Florida, Day 3

 Sunday, February 6

We went to the Fort Myers Art Fair. It was a pleasant day, and we were not the only people who decided it was a good day for the Art Fair. After waiting in line for next to eternity to get into the parking garage, we found a handicapped parking spot on the first floor! Our lucky day!

The Art Fair was not as good as it had been pre-pandemic. There were fewer artists and less variety in media. The bulk of the booths featured either paintings or photographs.

Masking is optional in Florida. I didn’t try to estimate the proportion of mask wearers, but it was not uncommon. I didn’t feel conspicuous wearing mine.

We stopped at the Art Fair merchandise to look at the t-shirts. There was a long-sleeved t-shirt in white, but I didn’t like the slippery feel of the fabric. Jane and I got regular t-shirts. Jan bought a long-sleeved, hooded t-shirt in black to use as a cover up at the pool. Here I am at the merchandise booth. Note the dog in the background. Everyone in Florida has a dog.

Me at the Art Fair Merchandise tent

The Art Fair had a display of garbage art, as they had when we were here 2 years ago. This sculpture is called Flotsam by Donald Gialanella of Florida. The sign reads, “Flotsam, a fish made from discarded materials, swims in an “ocean” of cans and bottles. We often throw things away without thinking where they end up. Flotsam encourages you to consider how you can reuse items in your life before throwing them away.”

Flotsam

This one is Globus, by the same artist. This sign says, “His earth-shaped body slowly filling with trash symbolizes how our planet is being inundated with materials that could otherwise be recycled. It’s an interactive community participation sculpture that focuses attention on the importance of recycling using a humorous visual analogy.” I liked the gaping mouth, wild eyes, and tiny waving arms. I could almost hear him saying, "Nom, nom, nom!" as he gobbled plastic bottles

Globus

We had tacos from one of the food vendors for lunch, sitting at a little table by a temporary stage showcasing students of an interpretive dance studio.

We looked at all the artist booths after lunch. It didn’t take long. On our way back to the condo, we stopped at Trico Seafood Market for shrimp. It is located on a back street on Fort Myers Beach. If you didn’t know where it was, I don’t know how you could find it. Jane called in the order ahead so we could have it shelled and deveined. I don’t normally mind doing the work, but we didn’t have a sharp knife in the kitchen. A sharp knife is essential. I have to give Florida credit—it is a rare treat to buy shrimp from a market with a view of the shrimp boats in the harbor.

A beautiful, huge flower bloomed on a shrub outside the market. I have no idea what it is.

Unknown flowering shrub outside the seafood market

We had happy hour on the lanai and watch the sunset. It was one of the better ones we’d seen.

Sunset

I made shrimp and linguini with lemon/wine/garlic/butter sauce. I don’t make it often at home and apparently don’t have the amount of lemon juice correctly filed in my memory. It was pretty tart. But Jane and Jan soldiered through without complaint, possibly remembering the old adage that the best food is food made by someone else.