Page 8 - Martin Downs Bulletin - February '21

Page 8, Martin Downs

travel

Visby, Gotland: Starting Its its closest neighbor. Several bays
interrupt the limestone coastline of
Fifth Millennium Gotland, while the interior of the
island has numerous clay-covered
By Don Kiselewski, MCC, bogs. The western side has steep
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens cliffs and is covered by conifers,
Travel Leaders while most of the island is used
Perhaps you watched for farming.
TV, as I did, 20 years ago Examples of the Bronze Age
on New Year ’s Eve, when were found in coinage discovered
we celebrated the end of on the island. Gotland’s inhabitants
the second millennium traded during this period with
and beginning of the third. peoples on the eastern and
As the world turned, the southern shores of the Baltic.
television presentations Later evidence pointed toward the
from each of the most ties the island had with Rome and Windmills dot the countryside in Gotland.
prestigious cities in each time zone created an image the Islamic and Byzantine empires.
of the occasion that excited the imagination. It was The 12 century brought Gotland
th
communications and technology at its best and it rightly into prominence. Its traders –
should be given credit for the spectacular event that we representing the peasant society
witnessed. But, it was the beauty of the cities themselves on the island – had trading houses
that left the lasting impression of entering into the new to Novgorod and dominated the
millennium. Man has truly built wonders on our earth. routes between Western Europe
As I watched, it became apparent that the majority of and Russia. The German trading
the cities highlighted during the presentation weren’t there class was quickly drawn to Gotland
a half millennium ago. And then, there are cities like Visby, activities and as a result, Visby
Gotland that preceded Christ by 2,000 years. Names like was invited to join the Hanseatic
Sydney, Paris, Washington, and New York automatically League. Trade flourished until the
paint pictures in our mind – but Visby? mid-14 century, with most of the
th
I tried a little experiment last week and asked a few Novgorod (northwestern Russia) Red-tiled roof buildings in Visby, built outside the great wall, now fill the land from the
people whether they had ever heard of Gotland or Visby. trade passing through the island. city to the harbor.
As one might expect, the replies were about the same as The prosperity of the time was
Jay Leno gets when he conducts his “person on the street” reflected in the many fine churches and cathedrals built outside the wall at Visby. The next 300 years brought shifts
interviews – lots of positive answers, but none were right. during this period (97 in the countryside and 17 in Visby). to the trade route and dominance by Denmark, the Hanseatic
Visby, Gotland got the same results. Gotland became part of Sweden around 900 A.D., paying League and other privateers, as well as the Teutonic Knights.
The first thing you should know is that Gotland is an its taxes and looking only for protection. Otherwise Gotland Sweden got it back in 1645, but by then the island had become
island. It’s actually the biggest island in the Baltic Sea, wished to remain an independent, passive community. It impoverished and had lost its importance in the Baltic.
some 75 miles long by 35 miles wide. The island is located remained fairly peaceful until 1361, when Danish King
about 55 miles off the west coast of Sweden, with Latvia as Valdemar IV Atterdag conquered Gotland in a battle just Travel on page 9

Art HAppenings

ArtsFest 2021 Unveiled From Feb. 7 to 20, entries will be available for dine-in
or take-out, giving you the chance to vote for your favorite.
By Jackie Holfelder Participating chefs are:
It’s time for ArtsFest! This year’s safe yet sensational • Eric Hayes, District Table, Port Salerno
event takes place Feb. 20 to 21 at Gazebo Park in • Cody Harvey, Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House, Jensen
downtown Stuart. Hours both days are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beach
ArtsFest has been the signature cultural event of The • Mark Muller, Ellie’s Deli, Stuart
Arts Foundation for Martin County for the past 34 years. • Aldo Ramirez, Spritz City Bistro, Stuart
An eye-catching alley of red roses in the medieval town of It encompasses visual, culinary and performing arts – The following live performances will take place on the stage
Visby including Shakespearean theatre – as well as multiple at the Gazebo, located next to the Court House Cultural Center,
musical acts highlighting Bahamian, Irish, Cuban, West
80 S.E. Ocean Blvd. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs
L
L AVARGNA AW PLLC African, and French cultures. or a blanket to place inside areas marked for social distancing.
“We’ve set out to create a safe environment where
Saturday, Feb. 20
attendees can celebrate the arts,” says Nancy Turrell,
Parade
CEO of The Arts Foundation for Martin County. • 11 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 1 p.m. – Junkanoo Band
. Featured will be a juried art festival with submissions • 11:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 1:30 p.m. – The Rowdy Micks
• 3 p.m. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream/A.C.T. Studio
in the categories of painting, drawing, mixed-media,
. Wills and Trusts photography, ceramics, glass, wood, sculpture, and Theatre
. Probate jewelry. Sunday, Feb. 21
Real Estate Closings
. Business Matters ArtsFest at Home will allow patrons to celebrate the • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – The Cuban Trio
spirit of the day virtually – from home – and will bring
• 1 to 2 p.m. – The Gratitude Steel Band / Eguana En Ekele’
the CHOPPED competition, hands-on kids projects and • 3 to 4 p.m. – The French Horn Collective
an artist marketplace for browsing and buying to you. Tickets are $5 per day and can be purchased in advance
ANTHONY LAVARGNA Premier community partner is Martin County’s Art in at www.artsfeststuart.org for contactless entry.18 and
ANTHONY LAVARGNA
Member of the Florida Bar Public Places Program. Colorful contemporary sculptures under, free.
Licensed in the United States
District Court, Southern and by Gary Gresko will be placed around the Gazebo. Everyone is asked to keep it safe by wearing a mask and
Middle Districts of Florida
Artist Brenda Leigh will lead attendees in laying glass keeping your distance. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed
tiles for the creation of a mural of a loggerhead turtle throughout the site.
that will be installed as part of the Art in Public Places For information, visit www.ArtsFestStuart.org.
permanent collection.
Stuart CHOPPED returns with a different spin. Local Photos by Arts Council of Martin County
chefs will prepare appetizers from locally-sourced
ingredients in their restaurant kitchens.

CARRIE LAVARGNA
CARRIE LAVARGNA
Accredited Estate Planner (AEP)
Board Certified
Real Estate Attorney
REAL ESTATE
We provide quality, personal legal services to individuals and
businesses in Martin and St. Lucie Counties and
throughout the Treasure Coast.
1805 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart Financial Center, Stuart, FL 34994
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772 286 7521
- REAL ESTATE PRACTICE TIP -

If you rent commercial o ce, retail, or warehouse space, Florida sales tax rate to use
commercial real property decreases to 5.7% on January 1, 2019. The local discretionary

sale surtax still applies. This decrease does not apply to parking or storage of motor
vehicles, docking or storage of boats or tie-down or storage of aircraft.
The Cuban Trio The Gratitude Steel Band / Eguana En Ekele’