This week I experienced the two extremes of a Floridian summer: terrible sun-burn and torrential rain.
A few days spent on the East Coast in Palm Beach sounds idyllic. White beaches, blazing sunshine and the kind of houses that most people can only dream about. Sadly the majority of our time was spent dodging the kinds of thunderstorms that would bring other countries to a complete standstill.
Despite the forecast, us Brits remained optimistic. A little rain wasn’t going to spoil our day (or our tans). We raced to the beach on our first morning, lathered up with sunscreen and waited for the clouds to pass.
About five hours later, I was back in my hotel room with a cherry-red face, rubbing camomile lotion everywhere in sight on my burnt skin. Lesson learnt: when it’s cloudy in Florida, the sunshine is never far away.
Regardless of the extreme weather, Palm Beach is still the ideal place to spend a few days as a weekend escape. Away from the fancy stores and mansions, it’s also the kind of weekend getaway that can be affordable and lots of fun.
CityPlace is one of my favorite areas to visit whenever I’m in the area. It’s an outdoor shopping district in the center of downtown Palm Beach. There’s dozens of restaurants and bars here to sit outside and watch the world go by.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, Buccan is a hot-spot restaurant that is popular amongst the locals. The independent restaurant specializes in tapas-style dining, with small plates of weird and wonderful flavors that somehow manage to work together. I’m still thinking about their Shortrib Empanadas.
I may be coming back from Palm Beach two shades darker, but it has been well worth the discomfort. Now, someone pass the ice...
