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You Are Here: Home » Discover Us » History » My Big Fat Greek Vacation »
By Kate Pursell
The Jan. 6 Epiphany Celebration in Tarpon Springs brings out young men of Greek heritage with a special intent: Dive into the chilly Tarpon Springs water and bring back a cross.
George Billiris grins broadly at the memory of his dive so many years ago when he managed to snag just a fifth of it because in those days “it wasn’t just the young lads but also the professional (sponge) divers and there was no politeness about it.’’
As he stretches back in his chair at a local cafe and adjusts his Greek fisherman cap, Billiris, now in his late 70s, recounts Tarpon Springs’ early days when his grandfather arrived to start the family sponge-diving business and a tourist boat enterprise.
Greek sponge divers converged on Tarpon Springs in the early 1900s and developed the world’s largest sponge industry. The city has “sister-city’’ status with a Greek Island, Billiris explains, and Greek divers are brought over to work.
“We want to retain the Greek reality here,’’ he says as he gestures toward the sponge boats, which are based on a 2,500-year-old design.
It’s All Greek To Me
Though most people’s introduction to Greek came courtesy of the recent popular movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Tarpon Springs offers a real education in Greek life and culture – minus the baby blue bridesmaid dresses and cure-all Windex.
Visitors can cruise local waters on the St. Nicholas Boat Line and see a live demonstration of sponge harvesting. Or they can cruise through the streets, stopping at local shops and cafés such as Mykonos, where the aroma of roasted leg of lamb wafts throughout as patrons soak up the atmosphere.
At the Opa Café, just off Main Street, the waitresses and customers all seem to be speaking Greek as delicious, strong coffee is poured and plates of spanakopita (spinach pie in filo dough) and mousaka are served.
At Pappas’ Riverside Restaurant, one patron enthuses over the pastitsio (ground beef, pasta, onions and Kefalotyri cheese) and the waterfront view.
Need to work off a few calories? Head to nearby Anderson Park on Lake Tarpon (boat access to the lake and a nature trail), as well as the glorious Gulf of Mexico to the west, where you can stop at Sunset Beach Park during sunset for a picture-perfect moment. The Fred Howard Park offers sheltered pavilions, playgrounds and barbecue grills. Rent a boat, go fishing in-shore or off, take a cruise down the Anclote River (the lighthouse was built in 1887), or bike your way to many scenic spots.
With so much to see and do, plan on staying a few days. The Spring Bayou Inn in Tarpon Springs is a charming, quaint bed-and-breakfast with six rooms with private bath. A wrap-around front porch, heart-of-pine original woodwork and a baby grand piano in the parlor add to its charm, as does the scrumptious breakfasts (sausage skewers, omelettes, raspberry coffee cake and baked pears on a recent morning).
From the Greek Isles to the Scottish Highlands
In nearby Dunedin, the waterfront Best Western Yacht Harbor Inn & Suites offers spectacular views of the water and quick access to the charm of Dunedin, which reflects its Scottish heritage with kilt-bedecked, bag-piped statues at either end of the city limits and a community newspaper, the Dunedin Highlander, with a tartan-plaid masthead. Docks built to accommodate schooners drew pioneers from as far as Scotland, and Dunedin became a chief Florida seaport.
Today, the town’s upscale shops and restaurants (The Black Pearl features a cedar-planked salmon filet) draw many visitors. Once such tourist, Maureen Reynolds, “left Rochester (N.Y.) yesterday when it was 39 degrees,’’ and was reveling in the mild temps as she and her granddaughter did some early Christmas shopping.
Mary MacDonald of Spring Hill brought her three daughters to The Scottish Accent, which offers Highland apparel, foods, gifts and music, before heading over to a Scottish parade where the girls were set to perform Scottish dances.
Here you don’t need a long plane ride to “travel” to another country. Best of all is the sublime weather during our “winter’’ months, with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine to make your visit perfect.
For more information on Tarpon Springs and Dunedin, call the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 877-352-3224.
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Copyright ©2007 St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.