Lights and Sounds of Christmas in Jacksonville

Before going to The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens last Tuesday, I went to Friendship Park in Jacksonville.  There is a pretty fountain there in which the music and lights are programmed with the water to make a gorgeous display!  This fountain is close to the Main Street bridge, otherwise known to me as the blue bridge, which was even bluer with its lights!

I walked part way up to the top of the bridge, which was easy to do and very popular with joggers!  It is a drawbridge and before I got to the top, traffic was halted and crossing bars went down so the bridge could open for a sailboat.  I didn't complete my walk up to the top of the bridge and down to the other side to the Jacksonville Landing, but I had a great view of the Landing from my position on the bridge.

The lights back at Friendship Park and Fountain seemed to be even more spectacular, since the sun had set.

After taking more photos, and wishing that I had brought a tripod to take the evening shots, I went to The Cummer which had two great exhibits going on.  One was a photographic study of people and customs in Africa that was just about ready to leave the museum.  The other was the first night of a special exhibit of paintings about Florida.

Swimming and sailing

How inspiring the Olympics have been!

I keep thinking of all the hard work and practice involved in learning a sport and then being able to continue on and excel in it!  It reminds me of a day in Cassis, in the south of France, this summer.  I wandered around enjoying the sun and the breeze and of course the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

As I was taking photos of the crowded beach and also the way the water was splashing against the rocks, I noticed a group of young sailors out in the water...learning how to maneuver their little boats.

It was a joy to see how they kept practicing and working at their sailing lesson for the morning -- and how happy they were when they felt they had done well and came ashore.