Flor-i-day

Wednesday morning looking out my dining window:

Wednesday afternoon from a lounge chair by the pool:

I spent 10 years of my childhood living in south Florida and despising it. However, this time around, leaving snow on the CNY ground in April, I am really liking it.

The weather has been very nice - sunny skies, nice and warm. Today is warm albeit overcast. I can deal with that though.

Thursday, I picked up a rental car and headed out to visit my mother who lives about 40 miles out of Tampa. The cities here, Tampa, Orlando, Lakeland are all very nice, clean and have that stucco tropical vibe. Get 5 minutes outside though and it is like going back 50 years in time, specifically to visit Deliverance. LOL Guys sit in pickup truck parked on the road shoulder with coolers and handwritten cardboard signs advertising 'gator meat'. Scrubby cows behind half down barb wire. I got the sense that the cities and the overwhelming development is the facade and you don't have to go far to see behind it.

And speaking of the facade......since we are staying at a Disney resort (don't look at me - he had to attend a conference here) we decided, what the heck......we would hit up one of the theme parks. We decided on Epcot as it seemed the least offensive to our sensibilites :-) Big mistake. Big, big mistake. Why?

1) we hate crowds

2) we hate cheesy theme park attractions

3) we hate kids (not really hate but frankly we don't want to be bothered dodging and weaving around your little precious while s/he throws a fit in the middle of the walk way) Honestly, there were more people mobile via strollers, motorized scooters and wheelchairs than there were walkers. And frankly, the majority of them figured no matter where they were motoring, they had the right of way.

Oh God, it really was awful....I don't know what we were thinking. We are more Tate Museum, more Santa Maria in Trastevere, more Pantheon and Forum than The Seas with Nemo and Friends (brought to you by Nestle).

Anyways, $60 and 2 hours later, we ditched that place. What a waste. And let's not even get into the problem of eating vegan at a Disney resort. We have been saved by a really great sushi restaurant in one of the hotels.

One thing I will say is this place is clean, squeaky, antiseptic clean and the staff is without exception, wonderfully approachable and helpful.

Oh well, we have had a great time, lying for hours, decadently around the pool and (fake) white sand beach, drinking frozen, frothy, alcoholic concoctions. We are heading home tomorrow (where they have finally had some great weather this weekend - all it took is for us to leave :-)), anxious to get the dogs home from their respective vacation homes. Next trip hopefully will be Montreal in August. I am really looking forward to that.