Architectural And Other Wonders Of Orlando

With the New Year came Vicki's sister Marie for a week's visit, particularly beneficial for her knowledge of the area: she was a resident in nearby St. Cloud for some years before moving to Knoxville. We undertook a number of excursions to see the sights. 

Some vintage mid-century Florida architecture, Orange World; most
of these tourist traps have failed and the buildings have been abandoned...
but not Orange World...

Our visit to downtown Orlando began as a bus ride, the main purpose
of which was to get our senior citizen discount bus passes at the terminal;
from there we walked to the Lake 

Lots of Deco Echo to look at

Also some arguably real if modest Art Deco 

Orange County; originally, Mosquito County, Marie said

The Catholic cathedral

Actual tympanum on one of the non-Catholic churches

Greek Orthodox

Appropriate frowny-faced Pantokrator

Truly profound juxtaposition of religious symbols

City Christmas tree (no oranges)

On the shore of Lake Eola, Orlando's downtown lake

Birds

Even more (dirty, disgusting, filthy, lice-ridden) birds

The flying saucer that crashed here in 1948 (parts of the superstructure
are now at Space Mountain)

More Deco Echo, The Paramount on Lake Eola, with
a welcome Publix; the farthest extent of our walk;
built 2008

Egyptian Deco Echo?

Found nearby

More Echo

More Deco; but enough for us

Fun Old Fashioned Family Christmas, 2024

And so it came to pass that, once more, we all descended upon Rebecca and Jeremy's Cary abode for Christmas. It was another great family Christmas, although somewhat lacking in documentation. For the record, if not photographically documented, we did all the usual baking, potica, cookies, cookie decoration (also watching multiple episodes of TGBBS), Christmas eve gifts, Christmas morning, Christmas brunch, Christmas charcuterie, egg nogs, and each of the three traditional Christmas fondues: cheese, meat/seafood, and chocolate. Grand-aunt Carole and particularly her daughter Lexi again impressed with gifts of Swiftia for Penelope. And, as foreshadowed in a previous post, we finally got to watch Christmas Family Vacation all together. 

Advent calendar

Cookie decoration

Stockings

Xmas morning

Auntie Rachel; not bulbular neckwear brought for all
by Rachel...to become a tradition

Jeremy

Swiftie book

Rebecca

Big-time Legoiste

Meat/seafood fondue

Charcuterie

Favorite present: my detachable Mickey ears: real men
wear Mickey ears...now possible with my choice of 
personal headgear

New Year's eve at Disney Springs (one does not wear Mickey ears at
the Springs)

The balloon falls toward midnight...

Disneyworld With Rebecca, Penelope, And Jeremy, 2

Continuing the December visit...

The giant gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian (note line to get in...
it's actually a merch shoppe, selling gingerbread cake, cookies...hand
over fist...)

Ingredients for making the gingerbread house

Some of us, there

Artsy-fartsy reflection in a Christmas tree ornament at the
Grand Floridian

Ditto

Jeremy can make the teacup spin really fast

Some people see the teacups as a time for rest, contemplation,
reflection, quiet conversation...

Disney pretzel

Misty fireworks

Christmas carol pageant at ECPOT, narrated by Count Olaf

Winter landscaping at EPCOT

On the Living with the Land boat ride at The Land at EPCOT

In the vast subterranean greenhouses

Ditto

Christmas tree at Wilderness Lodge...homesick for Montana and
Lochsa Lodge, and Blue Pine Lodge (our old home, west of Mssoula,
aka the Llazy LL Lland and Llama Company, LLC)

Pre-fireworks view from the Contemporary Resort

Snow (snoap) at Disney Springs

Before Mt. Everest, at Animal Kingdom; we think it's
really a recycling of Disneyland's Matterhorn

Before non-Disney Mt. Everest, Kala Pattar, Nepal, 2008; 19,600 feet