Yesterday was our 36th wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we decided to take a day off from work and the kids, well the teenager still living at home, and spend some time to ourselves.
Our plans for a long lie were disrupted by the arrival of the contractors who arrived to get an early start on building the retaining wall around our soon to be pool. However, this turned out to be a good thing.
We had planned to spend the day in the small town of Winter Park. Get a spot of lunch, visit the wine bar and sample some wine, and view some condos with a view to planning our retirement, which seems forever away. I had forgotten to pull off the MLS, some available condos to view, and as every Realtor knows, the MLS works at its own pace, slower than molasses going up hill, as our superwoman office manager often says. So, the early awakening gave me the time to pull off the information I required, with no hassle from my other half!
It was lunch time before we actually set off. Winter Park is my idea of a little piece of heaven amidst the hustle and bustle of the "mouse house". A small old world town, with unusual stores, as well as famous names. Give me a good shoe store, a well stocked cook store and an unusual cheese store, and I am in heaven. Add to this good restaurants and I have all the attractions I personally need.
After walking in the heat for an hour, we went into the little wine bar, where you can purchase a card, and sample all the wines they have in stock. For me, the choice is very narrow, I like a sweet fruity wine, for others, it is a good idea to leave the car at home, or designate a driver, as the choice is vast, and it is easy to get carried away.
We purchased the wine we liked, and continued on our way. Our last couple of condos to view, so far, nothing had tempted us. Then we wanted to have our anniversary meal. Coming into the main street, I had spied a little courtyard tucked away behind the main row of stores. We decided to check it out. We found The Bistro nestled in an idyllic setting.
We were met by proprietor Randy Parsons, who allowed us to sit and view the menu, before we decided that this was the place we wanted to dine. We chose to sit in the sun room, a large glass dining room overlooking the courtyard. The food was excellent, as was the service, and very reasonably priced.
We discovered that our server, Emma Marie, was also a photographer, specializing in Wedding Photography.
All in all, we had a wonderful day, in a place close to all the attractions, yet worlds apart. A place where guests in our vacation homes can visit and enjoy a different side of Orlando.
