St Petersburg - but Not the One with Fur Hats
"We're in St Petersburg, Dad," I said to him, "but not the one that you've been to."
The Communist went on a tour of the Soviet Union in the days when it was the Soviet Union, and when St Petersburg was Leningrad.
This St Petersburg, the Florida one, was somewhat warmer and sunnier. The Communist had heard of this one, too, though.
"Are you going in the sea?" he asked, knowing my likely behaviour when presented with any beach.
"Oh yes, as soon as I've finished talking to you." It was strange, standing there on the beach, talking on my mobile to him in his nursing-home in Leeds.
"Is it safe? Are there other people in?"
"Oh yes, lots."
I lied. There was nobody at all in the sea, just the pelicans and a few gulls. Don't know why as it was a glorious day and the sea was warmer than any in Britain. But it was a public beach, clearly intended for swimming, so in I went whilst Silverback and Stephen patiently waited for me on the beach.
I didn't tell the Communist about the notice to shuffle rather than step in the sea, to avoid treading on sting rays. It never pays to start thinking about what else is in the sea when swimming, or your brain gets on to that film Jaws, and that way madness lies.
Anyway, it was three quarters of an hour of bliss, with big breakers to play in and to swim in and out of.
Here's the view from our hotel balcony in Clearwater this morning - a different beach, North Redington Beach, but they all look much like this round here:
To those who spend a lot of time in Florida, Silverback included of course, it's cooler than it often is: but to me it's so much warmer and sunnier than the average British summer - especially this year's - that I find it really incongruous when I find Christmas decorations everywhere, or little Christmassy touches like this festive giraffe, in the hotel where we are now, in St Petersburg:
I'll finish for now with just one of the many photos I took of last night's sunset, which threw up so many beautiful blues and golds it was like a mediaeval painting appearing in the sky. Silverback had said that a few clouds in the sky would make the sunset look even better, and he was most certainly correct!
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. And I saw it. By heck, I'm a long way from home. Awesome, as they say round here.
The Communist went on a tour of the Soviet Union in the days when it was the Soviet Union, and when St Petersburg was Leningrad.
This St Petersburg, the Florida one, was somewhat warmer and sunnier. The Communist had heard of this one, too, though.
"Are you going in the sea?" he asked, knowing my likely behaviour when presented with any beach.
"Oh yes, as soon as I've finished talking to you." It was strange, standing there on the beach, talking on my mobile to him in his nursing-home in Leeds.
"Is it safe? Are there other people in?"
"Oh yes, lots."
I lied. There was nobody at all in the sea, just the pelicans and a few gulls. Don't know why as it was a glorious day and the sea was warmer than any in Britain. But it was a public beach, clearly intended for swimming, so in I went whilst Silverback and Stephen patiently waited for me on the beach.
I didn't tell the Communist about the notice to shuffle rather than step in the sea, to avoid treading on sting rays. It never pays to start thinking about what else is in the sea when swimming, or your brain gets on to that film Jaws, and that way madness lies.
Anyway, it was three quarters of an hour of bliss, with big breakers to play in and to swim in and out of.
Here's the view from our hotel balcony in Clearwater this morning - a different beach, North Redington Beach, but they all look much like this round here:
To those who spend a lot of time in Florida, Silverback included of course, it's cooler than it often is: but to me it's so much warmer and sunnier than the average British summer - especially this year's - that I find it really incongruous when I find Christmas decorations everywhere, or little Christmassy touches like this festive giraffe, in the hotel where we are now, in St Petersburg:
I'll finish for now with just one of the many photos I took of last night's sunset, which threw up so many beautiful blues and golds it was like a mediaeval painting appearing in the sky. Silverback had said that a few clouds in the sky would make the sunset look even better, and he was most certainly correct!
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. And I saw it. By heck, I'm a long way from home. Awesome, as they say round here.
posted by Daphne at 11:17 pm
5 Comments:
Awesome indeed. You are obviously having a fantastic time. However... a festive giraffe?!?!
It's not the festive bit I'm worried about even though, as you say, it's must be odd to see Xmas decorations when you are somewhere so warm and sunny. But a GIRAFFE! What on earth is a giraffe (albeit not a real one) doing in a hotel lobby in St Petersburg (either Florida or Russia)?
PS love the photos, especially that fabulous sky
Loved the pics and your holiday is sounding amazing! Keep enjoying yourselves and doing lots - it will go all too fast. Keep snapping lots of pics, too!
We have an old saying: If you leave Florida with sand in your shoes, you'll always come back.
The neat thing is you don't have to TRY to put sand in your shoes; it'll be there all by itself.
It all seems to be going so well. You seem thrilled by all these new experiences in a land that sometimes feels like a filmset. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time over there. Have a nice day!
Post a Comment
<< Home