We are back in COLD Minnesota for a very Merry Christmas with family and friends!
in front row, Ryan, Ari, Nick
So, what did we do in MN?
We returned to MN on Friday night, December 19th and headed to a 11 pm jazz session in Mpls. Nick, the son of our friends, Brad and Joanie, was home from NYC where he is a professional musician, and he played his sax and entertained us with music by his jazz group.
Saturday night, it was off to the annual Christmas party at Pettit's. It was a festive night of warm greetings, beautiful decorations & music, tables of food & drinks:A Great Time With Special Friends!
We met our friends, ZeeAnne (Mary's former college roommate) and Mark in Glencoe one COLD morning for a warm breakfast and caught up on all the family news and plans. We had dinner and more catch-up with Faith, a friend from 40+ years ago! Great Friends and Great Times!
We attended a wonderful Christmas Eve afternoon service at Westwood Church, and then our family gathered for evening dinner at Ryan and Sydney's home. Susan, Nick's girlfriend, and Ginger and Ross, Ryan's in-laws, joined the festivities. On the menu was deep fried turkey and ALL the trimmings! Although a bit off key, we sang the traditional "Twelve Days of Christmas" with dedication and finished with a yule log for dessert.
Christmas morning found us in Anoka at Aunt Glenis's with Mary's brother, his wife, and the Lahrmann side of the family. Christmas evening was celebrated with Steve's dad and wife.
After enjoying the warmth of family and friends, but experiencing the COLD temps with 12+ inches of snow, we packed our bags.
Thursday, December 26, 2013- Tuesday, December 31, 2014
Flying from Mpls to Tampa (standby), we were up at 4:15 am and had the opportunity to visit airports that we had never been to before- Cincinnati, OH and Jacksonville, FL. (LOTS of people are flying during the holidays, so there were no available seats on any direct flights.) We finally flew into Jacksonville, FL and drove through St. Augustine on the way to Tampa. What an interesting town! St. Augustine was explored in 1515, founded in 1565 by the Spanish, and is hailed as the nation's oldest city. We entered the town at dusk and enjoyed St. Augustine's Night of Lights where two million tiny white lights were everywhere on buildings, trees, and bridges which created a magical atmosphere! Originating from a Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in the window during the Christmas holidays, the spectacular lighting reflects the city's 448 year history.
Thursday night, we returned to Dream Chaser which had been resting at Marker1 Marina in Dunedin, FL during the week we were in MN. What a great dockage! We were so pleased with the marina that we decided to stay an additional week and explore the area.
Dunedin is a town with Scottish roots and has the beautiful Honeymoon Beach nearby where the sunsets are breathtaking! The causeway and beaches are great for an early morning walk where people are walking, jogging, biking, and fishing. "Brenda's on the Causeway" is definitely a local favorite for breakfast and, as luck would have it, is located two minutes from the marina. The European Deli, a Polish deli, (nearby the marina) makes the best hunter's stew, cabbage rolls, and meat sticks, ever! Don't judge a restaurant by it's outside appearance-It may be a hidden gem! Located in the corner of a mall's parking lot we found.....The Sand Bar Grill! Great fish, great price!
On Saturday morning, the place to be was the Dunedin farmer's market located in historic downtown. Here is the place where you can find soap & candles, jewelry, oven-fired pizza, endless produce, bakery goods, art, families with dogs... Saturday evening was our time to head to the movie theater where we watched "Saving Mr. Banks" with Susan and Brent from Once Upon a Time (loopers from Mahtomedi, MN). The movie was great starring Tom Hanks- need I say more?
Sunday morning at 9:15 am, we (Susan, our looper friend joined us) attended the local service at Clearwater Community Church. It was an inspiring message on Saul/Paul, met some transplanted Minnesotans, and were treated to coffee and cookies.
After dropping Susan off at the marina, we drove eight miles north and arrived in the Greek town of Tarpon Springs, FL. Tarpon Springs was named after the fish found in abundance in the local waters and is known as the "Sponge Capital of the World". Initially the spongers came from Cuba, the Bahamas, and Key West, but in the early 1900's, the Greeks arrived to the Tarpon Springs area. Harvesting the sponges in the shallow waters off shore consisted of small boats and long poles with hooks. As the shallows became depleted, deeper waters required divers and ultimately the addition of diving suits and equipment. A film at Spongerama, a local shop in town, was very informative and explained in detail the growth and harvesting process. Well, do you know about the sex life of a sponge? There are many kinds of sponges: yellow, finger, flower pot, and the finest is wool. With over 10, 000 square miles of sponge beds from Pensacola to Key West, this is a gift from the sea!
Tarpon Springs is known for their Epiphany Day Celebration. Beginning in 1903, on the Day of Epiphany, January 6th, all work ceased for a day of rest and there is a special ceremony where the water and the vessels are blessed. This is done to honor the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Also, the priest hurls a wooden cross into the Spring Bayou, and about 50 Greek boys in their late teens dive to find it. The winner receives a year of blessings. It is a three day event of great celebration with food, dancing, and festivities. About 35,000 people each year attend the event. It is very GREEK!
Tarpon Springs is charming with brick streets, buildings from the late 1800's, and 51 miles of waterfront. Under threatening skies and periodic rains, we chose Hellas Restaurant and Bakery (winner of numerous restaurant awards) on the waterfront for lunch. It is very GREEK and all we had hoped for! The experience started with calamari cooked to perfection, followed by a mouthwatering Original Greek salad, and finally a platter of Gyro, Mousaka, Pastitsio, Dolmades with tzatziki sauce-no need to say more!
After completing lunch, we waddled through the Hellas Bakery and eyed the Greek and French pastries on the way out. Good thing we were stuffed because it was quite an experience, VERY tempting, and VERY Greek!
Next we drove to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Pinillas Avenue which is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Due to pouring rain, we borrowed a picture of the cathedral.
This is the front inside the cathedral.
This is just one of the many stained
glass windows that lined both side
walls of the cathedral.
As we entered the cathedral, family and friends were preparing for a Greek infant baptismal ceremony. At the front of the cathedral was a small wooden boat (symbolic of the fishing community) being used as the ceremonial box which held the required white ceremonial towels and white infant boy dress suit of clothing. We so wanted a picture of the preparation, but passed on it out of respect. So very GREEK!
Sunday evening, we returned to the theater to see "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom". We looked forward to seeing this film after having traveled to South Africa last summer and also having read the Long Walk To Freedom. Great film and great book!
After our four mile Monday morning walk on the Pinnelas Trail (a 37 mile bike rail trail from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg), we drove 24 miles south to St Pete to visit the Florida Holocaust Museum. This museum founded by a Holocaust survivor, honors the memory of millions of innocent men, women, and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. It's mission is to teach everyone the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. Mary had taught a literature unit on the Holocaust to high school students, so she was thrilled to see this museum. We have been to Holocaust museums in Israel, Berlin, and NYC. We also visited the death camps at Dachau and Auschwitz, but this was a unique experience. We joined a group of ten people whose docent was the past director of the museum, and her special speaker was Lisl Schick, a holocaust survivor born in Austria. Kristallnacht occurred on November, 1938. This was "The Night of Broken Glass" which was a wave of extremely violent anti-Jewish attacks throughout German occupied territories. Following this shocking event, Lisl (12) and her brother (8) we placed by their parents on the Kindertransport (Children's Transport) to be taken to safety in Great Britain. Eight years of living with strangers passed before they were reunited with their parents, but they survived! We found out that Lisl's brother, recently deceased, had been past president of CBS News. It was very moving, as Lisl shared her experiences, memories, and thoughts with us. Besides numerous exhibits with artifacts, videos, and photos, there is a German box car which was used in the transporting of Jews and others to death camps during the Holocaust. Amazing exhibits, guide, and guest speaker!
"What hurt the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander."
Eli Wiesel, author of Night
"First they came for the Jews. I was silent. I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists. I was silent. I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists. I was silent. I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me. There was no one left to speak for me."
Martin Niemoller, Pastor German Confessing Church
We left the museum and after a cloud covered day, the sun peaked out as we drove across the Sunshine Highway (I-275) south of St. Pete. We wanted to experience this bridge as it is one of the largest suspension bridges in the western hemisphere (4.1 miles long and 19 stories high) and connects the southern tip of St. Pete with Manatee City and Sarasota. FYI, there was an incident where a large ship hit this bridge and took out a section while vehicles were crossing. We will spare you from the details, but you can read about it on line! We did not take this picture below, but wanted you to see the beauty of this bridge.
It was a restful scene and beautiful sunset!
It is Tuesday and tonight is New Years Eve!
We were off to Ybor, FL, "The Cigar Capitol of the World" just NE of Tampa. Vincent Martinez Ybor found this wild area ripe for growth. After being founded in 1886 by cigar manufacturers (which is a very interesting story in itself), cigar factories were constructed with planned communities built around them and were very isolated from Tampa city life. These separate communities populated by immigrants (Cubans, Spanish, Italians, Germans, Black Cubans, Russians, Sicilians, Romanians, and Jews) each had there own mutual aid society for assistance with medical needs, funerals, education, recreation, opera, dramas, vaudeville, and dances. Houses, grocery stores, restaurants, and rooming houses were all built around the factories. These ethnic clubs were the epicenter of their lives: male workers spent every day after work during the week and families spent all weekend. With the port nearby, a railroad for transportation, and a workforce of thousands of immigrants looking for work (many Cubans fleeing Cuban), Ybor became the largest cigar-producing center in the world-producing eight million cigars a week. The quality of these cigars was unsurpassed due to many already trained cigar making immigrants (men and women) from Cuba and the use of 100% Cuban tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba. Besides being paid very well, a cigar maker and had three perks: Cuban coffee was provided, all the cigars they could smoke while at work, and lectores. These highly esteemed readers were...
Ybor was a baseball town and had a team in the 1870's. The cigar industry boosted baseball with the arrival of thousands of Cuban immigrants in the 1880's with a deep love and passion for baseball.
The Depression had a dramatic effect and Ybor declined in the 1930's. The area saw the shut down of factories, high unemployment, crime, and slum conditions. Unfortunately, after years of abandonment, most of the buildings were level due to urban renewal. Nicknamed "Florida's Latin Quarter", the area is now a night club and entertainment district. Walking down colorful 7th avenue, there is still a sense of the past with the cobblestone roads and remaining old buildings. Below is a beautifully painted wall mural, a street shot, one of the many cigar shops, and a content customer.
We found a door to the Italian Club open and popped in for a look! Just meeting rooms and a beautiful Christmas tree.
La Tropicana, a popular Cuban eating spot the heart of Ybor was our choice for lunch. As we entered, we experienced its earthy charm with its worn carpet, Formica tables, and local residents trading stories over cafe con leche. The Cuban sandwich or cubano (roasted pork, ham, cheese, pickles, mustard, and buttered Cuban bread) has been reported to be the best in town, but we ordered the El Cocinero Daily: Steak Parmesan.
As we left La Tropicana, we were engulfed by
a sea of people wearing purple & gold and black
& gold. We quickly realized that this was the day
before the BIG NEW YEARS FOOTBALL GAME,
the Outback Bowl, between LSU and Iowa State. A
large parade and festivities were starting tonight about
5 pm and we were heading out just in time to avoid the
major congestion!
We headed to Largo and as the sun began to set, we walked through "Lights in the Garden" at the Florida Botanical Gardens. We experienced twinkling paths with laser lights, decorated trees, and beautiful lit displays.
This is a Christmas Ornament plant
For docktails, we joined Susan & Brent from Mahtomedi, MN (Once Upon a Time) and Bev and Em from Meredith, NH (Quimby). Besides the treats, there was great conversation and good information (they are seasoned loopers) followed by watching fireworks from our boats. The "Light It Up" fireworks were launched from the beach off Sand Key to signal in the New Year!
We are looking forward to spending the beginning of the New Year in Florida!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment