Thursday, February 12, 2015

February 13, 2015



Colonial Quarter
 

One of the many visual treats at Colonial Quarter is the De Mesa-Sanchez House, a home that has existed in some form or another since the mid-1700s. In the 1800s a separate kitchen was built; restoration in the last few decades has created this charming reconstruction of an old Spanish-style workspace. Just standing in this spot gives one a feeling of age and history. If you visit Colonial Quarter, make sure to check out the house; it’s my favorite part of the attraction. It’s not often you get to tour a house that was built when part of America was still under Spanish jurisdiction.

Castillo de San Marcos


St. Augustine’s beloved “Old Fort” has much more to offer than simply its own history, though this is of course more than enough . . . a visit to the gun deck provides terrific views of St. Augustine’s natural beauty. On this photo you can see the Francis and Mary Usina Bridge; interestingly, I learned today that here the Matanzas River and Tolomato River meet. The water in the foreground is known most commonly as Matanzas Bay, and the name has a tragic history; after the nearby murder of French Protestants in 1565, the bay was given the name “Matanzas”, meaning “slaughters.”


(c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays

No comments:

Post a Comment