobster for me. We know how to leave in style. The icing on the cake was that Bone Fish picked up the tab as an apology for a 'poor experience'! How can the day get any better? They know how to say goodbye in this place; a dolphin even joined Ken for his last swim in the sea the day before.
After lunch Ken was determined to try to get his last ice cream at Regina's even though we agreed it was very unlikely that we would be able to park any where in Collier let alone Naples. As part of our lap-of-the-Gods gamble we nipped round the back of the store where there are half a dozen thirty minute customer slots and one was empty!!!!!!!!!! Yeah for Naples' Gods and their laps.
So, one Caramel Caribou and Rasberry Truffle (both Kens) later and Naples was done and dusted and we were off up to Orlando. The GPS predicted a 3hr 19min drive and it was just about that when we arrived at the hotel.
Our next delivery of the day was a large electric turntable I had. It was brand new, cost around sixty bucks and would have been binned had I not had the brainwave of asking Kim Sher ..... runs the Miniaturia shows ...... If she knew anyone who could use it. She was going to collect it from us.
I gave her a ring and we decided to meet her and her husband in The Tavern in Celebration. So, off back to the car and a thirty minute ride over there. Guess what, they also had a festival on (Oktoberfest) with roads closed and no parking any where. Clearly the Naples Gods had hitched a ride as, by pure fluke, we pulled up behind the back of a restaurant where there was a tow truck to ask directions. The building turned out to be the Tavern. I asked the tow guy if he'd let my husband 'lurk' while I delivered a parcel. Deal done, I dashed round the corner only to discover the restaurant was pretty big, totally full and I wasn't all that sure I would know Kim in mufti. Indeed, I have no idea how I found her, or recognised her, but I did.
Back to the hotel, by now it was about eight o'clock; so much for a nice relaxing afternoon in Orlando.
We settled into our junior suite, watched some TV and fell into the world's comfiest bed.
Last sleep in the State as residents...... Perhaps ......
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