Everglades & beaches in Florida

· Fashion, Food, Travel

After Miami, here is finally the second stop of our USA road trip ! Well… 2nd and 3rd steps that I combined 2 days wandering in america in the same post.

After renting the car in Miami, we drove to Naples (in Florida… not Italy !) then we headed up to St Petersburg (in Florida… not Russia!) and Tampa.

To check the way, you can go back to the map I drawn here to not be completely geographically lost.

 

The Everglades

To get to Naples, we had the choice between two solutions: Highway 75 or the classic US41. We decided to choose the 2nd option as it was more interesting to admire the wild coast of the Everglades.

Indeed, along this Tamiami trail (=other name of the 41 road), it’s possible to stop in order to enjoy a tour of airboat and to discover the indian villages as well as the local wildlife.

Someone recommended us to pass by the Loop road, a wilder alternative of the 71 road but considering our vehicle not really appropriate for off-road path, I was a bit worried to end up sank into the mud as a snack for surrounding alligators. Therefore we stayed on the initial road.

Especially as the weather was very menacing and during our airboat tour we even had to take shelter during a hour to avoid the torrential rain. Here are some pictures of our short ride.

The feeling on the airboat was amazing (we had that feeling of flying on top of the water) and seeing alligators from so close in their natural environment was more than impressive.

Thankfully we had a guide as I’m not sure I would have risked to get so close without any surveillance (the “Look of the day” picture with a surprise friend is collector).

 

Naples

Naples is located about 2:30 hours away from Miami if you take the 71 road and if you do not stop by the Everglades.

As touristic activities, it’s possible to visit the botanical garden or Tin City, an old manufacture for fishermen transformed into a small commercial area.

Even though the place is mainly composed of small shops to buy kitsch souvenirs and restaurants a bit too touristic, it’s fun to discover the area.

Despite everything, I enjoyed having lunch at Pinchers (Tin City Shops, 1200 5th Ave S) , a restaurant chain specialised in seafood.

Crab rangoon

Soft shell crab sandwich

The staff was very welcoming and our plates satisfied my desire of crab cooked in all kind of sauces.

Naples beach Pier

Do not try to find any cultural or architectural sightseeing here, this seaside resort is mainly known for its beach, pier and TV show sunsets .

Good to swim and get some rest… which is already a good start…

 

Fort Myers

On our way to St Petersburg and Tampa, we stopped by Fort Myers in order to enjoy the beach a few hours.

The positive side of not traveling during holiday season allowed us to discover a beach surprisingly calm. Here again, the main interest is doing nothing while admiring the surrounding rainbow and/or blue-tone colours.

As I wrote in my first post, we didn’t find any major interest neither in Tampa nor in St Petersburg which explain the absence of pictures but I guess it depends on everyone tastes (to note: there is a Dali Museum in St Petersburg).

Musée Dali à St Petersburg

After this episode with a bit of everything, the next destination might interest the friends of the mouse with a high voice as it may be… Disneyworld in Orlando ! hehe ! Be patient ! (English translation by Quiterie)


My Outfit

Necklace ASOS
Sunnies Chloé
Vintage Tshirt Vestiaire des Hommes
Patch MadHatterPlushies (alrady seen here)
Mom jeans Only
Sneakers Superga
Bracelets Dinh Van, Mya Bay, Louis Vuitton
Ring Papyrus Atelier B
Watch Cluse (already seen here)

New eyelashes

· Beauty, Fashion

In this end-of-year period, I let myself enjoying new experimentations whether in culture or beauty.

The latest one is eyelash extensions ! I indeed accepted the invitation from the “Les cils de Marie” institute to fulfill a long-standing desire that my Asian genes prevented to achieve so far.

Indeed, Mother Nature gave me thin and straight eyelashes: a total antithesis compared to Audrey Hepburn’s ones, pin-up look expression and blinking had never been part of my secret weapons of seduction.

It’s actually pretty rare that a mascara succeed to improve them. Therefore I decided to forget about having long curvy eyelashes years ago and instead use eyeliner to compensate this lack of lash volume.

 

… for a new life ?

So last Wednesday, I spent 2:30 hours (instead of 2h usually: I must have given then some hard time!) to get these “Russian volume” extensions and since then, I’ve been rediscovering my look expression and the way to do my make up.

I’m quite impressed by the result and more especially as I put on hold my eyeliner.

Now, we’ll have to see how it will evolve in the long term (apparently it requires some fill up every 4-5 weeks, to brush the eyelashes every morning, to not rub the eyes and be careful with the products used for make up and potential make-up removal): I will anyway keep you updated.

Do not hesitate to ask all your questions about this topic in the comment box: I deliberately didn’t give too much details to not overload this post, but my new eyelashes are listening.

I also let you with the pictures of my look this week-end during which, a shaggy coat wasn’t too much! Have a great week! (English translation by Quiterie)


My Outfit

Coat Cooperative (already seen here)
Scarf ASOS
Cashmere jumper R Essentiel
Pants Coralie Marabelle x La Redoute Madame
Boots Acne
Bag Clark Medium Sézane
Bracelets Dinh Van, Mya Bay, Louis Vuitton
Ring Papyrus Atelier B
Watch Cluse (alrady seen here)
Necklace Minetta Jewellery

Eyelash extensions “Russian volume” Les cils de Marie
Lipstick « Place Vendôme 364 » Color Riche L’Oréal Paris

Coming out

· Illustration

For the past few months, Harry Potter has been back in the spotlight, with the theatre play, the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movie and the theme parks.

Therefore, it’s time for me to admit the inconceivable and improbable in 2016 (which might result to a simultaneous cast of spells on me): I HAVE NEVER READ or SEEN Harry Potter.

 

Am I a true blogger ?

Every good blogger seems to really like the holy trio Disneyland / Scandinavian decoration / Harry Potter : I could also add to this so “cataloguing” and ironic affirmation, macarons and #ButFirstCoffee, but we must admit that it’s a bit true, isn’t it?

So I think in this case I am a 2/3 blogger because I am a fan of the two first but the third one, I really know nothing.

 

But whyyyy ?

I can see you intensively judging me behind your screen and ask yourselves how I could have slipped through the cracks all these years: I can’t even explain.

I actually like scenarios mixing magic and reality but more when the action takes place in a futuristic universe. Cyborgs, spaceships, science-fiction is really what I like. And, as you know, fan of star wars, am I (and apparently Master Yoda as well).

On the contrary, I am not really interested by the baroque, Middle-Age universes, minstrels, troubadours, and hopping elfs (for instance, the Lord of the Ring, I really struggled to watch it).

My friends always swear that Harry Potter has nothing related to this and I want to believe them… but somehow, I have never had enough motivation neither to start reading the 7 tomes nor to watch the movies (we call this laziness). Which means that since 1997, I am virgin from any kind of Harry Potter culture.

 

A Life without Harry Potter

Even though, you think I am not the same anymore, I can live with it pretty easily. Sometimes I feel like I live in another world when my entourage starts a Hogwarts related discussion but apart from these moments of loneliness, everything is going fine, my friends accept to be seen in public with me.

But yes, I have a few notions with this saga and know two or three words of the Potter-ish vocabulary but the scenario and unforeseen development of the story are totally unknown.

 

I won’t die ignorant

With all these years leaving in the ignorance, even though I totally assume it, I feel like I am missing something ‘so great’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘you’ll see it’s so cool’ (impression strongly increased in this period with recurrent Harry Potter news).

So to fill in this culture gap and because despite everything I am curious (with a bit of delay), I decided to start the saga.

YES, you read it well. 20 years after, this November 2016, I will start reading the 7 tomes of Harry Potter.

 

Action plan

While I’m at it, better doing it methodically, in other words: first the book, then the movie ; read the first tome then watch first movie, and so on, and so forth.

I will share my impressions as and when I read, hoping that I will finish the saga before 2026 (I hardly find some time to read now although I used to read 1 or 2 books per week during high school = probably school pressure).

I also count on you to not spoil me with the end of the story (I succeed for the past 20 years so please don’t scuttle everything, I beg you).

So, yes my train is seriously, terribly, incredibly late but after all the years waiting on the platform, it’s finally time for me to get on board… direction Hogwarts ! (English translation by Quiterie)

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