We are settling into real winter after spending a week lazing at the beach in Ft. Myers. Because it is populated by many retired Yankees, Jon refers to it as "The Old Fart Capital of the World". Indeed there are many well-heeled octogenarians in those beautiful homes in the gated communities and high rise ocean view condos. The older full-sized Caddies are rust free and there is no shortage of Mercedes and BMW and Lexus dealers in Ft. Myers. We stayed on the strip of land known as Estero Island in Ft. Myers Beach. The tall, new condos seem to be winning but there are plenty of smaller cottages and tacky abodes left. I like the tacky "beach town look". Jon prefers the more elegant homes. I decided the difference in curb appeal is how nice the landscaping is. In areas with more expensive homes, you see streets lined with royal palms and more flowering bushes.
In our beach community I noticed many tourists from the UK and Germany. Perhaps the Hispanic clerks will have to be more than bilingual (speaking Spanish and English). Jon's uncle Bob says the Germans are snapping up foreclosed homes at bargain prices. Who would have thought.... December is slack season and the vacation was bargain priced. With the less scorching sun I was able to spend long periods in the sun without burning. I would go in Dec. again in a heartbeat.
We were lazy and had no pressing agenda. We went to see the Edison / Henry Ford homes which are decorated for the Christmas season with an abundance of poinsettias on the grounds. We skipped parasailing and deep sea fishing but found the fresh seafood restaurants that serve the daily catch of fish and shrimp off the boats. We had margaritas every evening as we watched the sun sink into the gulf and slept like babies. I can see why drinking can become a problem for the elderly. A drink every evening is more than I have had in a year. It also perked up my appetite and I have been doing penance ever since.
You have to love some of the quirky things you spot in Florida. We bought gas at a McDonalds that also had a full liquor store. In Minnesota they don't even let you smoke in McDonalds!
All the grocery stores sell wine and beer. The traffic is a pain in the neck. They build more condos and homes but don't build more roads to match.
The outdoor Christmas decorations featured a lot of different inflatable santas etc. In the morning they were all dead and deflated on the ground. Perhqaps the 85 degree days were too much for them. I loved the potted poinsettias outdoors. The wreaths look out of place. I preferred the palm tree trunks wrapped in lights. They had boat regattas with the vessels outlined with Christmas lights. While it seems odd to see Christmas decorations in a hot place, most of the world is like that. Most of the world does not have a white Christmas.
Jon thought it was too hot. I felt like it was nice and warm. The TV news continually reported the blizzards in the midwest and New England. At the end of the week they had their own crisis to deal with. These storms pulled cold air south causing the temps to drop to 50 overnight and 70 during the day. They gave detailed instructions about how to dress for the cold. Wear layers. Years ago we were in Orlando in January when the thermometer dropped to 29. They flashed a "baby alert". DO NOT TAKE INFANTS OUTDOORS, was the alert. How do kids survive in Minnesota?
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