Just like in many other places of the world, Christmas had been highly anticipated in The Villages, Florida, with decorated squares, benches, golf carts and houses.
Mark and I went to a “sound and light” spectacle in one of the neighborhoods in The Villages. The Christmas light display was a riot: humorous, beautiful and very popular. Colorful lights in the yards of many different houses “danced” to the music of the local radio station. One could walk by the several displays or take a golf cart tour.
Our best cruising friends Sim and Rosie from SV Wandering Star, currently anchored in Vero Beach, FL, visited us for the afternoon and the night of December 25th, so we could celebrate Christmas together in style… After showing them around the cheerful house we are staying in, we went for a ride in the golf carts and walked around Sumter Landing, one of the little village centers.
The evening was spent outside, with yummy appetizers and tasty drinks, exchanging useful and fun gifts, followed by a scrumptious dinner by Chef Mark: sausage stuffed pork roast, spicy pumpkin orzo with arugula, roasted asparagus, and gravy. The wonderful meat had a very stubborn bone in it!
After dinner, we relaxed in the hot tub to digest the food and to create room for dessert… apple pie with ice cream and whipped cream. The signature drink was homemade Kahlua (a gift from our house sitting hosts) with coffee/hot chocolate/mocha, topped with whipped cream. Yes, we did gain a few pounds!
An ironic coincidence is that I just had my article “Caribbean Christmas Afloat; Unforgettable and Unique” published in this month’s Caribbean boating magazine All At Sea. It chronicles all our Christmas celebrations in the Caribbean while we were sailing and living on our catamaran Irie. In it, I talk about our favorite “End of the Year festivities” in eight years afloat, which happened in 2010 in Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with our dear friends Sim and Rosie. When writing the article a few months ago, I was reminiscing those lovely and special evenings together, never anticipating that we would catch up with them again this month – in the tropical climate of Florida – and spend another memorable Christmas and New Year’s Eve together! Maybe, it was meant to be…
Merry Christmas!!
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December 26, 2015 at 16:31
The Villages was a very unique place to spend Christmas. We had such a fab time there and so much fun time with you guys.xx
December 28, 2015 at 05:16
Love you gals with your Santa caps on as well as the festive Christmas lights. Congratulations on having your article published recently. I bet when you wrote that, ‘Christmas In The Villages’ was the furthest thing from your mind.
We stuffed ourselves silly on Christmas too! Strict diet and ‘dry January’ coming up for me next month. Need to lose these holiday pounds.
January 1, 2016 at 19:58
Lisa, Mark and I can barely walk anymore after all those amazing foods – and generous portions – we have consumed. First New Year’s resolution: lose 6 pounds! 🙂