What a great weekend!

Alright, here we go!

The weekend started Friday (as for normal people). After work I decided to dress up and go out despite having to work on Saturday. I was wearing a cute blue dress and one of my new pairs of boots and chose to go to Blue Martini in Fort Lauderdale, a great place I hadn't been to in several months. This was one of my going-out-by-myself-thingys and it's not that bad. I don't have to talk and can soak in the atmosphere, go home when I want to go home etc... Entering the bar, I quickly noticed: That place was packed. I looked around and it was almost as if I heard the bells ring from heaven: At least 50 guys in that place taller than me!!! WHOOP!!! :) What a smile that brought to my face! Yes, I had forgotten: This weekend was boatshow weekend in Fort Lauderdale, which meant a lot of tall European, Canadian and Northern US guys (or shall I say men!?) flooded the city. Great!!! When I finally got a seat at a bar, I was joined by two yachtbrokers from Seattle and Vancouver Island. Had nice talks and later nice dancing with the Canadian guy. When we were dancing, I caught the glimpse of another bar and saw two people I knew. It was Tim & Ashley, friends of Matt's with whom I had gone to the O.A.R. concert at the end of August. We talked for a little bit and they asked me if I would not want to join them for Halloween. What they were talking about was quite interesting, but I told them I had to work Saturday and didn't know if I would make it. Ashley gave me her number (I already had Tim's through facebook) and we said goodbye and I was back with my Canadian guy... haha!

I ended up getting 4 hours of sleep and then Hell's Kitchen was back at the restaurant. I was two employees short (didn't show up to work) when we got slammed. Well, I'm used to handling insanity now, so I did the best I could with my employees that were there and the customers thought I did a great job as almost everybody "over"tipped (more than the 20% that it usually averages in our place). After the rush, I decided to close the restaurant earlier and so I was out by 6 PM. I went home, texted Ashley to hear about their Halloween option again, took a 5 minute nap and got ready...

All I knew was that I was driving down to Islamorada!!! That's one of the Florida Keys and the one and only time I've been there so far was Easter Sunday which was in April... I didn't know what to expect or what we would be doing down there, I only knew that I was pumped to go. With my German leadfoot I got down there in 1h 40min, even before Tim & Ashley, who had left an hour earlier than me, but had stopped on the way in Homestead at their hotel.

They told me to meet them at a place called Pierre's. I'm very glad the Keys just have one main road. That makes places easy to find. Well, I met them and was told that we would go for dinner first. While I had waited I had already heard some music play outside and saw interesting lights, but couldn't really guess anything else, as I was in the parking lot. As we entered Pierre's restaurant, it looked like a fine dining place and it was. We were seated upstairs on the balcony, overlooking a white sand beach area and the Gulf Bay. A Jamaican band was playing, there were bonfires and lots of Halloween party people. I then heard that this was a Full Moon Party, regularly held at this place, but by coincidence this time it was combined with Halloween. Ashley used to work as a bartender 5 min away from there for several years and it's one of her most favorite spots. I can't blame her!!!

We ordered... I started with Pierre's Oyster Rockefeller... My 2nd oyster experience after New Year's 2002 in Rome with my parents. This time in a baked form and VERY VERY VERY TASTY!!!!

My entree was the Australian Lamb Loin with Herb Spaetzle (a little homecountry reminder). This was sooo good as well!

In between our courses a wonderful, beautiful, amazing fireworks went off!



After that the Full Moon Dance Round 1 started.




Different shots from the time at Pierre's & Morada Bay.

Modern Vampire Tim

My boat's by the tower, and my bark's on the bay,
and both must be gone at the dawn of the day.

Preparing Vampire's victim

Tiki Bar

Another round of Full Moon Dance

The pirate is in the Keys... return of the tourist feeling!

Off to Hog Heaven. More drinks, more dance, more fun! And due to time change an extra hour to party!

I headed home at 3:30AM new time and of course I don't drink and drive. I had a couple of drinks at the beginning of the night, but they were all gone by the time we left. Tiredness would've been my greater enemy, but the drive was just fine and I was safe in bed by 5:30AM.

I then perfectioned this weekend with a beach session today. Just plain laying in the sun, listening to chillout music, watching sailboats drive by...

I would say: THE BEST WEEKEND SINCE BEING IN THE STATES!!! :) Islamorada, Pierre's, Morada Bay and Full Moon Parties will definitely see me again!

A Pirate Goodbye! See you next Halloween in 364 days.

PS: Did I mention that I was so excited for my first trick-or-treat on US ground that I had bought 4 bags of candy!? And guess what!??? Not a single person/kid knocked on the door between my arrival from work and departure to the Keys... :(