You & Me & A Bottle Makes 3 (UPDATED! 4/7/14)–F&W Fest & the Rest in 5 days!

[scrpbookr]

I'm subscribed and following along! I'm enjoying every bit of it. Thanks for sharing! Keep them coming!

 

[Nakkira]

Since our stomachs were temporarily full-ish and the timing was right we went to China and watched the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats perform.
They are a lot of fun to watch.
One of the reasons I love Epcot so much is there really is so much entertainment going on all the time!

I can't believe how long they can hold these poses.

They were kind enough to pose for a picture with me after. Actually I asked the one guy, who was standing near the rope and he called the ladies over too!
So cool of them.

We wondered around awhile, explored the shops, goofed-off a bit.....

We both have a thing for hats.
"S" tried this on:

I think this is my favorite photograph of him ever! - We call this "The Drunken Scotsman Warrior Pose"


We had jus watched a documentary on the Terra Cotta warriors (the real ones) so we poked our heads in that display for a bit.

We stayed in there awhile (I sat for a bit). "S" can get really lost in museums and actually anything that resembles one. He does not have diagnosed ADD but he does have issues that do make him very easily distractible and/or lost in his own head.
I was happy to let him go on this for a bit as I was still enjoying a bit of a break.


We emerged and decided it was back to grazing,
We passed this sign:

I was not in the mood for sweets and he hates coffee so we passed but the name really cracked us up!



We of course hit the China Booth and ordered "Mongolian beef in a steamed bun

This was simple but great! The beef was so tender, the bun was very fresh and moist, and the sauce had just the right level of spice. This is one of those things I would happily have re-visited had we the time and money.

We Decided that we wanted to head to Mexico so I could have my Avocado Margarita and he the Scorpion Mezcal.

Looks like we found another photo pass on the way.
I still need a hairbrush. I wish men would point these things out.



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[happybelle]

I am still here as well.

 

[Nakkira]

Tequila!

Yes, we headed to the Sunny land of Mexico.
Yes, folks this is where I kiss my sobriety goodbye.

No, I did not get sloppy drunk.

I don't really think that is appropriate at a Disney Park. (i.e. the woman who was Very friendly and slurring her words well before sunset that we encountered near China)

However I can say that by the time I left the Mexico Pavilion I was rather buzzy and stayed pleasantly squiffy for the rest of the evening (there are a lot of words that mean tipsy)

Tequila can have that effect.

We visited their F&W booth first where we order the þTaco de Ribeye with Salsa de Chipotle and the þTequila Flight to share.

The chipotle was mild but ok, the beef was tough and stringy.
The tequila shots were, well to be honest I am not a huge fan of tequila as a stand alone. I LOVE a good margarita, but if you want somebody to give an expert review on the straight booze, I am not the girl. I really did appreciate the journey from light to dark and noticing the differences in taste/age.
They were surprisingly tasty compared to the cheap tequila I have been previously exposed to. Not as nice as rum, but not bad.
Nothing is as nice as rum.
That is why the Rum is Always Gone! (you saw that coming right?)

We went inside. I think the darkness is over-done in there, but I do think it is a great place.
I found the bathroom and we rode Gran Fiesta Tour. "S" likes Donald. The Three Caballeros did stay stuck in my head for the next hour or so.

I believe this ride is another one of those hidden gems of Disney. Even with the crowds we faced most of the week there was not a line.
Onto La Cava del Tequila!

Speaking of crowds, when did it get crowed in here?

There had been a pretty heavy flow of people in Epcot that day, and it was crowed up front, but the World Showcase, while full of people had not been packed or actively "crowded". Most F&W booths had only had a line of a few people.
Yet.

Since getting on the ride (ok, and making use of the facilities) it seemed as if the amount of people inside of Mexico had doubled.
There was a line to get a drink at the Cava, but we stood in it patiently.

20 minutes or so later we are finally at the promised land.
They are out of the Mezcal. Poor "S", he had wanted this almost as much as I wanted my margarita.

He did order a $20 shot of some fancy Tequila (my sticker shock is still in place) and I ordered my Long Anticipated Avocado Margarita.
For those who did not read the pre-trip, let me just say that I am in love with Avocado and had become obsessed with trying this drink ever since hearing of it's existence 6 months prior.

My Precious

I wish I could say that the margarita was all I hoped and more.
It was good. It was creamy, cold, smooth, and pretty tasty. It was also a little bland. It needed more something. Salt, Lime, and yes even a little more tequila. For a $13.50 drink you would think it would have a little kick. Stirred some of the salt from the rim of my glass into it, which helped bring out the avocado flavor a bit more. I will be experimenting with these at home and see what I can to enhance it.
I am looking forward to playing around with it.

Although the bar was crowed we lingered over our drinks (still trying to pace ourselves) Even if I could not taste much booze in my drink, it was still there and we had shared a tequila flight outside.

"S" enjoyed his selection but had to admit that it was not worth $20. It had been kind of impulse decision but I gave him the "it's a vacation" excuse to comfort him.
It may have been a budget trip but the money we had saved for the F&W portion was for that. No regrets. (ok, maybe one, but that comes later)







NEXT

Comments or banana's always welcome!​

 

[Nakkira]

I wanna go back to Disney

 

[Nakkira]

We emerged from Mexico to find that the Worlds Showcase was now a veritable Sea of people. Dark had fallen.
Right. I had almost forgotten that people often headed this way after dark.

We wondered around a bit before my DBF announced that he was ready for Scotland.


He had spent the last of his cash in the Cava and had left his bank card in the hotel room that morning by mistake.
I told him not to worry I would cover it if he got the Sake the next day.
He ordered the Scottish Banoffee Tart and the Glenfiddich® Scotch Flight (12, 15 and 18 year).

We were very disappointed in the pour. There really was not much to work with for tasting in these glasses. It wasn't even a half a shot per.

<mild rant warning>
This was not the first or last time I was disappointed in the pour here.
This was by far the worst.
For $15 I would expect a little more!
In theory I get that they probably do not want people getting sloshed drunk at the Festival. Not that this stopped a lot of people.
I understand smallish tasting pours.
I understand slightly weak drinks.
I really am ok with that, I don't want to be smashed in Disney.
For the love of Mike drop the price a little!

I know this is Disney and everything is expensive but really, either increase the portion or lower the price! I have trouble "swallowing" the price of $4 for two sips of wine, and $15 for LESS than a grand total equivalent of 1 shot.
Not only that but it really is not enough for true tasting.
End Rant


Worse, he was feeling double upset because he felt like he has wasted MY money as oppose to his own.


This was really the only thing we regretted order all week.
Except for the tart.

That was amazing!
It ended up being "S"'s festival favorite. Not surprising as he loves Scotch and Shortbread.


We wondered around the UK a bit and did some window shopping.

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p740/nakkira1/DSCN8400_zpsd1269628.jpg[IMG]
This is where we encountered our first real drunks. There were a couple of girls in the one shop who were quite literally tripping over themselves.
They needed time out.
Overall though I did not see much inappropriate behavior.


All of my friends and my sister are Dr. Who Fanatics. I have seen a few season and like it. I just can't label myself a fanatic.

I took some pics of the cool Dr. stuff to text home or post of Facebook.

[IMG]http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p740/nakkira1/DSCN8392_zpsf1d96a07.jpg
Poster

It was time to grab a spot for Illuminations.
There was not much room left near the fences, but we find a crazy spot near Morocco and a nice family shared some of their space with us. We sat on the ground playing with our smart phones for a half an hour until the show started.

I am pleased to report that S like the show, even more than he liked Wishes.

I did not even try to get pictures. I just watched and enjoyed, in order for us both to fit in the spot we found we were turned sideways with my back against his front, his arm around me. Cozy. Camera not important at moments like that.

I do love watching the lights "Around the World". It seemed to me like the show has undergone a few changes since last I saw it but I have to say I approve.


After the show my DBF asked me what time the last bus ran. We had plenty of time, he recommended that we find a dessert and sit for awhile, letting the stampede towards the exit die down a bit.
Excellent idea my Love!


I lead him straight to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie.
I had just enough room left in my internal trash compactor of a stomach for a Pain au Chocolat! These are another one of those Disney foods that I kept wanting since the first time I had it. (last visit my sister and I discovered them)

S ordered in what I assume was mildly sloppy French, as it seemed he had to repeat himself a few times. From what I understand his French is pretty good when sober, and this was the first clue I had that he was maybe a bit buzzy too.
He is one of those where it is hard to tell unless he is VERY drunk.
We ended up with Pain au Chocolat, Citron Tart, and apparently a Chardonnay.

Yes, this in one of those title fulfilling times when I started to eat BEFORE I remembered to photograph.
(Original title of blog was "Don't eat it yet, I still need a pic!" My 1st Disney trip & Food blog 10/13-F&W Fest")


It was nice to slowly enjoy desert why the madness outside died down. Both desserts were tasty and fresh, the Chardonnay was alright but to be honest by this point I was more interested in water and I believe that my taste buds were a little worn out.


By the time we left and made out way to the Monorail it was nearly quiet.
We made it back to the hotel before 11pm and slept like bricks.


Next day Round Two of Epcot Food and Wine Fest.


NEXT

 

[Nakkira]

We debated the night before if we really wanted to do Epcot a 2nd day in a row, but voted yes. Neither of us wanted to wait until Friday to try to hit the rest of the F&W festival, especially not knowing what the weekend crowds might bring.

I set an alarm for that morning but not until 8:30. The Continental breakfast stopped serving at 9am so if we wanted a waffle we had to at least get up by then.

We took our waffles back to our room, ate and then dressed for the day. I never even bothered with the hotel coffee. I had OJ in our room and we had English Breakfast tea as well.

Since I had lost my sunglasses the day before and S had never packed any, we headed over to the Dollar Tree for cheap ones and then to the bus stop.

The bus runs approx. every 30 minutes so we were not too worried about getting there in time.
We maybe waited 10 minutes and then had a 30 minute ride in.
Still faster than the hotel shuttle. Over all I would say I was very pleased with Lynx.

We made it to Epcot before 11am at any rate.
I confess, I still wanted my caffeine fix though, so we made a bee-line to Refreshment Port/Starbucks to use up some gift card money.
I snagged some fruit (needed it) as well as Iced Coffee (me) & Iced Tea (S). Last minute I decided to have a cake pop as well. I kept hearing about them and decided why not?

They spelled my name wrong on the cup, so that still is not my actual name. I love that they drew me a Mickey Mouse though! That made me smile!

The cake pop was a little too sweet and sticky for me but I could see why some people Love them. I just have a low sweet threshold.


When we had nearly finished our drinks we went to the The Seas with Nemo & Friends. I love the outside. The ride was cute, but forgive me for being a geek, I kind of miss the old Living Seas. We were going to go to Turtle Talk with Crush (wait time posted as 5 minutes) but after 20 minutes we were still not any closer to getting in and decided to bail.


I asked my DBF if he wanted to do Mission Space again, but he just ignored me.
He is no fun! That deserved a good dirty look at the very least don't you think?


We decided to snag a Fastpass for Spaceship Earth but just jumped in line as the posted wait was only 15 minutes. We must have had perfect timing because by the line more than doubled behind us!

Dont we look excited by our future?


S and I played with some of the stuff at Project Tomorrow and then we decided it was time to head back to the World Showcase. My stomach was reminding me that it was well past lunch time and we still had about half of the booths yet to hit.


Sorry for the short post but the next one is hot on it's heels.



NEXT

 

[Nakkira]

TODAY'S MISSION:
EAT AROUND THE WORLD AND FINISH OUR PASSPORTS.

The plan was simple. Work our way around the circle and hit every Booth that we had not hit yet.
If we did not make it we could come back Saturday, but knowing that the crowds would likely be terrible on the weekend, we did not want to count on that.


I will start of with the following confession:
We cheated on three booths. We stopped at each one for our stamp so we could legitimately say we went to all of the booths but we did not order at these three:

1. Craft Beers- Any beer they were offering, that we would be interested in, we had already tried before. We were really focusing out time money and stomach space on new experiences.
   
2. Hops & Barley - I had decided against the Lobster offering, He is allergic to shellfish, and the same story as above on the beverage items.
   I was willing to try the Craisin bread pudding, but this was another tale of not wanting sweets at the time we were there.
   
3. American Adventure coffee cart. "S" hates coffee and I was not feeling up for coffee myself at the time.

Our first stop was Scotland. Yes we hit this booth again. We had wanted to try the Salmon dish but really were not in the mood for anymore savory food by the time we got there.
FTR “S” and I were still grumbling about the “Scotch“ incident the night before

Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress and Malt Vinaigrette

The Salmon was over-cooked but ok. The Cauliflower Puree that they serve it with though really hit the spot! I surprisingly loved it! I let "S" (who likes fish better than me anyway) eat most, while I happily ate the puree.

We debated the Haggis out of pure curiosity, but decided against. We have had the REAL stuff a few times and really enjoyed it. While were curios what a veggie substitute would be like, we were not curious enough to buy it.

We wandered over to Hawaii for another one of my pre-anticipated Must haves:
Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Lotus Root Chips
I informed my DBF that he would have to get his own as I new I would not want to share.
HE did and we also ordered the Kālua Pork Slider and a Kona Brewing Company’s Pipeline Porter.

The beer was certainly VERY coffee. It was a good solid Porter.
The Tuna was nice but too tiny for the price. I have to admit it was rather unexciting. By that I mean, nothing fancy. But I love all the elements and could happily several.
The slider was tasty, I recall though that the pork was a tad dry. "S" liked it.

So funny thing, "S" and I often would take turns buying stuff so only one of us would get in line at some booths.
We would both take the others passports with us for stamps. This resulted in us ending up with the wrong one many times and since I was making tasting notes in it, several of my booth's notes are in his.


Including my notes on the Booth that got the surprise honor of being my Favorite over-all culinary experience of the Festival and our next stop:
GREECE.
Yup.

We ordered, Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey, Taste of Greece: Grilled & Marinated Calamari, Hitipiti, Eggplant Dip, Olives and Pita Bread and I had an Ouzo as well. (because I never had before, why do you ask such silly questions?)

OMG! The Griddled Cheese was everything my taste buds had anticipated and more! All the right Balances of savoury and sweet, great textures, and overall fantastic. The Pistachio gave it both flavor and crunch that the honey smoothed back out with a hint of sweet. There was just the right amount of both in this.

I could live on that!

The Taste of Greece was surprisingly good as well. I was in need of more Pita as it was a very gloppy combination of things but all very tasty as well. I unexpectedly liked the Calamari and the Eggplant did was perfectly spiced.

I saved a bite of my cheese for after I tasted my Ouzo, just in case. It really did just taste like a black jelly bean but it was my more smooth than I was braced for. I had seen pop-culture representations of the "typical reaction to Ouzo (Barefoot in the Park, My Big Fat Greek Wedding) so I was truly ready for something harsh and nasty.

Greece was also the most fun Booth because they cheered "Opa!" when you ordered the Taste of Greece. Such enthusiasm!


NEXT

 

[Nakkira]

Our next stop was the lovely land of Canada.

Time to try the "Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup" of fame that you cannot visit the DIS and not have heard about. These and Dole Whips were the thing I felt I either had to try or consider myself an inexperienced and unworthy DIS'er.

We got a soup each (now he was the one who did not want to share), He got the filet, and I ordered and La Face Neige Apple Ice Wine. This was something that had been personally recommended to me.

The soup lived up to it's reputation. Certainly something I would order again.

The filet I could not have because it was covered in poison (I mean fungus).
According to "S" it was perfect. The beef was medium rare, and still warm and the sauce was good. I saw it when he cut it open, pink and juicy and so succulent looking that I considered getting in line and begging for one naked, but reminded myself that there was more festival and I could live without.

THAT WAS TOUGH. I am a major carnivore. I wanted BEEF!

The ice wine was refreshing, crisp and delicious, I am glad I tried it.

WOW!
The afternoon was getting HOT and after the soups we were a bit full-ish and overheated.

We decided to have one last treat. I found a lovely shady spot and "S" went to get us Dole® Pineapple Fritters.

Surprise, he also brought back a Orange Dole® Whip!

He did not know that this was on my "must try list" he just wanted something cool and frozen after the soup.

I really loved the fritters. They were really fresh, still hot, and simple. They did not make the mistake of over sweetening the dough, like so many do. The only thing that would have made this better is a slight touch of cinnamon.

The Dole whip was indeed refreshing and I look forward to trying the pineapple version eventually (did not happen this trip).

Our stomachs needed a break so we idled in the Canada area awhile.

I am REALLY Happy with how this set of pictures came out.

Yes, of course we went to O Canada!
Air Conditioning, the modern wonder.

I camp a lot and really am used to the heat, but this week was VERY hot and with all that food it is not a bad idea to bring the body temp back down now and then.
It would be a perfect time out if you could sit.
I do not recommend this attraction if you are under the influence.
Thankfully this time I has not had much, but my first time (4 years ago) it's how I found out that I needed to slow down an switch to water. I got so wobbly that I had to sit on the floor.

This time I was fine and "S" enjoyed it. Cheesy goodness.

We Headed towards UK to do a little more wandering about.
I saw Alice!
I ran to get in line for a meet and greet but they had just closed the line.
This happened to me all week.
I could not (would not) make my DBF wait around when there were so many other wonderful things to see and do

We poked around the teashop for a bit but were actually disappointed by the seeming lack of variety. I like coffee in the morning alright but we both are tea fanatics. I once worked at Teavana part time just for the discount!



FTR I did the same at Barnes and Noble for two years. Worked a few night a week for the discount and spent most of my pay on merchandise.
Self-supporting addiction. It was great. I only stopped when my day job got too demanding.

I honestly have been pretty good at not sidetracking.



The next booth we encountered was Ireland and thankfully my digestive system was up for more! I ordered the Lobster and Seafood Fisherman’s Pie and “S” ordered the Kerrygold Cheese Selection. We of course, got a Guinness as well. It’s his favorite beer.

The cheeses were good and paired well with the beer.
The Guinness tasted like Guinness. (go imagine)
The Fisherman’s Pie was very good. The seafood portion of it was delish. Cooked to perfection, rich, and buttery. The only complaint it that there was not enough.
Oh, it was a filing dish, practically worthy of lunch, but it had WAY too much potato and only a tiny bit of the seafood heaven. The potatoes were good (but needed salt)but I feel just a little cheated by the stingy portion of “good-stuff”.
I have a confession to make. I actually got rid of half of the potato topping.
In my family we do not waste food. I try to make myself finish even stuff I dislike.

The reason I did it was that “S” could not help me eat it because of his shellfish allergy and I did not want a stomach full of carbs keeping me from finishing my gluttony goals.

Please don’t tell my Mom I wasted perfectly good tubers!

PSA
Comments, Feedback and Bananas are Greatly Appreciated

​

NEXT

 

[Mousemom234]

I am REALLY Happy with how this set of pictures came out.

Lovely pictures - I think Canada has the nicest landscaping in WS.
You're making me hungry . . Someday, we'll get down to F&W

 

[Nakkira]

Lovely pictures - I think Canada has the nicest landscaping in WS.

Thank you!
I agree they did a wonderful job on Canada. Japan is lovely too

You're making me hungry . . Someday, we'll get down to F&W

My work here is done!
You should certainly try someday.
I would not go EVERY year, in fact would prefer a quieter time. But I Loved it and would happily try it again.

 

[Nakkira]

We slowly strolled hand in hand to the land of France. Taking time to appreciate the scenery and appreciating the details. I pointed out to him all the little touches from the artists easel to the bike. I really LOVE all the amazing details Disney put into their park visuals.


As we came off the bridge we saw a small crowd so we checked it out and saw Serveur Amusant, only partially into their routine. I had not scene this before so it was new for both of us.

S fixated on the show.

They were very entertaining, although I was ready to take the whistle away by the time it was over. High pitched noises quickly get on my nerves. LOL.

As they were fishing up we wisely started edging towards the F&W booth. That was a very good idea because the line quickly got 30 people deep after the show. I only had to wait behind 6 or so.

I ordered the Escargots Persillade en Brioche and Eiffel Sour Cosmo Slush and my DBF ordered Crème Brûlée au Chocolat au Lait.

Yay, my first snails!
I maintain that I will try ALMOST anything once. I have had frogs legs, pickled chicken hearts, octopus and several exotic meats over time.

I must confess that some are a little more difficult than others to work myself up to eating.
For some reason I was a bit stuck on the snail image in my head.
The one texture that I really cannot handle in food is "Slimy" and snail conjure up the word "slimy" in my head.



I told myself several times that this was no more gross than any shellfish.
Thankfully these are in a lovely little self contained bread bowl.
I popped a whole one in my mouth and chewed.

Really, it was like a bread covered and VERY garlicy crawfish. (just a little more chewy)
I LOVE garlic so this was ok. Tasty even.

I gave one to S and the other I decided to pull the meat out of the bread and try to eat it as is.
Almost a mistake. They are VERY visually off-putting (sorry no pic)
I had more trouble getting this one down. Its all in the head.
Still I did and was proud of myself.

Time for dessert.
The Crème Brûlée was a good quality custard with a perfect caramelized crust. Still it needed to make up its mind. It was not quite chocolate enough, yet it wasnt quite vanilla enough. It really needed more of one or the other. I vote chocolate.

The Slush was sadly, was mildly disappointing. It really was not sour enough to have that word in its title. It was more like a mildly alcoholic 7-11 slushy.

The good part is that it was cold.
Actually I gave myself brain freeze. OW!
My DBF laughed at me....

We next went to Morocco.
We had the Kefta Pocket and the Ksar White.

Found my lost food pic!

Anyway the pocket was very well seasoned, just the right spice levels, fairly generous in size, but a tad dry.

I have no notes on the wine, and begin to believe that I did not have much of it because of the previous slushy.

By way of an apology for missing the food pic allow me instead to share this litte gem:

Poor Quality due to Cell Phone

Yes, its another silly hat pic.

We cannot resist.

I posted it to FB and he proudly captioned it with
""It's a fez. I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."
My sister of course chimed in with:
"Bow ties are cool too"

We poked around the Moroccan Style museum for a while.
Not only is it lovely in there (another under-rated gem), but it is air conditioned and usually pretty quiet. I do need to duck out of the crowds now and then.

I need lovely walls like these in my dream home.
Well, at least in one room.
Maybe the bathroom.

NEXT

 

[Nakkira]

We were not ready for more food yet and S wanted to have a better look at Japan and all of its shops.
Fine by me.
The Taiko Drummers were out so we watched the rest of their show

I love listening to them, the rhythm really gets into my blood stream!


Before our trip I had decided that I was going to treat myself.
I love pearls. They are my favorite jewelry.
I was going to &. ,
Yup, you guessed it! Pick a Pearl at Mitsukoshi store.
I had mention this to S before our trip and told him I wanted to head there first.
We entered the store and I made a b-line for the counter, it was pretty crowded and I was not sure how long the wait was so I went to but my ticket. I was informed that there were three ahead of me so I purchased my ticket.
The 3 ahead of me were together and they told the lady to put me first so I would not have to wait.
Before I knew it I was choosing my oyster!
I got a lovely golden 7mm pearl.

I started looking around for my DBF to remind him to take a picture or two if he had not already.
I could not find him.
Anywhere.
What???

I was crushed. I thanked the lady (she said that my Arigatou gozaimasu and bow were bot Very Good) and ran off to find my lost man!
I figured I could get a setting later.
After 10 minutes of searching I found him all the way in the back of the store. (Do you know how big that store is?)
He had missed the whole thing.
Even worse he had not noticed I was gone.
I rather tearfully told him that he had missed it and he apologized. HE did look a little upset, and said he had not heard me.

I know he gets distractible sometimes and I tried not to be upset but I was a little sad.
Ok, and my feelings were hurt. Still I knew he had not meant to do it.

Since we were already back with the Sake, I led him over to take a look.

HE seemed VERY disinterested!

WHAT???!
Before our trip he had been very excited for this, and even the night before he could not wait to come here and now he didnt seem to care.
Maybe he wasnt feeling well?

I asked, he said he was fine.

Finally I went to the tasting counter and ordered a sake, he came over and mechanically ordered the same one and paid.
1st question was why would he order the same one when we supposed to be sharing so we could try more variety? He just shrugged and after paying wandered off with his cup.
Okay this was beginning to REALLY bother me. Usually we taste and compare notes.

I could not even tell you if I liked the sake. I was too worried.

He continued to meander aimlessly around to store and finally wondered outside. I followed him and then dragged his off to a corner to figure out what was wrong.

We sat down and after a bit of hard prying, I got out of him that he was feeling very GUILTY for being here without his son.
He said he thought his son would love it. (Japan pavilion and Disney in general) There was so much he wanted to share with him.
I told him that I understood but that this wasnt the trip for it. His son is not used to obeying me enough yet for one thing, and also we were here mainly for the F&W fest even the food of which would hold little appeal to him as he is VERY picky.
I told him we would certainly plan a different trip to include his son in someday. In fact his experience would better equip him to know what he wanted to show and share with his son when we do bring him.
I also reminded him that his still contentious custody agreement and the fact that school was currently in session would have made it nearly impossible to bring him this time, so why should he feel guilt for something he could not control?
I also told him that there is NOTHING wrong with taking a grown-up vacation. Just because this was Disney did not mean he should feel bad for not bringing his son.

Its understandable, but I didnt want him brooding the rest of the day/week.
He was also feeling bad (guilty) about missing my pearl ceremony.

He brooded long enough to get me feeling depressed, also I was still upset about the pearl thing too. (I never did get my setting)

I was also missing my sister a bit, who is my favorite Disney companion. Japan is her favorite area of Epcot, in fact during our last trip we spent several hours there.

Eventually, I got him somewhat out of his funk (it took A LOT of effort).
One thing that helped is I saw Miyuki was out and I lead him over to watch her create her wonderful candy art.
We saw her make a flamingo, a hedgehog, and Dumbo. Sorry no pics, we were in a bad spot having come late.

Now who can stay broody after watching her?

Neither of us!
Well no me anyway and he was starting to perk up.

She is so perky, she has an infectious smile and her talent is fascinating.

After she was finished, we wondered around more admiring the scenery as we tried to continue to cheer up.

He used to work at a fancy fish store and told me a funny story about how when one of their suppliers had gone to the home of a prize winning Koi breeder in Japan and admired a particular fish, the breeder served it to him for supper than night. This was meant as an honor of course.

The story was little odd, but trust me, telling it seemed to pull S a bit more out of the darkish space in his head. His presentation of the story was much more amusing than mine.

This is another set of pictures I am very happy with.

Lets try to get one of S

No love, stop brooding and smile at me!

A little better, fine time to crack an inappropriate joke <not repeating it here>

Good!

Obligatory couple shot.

We felt emotionally refreshed and decided to resume our gastronomic excess.
Our time-out in Japan had been well over an hour and we still had more to consume!



Admit it, you both giggled and cringed over the koi story





NEXT

 

[Nakkira]

For those of you that are actually subscribed, I just wanted to explain that I changed my title, mostly because I think I may have accidentally copied a title too closely from someone else.

 

[Nakkira]

Belgium

So, our Hotels primary breakfast offering was waffles, we would have waffles most of the week for breakfast.
What is Belgium offering?
3 different kinds of waffles.
Really?
Is that the ONLY food in Belgium?
I know that is not the case

Ah well.

I was curious what a savory waffle was like anyway so I got us a Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef and Leffe Brune to wash it down.

It does not look like much but it was really rather tasty.Tasted just like really good beef stew and a potato pancake.
J
It makes me want to play in the kitchen.
What do we think of :
A sweet potato waffle with turkey stew
Or
Corn waffle with chili?

Am I pushing it here?

The beer was slightly sweet but not a malty as its color made me think it would be.

Next up was New Zealand.

Here we ordered the Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney.

The meatballs were a little too strongly flavored with fennel but otherwise ok, the bread was very soggy. Dunno if ours sat around too long and soaked up to much sauce or what, but I suspect that may be the case because the meat was also barely warm.

Oh look, theres Belle on and afternoon stroll!

I believe her handler said she had to go get dressed for dinner.

We started hearing loud and catchy music and followed out ears to the Eat to the Beat stage.
The Pointer Sisters were on stage rocking out!
The Neutron Dance!

We did not even bother trying to get a seat, it was actually great hanging out in the back and enjoying the music without the press of the crows and we still had a decent view.

Yes, of course I was Dancing!
I could not help it.
Really who can stand still to Jump and So Excited?
This is catchy music!
After I go myself Sweaty and overheated we grabbed some water and debated heading up to the Chase Lounge for a break.
However we saw that the next showing of We, the People was in five minutes and went to the American Adventure pavilion instead.

I am really glad we did. Not only is it beautiful inside but I really enjoyed the show.
I feel as if we did far more shows than rides on this trip. In a way this was kind of a good thing, I got to see some things that I had missed in other trips.


I am also a sap, I found myself getting slightly soggy eyeballs at the end Montage, especially after Walt Disney and flashed across the screen.
We practically matched out of the theatre feeling very patriotic and pumped up ready for more!



I had heard a lot of talk both on the boards and actually at the festival about the Schöfferhofer Grapefruit beer, in fact earlier while enjoying our treats New Zealand a nice couple we shared our table with had been practically waxing poetical about it.
So to the Brewers Collection booth we go.

It was as refreshing as people had said.
But really, it tasted like beer flavored Fresca. The first few sips were nice, but by the time we done with it we both rather had a yucky aftertaste in our mouths and decided that it was not the beverage for us.


On to South Korea!
We like Spicy foods and we were ready for some Kimchi.

We both had a friend (the same friend) back in our early 20s that was married to a very lovely Korean woman who made her own kimchi. We had both had this dish several times and enjoyed it greatly. Even if it did melt your face off with spice.
Also, I frequently visit a Korean Bulgogi place that has good kimchi, albeit much less spicy than the homemade stuff I was used to.

We ordered the Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce, the Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw, and the Bohae Black Raspberry Wine to wash it down.
I wanted the Soju but talked myself out of it on the logic that I have had it before but I had not had the wine.

The Dog was tasty and nicely spicy (loved the mustard), the lettuce wrap was boring.

The problem (at least in our opinions) is that was Not real kimchi.
It was more like coleslaw with a touch of vinegar instead of mayo.
There was very little flavor to it.
We felt this was another case of them trying to make things more palatable to the masses, but I still feel like that negates the point of culinary exploration.

The dog was still an over all enjoyable treat.
The Raspberry wine very sweet, almost cloyingly so.


Side Note: If at this point you start to feel like it becomes nothing but a rush of food its because that is what happened. We realized that the sun was starting to set and the World Showcase was increasing crowd-wise again. We still had booths to conquer so we got serious about achieving them before it became total sardine city.



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[RGirl]

Joining in - admittedly, rather late…

I am loving reading about the F&WF! Our first two trips to WDW were during the F&WF. How I missed that time of year this year during our first August trip. I'm surprised that you ran into such huge crowds - we always had very low-crowd experiences in October. Looks like you both are making the most of F&W though!!!!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[BeerMe]

Been to f&w several tines and this one was the most crowded we ever attended.

Sent from my mobile device.

 

[Nakkira]

Joining in - admittedly, rather late…

I am loving reading about the F&WF! Our first two trips to WDW were during the F&WF. How I missed that time of year this year during our first August trip. I'm surprised that you ran into such huge crowds - we always had very low-crowd experiences in October. Looks like you both are making the most of F&W though!!!!

Looking forward to reading more!

Welcome! We did make the most of it, the F&W was the primary focus of our trip!
I think I would wait a few more years before going back but it was worth it.
I think my next trip will be planned for February or something.
I really need to find a low-crowd time to go back and actually enjoy some rides and such.

Been to f&w several tines and this one was the most crowded we ever attended.

Sent from my mobile device.

There you are!

I really didn't expect those crowds! Not just F&W but all of the parks!

 

[Nakkira]

Do you come from a Land Down Under?
Australia was next.
We ordered the Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies and the Rosemount Estate Pinot Grigio (I had not yet tried an Australian Pinot)

The first bite was Blech! The mint pesto was too overwhelming and the texture of that mixed with the crushed potato chips almost made me gag. S felt the same way.
As usual I broke it down and decided that I liked the crunchies and even liked them with the lamb but the combination of all 3 was unpleasant.

We scraped off the topping and enjoyed the rest of the lamb. I am picky about lamb but this was very good one the excess pesto was gone. Perfectly cooked!

The Pinot was pretty average and paired well with the meat,


Continuing our to Argentina

As we wait in line for this stop I am having trouble shaking the Evita sound track from my head.
I cant help it. My mind is a relentless associative jukebox

Here we had the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée and the Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon .

S had managed to find us space to share at a high top with another very nice couple, who we share very pleasant conversation with while we ate.

The Beef Skewer and Boniato Purée were a fantastic surprise. It did not look or sound very exciting, and the meat looked rather dry but this was full of flavor and actually quite juicy. As usual we both felt it could have benefited from more kick but was fine the way it was.

The couple we were sharing our high top with was enjoying treats from Brazil and S went over to order for us while I stayed put and guarded the table.
Here is a nice blurry shot of him returning triumphant!

He got me Seared Scallop with Ragout of Tomatoes, Peppers, Hearts of Palm and Steamed Rice (he could not have for allergy reasons) and we also had the Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro another of those dishes that I had been dying to try.
On impulse he picked up a Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça as well.

Still blurry, my lighting issues were back to haunt me.

The Scallop (singular) was good but really it just tasted like it was sitting on a bed of watery rice with weak salsa. Overall it was a bit stingy and disappointing.


The Pork Belly?
Do you have to ask?
NOM!

Whats not to love about crispy, smoky and rich pork fat served with black beans and my favorite wonder food the amazing Avocado????

I could eat this again, and again. The only thing I would change is to add more avocado.

The frozen concoction was kind of like a weak margarita and I did not have much, preferring to stick with the Cab from Argentina.
My DBF was feeling the heat again anyway and needed the cold drink.

It was full on dark and the crowd was getting even worse than the previous night.
We only had one booth left, which had purposefully saved for last.

Desserts and Champagne!
I had decided to treat myself to the Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé ans we decided on the Dessert Trio (Chocolate Orange Cupcake, Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake, Morello Cherry Pistachio Mousse)
Apparently S was till craving cold things because he got the Frozen Smores as well.

Such a decadent looking set of treats to finish off our two day long food orgy.


We had a lot of trouble finding a place to enjoy these put finally found a table.

The Smore was no longer frozen, but as it had not taken us THAT long to find a place we suspected that it had not been very frozen in the first place. It was really kind of yucky to me.


The Mousse was merely ok, this was another case of all the elements being good but the combination not quite working.

The Cheesecake was rich and good, we both are a fan of Hazelnut.

I was really surprised by how much I loved the Cupcake. I am a fan of chocolate orange so I really should not have been. This was perfect!
This was also my first Disney cupcake (albeit tiny).

The Rosé was a treat indeed. We lingered very long after consuming our deserts trying to decide what to do next.
It was close to 7:30pm I believe.

We had originally planned to go to the Rose and Crown pub at the end of the day to hang out but my DBF was suffering.

Remember how I told you that he cannot burp?
It can cause him discomfort at times and there was no way that he was about to make it worse by adding beer.
After a bit of debate we decided to go to the Festival Center to get our passport completion stamp, shop around, and then head out before the end of Illuminations. We had plans for the next evening that would have us out pretty late so there was no need to drag this night out.


It occurred to me that our trip was more than half over.


I posted on my Facebook, "My vacation is flying by too fast!"
It was nice to get away from the people and as we passed Innoventions I realized something.

The wait time at the Epcot Character Spot was posted at 5 minutes!
As I have already stated, I was having no luck with the Characters on my wish-list but now it looked like at least I would get to see the Mouse himself!

There was only one child ahead of me.

I was sweaty, rumpled, and tired.
He waved goodbye to the child he had been with, then turned and beckoned me over...

I could not help it, bursting from inside me I squealed, "Mickey I am so HAPPY to Finally see you!" and he pulled me into a warm hug!

I was almost crying and giggling at the same time.

I felt like a kid! The photog took a few shots and Mickey gave me another hug. Actually a few.
The Mouse is a really good Hugger.


My photos (especially the Photopass ones) look awful.

I dont care.
IT made my night.
I asked for Mickeys Autograph on the only thing I had available.

My completed Food and Wine Festival Passport.

Of course I also said hello to Goofy who kept playing with my long hair and, goofing around

Minnie was there as well and she admired my polka-dot finger nails before posing for a quick photo or two as well.

My DBF was still not interested in Character photos.
I guess it is not everyones cuppa.


After my moment with my Friends, S and I did find the Festival Center and look around for awhile, taste some chocolate at Ghirardelli, get our passports stamped and chatted with a few CMs at the wine bar.
The center was a ghost town because everyone was at the World Showcase for the night.

We made it out of the park while Illuminations was going and had a short wait for the monorail, having just missed it.
I befriended a couple of children on the ride and we played a lovely game of make believe on the way back to the TTC. Apparently they both had magical powers and could transform me into all sorts of interesting creatures. Their parents and S were really amused.
After our bus ride we were back at the hotel before 10.



Tomorrow would be HS and our special dinner at the Poly.


NEXT

 

[lisagyo]

I'm here!

Your pictures are making me hungry... I need to remember to wait until I get home from work to read your updates!

Your pictures with Mickey are so cute!!!! Can't wait to read more.