Tarpon Springs is a Greek town. It is known for the sponge divers and sponge industry. There are many Greek restaurants, bakeries, cigar shops, of course about 20 stores selling sponges. There are many sponge and fishing boats docked right along the wall by the main street of town. The sponge divers will drop the sponges on the sidewalk and sort them. We found a diver who let little kids help him sort. A unique tourist town.
Kids sorting sponges on the dock. I bet they didn’t smell too good when they were done. Those things stink until thoroughly cleaned.This sponge diver had a lot of sponges on his boat. He told us sponges are animals and they have a membrane on top. They put them under a tarp to let them rot a few days then they wash them and sort them. His are cleaned and sorted waiting for the wholesaler to come by.
When we arrived Herb Seaton, who is Tarpon Springs Harbor Host, met us. He brought us a map and circled the places and restaurants not to miss in town. He brought us a box of strudel, and blackberry honey. He also found a source to get Stone crab very inexpensively. He met us for dinner and dock tails several nights. He’s a funny man. He calls his X-wives, Plaintiff one, Plaintiff two, and Plaintiff three.
Stone crab claws. Our new favorite seafood. These crabs have one big claw and one small one. They take just the big claw and throw them back. They will grow a new claw. Now there is a renewable resource.Do you see anything wrong with this picture. That’s called life on a boat.
Herb took us to an amazing Greek Restaurant. They lit the cheese and we all yelled Ooopah! Great fun. Food was amazing. He told us why Tarpon Spring is so predominantly Greek. Back in the early 1900s sponges were harvested in Key West until they were discovered in the waters of Tarpon Springs. The problem was the people in the US didn’t have the capacity to free dive for as long and deep as it was needed to harvest sponges. So, they went to Greece and brought back 300 young men and some of their families. These men harvested the sponges. The families opened restaurants and bakeries. The Greek heritage has stayed and has made Tarpon Springs a unique place.
Oopah!! at Costa’s Restaurant. Great food. Best Pita bread I have ever had.After dinner Steve suggested we walk the town, thinking he was safe that all the shops would be closed. He was wrong! Theresa and I found these lost soles on a bench.We later found this sign outside a bar, but it was too late we had already agreed to head back to the boat.All the sponge boats and fishing boats are tied up on the wall that lines the town.
Here are some other pictures we took on a dinghy ride on the Anclote River that leads to Tarpon Springs.
This looks like a restoration project that will take many years. I bet it will be cool when done.
Pretty typical looking fishing boat. They are working boats and look like it.Our dinghy friends, Steve and Teresa and their daughter Amanda. Now that is a pretty fishing boat behind them.Now there are a couple of good looking boats.
Thanks for reading.
Scott and Karen
Unique Random Picture:
We were in a great little shop that sold metal and rustic items. The shop was an old sponge warehouse. In the aback we found this. It is a sponge compressor. Sponges used to be sold by weight. They would pack them in wooden crates and compact them with this gizzy to get as many in as possible for shipping.
