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Oasis of Peace inside a St. Augustine Basilica

8/7/2012

Our last day was a lazy day…… after our brunch by the sea and barrier island drive, we headed back to St. Augustine to visit one place I had really wanted to see before we left, Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.

Jim assures me that I have a compulsion to visit every historical chapel, church or cathedral I come across and I’m not ashamed to say he’s right. They are beautiful, serene places to visit and I love the feeling of calm that envelopes you whenever you enter one of these spiritual and artistic spaces.

No difference this time either………… After the oven outside, the interior of the Cathedral was cool and peaceful where only soft whispers could be heard and a few lone worshipers sat silent in contemplation in the pews.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine was built over five years from 1793-1797 and was built in the Moorish style while Florida was under Spanish control. In 1887, a fire damaged the Cathedral, so when it was repaired by the great architect James Renwick, it was expanded and changed to look more like the Spanish Missions in the West, including the addition of a bell tower with the exposed bell which was a well known symbol of the Spanish mission. Classical elements and the painted beams were also added along with a transept so that it would appear more European.

The interior is charming, filled with colorful light from tall stained glass windows. The portions of the walls that are not painted a cool white are covered with religious and historical frescoes or sparkling mosaic. The high altar is flanked by tall organ pipes and gold leafed sculptures lean forward in blessing from their niches while golden angels fly above them toward a painted canopy and decorated ceiling. We wandered mute with eyes cast upward taking in the amazing architecture and holy art.

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Pics from a Beautiful Morning on Vilano Beach

8/6/2012

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Just some pretty Pics.......
No need for me to write this one! Jim has reviewed the two Gems we found at Vilano Beach. Our last day began with Brunch by the sea at the Reef and finding a fabulous riverside bar hiding out on the North River called Cap's. Check them out on Jim's Gems and Stinkers!

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Day 2 - Hanging with Pirates & Splendors of the Gilded Age

8/5/2012

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Since old town St. Augustine is pretty much a vacation tourist town, Jim and I suspected that if we got out early in the morning when most vacationers would still be nursing their hangovers, the streets would be deserted and we were right. This was definitely the best time to capture beautiful photos.

We headed out to old town St. Augustine in the relatively cooler morning air. (Still humid, but not steaming.)

St. George street was quiet and we had only birds for company so we wandered, free to stop and plan our photos at a leisurely pace appreciating the smells of the tropical plants and really taking the time to look closely at the centuries old buildings noting that many of them had tiny pink and white seashells imbedded in the walls of lumpy conglomerate they used as local concrete over 250 years ago.

When the shops and museums started to open up, Jim had only one request……. The Pirate Museum. So we headed over to the museum that was clearly meant for kids. The reason for this request? This museum has a 400 year old pirate chest and another one almost as old that you can actually touch! I don’t care if you are six or sixty, you will love this museum! It’s packed full of treasures from the days of the Caribbean Pirates. There are artifacts from Captain Kidd to Blackbeard and Disney has stepped in to make you feel as if you are on a real pirate ship. It’s magical! Unfortunately, no pics allowed inside so you will need to visit their website to see what’s inside.

Since this was to be Museum day, we trecked on over to the Lightner Museum. The Lightner was originally the Hotel Alcazar built in 1887 the height of the Gilded Age by railroad magnate Henry M. Flagler. The stage is set immediately as you walk into what was the original elegant ballroom which acts as the entrance to the museum.

The first floor is stuffed with Victoriana and if you are lucky to be there when they are giving demonstrations of the music instruments you can learn a lot of really interesting information about the historic music of the period.

My favorite room was what seemed to me a giant cabinet of curiosities! A taxidermied aligator hangs from the ceiling and a giant lion stands roaring in suspended animation. A Egyptian child mummy rests behind glass and a shrunken head stares out from its pedestal. It’s a really fun room to visit.

Upstairs we found elegant neoclassical furnishings and beautiful 19th century decorative items and gemlike Tiffany stained glass. In these rooms you can really appreciate the graceful architecture in rooms that the patrons of the hotel would have graced with their bustled dresses and topcoats. My favorite sculpture was a stunning multi-colored marble statue of Cleopatra from Italy, but there were lots of beautiful pieces of art to appreciate.

The best representation of the actual hotel days is in what was originally the spa/health facility. The old sauna room and bath area are still intact and the displays really give you sense of the people coming to visit and regain their “health”.

Caught up on our culture fix, we decided to drive out to Anastasia Island and the Conch House Marina and Resort which is known for its small thatched huts in which each are home to a table for dining and of course waterfront bar with its view of the marina on an inlet called Salt Run.

We were sitting out on the pier deck and drank rum and tonics watching the boats come and go when I spied Pirates. Yes, Pirates in full buccaneer gear, boots, hats, and swords, traipsing down the pier to bar! Actually, since that’s where you would expect to see a pirate on land, it took only a second or two for me to completely accept the scene. I was trying to secretly snap a photo when they noticed me and dragged me over for some friendly group pics. They were a jolly bunch and really seemed as if they had stepped right off their galleon for a taste of demon rum. I expected a Yo-Ho any minute!

Leaving behind our pirate friends, we made one last stop back in St. Augustine, The Prince of Whales Pub. It must have been our day for encountering figures from the past because we were greeted by kilted Scotts carrying bagpipes!

Sipping a pint of Boddington Cream Ale on the porch of an English Pub, under trees draped with Spanish moss while listening to the mournful wail of bagpipes! The perfect end to a perfect day!

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Using Marriott Coupons and a Hot Stay in St. Augustine Florida - Day 1

8/3/2012

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Hmmmm….... St.Augustine, Florida in the Summer………

One of the rules any good traveler should follow is “don’t squander a free hotel coupon!” If you can possibly help it!

There are a few loyalty programs that Jim and I really like and use. One of those is the Marriott rewards program. We try to stay at Marriott Hotels whenever we travel for business and we have a Marriott Rewards credit card so we can get points on our purchases. We had three free-night coupons at any mid range Marriott property, but had to use them by the end of August when they expired. The problem we faced was where would we want to spend three days in August? Not our favorite month to travel anywhere!

We decided to brave the tropical heat of Florida, hoping that being near the Atlantic Ocean would provide some relief with the occasional trade winds and sea breezes. The Marriott we picked was a Courtyard located about 6 miles from the old town of St. Augustine. When we arrived, the check in desk was manned by friendly helpful staff and we were soon unexpectedly upgraded to a suite! Another reason that loyalty programs can really be a benefit to a traveler!

The suite was modern and clean and comfortable (my personal criteria for a room), with a sink, microwave and fridge inset into a lovely granite topped bar. As with every Marriott we have ever stayed in, the bed was a top-notch perfect softness bed covered with a pristine fluffy duvet. There was a small but invitingly sparkling blue pool on the patio surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrella topped tables.

St. Augustine is a very old city. In fact it is the oldest European established city in the United States, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The area has a rich history of explorers, pirates, colonists and soldiers, but we weren’t ready to plunge into all that history yet. After an eight hour drive, that first afternoon, we just wanted to wander, find a cool drink and a snack before napping until dinner, so we hopped back in our car and drove to the old town of St. Augustine to do just that.

St. Augustine is full of wonderful restaurants and bars, but that afternoon, the breezes were non-existent and the humidity and heat were oppressive, so we ducked into the air-conditioned interior of Harry’s, a New Orleans Style Restaurant. It had a tiny bar so we squeezed in and checked out the menu as we sipped our drinks. It didn’t take us long at all to decide to come back for dinner later and we left dreaming of Etouffee and Jambalaya.

We took in the sun sparkling on Matanzas Bay, the yachts moored in the bay, the Spanish moss dripping down from the huge old oak trees and the long low ramparts of the old Spanish Fort and then turned up King Street where the long green “Plaza de la Constitucion” led us among palm trees, past the old market, a gazebo and strategically placed canons to where the fanciful Spanish Colonial meets Moorish Palace style at the hotel called the Casa Monica.

The Casa Monica is also a Marriott property, though unfortunately our coupons were not good for that particular level of Marriott. It was a stunning hotel. As we walked into the lobby, I was awed by flamboyant red and gold tiles, a splashing bronze fountain, carved and painted ceiling beams which connected ornate arches, and the green fronds of tropical plants that fanned out into the spaces. It was like walking into a courtyard of a palace in Andalusia Spain.

We lingered in the lovely bar cooling off with another beverage until we finally were ready to push off and out to further exploration. We headed toward St. George Street which is a pedestrian only street lined with historic buildings, shops and restaurants. The sun quickly roasted away all the coolness we had collected at the Casa Monica.

A timbered balcony hanging out from an old stone building caught our eye and the colorful flags rippling above us convinced us that we would find those missing breezes if we sat up there by those flags, so we entered the dark cool establishment. The view from the long narrow balcony of the Sangrias Wine and Tapas Bar was amazing. We could peek down into formal palm ringed gardens or secret high walled courtyards, and watched the cartoon-like sightseeing mini-trains snake through the lanes below.

The Tapas we ordered were superb. Jim ordered the Cervice and I had ordered a combination of dips with chunks of French bread. And yes…… we found the cool breezes we been looking for! Best of all, we were serenaded by some terrific music provided by the talented performer Colton Mckenna. I’m not sure how often he plays there, but it’s worth checking Sangria’s Facebook page or his website coltonmckenna.com for his schedule.

After recharging with Tapas at Sangria’s, we were ready for a quick swim and finally a nap at the hotel until dinner. I couldn’t wait to float around on my back in that cool blue water watching the clouds drift across the sky!

Later that evening we caught a taxi out for dinner at Harry’s. We sat outside in the courtyard as the sun sank down into dusk and the fairy lights in the trees began to glow. We listened to guitar music and ate huge piles of spicy Jambalaya which was full of shrimp, chicken and Andouilla sausage. We washed the heat of the Jambalaya down with icy cold sauvignon blanc and cool lager.

More full than we could have imagined possible, we decided to walk off our dinner and stepped out into the evening where a parade of carriages pulled by trotting horses vied with the cars touring down the seaside boulevard. The evening air was heavy and humid with a faint breeze from the bay occasionally drifting by and we could hear music and the hum of conversation drifting out from restaurant and bar patios and courtyards. Groups on “Ghost Tours” walked in the shadows of the old Spanish fort out on the point, flashlights and lanterns dancing as they followed their ghostly guide. When we finally caught our taxi home, the yachts in Matanzas Bay floated quietly on the black water; here and there, a glowing mast light reflected in the dark ripples.

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Oasis of Peace inside a St. Augustine Basilica

Pics from a Beautiful Morning on Vilano Beach

Day 2 - Hanging with Pirates & Splendors of the Gilded Age

Using Marriott Coupons and a Hot Stay in St. Augustine Florida - Day 1

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