The call of the mouse

Back in 2021, after thirteen years, we were finally granted "permanent status" by the US Government on account of our unimpeachable character and upstanding nature. Now holders of the mythical green card, we were allowed to stay in America! Which is probably why Chevron promptly shipped us off to Brussels.

Yet to keep our new-found immigrant status, we need to show that we're still connected to the new (old) country. This isn't too hard, given Hannah still gets paid in dollars, and we have - you know - an American citizen for a baby. But we've been advised to take a trip back every so often, to maintain ties and buy lots of unhealthy food.

What's a nearby part of the US that's cheap and easy to get to? Florida. And what's in Florida? Disneyworld!

So really it was inevitable that we'd spend a couple of days of Pete's school hols paying a king's ransom to visit with Uncle Walt. I was last here in 1986, when planes still had smoking sections, and 9-yr-old me was dazzled by the spectacle and new technology. This led me to somewhat oversell things to Pete, so when we visited EPCOT (the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, don't you know) and found that a lot of the technology still dated to 1986, he wasn't best impressed.

This had no effect on my enthusiasm, as I ran about trying to find Disney princesses to be photographed with. The newest section of the park is "Galaxy's Edge", a completely immersive dip into the Star Wars universe, where you could meet stormtroopers, fly the Millennium Falcon, and be interrogated by the First Order. This last part was a little too real for Pete. It didn't stop him going on that ride for a second time.

We were joined in all this by our nephew Oliver, who until recently was working on a yacht owned by a certain sanctioned oligarch who may or may not own an English Premier club. He'd been kicked off, along with 75% of the crew, when they docked in Turkey, so decided to burn through some of his tips by coming to see us. He was heading to Miami afterwards, where the party scene might be slightly better than with his middle-aged aunt and uncle.

It was interesting being back in the USA. Prices have definitely gone up in line with all the inflation headlines and, whether post-Covid or just because it's Orlando, upselling was the order of the day. I had to decline several "upgrades" aggressively offered on our rental car, and restaurants have begun selling $50 Build-A-Bears themed to your meal. If you live in the States you have time to seek out whatever healthy, artisanal, locally-produced experience you want. Visit as a tourist, and searching for "best local coffee" just brings up the nearest ten Starbucks.

Did this detract from the experience? Not one bit! We had a fabulous time in the Orlando sun. Disney knows better than anyone how to...well, do Disney, and dividing the entrance fee by the 13 hours we walked around the park made it easier to stomach. It's tough that, for visa purposes, we're obliged to do this every six months...

Disney Springs. Yep, even the shopping malls are Disney-themed.

 An actual non-Disney thing we did! WonderWorks.

What could be more fun than running around in the dark shooting your family with lasers?

Being rotated at high speed until you're sick, that's what!

Grrr.

Out in the wilds of Blue Springs State Park.

There's a manatee in this photo! They put little buoys on their tails so boats can see them and avoid them.

Manatee statue, Pete for scale.

Just us, and the million other tourists, at Disney Hollywood Studios at 8am.

That's why I'm here.

On the Millennium Falcon! Punch it, Chewie!!

I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid.

With nephew Oliver. He's 20 now, but still a baby to his aunt and uncle!

About to launch on a Resistance cruiser.

Argh! We got captured!!

Luckily we escaped during a space battle.

Dinner, at a strange indoor drive-in restaurant. The concept was better than the execution.

Another non-Disney outing, on an airboat in a swamp!

This alligator wasn't too happy to see us.

The rain swept in...

...so the boat captain kindly gave us these stylish ponchos!

Oliver vs. alligator.

Pete didn't fare quite as well.

I decided, for reasons I can't quite remember, that we should wear complementary Hawaiian shirts to Epcot. Thank you, Goodwill! We received many favourable comments.

Some slightly scary Frozen robots.

Catching water in fountains that were definitely here in 1986.

Reflex testing in Spaceship Earth.

You're going to have to work on yachts a bit longer to afford that.

Pete's first car.

Being culturally accurate in the "Mexico" section of World Showcase.

Yes, even the pretzels.

A media franchise that Disney doesn't own! Wow!

A quick stop in Morocco.

Then London.

Darkness falls and the lights come on.

The nightly fireworks extravaganza "Harmonious". Impressive, even after 13 hours on our feet.

Finally meeting a princess! She was the silent type.

Goodbye Disneyworld! See you again once my credit card has cooled off.

Cubs on the beaches

Every three years, the Boy Scouts of America holds a "Camporee" in Normandy, visiting the beaches and cemeteries, learning about D-Day and the stories of the soldiers who fought and died there. We transferred from our Houston Cub Pack to Brussels Pack 457 as soon as we got here, and since then we've been continuing to enjoy everything Cub Scouts has to offer.

Well, almost everything. After many many nights under canvas as a youth, I decided that our trip should include a French B&B instead of a campsite. I felt very guilty about this, up until the moment my head hit that soft pillow and I woke up in the morning to a hot breakfast. The real campers enjoyed a windy sub-zero stay on a French clifftop, but we were with them in spirit (and not the only ones who opted for solid accommodation, I should add).

Due to tide times, the main campfire happened on Omaha Beach in the morning, attended by over 2,000 Scouts and their families. The "Transatlantic Council" covers 50 countries, and most were represented. There were several local French Troops invited, whose song "Des Couleurs sur mon Chemin" was significantly more stylish than the "Ging Gang Goolie" that the British contingent belted out. There was also a Ukrainian refugee troop who gave a moving account of the ongoing horrors that even WW2 didn't stop us continuing.

Our day was filled visiting Arromanches, where the artificial harbour saw 20,000 tons of equipment a day come ashore in July 1944, and the British cemetery in Bayeux. We even managed a quick trip to the tapestry, something I've wanted to do ever since I saw it on Newsround in the '80s.

We stayed on a couple of nights after the Camporee finished and explored the beaches and towns a little further. Brittany and Normandy were regular family holiday destinations for both Hannah and me, so it was lovely to revisit it all, this time with copious added local cider. It's not Somerset, but it's pretty good.

We took the train back, including 50 minutes in Paris, so check that European capital off the list! The next camp is here in Brussels in May. I might not be able to get out of that one as easily.

Omaha Beach.

Camping at the top of the cliff. Have a good night, everyone!

The campfire the next morning. Busy!

One of the remaining "Mulberry Harbour" sections. My Dad was in school on June 6th 1944 and remembers the sky black with planes and gliders.

Off to Bayeux. Nice cathedral.

Learning the history of 1066 and all that. The tapestry is genuinely amazing. Every time there's a boat scene, anyone wading ashore is embroidered without trousers.

The closing ceremony on Sunday morning at the American cemetery.

Every Cub was given a flower to leave on a grave, a really nice idea.

A little rock pooling on the channel coast before heading home.