We got off the ice at 10:30 p.m. CCB and I hit the Ellenton Applebee’s for some appetizers, then swung by Bradenton’s Rasher Tierney’s on the way back to Sarasota. The bartender, examining our IDs, commented in his natural Irish accent that CCB and I have Welsh and Scottish surnames, respectively. I thought this might be a volatile mixture of Britannic barbarians, but the Irishman seemed ok with the idea. Though he did make us wait 15 minutes for our pints of Guinness. Apparently Welsh and Scots aren’t worthy of such a fine Irish brew. (Actually, he was incredibly apologetic for forgetting about us—Celts unite!)
GUINNESS: Building bridges between the Celts.
After all three of our tennis balls wound up in various bushes outside the court, we retrieved them and continued into downtown. We had coffee at Starbucks, shopped for furniture at Twice’s Nice on Fruitville and the Woman’s Exchange on Orange. We rode through the newly renovated Payne Park, pondering tennis on the fancy courts there (until we realized there’s an hourly charge). Instead, we headed to the courts in shady Gillespie Park (for another match, then slowly made our way back to Indian Beach. All told, it was a 3.5-hour excursion for the price of a couple coffees and some Gatorade.
COURTSHIP: The beauty of free tennis at Pioneer and Gillespie parks.
OAK AL FRESCO: The soothing outdoor tables at Ca’Rina.