Monday, May 27, 2013

World's Worst Cook and a Key West blog

Despite being the world's worst cook, I've decided to have a little fun and try to make some stuff.  At the same time I want to diversify this blog, just a little, and so to kill two birds with one stone I'm going to write up my cooking as a post.  Whatever I cook shall cook have some, albeit tenuous, link to Key West!  For example, my first recipe on this blog will be my special Key Lime drizzle cake - with a twist.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

White Street pier

Get off the island and get away from it all: Take a walk down the White Street pier in Key West!  Jutting out a few hundred yards into the Atlantic Ocean surround yourself with water, wind and open vistas of the south side of Key West.  The pier is hard, minimalist, brutalist concrete; the views from the end of the pier are panoramic.

And if you're very lucky, as I was for a short while, you'll be Alone on White Street Pier.
White Street Pier in Key West.  The distinctive combination of white concrete and black lights.
The end (inverted L-shaped bit) of White Street pier.  Alone on the pier.  Unusual not to see fishermen here.
Human sundial: KeyWestDavid is the gnomon, White Street pier is the sundial.  Can you work out what time it is?
One sailing boat, one bench.
My video - me and a seagull, and the fantastic views from the pier....

Snooze with a view.  Doesn't he look peaceful?
Looking north west from its pier along the length of White Street.
Compass rose painted on the concrete floor at the end of White Street pier.  The M is a W (West)
Not the Southernmost point.
Arty view along the wall of the White Street pier.  In the background a water sports hire center at Smathers beach.
You're never truly alone on the White Street pier!
Frequent sight from the pier - an American Eagle flight from Miami just about to land at Key West "International" airport

You can see the control tower of the airport, and on the right the bricks of the Fort East Martello Museum
Superzoom from the White Street pier looking towards Old Town.  In the foreground the broken pier legs of Higgs Beach pier.  In the far background the yellow accommodation of the Southermost Hotel and the end of Simonton Street, where Atlantic Shores used to be.
Clear shallow water, taken from White Street pier on a calm day.  This is about the best clear / shallow water you'll get anywhere in Key West.
Smathers beach from White Street pier
Looking south south east as far as the eye can see from White Street pier.  Can you see Cuba in the distance? (the answer is no as it's 90 miles away but if you sail this way, you'll hit it!)