Thursday, August 27, 2015

August 28, 2015



Mission Nombre de Dios

  
Could there be a more relaxing scene? A beautiful stroll around the Mission grounds, a cool breeze rippling the waves, a bench to sit and collect your thoughts, a few palms waving in the distance . . . (great. Now I miss it again). To your left is the bridge to Vilano Beach, a place with charms all its own. The big pole at right is actually the 208-foot “Great Cross” which is much more striking than it appears on this particular photo.

St. George Street


One of the most iconic spots along St. George Street is the Milltop Tavern water wheel. I was unable to find the background structure’s exact age (it dates from the 19th century) though the wheel itself is thought to have been constructed in the 1930s. This is a great photo op, and there’s some great shopping behind you (along St. George) or in front of you (check out George’s Treasures, fronting San Marco Avenue). From here you also have a great view of the Castillo de San Marcos. (And if you’re into ghost lore, you might find this place interesting as well).


(c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays

Thursday, August 20, 2015

August 21, 2015



Castillo de San Marcos

  
There’s a lot going on in this photo, and the colors are amazing! It was one of the prettiest days we’ve ever spent at the Castillo. Here you can see the dry moat (bottom), the covered way (middle plain) and the glacis, all bordered by coquina walls. At the top of the photo is the Visitor Information Center. You can see by the difference in color that the majority of the coquina-stone on the gun deck is old, but the block at top left is of a lighter color, indicating it was placed there recently.

Fountain of Youth


Apparently these are real cannon that were dredged up from the depths of the ocean, encrusted with shells and oozing rust. If true, that’s kind of fascinating. Love the aloe, the cactus in the background, the old pots in the right distance, and just the general set-up of this beautiful scene. Don’t touch, but feel free to look all you want . . . these cannon make some great photo-ops. As you can see, it was an overcast day when this photo was taken, which can be a good thing if there’s only a hint of a passing rain-shower and a bad thing if it’s pouring down rain. (I’ve been there for both!).


(c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays

Friday, August 14, 2015

August 14, 2015



Fountain of Youth



This picturesque pond is just one of the many beautiful sights you’ll see at the Fountain of Youth grounds. In the distance is the new Spanish watchtower along with a plethora of palms, and the center path takes you past some interpretive markers. Very near this spot is the reconstructed Timucua Indian village. Also down by the water in the left distance is the site of the original 1565 Spanish colony and the first wooden fort, which was called “San Juan de PiƱos.”



St. George Street




The pedestrian-friendly St. George Street offers a variety of historic houses; all the better that they’re shops, so you can go inside and look around without trespassing. :-) This particular shop, Casa Rodriguez, is also known as the Rodriguez-Avero-Sanchez House. The bottom level, constructed of native coquina shell-stone, dates from the 1700s, while the upper story and dormers date from the 1800s. A plaque to the right of the front door tells the house’s story and names former owners. This is one of my favorite historic structures along this street.


(c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays

Thursday, August 6, 2015

August 07, 2015



An Interesting Tale

 

As you may know, I’m particularly fascinated by the story of the French Protestants who were killed at Matanzas near St. Augustine in 1565 simply because they happened to have the “wrong” faith and nationality. In the same vein, I found a very interesting tale which took place in St. Augustine in 1605. A band of Frenchmen had been trading with Indians along the Savannah River when Spanish ships arrived. To be honest, the French in this case weren’t exactly angels, being considered pirates, but worst of all in the eyes of Spanish Catholics, they were also Huguenots. They were taken to St. Augustine and subjected to a variety of priestly exhortations. The truth was that converting to the Catholic faith wasn’t going to save their lives. They were pirates --- they were going to die. Yet for some reason, these men, who numbered twenty-one, decided to join the Catholic Church, all except for one man.
 
Now, who was this man, and why and how did he remain true to his faith when none others did? He died with the others, yet out of all his companions, he refused to give in. One might say his comrades truly desired to die in the Catholic Church, and while I imagine some did, I would say that it would be unlikely for more than a few to feel a true calling. What did the Spaniards think of this fellow and his stubborn avowal of the Protestant faith? Fascinating stuff. And it perturbs me greatly that I will never know his name and story! Such is the life of a history lover . . .

Castillo de San Marcos


It’s pretty rare to have the Castillo to yourself, and I guarantee that when this photo was taken, someone was about to poke their head in the room. Here we see the first Spanish guardroom from the back of the room, near the fireplace. The entrance that leads into the main hall is to the right. The door to the left leads to the second Spanish guardroom. Before the 1750s, both guardrooms were part of one large chamber. I don’t know the purpose of the hole in the wall (center left) and couldn’t venture a guess. I’m pretty sure it’s not a cannonball hole, though there are indeed such scars on the outside walls.


 (c) 2015 St. Augustine Fridays