Argh... Thar Be Pirates Here

Weather today, sunny and 21C (70F) and we are heading up to Treasure Island in the St. Petersburg area. Just going to wander the shops, stroll the jetty, enjoy the sun and find a spot for lunch.

The shops were typically touristy and for the most part, we escaped unscathed, although Lil did buy a small carry bag / purse. 

The jetty was the highlight being lined by numerous restaurants and cafés as well as providing a great view of the waterside show. 

And here is a sample of what we saw...  

Like I said, thar be pirates... 

The pelicans and dolphins were out in numbers...

You could pay for a boat ride to go dolphin watching, or you could just stand on the pier for free...

The water birds were out in force...

 

Including this Osprey who was having a seafood lunch...

Lunch at Sculleys Boardwalk Grill, waterside...  

Thank the good Lord, I'm not a bird...

This will be the last post from Florida. Flight home tomorrow evening. 

Stay tuned for Italy beginning April 20th or somewhere thereabouts. 

Tuesday - Cancelled Due to Rain

Today was a cloudy, rainy and relatively cool (22C), day. My apologies to those still suffering near zero temps. So today's plans were deferred in favour of reading, catching up on the news, etc. Speaking of the news...  a well earned election result for Pauline Marois. 

The day also included a short shopping foray and nice dinner at an Italian eatery in Venice. Then after dinner, this happened. 

Styles-ish Monday

Today was another shopping day, but this time Cam and I get into the act. Ellenton Outlet Mall was the destination and it's not unlike the old (original), Centre Mall in Hamilton, in that it's an open air mall with covered walkways. The girls went one way with a specific quest in mind, while Cam and I set out on what we expected to be a bide our time, stroll. 

And that is pretty much what it was. That is until we stumbled upon the Columbia brand store. That's when it hit the fan for us. Oh, no! We're acting just like a couple of old ladies who've found a treasure trove in the dollar store. 

"Look at the colour selection. That's a nice shirt. No, look at this one. It's a much lighter material and has a higher SPF rating. Great prices! Ooh, these shorts will be great for the golf course." 

Ugh... It's actually kind of nauseating when I think back on it. I'm not sure, but we may have out-spent the girls on this day.

Dinner tonight will be with Jackie and Geoff Styles. Get it? We shop for stylish clothing through the day, then have dinner with the Styles.  Hence this post's title...  "Styles-ish Monday". Get it? (insert groan here). 

Pre-dinner drinks are at Jackie and Geoffs condo on Longboat Key, then it's off to the Lazy Lobster for a seafood dinner. This night out is actually an early birthday celebration for Pat. I won't disclose which specific birthday this is, but I will say it's one that a lot of people consider a milestone. 

The gang... 

Note the shirts on Barry and Cam. (See 'nauseating' reference, above) ...

Lobster Thermidor ...

Scallops Breanne... 

Happy Birthday to Pat... 

Laid Back Sunday

Sunday was a pretty quiet day. Started with a great breakfast at the EGGSTRA-ordinary cafe then back to our short term domicile where we split up for the next couple of hours. The girls went bargain hunting while Cam and I went for seperate walks. Well mine was more of a stroll with camera in hand.

A view down the intercoastal waterway.... 

It's going to be a hot day and by 10:30 am, the beach is beginning to get busy. I'm told that by noon you will be hard press to find room for a beach towel, let alone find a nearby parking spot.

I'm still not sure I could do this...

Pelicans, catching some rays... 

Finished the day with a home grilled steak and lobster tail dinner. mmmm,  mmmm,  good!

Good thing we bought the lobster at the market on Saturday because after the girls shopping trip, it might be Kraft Dinner for the rest of our stay.

Poached Salmon, Grilled Shrimp, Music and Fireworks

Saturday was a busy day, but photos are scarce. Started the day at the street market in downtown Sarasota. We are there by nine and the place is just abuzz with fishmongers, fresh produce stands, arts, crafts... well you name it and you can find it on a "Sarasota Saturday Saunter" (hmmm, the beginning of a song. lyric?).  For us the focus is seafood and veggies as we're preparing a small buffet for dinner, before heading out with neighbours to see an outdoor concert and fireworks at the State College of Florida. 

With groceries in hand, it's back to our rental accommodations in Nokomis for some lunch and maybe a little poolside nap before dinner prep begins.

Poached salmon with lemon dill sauce, grilled shrimp, beet salad, devilled eggs, cheese platters, fresh fruit salad and more are added to the pot luck style buffet. The owners of the rental arrive (Lynn and Charlie), along with their good friend Mickey. Gerry and Evi from the adjacent unit complete the group  and after a wonderful meal, we head south to Venice and the college campus.  

This is really civilized. Wine and beer are welcomed and flow feely from ice packed coolers, along with snacks and in many cases, full on picnic meals. What a great way to spend an evening.

Can't say how many attended but this is obviously a very popular event... 

The gang waiting for the sun to slip behind the trees and for the music to begin... 

While on a stroll to the washrooms, I crossed paths with this little guy. I'd never seen one up close and personal before and was quite surprised at how close I could get without spooking him into running off.

Apparently, Armadillo are quite common in this neck of the woods.  

Tried to insert a video here, but encountered technical difficulty. So, you will have to imagine the music of the 1812 overture rising to a creciendo, while a multitude of sparkling, shimmering, colourful and thunderous bursts, erupt as you gaze skyward.

A wonderful way to spend an evening, for sure.

Friday is Circus Day

Funny how one blog leads to another. We're sitting by the pool Thursday evening and discussing entertainment options for Friday. I mention how much I enjoy Leslie Styles blog 
( scrumpdillyicious.blogspot.ca ) and recall she had once done an entry on the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. We checked it out, talk to the next door neighbours who give the museum a big thumbs up and decide that is how we will spend some of our time tomorrow. We also have a 6 pm boarding for a sunset dinner cruise on the agenda. Great. The day is all set. 

Of course we're talking about a large property owned by John Ringling of Ringling Brothers Circus fame. So we set off after a leisurely breakfast, not knowing exactly what to expect. We know there is a circus exhibit section, the family mansion, John's wife Mable's gardens and a museum of art. But, we really don't have a good sense of the scale of the place. Turns out to be a huge property with the circus exhibit only being a small but very interesting part of it. 

John Ringling is an interesting rags to riches to rags (well sort of), story and nothing like the circus huckster I would have imagined. 

First the circus... 

The next couple of shots are from a miniature rail line and circus setting which does a great job explaining how the circus moved from town to town by rail and was orchestrated, timed and scheduled so precisely that work crews had set up in the next town underway before the big top show was I completed in the previous. They could do a show in a different town every 24 hours. 

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The work horses being fed. They apparently were so accustomed to their routines, they needed little to no prompting from their handlers to get their jobs done...

The big top in the background with a performers prep tent in the foreground...

The Menagerie exhibits...

One of the original Ringling Brothers calliopes...

We spent only 40 or so minutes here, before moving on for our tour of the mansion.

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A stop at Mable's (John's wife), rose garden...

The Banyan trees along the walk ways are remarkable...

A view to the mansion...

The mansion named Ca' d'Zan (meaning House of John), was built over a two year period between 1924 and 1926. John gave Mable a budget of $250k but she overran that with final completion cost coming in at about $1.5m and another $400k on art and decor.

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John had a passion for fine art, spending most of his free time studying and purchasing pieces, eventually amassing a collection of over 600 pieces. As a result of his art habit, he commissioned the construction of the Ringling Museum of Art which has since become Florida's state art museum.

The front lawns and entrance to the art museum...

The museum courtyard.... 

One of the guests of the Ringling property. Beautiful but an unknown species to me.

John was considered one of the richest men in the world owning railroads, circuses and a large part of Sarasota, but after his acquisition of the American Circus Corporation in 1929 for $1.7m...  well most will know the infamy of that year. To make the "great depression" era even worse for John, Mable died that year and he was now cashless and losing control of his many properties. He was however, able to hold on to his mansion, his art and the museum until his death in 1936. These were all bequeathed to the state of Florida. Not sure who got the $311 he had left in the bank at the time of his death.

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Friday evening was the sunset dinner cruise on the Marina Jack I I. Baked salmon and prime rib were excellent and they served some of the best tasting mashed potatoes I've ever eaten (next to my wife's of course). We sat next to a couple from Pittsburgh who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary that evening. We spent so much time chatting and taking pictures for them, we forgot to get pictures of our table. Oh well, it was a wonderful dinner on a spectacular evening.

The bridge to St. Armand's Circle ... 

Returning to port...  

What a great day this was but for one minor flaw. We had allotted four hours for the Ringling tours, but hardly made a dent in the art museum which may have been worthy of four hours on its own. If you are ever in the area and plan to take this in, six hours including a nice lunch break might do the trick.

Florida - The First Couple of Days

Well, we landed at Sarasota/Bradenton airport right on time at 17:10 Wednesday and are greeted at the baggage area by Pat & Cam. Stopped for supplies (ie. wine), before heading to the rental unit in Nokomis. 

Bacon and eggs by the pool on Thursday morning was a great way to start our week. Chef Cam Flinstone did the honours (check out his morning attire). 

Later in the morning, it was a drive up Tamiami Trail to St. Armand's Circle for some shopping and a stop for lunch at the Columbia restaurant for some of their famous 1905 salad. Wandering the town after lunch we came across this custom Corvette beauty. Nice ride. 

Ended the day poolside again sharing some wobbly pops with the neighbours and the unit owners. Nice people. 

Weather ...  Sunny with early to mid 80's temps.

So far, so good 8~}