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More The Marcophile

• The Marcophile: See through and listen
• The Marcophile: New signs of good times at the Esplanade
• The Marcophile: Here and around

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Naples Zoo gets a big thumbs up from us for its support of our service men and women, the troops.

Zoo officials are offering free admission starting July 4th, this Friday, through Monday July 7th to all past and present military personnel, active duty and veterans.

Also any accompanying adults or children in their group will get $2 off regular zoo admission.

If you’re on active duty or a veteran, all you need to get into the zoo free is to have current military ID or membership card in a veterans organization, with photo ID.

Our recommendation is that you allow time on your Naples Zoo excursion for the Primate Expedition Cruise. You’ll go on a guided cruise through islands inhabited by monkeys, lemurs and apes. It’s great fun.

For details on Naples Zoo attractions, phone 262-5409 or go to www.napleszoo.org.

– Don

A salute to one of our earliest allies – St. Eustatius

Speaking of Independence Day, here’s a little-known fact about a small Caribbean island favored by some SCUBA diving Marco Islanders and other divers as well.

Named St. Eustatius, with the nickname Statia, the island is part of the Netherlands Antilles, 150 miles east of Puerto Rico. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this was a major Caribbean free port for Dutch traders. It became known in its heyday as “The Golden Rock.”

Scores of ships were anchored there most every day, dealing and trading in silver, silks, crystal, rum, slaves and guns.

The munitions connection was important to the American revolution, whose naval vessels went there often to buy guns for the war.

According to www.allatsea.net, a U.S. warship, the Andrew Doria, sailed into the harbor on Nov. 16, 1776 and fired a 13-gun salute announcing independence. The governor responded with an 11-gun salute from the Dutch fortress there, Fort Oranje.

That salute was the first such tribute by a foreign nation to the American flag. Statians still celebrate this event each year as a national holiday.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited St. Eustatius in 1937 and presented a plaque commemorating the recognition. Roosevelt thanked the islanders for being “America’s childhood friend.”

The Statians were so pleased that, as a 20th century tribute, they named their small airstrip, “The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airport.”

Today St. Eustatius is a favorite spot among many seasoned Caribbean travelers. Fodor (the Travel Guide) Choice recently praised the island as one of its top 10 unforgettable travel experiences.

One reason for the excellent SCUBA diving is the undersea presence of more than 100 shipwrecks – natural reefs for the colorful sea creatures that abound there.

Statia is a small island – two miles wide by five miles long – about 40 percent of Marco’s size in square miles. So how come we’re so much larger but don’t even have our own Fort?

– Chris

Vodka politics

Now that Absolut vodka has alienated many American customers, I have a quick story for you and some vodka alternative recommendations.

I first tasted Absolut when I ordered a Stolichnaya in a bar in the 80s. The bartender said, “No way pal, we don’t sell that Soviet swill anymore.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because those ^&#$% Rooskies invaded Afghanistan,” she barked.

I became an Absolut fan.

No more, now that the Swedish distiller stepped into the illegal immigration controversy in the U.S. An Absolut ad turned up showing a redrawn map of North America. It used the pre-1848 borders of the U.S., showing California, Texas New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona being part of Mexico.

As explained to the New York Times by an exec with a Latin-savvy advertising agency, “Mexicans talk about how the Americans stole their land, so … it’s very relevant and the Mexicans will love the idea.”

The resulting firestorm of criticism, with some U.S. bars refusing to pour Absolut, had the company making a quick apology, something about how they meant no insult, blah, blah, blah. The ad was withdrawn and an Absolut exec offered a “sincere apology.”

OK. But just as a Soviet blunder put me onto Absolut, maybe a Swedish blunder will prompt some to try another brand. If you need an alternative to Absolut; if you do, you might try Luksusowa, (pronounced “luke-SO-sova”), a Polish potato vodka, thrice distilled, as good or better than Absolut and considerably less expensive. Moreover, the Poles like us.

– Don

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Emails: chris@chriscurle.com and don@donfarmer.com.