Deep Winter here, so…
How about Tampa? Basic premise: warmth (ice and snow inbound to Mid-Tenn on day of departure), food, roller coasters...Busch Gardens. Stayed down at the Marina (cause I love salt water and boats) and had a celebratory sushi dinner to kick things off, preceded by a pleasant surprise: a filo pastry stuffed with scallops, crab, and garlic in a butter sauce…well played. The sushi was fine, some ngiri (yellowtail and eel), some rolls (without cream cheese…wtf is up with that?); good wine. Pleasant vistas….a scary movie and chocolate decadence for dessert; night finds me sated on all levels.
Next day, coaster day, rain…but I had been clever (for once), and booked a pad day in the middle. So instead of confronting Fla weather (it’s more mercurial than a...), off to Clearwater/St Pete’s. Long story short, started at a most massive used bookstore (300k books on hand), sentimental tugs when old editions of favorites materialize, with an eye out for sorry-we-left-you-behind offerings for the Z; next the Dali Museum - cheeky, really, this guy was shamelessly comedic and we share appreciation for the cocked hip…walking through his expression, immersing in his thoughtscape as his skills lift off from his 10-year old copying to his 14-year old struggling...suddenly (it seemed to me) the bursting/breaking explosion of talent in his late teens...through the war and exile years and into his late traditional/but-so-not traditional masterworks; quite a trip, great museum; then lunch at Naughti Nancy’s…a tiny little 6-table spot in a quaint Clearwater neighborhood, friendly folk selling some damn fine food. No crab today so the At Choo La was out, but the mussels and clams in Diablo sauce with grilled garlic bread set it up, and the shrimp/chorizo/clam/potato boil knocked it down. Jessi steered (she said she wouldn't judge me if I lifted the bowl of boil broth and quaffed it, so sweet), Nancy herself cooked the food and brought it over, and Corona quenched the thirst while the rain fell down. Great people, authentic grub…worth every second trying to find it.
Temp drops a tad, weather clears, a local NY-style pizza for dinner with a charming little movie...dreams of thrills on the morrow...
Up and out early, mapping Ybor City as part of a dining plot for that night, then off to the park. Chilly for Floridians apparently, the park is lightly attended. Lines are almost non-existent all day; yet another portent that the travel gods are appeased. Montu, Kumba, Sheikra, Gwazi…multiple trips on Kumba and Sheikra, shameless on Sheikra actually, my new favorite followed closely by Seaworld’s Manta. There’s something about hanging face-down for 4 seconds at 200 feet then being dropped 90 degrees in free-fall (more than 3 G’s) before some loops and twists…I laughed like a schoolboy on all of ‘em (even on the Wooden monster Gwazi, which was a violent experience, I felt violated), but that ride had me racing round the line for extra go’s. F U N.
Four and a half hours of roller coasters is plenty, also saw some hyenas and hippos in excellent viewing (rare species to me), one bad-ass Nile Crocodile (he got 2 fences)…good park. Avert your eyes for here comes the heresy: preferred hands-down over the Magic Kingdom. Stopped by the American Victory (a Victory ship of the Merchant Marine, restored lovingly) afterwards…I love naval geometry…an excellent ‘feeling’ activity to wind down from all that tasty adrenaline.
The best? Dinner at the Columbia in Ybor City…I knew the right track was underfoot when passing the historical marker above. A short wait at the bar (established in 1905), then a la tabla vamos. I wont try to describe the place (whole city block, seats 1600 after a multi-million dollar facelift), but it was evocative. A pitcher of Sangria (white (preferred in this case) wine, muddled fruit, orange liqueur, and brandy), the best salad I've had in a long long time, and the tapas de la opción: their Casimiri (organic scallops baked in clay casserole with butter and topped with seasoned bread crumbs and white wine), the Alcochofas (baked casserole of shrimp, crabmeat and artichoke hearts topped with grated Romano cheese), and Albondigas (homemade beef meatballs in a mildly spicy tomato sauce). Concluded with Moros y Cristianos (chocolate mousse and rich Spanish custard in a small clay casserole with shaved chocolate)…so named to represent the marriage of the Moorish culture with the (mostly) Visigothic, you can guess which was which. The wait staff were knowledgeable and versed in service, Sangria and salads prepared table-side. The waiter-in-training was Alex, a big Sicilian wearing a name-tag that read Milto (no one but his mother calls him that), who was happy to attend…his trainer was a PROfessional, thanks Kristine.
That’s enough for now (travelogue is tiring), all effortless home again home again after that. Warm, pleasant (avec voluntary terror), fortunate days.
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