St Augustine

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Sun 22 Apr 2012 02:10
 
 
 

While having breakfast Jennie and Travis stopped by and said they were going to Stewart’s supermarket which was half a mile over the Bridge of Lions and was excellent for fresh food. As our food supplies needed replenishing we pricked up our ears and followed their example a little while later, only to have to wait while the bridge was raised for some river traffic.  Jennie and Travis were right, we bought some excellent steak, chicken breasts, fruit and vegetables and some bread. On the way back to Moorglade the strong currents swirling under the bridge were noted, we were close to a sea inlet and the tides were stronger here. After stashing away the food we headed for the town.

Information picked up told us that the city had existed for 444 years and has the longest chronicle of any in the USA. It was founded in 1565 by the Spanish who held it for almost two hundred years  despite various skirmishes along the way with the French and the English, including an attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1586. The English eventually gained control in 1763 after the Seven Years war for a brief period of twenty years, when Spain gave up Florida to gain control of Cuba.  The second Spanish period lasted from 1784-1821 following  Spain’s involvement in the American Revolutionary War. Spain finally handed control to the United States in July 1821 and the Americanisation of St Augustine started.

Today the centre of the city has become focussed on  tourism, the old streets are full of memorabilia shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, ghost and pirate experiences, train and trolley rides round the old town, sailing ship and catamaran trips around the bay.  We started our experience with lunch in a cafe in the oldest street in town, next came a museum in a house that had housed a convent where black children had been educated and where there was an interesting herbal garden. A walk through the streets took us past old wooden houses, large twentieth century buildings, originally hotels, now housing the Flagler College and the Lightner Museum and the Cathedral where we just saw the tail end of a very elegant wedding. The weather forecast a storm for the evening at 19.00 hours so plans for socialising were put off until the following day, we ate on board and were treated to a firework display in the late evening as it was the cathedral fair.

The next day was spent further exploring the town with considerable time spent at the Castillo de San Marcos, the old fort which had guarded the town since the seventeenth century. A cannon was fired at regular intervals and we watched as a group of four men dressed in eighteenth century military costume marched through the fort to the top level and went through the procedure for firing the cannon. We were told to cover our ears at the point of the explosion, it was a timely warning.  Other points of interest found were the old city gates, the cemeteries , the  Zero Milestone which marked one end of the Old Spanish trail which led from St Augustine to San Diego in California and last but not least the Old Drugstore with pharmaceutical history, traditional infusions [that smelt like manatee breath according to Kay] and wonderful ice creams!

On the nature front two points of interest, just after mooring a turtle was seen exploring under the pontoon next to us and while walking off the pontoon some strange black balloon like creatures looking like the corners of a swollen  black plastic bag were noticed among the weed. It turned out these were Portuguese Men of War.

The evening was spent enjoying a ‘real’ American meal with Robbie and Jenny and John and Travis at the Gipsy Cab Co, most of the party chose steak while Kay was more adventurous with shrimps and grits. As there was an early start next morning we said our goodbyes, Jennie and Robbie were due to go to Bermuda and then back to the UK, John and Travis were continuing along the ICW after having their engine fixed.

 

          

Waiting for the bridge (Cyclists can proceed vertically)                              Kath weighing the tomatoes in Stewarts

       

  Horse and carriage for tourists (NB droppings collection bag)                       Old hearse converted for Ghost trips

     

The Oldest street in America

        

Herb garden at the convent                                                                          Typical side street in the old town

          

One of the Lions guarding he Bridge of Lions                                              Nice idea but did not turn out to be quite like we first thought

           

Flagler College - Flagler seemed to be responsible for everything!          Moorglade in the marina looking towards the Bridge of Lions

        

Firework display after the rain                                                             Castillo de San Marcos - we got in free because it was National Parks week

           

Preparing to "fire" the cannon. Didn't see any holes in boats though            Internal view of the Castillo

 

      

The skipper looking mortar-fied                                                       The Old Drugstore

         

and some of the old drugs (in front of a mirror)                                      The Zero Milestone

    

Lightner Museum                                                                            Dinner at the Gypsy Cab Co - grits looking indistinguishable from mashed potato!

  

Egret at low tide in the marina                                                       Portuguese Man o'War by the pontoons