Thursday, March 16, 2017

March 17, 2017



**Next post will be Friday, April 7th**

Castillo de San Marcos



The Castillo as seen from San Marco Avenue is an agelessly impressive sight. This is the western wall or terreplein, with bastions San Pablo and San Pedro.Notice the person resting against the tree at right (I really hope he/she was only sleeping). Part of the Cubo Line, a defensive wall once topped by sharp yucca plants designed to keep out the enemy, can be seen at left.

Fountain of Youth


If you’re into high-tech informational displays, you might not like the displays at the Fountain of Youth, which tend more toward the quaint and old-fashioned. If, however, you enjoy history in all shapes and forms, you’ll love them. I personally like things like this --- ship models, artifacts recovered from the site, etc. --- and much prefer the kitschy charm of old-school displays over modern, in-your-face technological advancements.


(c) 2015-2017 St. Augustine Fridays

Thursday, March 9, 2017

March 10, 2017



Flagler College


I’m not certain, but I believe this Moorish / medieval window is part of the Flagler College complex. St. Augustine’s various styles of architecture are not to be missed, and random bits of prettiness aren’t at all difficult to find. The hint of palm at lower right places this gem in a tropical locale.

St. Photios Greek Orthodox Shrine


Not Orthodox? Not religious? No problem, this is still a stunning place and a nice little hideaway on St. George Street. This beautiful altar is located within the shrine, one of many details that make it a wonderful place to spend some time in contemplation. I believe the gilded book is a Bible inscribed with various colorful images of saints. The altar has an ancient feel, with details which may call to mind the Crusader or Byzantine era. 


(c) 2015-2017 St. Augustine Fridays

Thursday, March 2, 2017

March 03, 2017



Fort Matanzas


Somewhere between modern-day Matanzas Inlet and Marineland, two infamous massacres took place in September and October 1565. The 250 or so men (numbers vary) who were slaughtered here were French Protestants whose religion and country of origin made them “undesirables” in the eyes of Spanish settlers. Though the exact place is not known, the Fort Matanzas nature trail offers an outlook over the Matanzas River where some believe the massacre may have taken place. Whether or not that's true, this is a scene right out of “old Florida”, with no modern encroachments whatsoever. If you were a French or Spanish soldier straight out of 1565, you would find nothing out of place.

Castle Warden


If you’ve ever visited Ripley’s Believe It or Not in St. Augustine, you’ve probably heard that the building which houses all those fantastical exhibits began its life as “Castle Warden.” It was constructed in 1887 --- the same time period in which Henry Flagler’s three magnificent hotels, now Flagler College, Casa Monica Hotel, and Lightner Museum, came into being --- and was inhabited by William G. Warden and his family. It’s not all that unusual to find a castle in St. Augustine; you’ll also find a 19TH century “palace” modeled after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain; a 17TH century Spanish fortress; and other amazing architectural beauties. 


(c) 2015-2017 St. Augustine Fridays