February 7

   Had breakfast at the breakfast room in Big Pine Keys, then I did the laundry while Andrew went for a walk on the seafront. I got a wolf whistle from a blind parrot near the laundry!

   We then drove along Highway 1 to Key West, checked in at Andrew's Inn where we stay for 3 nights. We have a lovely little chalet here, a bathroom with an Italian marble sink, a large room with a Queen size bed and our own little sun deck, where I am sitting typing. There is the pool which the bathroom overlooks and palms and other greenery all around us. We are just around the corner from the main shopping street, but it is so lovely and tranquil here, you would never believe it. Key West is like a town so we can just leave the car and walk everywhere, which makes a really nice change from all the driving we've done so  far.

   There are 3 cats here, a tortie [Petal 2, coz she's whingy] a ginger tom [Marmalade] and a white and black [Smudge]. Smudge has adopted us and stays with us already, Marmalade is around most of the time too, and Petal 2 is interested but asleep most of the time.

   We went for a walk earlier and found a German bistro for late lunch really gorgeous chicken and shrimp sandwiches. Then we went to Southernmost point and sat on the pier to watch the Pelicans catching fish. The houses around here dated from the early 1900's  and some are really lovely - they are called the "Gingerbread houses" We walked around the shops and bought some postcards and a T-shirt for me in bright purple. Went to Square One for dinner, crab to start, then grouper for Andrew and fillet steak for me, accompanied by an excellent Hawks Bay wine. The waiter was really good, but very smarmy, spent most of the evening with us, I think he fancied Andrew!!! Home to bed, talk to y'all tomorrow.