2011 Reunion
Florida Chapter Reunion October 27-30, 2011
A small group of former World Bank staffers met at the Plantation Golf Resort and Spa in Crystal River, a small town on Florida’s Nature Coast. Not a Starbucks to be seen, just a few restaurants, stores, pristine waters and the manatees, huge warmth-loving mammals. Patricia Kittelman welcomed us all as we sat down to the first night’s dinner held in the elegant dining room of the Inn overlooking one of the many waterways leading out to the Gulf of Mexico. Thursday was Roast Beef night and many of us indulged in slabs (no other way to describe them) of rare roast beef at least 1-2 inches thick.
Our schedule included a boat ride, a visit to the Crystal River Archaeological State Park, a vast lunch of seafood and southern fare on the water at “Crackers”, where the birds swooped down and took shrimp from our plates. We ate dinner at Neon Leon’s where we listened to Leon Wilkeson and his live Zydeco music. Leon was the bass guitarist of the legendary Rock ‘n roll Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Our visit to a Greek Festival allowed us a good dose of caffeine in the form of Greek coffee accompanied by some delicious pastries. Patricia read our coffee grounds!
The weather throughout wasn’t great, and our octogenarian couple was unable to use their kayak. However, our group had become close-knit by now, and we completed our reunion by having a gracious dinner at “Vintage on 5th”, and after a belly full of laughs and good food pledged to keep the Florida Chapter alive and well.
June Dosik
October 2011