nice "winter" afternoon at vizcaya

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i'd been sleeping on Vizcaya. Not actually, because only in my dreams could I sleep in a pink canopy bed in a mansion built in 1914, but I've been lazy about getting out there for a good walk around. I recently attended a wedding there and as I wandered the gardens at night - yes, the outdoor spaces are all open to drunken debauchery, and it became all too clear that there were parts of the property I'd never seen in the daylight.

I finally came back to Vizcaya for an afternoon and realized I hadn't been there since the good old days of the Renaissance Festival field trip in middle school. I remember a human chess game, convincing my dad, the chaperone, to buy me a rose dipped in purple wax (what?) and the use of the word "wench." 

This time, it was a different experience entirely. I walked the grounds with a friend who was in town from New York who's an architecture buff. It's a pretty amazing place to take someone who is fresh off of checking out modernist Miami like 1111 Lincoln Road and the Bacardi building. The property, though, does have some modern touches by way of art installations (like the neon lights above) and the gift shop with a wine selection and nice views (including the pool below). Even more modern yet, there's a virtual tour that is pretty amazing for those of you still too lazy to get out there and take a walk (or who don't live in Miami). 

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3251 south miami ave