It was definitely the morning after the day before – both for us and for the weather. It was still very warm but overcast, which rather summed up how we all felt as we had breakfast by the pool.
Our plans for the day were suitably loose and chilled. We agreed we’d head out somewhere after lunch in the villa.
Karen did her usual exercises in the pool while I caught up with the blogs. Neil lay there listening to something – probably TalkSport. Being a man of mystery, when I asked what he had on his headphones, his reply was, “Why does it matter?”
It was all very quiet and calm around the pool, much like Florida itself. Regardless of political changes or world strife, life here just carries on. Admittedly, we haven’t been glued to the news channels, but it strikes me that we seem to be more obsessed with their current president than they are. Gone are all the pro-Trump banners that were everywhere when we were last here during the election. Instead, the only signs we see now are the remnants of Halloween decorations, along with the first stirrings of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For lunch, I finished off some extra pizza we’d ordered when we arrived — the bonus part of a Domino’s deal that had gone straight into the freezer.
At 1:50pm, we headed out for what was planned to be a short outing: a chance to use the Groupon I’d bought months ago for a round of mini golf. Neil would be defending the actual Lanzarote Cup, even though the trophy itself is currently being used for a rival “unofficial” tour event. Pundits are still wondering when – or if – the two circuits will ever reunite.
This year’s tournament took place at Lost Caverns, where I’d managed to bag three rounds for $10 each instead of $16. It was near the end of International Drive, close to Universal. We played millionaires’ golf on the harder of the two courses – we had the whole thing to ourselves. Karen dropped out of contention early after a few poor holes, leaving Neil and me neck-and-neck all the way round. It came down to the final putt: we each had a shot to win but, fittingly, it ended in a draw. The course was challenging but fun, and we both lifted the absent trophy high in triumph.
Since we were less than two miles from the other outlet mall, we decided to make the most of it and pop over rather than drive all the way back later. The car park was busy, but we found a spot and, as usual, headed one way while Neil disappeared in another. A couple of items were purchased from Old Navy and Columbia before Karen and I made our way to Starbucks by the bridge to wait for Neil.
The number of Brits shopping that hot, overcast afternoon was obvious – Starbucks had completely run out of English Breakfast Tea and only had the poncy Earl Grey. As we all know, that’s not real tea at all, but perfumed wood shavings from the floor. I went without.
Since we were so close, I persuaded Karen and Neil to stop at Icon Park, just three miles away, so I could exchange my “stick” – for the seventh time. We parked in the free multi-storey, and the swap went smoothly. The stallholder was most apologetic that my last stick (Frangipani Plumeria) hadn’t rooted or bloomed. Fingers crossed for this attempt. Karen just rolled her eyes when I bounded back to her, proudly clutching my fresh new stick.
After a short wander – and realising the traffic nightmare we were about to hit – we decided to head straight to Cheddar’son the 192 for dinner. The return journey took twice as long as the drive up to the mini golf. Honestly, they should put up signs saying “Orlando is full – one in, one out.” And this is supposed to be the low season! Goodness knows what spring and summer must be like.
Eventually, we arrived and were impressed again by the menu. Neil and I had the ribs, which were sensational, while Karen went for fish.
We seemed to eat the meal in reverse order, though. Most restaurants bring complimentary bread before the meal – Cheddar’s version is hot, sticky croissants. Delicious, but it did feel like having dessert first. We’d asked for our Caesar salads to come out before our mains, but they forgot – so we got them afterwards instead.
Still, everything was delicious. Karen even said she wanted to come back later in the trip if we could fit it in – high praise indeed.
After dinner, we went to Sunset Walk, which was close by. This place gets better every time we visit. It’s neat, clean, well designed, and clearly trying hard to attract people. We agreed it just needs a Starbucks to complete it. We sat at a nice table, listened to some live music, and then Karen and Neil treated themselves to ice creams from Cold Stone Creamery, which they both loved.
We had a wander around the rest of Sunset Walk before heading back to the villa. Our little “pop out” for mini golf had lasted over seven hours and packed in plenty. We rounded off the evening with a quiet drink, then Karen settled down with Shark Tank to finish off another fun, chilled, and thoroughly satisfying day.
