Another Box Ticked, Another Itch Scratched

After almost two years of drooling over YouTube films of Dunedin, Eric and the ever fragrant Alice had an important port of call to make .......

...... to wit, Lane's Lemonade, a local focal point set in an old, American railway carriage just like you see in the films,  it was all toooooo romantic for words ........

...... and amidst much pinching to prove they were actually there, according to Eric and Alice, their first, real life taste of genuine American lemonade did not disappoint!

However, making that first choice of what to drink after two years of yearning was still almost impossible, they wanted to try absolutely everything, but in the end Alice opted for the strawberry fruit freeze (and yes, she did get brain freeze) and Eric a freshly squeezed lemonade ......... 

....... sipped long and lovingly while watching all the many cyclists ride by, travelling the Pinellas Trail, wondering if they should perhaps rent a tandem to do it themselves, however, to be honest, the ever fragrant one didn't want to risk any hint of saddle sore in these early days, she might be in America, she said, but she didn't really want to spend her time walking round it like John Wayne, God rest his soul .....

...... while poor Eric just worried about simply being able to actually touch a peddle, so after not a lot of debate, this was one pleasure that they decided to forgo, instead vicariously watching others embrace rather than themselves .......

...... especially as the temperature was beginning to soar and staying demure in foreign climes, especially for Alice is generally de rigueur!  What is she like? 

At Loooooooooong Last

Well, Darrell and I have to admit to abounding with a humungous tad of envy, because Eric and the ever fragrant Alice have finally managed to enter the portals to their very first Dollar Tree, after goodness knows how many years of jealously watching Dollar Tree hauls on youtube!

It was ........ emotional, very, very emotional, very, very, very emotional!

I don't think either of them couldn't believe they were actually there and had to keep pinching each other just in case they were caught in some sort of mutual, bizarre  shared dream.

According to Alice, Eric was almost beside himself when he found that this particular store had a price finder machine to help save all the confusion, (a bit like our own beloved Poundland's), because not everything, these days, is actually priced at a dollar!  Let's just say the little fella checked his prices to his hearts delight!

Once they'd settled, trust me, there was much oooohing and ahhing in the aisles .....

..... especially when Alice spotted the Shirley Temple 7 Up, a confection of cherry and pomegranate flavours with a crisp lemon/lime soda.  Well, it would have been rude not to avail oneself, wouldn't it? A drink so obviously made to be quaffed genteelly by the girl herself!

Eric also managed to find (among many, many other things) several large bags of the iconic Starlight Mints, as requested by Darrell for his festive bon bon dishes .........

 ..... because in honour and to reflect this wonderful adventure, he is planning, veraciously, (our word of the month) an Anglo American Christmas celebration chez Les Towers ......

...... which is why Eric decided to go all rash and pop a packet of real life American Stove Top (chicken flavour) stuffing in his basket for Darrell to experiment with for our Christmas dinner, as well!

I don't think this will be the only Dollar Tree they will avail themselves of during their visit by a long chalk, especially after they both said it was almost too much to take in the first time round. They need to come down to earth a little, if that's at all possible and then concentrate and carefully consider their shopping lists before making any more purchases, as this is probably their one and only bite of this particular big apple........ with so much more of the world yet to see!

Breakfast At The World Famous Wild Iris

When you're staying right next door to impossibly cute The Wild Iris Café  star of festive Hallmark movie "A Taste Of Love" ......

......well, it look be unbelievably rude and right unneighbourly not to pay a visit for your very first American brunch, al fresco .......

...... even if you're soooooooooooooo overwhelmed and excited in the moment that you almost totally forget to take as many pictures as Darrell and I would have liked, which, I fear, may oft be the case on this adventure.

However, let's just say that it was just as wonderful as our intrepid duo had hoped for, basking in the warm Floridan sunshine, while availing oneself of avocado toast and fresh, Florida orange juice, drunk from iconic mason jar glasses.

It was emotional, after two long years in the planning, I've just told them to try and keep their camera round either one of their necks at all times as, to quote Aerosmith, I watch vicariously from the UK  and " ..... don't want to miss a thing!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u15uCrIxnik

Wild Iris Café | Restaurant in Dunedin, FL |

Living La Vida Loca.

When you've got a very ambient and available swimming pool at the very bottom of your apartment steps with free towels and pool noodles akimbo ..........

...... well, it would be rude not to avail oneself every morning before breakfast and again in the evening when you've just got in from a day of sightseeing or goodwill hunting!

Naturally, Eric has taken the plunge, diving in head first with his usual great gusto ........

...... while the ever fragrant one has delicately dipped her toe and sat half in, half out on the steps, giving young Eric a playful splash while sipping on a cheeky Shirley Temple (of that, more later), from their excited descriptions, it all sounds very (Paul) Hollywood.

And the weather? Well, we shouldn't really mention that considering what we're getting here, but it's balmy, very balmy, with the locals telling Eric and Alice that they are experiencing perfect humidity. Eric and Alice have divested themselves of their heavy duty, winter type garments and thrown on their light and airy t-shirts and shorts and are still too hot!  According to Alice it's all quite glorious.

As such, Eric is already laying down so many visual memories of their American adventure .....

....... and gazing up at palm trees, while floating nonchalantly on his back on his aforesaid pool noodle will, he says, stay with him for a lifetime  as well as keeping him warm throughout this coming winter.  What is he like?

An American Home From Home

Let's just say that Eric and Alice's "homecoming" was emotional, very, very emotional.

When we'd all sat round to book this adventure, Eric and Alice were adamant  about not wanting to stay in a characterless hotel room for their stay ........

...... they wanted a base that was a home from home, where they could (pretend) to be every day American folks doing every day American things .......

........ and the Meranova Guest Inn in Dunedin has not let them down.

They've got the whole of the upstairs apartment to themselves, that wants for nothing.  Alice has a curtained room that leads straight onto the lounge, with, she says, the most sumptuous mattress and pillows she has ever slept on ever .......

 ..... she says she feels just like the Princess in the Princess and the Pea story.

And Eric is also very well appointed too, except he has to be very careful not to get lost in his bed ......

....... as it's absolutely mahooooooooooooosively, mahoooooosive! 

He really needs a step ladder to get in, it is so tall, but according to Alice, while it's still a novelty, he's using his well honed high jumping skills to launch himself on to it.  What is he like?

On arrival, there was a small welcome basket awaiting them containing a small bottle of Prosecco, typical American snacks, chocolates and biscuits. 

The kitchen is very well appointed as Alice and Eric wanted to do a little self catering in order to try some of the select American comestibles they might happen across dans les supermarches, mac n cheese being top of their list.

They have a coffee machine and an array of assorted teas and coffees with ordinary plates, bowls and cups, but if they don't fancy washing up, then there's a whole plethora of paper equivalents on hand to use instead!  

They also have all the dish washing aids  clothes, sponges, tea towels, paper towels etc. at their disposal, even a very well stocked first aid box, including indigestion tablets.

Eric says Darrell would think he'd died and gone to heaven if he saw the fridge, which is much too big for their needs to be honest, but size wise, a dream come true for Darrell.

The shower room is also no wanting, no small detail has missed, from bathrobes, luxuriant towels, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel on tap, not to mention tissues, flannels, cotton cleaning pads and cotton buds.

There are torches for emergencies in the bedside drawers, umbrellas if it should rain ......

They have a rather large TV in the lounge with every streaming channel they could ever wish to watch .........

....... and Eric has the same in his bedroom.

If they choose to sit outside or round the pool in the evening there are citronella candles and bug spray ......

..... and cool boxes, parasols, and chairs to take to the beach, plus a basket of sun cream to choose from  ........

It was a little overwhelming at first with according to the ever fragrant Alice ......

....... but it won't take long to get used to.  They have really landed on their feet, I have a glorious feeling in my water that this is going to be a very wonderful adventure for them both, just doing ordinary things and living the American dream if only temporarily.

The Eagles Have Landed .........

All Eric and Alice could say in their first, brief text message from over the pond was that they had landed and were totes and abs exhausted after a 10 hour flight, by the six hour mark Alice said Eric was almost done, but thank goodness for the restorative powers of an airborne cottage pie (although not a patch on one of Darrell's), however if teleportation was a thing then Eric would certainly be asking for it for Christmas!

Anyway, though exhausted, the realisation and excitement of actually being in real life, actual US of A gave them in an extra bolt of energy and a trifle peckish they set out in search of proper American pizza, about five minutes away on a weary foot, well, it would have been rude not too!

Let's just say it did not disappoint, however they grossly underestimated just how BIG a 16in "Meat Lovers" actually was! It was mahoooooooooosive, even for Eric's gargantuan appetite, so there's no issue about breakfast in the morning, let alone lunch and tea!

Then, allowing a little time to let said pizza settle, it was finally time for bed, much earlier than usual but they both wanted to get their body clocks in sync, taking in the five hour time difference between them and the UK, to hopefully avoid as much jet lag as possible, as they don't want to waste a single second once they get this show on the road ......

......... happy and very exciting days abound!