Day 3: We woke at around 8am and wished each other a very Happy Anniversary. Today was our first Big Day onboard and we surprised each other with a couple of gifts - I'd bought Richard a pair of silver heart-shaped cuff-links for him to wear during our Vow Renewal. He's bought me a beautiful pastel cultured pearl necklace with an elaborate silver clasp - believe me, they're gorgeous and I kept them on for much of the vacation! I'm a June baby so pearls are my birthstone and I love them! I'd bought some of our anniversary cards with us from home and displayed them in the bookcases.
Anyway, in a fit of efficient booze-planning, we'd pre-ordered coffee and orange juice the night before from the room service menu and, when it arrived, we created a couple of weak Bucks Fizz cocktails with the last of the champagne. We then toasted each other's fabulousness on the verandah before showering and dressing. We also toasted Bruce Springsteen - well, someone's gotta remember his birthday and I hear the E -Street Band aren't that reliable...
But I digress. Our Palo brunch was scheduled for 11am so we were able to attend the DVC Member Celebration in Diversions at 10am. When we arrived, the room was packed but we managed to perch on a couple of stools at the rear of the room and watch the action. We only joined DVC earlier this year but we're already delighted we did. As Richard says, what's not to delight!? You get to spend vast sums on a Disney-related product, sign Disney-themed paperwork and, as a result, receive a box of Disney-designed manuals, a wicked DVC members card plus a huge canvas bag in which to stuff your Disney-bought merchandise! It's all good... Seriously tho', watching the promotional DVD for
Adventures By Disney made us even more enthusiastic - the Costa Rica trip looks awesome and we're pencilling it in for 2009. Our names were put in a raffle and we won a DVC drawstring bag to go with our baseball caps and pins...
But the Palo Brunch was calling and we left the DVC get-together before the end, more than a little giddy with anticipation and hunger! We checked in and our server, Sasha from Spain, introduced himself and offered us a Mimosa (yep, more fizz!) He guided us around the brunch buffet, showing all the tempting wares of offer! OH - MY - GOODNESS!!! Believe me, it's impossible to do the Brunch offerings justice so I'm not going to try. Suffice to say, we can't wait to book it again as we didn't even try the half the goodies on offer and everything looked deliciously yummy!
By now the Magic had docked in Key West but it was pouring with rain so we decided to hold off for a while before going ashore. I think we'd just waddled back to the room (yes, too full of Palo's pleasurable pastries to even walk properly) when the sun broke through so we freshened up and headed out to walk off our waistline worries as well as sample the delights of Key West! I gotta be honest - we didn't spot too many delights tho' we walked a fair few miles that afternoon! We mainly saw T-shirt shops with slogans so ribald, rude and risque, I swear Roy 'Chubby' Brown would be blushing like an innocent maid if confronted with 'em! As it was, they fell into two categories - the half that I didn't understand and the other half that made my eyes bleed! So, our senses assaulted, we staggered down the nearest side street, hurrying away from Duval Street as fast as our poor waddling legs would carry us! I had a basic shopping map of the area and, after turning it this way and that, stepping into it (a la Joey from Friends), I finally realised where we were and we set off for a bit of culture at Ernest Hemingway's house! We walked far and we walked long. At one point, as Richard bent down to tie his shoelace, we were surrounded by menacing natives. Turns out the cockerels meant no harm but at least he burnt off a few calories as he sped off down the street like Forrest Gump. Run, Richard, Run...
As we approached Hemingway's house, we spotted a cute-looking bar and, resolving to have an (another) anniversary toast upon our return, we entered the one-time abode of the famous author.
It was at this point (after we'd paid admission) that my DH revealed he wasn't actually a fan of the writer after all. Seems he felt $11 each admission was a bit steep for any museum that wasn't dedicated to the Aston Villa European Cup Winners of 1981, but I was just glad of tranquility after the Duval Street debacle - even if the place reeked of what I came to realise must be cat pee! Like the cockerels earlier, we didn't notice the feline presence at first, but the smell hit our nostrils with the force of an anvil and shortly after we spotted them - everyflippin'where!!! The sheer volume of cats was surreal and creepy but we kept going! We're bloody British dontcha know! After I'd taken photos of every conceivable artefact and some inconceivable ones too - check out this moggie mausoleum...
...I loved these tiles...
...yet more wildlife...
...we decided to head for the cute-looking bar and get wasted. Except the cute-looking bar was now closed. So we cut our losses and headed back to the Magic as fast as our little London legs would carry us!
Once onboard, and seeing as we were still sober, we propelled ourselves to the Promenade Lounge on Deck 3 for a couple of glasses of grape-based beverage! This became our favourite haunt throughout the cruise - it was rarely busy, the seats were comfy and the staff attentive - in fact, later in the week, the same cast members served us champagne during the Vow Renewal and Konk Koolers on Serenity Bay... So we chose a table, placed our orders and snuggled together on a comfy banquette seat. I don't know who first spotted the Scrabble set nonchalently nestled on an adjacent table and I can't be sure which of us reached for it and started turning the tiles face down. All I know for certain is that was the start of the Great Silver Wedding Scrabble Championship (GSWSC) of 2007! DH asked the waiter for a pen and we scored on our damp Key West shopping map. We had a great time - OK I had a great time. Actually I had a fabulous time! I played fast and furious, getting all my letters out - twice! Yes, you guessed it, I WON!!! I was victorious, the top-dog, the champion, numero uno!!! Just call me the Scrabble Subjugator!!! Yeah but I didn't crow about it...
It felt like time to get ready for dinner so we climbed the 5 floors to our beeootiful room (a little hard after all our exhausting excursions but wheezing was kept to a minimum) and opened the door... More goodies from the concierge team greeted us - a platter of little savoury amuse-bouches! Next to the food was a card from the concierge team plus a photocard signed by the characters! And a generous sprinkling of Mickey-shaped pixiedust - just wonderful and, as someone who can cry at the drop of a hat, I felt a little teary. I had to put the weeping on hold tho' as there were arty food photos to take so I locked Richard on the verandah while I snapped away. Unfortunately 'arty' and 'food shots' don't go together so you'll have to make do with this...
As I turned to allow Big Chief Sampler back in, I saw a huge display on our coffee table. This time it was a gift from the Fairytale Wedding team - two waffle bathrobes beautifully presented - well, you can see from the photo... And yes, you've guessed it, time for more tears...
Tonight we were dining in Animator's Palate and I didn't want to be late, so I stopped crying and hopped in the shower! I wore a different top, cropped trousers, bejewelled mules and my new pearls. Richard dressed in one of his Princess outfits (Belle tonight, I think) and we hurried out of the suite... Now my previous Animator's Palate experience had been neither than animated nor palatable. It had been on the 2nd night of a Girls Only 3 night cruise, DD and I had taken back in May 2005. A combination of table-mate tension plus devastating hunger meant I didn't really get the chance to soak up the 'show' so tonight I was determined to pay attention! And it was worth it! We had a wonderful evening with our new friends - no table-mate tension here! We chatted about our day in Key West and about the Magic in general - it was all good. Richard selected another bottle of wine with his usual aplomb and I didn't even have to remind him not to snatch an already open bottle from a neighbouring table - he's growing up, bless him! Tonight we chose the following menu selections:
Kaz's Choices: Wild Garlic Mushrooms, Caesar Salad, Lemon Peppered Oven-baked Stuffed Chicken, Double Fudge Chocolate Cake.
Dick's Choices: Wild Garlic Mushrooms, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Maple-Glazed Salmon, Pound Cake.
At the end of the meal, the Head Server, John and our usual guys presented us with a surprise Anniversary cake and serenaded us with a song that ordered us to 'kiss' at the end of every line. So we duly obliged! Afterwards, with sore lips, we took our cake back to the room and began a love affair that photos cannot do justice to. That cake was the most delicious, creamy, mouth-watering cake in the history of cake! We ate it with coffee for breakfast and with champagne for lunch - it was utterly fabulous and I hope to be on the receiving end when we next cruise...
Tonight my DH hadn't left any inappropriate signage on the door handle of our stateroom so we'd been tidied up and turned down to perfection! There were chocolates on the pillow and
two towel-animals on the bed - all was right with the world!
It seemed a little early to head for bed so we decided to drop in on 80's night in Rockin' Bar D! Ah, the perfect end to our day as we'd tied the knot in 1982 and who knew what classic tunes would blow our minds!?! Turns out it wasn't so much the music as the outfits of the cast members. We bagged a table, ordered a couple of glasses of guess what and watched in amusement (me) and horror (him) as the entertaining cruise staff cajoled people onto the dance floor. Actually I found it entertaining - the CMs did a fab dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller and later a band performed what can only be described as a Ska version of Come On Eileen. Now this song is special to us (we played it at our wedding and I'm even getting a little teary as I write this!) so it seemed appropriate that an alternative version should herald the next 25 years of our wonderful life together... But enough of such sentimental mush. We danced, we drank and we drifted back to room 8602 ready to sleep...