By Mark Freedman
Greetings to our friends now basking in the warmth of late Spring, early Summer. A word or two about the current state of affairs. For the British, you are rightfully allowed to be frightened of the upcoming Halloween. For us in the US, we are frightened on a daily basis because it is Halloween every day. We don’t know from day to day what liberties will be thrown into the mire or which longtime global allies the US will insult and throw under the bus. It’s The Twilight Zone, a surrealistic TV show of days gone by, every day. That’s why we keep our eyes on the prize and so look forward to joining you soon again – once we get settled into our new surroundings and the agony of packing and unpacking a suitcase becomes a dim memory.
Since America was known as a land of renewal, a topic now quite questionable, Jayne and I struck out on our own to renew our US places and things. Everyone knows that our hearts are in Menton, but reality and bureaucracy dictate otherwise. When asked where we live we often struggled with that answer. We made that decision and just returned from a trip to Sarasota, Florida, to find a new home base. Before we left we put our flat in New Rochelle, New York, on the market and it was sold. After looking at more than 35 homes, condominiums, etc., in Sarasota we finally landed – purely by accident. Why Sarasota?
It does not snow in Sarasota! It is a city with a history of excellence in the arts, be it theatre, music of every genre, opera; you-name-it, Sarasota’s got it. There is also Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a wondrous acreage of beauty that beckons to Jayne in a number of ways. As an avid gardener, Jayne is eager to get involved, and we joined almost immediately upon arriving in Sarasota.
Pour moi, there are a number of institutions of higher learning that offer a wide variety of courses, and I might also take a part-time job at the local Barnes & Noble book store chain before holding a real book in one’s hand goes forever out of style. Failing that, there are two major wine retailers who might need some help. Above and beyond, Sarasota has a decent climate and lots of interesting people, including a few friends from past acquaintance. For example, Jayne and I went out to different musical and theatrical evenings four out of the ten evenings we were there. One was a sold-out evening tribute to Women Who Rock, held at the local baseball stadium. The three singers had a rather decent back-up band: The Sarasota Symphony Orchestra.
Another evening was spent at a cabaret presentation of music that fueled the baby boomer generation. We struck up a conversation with the couple at the next table who invited us out for drinks, and we spent the rest of the evening in interesting conversation, mainly about how we managed to just pick up and travel so freely to some interesting places in this world. They had just sold their 60-foot ‘boat’ and were rather fascinated with the thought of being foot loose and fancy free.
Now, how did we score this fabulous new apartment? We were with our real estate agents looking at an impressive flat on the fifth floor of a six-floor condominium. We asked for a two-year lease. The owner’s agent said he might think about that but really intended to sell this unit. We backed away. Jayne and I were really downcast after looking at so many unsuitable properties, then finding one that appealed to us only to have it disappear. As we were leaving the elevator, a woman met us and, noticing the estate agents, asked if we were interested in buying a unit because hers is available. We said we weren’t interested in buying but were looking for a long-term lease, and after a split-second’s thought she said, “Okay.” We went back to her apartment on the sixth floor with a much better view and hashed out a simple agreement, which we all signed a couple of days later. It’s a two-bedroom apartment with a view of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico beyond, with a couple of landmark buildings in downtown Sarasota peeking their spires above the trees. Excellent shopping and restaurants are nearby, and it’s only 15 minutes to the downtown Sarasota Opera House.
Since Menton is such a vital part of our lives, once we get settled it will be a lot easier to answer the question, “When will you be coming back?”