A Day in the Life

Our annual trip to The Villages near Ocala, Florida. Every year cousins Terry and Marilyn rent a house here for two months and we have a mini family reunion. The main events are eating and reminiscing.

Lunch at Toojay's Deli is required each year.

Next we go on a tour and then a nature walk where we see a fox squirrel and some large white pelicans.

The gals played mah jongg all afternoon while Jeff and Rick slept and read the newspaper. For dinner we went to the club where aspiring singing waiters perform opera and musical comedy numbers. Food is just okay, but entertainment is terrific.

Marilyn and Jeff

Elaine  and Rick

Terry and Marilyn

Jeff and Judy

 

The Music of the Night

We had two funny music experiences that made us roar with laughter. At the fancy Italian restaurant last Saturday they had a strolling violinist. He wasn't very good and played softly so it was hard to hear. He did play at several tables, but never got to us. I commented that he looked like someone? And Jeff said he looks like Ellier Russ. We erupted into fits of laughter. Dear Ellier was a beloved member and past president of our synagogue in Trenton. A nice man and this guy did look just like him.

Last night we enjoyed piano music at dinner. Sadly he was finishing as we arrived. He played well and performed Fur Elise, Elton John, Danny Boy and a few other selections. His last piece was Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof. He started at a normal temp and then got faster and faster until you couldn't form the words to sing along. So funny! We figured he realized  it was time to go home and wanted to get out of there quickly.

Yesterday at the beach I took photos of the gulls and terns. Turns out! They are royal terns who migrate here for the winter. Have not seen them in Hilton Head, but will look for them this summer.

This morning is sunny and a bit cooler. Getting ready to head for our last full day here. We have massages scheduled for this afternoon and mani/pedis for both of us.

My pretty drink is delicious. Time to go home and back to reality. It has been a relaxing and fun week. Adios 'ol Mexico!

The first time ever I saw my love.

Today is the first time I have hit 10,000 steps as early as 5:30pm. Yeah for me!

And, on the bus to our room we saw a coati. It is a Central/South American cousin to a Raccoon. The driver stopped to show it to us and called it Tehon which is the Spanish name. It is larger than a raccoon with a long tail equal to the size of its body. Also enjoying the birds on the beach. Aside from the noisy gulls are Royal Terns. They have a wild tuft of black feathers making them look comical.

So yesterday was a gorgeous day and we slept late and went to the beach. Then after lunch we went to the spa at the golf club for massages. Jeff spent over two hours getting a massage, facial and body scrub. I had a hot stone massage that was heavenly. After resting up from all that excitement we headed back to the golf club for a fancy dinner. They have two special, reservation only restaurants and we went to the Italian at 6:30. A beautiful room with excellent service. Food  was okay and the cheese tray was a nice, delicious start. Ended with a molten chocolate cake, but not as good as the one at the Brazilian Steakhouse.

Today we woke earlier and had breakfast at the Grand lobby. Then we took the bus to the Sunrise lobby and headed for the beach. We like to sit in the area reserved for concierge and higher members. They have comfy chaises, umbrellas and a bar. We spent the entire day there.

At noon I walked to the Nizuc lobby to get a facial. Then we had lunch and returned the the beach. We have been eating in the same poolside place the last few days. Jeff likes the hamburger and has learned to ask for it medium rare. They also have bacon, tomatoes and grilled corn. I get a grilled chicken thigh and leg. Today was special and they had mashed potatoes.

We stayed on the beach till it got too cold for me and now back in the room, reading and resting.

Here Comes the Sun

Friday and perfect weather for the beach. Sunny and mid 80,s and no wind. We jumped out of bed at 8 am and walked to the beach area reserved for "Elite" guests. Cushioned chaises under metal frames are set out with cloth flaps to keep out sun and wind. We can relax comfortably and look at the ocean. After arranging our towels we went inside for breakfast. I get a sunny side up egg or two at the omelet station and today had refried beans. Fixed a nice cup of tea and took it to the beach.

We spent a few hours reading, listening to a podcast and walking in the water. It was a bit cold for me, but refreshing. I did get to drink two of my favorite chocolate monkey drinks which are made with a banana.The sun was hot and before noon we went up to a shaded table at a snack bar between the beach and pool area. Jeff had wings and I had nachos. I am loving the guacamole.

Now we are back at our room. We have a great shower with a rain shower head. Jeff is napping and I am sitting on our terrace reading and enjoying a cold Diet Coke.

About 4:30 I took a long walk along the beach and stopped to do some shopping in the main lobby. I track my steps each day with my Fitbit. I have been over 10,000 each day on this vacation.

About 6:30 we headed over to the Brazilian Steakhouse in the pouring rain. Luckily they have covered walkways so you can get almost anywhere on the property without getting wet. Tonight they served me a grilled sea bass along with the chicken. Jeff only had the Brazilian Steak and they brought it several times and served it rare. For dessert I enjoyed the chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. Really delicious.

Back at the room I spoke to Brian over wifi. He is enjoying his trip and now in Canyon de Chelly in northern Arizona. From there he'll head to the Grand Canyon and then to Las Vegas.

Life is good.

YMCA

Today is a spa day. Weather is a little better and walked down to the VIP area near the Sunrise Lobby. We had a buffet breakfast and then sat outside for a while on comfy chaises. The wind was whipping up the water, but we had some sun to enjoy.

After lunch we headed to the spa at the golf resort area. It is lovely, but not as large as the one at Adventura. We got there early enough to use the steam rooms and whirlpools. Then Jeff had a holistic massage and I had a citrus massage. I lost consciousness right away and remember it all in a drowsy, wonderful way. I felt great afterwards and all silky and smooth. Showered, got dressed and took a shuttle back to our building.

Dinner time it was pouring so we decided to go to the nearest lobby at the Grand. It is a new area being developed and they have a very nice Caribbean restaurant. Tonight it was a buffet and yummy. I started with a creamed zucchini soup and then sushi and salad. They had terrific tabouleh and babaganoush. All I needed was some soft pita, but that did not happen. Then I had a sweet, white fish with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. I was happy. Jeff found some top sirloin and he was happy too. We ran home in the downpour and dried out. Later we each watched the Republican debate streamed on our iPads.

Rain rain, go away...

A miserable day to be at the beach. Raining on and off all day and just dreary. We had some indoor appointments and ate breakfast and lunch indoors too. We did get to walk along the beach a bit and found an outdoor, covered, place to have a drink and some authentic guacamole with queso and chips. Moon Palace is a very large property and we are just finding our way around.

We saw a beautiful bridal party taking photos near the beach. I hope the wedding went off okay. What a shame to plan a beach wedding and get rained out. We are fine and just relaxing. Would be nice to get some sun and beach time. We do have several appointment for massages and facials in the next few days. So not to worry that we aren't pampering ourselves.

Mexican Hat Dance

Ah, Sunny Cancun! We are on a much needed vacation spending a week at the Moon Palace Resort just south of Cancun airport. Part of our Palace Resorts and a huge, (2400 rooms) beautiful place. We flew about three hours to get here from Savannah, going through Atlanta. The grounds here are lush with lots of greenery and palm trees. We are in a great, spacious room overlooking lawns and the beach.

After unpacking and resting we had dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse. A great choice for Jeff and I enjoyed it too. I had salad bar, some nice roast chicken and sampled three desserts. The molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was the definite winner.

After a walk around the pool area and a local craft show we are back in our room and ready to rest. We had a funny situation where we could not turn off one of the overhead lights. We searched and searched and finally had to call housekeeping. The switch was well hidden behind curtains and a large glass window. Don't we feel silly.