Our journey, Chapter 19: Food for thought
The moment Natalie suggested that perhaps we should also look at Florida, dear friends of ours, Barb and Paul, offered to have us visit them in St. Pete. They have a beautiful home on Tampa Bay with a wonderful view of the St. Pete skyline. When we arrived, Barb uncharacteristically wanted us to hurry our bags up to our room, where in addition to the goodie bags she always has waiting to greet guests, we found a blow-up palm tree with a sign reminding us that they also live on an island. The only difference between their island and those of the Caribbean is theirs is separated from the mainland by a short causeway and tons of great restaurants, fantastic bars, top-notch healthcare and Mazzaro’s.
Mazzaro’s is an Italian grocery. No, strike that. It’s a gastronomic experience beyond imagination. I never knew there were so many varieties of cheese, meat, bread, pasta, wine and fill-in-the-blank. And, if you don’t want to prepare a meal yourself, they have incredible prepared appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. If we lived in St. Pete, we would always be at Mazzaro’s. (I have to admit, I’m literally salivating as I’m typing.)
On Thursday, Paul suggested an off-shore fishing excursion with his son, Matt and son-in-law, Jeff, led by Captain Steve. While we were plying the deep, Natalie and Barb were headed to nearby Pass-A-Grille Beach to look at homes. Although Natalie reported the area was “charming”, vacant lots dotted the barrier isle, a reminder of the destructive power of last year’s hurricanes. Beachfront property in Florida is expensive - so is hurricane insurance. Much to think about.
In the meantime, we would-be fishermen had our own reminder of the power of the wind and sea as we were rocked by higher than expected waves as a result of wind gusts that buffeted us until early afternoon. Nevertheless, we had a great time despite the fact that the fish were also put off somewhat by the chop.
We love St. Pete. The vibe is an interesting combination of relaxed living and an underlying energy. Something always seems to be happening there yet the pace is easy.
The challenge with St. Pete is living within walking distance of the downtown excitement means the Bay, but no beach. Beach living there means having to drive to town. It isn’t a long way, but as I said before, we’re being picky. That’s not a deal breaker for St. Pete. Afterall, good friends and Mizzaro’s is a pretty compelling value proposition. It simply means we have more work ahead of us.
Barb asked if we were to decide on a place in Florida whether that would mean we were giving up on a place in the Caribbean. I told her the two aren’t mutually exclusive, but it might mean changing our thoughts about what we might buy in the islands. But before making that call, we would need to find just the right beach in Florida. Since there are something like 825 miles of beaches in Florida, we have our work cut out for us if we are seriously going to consider a beach home in the Sunshine State.
We’re going to plan another trip to Florida to explore a number of communities we think might be a good fit for us. However, that will come after our return visit to St. Kitts in May.
Several of you have suggested we hurry up and make a decision so you have a place to come visit. All I can tell you is we’re working as hard as we can to get this done. I’m sure you all feel the burden of responsibility we’re carrying with us. I think I need a painkiller.
Stay tuned.