So, after just over a month back in a wet, windy and cold UK, we return to a wet, windy and hot Florida.  It was lovely seeing everyone over Christmas and New Year, however we’ve returned to the US to lose weight and get fit again.  I understand this is not the normal state of affairs for people visiting the US, however we ate and drank so much and had too many hangovers to get up and run that we shall be using the opportunity to slow the pace of life down again and get buff!

We stayed in The Gale hotel on the non-beach side of Collins in South Beach (SoBe) which was somewhat reduced in attraction by a heavy storm on Sunday night that woke us to the sound of water dripping from the ceiling in our bathroom!  The next day nothing was said about our call to reception at 4;30 in the morning so we suggested that we would have expected some follow up.  This worked to the extent they removed the daily ‘resort’ fee that the hotels charge for access to the beach loungers and a round of drinks in their bar on Saturday night.  Saturday night was also unusual that the hotel has a fashionable nightclub in its basement that when we poked our heads around the bouncer, Alex took one look at the people dancing to Hip Hop (or whatever) and said it was similar to the clubs in New York that she and Gemma found to be dreadful, and we went straight up to bed.

Highlights of South Miami were the tours, we did the Art Deco walking tour from the Art Deco visitor centre.  This explained the history behind Art Deco, the design concepts behind it but also why many hotels only have three stories (four and you need a lift, which in the 1930’s was an expensive addition), why the area is heritage listed (over 800 Art Deco buildings meant it was a no brainer to protect them) and why Gianni Versace was both hero and villain (he popularised SoBe after buying his mansion but knocked down an adjoining Art Deco building to put in his pool).  We also took the Big Bus hop on hop off tour of wider Miami which introduced us to the Coconut Grove (funky and liveable), Coral Gables (exclusive such that they have no sidewalks as no-one who doesn’t live there should need to be there and where you may not have a pick-up truck on your driveway after 4pm) and Little Havana where many of the exiles from Cuba settled after the revolution.

We also enjoyed the Ball and Chain bar in Little Havana, which had a local jazz band (nice…) playing which was an excellent accompaniment to the several Modelo Especials that we had while ‘hopped’ off the tour.

Even after another enjoyable stay in South Miami we needed to get back to Reg, consequently we set off with our expensive new collapsible suitcases (£10 each from a market stall on East Street Market) to return to our home for the next 11 months.  He was exactly as we had left him, if slightly dusty, and after another quick run around with the vacuum and repairing the punctures on the Thompson Twins (our identical bikes) we have set off again on our travels.  Tonight we’re in a commercial park outside the Everglades, more of which next week …

Matt.