1219 February 23, 2025 Mallory Square
I walked in the nearby neighborhood this morning; through the streets with the chickens and the roosters. The houses were packed tightly together but everything was neat and tidy.
This campground had been renovated and we like it here so much better than we did years ago!
We spent the day waiting for Tim’s bike to be repaired. He had his cables and gears messed up. He has been riding this way for weeks now. There is a bike rental and repair shop adjacent to the campground and so this was a good opportunity to get things fixed. He took the bike on Saturday and we were hoping it would be ready so that we could ride today. We waited until lunchtime and then decided to walk across the campground to a little hole-in-the wall food truck. We had access via a small alley. One Love, serves Jamaican cuisine. I ordered mahi tacos and Tim had a tuna poke bowl. We listened to Jamaican music as we waited. The food was perfectly seasoned and flavorful. We had a delicious meal!
Tim went to check on his bike after lunch…still no progress…except for the promise that it would be ready before 5pm. We relaxed and read and sat outside.
Tim finally got his bike back and it rides like a dream…like a new bike!
This evening, we drove to Key West. We found parking in a public lot for $30.00. We had to return by 9am Monday to get our car or have it towed. We were fairly certain we would be back by then!
We walked up Duval Street.
We went to one of our old favorites, Smokin’ Tuna, but when we got there, it was The Alamo. They still had a cool outdoor seating area and live music and so we sat and had a drink. We didn’t get food because the reviews were not that favorable and because we had been wanting Smokin’ Tuna!
We walked to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration. We watched the street performers and the rest of the spectacle that is Key West.
Cruise ship departing at sunset.
We walked to the old Custom’s Building. The masonry work here is outstanding and we always come to take a look.
We strolled further along the docks and actually saw the sun go down from another quieter place. I took a few pictures and then put my camera away and just watched.
We were hungry and so we left Mallory Square with the throng of other hungry people also leaving. We tried Salty Frog’s. We found a table and waited for a while. We looked at the menu, ready to order when a server happened by, and listened to the live music. The restaurant was quite obviously slammed and we finally decided to find another place to eat. We went to a Cuban place where we had eaten before but there was a line of people waiting. We passed a bunch of ice cream places, ice cream is Tim’s kryptonite, and when we passed a guy holding a huge banana split, there was a moment when Tim almost opted for ice cream for dinner.
Around the corner, we found Bruschetta’s, an authentic Italian restaurant. We got the last table on the sidewalk. It was a fun place to sit. We were right at the maître d’ stand. The guy in charge of seating, who may have been the owner, did not speak any English. He held up his phone and he had us speak into it and then he used Google translate. It was kind of comical to watch him interact with patrons. Frank Sinatra sang to us through the speakers. Tim had chicken marsala with homemade pasta and I had mussels in the most lemony and garlicy sauce.
Our young, Italian server, asked us where we were traveling from. We told her how we lived in our RV and traveled and how we considered ourselves very lucky to be doing what we do. Her reply surprised us. She said: “Yes, you are lucky and good for you for using your luck. So many people are lucky and they don’t use it!” It made us think and yes, we know people who are lucky and don’t use it. We have never heard it put quite this way…perspective!
Kyle called to Facetime as we were paying for dinner and then we walked across the street to chat. As I was talking, Tim wandered away. He soon came back with a container with two pieces of baklava nestled inside. He had gone into Baklava, The Art of Dessert. Inside there were about one hundred different kinds of beautiful desserts. He selected the baklava and brought it to me. It was the most amazing baklava I have ever had. Flaky and nutty and dripping with honey. Our fingers were sticky when we finished and we were full!
We walked around Key West and then to the Jeep. Always classic rock at Hog’s Breath Saloon.
We had a wonderful evening!