Hello Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach did not disappoint ......

..... despite Alice, for some bizarre reason known only to herself, mistakenly expecting to find herself on Muscle Beach?????

Eric did his level best to suitably impress, but in the end they both found themselves doubled up in hysterical laughter at his efforts! 

Though Clearwater isn't the most romantic or picturesque of beaches, in fact the buildings all along the front are quite faceless and ordinary, yet, it was still one of those places that Eric and Alice had to pinch themselves to actually believe they were there (once Alice realised, of course, that she wasn't at the aforementioned muscle beach!).

Though the weather was exceedingly warm, the sky was was far from blue, in fact it was pure white, so Eric and Alice knew that they weren't seeing it at it's very best .......

....... but that in no way dampened their spirits, they drank it all in and embraced it for all they were worth .......

....... especially, I have to say, the wonderous chocolate covered, frozen bananas, of which I believe several, of all varieties, were partaken of!

And the sand, it was like no other sand they had ever seen or walked on before, it was pure, pure white, it looked as if it had just snowed .......

....... it was all quite stunning and other worldly, Eric proclaimed, in an American type way!

Alice managed a cheeky paddle ........

...... and couldn't believe that the whole of the sea bed was made up entirely of small, white shells. It was totally enchanting, she sighed, wishing she was a mermaid. 

The pier, to wit Pier 60 was a must ........

....... however they didn't walk to the very end as there as a three dollar charge and as Eric reasoned, the view at the end would still be pretty much the same from the where the free bit ended and paying part started and unlike a British pier, there was not a whiff burgers, an amusement arcade or mini fairground at the end, just fishermen.

On the other hand the antics of the free roaming, wild pelicans kept them more than amused as they dive bombed for fish ......

Again, Clearwater far outweighed their expectations .........

...... but away from the beach, they had one more important port of call..........