Taking a Walk in Gulfport, Florida

Since we couldn't get together on Mother's Day my son called to invite me to lunch the next day, which turned into supper (you know how it goes). Once he arrived, we decided on the spur of the moment to cruise for a place to eat in Gulfport, FL.

We chose O'Maddy's, because it overlooks the bay and the pier on one side and a little park on the other. Besides, who wouldn't want to sit outside and enjoy the bay breeze, having their 5 o'clock Margarita.

 After dinner we took a little walk on the pier.

Not being a fisher(wo)man I was intrigued that they had a fish cleaning table right on the pier. Complete with a hose and instructions on how to throw a fish back into the water without causing harm to the fish.

My son mentioned that the other end of the pier is a great spot for netting blue crab.

Here is a shot looking back towards Gulfport and the seaside park, taken from the pier.

Always interested in buildings, I had to photograph the pub signage next to our restaurant - while being entertained by the spirited singing of an Irish tune from within.

My son told me it is a lively place after dark - I bet!

That is a fish ontop of the building in case you are wondering.

Gulfport, Forida is a small seaside community with an artsy flavor, neat shops, known for it's art galleries, cool restaurants and bohemian outdoor cafe's.

We only took a brief stroll, but I believe it will give you an impression and feel for this still somewhat dreamy, seaside resort, frequented by tourists from everwhere, including Germany and Great Britain.

These happy little fish set the tone for our early evening walk.

Many of the cottages are either rented to vacationers or have been converted to shops.

I liked the enchanted mural on this little cottage turned book shop.

It was past six so the little shop was closed, but I am dying to find out what kind of books they carry.

I was disappointed to find the trattoria closed for the day too.

What a great place to sip a glass of Chianti.

Definitely looked like a slice of Italy to me.

Now here is another intriguing shop - I've been thinking about getting a rain barrel for some time. I wonder what else they have. Canoes, not my thing .....

Notice the Happy Mother's Day sign.

Arbor with purple bougainvillea.

 My son standing under the arbor.

I appreciate architecture and this old victorian seaside charmer looked beautiful to me.

It is now a Spa and Cafe.

On the opposite side of the street were more colorful buildings all decked out with murals.

I love flamingoes so I was drawn to this entrance mural like a moth to the flame.

A few steps away was a souvenir shop with a serene mural painted and signed by the artist. I could not get the signature into the picture, but you can see it is a work of art.

We ended our evening with a drink and a superbly prepared lobster ravioli appetizer at this little gem of a restaurant.

The huge veranda on the left side (you can spot the ceiling dotted with Christmas lights) is where we dined

 ... and watched this heron claim his fish from the restaurant kitchen.

Thank you for coming along on our walk!

All images taken by Rose H. on 5-12-2008 with an Olympus D-540 digital camera.