The Final Countdown!

Hi all

Just a quick update: we are in the final week of our travels now :-( it's been a fantastic few months but it seems to have sped by.

We finished up in San Diego, and headed off to New Orleans for the weekend - we had a little condo apartment right in the french quarter, so didn't have to stray too far for the "action". New Orleans has obviously suffered heavily as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but they are definitely putting things back together ... the tourist areas are very much alive and kicking -- the party atmosphere has not been dampened at all. We wandered the streets of the french quarter, took in some jazz, did some late night cocktail drinking and ate some pretty good dinners!

From New Orleans we flew to Miami, picked up a hire car and drove across to Naples on the Gulf Coast -- we stayed in Naples until Saturday with family friends of Anne's in their very nice house; using the pool, the beach and the residents facilities. It was the lap of luxury, and we were very sad to leave after being made so welcome; particularly by their chocolate labrador Guinness. I thought Anne was going to try and sneak him into our hire car when we left.

We are now staying in a condo just north of Naples, on Estero Island - actually Fort Myers Beach --- it is beautiful, we are right on the beach - we can hear the waves from our bedroom and watch the sunset whilst having dinner. Its going to be very hard to leave tomorrow.

Tomorrow we head to Miami, where we are staying South Beach for two nights before our flight back to London on Friday evening.

It will be sad to finish our trip - we have had a wonderful time, particularly catching up with friends and meeting new babies etc. on our travels; but at the same time we are looking forward to catching up with everyone back in Europe.

Will write again from Miami.

Cheers,

D & A