Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

Over the last decade or so I’ve heard many guests from the UK say that they missed their own home food when traveling to foreign parts and particularly when they visit Florida. Many guests moan about the bacon over here as well as the fact they can’t get a decent pie or fish and chips.

My standard answer has always been “That’s why you travel… to try different things!’ Some folks appreciated that but most didn’t so I ended up recommending a few places where they might get some grub to suit their tastes. Usually that might involve the overpriced and over-hyped stuff at many of the British pubs on US 192 or International Drive.

Despite recommending many of the excellent restaurants we have in Orlando, some guests still want what they know so imagine my delight when I learned about a new British style pie shop that sold a variety of pies, pasties and sausage rolls. To be perfectly honest, I first learned of this little treasure a couple of years ago but up until last week, I’d never had time to pop in and take a nose around. It was time!

The first thing to say about The Proper Pie Company is that it is a little difficult to find. In essence it’s right on US 27 just past the I4 junction not far from the Polk County Visitor Center but it is laid back a little at 145 Ridge Center Drive, Davenport, FL 33837 …for those who want the address to put into sat-nav.

Once you arrive, you’ll notice the very British feel about the front of the store. A Union Jack British flag flies outside. As you enter the store, a delightful aroma of baking pies greets you. If you haven’t had that experience in a few years, old memories suddenly come flooding back of grandmother’s baking all day for the working man in their life to arrive home! As you look around, all of a sudden lots of old and familiar names come to the fore; names like Cadbury’s, Colman’s, Bisto, Sarson’s, Bovril, Kipling, Walker’s,  etc.

Of course, a lot of these Brit goods are brought in from the old country but the real test was always going to be the quality of the pies, pasties and sausage rolls. So, after spending a good 30 minutes hunting around and having a chat with store owner Derek Gibson, who moved to Florida four years ago, our purchase of Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and a mixture of fresh pies (steak and Guinness / chicken & asparagus / steak & kidney), was complete. We were extremely eager to test the quality of the products and it wasn’t long before the oven was heated, the pies, pasties and rolls were in and we were able to sit down and enjoy our taste test.

Have to say, it was with some trepidation that I took the first bite of a sausage roll! So many times before I’ve been disappointed in the quality but not this time. The authentic taste was there and the roll was very very good. Next up was the pastie and that was very authentic and enjoyable as well. So, finally we came to the real test, the individually hand-made double crusted pie, and all I can say is that I’m a raving fan. All of the pies we tested were mouth wateringly delicious. It’s important to note that in addition to the freshly made pies, the Proper Pie Company also has a wide range of frozen pies to take home for those who aren’t quite hungry just yet!

So finally, we have a place that knows how to make an authentic British pie! Brilliant!

Derek started the Proper Pie Company by attending Farmers markets selling frozen entrees and his family size British style pies.  Today, the Proper Pie Company is now selling all over Florida and all the staff are working hard to keep up with demand.  They still attend the St Augustine Old City farmers market, Fernandina Beach farmers market and the Saturday Morning Market in St Petersburg.

The store is open Monday to Friday 9am – 6.00 pm and also on Saturday from 10am – 5pm. Enjoy your visit!

Web site link: TheProperPieCompany.com

The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival is coming to the end of it’s run and this coming weekend is your last chance to visit.

The 2013 Flower Power concert also comes to an end as Starship, starring Mickey Thomas, round up the series from the 17 to 19th May.

The 2013 season has seen some new additions and recently we visited to take a look around and take in the new and old:

One of the delightful additions has been the Garden Marketplace culinary creations. Here you can experience  smokehouse barbecue, shrimp with grits and Zellwood corn as well as sweet “frushi” made with fresh fruits and coconut rice.  Over the season chefs perfected menus for the marketplaces that included Florida Fresh at World Showcase Promenade, Smokehouse Barbecue and Brew at American Adventure courtyard, Primavera Kitchen at Italy showcase, Hanami at Japan showcase.

The Garden Marketplace refreshing libations had a kick with  Hot Sun Tomato Wine from Florida Orange Groves Winery and Dole Whip with Spiced Rum, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade and Wild Berry Slush.  Beverage specialists also featured brews and beverages at food marketplaces and at Fruits by the Glass and Pineapple Promenade all around the World Showcase promenade

The Land of Oz Garden circus-like play area was a fabulous fun area based on the Disney fantastical film adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful” which was released on March 8, 2013. The interactive children’s play zone featured play systems adorned with giant flowers and designed that stretched kids’ imaginations and muscles. There were some midway-style games, circus-themed game tents and the “Oz Movie Garden” of intriguing plants that captured the spirit of the  film.

Of course, among the much loved attractions are the topiaries and this year has been no different as larger-than-life Fab Five Disney character topiaries featured floral versions of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck (with Daisy Duck in a cameo) who starred in a celebratory cookout scene in living topiary color. The 14-foot-tall Goofy topiary had an anniversary cake while Donald and Daisy played badminton and Mickey fired up the grill. Pluto, meanwhile, swiped a link of hot dogs and Minnie chilled out on a colorful blanket of blossoms at the Epcot Front Entrance.

The Illuminated Gardens in the park’s Future World and World Showcase twinkled and glowed over the festival’s world-famous Disney gardens and topiaries each festival evening at Future World and World Showcase and all in all, the whole event was the best ever extravaganza of vibrant color and guests learning more about the world we live in.

One of the real highlights during our trip was in seeing the butterfly house and watching young butterflies hatch (as above photos). Butterflies actually transform in a Chrysalis rather than a cocoon and it takes seven to ten days before the monarch pushes open the chrysalis. The difference in time really depends on the temperature and metamorphis occurs more quickly in warmer climates. Overall, another fabulous visit to Epcot and the festival is really one that you shouldn’t miss.

Lots more photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com

We always like to report on new places and new experiences and restaurants are among our favorite topics! Today, we take a look at a relatively new restaurant in Downtown Kissimmee… Savion’s Place.

Savion’s Place occupies the space recently vacated by the popular Chef John’s restaurant on E. Dakin Avenue.  Chef John’s has moved to Pleasant Hill Road in case you’re wondering but replacing it is Chef Pouchon’s Savion’s Place. The first thing to note is that the restaurant isn’t a huge big place. It’s small and because of that, the chef is able to provide a superb menu with real care and attention to detail. There are daily specials and all of them are delicious and very tasty.

Reviewing great food and dining experiences always brings something different and this little restaurant is no different. If you’re in Kissimmee on vacation sometimes you just want to get away from the pool at your Florida Leisure vacation home and enjoy a meal elsewhere. We know it’s tempting to stay in for meals all the time because you can spend a small fortune buying breakfast, lunch, dinner and daily snacks when you eat out, but sometimes it’s just worth it! Most of our guests end up visiting the chain restaurants on US 192 or even taking the 20 minute journey to some of the truly excellent  restaurants on restaurant row on Sand Lake Road but now it’s possible to find better quality food just 10 to 15 minutes away in Kissimmee!

The menu is very reasonably priced and because of that it attracts a lot of its custom from residents rather than tourists. With that, you get a better overall experience as the service level is much much better than you’ll find in the tourist trap. Sorry, that may be harsh, but it’s true and we see it as our job to tell you the truth so you can have the best vacation experience while you’re with us!

We’re always very cautious when reviewing a new restaurant, particularly one that is privately owned, but we have checked out Savion’s Place three times over the last two months and we’re pleased to be able to recommend it for it’s great food. As you can see from the menu photographs above, there is a great variety of choice. Some established favorites appear with Chef Pouchon’s twist on them. Notably, we highly recommend the pork rib eye. A simply superb dish that sees the pork marinated in the chef’s special sauce for a full 48 hours before it is served to guests. If you’ve never had pork that melts in the mouth before, here’s your chance.

But, we get ahead of ourselves! To start your meal you have a variety of choice but we recommend the lobster bisque and the mussels from the specials board when they are on. For entrees, we’ve already covered the pork but the special seafood pasta is simply exquisite. Nice and light but also very filling with a really nice touch of a small crab cake added on top. If you’re looking for something really light, then the steak salad is excellent and the stuffed chicken breast is also delicious. We also have good reports of the meatloaf and the steak choices while the jambalaya seemed popular among guests the second time we visited.

If you’ve only got time for lunch, then check out the pulled pork sandwich or the crab cake sandwich. The Philly cheesesteak and 1/2 pound burgers will keep you going through the afternoon and if you still have room, make a bee line for the molten chocolate cake or the key lime pie for dessert.

One thing we do need to caution you about is the fact the restaurant is small and it can fill up quickly. Reservations are recommended as the restaurant only seats around 30 people indoors and if the weather is co-operating, around another dozen outside.The phone number is 407 572 8719.

Enjoy!

Five hundred years ago this week, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on a pristine beach somewhere on the east coast of the Florida Peninsula.

The folks in St. Augustine like to believe it happened there but there’s also a strong claim from those who believe that Melbourne was the actual place the Spaniard landed. No one knows exactly where the adventurer and his crew landed, but their last reported navigational fix was taken at noon on April 2, 1513, offshore at 30 degrees, eight minutes north.

Florida was a simple place back in 1513 and the only residents were Native Americans. Legend has it that de Leon was on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth but history tends to suggest he was hunting for undiscovered islands to claim. The explorer made his claim of the shoreline for Spain and, since it was Easter (Pascua Florida in Spanish), he named it La Florida.

Half a century later, another Spanish explorer came and this time he stayed. In 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded the settlement of St Augustine, now the “oldest permanently occupied European settlement in North America”.

In 1845, Florida was admitted to the union as the 27th US state and since then it’s made steady progress in being called the “Sunshine State of America.”

We recently covered some of the events happening at SeaWorld over Christmas and today we’re delighted to share the thoughts of Elizabeth and Gordon Hyslop, who recently won a competition we ran for Florida Leisure home owners. The Hyslop’s, from Fife – Scotland, have owned a home in Florida for some 15 years now and it has been a long time since they last went to SeaWorld. Here’s what they had to say about SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration:

“We probably have not been into Seaworld for about 20 years and certainly do not remember ever having been at Christmas. We had a most enjoyable day at Seaword on Saturday. All 11 hours of our visit proved to be filled with fantastic scenes ,events, shows and more. The Christmas atmosphere generated throughout the park and the decorations were the best we have experienced in Florida. Overall the decorations at Seaworld in our opinion were so much better and modern compared to Disney which are getting to be a little tired – however still great to see , especially compared to what is on offer in most towns/cities across the UK.

Back to Seaworld.   We loved all the shows we managed to see– O Wondrous Night, the dolphin show (went back for a second time so we could really take it all in) the Shamu show (again went during the day and returned for the Christmas version in the evening) We saw the last Ice Spectacular so we could watch the fireworks at 10.55p.m. and of course the Sea of Trees . All brilliant and all well worth the visit. Seaworld has changed quite a bit over the years and all for the better. We really enjoyed walking through the magnificently decorated Sea Gardens. A superb display. We were driving down I4 at 11.30p.m and it was packed. That was a new experience for us too !!”

If you’ve not been to SeaWorld yet, now is the time to go!

The latest trend in boutique bowling is rolling into Downtown Disney with a December 19th, 2012 opening date for Splitsville Luxury Lanes. The upscale, retro-style bowling venue will be the largest in the bowling brand’s fleet and joins other fun, family-friendly entertainment options at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort.

Splitsville at Downtown Disney is the bowling brand’s only two-level location with 30 lanes and more than 50,000 square feet of entertainment space – twice the size of any other Splitsville – featuring billiards, live entertainment, a balcony bar with sweeping views and upscale dining options that cater to the entire family. This is not your father’s bowling alley but it’s still a lot of fun!

“Splitsville is a perfect fit for Downtown Disney,” said Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney. “From a new twist on a beloved sport to an impressive menu you’ve never expect to find in a bowling facility, Splitsville offers a great experience that complements our other unique offerings at Downtown Disney. I’m sure it will quickly become a guest favorite.”

The Splitsville concept is anchored by bowling – the largest participation sport in America – but with a modern take that brings together entertainment and upscale food in a non-traditional bowling setting. For instance, the décor is a blend of hip and nostalgic elements with the bowling lanes separated into clusters that create unexpected sight lines for guests. There are also lane concierges available nightly to help maximize the bowling experience for guests.

“Splitsville is about socialization and creating memories. In a world of smart phones, texts and social media, people need an outlet to connect in person again,” said Mark Gibson, co-founder of Splitsville. “Bowling is an activity that appeals to almost everyone and the natural gaps of time between frames allows families, friends or work mates to engage in conversation, grab some sushi or encourage guests on the next lane.”

The Splitsville menu is distinctly different than your typical bowling alley fare. Guided by award-winning chef Tim Cushman, the menu features a variety of higher-end offerings such as grilled Mahi Mahi with “Voodoo” shrimp, filet sliders and grilled chicken parmesan, plus a kids menu, in addition to traditional bowling alley food items. There are even two sushi bars where guests can get fresh-rolled sushi.

“We’ve created a collection of menu items that are perfect for sharing,” said Guy Revelle, co-founder of Splitsville. “Whether it is sushi, sliders or pizza, customers can order combinations of food and then taste a little bit of everything.  It creates a very interactive and social experience where the Splitsville concept helps ‘break the ice’ and allow guests of all ages to relax and enjoy their time at our luxury lanes!”

The addition of Splitsville builds on the expanding list of entertainment and retail options for guests at Downtown Disney. Florida’s first AMC Fork & Screen movie theatre, Characters in Flight operated by Aerophile, Sunglass Icon, and Something Silver are just a few of the other recent additions to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort.

Splitsville at Downtown Disney is the Orlando-based chain’s fifth location joining venues in Tampa, FL, Miami, FL, Fairview, TX and Fredericksburg, VA. The expansion to Downtown Disney comes amid a growth era for the sport of bowling, which is the most popular participation sport in America with nearly 70 million people participating in the sport each year, according to the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America. More than 60 percent of bowlers in the United States are under age 34 and nearly half are women.

More photos at FloridaLeisurePhotography.com

I had to smile yesterday when I was reading some Facebook posts about the experiences some guests were having at Walt Disney World Resort. I’m not one to knock one of the most successful company’s on the planet but when I see guests complaining of over an hours wait to get to a park from a Disney hotel then I know Walt wouldn’t be very happy with that! Walt Disney was a true visionary and a man who put the guest experience above everything else and I’m sure he’d have plenty to say about seeing lines of people standing around doing nothing at one of his hotels.

So why did I allow myself a small smile at hearing this? Well, the answer is fairly simple. Some guests have worked out that if they stay in a vacation home their experience will be better than anything a hotel can deliver. OK, sure most guests need a rental car when staying at one of our vacation rentals but if you consider waiting over an hour to move from a hotel to a theme park using Disney transport against driving for 15 minutes (or less!) from a vacation home to the same theme park, then we all know which experience is more preferable.

If you then consider most hotel rooms are small and cramped with just one bathroom and noisy corridors from other guests then all of a sudden a vacation home is looking like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Add in expensive hotel meals or theme park restaurants and all of a sudden, your vacation experience is now turning expensive.

A vacation home can solve all these problems and more! For a start you can save a whole heap of money by shopping as you would at home for groceries, You can buy exactly what your family enjoys at home and cook and eat poolside at the vacation home. And there’s another key factor… want something to eat or drink poolside at a hotel and chances are you have a long walk in front of you to pay the highest retail prices possible. Not so at a vacation home… simply walk a few paces to your own fully equipped kitchen, put your hand in the fridge and pull out that thirst quenching drink you so desired.

Vacation homes also save $$$’s on the cost per guest accommodation. Normally a hotel bedroom will sleep up to four people. If there are four adults in your party, generally that means you need two hotel rooms. A vacation rental can sleep anywhere from one person up to sixteen people all with seperate bedrooms! That means the cost savings are enormous compared to a hotel.

And just to give you more of an idea, here’s one of our six bedroom vacation homes that we just recently updated the photos and video on… it truly shows the vacation home experience at its finest. From the games room to the swimming pool, there’s simply no better way to stay… why not give it a go this Christmas or New Year?

At the world’s largest theme park convention, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions’ Expo 2012,  SeaWorld Orlando this morning revealed the vehicle that will take guests on a first-of-its-kind ride to the frozen south in the park’s 2013 attraction and all-new realm, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.

There was much fanfare as the curtain dropped to reveal a circular simulator car that will carry up to eight passengers in a stadium style setting. SeaWorld said the ride will allow guests to “program” their ride vehicle prior to boarding with different intensity levels — “mild” to “wild” — putting riders in control of their own car’s motion.

“There’s nothing else like this in the world,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment creative director. “Next year, this is the vehicle that will take families on an epic adventure and allow them to experience and interact with the thrills, wonders and dangers of Antarctica, all through the eyes of a very special penguin. The vehicle combines a mobile simulator platform and a trackless navigation system and will slide like a penguin on ice on a trackless ride with different paths. Each time you ride this you actually will have no idea which path you’re going to get. It really allows us the flexibility and the unpredictability to create a ride that’s highly variable, which is really what we wanted.”

Terry Prather, SeaWorld Orlando’s president (pictured above) added: “That will up the repeatability factor of the ride and that’s one of the thrills of it. It will make you feel as if you’re dancing with the other vehicles. They’ll be interacting.”

Designers revealed a bit more about the vehicles’ unique role in the attraction.

The cars themselves are technological marvels. Each car is a mobile simulator, with movements that allow the riders to become one with the storyline as they follow and mimic a young penguin’s adventures. The combination of experiences – mobile, moving simulators and a completely trackless ride – are theme park firsts. Guests will choose one of two levels of adventure. Designers say each level has multiple variations for a feeling of unpredictability, just like the continent of Antarctica.

“When our little hero penguin learns to waddle and slide, we’ll feel what it’s like as the car moves and reacts to the storyline. When he takes his first swim or barely escapes danger, our guests will feel as if they’re right there with him” Morrow said.

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is the biggest expansion in company history and it is clear that Park executives consider the attraction an all-new “realm,” rather than a single attraction as they combine a state-of-the-art family adventure ride and closer-than-ever encounters with hundreds of penguins – kings, gentoos, Adelies and rockhoppers – to create Orlando’s must-see 2013 new attraction. Immersing guests in a colony of penguins means Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin will be the coldest theme park attraction in the world.

“We’ve taken our guests and fans on astounding journeys but no one has ever experienced what we’re bringing to Orlando in 2013. The first-of-its-kind ride, the cold, the wind, the thrills and danger of Antarctica and walking among penguins in a massive habitat is something only SeaWorld could do” remarked Prather.

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is scheduled to open next spring and we’ll bring you regular updates along the way. Here’s some video:

Orlando City SC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today a home and away preseason friendly starting in March of 2013. The first match will be in Orlando at the Florida Citrus Bowl on Saturday, March 9, with the second following on Saturday, March 30 in St. Petersburg at Al Lang Stadium.

The series comes after continuous fan suggestion of creating a strong rivalry between the two franchises. The Lions and Rowdies, both recent champions in the USL PRO and NASL, are top-flight clubs that show the rapid growth of the beautiful game in the sunshine state.

The Central Florida Sports Commission has also announced that both clubs will be taking part in Soccer Spring Training and the Disney Pro Soccer Classic tournament. The Disney Pro Soccer Classic will be held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Feb. 9, 2013 with the tournament culminating in the championship game on Feb. 23. The tournament will feature six Major League Soccer (MLS) teams participating in Spring Training, as well as NASL Champion Tampa Bay Rowdies and USL PRO Regular-Season Champion Orlando City Soccer Club. Confirmed Soccer Spring Training teams also include the Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact, DC United, Sporting KC and Toronto FC.

Orlando City won their second-straight regular season title in 2012 after totaling a franchise-best 17-1-6 (W-L-T) record and 57 points. The Lions have also done major work off the pitch, moving further along in talks of becoming an Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise with a recent announcement of an economic impact study, detailing the effects of bringing a MLS franchise to Central Florida.

“We are excited for our fans that have been able to arrange what we hope will be an annual preseason competition with the Rowdies,” said Orlando City President Phil Rawlins. “It should be a terrific local derby.”

The Rowdies were crowned the 2012 North American Soccer League Champions after winning the NASL Soccer Bowl over Minnesota Stars FC on October 27 at Al Lang Stadium. It was the second time the Rowdies were crowned NASL champions, with the first coming over the Portland Timbers back in 1975. In 2012, the Rowdies won their second consecutive FIFA Fair Play Award and featured the NASL Coach of the Year and three of the NASL Best Eleven players.

“The Rowdies are excited to face off against MLS clubs in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic,” said Rowdies President & General Manager Andrew Nestor. “We’re starting the 2013 preseason one month earlier than 2012 to participate in this event and play top competition in order to maintain a championship caliber team. We’re proud to represent NASL in this tournament, and the event against Orlando City will be another great experience for our fans.”

Tickets for the first match in Orlando can be purchased now by calling (855) ORL-CITY, while tickets for the second match in Tampa Bay will go on sale at a later date and will be able to be purchased through www.rowdiessoccer.com. Tickets for the Orlando match will not be included as a part of the OCSC season ticket package, but discounts will be available for season ticket holders.

For some 400 years, bonfires have burned on November 5th and fireworks have filled the sky to mark the failed attempt by a certain Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.

The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England’s Parliament on 5 November 1605, as the prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which James’s nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was to be installed as the Catholic head of state.

Catesby embarked on the scheme after hopes of securing greater religious tolerance under King James had faded, leaving many English Catholics disappointed. His fellow plotters were John Wright, Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, Robert Wintour, Christopher Wright, John Grant, Sir Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everard Digby and Francis Tresham.

Fawkes, comes into play as the man who had 10 years of military experience fighting in the Spanish Netherlands in the suppression of the Dutch Revolt, and he was placed in charge of the explosives.

The plot was revealed to the authorities in an anonymous letter sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, on 26 October 1605. During a search of the House of Lords at about midnight on 4 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder, enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble, and arrested. Most of his co-conspirators fled from London as they learnt of the plot’s discovery, trying to enlist support along the way. Several made a stand against the pursuing Sheriff of Worcester and his men at Holbeche House and in the ensuing battle Catesby was one of those shot and killed. At their trial on 27 January 1606, eight of the survivors, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.  The sentences were carried out on 30th and 31st January 1606 with Fawkes meeting his fate on the latter date.

The thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot was commemorated for many years afterwards by special sermons and other public events such as the ringing of church bells, which have evolved into the Bonfire Night of today.

So, it’s against that background and a large British community residing in the Central Florida area, that the British-American Chamber of Commerce is hosting its “Guy Fawkes Night” at the Champions World Resort at 8660 W. Irlo Bronson Highway (US 192) on 5th November 2012 from 6pm to 10pm.  The cover charge for an event that promises to be full of food, drink and fun is just $5 for adults and children aged 3 and over.