March 18 Sunday Day 21

Tonight we are in St. Petersburg Florida at another Comfort Inn & Suites.

We started the day by traveling south to Winter Park. We had seen a advertisement about an Art Fair, turns out the 48th one. It was four streets long and three tiers deep. Many wonderful crafts were displayed. We found people from the Twin Cities and Minnesota, along with a number of Wisconsinites. We found a nice piece of art from a lady in New York city it is a painted flower arrangement with a border done in another style. Many of her paintings reminded us of the 1800’s art we have seen overseas.

Time to eat, this time we ate indoors, as it was a bit chilly. Again it was a spot along the street, Pannullo's Italian Restaurant in Winter Parkwhere the art show was being held. After Shirleen’s Guenoc Cabernet and my Ravenswood Shiraz it was off to pizza. They had an item on the menu that was different, two pieces of pizza with three ingredients. Shirleen had pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes and onion; mine was fresh Italian sausage, spinach, and anchovies – what a treat. Turns out they pre-bake the pizza with cheese, then the ingredients you order are if to bulky pre-cooked and re-baked in their oven. What a nice touch.

The reason we went to Winter Park was to see a sculpture garden by the Slovak sculpture Albin Polasek from the Carpathian mountain area of what is now he Czech Republic or Moravia. He was quite the sculpture as he never had a problem with money. At the age of 72 he married a 62 year old woman who only lived 18 months. He then at the age of 82 married again and another 62 year old woman. He made a Christ on the cross looking up instead of down, named The Victorious Christ, a larger than life sculpture of the crucified Christ gazing heavenward. This signified his dying in Glory not defeat. He was deeply religious and had a prayer chapel in his garden. There were the Stations of the Cross that he had drawn but hid away. On these he had drawn his mother as Mary and himself as an observer who did not want to be seen as upstaging the reason for the drawings. The museum includes Polasek's former retirement home, studio, galleries, and chapel, as well as surrounding gardens containing figurative sculpture and mythological pieces.

Another attraction in Winter Park was Harry P. Leu Garden. An immense garden alongside a large lake with many trees, flowers and vines. The different item was a clock in the outer part of the garden. It was apparently run by a motor and place on a slant wall surrounded by petunias it was 12 ft in diameter. The time was right on 3:15, I had to wait until the minute hand moved to 25 to show the difference. During that time Steve A. called and they were in Marco Island, he asked where we ate and it turns out they are staying right across from the restaurant we ate at last week. Ya never know.

Where now? It turned out we got the answer from Danielle’s friend – Flat Stanley – he wanted to go to see the gulf. So westward we went to St. Pete. We plan on showing him the gulf tomorrow, those interested in him please write and I will explain this school project.

The traffic was heavy but interesting. Alongside came a pewter C5 Z06 and next to him a black Porsche turbo. They were pacing each other that meant to me if they had a chance they would see who would come out on top. When they got 5 car lengths ahead of me an opening to the right of the Vette came open, he burst through the small opening and the Porsche right after him. All I could see because of the many cars in between was two guys racing each other. Two minutes later another Z06 came by. I have seen many of them down here, also a lot of the new Pontiac Solstice converts.

Time for supper, we had passed the Texas Cattle Company – Worlds Greatest Steaks. According to the waitress, the owner originated Red Lobster and sold it to General Mills. Turns out it is one of eight in a local chain now owned by that same man. He also has one of the ten top steakhouses in the country – Charley’s in Orlando. Sounds like another adventure to me. Shirleen had a Tobin Cabernet and I a Rosemont Shiraz. Her fillet Mignon and my T-bone were real tasty. As we went into the restaurant we thought about our experience in the Cattle Company Steakhouse in the Twin Cities, that was a disaster and there are no longer open. This is not part of that chain.

Tomorrow will be another adventure I am sure. jerr