4/14/13 Bob's Birthday, or HDDAWBBT

HDDAWBBBT (pronounced Huddawubbut) stands for 

Hats, Drinks, Desserts Around the World for Bob's Birthday Bash Tour

There are plenty of discussions around the interwebs of drinking your way around Epcot's World Showcase, home to eleven different pavilions. And there are a few others discussing trying a dessert in each country as you progress. We'd always had a tradition of taking a picture of the various hats from each one. So for Bob's birthday, it was decided that we needed to do all three of these, if possible, in as many countries as possible.

John, John, Sabre, and Chrissy, all friends of Bob who live in the area, agreed to take on the challenge and meet us in Mexico to kick it off at 11:00

First we had a couple of brought along presents, one of which Bob wore for the day.

We ate a quick bite and then it was off to the monorail and Epcot.

Leaving the MK section

Entering Epcot, which is having it's annual Flower and Garden Festival. More on that in another blog post.

He's not 20 anymore, but it was a birthday cake.

The only ride we did in Future Land, waiting on World Showcase to open, was Spaceship Earth. At the end, they superimpose shots of riders faces into a story about what the future might look like. I wouldn't mind being this skinny, but I really hope I don't walk like that. 

And for some reason, the shot of Bob gave him a missing tooth. Bob kept shouting "My toof!" 

After that, we went into the large pyramid that houses the Meican pavilion and wandered around until everyone else arrived.

John F's photo of the gang (minus himself)

JohnL, Chrissy, Bob, Me, and Sabre

La Cava de Tequila doesn't open until noon (and not just on Sunday, I discovered) so we hung out and chatted and were the first in the place. I had never met anyone before, and they were just wonderfully warm and friendly right from the start. Great people.

We took the cool corner and set up shop

We made sure Bob got the couch throne. (photo by JohnF)

The Flight of Tequila (with chaser)

Milagro Select Barrel Blanco, Partida Reposado, Gran Centenario Añejo

and Mexican Hat picture:

And, failure #1: we didn't get the churros in Mexico like we'd planned. 

On to Norway!

 We all picked up something sweet first thing this time, along with a very spiked Viking Coffee, which made Bob proclaim, "Okay, this is a flavored coffee I like!

My Viking Mousse and Bob's School Bread, with aforementioned coffee.

And then, on to pictures!

On to China, which is a complete bust in both drinks and sweets. (We didn't find the China Tea Cart that had been recommended.) We did, however, find hats.

with Red Dragons, for good luck. 

To Germany! 

Beer flight! Florida Avenue American Wheat Ale, Krombacher Hefeweizen, Honker Ale, and Blue Point's Toasted Lager (to share)

Germany's Karamell-Küche sells all kinds of amazing caramel, but Bob opted for the caramel corn instead.

And then there were the hats. 

 Bob was looking through the pictures a day later and said, "I have a chicken on my head. I don't remember that..." (Sabre went for the savory snack.)

Next stop: Italy

We popped into the blessedly air conditioned Tutto Gusto, the wine bar in the Italian Pavilion, for wine and, of course, cannoli, which the waiter festooned with a candle and got everyone to sing along.

We almost struck out on the hats until we found the Mickey Ears.

After Italy, we hit the American Pavilion, but after that cannoli, no one was keen to hit up the funnel cakes or the suggested S'more brownie and the drinks weren't appealing either (Bud light?)

We hit the hats and kept walking

To Japan

Surprisingly, there were NO hats to be found. We weren't up for the full on kimono robes, so we opted for umbrellas.

They did have Daruma dolls, though.

Sabre bought a bottle of saki which we shared.

And then we moved on to Morocco, with an Oasis Sultan's Slushie and baclava

The only fez in the entire pavilion was stapled to the fake camel's head. How disappointing. Bob made up for it as much as possible.

And then we hit France, home to some of the best desserts and drinks around the World.

At the Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie we shared a chocolate tart (layered with caramel in this flaky, buttery pastry, droool.)

And at the cart, we shared a Grey Goose Citron Lemonade Slush. 

Next to last stop: The United Kingdom

and the Rose and Crown Pub (also blessedly air conditioned)

  

   
We also found Pooh and Tigger as we searched for hats

And finally, there was Canada, which has done away with the best dessert that was once in the Showcase and replaced it with absolutely nothing. We stopped for a few pictures and got out of dodge before the heavens opened up and it poured.

Up Next: Birthday Night at the Magic Kingdom!