Sat - 5 Apr/14

Heading to record highs - maybe 90F in a day or two. We are certainly happy the A/C is working well in the Del Sol. I can't believe we didn't take the top off today - it was just too hot.

Our destination today was Winter Park, FL. Only a few miles North and East of Orlando proper, it is part of the Greater Orlando Area. This is Mt. Dora for the rich. Every second parking spot along the Park Avenue shopping district streets was filled with luxury cars of all types and styles.

Winter Park was founded as a resort community mainly by northern business magnates in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its main street includes civic buildings, retail, art galleries, a private liberal arts college, museums, a park, a train station, a golf course country club, a historic cemetery, and a beach and boat launch. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, one of the nation's oldest and largest juried outdoor art festivals, is rated among the top shows in the country. This lovely part of "Old Florida", now surrounded by decades of expansion, still retains it's original character. A neat place to eat, shop (if you have the $$) and visit.

Some of the shopping areas main streets are divided boulevards with large treed or landscaped center sections. We really lucked out in getting a parking spot on the street in the same block as our first stop: Croissant Gourmet on Morse Boulevard.

We placed our order at the counter and received a number to place on our table. We took our drinks and dessert to the table, picking up utensils on the way. They brought "Le Petit Dejeuner" (breakfast croissant), filled with egg, bacon and mushrooms to our table rather quickly. We were here at a good time (about 11 am). They are so popular the wait is often between 15 and 30 minutes at the height of the rush.

We also got lucky in being able to find a sidewalk table that just came available after we ordered.

We thought sharing one croissant would leave room for sharing a Mille Feuille (translates as 1000 leaves - if you are French Canadian) for dessert. It is most commonly known as a Napoleon. Urban myth says it's creation was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte, himself. (Wrong).

Traditionally, a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry, alternating with two layers of pastry cream, but sometimes whipped cream (boo-hiss) is substituted. The top pastry layer may be dusted with confectioner's sugar, and sometimes cocoa, pastry crumbs, or pulverized seeds (e.g. roasted almonds). Alternatively (our favourite) the top is glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) stripes, and combed. Can you say - Yummy!

Needless to say, we did not have room for dessert! We brought it back to the counter and had it boxed for take-out.

Our next destination was Mead Gardens. Don't let the "Dead End" sign confuse you as you drive. This lovely park has it's entrance on the left, right (military marching order - grin)  before the road ends. The park is open from dusk to dawn and admission is free. Our reason for coming today was the "British Car Show".

What a great setting for the show! Dozens of almost all the major marques were aligned in rows between the trees. Of course, I was drooling...and not from the heat. I have a "connection" to many of these cars. I co-owned Cornwall European Car Service for a period in my youth and either owned or worked on many of these cars "back in the day".

Austin-Healey:

Always a favourite - I drove an Austin Westminister (4 door sedan w/ the same 6 cyl. Healey motor) for a short period. It had a 4 (speed) manual shift on-the-column. Most "American Iron" had a 3 speed on-the-column. The shift pattern on the 4 speed was - 1st gear up; 2nd down; 3rd up; 4th down. The 3 speed pattern started with 1st - down; 2nd up; 3rd down.

I loved to tease American car owners by showing them the 6 cyl. engine with it's 2 side draft carburetors - impressive. I would tell them it was a Jaguar motor that I just installed (they didn't have a clue). I would take them for a ride - starting in 2nd gear - down (they thought it was first - like their 3 speed).

Hey! Look at that - 35 mph in First Gear (reallly 2nd). I would then shift to 3rd (which they thought was 2nd) and bring it up to 70 mph (speed limit on Hwy. 401 - before the lowered it). Then, I would tell them it would do 150 mph in 3rd (really 4th). Because they thought it was a "Jag" motor, (common knowledge was that E-Types would go that speed) - they bought it. (Real Big Grin). It would only go 106 mph - flat out, downhill with a tail wind! (Wayward Youth, again).

Jaguar: The E Type is probably my all time favourite automobile.

Morgan: The early cars were two-seat or four-seat "three-wheelers" (cyclecars), thus avoiding the British tax on cars by being classified as motorcycles. Morgans have always been built around an ash-frame. The new Aero 8 has an ash frame that gives unique strength and flexibility that surprisingly, (research showed) made the car safer on impact tests. All Morgans are limited production, hand assembled automobiles with the current waiting time approximately one to two years, although it has been as high as ten years in the past. Owners I have talked to love them.

MG: My first car was almost an MG-TD - my mom wouldn't let me buy it as I was only 16. I almost bought an MG midget years later - but it was in rough shape).

Triumph: For very short periods I had a TR-2,

TR-3

and TR-4a. Always wanted a TR-6. Hated the 7's and 8's.

There were a few (each) of rarer (or more expensive) classics here and there, including a matched pair of Aston Martins. I wish! Everyone wanted a DB5 after seeing Bond drive one in "Goldfinger" (1964).

There were older (and smaller) Austins:

Including a "Bug-Eye" Sprite

Two Lotus - or is that Lotii (grin): Years ago, I desperately wanted a "Europa" - just a little too pricey at the time. Today, I wouldn't mind an Elise.

Marcos: was a British Automobile Manufacturer, founded in North Wales, that appeared off and on in several iterations between 1959 - 2007. The name derives from the surnames of founders Jem Marsh and Frank Costin. Costin had earlier worked on the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers and from there he got the idea (not from Morgan) to use plywood for the chassis. In 1981 the brand was relaunched with the Marcos V6 Coupe which was sold in kit form. The owner of this auto was a little upset that I called it an almost kit car. In a way many British autos of the era did not manufacture all of their own parts. They used pieces from many auto manufacturers to complete their auto.

Hey, There's John C. (from back home) admiring the Marcos (from Ontario). To say John does Auto Body Work would be like saying MichaelAngelo was a house painter. John did a restoration on our Del Sol a few years back. Unfortunately, for me, he just sold his garage. That is why the Del Sol is going in for some body work down here - otherwise I would only let John touch it. He is a perfectionist. He has restored unique autos from all over the USA and Canada. The most impressive was a Bugatti (not a kit car like the one we saw yesterday at The Villages Convertible Club show). This Bugatti was the rarest or the rare - it was the only know convertible version of that model (9 hardtops were known to exist). Many parts had to be hand made from scratch. It's value - priceless. (One of the hardtops was auctioned for $40 million).

Mini's: 2 original and a few BMW newbies. I had an original for a short time. It was red - like most of the first models. It was sooo much fun in the winter - due to it's short length (less than 10') it was easy (and fun) to make it go in circles in empty parking lots. (Wayward Youth, again!)

Rolls-Royce: Maybe when I get my next million (Right!). I like these middle-aged versions.

Triumph - including a really nice pre-war model.

Hey, How did that Del Sol Si get in here - it's Japanese! (grin)

Our next stop was also in Winter Park. We went to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of America ($4 for seniors). We couldn't wait any longer - before entering the museum we devoured our "Milles Feuilles". Mmmm Good!

If you enjoy "Tiffany", this museum houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933).

The museum is so much more than "Tiffany Lamps". It includes the designer’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows; his chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago; and art and architectural objects from his Long Island country estate, Laurelton Hall. It also gives an insight into his life which was very interesting. The Museum’s holdings also include American art pottery, late 19th- and early 20th-century American painting, graphics and decorative art. We spent an hour or so just admiring the beauty of the stained glass creations that were on display. Well worth a visit.

On the way back Charlotte forced me to stop at "Harbor Freight Tools" in Apopka, FL She got into the store so quickly I couldn't capture her on camera. (big grin). I picked up a few items I didn't know I needed. All made better with discount coupons.

We were back at the RV in time to watch Jeopardy and Dateline on TV. Being in Florida, we were keeping an eye on the College Basketball's "Final Four" run by the Florida Gators.

Gators 53 vs Huskies 63. Too bad- so sad!

Now, we wait for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs!