Sunday, December 22, 2013

Melody Visits Tarpon Springs, Florida

Dear World,
On Sunday, Melody visited Tarpon Springs, Florida. We ate lunch at Hella's Restaurant, picked up some delicious pastries at the bakery, and then walked along the sponge docks.  We saw huge fishing boats, and smaller sponge boats.  Everyone was speaking a different language: Greek!

According to the Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society, Tarpon Springs was originally settled in the 1870's.  In 1873, a turtle fisherman accidentally discovered sponges at the mouth of the Anclote River, and this began the sponge industry in Tarpon Springs. In 1905, John Corcoris brought 500 Greek divers to the area to harvest the sponges to sell, and the Greek culture transformed Tarpon Springs.  Now many tourists come to the food, tradition, and culture of these Greek immigrants.
~Ms. H.

Melody at Hellas Restaurant, one of the
popular places to get Greek food in
Tarpon Springs.
(This restaurant is very wheelchair friendly.)


Here Melody is next to a sponge boat; you can see the sponges on the top of the boat.


This is the bakery at Hellas; they have wonderful pastries and desserts. Melody picked up a surprise for the class...


Melody got to sit on the pier at the sponge docks. You can see a fishing boat in the background.