Valentine's Day: The pier, the pelicans, and the pastry

 

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – The pier, the pelicans, and the pastry

Suddenly, out of nowhere this morning, twinges of homesickness prompted me to count the number of days before we head back in Virginia.  Eleven more days of sunshine and blue skies may not sound like a hardship, but after eleven days away, I’m missing my home.  And another thought – next time we travel, we won’t be staying in a charming but quirky boutique hotel like the Ponce.  Most aren’t exactly handicapped-friendly.  Sadly, I’ve discovered that Art Deco décor can’t compensate for the lack of grab bars in the bath.

On the agenda for this morning is St. Petersburg’s Holocaust Museum.  We spent close to two hours going through the permanent exhibit, which does an excellent job of conveying all aspects of the Holocaust experience.  The final section, called Lessons for Today, addresses other instances of genocide in the 20^th and 21^st centuries.  From the information in the display, I learned that a victim of genocide dies every 24 seconds. 

We started to see some life in the downtown area when we set out for lunch following our museum visit.  I wouldn’t say it was bustling, but there was definitely an increase in the number of cars and people.  We stopped for sandwiches at the Lucky Dill Deli at the corner of Central and 3^rd Street.  The outside tables were filling up quickly, and who wouldn’t want to sit outside with the bright sun, light breeze, and temperature around 70 degrees?  

Even though it’s Valentine’s Day, togetherness has its limits.  So when Elliott elected to take a post-lunch nap, I gladly set out from the Ponce on a long walk in the direction of The Pier.  The inverted pyramid balanced at the far end is one of the city’s most recognized landmarks.  It may be the ultimate in touristic tackiness, but I needed some exercise and time alone.  Before I reached the distinctive structure, I stopped along the way at information stations to read about Tampa Bay’s wildlife.  Some of the mammals that make their home in the Bay at various times of the year are Florida manatees and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.  I looked out over the glittering waters, but didn’t spot a single one.  However, I learned a few interesting facts about manatees:  they can live up to 70 years; they’re cousins of the elephant (who knew?); they’re herbivores; they can be 13 feet long; and adult females are often larger than the males. 

As far as marine birds of Tampa Bay are concerned, you can find egrets, herons, terns, the ubiquitous seagull, and brown pelicans.  As if on cue, a pelican swooped down right in front of my eyes.  In flight, it looked eerily prehistoric.  Once I got close to the pyramid, I was able to walk around the perimeter of the pier.  I took a lot of photos of the pelicans as they perched on pilings, dove for their lunch, and took siestas in the sun.  This occupied me for a good half hour.  Then I succumbed to The Pier’s commercial allure and went inside.  Mostly what I saw were shops selling T-shirts, sweatshirts, and aprons imprinted with “cute” sayings.  In the hat store, I tried on about 30 hats but bought none.  One day, however, I will buy myself a Canadian-made Tilley hat.  It wasn’t long before that the smell of popcorn and cheap burgers became overwhelming and I ran outside for fresh air.  

Back on Beach Drive, I bypassed the frozen yogurt and gelato shops and sought refuge at Hooker Tea.  With a glass of iced Darjeeling and my trusty Kindle, I spent a blissfully tranquil hour at an outdoor table.  When I set off down Beach Drive in the direction of the hotel, I found myself outside Cassis, the restaurant where we dined a couple of evenings ago.  Their bakery beckoned, and I immediately thought of Elliott.  In his honor, I bought one of his favorite treats, pain raisin, just to see how authentic it would taste.  I found a table outside and munched away.  The verdict – very good.  Or, as Elliott would say, his mouth full of sweet custardy dough and raisins, “it’s all right.”   So when I finished mine, I went back inside and bought one to bring back for him.  After all, it’s Valentine’s Day.