Thursday Tickle

Bonjorno! 

In the previous post we mentioned the enchanting effect Miami can have on people and that many have been inspired by this city. One of the most awesome and well-known songs that have been made is –at least according to us- Will Smith’s ‘Miami’. This song was a huge hit in the nineties and was one of the first singles that I bought from the music store. So today, in the spirit of everything Fresh Prince, we’re going to do a breakdown of this hit song to get you in the mood to par-tey!

Welcome to Miami! (DanielBrowne)

Here I am in the place where I come let go
Miami the base and the sunset low
Everyday like a mardi gras everybody party all day
No work all play okay.

Remember Duval Street? Although I doubt Mr. Smith will be spending his time there, the partying will probably be the hardest on Duval Street.

So we sip a little something lay the rest the spill
Me an Charlie at the bar running up a high bill
Nothin less than ill when we dress to kill
Everytime the ladies pass, they be like: Hi Will!

Dress to kill is most definitely the motto of Ocean Drive and other places where the glamorous folks hang out in Miami.

Can y'all feel me, all ages and races
Real sweet faces
Every different nation, Spanish, Haitian, Indian, Jamaican
Black, White, Cuban, and Asian.

You see? Even Will Smith assures you that this place is a fabulous melting pot of all different cultures.

I only came for two days of playing
But every time I come I always wind up staying
This the type of town I could spend a few days in
Miami the city that keeps the roof blazing

I doubt that we’ll be jumping to get away from this place. And if a superstar like Will wants to stay here, who are we to think otherwise?

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami, bienvenido a Miami
Bouncing in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
I'm going to Miami
Welcome to Miami

Truly a great recap of what Miami is all about. Cause a party can be interpreted many ways so from a passionate Cuban dance party to a glamorous night out in one of the hottest clubs, Miami has it all. Better practice those dance moves.

(Gifsoup)

Yo I heard the rainstorms ain't nothin to mess with
But I can't feel a drip on the strip, it's a trip.

Guess he didn’t visit during hurricane season…

Ladies half-dressed, fully equipped
And they be screaming out: Will, we loved your last hit!

Beautiful bodies? Must be South beach. And Will did stack up the hits in his days so the babes have a good point.

So I'm thinking I'm a scoot me something hot
In this south-sea meringue melting pot
Hottest club in the city and it's right on the beach

Again with the melting pot and the glamourous clubbing spots. This man sure knows what he’s talking about.

Temperature get to ya it's about to reach
Five-hundred degrees
In the carribean seas, with the hot mommies
Screamin: ay, papi! 

It comes as a surprise to no one that it can get quite sweaty and hot in Florida and Miami is no exception.

Every time I come to town, they be spotting me
In the drop Bentley, ain't no stopping me
So, cash in your dough
And flow to this fashion show
Pound for pound anywhere you go
Yo ain't no city in the world like this
An if you ask how I know I gots to plead the fifth

Good advice from mr. Smith himself. Get your beach body ready and put on your best (fake) designer brands, guys!

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami (bienvenido a miami)
Bouncing in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
I'm going to Miami
Welcome to Miami

Don't get me wrong, Chi-town got it going on
And New York is the city that we know don't sleep
And we all know that L.A. and Philly stay jiggy
But on the sneak, Miami bringing heat for real.

It’s not a competition in any way but Miami sure is killing it!

Y'all don't understand
I never seen so many Dominican women with cinnamon tans
Mira, this is the plan
Take a walk on the beach draw a heart in the sand
Gimmie your hand
Damn you look sexy.

Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer,…

(Onsugar)

Let's go to my yacht in the West Keys
Ride my jet skis loungin in the palm trees
Cause you gotta have cheese for the summerhouse piece on South Beach
Water so clear you can see to the bottom
Hundred thousand dollar cars, every body got em
Ain't no surprise to see in the club to see Sly Stallone
Miami my second home

The perfect summary of what we hope to see in Miami!

As if this analysis wasn’t exciting enough for you, we’ll post the video of Will’s clip right here for you to enjoy. If that doesn’t get you in the mood for vacation, I don’t know what will.

(Youtube)

R&B

Florida route: part 3

Bonjorno!

Here it is, the last part of our detailed look into our route throughout Florida. Last week, we ended up in the Everglades and Homestead. From there on out we’ll do some island-hopping towards the insanity that is Key West and we’ll end our vacation amongst the beautiful people in bubbling, glamorous Miami.  Let’s get moving!

Florida Keys (Edtruthan)

This last part of our trip will definitely be the most unconventional. The Florida Keys are known not only for their key lime pie but also for their ‘kitschy’ lifestyle. The inhabitants of the Keys truly live life the way they want to and everyone’s quirky side isout there, loud and proud. It’s the perfect place to separate yourself from the rest of the USA and just chillax. &Let’s be honest here, who doesn’t like the sound of that?

Gators galore

Bonjorno!

Since childhood I’ve been a big fan of all things mud and grime so diving into the Everglades should take this old hobby of mine to a whole new dimension.

Come on in, the water's fine (NBCNews)

The Everglades are basically flooded grasslands, thus forming what is called wetlands. Although is seems very eerily quiet and still, the glades are constantly in motion because at the base of this land lies not sand but water. Water flows from the centre of Florida downwards through the Everglades, ending in Florida Bay and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Don’t expect the water to be as crystal clear as it is at the beaches though, because of the slow movement and vegetation, it’s more of a murky type of water that alligators like to call home.

The Everglades National Park is divided into three main sections: Ernest Coe (entrance near Homestead and Everglades city), Shark Valley (central of the Tamiami trail) and Gulf coast (on the northwest shore). Since we’re starting on the west coast near Naples, we’ll follow the Tamiami trail to the entrance of Shark Valley. From there on out we’ll head towards Homestead and visit the Royal Palm Visitor Centre. But ofcourse the main question you’re all asking yourselves is: what can we do over there? Hold your horses, cowboy, we’ll get right into that!

Florida route: part 2

Bonjorno!

As promised, today we bring you the second part of our route in detail. Eventhough the second part consists of only two places, these places couldn’t be more opposites of each other. On one side you have the beautiful pristine beaches of Sanibel Island and on the other side there’s the slightly daunting mangroves of the Everglades. Two very different sides of nature! 

(Everglades city tours)

Thursday Tickle

Bonjorno!

Mount your broomsticks everyone, because today we’re flying straight into the magical place that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Accio Firebolt!

Phew, what a bumpy ride. Let’s keep our feet firmly on the ground for the time being while we explore our place of arrival. This place has a bit of a medieval feel, doesn’t it? That’s probably because of the cobblestone roads and artsy lanterns. Not to mention the ginormous castle right in front of you. Where are we, you say? Hogsmeade ofcourse! Walk with us, while we leave muggle territory far behind… .

Florida route: part 1

Bonjorno!

We’re back with a more in dept view into our journey across Florida. During the next three weeks, we’ll give you a more detailed look into the places that we’ll want to visit and the different attracties that we want to check out when we’re there. On the menu today in part 1: Orlando, Crystal Rivers and the Tampa Bay area. Let’s get cracking.

Our holiday will begin in Orlando, the home of a whole lot of amusement parks. We’re not planning anything on our first day there so that we can take our time so get settled in, scurry around the neighbourhood and enjoy the fact that we safely made it over the ocean. The next two to three days will be filled with excitement when we visit the two parks at Universal Orlando Resort. There are a lot of things that I look forward to seeing in both these theme parks but some of my favourites are The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Seuss Landing and the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride (pure nostalgia, people). 

Blowing bubbles

Bonjorno!

(Lolshelf)

For this week’s Thursday Tickle we’re continuing on with the nautical theme with some more in depth info about what Florida has to offer under water. With its tropical climate and crystal clear water, it’s no wonder that Florida is a great place for water activities such as kayaking, snorkeling or simply splashing around in the ocean. Therefore, today, we’ll be looking at some great places to get your snorkel on!

General route

Bonjorno!

Here we are again at long last. &We’ve brought with us the long awaited post about our general route throughout Florida! Oh joy. Let’s get started, shall we?

When we took out a map of Florida to start planning our route, it quickly became obvious that it was going to be very difficult to tick every box on our wishlist. So, unfortunately and much to my dismay, we had to use the c-word. Compromise *shudders*.

(Tumblr)