Sophie and South Beach by Jane Tolbert

My daughter just arrived from France last week after a 24-hour delay in Nice due to a snow storm in Frankfurt.

She came with Sophie the cat and a friend who had visited about 12 years ago. At the time, both were teens with dyed, carrot-colored hair. The cat was a small kitten. The first visit was one of falls on skateboards, fake fingernails that came off when bowling, the discovery of Peter Pan peanut butter, trips to the Florida springs and those “all-you-can-eat” buffets, and hours spent in department store dressing rooms trying on prom gowns. We planned to speak only English, and we vowed to make photo albums. But the reality was different. Conversation often regressed into French, and the photos have remained in a desk drawer at my daughter’s father’s house.

The past few days have involved familiar and new activities. The familiar included the walk to Lake Alice to visit alligators and wading birds, to Publix, where Oreos, cheesecakes and cinnamon buns continue to hold fascination. The new outings include Harry’s Bar, which serves blackened food of a New Orleans style cuisine, the Mall at Millenia, from which we emerged empty handed, the local clubs where everyone looks so young and dances just by swaying because their feet have been immobilized by the sticky drinks spilled on the floor.

Dinners take place amidst rapid-fire conversation with everyone talking at once. “How do you translate. . . . armadillo . . . cranberry in French?” “What are the ingredients in mamajuana? Pumpkin bread?” “Who ate half a Klondike?” Our visitor takes photos of just about anything--supermarket produce and California wines, sidewalk cafés or evening gowns in those department store dressing rooms. Photos against a backdrop of brick walls give a ghetto look. American police cars with flashing blue lights, taxis and muscle cars from the 70s. . . .all of which will make up albums to share on FaceBook.

We didn’t make it to Disney on the trip 12 years ago. But this time, my son, daughter and guest spent a day at Universal’s Islands of Adventure where they visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Cat in the Hat and other attractions. The cold weather seemed to keep a lot of tourists away. And I had to work. But I did get to see the photos.

This visit has had a different purpose—destination South Beach for several months to work. The French guest hopes to learn more English in Spanish-speaking Miami. My daughter has never worked in the States, so this is a new experience for her.


Sophie did order room service at the hotel. Photo courtesy of SR.

With the departure of the travelers this morning, the French cat Sophie seems particularly unhappy. After all, she had spent an additional 24 hours in transit to get here, a night in a hotel room and crammed into a cat carrier, and now she has been left behind with her American cousins. Most likely Sophie will not see South Beach. But we will all see the photos.