Lunch with a Dear Writer Friend in Osprey, Florida

 The main reason for coming back to Sarasota was to meet with our widow friend Jo...

Here we are at The Point in Osprey, Florida.

Jo, with her late husband Dennis, whom we lost on December 20, 2016, used to come here by boat at little Sarasota Bay.

We have come back to Sarasota numerous times, such as here with Dennis still with us: {Made In Italy Pizzeria in Venice, Florida with Friends}

We have met through blogger friends... 

Picture taken by Dennis on June 29, 2016 at the lobby of the very Hyatt Regency where we were staying also this time...

Who could have known that less than 6 months later our dear friend Dennis would be gone.

One more reason for never postponing things; do it while your'e all still alive!

It is said that Jo is the spitting image of me...

We have so much in common, she used to design and sew her clothes and she's an excellent Lady Chef.

Jo's cookbook is exceptional: The Treasures of My Family Cooking Italian Cookbook available at Apple Books

Pastry recipes included in the book were served to the King and Queen of Naples.

But also available as a printed book in exceptional paper quality in color on 141 pages!

Just email Jo: The Treasures of My Family Cooking Italian Cookbook for obtaining this book for $ 39.95.

A TRUE Treasure!

An exotic friend from Chenectady, New York but she studied abroad in Naples...

Living in Sarasota, Florida and she often visited back with her relatives in Naples.

Who would NOT love to make an authentic Tira Mi Su?

It is all in her special book!

Beautiful photo from The Point, taken by Jo.

This was my version, from where we were seated.

The restaurant has three levels, with third floor bar for spectacular sunset views...

Husband Pieter opted for the Flat Top Grouper Tacos and I tried the Mini Lobster Rolls (2).

Pieter's Flat Top Grouper Tacos

My delicious Mini Lobster Rolls

It was heartwarming to read this on my MacBook later in the afternoon...

Jo wrote: Wonderful lunch with my best friends Mariette and Pieter. All the way from Georgia. ❤️❤️ priceless.

Pieter mentioned: That was so very special with perfect weather and what a VIEW! Thank you dear friend and Dennis was with us in thoughts...

Jo: Pieter thank you my dearest friend. May God bless you always.

Another of my longtime blogger friends Barbara replied:

Three of my favorite folks!

Jo: Barbara love you. Thank you. They are the greatest.

Another blogger friend Carole from Katie Isabella tuned in:

Oh you are friends with my dear friend Mariette!

Jo: Carole yes. Love her.

Carol: Jo me as well! And Pieter too.

Jo: Carole yes. ❤️❤️

I've added: Perfect weather and such a nice historical spot at The Point.

Jo: Mariette so happy we had great weather. Loved being with you.

Hope we get to do this again soon.

Love you.

It was such a wonderful get together and it feels as good for the soul as for the stomach to have such a lunch at a beautiful place!

Since Jo is a writer, we wanted to show her our book but we forgot...

So Pieter posed with it once we got back at the Hyatt Regency, to forward to Jo...

Then we both went for a lovely walk but will show that later 😏

Related link:

{Columbus Day and Saint Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida} | previous post where we explored the area where Jo and Dennis had their business...

From Lakeland, to Sarasota via Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida

 After two nights at the Hyatt Place in Lakeland, Florida, I was driving to our next hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota and I opted to take the scenic route over the I-275 South, Sunshine Skyway (tall and long bridge) Bradenton.

It is said that it is one of the world's longest cable stayed, concrete bridges.

With its 6.7 km length or 4.14 miles it goes up 131 m or 430 feet and one of the most spectacular bridges in the world!

Over the years, they now have added a suicide fence on both sides...

Good short video: Ride in to the sky!!! Sunshine Skyway Bridge - Tampa Bay (Florida)  

Below post you can view my 1.5 min. Relive capture, but bear in mind that it was quite difficult to capture any 'good' images with one hand while driving at a speed of over 50 miles. My husband Pieter no longer can do this for me, as his eye sight is not well enough and especially not at high speed.

Our destination, the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota...

Guess we were having the BEST weather we ever have had over 38 years, driving down to Florida!

Blue skies and no rain.

View from our room #931 at the Hyatt Regency... in the back you see the beautiful Ritz Carlton Sarasota.

Not really that warm on the day of arrival, after a cold spell that reached far South.

But clear and sunny and for all three coming days that we would be here!

18℃ is 64℉ for those that would not know...

24℃ is 75℉

27℃ is 80℉

You also see that the nights are warming up again!

Decided to ride the elevator down from our 9th floor, and go for a walk, while my Pieter was taking his 'delayed' nap!

Wrote him a note for IF he would wake up and not seeing me...

As you can see again from the outside where I stepped out of the door, a picture perfect day at a lovely location.

So happy with our 3 FREE nights on points, that we accumulated over the years.

There was a lot of construction going on alongside the Sarasota Bay area... could not walk further here as I hit a fence.

Picture from the front entrance of the Hyatt Regency

Enjoyed walking on the other side of the road into this lovely Van Weezel Way at Sarasota Bay area.

In the distance you see the John Ringling Causeway Bridge towards Saint Armands Circle on Lido Key.

Photo taken near Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

This was near the spot where I've captured in 2014 the Anhinga: {Sarasota Bay, Florida - Anhinga} ←click link.

Walking behind our hotel, I enjoyed watching these brown pelicans.

Diving ever so fast and when they resurfaced they had scooped up a fish...

Hence that kind of 'bag' under their beak. They then swallowed it down and flew off in order to dive again!

Do you see the pelican in the center, ready to dive?

Right before the entrance door, from the backside of the Hyatt Regency, this juvenile Snowy Egret in residence was greeting me.

My Pieter was still happily napping between the goose down duvet and pillows...

So he had not yet read my note about me walking! 😉

A beautiful sunset on our first evening back in Sarasota Bay...

{Award Nights at Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida} We already enjoyed a stay in 2016 

{Sarasota, Florida - Hyatt Regency} and in 2014 and once before that...

Click in center...

My Drive to Lakeland, Florida for Visiting Friends

 For several decades we do have special Friends in Lakeland, Florida.

They used to live right here in Dublin, Georgia...

But the distance never kept us away from each other!

This meant 691.4 km or 429.4 mi.

Putting the nose of our Infiniti QX50 Southbound and off we went.

Only 5 hours and 55 minutes later, we arrived at our Hyatt Place in Lakeland!

Next day on a Sunday, our Friends came to pick us up in the afternoon.

A little sight seeing and also a visit to the Polk Museum of Art; very interesting!

We were impressed by the life sized images by Peter Menzel, who visited various cultures around the world. Visiting thirty different countries and staying for one week with each family.

Menzel photographed these families outside of their homes, along with all of their possessions.

Also with the entire ingredients for the food they lived on for one week, with their families...

Quite an eye opener!

There also is a book: MATERIAL WORLD: A GLOBAL FAMILY PORTRAIT

We went to their home and there was supposed to be a rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, which is visible from their back yard.

But it never happened... 

We went together to a Thai restaurant for a fun supper together as friends.

A very happy Sunday afternoon!

Previous post: {Dinner with Friends in Lakeland, Florida}

On February 22, 2017, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Fort Meyers, Florida and from there we visited our friends' Parents in Sebring. 

We all met at their home, except for Roman's wife who had to work.

So glad we literally went the extra mile these two days, for driving from Dublin to Fort Meyers those 815 km or 506 mi. Just for staying three nights, to visit our dear friends.

Mother Yolanda was in hospice and she passed away on May 31, 2017.