Ybor City...Party Town

My paintings are photographed at Eagle Photographics in Tampa. It's a bit of a drive, especially now at $4.00 a gallon, but well-worth their knowledgeable professionalism. We call for an appointment to ensure photographing can be accomplished same-day. In the meantime while we wait, we head off to Ybor City, a neighborhood just east of downtown Tampa rich in Cuban history. Then it's lunch at Carmine's Restaurant for authentic Cuban sandwiches with the real-deal fresh baked bread. 

Heaven, I tell ya.

On my bucket list: a Saturday night of bar-hopping on 7th Avenue. (Séptimo Avenjue)

 It's sleepy by day, but with all the restaurants, bars and cafes, we know its resurrects at sundown.

It has a New Orleans feel, but I imagine Havana fifty years ago. Hand rolling of cigars is still prevalent in many storefronts. You can watch the ladies skilled with tobacco leaves.

The Columbia Restaurant is the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in North America. Amazing hand-painted tiles line the building for a city block.

A skilled craftswoman works at preserving the intricate tiles.

"It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future." - William Murtagh