In Florida We Salt Maragritas Not Sidewalks

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends near and far...this year our travels are taking us to the sea to celebrate Christmas. Just packing up the last few things this morning as we head to the cruise ship port in Fort Lauderdale and hope the cooler weather heading to Florida doesn't quite make it to the Caribbean. 

As we spent some time just relaxing with Simone this week, we took a little road trip down to the Keys and headed to Key Largo for a couple of nights. Key Largo is the first of the fabulous Florida Keys and the self proclaimed “Dive Capital of the World” because of the living coral reef a few miles offshore. Rob loves to SCUBA dive, and it was a great opportunity for him to experience some of the best diving here in Florida. While he did his thing Simone and I checked out some local shops, enjoyed amazing Cuban coffee and empanadas. 

We also visited the John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park an underwater marine park located in the mangroves. It was full of natural beauty, you can hike, go to the beach or kayak. It's abundant wildlife proved to be too much for Simone. She was completely freaked out by the possibility of crocodilians around, and our hike had to be cut abruptly when she saw the signs of possible snakes living in the area.

Our Waterside Suite was located right on the marina and next door to the dive centre which made for a great spot. The food options were also fantastic, both nights we had amazing dinners as we looked out on the water. Key Largo is about a 2.5 hour drive, and a place to visit, but be advised that there may be wildlife both in the water and on land as you explore.

The big event this week was picking up Matteo in Miami from his four-month exchange in Rome. We decided to hang out in Miami Beach on our drive up from Key Largo to wait for his flight to come in. We found a great beach in North Miami and the weather and beautiful water helped to pass the time as we anxiously waited. It's been great to be together and spend time as a family of four. It melted my heart to see the kids connect in person and Simone kept saying “I can't believe you are here in the flesh”. We celebrated having him home with some Mexican food and half price margaritas at a local place La Bamba here in Delray. Definitely prefer our salt on the margaritas instead of the Toronto salt on the sidewalks.We are going to soak in every moment of the next two weeks, and I'm sure by the end everyone will be ready to have their own space back again.

Last night we had some beverages along with good cheer at the Perri’s condo in Pompano Beach. Thanks to Samantha our mixologist, the drinks kept flowing and so did the laughs with Sabrina’s witty sense of humour. It's amazing to see these young women grow up to be so smart, independent and motivated. There is definitely some great parenting going on there, I need to get some tips of Rom and Goretti. Apparently, the girls told me I just need to keep telling my kids to just do better...love it!

May this wonderful season be everything you hoped for and filled with amazing memories. Stay safe my friends. I hear there is some snow headed your way. Remember to keep the salt handy for both the sidewalks and the drinks.

Cheers and Merry Christmas everyone!