detail of mosaic in Orlando Airport

Eva and I are recovering from a busy school trip to Florida. When we stepped out of the plane at the Orlando airport, there was a gorgeous mosaic. It was probably about 30 feet long. These pictures show only a small part of it.

What a great start to our spring vacation!

part of large floor mosaic in Orlando Airport

We went to Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center, and Disney World. One morning, we had an airboat ride, where we saw some sunning alligators. A bunch of cows grazed along the water’s edge. “Don’t the alligators eat the cows?” asked one of the students.

detail of mosaic at Epcot Center, Disney World

Our guide said, “No. A cow is too big for an alligator to swallow. Now a dog, on the other hand –¦.” Alligators clamp their prey in those strong jaws, but they can’t chew, so they have to swallow everything whole. If it’s too big to swallow, the alligator is not interested.

We also saw some water birds standing near the banks, with their wings outspread. “The minnows go into the shade of the wings, and then the bird has a snack,” our guide told us.

detail of mosaic at Epcot Center, Disney World

A couple of days later, we were at the Epcot Center of Disney World. To enter “The Land” exhibit, you walk between two long and beautiful mosaics that remind you of landforms. The mosaicist used glass, tile, stone, and glass pebbles all together in these mosaics.

part of mosaic at Epcot Center, Disney World

part of mosaic at Epcot Center, Disney World

Was there anything at all for knitters at Disney World? Why, yes there was. Stay tuned.

This added a few days later: The mosaic at the Orlando Airport is called Florida Vacation, and it’s by Victor Bokas. You can see the whole thing at the Orlando Airport web site. The fish with the pink circles is at the bottom right. We saw another mosaic while we waited for the tram to take us to baggage claim. It was Field of Ferns by Henry Sinn. I didn’t take pictures of it, but find it, too, at the link above (scroll way down).