Friday, April 10, 2015

April 10, 2015



Castillo de San Marcos 




On my most recent trip to St. Augustine I had an opportunity to see the old prison at the Castillo. Inside the locked room it’s very warm, probably due to the orange light positioned on the floor, and the air is decidedly stale. The floor is uneven in places. I didn’t see any ghosts, but I can definitely understand why this place is steadfastly avoided even through a closed door. Still, it was fascinating to imagine what it must have been like for the folks held here for various infractions over the years. Makes you wonder who . . . disobedient soldiers? Political prisoners? Ornery folks from town? I guess we’ll never know.

 Fountain of Youth


I did it! I walked the entire length of the boardwalk leading from the archaeological park out into the marsh, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. I was busy snapping photos the entire time, but somehow this one caught my eye: it shows the general area where Spanish settlers under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés came ashore in 1565, and the new watchtower along the shoreline can also be seen. The thatch roofs to the left of the tower represent 16th century structures that have been lovingly reconstructed. The modern white tents at right were part of a Girl Scout event where young ladies were dressed in 1740s garb and modeling life in colonial days. 


(c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays

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