Nov 16 to 18

St Augustine, Florida was great. It is an interesting mixture of the historic and the tacky tourist trap.

Some of the old dates back to the original occupation by the Spanish and includes a fort which we anchored next to but did not visit. Much dates back to before the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries and relates to Flagler’s efforts to put St Augustine on the map by building hotels, a magnificent church, a college and, of course, the railroad.

Some of the streets are beautifully lined with old oaks.

Some of the tacky includes things such as Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Note Beverley and her friend “Mikey”. He has a rather waxy complection.

It was a time to get caught up on some maintenance. Tiesha was not happy about being trimmed but she looked much better, smelled better since she no longer used her face as a mop and could actually see again.

St Augustine gave us a very high honour, turning on their festival of lights just for us. Of course, they invited many others to witness the spectacle so it was incredibly crowded.

There were people in tacky costumes such as pirates and some enticements of a more sophisticated nature such as the lady playing the harp.

You can take the grandmother away from the grandkids, but you cannot take the grandmotherly instincts out of the grandmother.

When we first arrived, the harbour was very crowded and we were probably about ½ mile from the dingy docks. After a day or so, we moved to a much closer spot.

By being at the docks, however, we were very close to the action. A bridal party paused close by for wedding photos.

The restaurants were great. We went to one that advertised the biggest and best fish and chips in town. At $14.95, it was a bit pricey, but Bev and I split one portion and it was all we could eat. I guess it was not so bad after all.

On our last afternoon, we met with Don and Wilma from the boat Agape. They knew of an interesting bar at the end of the touristy area. It must have been the seediest bar town. I loved it. Although his body was firmly rooted on earth, the singer must have been from another planet. His mind and his music seemed lost in outer (or perhaps inner) space. Oh well, each to their own!