On the Road (Again): Poor Alexander! And how the other halves live

Bridget #s

Miles driven: 80

Steps taken: 8900

Calorie units:

Today did NOT start well.

The bakery that was supposed to provide breakfast a block from the hotel was closed, so we picked a spot from Yelp! (I do NOT recommend this) on the fly on the street.

First, we both ordered Eggs Benedict. I actually pondered what the Benedictines would think of how the restaurant handled this — mine was cold and they were “sparing” with the hollandaise. Not good.

Then I double tipped the waiter. Not out of graciousness or kindness but because I missed that there was 18% already added to the bill. 🤬

I wanted a second cup of decaf, but was told I had to pay for it. 😕

As we walked back to the hotel, there was a “Joe and Juice” so I said “I want another decaf” and went in there. When we get to the front of the line, I’m told “we don’t have ANY decaf. How about hot chocolate?” She got our order wrong…and RR’s cold brew was not good. 🤬

Breakfast made me sick. 😡🤮

Enough?!?!

[Because some of you found it amusing yesterday, I have to report our original tops matched again this morning. 🤦🏻 RR changed so we didn’t go out both in…lavender? 😂]

After that bad, late start, we made for Little Havana. Calle Ocho was full of noise and people. Do I have a picture with a rooster with a cigar? It seems to be a thing there. I don’t know why.

There was more than one stop for Cuban street food. Since those calories don’t count (the walking and eating theory of caloric intake; Bridget would approve 😂), there are no pictures for evidence.

Our second stop for the day was the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Vizcaya was built as a winter home by the guy who owned International Harvester (out of Chicago) in the early 20th c. He had too much money. The place is amazing. I’m not sure there’s a picture that does it justice. Here’s the courtyard.

Or this one of the “breakfast room” upstairs, with its Chinoiserie.

Or, in case you want to go out, a little waterfall in the garden.

Let me just note this: when Deering (the IH guy) built the place, Miami was a village — approx. 10,000. I guess he liked the weather. And the place sits, of course, right on the water (okay, another pic)…

Let me also tell you this: what they say about Florida in the summer is true. It was “only” 86 today, but the real feel was 95 — you know, humidity of 70% does that. And that’s AFTER an overnight shower “cooled” things. Rather made them more sultry.

If I fumbled breakfast, dinner was just silly. Turns out I made reservations on Open Table for the restaurant in OUR OWN HOTEL!!! 🤦🏻.

It could have been A LOT worse. Actually, because there was dinner.

For appetizers, there was this:

This is chiCharon, crunchy shrimp in a sweet and spicy sauce (the jalapeños on top might be a clue). It was mild till…in the back of your mouth, heat!

For our main courses, I had…okay, I don’t know. The server said the special was something and “it’s like sea bass” and I ordered it. It, too, had a spicy sauce. In case I haven’t mentioned it, it was a Latin American food place. So, spicy was to be expected.