Everyone’s thoughts turn to the Magic of Disney, or Universal Studios or SeaWorld, or many of the other theme parks and attractions  when they think of Florida, but this is a large State with many other special places, some well-known and some of them off the well-beaten track.

So this weekend, we went to MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa for the DaVinci Exhibition.  Easy to get to, and loads of parking was the first impression.  MOSI is huge!  There is such a lot going on there, and it’s a magnet for families.  Big families, little families, babes in arms to teenagers were enjoying all that the Museum can offer.  And don’t be misled by the word Museum;  this is not a  fusty old place where everyone walks around with hands clasped behind their backs and talks in hushed voices.  This is a full-on, hands on, enjoy yourself, kind of place.

I wanted to visit the DaVinci exhibition  hence that Sunday afternoon trip.  The name is familiar from the books written by Dan Brown, many of us learned about Leonardo in school ( a long time ago, in my case) and have forgotten most of what we know.  His fame comes mainly from the world renowned portrait of Mona Lisa, and the wall painting of the Last Supper, although scholars will tell you that he did much more then just  paint, and this exhibition will show you just how much of a Renaissance Man he was.  A musician, a mathemetician, artist, modeller, theorist, scientist – all sorts of labels can be given to his name and abilities.

It was quite fascinating to see the copies of his inventions or improvements on earlier inventions, as well as the extremely high quality copies of many of his works of art.

Leonardo Da Vinci  (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519),

Born the illegitimate son of a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, at Vinci, Italy, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the  Florentine painter, Verrochio.  Leonardo had one main patron Ludovico il Moro and passed much of his working life in Milan, Rome and Venice.  He spent his last years in France, at the home awarded him by the French king Francis 1st.

Apart from his well known paintings, many of his works have been lost, mainly due to Leonardo’s desire for experimentation with paints, and the mixes he used.  He was also very prone to altering his paintings, never being satisfied with each attempt.  Much of what we know about his works have come to us from the notebooks that fortunately have survived the centuries.  Many of his experiments failed, although to this day we are using items that he dreamed of and drew, such as the bicycle, the helicopter, the parachute and such things as a double hulled ship.

He was also deeply interested in the human body, and although this is little known, he examined possibly thirty or more bodies after their death to learn how the body works and to draw diagrams of the skeletal structure and muscles.

Many of the wooden and fabric models on display in the exhibition show the immensity and range of Da Vinci ’s visions, from concepts of a tank to a submarine, from winches to bobbin winders.

For me it was the art that appealed the most;  much of what I saw on display was new to me, and there were several portraits of young

Italian women where the jeweled colours positively glowed. The exhibits were of extremely high quality reproductions.  Also of interest were the infra red enlargements of the portrait of Mona Lisa, showing that what the average person sees nowadays bears little resemblance to the colours that Leonardo painted.  The accumulation of years of varnish discolouration, the damage caused by vandals some years ago, and the techniques that Da Vinci himself  used, have combined to produce a dim reflection of the original.

Whether its art that interests you, or mechanical items, or mathematics, or musical instruments, this exhibition shows just what a talent Leonardo possessed.  And if this exhibition is not to your taste, go upstairs to the dinosaur display or the Art of Flight exhibition, or the butterfly garden, sit in the sun  or just go and have a cup of coffee in the cafe……….  Someone in your family will find something of interest here at MOSI.

To find out more about the exhibition go to the MOSI website – click here.

After a most successful Goofy Challenge this year, when more than 55,000 runners set off over the two days, it’s now time to register for the 2011 event.

The Goofy Challenge is one of the premier events in the marathon runners calendar. Held each year by Disney, the event attracts runners from all walks of life, from the amateur athlete to top marathon runners.

This year’s event was held on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th January, during one of the coldest spells in Central Florida’s weather for the past decade.   Volunteer helpers, race marshalls and spectators lined the route to cheer on the brave competitors running in below freezing temperatures with sleet, snow and rain.  The weather did take its toll, although the half marathon had just over 17,000 runners complete the course.  The winner of the men’s half marathon finished in 1 hour 7 minutes 2 seconds, and the women’s leader completed the race in just about 1 hour 20 minutes.

A friend of ours, Toni,  who was staying in one of Premier Home Management’s vacation homes finished her half marathon in just under 2 hours. After returning to her home and relaxing, her preparations began for the full marathon on the next day.

Her start time on Sunday was 5.50 a.m. in an air temperature of 26 degrees. She managed to complete the race in just about 4 hours – while the leaders finished in 2 hours 22 minutes 8 seconds for Adriano Bastos and 2 hours 51 minutes 20 seconds for Lisa Mizutani. Over 16,000 runners completed the course.

Well doing the Goofy Challenge is a challenge in its self, but looking for good accommodation can be more of a challenge! But that’s where Premier Homes are brilliant – as they took the stress out of this for me!

I stayed at Windsor Hills, which was only about a 15 min drive from Epcot, so I didn’t have to leave my resort hotel at 3am to get to the start….. The accommodation was spotless and extremely well kitted out with a wonderful power shower, a tv in all rooms, a full equipped kitchen – just in case you don’t want to travel the 2 mins to the vast array of restaurants. The apartment also had a washer and dryer – which came in very useful for dealing with smelly running kit!

All in all I can only sing the praises of Marilyn and her team, they provided me with a great base to complete this challenge and I would certainly go back to them again even if I wasn’t doing the Goofy!

Thanks, Toni

The final race of the weekend, completed the most magical 26.2 miles on Earth.  The course takes runners through all four Walt Disney World®

Theme Parks starting at Epcot®, continuing on to the Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and then back to Epcot® for an exhilarating finish.  The post race celebrations were less well attended this year due to the inclement weather.

For those of you who are so inclined, the Application forms are now open for next year’s Goofy Challenge.

Next year’s Challenge dates are below, if you are a runner, you’ll need to know this.

Before you run off we wanted to tell you all about the 2011 WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA, Thursday, January 6 – Sunday, January 9, 2011.  You’ll want to be here for a weekend of races that are as magical as they are memorable; from Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo to the final mile of the marathon, complete with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy medals.  We know you love running, now imagine a run where every mile is filled with Disney fun.  You’d be, well, goofy to miss it!

Toni, who stayed in one of our vacation homes, was so pleased that she was able to bring her family with her for support – it made all the difference between staying in an hotel by herself and having friends and family living in the vacation home with her. Everyone was able to enjoy themselves in their own way and their own time.

If you’re coming next year for the Disney Goofy Challenge, do let us know. We’ll cheer you on!