St Augustine is very different from the America we have seen so far, it is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in America being first settled in 1565 by the Spanish. St Augustine has been attacked and burnt by the British a couple of times first by Sir Frances Drake in 1586 and again in 1702 so no properties have survived from before then. It is a very pretty town which feels more European than American, the fort was built in 1672 and in 1702 the towns people fled into its safety and were held under siege for 50 days from the British who gave up in the end.

Originally the moat was filled with water

Old officers quarters

 

The town also has a great college which was built as a hotel in the 1880’s

 

 

On the 1st December there was a British are coming parade which we went to with Pete Kourtney, Eva (Pete's daughter) and Tony after which we went to a bar to watch a band play, it seems that nearly every bar or restaurant in St Augustine has live music playing!

 

 

While in at St Augustine we got a few jobs done on the boat and purchased a new anchor chain, ours was 8 years old and very rusty leaving a pile of rust on the deck every time we use it – so anchoring isn't so cheap after all!