Ybor and Bayshore

Yesterday was one of those spectacular Florida winter days with a cloudless sky and bright sun -- the type of sun that casts shadows turning even mundane streetscapes into something wonderful. It was also really cold -- 38º F (or 3º C) when I went to Dunkin' Donuts in the morning. This morning it's 45º (or 7º C) so slightly better, and of course I'm back at Dunkin', pumping out a blog post before driving to Bradenton to pick up Dave.

I had a leisurely morning yesterday before driving into Tampa to meet my friends Sue and John, who I've known since college. Remember me mentioning the Rod N' Reel Pier in Anna Maria a couple of days ago -- the one destroyed by last fall's hurricanes? Well, John and Sue are the friends who sat with me on that pier on so many evenings back in the '80s and '90s. I always try to connect with them when I pass through Tampa.

We met in Ybor City, the historic Cuban/Italian quarter where cigars were hand-rolled in gigantic brick warehouses at the dawn of the 20th century. Now it's the arts and entertainment district, with a thriving bar and nightlife culture, and lots of popular restaurants. It retains some elements of its previous identity, such as the terrazzo floor at the entrance to the former Max Argintar menswear store.

John, Sue and I ate at Carmine's, where I ordered the hot pressed Cuban sandwich and black bean soup (with onions, please). We used to go to Carmine's when it was squeezed into a much smaller space and one of John's friends performed in a band there. I remember being crammed into that tiny space and dancing to their cover of the Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun," which was always the high point of their set, at least to us.

Anyway, Carmine's is a lot different these days and I have no idea where John's musician friend might be, but suffice to say, I share a lot of history with John and Sue. We talked mainly about retirement options and the dismal state of the newspaper industry, because we are journalists (or former journalists) of a certain age.

Afterwards Sue and I got a Cuban coffee at the nearby Hotel Haya, which I didn't even know existed. It's quite swank, with a palm-fringed pool in a sunny courtyard, and I'd love to stay there sometime. And the cafe makes a mean Cuban coffee! It's next to the site of the former El Goya, a renowned drag bar back in the '70s and '80s (which became Tracks, a popular gay dance club where I spent a lot of nights dancing in my college years).

Afterwards, I drove down sunny Bayshore Boulevard to Ballast Point Park, which offers spectacular views of the city across the bay. Again, this was a favorite spot during my college years. I'd drive down and study at one of the tables with a coffee from the fishing shop next to the pier. Nowadays the fishing shop has become a gleaming little cafe called Leon's Lobstah Shack, but it still sells a good cup of coffee. (It may sound like I'm over-caffeinating but that Cuban coffee was small.)

The pier at Ballast Point is closed, because of hurricane damage, I believe. But there's a shorter dock (above) where a couple of anglers were trying for the day's catch.

I mentioned how great it is to drive down Bayshore Boulevard, one of Tampa's most exclusive addresses. I made a little video to replicate the experience, as if you're in my car listening to my iTunes while soaking up the sunshine. (Specifically, you're hearing Astrud Gilberto's "Canoeiro." And before you chastise me for filming while driving, all I did is hold my phone out the window without watching the screen, so my eyes were still on the road.) You'll see some cones and barricades, and that's because the Gasparilla Distance Classic is being run on Bayshore this weekend. At the end, you get a quiet moment at Ballast Point, listening to the waves. Enjoy!

Last night I went to dinner with my step-sister, her husband and her son. We went to a neighborhood steak place where the steak was good but the martini was marginal.

By the way, I apologize for being unable to answer all your comments -- I don't have much opportunity to be online at the moment -- but I am am reading and enjoying them all! Dave and I will be winging back to London this evening. Coming to you tomorrow from the land of Olga!