October 2012 Trip - Day 2

Today our daughter is working all day so we sleep in (as we usually do anyway) and spend a lazy day at Pop Century. As it turns out, I wake up with a sore throat and the beginning of a bad cold, so the lazy day works well for me.

In the late afternoon we head over to EPCOT where we will meet our son-in-law for our first go at the International Food and Wine Festival. (Photos can be seen here.)

Since this is all about the Food and Wine Festival, we don't spend much time at all in Future World except for a few stops for my wife to look in a souvenir store and the pin stand. On the way over to World Showcase she also stops at the cranberry bog to get some craisons.

Once in World Showcase, the first booth we encounter is Australia. Both my wife and I get the "Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies" and a Lamington.

Once done we start our counter clockwise march around stopping at booths (such as Norway where my wife gets the herring selection) and China.

Unfortunately, the cold is increasing its grip on me and I do not have as much of an appetite as I usually do when I am at the Food and Wine Festival, so I pass on many items that I would usually enjoy. My wife, however has no such impediment so she gets to enjoy many of the offerings as we continue along. (I do get to taste and enjoy the fondue at the Cheese booth.)

While we are at the Hops and Barley Market at the American Adventure we have a great spot to listen to the Smashmouth concert happening as part of the Eat to the Beat series.

This evening, as we find out, Illuminations is at 10:00 PM not the usual 9:00 it is during most of the week, so we decide to go in to The American Adventure and see the show. Unusually, we have to enter through the exit - the normal lobby is currently closed.

When we come out, it is time to find a spot to set up for Illuminations. As was the case yesterday in the Magic Kingdom, I am a bit later than usual so do not get an optimum spot, but unlike last night I go get a reasonable spot and have time to properly set my camera up on the tripod and the correct settings. I am behind a Japanese family consisting of three generations, and only one person also has a camera set up on a tripod and I should be able to get some good views.

While we are waiting, the grandfather comes over to me and starts examining my set-up. It is obvious that he (as is the case with the whole family) do not speak any English (and I speak no Japanese), but soon we are discussing photography with each other - just not using words. We "discuss" where I am focussing my camera, what settings I am using, etc. These are the moments that I truly enjoy.

Once Illuminations begins, I find that I do get some good shots, although many of them do have the Japanese fellow's head in them.

(Don't forget that more photos from today can be seen here.)