8:26am Tuesday 21st April 2009
By Alan Molineaux
Having recently flown back from Florida, I can confirm that there are two types of people in the world. Those who dress with their destination in mind and those whose attire is appropriate for their departure environment.
On the way out, we were flying from Manchester and Mrs M sported a scarf, long trousers, and a cardigan. I, on the other hand, entered Terminal 2 in shorts, t-shirt, and a holiday hat.
As I watched the other travellers waiting to board their holiday planes, I noticed that we represented the two types of passengers perfectly.
My wife thought I looked ridiculous in my Panama hat and sunglasses, but I was convinced that it gave me a certain ‘blues guitarist’ look.
When we finally arrived in Florida, after several hours of being sandwiched in the aeroplane seats, we entered the Florida sun and it was obvious who had made the right choice. As my wife squinted her way through, removing layers of clothing, I basked in the USA sunshine.
Within hours of landing in the airport, however, we were both acting as if this were a natural environment, with the help of a little sun tan lotion.
We were staying in an area called The Villages just north of Orlando. This is a well-known retirement area and so most of the 75,000 people are over 60. This seemed fine to my wife as it meant that everywhere we went we were known as the ‘young couple’; not something we hear that often these days.
The main method of transport was gold carts, with special lanes set aside to get around the area. The main activities tended to be mildly sports-related. We were introduced to a game called Pickle Ball; this has a similar feel to tennis but, given the general age of the participants, was played on a smaller court. In truth, this should have made it easier but, like badminton, which looks like a slow game, it is a great way to exercise. They did have a rule about not chasing too hard after the ball though.
After being beaten by some pensioners, I took a well-earned rest beside the water cooler; a regular feature in the Villages. Mrs M, on the other hand, tasted victory even at the expense of being hit in the neck with a paddle. She made the most of exclaiming that she hasn’t had a sports injury in such a long time.
Later in the week, we watched these bronzed elderly people play soft ball, and even synchronised swimming to the song Amore by Dean Martin.
When our time was over, we boarded our flight home, only this time Mrs M wore the shorts and I wrapped up warm. Again, we perfectly represented our fellow travellers as they fell in to two groups.
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