Here we are in Sarasota, FL visiting FireCat's sister and her husband. Our first night here they invited the son and grandchildren over to join us for a "Florida boil." This, I learned, is very much like the crawfish boil my new inlaws hosted when my New Orleans-based daughter got married...they just use shrimp instead of crawfish and add corn, potatoes and other veggies. It was wonderful!FireCat and I like being able to sleep in now that we're in the eastern time zone, but it doesn't leave much time at the end of the day when the market closes at 4:00 instead of 1:00pm. We have been managing to get out and see a few sights though.
We went to the Ringling Brothers art museum the other day. It was pretty amazing. I especially liked the house, where the back porch is a marble patio that leads to steps into Sarasota Bay. I guess they could take their pick of stepping into a boat or diving directly into the water. I've always wanted a place right on the beach but never envisioned anything quite that close!
Last night we went to a wonderful piano bar/restaurant overlooking the water. The sunset we hoped for was a bit cloudy but the appetizers were to die for! We had flatbread/lavosh "things" served on cutting boards that we could pass around and share--such as baked brie and raspberry sauce with pine nuts, portabello mushrooms, and tenderloin steak with accoutrements...I had to try several because there were so many I'd never seen anywhere else before...but of course we couldn't pass up the raw ahi either. FireCat is always so generous in hosting us, and it's been a real pleasure getting to know his sister better.
I've enjoyed taking walks before market or after, and this morning I discovered Panera Bread (and almost missed market open!) Wow! I'd read about their stock but never been in one before. There are definitely some advantages to living in a city. Tomorrow night we're going to try a stroll about town, which looks lovely the times we have driven through. There's a huge used bookstore that I can't wait to explore. It's nice to be somewhat settled for a week; we'll be here until Monday or Tuesday, then off to Naples, the Everglades, and on to visit FireCat's friend in Key West. Let us know how you're doing--we love hearing from the folks back home too!
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