Comestible Paradise On Earth

It didn't take long for Eric and the ever fragrant Alice to establish an evening routine in Dunedin, mainly led by their love of the idea of becoming regulars at the local ice cream parlour, in their eyes, such a truly typical American thing to do.

Their parlour of total and unequivocable choice is Strachan's for proper home made ice cream, desserts, floats, shakes and all manner of other confectionary delights ......

...... just five gentle minutes stroll, (after their tea), from The Meranova.

It's paradise on earth they've both told Darrell and I at least a hundred times in their whatsapp messages ........

...... however, trying to decide what they are going to avail themselves of each evening starts, I believe, over breakfast and continues throughout the rest of the day but even then, they still need even more time to mull it over, all over again when they finally enter Strachan's wonderous portals. 

The pumpkin and marshmallow pie and the key lime pie are to die for, as too the carrot and red velvet cake.  

As Eric sighed sadly, "Sooooooooooo much to try, soooooooo little time in which to fit it all in!" 

........ and as such, they have now entered the realms of getting ice cream to eat in or outside the shop and then taking a slice of cake or pie each to eat back at "the ranch" for a late supper!

The carrot cake ice cream according to Alice is off on another planet in another universe and don't even get Eric started on the Gooey Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae!!!!

It's a very different way of life in Dunedin, what these two would do to have an establishment of this ilk just a short walk away from The Towers to visit every night, especially at this most magical time of the year, would be too wonderful for words .......

....... but would inevitably wreak havoc on poor Alice's enviably trim waist, she says at least one or two of her outfits are already feeling a little snugger than they did before! 

Oh dear ........ but wonderful, unforgettable, once in a lifetime, happy days even so!

Good Things Come To Them What Wait ......

Yesterday, Eric and the ever fragrant Alice visited John's Pass on Madeira Beach, it did not disappoint in any way, shape or form, even though the pictures they took were an absolute disaster!

They got there curtesy of the Jolly Trolley, something they are now very adept at travelling on.

It's such a very romantic way to get around, in a "Clang clang clang went the trolley, ding, ding, ding went the bell" Judy Garland type way according to Alice!

It was quite a long journey, about an hour or so, but well worth it .......

The beach was stunning, it had been a bit of a tempest tossed evening the night before ......

....... and as such there was a lot of expert looking beachcombers walking along the shoreline scouring for all manner of sea treasure that had been thrown up and left behind .......

..... but unfortunately, the sun was just so strong their poor camera couldn't adjust to the bright light and the wonder and beauty of the scene failed to be captured.

However, Eric did manage to find, apart from several horseshoe crabs and numerous very beautiful seashells, the like and size of which we can only dream of finding back in the UK ......

..... two very distinct holey stones! 

It was a distinct sign, as we always say, that all the special people who are no longer with us to share our holidays are still very much looking over us.

Weighed down with these stones, shells and other such ocean swagger ........

...... Eric and Alice then moved to the famous boardwalk in search of light refreshment ......

...... and that's when it happened, settling into their seats after ordering a cheeky coke and a plate of sweet potato fries .......

....... they suddenly saw, right there in front of them, a whole flock of dolphins happily frolicking, unfettered and unbridled ......

....... and, seemingly, totally uninterested whatsoever in feeding .......

....... unlike the boat trip Alice and Eric took a couple of days before.

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

...... as they sat transfixed, oooooing and ahhhhing. When they set out that morning, it was the last thing they ever expected to see, but then as Eric sighed philosophically "Good things generally come to them what wait ...... " and they didn't even have to take pills or don sea sickness bands for the experience! They felt truly, truly blessed!

After embracing the moment for as long as the dolphins played, they then moved on to Zeno's Broadwalk Sweet Shop to avail themselves of a few of the 90 flavours of Taffy on offer .....

....... as well as seeing it actually being pulled, in real life!

Choosing which flavours to get was a nightmare according Alice, never has Eric ermed and ahhhed so much.

He really wanted to try every single flavour, as well as bring a few of the "best" ones home for us to review on a slow news day ......

..... but that would have cost a small fortune .......

.... so Alice had to reign him in as best she could, suggesting a few for the day itself to enjoy on the Jolly Trolley on the way back home and then a few to be safely squirrelled away for Darrell and I.  That girl has the patience of a saint at times!

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream As The Heavens Open!

Well, it seems that when it rains in Dunedin, it absolutely pours, accompanied by a most wonderous display of flashes of thunder and claps of lightening. It was all very exciting and romantic for our two intrepid explorers, Eric and the ever fragrant Alice during their first ever, real life Florida-ian storm! 

And, what do you do when you're caught right in the middle of it all?

Well, obviously seek shelter in the nearest establishment that's open for hospitality ........

..... especially when it's also a purveyor of 48 freshly made and most excellent ice creams, it would have looked incredibly rude not to ......

. ...... it was, I believe, quite the experience! 

So, how did their cake and batter and red velvet cake ice creams taste?

Absolutely wonderful and sooooooooo rich and creamy that even Eric couldn't find even the tiniest space for any seconds!  What is he like? 

Twasn't Meant To Be

Yesterday, Eric and the ever fragrant Alice went on their very much anticipated and looked forward to Dolphin Adventure, aboard the good ship ParrotDise.

They went suitably prepared, taking seasick tablets beforehand with their breakfast .......

..... and sharing a pair of seasick bands between them .......

....... because absolutely no one was going to rain on their parade or dare to chunder and spoil it all as far as they were concerned.

As they spliced the mainbrace and left the harbour Alice was put on manatee watch .......

 ...... but fortunately as the weather has become colder (not that Eric and Alice had noticed) Alice was relieved that she didn't have to yell "Manatee on port side sir!" or words to that affect, to alert the Captain of such an occurrence!

It took quite a while to get out to sea ........

...... but there was plenty to oooooh and ahhhh about .......

........ from passing under the awe inspiring bridges ........

...... to the houses of famous people (one or two unfortunately deceased, RIP) along the waters edge .......

...... to wit Lisa Maria Presley and Kirstie Alley .........

 ....... as well as those still very much alive, like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Eric says that travelling the high seas, at pace, with the wind in his hair, with the Bee Gees and Staying Alive blaring over the speaker system as they headed out to more open water is a memory that will stay with him forever, especially whenever he hears that song.

It was magical, he said he felt like someone straight out of Miami Vice!?!? 

However, there was sadly disappointment afoot for our intrepid adventurers.......

...... once they reached their destination point, no matter how persuasively the Captain and crew tried to lure/attract said beautiful creatures by creating a wake  behind the boat along with another, the dolphins were far more interested in feeding to put in any sort of appearance 

And who could blame them? They'd been playfully frolicking all summer long to give all the tourists their "the money shot". Who would really want to be interrupted in the middle of a good meal to put on yet another show, after all that work?

However, Eric and Alice were both incredibly philosophical, you can't always get want you want, no matter how long and much you've yearned for it. It's all part of life's rich tapestry Eric sighed according to Alice. The trip had still been very wonderful, they'd seen a whole different side of the area that otherwise they might never have seen from the land ........

...... they'd seen whole flotilla of pelicans, which proved there was a plentiful abundance of good food around for them and the dolphins ......

...... plus, despite all the free flowing, complimentary drinks they'd partaken of, their sea sick bands and tablets had worked magnificently, so it really was win win, win all the way around ......

....... and, as they sailed safely into harbour Alice had a spooky sort of feeling in her own waters ........

...... that "never" was a word best left out of her holiday vocabulary .......

........ as you just never know when fate and/or karma are going to come and bite your bum!  What is she like?