A shorter chill by the pool was planned today and although it was cloudy when I was on my own having breakfast, by the time Karen & Neil joined me the sun was already out to greet them.
Sadly, we were coming closer to the end of this trip and it was starting to have that feel about it, as Karen called for the last washing. She was concerned about getting things dry (No, I didn’t understand either, as the temperature was tipped to be in the mid-80s for the next couple of days).
I finished reading the last of the magazines before heading back inside to get ready for an 11am departure. Neil was somewhat tardy getting ready, leaving me time to put the dishwasher on and sort out the bins. A man’s work carries on even when he is on holiday.
At 11.15am we drove to Disney Springs with the idea of walking all around the lake. Despite Neil & I trying to explain to Karen that it didn’t matter which car park we used as it would be a circular route, she insisted it would be shorter if we started at one ‘end’. I gave up and just parked in the Strawberry Surface car park of her choice.
It was a lovely day for a lovely walk. Going clockwise, we went through the golf course to start with. There were lots of rich men (no women?) all waiting to tee off. I didn’t like the look of the first hole as the fairway was long and narrow. But I suppose if you are rich enough to play here, you don’t care if you lose several balls per hole.
We looked in the pro shop and I gulped at the prices of everything.
Carrying on, we walked through Saratoga Springs, which looked nice enough but again would have been far out of our price range to stay. By the time we entered Disney Springs from the Marketplace end, we had been walking for almost 45 minutes.
I set off the security alarms because of my glasses in my pocket, so Karen went ahead and grabbed us a table at Earl of Sandwich café, for which I had purchased yet another Groupon. This upmarket Subway-type eatery is expensive but very good quality. Karen & I both enjoyed our Caesar Salad Wraps whilst Neil had a ‘Monte Cristo’, which seemed to have every meat filling going.
We sat there amiably for about an hour and watched as ‘Douglas Fir’ passed by. This is a talking Christmas tree on remote-controlled wheels, operated discreetly at a distance by a cast member. People young and old could not believe their eyes when this tree trundled along seemingly under its own steam and then randomly started talking and responding to them. It was all very clever and good clean fun.
Eventually, we walked on. Karen, having read an article that morning extolling the virtues of drinking matcha lattes, fetched herself one from Starbucks. She liked it, or at least claimed to. I tried it and thought it tasted foul. Neil said he had tried matcha before and thought it tasted of grass cuttings.
Since our last visit to Disney Springs, those clever overnight Disney pixies had ensured that Christmas had arrived here, and with a vengeance. The Christmas Tree Trail, with over 20 trees, was up and there were large decorations everywhere.
From here we popped into some shops we had missed before, but no purchases were made until we got back to Gideon’s Bakehouse. Here Neil & I joined the queue. It took 20 minutes to get in the door, for the majority of which I was able to sit on a wall, so I didn’t mind. Five cookies were bought, including two we are freezing to take home to Barry & Ellie at their request.
We made another stop at the Salt & Straw Ice Cream parlour, where Neil treated himself to some Salty Donut Guava Cheesecake ice cream concoction.
Whilst waiting for him, Karen & I sat on a bench people-watching.
It was time again for Karl the High Fashion Consultant to proffer free constructive advice to many people walking past – if only I was brave enough to say it out loud enough for them to hear.
But honestly, what do some people think they look like? I’m not sure why they even bought some of the stuff they were wearing, let alone thought it was suitable to wear to Disney Springs. Why some people thought they could wear certain things, being the size and shape they are, was beyond me. Don’t get me started on those who had face tattoos and more. I felt some people needed a mirror which just said ‘No’ to them when they got dressed before they went out.
Completing the circular walk, we arrived back at the car, although Neil claimed we had gone the wrong way around Cirque du Soleil when in fact it didn’t matter which way we went around it. It was one of those sort of days.
Back at the villa, Karen & I sat outside reading until dusk before we headed out again for dinner. The venue tonight was chosen by Neil, as Sickies on the 192. Neil & Karen both had burgers whilst I went for Steak Tips, Eggs and Tots. They were all fine, although I would have preferred more steak tips and fewer tots.
A quick whizz around Target to get some more eye drops for Karen and we headed back again, where we all had half of our respective cookies and I had a well-earned glass of Savvy B.
On the way back we were amused by a new addition to the radio Christmas playlist, ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’.
We all had a relatively early night as it was an early full-park day in the morning.
