Veering far afield from her native Finland, Jansson (of Moomin fame) writes of the denizens of St. Petersburg, Florida, and its retirement community. They live in retirement hotels, within walking distance of the piers and parks, not to mention the Bounty. Built as a full-scale replica for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty, it served as a tourist attraction connected with the St. Petersburg Museum of History from the mid-60s through the mid-80s, and its masts are easily viewed from the porches and verandas of the hotels.
The quirky residents have settled in to their daily routines, a good deal of which is spent in the rocking chairs on the veranda. Not even death will disturb the seating pattern, mind you, even if it means a gap here and there. The highlight of the season is the Spring Ball, and let us just say, passions run high.
My favorite characters were the young Linda, who keeps the Berkeley Arms hotel running, and her boyfriend Bounty Joe. Bounty Joe is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he he’s a sweetheart who loves his job on the tourist attraction, greeting all who board with plastic hibiscus flowers. Unfortunately, he and Linda ran into some flower people (hey, it’s the 70s) down in Miami who told them Jesus was coming any day now, and they would be sure to let them know when he did. It’s been a while now, but Joe lives in daily expectation of that message coming in the mail. Aw, sweet summer child.
Such a 70s vibe. And for what it’s worth. I visited St. Petersburg at the age of nine (about a decade before this), and they had the Best Museum Ever. It was in a sprawling Art Deco mansion with fabulous gardens, and was a museum dedicated to people’s collections of stuff. Matchbooks! Music boxes! Porcelain animals! You just wandered from room to room never knowing what delight you would find next. I don’t think it’s around anymore, alas.