GBS and Wine

We decided to spend a few days in Niagara on the Lake last week, to taste their wine and take in a couple of plays at the Shaw Festival held each year.  Its only 120 kms from Toronto so we hired a monster Jeep and headed down the QEW, a very pleasant drive.

These days Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) is very cute, very leafy and very touristy.  We stayed at a country inn near the town, well village centre, to enable us to stroll into town with ease.  It is certainly an idyllic spot these days but it was not always this way.

The Town Hall and Cenotaph on Queen Street

Its around 200 years since the 1812-14 war between Britain and the USA (were they called the USA back then or simply America?) which started for a couple of reasons: firstly the Americans resented the Royal Navy stopping US ships bound for Bonaparte's Europe -- we were blockading the Continent of Europe very effectively at the time -- and also were quite put out because we were also supporting the Indian tribes in the west where the Americans were looking to expand.

This wasn't a good time for the British as we were fighting a really big war of survival in Europe against Boney so we were hideously undermanned in Canada and in particular the first place the Americans would go were they to simply stroll up through New York state which was Niagara on the Lake.

NOTL had been settled after the War of Independence by loyalists from America and in the 1790's was the first capital of Canada... except it wasn't called Canada yet, that would come in 1812-14.  By the 1790's it was apparent that NOTL wasn't a great choice so the capital was moved 40 miles across Lake Ontario to York (today's Toronto) and NOTL went back to sleep again.

Toronto 40 miles away on a clear day

Except that it didn't really as in 1796 the Americans finally got around to taking over/back their fort on the south side of the Niagara river (called Fort Niagara) that the British had captured from the French in 1759 and had ceded to the US at the end of the War of Independence.

Fort Niagara on a good day.  It too has been rebuilt.

News travelled slowly in those days and as nothing much was happening to that point, the Americans simply hadn't bothered to take it over.  Now they did and that prompted the British to build a fort on the opposing side of the river -- Fort George -- to guard against possible incursions by the Americans.

Block Houses at Fort George.  Grade 9 students were staying over night when we visited as part of their Canadian history school curriculum.  Must have been great fun!!

And boy was that prescient for in 1812 the Americans promptly bombarded the fort flat and then landed and took over the fort plus nearby town of NOTL (then called Newark).  They marched on and were thoroughly thrashed in the field first at Queenstown and then later at Stoney Creek and so with the winter closing in and their NOTL garrison (apparently even filthier than the British soldiers and so more prone to disease) dwindling down due to sickness and the demands of the field, they left but not before burning the town flat.  This in the middle of December in the midst of a blizzard which action was promptly condemned by both British and Americans (the guy who ordered it done was promptly fired) and the British responded in 1813/14 by first flattening Fort Niagara and then burning to a cinder every American town, city or village within 100 miles.

This is why none of NOTL's buildings pre-dates 1813 (and very probably the same for Buffalo and other towns that reaped the whirlwind of the original action).  Thankfully we're talking again!

But this didn't really concern NOTL too much as with the end of the war and the building of the canal that enabled shipping to work around the famous falls just up river, NOTL fell back into being a backwater.

The Seward Canal -- the reason why Niagara on the Lake became sleepy again

With no further strategic use, Fort George was abandoned but restored in the 1940's and adds to the tourist lustre of the town which since discovering that grapes could be grown in the region (it always was a fruit and veg region) from which decent wines could be grown (particularly whites), its fortunes again picked up.

Riesling grapes at Pondview Winery.  The roses at each end are planted as early warning devices against pests that affect the grape vines which are hardier than the rose bushes.  If a rose is sick, the grape growers know that they have to treat the grape vines too.

Interesting the way tastes drive business.  At the same time that people were losing the taste for canned fruit (grown in the NOTL region), interest was growing for new world wines (including NOTL) so it also made economic sense to make the switch and with Canada being as cosmopolitan as it is, there were heaps of people just arrived from Europe knowledgeable about wine making.

And then came George Bernard Shaw (or GBS to his friends).  While he never visited NOTL, a local lawyer named Brian Doherty in 1962 decided to put on a couple of Shaw plays, the success of which led to the current 4-month long festival which attracts thousands of people to the sleepy town... including us.

George Bernard Shaw

But I'm getting ahead of myself for Viv had organized a wine tour for us first up which was great fun as we visited 3 wineries, one famous for whites (Pondview), the next for eco-organic-green etc (Hinterbrook) and the last for ice wines (Pilliterri).  None of them have been around for many years but they all made some nice wines -- the blush wines for summer being particularly nice.

The cellar at Pilliterri.  The 2nd longest poured concrete table in the world.  Don't try moving it alone.

As for the plays, the first was a play by Somerset Maughan called "Our Betters" and the second by an Irish playwright called Brian Friel was called "Faith Healer".  The first was fun being a light hearted Roaring 20's style romp but the second was ... interesting, well if you consider it was about a drunk, Irish faith healer who was beaten to death by some home town bhoys for not being able to cure their paraplegic friend, his drunk wife who ultimately left him and committed suicide and his drunk cockney manager who simply shook his head and said 'what a shame'.

Sets for 'Our Betters' (top) and 'Faith Healer' (below) 

We certainly needed a stiff drink after that day!

The following day we spent on a Taste of the Town tour Viv had found on 'Living Social' -- great site, by the way.  We ate nibbles in 6 places and had a history tour by tour guide Bill who did a great job imbibing a lot of local color for us.

Polish cemetery commemorating the 80,000 US and Canadian volunteers of Polish heritage that trained nearby in 1916-17 to serve in the Great War and later in Russia but died in training.

Great trip.  Thanks Niagara on the Lake!!  

Flogging Friday's Off!

Its not often that Viv and I take trips to different places at different times to do different specific things but a couple of weeks ago was one of them.  Viv went to Toronto to see the Rolling Stones whilst I went to England for my old school old boys annual cricket match.

The cricket match was in Southend as always at the old school's grounds against a team called The Mount who use the ground as their home ground -- and really it is a lovely setting.  The concert was at the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto.

I arrived on May 24th, Bermuda Day -- in reality Queen Victoria's birthday and a holiday celebrated around the Commonwealth by being whatever's national day BUT not in Britain curiously.  It was raining when I arrived and was around 50 degrees.  Typical for the year apparently but it came as a shock to me as it had started to warm up in Bermuda.

Fortunately my friend Kevin who I was staying with suggested a short drive out into the lovely Essex countryside and lunch and a couple of pints at a 14th Century coaching inn in Maldon called the Blue Boar Hotel. An inspired suggestion.  The place was wonderful and had a large roaring log fire to cheer us all up.

The evening was something I was looking forward to as Kevin's brother Andy (another old school friend) had bought a pub in a village called Little Bromley and had quit his City job to run it with his wife and father-in-law.  

I do like the north Essex countryside as it is real Constable country -- the artist John Constable that is, not the boys in blue.  And the pub itself was all that you could hope for that far out in the country (north of Colchester on the Sussex border).  Called the Haywain after the famous Constable painting Andy gave me the tour and ... well, what a story.

The Haywain by John Constable

Apparently the pub used to be called the Fox and Hounds and was one of the largest gay/transvestite pub/clubs in the east.  People used to travel down from as far afield as Newcastle (which is 500+ miles away) particularly for the Friday Night is Flogging Night sessions.  Andy said cleaning the place out was absolutely disgusting with all the restraints, mattresses.... well, you get the picture.

With Gill. Andy in the background.

He also said that his neighbours in the 20 home village, 1 pub, no other retail store, were delighted he was there as their house prices had now gone up by at least 20%.

Not so the group who turned up a few weeks ago on a Friday expecting a darn good thrashing but were only offered a pint of delicious Adnams by mine host.

The weekend was cloudless blue skies and warmth.  Fantastic.  And the game was great too... another draw.  But the stories!  My favourite was Luis'.

You have to know Luis and of course the old Headmaster whom everyone nicknamed 'Bubble' because of his perfectly round and bald head.  Luis was captain of tennis and on one occasion was waiting outside the door of the new Headmaster's office wanting to chat to him about using the court for a team practice.  Bubble came along and said:

"Come with me, see."

"But sir, I am waiting to see the Headmaster about..."

"Don't speak, boy.  It will only go worse for you if you do."

"But sir, I haven't..."

"I repeat, don't speak boy.  Come with me."

And they went into the old man's study (he really was an old man by this time.  Well over 80).  As Bubble rummaged in his cupboard, Luis suddenly realised what was happening.  Bubble was searching for the perfect cane that he'd cut from the bamboo growing in the garden.

"Sir, you should know that I wasn't..."

"Silence, boy.  I already told you speaking will only make it worse."

"But sir..."

And then Luis gave up and took his punishment like a man.  

But it didn't end there for Luis's dad was a strict disciplinarian.  He always wanted to know if Luis had been punished, how and what for and so Luis was faced with a dilemma.  What did he say if anything? If he said nothing, his dad would find out and ...  If he told him, he wouldn't likely believe in Luis' innocence (and in all honesty, who would?).  Luis told him and was ... well punished again.

A couple of weeks later, Bubble called Luis into his study again where to Luis' surprise he offered him a glass of whisky and a cigar.  Luis took both as the undoubted peace offering that it was intended to be.

And of course the Stones.  Well Viv said they were fantastic.  Of course they were!

Location, Location, Location

Had the Cayman Islands been on the other side of Cuba, chances are they would be Spanish and very poor.  However that's not where the Cayman Trench is.  Its this side -- sorry, the south side of Cuba.

The Trench is essentially an 8000 metre high mountain under water and its three peaks are Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.  I thought they were volcanic but I was disabused of this notion by the marine guru at the Cayman National Museum at a talk earlier this week as she revealed the Cayman Island Maritime Heritage Trail to the world.

Cayman is also swamped by ship wrecked vessels for the simple reason that the wind/current combination for sail bound vessels in the past was in through the southern part and out in the channel between Cuba (and of course Cayman) and the Central American coast.  In dodgy weather this meant that many ships ploughed into Cayman's reefs (all of which are amazingly close in to shore) and were wrecked... then ransacked and then finally salvaged.  Like Bermuda, one of Cayman's early industries was that of wrecking.

In through the southern routes and Out through the channel between Cayman, Central America and Florida

So having been fired up by the announcement of this trail I decided to go and follow it today.  First up, the map of the trail is really small scale so tricky to follow if you don't have a fair grasp of the road layouts in Cayman which fortunately I do so I decided to start with the eastern part of the trail, starting in a place called Prospect Point.  It's also a nice way to discover the island as I'd not been to many of the parts I covered today and I discovered that Prospect Point was a really nice residential location indeed.  But I was here for the trail and found it.

The fort used to be nearby but is now long gone

There is a small channel in the reef line here so the early settlers decided to build a fort, as protection from pirates as much as anything else for the great colonial powers really didn't have any time for Cayman being small, waterless, no natural resources and with a landscape not set up for plantation farming like nearby Jamaica.  So Cayman was largely ignored.  Several schooners were lost on the reefs nearby in the 1800's.

Next stop was Pedro St. James, the oldest building in Cayman dating back to 1780.

It's government run these days and well worth a visit as a kindly old gentleman who turned out to be part of the original Eden family that built it was the tour guide.  The building was a ruin for many years until the government stepped in and bought and painstakingly renovated back to its original condition.  And it's a lovely old colonial style building indeed.

Pre-Renovation

Today fully Renovated

This is in the outdoor non-attached kitchen (fire hazard and heat dispersement). and the restored old stove top.  Wood frame filled with sand, then coals on top rather like today's BBQ

The first William Eden arrived in Cayman in the 1770's from Devizes in Devon and almost immediately met the governor's daughter, a Miss Bodden -- a very Caymanian name.  They married and started having babies so needed a home, this one.  Sadly Mrs. Eden died in childbirth with #4 so William married another lady with whom he had 6 more children.  The new Mrs. Eden was reportedly a bit of a shrew so he upped and left for Honduras to log mahogany (for home and boat building) and sadly for him, that is where he then died leaving Mrs. Eden with 10 children and this house named St. James on Pedro Point (hence the name).

William Eden II was a very prominent businessman and inevitably with the biggest house that is where many of the business and governmental decisions were made in Cayman as Bodden Town, nearby, was the island's first capital.  In the early days there were few local laws only those brought in from Jamaica (Cayman was a dependency back then) few of which had any relevance and so were largely ignored.  That worked until the population grew larger when the old ways (essentially any problems were put out for arbitration with the neighbors but if you didn't like the result, you used fists) were found to be chaotic bordering on anarchy.  So in 1831 the bigwigs sat down and drafted a 'proposal' for the Governor of Jamaica essentially creating a democratic society.  Ultimately somebody read the proposal and in the 1850's it was accepted.  This enabled local laws to be made and the anarchy stopped.

Pedro St. James was also the place where the proclamation outlawing slavery and freeing all slaves was made in 1835.  The Act was actually passed in 1833.  News traveled slowly in those days.

There's also a nice display of near contemporary news from the 1940-1960 times when the island went from being a mosquito ridden swamp fringed by isolated settlements (this is pre-roads) to what we know it is today.  One section described the fact that personal incomes had actually gone down since the first settlement as truly Cayman had nothing, not even for Caymanians many of whom left to seek work.  In the late 1940's Government revenues totaled 12,500 pounds sterling, three-quarters of which came from the sale of stamps!  There were 3 civil servants back then as opposed to 4,000 today!  The 1950's saw roads, an airport and the first hotel on 7 Mile Beach.  There's no bush on 7 Mile Beach these days but 60 years ago there was no road and bush, bush and more bush.  And no tourists either!

After this I was on the road again out east -- there's only one road so difficult to get lost.  However the east road is all by the coast with reefs and beaches so it was difficult to know where the trail points were other than with the microscopic trail signs often hidden away behind things.  This meant annoying everyone on the road traveling east as I couldn't go more than 20 mph otherwise I'd miss the signs.

The first was The Iphigenia, a Welsh barque that was stranded on the Bodden Town reefs in 1874 -- reckless navigation not weather being the reason.  The ship was overrun by local salvagers, something the local authorities found difficult to control there being 2 magistrates who tried to keep the peace whilst the 3rd was joining in.  The captain was reprimanded and told 'to be more careful next time'.

Difficult to imagine conditions where a ship would founder on a day like today!

Next was The Juga, a Norwegian ship wrecked on reefs at Old Isaac in 1888.  Part of it is still there above the water line.  As it's really close into shore local wreckers were on board within 5 minutes, first helping the crew away, next negotiating salvage rights with the captain before finally dipping in.

Don't expect to see this on the water side of the road.  It is on the other side almost hidden by foliage. I missed it first time around.

Then came the East End Lighthouse -- on the other side of the road on top of a small bluff.  The lighthouse was first erected in 1906/07 and was replaced in 1957 with a newer model.  Before this a lantern was put on top of a 60 foot mast each night.  Progress indeed.  Today's model is driven by solar power.

The old and the new ... old at the back.  They don't like throwing things away in Cayman!

Finally came the Wreck of the Ten Sail right out at the far eastern end.  In 1794 during the Revolutionary War with France, the Royal Navy had captured a French frigate nearby and was sending it back to England for refit under the name HMS Convert.  She was also acting as security for a convoy of 58 merchant ships also sailing back to various parts of Europe -- I thought the convoy system was only introduced in WW1 but clearly it was in operation before this.  The convoy was setting sail from Jamaica on the morning tide but the night before 6 or 7 vessels left harbour so HMS Convert and the rest of the convoy had to leave pretty quickly.  News came back that those turkeys who'd left before the others had all ploughed into some unknown reefs somewhere so the chase was on and HMS Convert was in the van.  A lookout in the night called out a warning about reefs just off to one side and as HMS Convert turned away another merchant vessel who'd clearly been dreaming ploughed into her side and both ended up on the reefs as well.  What didn't help was the fact that there was quite a strong breeze driving the convoy onto the reefs so in the end 10 ships, HMS Convert and 9 other merchantmen, ended up on the reefs hence the name of the site.  The rest of the convoy managed to get back to their home jurisdictions unscathed.  Convert's captain faced customary court marshal and was acquitted and went on to greater things in the Royal Navy.

This ship foundered in 1963.

200 year anniversary memorial of the Ten Sails

On the way back to West Bay, I drove through South Sound and came across Pallas and Pull and Be Damned Point.  This is pretty much the south eastern most point of the island and the place where all the bad weather comes in from -- plus it's the part where most ships pile up.  The Pallas was another Norwegian ship in ballast from Scotland that piled into the reef in 1875.  Part can still be seen on the reefs.

Cemetery in the background

The remains of the Pallas

Now this is interesting.  This was the time when the shipping world was making the great transition from sail to steam.  So what happened to all the older sailing vessels?  I'd never really thought about it but the Norwegians had.  They bought them, or certainly a large number of them, and continued to operate them under sail.  Some of course foundered and some on Cayman.  The steam vessels didn't have to use the wind/current channels of old, they could now go when and where they pleased so largely avoided Cayman.

This site was right next to yet another cemetery.  I've not mentioned this before but there are cemeteries everywhere.  They are really ornate and this one was no different.  In addition there appeared to be a digging party in the cemetery as a load of people were there, many digging away and seemingly having a party at the same time.

A private cemetery at Prospect Point

But the beach itself on this part of South Sound was actually lovely.  Not the calm and quiet waters of 7 Mile Beach, but roiled by the endless ocean swell and currents coming up from the south.  Today being calm and quiet, everything looked beautiful but I can imagine it being nasty when the wind picks up.

A more recent ship wreck on South Sound

All in all, a great day!

Meeting Elvis!

I know.  What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.  Great tag line by the PR folks that promote Las Vegas to the world and it really is a neat tag line too.  Wish I'd thought of it first.  And I know it all took place a month ago but in my defense I got a little busy and then forgot about it which is a mistake as its not every day that you get to meet Elvis.

The Real Thing

Again I know Elvis is no longer around having eaten his last banana and peanut butter sandwich in 1977, but this is Vegas!

It all happened because of Rosie really, one of my cricket mates.  He loves Vegas and as he was getting married (to Kim), he really wanted to get married in Vegas too.  So he invited a few Associates cricketers to the bash and even more surprisingly a few of us decided to go.

Rosie organized a collective hotel (the new Vdara, an MGM hotel) and a few parties/shows.  Viv and I didn't fancy Shania Twain so saw a comedian instead who was so laid back and low key that he seemed virtually asleep.  But still all good fun really.

Springtime in Las Vegas at the Bellagio

Next door to the Bellagio

The wedding was at the LV Country Club and all went beautifully actually until that moment when Rosie decided to sing with the band.  What a dreadful voice!  Mind you it was all a cunning ploy for he stopped half way and introduced Elvis to the audience.

Las Vegas Country Club wedding vale

"Love me Tender..."

He had a nice voice too.  Maybe not quite like Elvis the original but still good and of course he sung a few of Elvis' love songs and the big finale...

"Viva Las Vegas!"

The King & The Associates -- Rosie, Ruthless and Cookie

And as for the rest of it, well what happens in Vegas...

March Madness in Miami

5 hours down the Florida Turnpike from the Villages lies Miami and at this time of year a big ATP 1000 point tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, just over a bridge onto one of the islands nearby.  We'd been to this tournament a couple of years back and enjoyed it mightily so decided we'd return with some friends Judy & Keith and Jo & Stan who had a place at the Villages.

We decided to stay downtown and catch the daily shuttle to and from the tournament as transport is the one thing that doesn't work for this tournament.  Most other things work fine: seats are really close to the action, all the good players turn up, the weather is good and the city is as vibrant a place as there is.

Day 1 was a disaster primarily as nobody on either side knew what was going on -- the bus driver to the event barely spoke English and asked us where we'd like to go -- nor did they know at what time any buses to or from the event would likely travel, the result being that we arrived for an on the hour departure but actually departed on the half hour, actually after the half hour as our bus driver was talking to his mum (or something).

Day 2 though and subsequently was just peachy -- same driver but this time he and we knew what was going on.  Seeing as this was Day 6 it does make me wonder why on earth nobody had wondered about this before.

The first day (Friday) wasn't so hot and in fact rained for 4 hours in the afternoon but we still managed to get some great tennis in -- Monaco vs Ramos (vamos Ramos!!); Dolgopolov vs Davydenko (davai Nikolai!!); and after a couple of rain effected false starts Simon vs Hewitt (allez vous-en, Simon!!).  It was a day for alliterations.

Dolgopolov & Davydenko -- ''Davai Nikolai!!"

Gilles Simon with some old geezer.

Drying the lines

Hewitt finally in action -- "Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie..."

The rain delay late start for the final Simon/Hewitt match plus the transport snafu meant that we made it back to the Conrad Hotel on Brickell Avenue around 11 pm and decided to try and get fed and watered there.  Now the Conrad is a nice hotel with the Concierge on the ground floor (where the shuttles left from) but the hotel began on the 25th floor and that was where the sky bar was located.  In the lift up was Pat Cash -- recognisable by the cross ear ring and the fact that I'd played tennis with him and Arri last year at Coral Beach in Bermuda.  I reminded him of this fact and whilst he was mighty gracious about things, it clearly did not stand out as an event alongside his Wimbledon championship.  But it did strike me that while he was being comped to come, stay and play, most other things (e.g. offsite food) was on his own account as he was carrying various cereals from the supermarket to which he kindly directed us.

So to sum up, Pat Cash has a lousy memory for past tennis matches but perfect clarity about the nearest supermarket.

Unsurprisingly he was thoroughly charming throughout.  But then again he's a tennis playing Aussie, so why should anyone be surprised.  I've met a bunch of the old greats and to a man, they are all the same great guys.

The Saturday was a scorcher (and I have the sun burned lip to prove it!) and the tennis on the Grandstand court was fantastic.  We had the battle of the beautiful single handed back hands with Gasquet vs Rochus followed by some big servers: first Isner vs Dodig and then Raonic vs Rufin.

Gasquet

Rochus' beautiful backhand - had he been 3 inches taller, he would have won Grand Slams

A side issue with Isner is that it is amazing just how bad a tennis player he is.  If he wasn't 6 foot 9 inches and had an unreturnable serve, he'd be playing with me at Pomander Gate... maybe.

We also squeezed a couple of doubles in -- the English pair Marray/Fleming losing a 3rd set tie break before the main event which was Hewitt playing doubles with new Aussie hope Tomic whose lack of interest enabled Dodig/Melo a comfortable win.

The Sunday event was again seamless.  I chatted with a Wells Fargo mortgage guy whose view on people who defaulted on their loans was fairly straightforward -- "kick those bums out, they don't deserve to own a home".  Mind you he said that they should fold now, go into bankruptcy and in a couple of years come out and try again.  That's what I like about the US.  There's no stigma in failing.  You just dust yourself off and get up and try again.

I've just finished a fantastic book by George Friedman called "The Next Decade".  It was written in 2010/11 so a couple of things have moved on but the biggest take away is all US positive (a position I usually take anyway -- also Friedman says the UK is the US' best and increasingly most important ally so of course I like that too!).

The thrust of the book is that the US have fallen into empire, not necessarily by design, and don't realise  it.  The stated fear being that without a moral framework to guide them, things may fall apart.  The next decade is key to this for a number of political and economic things are coming to a boil so the US presidents this decade have to be pretty darn skillful.  Great book, thoroughly recommended reading.

Returning to the Wells Fargo guy, being from Miami he has his finger on the pulse and told me that the place is booming again.  Cranes everywhere and they are lending like crazy.  Ladies and Gentlemen, the train has left the station...

The Sunday games took us one step on from the prior matches the best of which was Tommy Haas (no underpants) hammering Dolgopolov.  We also watched him play doubles with Malisse who also played singles against Nichigori (and lost) and then some more doubles before calling it quits.

Tommy the pantless one and Malisse

Great stuff and the following day we discovered the Metro and how to get around the city for $2 AND the best Japanese noodle shop in Miami (www.momiramen.com).

Great trip.  See you next year!!

The Welcoming Bubble

For quite some time now friends of ours had suggested we visit them in the Villages, an active retirement lifestyle resort north of Orlando in Florida.  Its an interesting concept being for 55+ active retirees who want an adult only place to live, where activities are organised for you (many free) and where the weather is pretty much always warm.

Many Bermudians had decided to buy homes there, some of whom we'd got to know over the years so as we were in Florida due to watch the Sony Ericsson tennis tournament in Miami, we thought we'd take a side trip up the Florida Turnpike to check it out.

Now I thought it was only 2-3 hours away but it turned out to be 5+ hours but with GPS getting there was a breeze which is just as well as once you get to the Villages proper, it pretty much all looks the same.  Apparently there are 15 different house styles to chose from but if that was so, it sure didn't look like it as we would discover as we checked out half a dozen houses during our stay.

Florida and the location of The Bubble

This is what they say about themselves on their website:


The Villages is an active retirement community located in sunny central Florida. Conceived over 50 years ago (by a man named Howard Schwartz and carried on by his family), our hometown has flourished under the guidance of the family who created it, our dedicated employees, and most importantly the folks who call The Villages home.

Our purpose always has, and always will be, “To create a retirement community where people’s dreams can come true.” We continue to redefine retirement living by offering the best in homes, lifestyle and amenities for our residents each and every day.

People drive around in golf carts and being America they come in every design your heart can think of. That means life is pretty slow burning but then there's the activities and clubs all ready and available for you to enjoy.

Love the eyebrows!

There are 3 central towns that serve each of the Villages.  One in the north (old part), one in the middle (10 or so years old) and one in the south (new and in process of being built).  That's where all the restaurants and shops were located, each with a different theme to them.  They were also the social gathering centres where nightly entertainment was available free to all.

Spanish Springs (the older one) with plenty of golf carts around!

The friends we stayed with (Andy and Christine) had bought in the Villages a year or so back and stayed there 3+ months per year (but always for less than 4 months, the maximum allowed for US tax reasons).  Being a year or so younger than us they'd had to acquire special dispensation to be allowed to stay there and they'd joined right in there.

Being young and fit, they were the jocks on the block in every sport!  That meant for the duration of our stay we'd have that chance too!!

The sport of choice for this showing was to be 'pickel ball' -- a short tennis court varietal.  Being tennis players and young/fit we thought we'd rip the joint which was pretty much what happened... until we came up against some villagers who knew the game and suckered us in to a pick up match.  Putting on prosthetic knee braces, arm and wrist braces and generally parking the zimmer frame by the net, they simply crushed us with jolly cries of "Ooh, that was lucky.  I don't normally serve like that!"

The pickel ball court.  Note the yellow plastic hole-y balls you play with.

Beware the oldies!!

As for adding our name to the muster role of 'Villagers' or residents of the 'Bubble' as our friends called it, well maybe we'll think about it in another 10 years time when we'll have had a chance to practice pickel ball.