Another glorious day greeted me as I pulled back the blinds in the lounge. I woke Karen up with a cup of tea in bed at 8.45am.
Today we had decided to have a lazy start to the day. This pleased me as it enabled me to set up the VPN and find a decent stream on the MacBook to watch the match taking place at Carrow Road. It was the last chance saloon for City to make something of a lack lustre season.
It was not to be. The whole team were awful from the start. Swansea were better organised and looked like a team. We looked like a poor collective of individuals who just wanted the season to be over. I felt sorry for everyone who was there. It was ironic that we had received a late call yesterday inviting us into a corporate box again that we had to sadly decline. On that performance even the free wine in the box would not have made it any more palatable.
We had an early lunch at the end of the match and then headed out to the Island Grove Winery somewhere we had passed dozens of times but never considered venturing in, which was silly as it was about a mile from the villa.
The car park was very busy and there was a real buzz inside. All the tables were booked for their brunch menu and so we were offered seats at the bar. We asked how the tastings worked and found out it operated like The Wallow in Norwich. We were advised to put $21 dollars onto one of their cards (that would get us 7 samples) and then to make our selection from the wine ‘vending’ machines.
One of the machines contained wines they had bought in which I ignored, whilst the other was their own fruit-based wines. We were told most of these were sweeter in taste and the one to go for was the Blueberry one called ‘kinda dry’. That was the one I had read about in advance so was pleased about the recommendation.
Although perhaps in hindsight it may have seemed silly not to try any others, as soon as we tasted it, we were both hooked. It was red in colour but tasted white. It was fruity but not overbearing. It was simply delicious.
I stuck with one sample as I was driving. Karen went up twice more and I didn’t blame her. I ended up buying a bottle to drink back in the villa. It was about $20 which was a lot for us but when wine starts at about $8 a glass in a restaurant not too bad.
We left 3 sample credits on our card for another visit. The food being served looked good. It was a shame they were only open 4 days a week and the last table booking was at 4.15pm those days.
Then we headed back to Disney Springs with a wine spring in our step. We parked deliberately on the Watermelon surface car park and headed in.
Appearing at the House of Blues tonight was Billy Idol. Tickets had all sold as it was a nice day for a White Wedding.
We didn’t get far before our first proper stop at the big Starbucks. Karen got the drinks whilst I managed to grab a table in the shade next to where the Balloon rides took place. We sat for a long while enjoying the sun and ambience but most of all people watching.
Next was my now bi annual trip to exchange my stick for another one. It is actually a Plumeria cutting which they guarantee will grow anywhere in the world if you follow the instructions. If it doesn’t, they say bring it back for an exchange. Now I don’t expect they expect people to keep doing this, but I do. To be fair my very first one did sprout but then whilst away on another trip wilted and died. Since then, after purchasing another they all keep failing. I did wonder if it was being in my suitcase in the unpressurised park of the plane coming home. Karen rolls her eyes each time I bring it back with me but they are always very good about giving me another one each time. Fingers crossed for this one.
Our next stop was to have the Ice cream we had missed on our last visit. Again, Karen went and sourced them whilst I was on ‘grabbing a table in the shade duty’ which was easier said than done. Eventually an elderly British couple were leaving and called me over to have their table for which I was grateful.
As usual we both had a single scoop Chocolate Ice Cream, which is still a container full. It is possibly the best chocolate ice cream ever and one the few exceptions I now make to having a sugar-based treat. We sat for a while and then a much longer while. Then Karen went and got herself a Hot Tea and so we sat for even longer.
We decided it was lovely to be at Disney Springs just not doing anything or feeling the need to be doing something.
However, all good things must come to an end and so we thought to make up for our tardiness that we would take the long back to the car around the other side of the Lake.
The walk was lovely in the warm but not too hot sunshine. I was envious of the rich people on one of the Disney Golf Courses as we cut through on the way but wondered how many balls, I would be losing in the water than ran along most of the holes.
Back at the villa we sat for a while and then temptation proved too great and we opened the ‘kinda dry’ wine. It tasted even better sitting by the pool.
We had already decided that we would just order in a Pizza for tonight and after doing so online it was with us within 40 minutes.
We sat outside until it was dark and then headed back in to watch another episode of Mrs Maisel. Karen then watched an episode of the Lords of the Rings series on Amazon whilst I caught up on other things. I left her about to watch Question Time on iPlayer (which for some reason is one of her favourite programmes) as I went to bed.
